Wild Heart (The Wild Heart Series)

by Culbreth, Jennifer

  “Ok,” Lulu’s voice was timid as she made her way toward the chapel.

  “Rage, what’s going on?” Ani did her best to keep her voice composed.

  “We got ambushed. Fuckin’ group of Renegades caught us on our run back.” He brushed his hands through his short black hair.

  “Where is Knox?” Ani’s voice was a whisper as she asked, immediately praying that he was alright.

  “He’s ok. He and a few of the other guys are held up in our warehouse. Can’t leave. There’s no getting’ into that building. You’d have to blow it up to get into it.” Ani’s eyes flashed with concern as Rage answered her unspoken thought, “They might have connections, but they don’t have connections like that.”

  “Those guys in the van?”

  “Renegades. Charon had a gut feeling that they were going to try and go to the cabin. We knew you girls were there alone. God only knows what would have happened if they’d gotten there before us.” He bent over letting out a gut wrenching sound as the scenario played out in his mind. She could see that the worry of something happening to her or Kate was ripping him apart.

  “Hey, Rage, we’re ok. You got there first,” Ani leaned down as she rubbed his back in an attempt to comfort him. Charon had known that they might come after Ani and Kate when he put her on the back of his bike. It was his way of protecting her when Knox couldn’t be there. And, now he lay on a make shift operating table as Doc dug a bullet out of his shoulder. “So what’s next?” Ani asked, she knew she needed to be brave for Knox and the rest of the M.C.; it was time to step up.

  “Jameson’s callin’ the rest of the members. We go on lockdown. Is there any way you can get ahold of your pops? See if he can come in?” Rage asked as Kate came up and hugged him. She could see that Kate’s normal brave façade had faded; she was scared.

  “He can’t drive. I would need to go get him.”

  “Call him and tell him that two nasty looking bastards named Riley and Odessa will be picking him up. I’ll call them now and tell them to go get him before they get here. He does not, under any circumstances, leave with anyone else.” Rage kissed the top of Kate’s head before turning to head up the stairs.

  “Ani, I’m scared,” Kate hugged her as she pulled her phone from her pocket.

  “We’ll be ok,” Ani wrapped her free arm around Kate and waited for her dad to pick up.

  “Hello?” his voice was cheery as he picked up the phone. Ani wondered briefly how much of a fight he would put up.

  “Hey, daddy. Listen, there is something going on and we need you to come to the clubhouse. Do you think you could grab a bag of clothes and come over and hang out with us for a bit?” She silently prayed when he didn’t immediately respond.

  “Been waiting for months for you to bring me over to play with motorcycles. You coming to get me?” She smiled as he responded brightly.

  “No, two guys will be coming; Riley and Odessa. Daddy, I need you to make sure they are who they say they are before you leave with them ok?” she said sternly.

  “Aye, Captain,” he chucked, “See you in a bit kiddo. Love you.”

  “Love you too, daddy.” She ended the call as a group of club members, women, men, and children, came in through the door next to her and Kate.

  “Ani, just talked to Odessa. They are pullin’ up now,” Rage called out down the hallway. She smiled before giving him a thumbs up and reaching down and holding Kate out at arm’s length.

  “Kate, it’s gonna be ok,” Ani smiled down at her, “We knew shit was gonna be scary at times, but it’s time for us to step up. We gotta be strong for them,” she eyed down at the chaos going on in the main room.

  Kate took a deep breath and exhaled, when she looked up at Ani there was a brighter fierceness in her eyes. “You’re right. We gotta be brave. So what did Rage say was going on?”

  “Said the guys were at the warehouse. They’re surrounded by Renegades that they apparently ran into on the way back from the run.” Ani wiped her hand across her head.

  “What were they doing on a run through Gatlinburg?” Kate huffed.

  “Not sure.” Ani patted Kate’s shoulder before her making her way toward the open room that had now filled more than halfway with club and family members. This was her family now and she had to do whatever she could to protect them.

  She made her way over to the bar area where Johanna, Odessa’s old lady, stood taking inventory. “Johanna, can I help you with anything?”

