The Long Road Home: A Devil Chaser's MC Novella

by L. Wilder

  “You bitch,” the man next to me growled as he straightened his stance. “You little fucking bitch. You’re going to pay for that shit.” He glared at me with such anger, such hate, that it made my blood run cold. He wanted me dead. Plain and simple.

  He stalked toward me with his hand raised into a fist, and I saw it coming, but I was too dazed to react. The blow to the side of my face was so powerful, that I momentarily lost my vision. I was reaching out for something to grab onto when he came at me again. I knew it was coming… I could hear the sounds of his feet shuffling toward me, but there was nothing I could do about it. I felt suspended in time; everything became a blur. He hit me with such force that my head jerked back and I lost my footing. With my arms flailing in the air, I fell back, and my head collided with the kitchen counter. Lights flashed across my eyes as I dropped to the ground with a loud thud. Nausea instantly washed over me, and I thought I was going to be sick. I could hear them both laughing as I tried to roll to my side, but I couldn’t move. I couldn’t even think. My mind was in such a fog that I thought I’d heard Maverick’s voice calling out to me, but I couldn’t see him. I couldn’t feel him. Everything was just black and the darkness consumed me.

  Chapter 25

  Maverick

  “Shoot the bitch, and let’s get the hell out of here,” a man shouted from Henley’s apartment.

  “I think we should have a little fun with her first,” the other one laughed, and my blood ran cold. Their laughter fueled my rage, and I don’t even remember kicking down her door. Henley was behind it, and I had to get to her. My mind was on autopilot. I didn’t even think before I kicked the door in, splintering it on its hinges.

  Adrenaline soared through my body as I charged into the room with my brothers following close behind me. I stopped dead in my tracks when I saw Henley sprawled out on the floor with blood pooling around her head. My eyes shot to the man who was standing over Henley, and without hesitation, I aimed my gun at him. Our unexpected invasion caught him off-guard, and he had little time to react. His eyes darted toward my gun, and panic washed over him as he watched me squeeze the trigger. The imminent dread he felt caused his body to tense as the bullet hit him directly between the eyes. Satisfaction washed over me as his lifeless body dropped to the ground.

  I rushed over to Henley’s side, dropping down to my knees, and I placed my fingers on her neck, praying I could find a pulse. It was faint, but I could feel her heartbeat lightly thumping against the tips of my fingers. Relief surged through me when I realized she was still alive. My heart ached as I studied the bruises covering her face, and I wanted to beat that fucker with my bare hands and shoot him all over again.

  I tried to pull my shit together as I turned to Cotton and said, “She’s alive, but she’s lost a lot of blood. We’ve got to get her to a hospital.”

  “I’ll call the ambulance,” Cotton snapped as he grabbed his phone from his pocket. Then he turned to Smokey and said, “You boys get this mess cleaned up before they get here.”

  “On it,” Smokey told him as they quickly began disposing of the body.

  Guardrail had managed to wrestle the other man to the ground and quickly bound his hands behind his back with zip ties. When he was finished, Guardrail grabbed his arm, tugging him upright. He looked over at Cotton and said, “I’ll get this one over to the club. Stitch is already getting things prepared for our guest.” The guy could barely see as Guardrail led him out of the apartment, and I knew his night of hell had just begun. Stitch would have him wishing he was dead in a matter of minutes.

  I took a cloth from the counter and gently pressed it against Henley’s head. She was so still, almost lifeless. I was watching her slip away, and I couldn’t stand the thought of losing her.

  “Henley… baby, wake up,” I pleaded, but I got no response. She didn’t open her eyes. She didn’t give me any sign she was still with me. “I need you to wake up, Henley. You’ve got to wake up!”

  Cotton walked over to me and placed his hand on my shoulder. “Maverick, you’ve got to keep it together, brother. She’s going to need you when she comes around,” he explained.

  “Why did she do this? Why would she risk her life like this?” I asked as I took her hand in mine. “It doesn’t make any sense.”

  “You know why she did it. She did it for you, brother. She did it for the club. And she was able to accomplish something we haven’t. Because of her, we might finally get some answers. She’s one hell of a girl,” Cotton said as he looked over to Henley. “She’ll be alright, Maverick. She’s a lot stronger than you think.”

  There was a knock on the front door, and the room fell silent. Cotton glanced around one final time before he let the medics in. They rushed over to Henley and one of them asked, “Can you tell us what happened?”

  “There was a break-in. We don’t know much more than that,” Cotton explained. “We walked in and found her like this.”

  After checking all of her stats, they carefully lifted her up onto the gurney. They were about to take her down to the ambulance when I asked, “Is she going to be okay?”

  “It’s hard to say. She’s suffered a blunt force trauma to the head. We won’t know how serious it is until we get her over to the hospital.” He continued to talk as he pushed her toward the elevator. “The doctors will probably do a CT Scan and maybe an MRI. That will tell them how severe the injury really is.”

  “I’m riding with her,” I told him.

  “Are you a relative?” he asked.

  “Yes,” I lied, but there was no way I was going to leave her side.

  “Okay, we’ve got room.” The ambulance was waiting for us at the front door, and once they had her loaded up in the back, I crawled in behind them. When the doors slammed shut and the sirens roared above me, I had never been so terrified in my life. Looking at Henley so hurt and helpless, I felt lost. I felt powerless. I had no control as I watched the medics continue to work on her. Nothing before had ever frightened me like this. My heart ached when I thought about losing her. I loved her. I couldn’t imagine my life without her. Her smile, the sound of her voice, the way she felt when I held her in my arms. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t lose her.

  When things finally settled down in the back of the ambulance, I asked again, “Is she going to be okay? You’ve got to give me something.”

  “Her vitals are improving, but I still don’t know about her head injury. It could be a simple concussion or something much more involved. We really won’t know anything until we get the results from that CT scan,” he explained.

  While they wheeled Henley upstairs for testing, a nurse escorted me to the main waiting room. My brothers were already there, waiting with Cassidy when I walked in. She came running toward me with tears streaming down her face. When she reached me, she wrapped her arms around my neck, hugging me tightly.

  “I’m so sorry, Maverick. It wasn’t supposed to happen like this. Henley promised we’d have time to get away!” she cried hysterically.

  “What the hell were you thinking, Cass? Henley’s back there, fighting for her life,” I snapped.

  “She was just so determined. She thought if she used herself as bait, you’d be able to catch the men who killed Skidrow,” she explained as she wiped the tears from her face. Her story sounded too fucking familiar.

  “Where did she get the idea? Had she been talking to anyone?” I asked.

  “I’m not sure. Big Mike, maybe? But you know Henley. She’s always coming up with these crazy ideas, but I thought this one might really work. She was just trying to help.”

  Fuck. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Henley would’ve never gotten into this mess if Mike had kept his goddamn mouth shut. Clenching my fists at my side, I glared at him, trying to fight the urge to kick his ass right here in the middle of the fucking waiting room. The blood drained from his face when he noticed me glaring at him. He took a step toward me, but I raised my hand, signaling him to stop. I had every intention of having
it out with him, but this was not the place. He’d just have to wait.

  I spent the next three hours feeling like I was coming apart at the seams while I waited to hear something from Henley’s doctor. The walls were closing in on me. I paced back and forth, and my heart stopped beating every time a doctor or nurse walked by the doorway. It was obvious that I was on edge, so my brothers steered clear, giving me time to pull my shit together. I hated the waiting, not knowing what was going on with her. My imagination kept jumping to the worst-case scenarios and it was driving me insane.

  I was about to lose the last of my patience when a nurse called out, “I need to speak with someone from Miss Henley Gray’s family.”

  Cassidy and I anxiously looked at each other before we walked toward the door. Time stood still as I waited for the nurse to start talking.

  “I just wanted to give you an update on Henley,” the nurse started. “They just got the results back from the CT scan, and Henley does have a concussion and a laceration on the back of her head. They’ve moved her to a room at the end of the hall.”