  “No, babe,” the heavily tattooed older woman said smiling over at her. “How bout’ you relax for a minute and let me get you a drink.”

  “You don’t have to do that,” Ani smiled warmly.

  “You’re the Prez’ old lady. Let me take care of you, babe.” Johanna leaned against the counter, waiting.

  “Coffee please.” Ani turned as a hand grasped her shoulder, half expecting to turn and see Knox, she turned to find the warm smile of her dad. “Daddy, you made it. Everything go ok?” She wrapped her arms around him, stopping as she felt the hard steel under each arm of his jacket. She stepped back looking at him questioningly before smiling. “Daddy, you packin’?”

  “Figured it had to be something bad if they wouldn’t let you come and get me,” he answered, taking off his jacket to reveal the two Beretta M9’s holstered under each arm.

  “Bloody hell, Ani. We should have called your pops earlier,” Rage said as he came up, shaking her dad’s hand.

  “I have a duffle bag in the back of Riley’s truck with plenty of artillery if you need it. No serials, untraceable.”

  Ani plugged her ears, “I don’t want to hear this.” La la la, rainbows and kittens.

  “Oh, dear, you didn’t realize your old man was an outlaw once did you?” he chuckled as he took a seat at the end of the bar.

  Ani heard a loud whistle, turning she saw Rage and Jameson standing at the opening of the hallway. Rage took a second, cleared his throat and then spoke loudly to the group. “Tonight we’ve had a few issues. Got some things goin’ on that might put some of you in harm. We’ve already had a close call tonight,” his eyes wondering to Ani first and then toward the wooden doors that Charon still lay behind. “I want everyone on lockdown until we can get control of what’s goin’ on. If you need food or something to set up a bed for your wee ones, let Ani or Starla know. If you have a concern about safety talk to Doc.”

  The room that was silent only a moment ago suddenly erupted into loud and chaotic chatter. Ani tried to focus on the fact that everything was going to be ok. She tried her best to be brave, even if for the moment it was nothing more than a cover. She turned to Johanna who was sliding a cup of coffee across to her, along with a shot of whiskey.

  “It will make you feel better. Just knock it back,” Johanna smiled as she made her way down to Ani’s dad.

  Ani spun the shot glass with her finger as Rage came up to her, “Might need a few more of those to make it through tonight,” he attempted a smile, “We are leavin’. Don’t know how long this will take.”

  “Get Knox back here safe, Rage. Whatever you have to do,” she lowered her voice before she continued, “Whoever you have to run over to get to him. Get. Him. Back.” She turned the shot glass back letting the warmth of the whiskey linger before taking a sip of her coffee.

  “I promise I will. Might need you to do me a favor. You think you can call in your sheriff?” Rage looked over at her questioningly.

  “I don’t know how Cash would feel about that. He’s pretty straightforward about his job. I know that you have a few cops in this town that look the other way, but I don’t know if he can.” She followed him toward the door, taking Kate’s hand as they made their way out into the yard.

  “If we aren’t back by morning call him. Give him this address,” he handed her a slip of paper, “Tell him to come get us.”

  A shiver went up Ani’s spine as she thought about the weight of that sentence. She knew that no King would willing go with a cop. It would have to b
e over their dead body. “Ok, I will.” She let Kate’s hand go, watching as she became engulfed in Rage’s arms.

  All across the yard were motorcycles, their riders, and their old ladies seeing them off. She glanced over to Lulu who was now standing by her side and put her arm around her. Kate came up to the other side of Ani and wrapped her arms around her waist. “It’s gonna be ok. I know it.”

  The sudden roar of their engines caused Ani to jump. She watched as Rage took his place at the front and the pack left out of the yard, leaving behind a trail of dust and a group of anxious women hoping that they would all come back safe.

  “Charon’s going to be ok,” Lulu said in almost a whisper.

  “That’s good. Is he awake?” Ani asked as they made their way back into the clubhouse.

  “No, but Doc was able to get him patched up. Said he should wake up in about an hour or so.” Lulu made her way behind the bar pouring each of them a shot of whiskey and passing them out.