  “How’s she doing? Is she awake?” Cassidy asked with tears streaming down her cheeks.

  “She’s a little groggy, and she’s going to have one hell of a headache. But she’ll be just fine.”

  “When can we see her?” I asked. I was relieved to know that she was okay, but I needed to see it for myself. I had to know she really was okay.

  “She’s been asking for someone named Maverick? I take it that’s you,” she said with a warming smile.

  “Yes, ma’am. I’m Maverick,” I told her.

  “Why don’t you come with me? I still need to sort out her medication, but you can sit with her while I get it worked out,” she said as she started up the hall.

  I started to follow her when Cassidy grabbed my arm and said, “Tell her I’m sorry,” she wailed, unable to control her tears.

  I put my arms around her, pulling her close to me, and said, “I’ll come back to get you as soon as I can. Just hold tight until then.” She nodded, and I gave her another tight squeeze before I let her go. She stood at the doorway of the waiting room, watching until I walked into Henley’s room.

  I was so anxious to see her that I didn’t think before I rushed into her room. I didn’t take the time to prepare for seeing her lying in that hospital bed. She was so fucking pale, making the bruises along her face seem even darker. There was a small bandage around her head, but even at her worst, she was beautiful. I couldn’t stop staring at her. She was alive and lying just a few steps from me. My prayers had been answered. Her lips curved into a small smile when she noticed me standing at the end of her bed.

  “Hey,” she whispered.

  “How are you feeling?” I asked.

  “I’ve been better,” she confessed.

  I nodded, crossed my arms, and continued to look at her as I thought about what I was going to do next. I wanted to hold her, to tell her that everything was going to be okay, but I couldn’t. Not yet. She wouldn’t be in this hospital bed if she’d just used her damn head.

  “Aren’t you going to say something? Yell… scream… fuss at me? Something?” she asked.

  “Do you want me to tell you how a part of me died when I saw you lying on that floor, or how hard it was to sit out there for the past three fucking hours not knowing if you were going to live or die?” I asked.

  “Maverick… I’m sorry. I know I screwed it all up,” she explained.

  “I thought I made it clear… I told you I would tan your ass if you even thought about getting involved in club business. Do you remember that, Henley? I hope you do, because I am going to enjoy spanking that pretty little ass of yours when you get out of this hospital.”

  “What is it with you and my ass?” she asked with a giggle. “You need to stop teasing me. I’m injured.”

  “What can I say? I like your ass. Enough said. You’ll get better, and I’ll be waiting,” I smirked. It was impossible for me to be angry with her right now. I had her back, and I wasn’t about to waste one minute on bullshit that just didn’t matter. She was out of danger, and she was going to be okay. Besides, I knew she’d learned her lesson. After tonight, there was no way she’d ever do something like this again.

  Chapter 26

  Henley

  “Oh my god… Cassidy! Is she okay?” I asked frantically. My mind had been in such a fog, I’d forgotten that I hadn’t seen her since that man grabbed me and dragged me up the fire escape.

  “She’s a little shaken up, but she’s fine,” Maverick explained.

  “Thank God. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if anything had happened to her because of my hair-brained idea.”

  “I’m pretty sure she won’t be so quick to go along with you next time,” he said, smiling. I was relieved he wasn’t furious with me. This little exploit of mine put everyone in danger, and I wouldn’t blame him for hating me right now. I couldn’t help but wonder if I’d done it all for nothing.

  “Can I ask you something?” I asked apprehensively.

  “You can ask, but that doesn’t mean I’ll answer,” Maverick snickered.

  “Did you get them? Did you get the guy who killed Skidrow? He was there,” I started. Just thinking about that man brought chills down my spine.

  “You mean you recognized one of them?”

  “Yes. He was there that night… I remembered his voice,” I told him, unable to stop my own from trembling.

  “Are you sure it was him?” he asked.