  After Ani had gotten everyone in a room or on a cot to sleep, she made her way to Knox’s room. It felt uncomfortable and too quiet as she leaned against the back of the door. Sliding down onto the floor as the sobs wracked through her body. She reached over and grabbed his hooded sweatshirt off the chair next to her. Laying it across her lap and tracing the word “King” across the front before bringing it up to her face and breathing in his scent. She missed him, his warmth, his touch.

  She closed her eyes, imaging him, imaging what he was doing and what he was thinking and for a brief moment she felt him. She could feel his heartbeat, his hands wrapped around her body. He was one with her soul and even when he wasn’t physically there, she still carried him within her. She let the calm engulf her, spreading through her body as she heard his words whispering in her mind. “She has already stolen my heart, my mind, and my soul. I may as well be in the afterlife if she were to ever leave me.” Everything had to be ok, because she knew that she couldn’t live without him and she didn’t want to.

  She looked out at the vast darkness beyond the window of the room when she heard a light knock at the door and wiped her face; standing and opening the door to find a petite blonde on the other side. Her face red and blotchy as she stood in front of Ani helpless.

  “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you; it’s just that I’m scared and everyone else is asleep.” The girl twisted the front of the old Harley shirt she was wearing.

  “Ok, give me just a minute and I’ll be downstairs. I just wanna change.” Ani smiled at the girl as she turned and headed down the stairs.

  She pulled off her leather jacket and draped it across the back of the chair, slipping off her boots and pants next. She rummaged through the drawers until she found a pair of Knox’s sleeping pants and one of his old t-shirts. Lingering for a second as she slipped it down over her head. She pulled her hair up and made her way to the hallway. Checking in Repo’s room to find her dad loudly snoring, she smiled as she quietly closed the door and made her way downstairs.

  The blonde sat at the end of the bar, along with Kate and Starla. Apparently no one was going to get sleep tonight. Ani made her way over to them, all wearing the same attire as Ani. She took a seat next to the blonde, searching her face to try and remember who she’d seen her with.

  “I’m sorry. I don’t think I’ve ever introduced myself, I’m Riley’s old lady, Quinn.” The blonde reached her hand out to Ani.

  “It’s nice to meet you, Quinn,” Ani shook her hand and looked over to Starla. “I don’t know how you did this back in Ireland.”

  “This is a cake walk compared to what they dealt with there. But none the less, when you’re man is gone you worry until they walk back through the door.” Starla winked as she served up a round of beers, “When you let someone into your heart, you give them a piece of it and it isn’t whole again until they are back.”

  “And what happens if they don’t make it back?” Quinn said quietly, staring down at the mug in front of her.

  “Well, then you’re heart is never whole again. You can only truly give out one piece of your heart in your lifetime. But, the thing to look forward to is that when this life is over, you get to spend eternity with your heart whole again. It’s part of the creed, dear.” Starla rubbed the back of her hand in comfort.

  kNOX

  Knox stood in the corner of the warehouse, flinching as Johnson attempted to stich his arm up. He’d lost a good chunk of his upper arm when the bullet had torn through him, but all that mattered was that he was able to lead these guys back to safety. Even if it hadn’t been the way Rage and his Sergeant at Arms wanted it to go down. He was their leader and he owed it to them and their families to make sure that they were safe. He’d take a bullet for any of his brothers without so much as a thought, and he knew they would do the same for him.

  “Prez, looks like they just got company,” Connor said as he looked into the security monitor.

  “How many now?” Knox asked.

  “Looks like thirty altogether. Though I’m sure they have some in the woods that we can’t see,” Connor answered.

  Knox sat contemplating what their next move was as the image of Ani floated into his head. He knew she had to be scared and he wasn’t sure how she would be able to handle this after everything that had happened the night of the attack. He closed his eyes, picturing her smile. As her face fluttered into his mind it was as if he could feel her, heart heartbeat, her anxiety, and sadness. She was worried about him, if he was ok and he willed to her that everything would be fine. He absorbed the calm, sending it to her from his heart. The feeling that flowed within him, that was his soul, and before the chaos ensued he grasped it, trusted it. He trusted that everything would be ok, because it had to be.

  He felt his phone vibrating in his pocket, pulling him from his thoughts. “Yeah?”

  “Prez, we’ll be in place in about twenty minutes,” Rage’s voice came through.

  “Aye. Let ‘em meet the chaos, V.P.” Knox hung up the phone as he summoned the group into the room. They made their way over to the table at the middle of the room. Knox grabbed one of the assault rifles that lay on the table and cocked it. “Time to show these assholes who they’re fuckin’ with.”

  chapter fifteen

  10-11: Officer needs back-up

  Ani paced back and forth across the floor at the end of the bed, her phone in hand contemplating whether she should call or not. Day was just beginning to break behind the tops of the southern pines. She held the burner phone in her hand, shaking as she pushed dial and brought the phone up to her ear.

  “Officer Roberts, how may I assist you?” Cash’s voice came through the speaker. She paused for a moment, he sounded good, happy as he answered and she knew she was about to bring that all crashing down around him. “Hello?”

  “Cash?” her voice was a whisper as she spoke, she waited for him to hang up, yell; something. But it was only silence.

  “Ani, are you ok?” he asked cautiously.

  “I am. But I need your help.”

  “Ok, with what?” his voice was guarded.

  “It’s a club problem,” she grimaced as the words left her mouth, closing her eyes so tight and pretending this whole thing wasn’t happening.

  “Ani, you know…” his voice was stern as she cut him off.

  “Cash, I know. I know what you’re about to say, but I need you and there is no one else I can trust. I know that you don’t agree with my choice, I know you don’t want anything to do with the club, or with Knox, but they need your help,” she pleaded, silently praying that he would agree.

  She could hear him let out an irritated breath as the wheels in his head started spinning. The silence was overwhelming as she waited, pacing, for his answer before he spoke. “Ok, what do I need to do?”

  “Can you come here to the clubhouse?” she asked.

  “I’ll be there in ten.”

  “Thank you, Cash.”

  “Don’t thank me until after we talk.” With t
hat, he hung up the phone.

  Ten minutes later he was pulling up to the gate of the compound. “We gotta prob, Doc,” Johanna said from behind the bar. “There’s a cop at the gate and he’s wantin’ to come in.”

  “It’s Cash, let him in. He’s ok.” Ani rushed down the stairs as Johanna pressed the button for the gate.

  Ani raced out to the yard as he pulled in and cautiously got out of his truck. He made it only a few feet from Ani when Charon and Doc came up on each side of her. “The good sheriff. Nice to meet you.” Charon who towered over Cash stuck his hand out toward him.

  Cash eyed the bandages on his shoulder before taking his hand and shaking it. “What can I do fellas’?”

  “Let’s go in and talk about this,” Doc eyed the woods around the compound before ushering them back inside.

  They made their way into the house, Charon, Doc, and Cash maked their way over to the elaborately carved doors. Ani’s heart was racing in her chest as she watched him turn back to her before walking in, the door closing behind them with a loud thud. She let out a deep breath as Kate came to her side.

  “You ok?” Kate asked.

  “Yeah, I’m fine. I just hope he will help,” Ani said, “Come on, let’s go make some breakfast for everyone.”

  “Your dad has already started cooking,” Kate smiled as she followed Ani toward the kitchen.

  cASH

  Cash was completely out of his element as he walked in behind the giant of a man who was Charon. Everything inside of him screamed at him to leave, that he didn’t need to be getting caught up in this club and whatever came along with it. But when he heard Ani’s voice, full of need and scared, he knew that he would help no matter what it meant.

  “So gentleman what can I help you with this morning?” Cash sat at the chair across from Charon.

  “We gotta problem. Our club is surrounded inside of our warehouse. Rival M.C. wants blood and we’re trying to keep that from happening in your town,” Charon explained. “Listen, I know Ani trusts you, but where I come from you have to earn that. It’s not given to just anyone.”