  “There’s no doubt in my mind. I’ll never be able to forget that man,” I admitted. When I closed my eyes, I could still see that large snake tattoo taunting me. “Please tell me… did you get him?” I asked again.

  He walked over to me and reached for my hand, kissing the tips of my knuckles. “Yeah, baby. We got him.”

  “Did he tell you who he was? Why they killed Skidrow?” I prodded.

  “Don’t worry about all that, Henley. We’ll get what we need out of him. You just concentrate on getting yourself out of this hospital,” he said as he sat down on the edge of the bed.

  “Thank you. Thank you for coming tonight… for saving my life,” I whispered, unable to fight back my tears.

  “Henley, you’re mine. I know I haven’t been clear about that. I’ve been too bullheaded to admit it out loud, but I’ve known it since the night you were trying to leave the club, wearing nothing but that damn t-shirt. I couldn’t stand the thought of you walking out that door. No one has been able to get to me the way you do—no one. I love you, Henley,” he said as he leaned over me, kissing me softly on my lips. In that moment, I knew I loved Maverick with every fiber of my being. He wasn’t a man who gave away his love freely, and I was overwhelmed by the thought he had given it to me.

  “I love you too, Logan. Now and forever,” I told him. I leaned in to kiss him, and the moment his mouth met mine, I was lost. He was everything I’d ever wanted and more, and now he was mine.

  We were still kissing when Cassidy eased into the room and said, “Sorry, I couldn’t hold out any longer. I just needed to see for myself that you were okay.” She was a mess. Her eyes were swollen from crying, and mascara was running down her cheeks.

  “It’s okay, Cass. Really, I’m fine,” I said, trying to reassure her.

  “Well, you look like shit,” she said with a soft laugh.

  “You look a hot mess yourself,” I told her as I reached out my arms and gave her a hug. She started to cry again, so I held her close to my chest until she pulled herself together.

  “I don’t know why I let you talk me into doing these crazy things with you. You could have gotten yourself killed tonight. I was so scared, Lee Bug. I thought I had lost you,” she whimpered.

  “You know, I blame you for all of this,” I told her smiling. “You’re supposed to be the smart one. You should’ve talked me out of it.”

  “Don’t you start that shit with me! You know I didn’t think we should do it,” she said,
her face turning red with frustration.

  “They got him,” I whispered.

  “You mean it actually worked?”

  I looked over to Maverick while I said, “It was stupid of us to get involved like that, and we will never do anything like that again, but yeah. It worked.” I couldn’t stop my mouth from curling into a huge grin.

  “I’m still going to kick your ass for scaring me like that,” Cassidy snickered.

  “I can’t say that I blame you.”

  “We need to let her get some rest,” Maverick interrupted.

  “I can stay with her tonight… help keep an eye on things,” she offered.

  “I’m staying. Go home and get some sleep. I’ll call you in the morning to let you know how she’s doing.”

  Cassidy hugged me once more and said, “I’ll come check on you tomorrow. I love you, Sis.”

  “I love you too.” Cassidy was an amazing sister. She never failed to be there when I needed her, and I knew I was lucky to have her.

  “I’m going to head out. Try to behave.”

  Chapter 27

  Maverick

  After I got Henley home from the hospital and settled in our room, I set out to find Stitch. No one had seen him since last night when Guardrail brought in the motherfucker that killed Skidrow. He’d been working on him in the warehouse for the past twenty-four hours, which let me know that Stitch was taking his time working this guy over. There was no telling what hell he’d put that man through, but I knew when it was all said and done, he’d have all the information we needed to get these guys once and for all.

  “Have you been by to check on Stitch?” I asked Cotton. He was busy working in his office, and seemed surprised to see me.

  “I thought you were still at the hospital. How’s Henley?” he asked.

  “She’s doing better. They released her this morning, and now she’s resting in my room,” I explained. Until this morning, I hadn’t really missed not having a place of my own, but now I was thinking it was time to start looking for a house. I wanted Henley to have a home she could be proud of, one that was close to her school, so she could finish up her classes and graduate.