by Simone Elise
I gave up Hawk’s petty crimes. In exchange that no murder chargers would be pressed. So in the end, my death would result in my mom being safe, Hawk doing six months but then free, and the club not going under for crimes they had done which the detectives had on them.
It still didn’t make sense in my head why the detectives only wanted me to confirm Hawk’s location on a certain night. That was all they wanted, to withhold this deal up.
I scanned the club, and my eyes landed on the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with- if I had a choice.
He was laughing in the booth, his lip ring piercing back in, a fresh tattoo on the other side of his neck. And his sleeves rolled up.
I walked towards him. And his eyes bounced off Lit and on to me. Immediately. I knew I had his attention.
CAGE
I had kept Autumn glued to my lap all night. Mainly to the fact that every man in here was drawn to her body with that tight halter black dress.
I was ripping that dress off as soon as we were back in the bedroom. My hand was running up and down her thigh. Her body twisted into me, tucking her blonde hair behind her ear.
“Fucking hell you are beautiful Autumn.” I couldn’t stop the words from coming out.
Her lips twitched up. “You aren’t so bad looking yourself.” She down played my compliment and kissed my lips before I could argue with her.
She had no idea what type of day I had. Looking for the rat was hard but when I was down the street today I paused at a jewelers and seen an engagement ring there. I nearly fucking bought it. She was doing crazy things to me.
I never wanted to commit but I wanted to commit to her. I lifted her up, fuck waiting any longer. I wanted to be deep inside her.
I walked her into the nearest room, which happened to be Hawk’s office. He was out of town tonight so no concern about being walked in on.
“Cage?”
“Yeah darling.” I said, our lips slightly apart.
“I love you,” she said. The conviction in her voice made it sound like she had just told me that fact as if she was never going to see me again.
I stole her lips, silencing her emotions. I should have said I loved her back. But I was too busy trying to work that dress off.
Then she unwrapped herself from me. Her hands going to her halter neck line, undoing it and letting the dress fall to the ground.
“Don’t hold back baby.” She blew out, just before I growled stealing her lips, lifting her up.
Never been a saint and I wasn’t starting now.
If I had known what I would wake up to in the morning I would have made fucking love to her, instead of a quick fuck in Hawk’s office. But that was the thing about the future. You never know what it holds. But I sure as fuck didn’t think that Autumn wouldn’t be in my future.
Chapter 23
CAGE
Two Weeks Later
“Come on Cage man, you have to…”
I gave Jacob a look. And he shut up. In the end he let go of the whiskey bottle, and I swiped it off him.
Two weeks. How the fuck did that happen? When did it happen? How can the world keep moving with her…..the tears welled up in my eyes.
“She wouldn’t want you like this,” Jacob muttered beside me and I turned to look at him.
“She was your sister,” I spat the words out. “But she was the love of my life.” I sunk back into the booth. I knew I would never get over this. I knew that no matter what happened.
Autumn had committed suicide. Jumped off The Fall. I didn’t even take something as being wrong when she looked me in the eyes that night. I should have known she was fighting that demon again. I should have known she wasn’t okay. Instead, I went to fucking sleep.
I woke up to her gone. Thought she was in the kitchen. Kitchen was empty. Thought she had gone to the shops. Wasn’t till the fucking police showed up, telling Hawk that Autumn’s body had been discovered at the bottom of The Fall.
Men had to hold me back. Jacob was one of the men that pinned me down when Hawk was told.
How did Hawk take the news?
Every night, one of us- well mainly everyone else because I was too wasted come the night when it would happen. Hawk would be drunk, playing Russian Roulette. The boys were quick to replace his bullets with blanks.
We were a fucking wreck. On top of that, Hawk was looking at the injection. The detective, the same one I fucked to keep quiet, had opened up the case, and the night in question Hawk being there had been confirmed. Resulting in them building a case that was going to be unbreakable.
I sat here. Wishing I had never felt the touch of her kiss. I sat here. Wishing that I had never laid eyes on her. Because this pain, it was killing me. It couldn’t get any worse. This storm in my heart, was sending waves of pain and pure rage at the same time. Because she had fucking done this to me.
Why didn’t she talk to me?
Why didn’t she tell me she was struggling?
WHY!
WHY.DID. SHE. DO. IT!
I threw my whiskey glass across the room, causing a few people to jump. But what hurt the most, was she didn’t even tell me good bye. She didn’t even give me a chance to beg her to hold on. She didn’t even let me in, she just- gave up on us and that little fact was killing me.
I would have got her through it.
I would have fucking done anything to keep her here.
I let the tears run down my cheeks.
I fucking loved her. Sad part? That wasn’t enough to keep her here. My love wasn’t enough. I wasn’t enough. I had sworn to myself I’d love her for the rest of my life. I would always protect her. Little did I know she was who I needed protection from.
But the facts didn’t change. I wasn’t enough, my love for her, wasn’t enough to keep her here.
And thus, that tiny bit of sanity that Autumn kept inside me, that true north, that moral compass- all went to hell and I think in that very moment- that was when I lost all my soul.
I’d die young and heartless. I knew that then. And if I could have it my way, it would be fucking soon.
Chapter 24
CAGE
“I’m looking at the death penalty. It was confirmed this morning,” Hawk announced to the boardroom. Silence met his announcement. “There is no getting off it. They have a key witness who puts me at the scene.”
For a man that was going to die he sure as fuck was taking it calmly.
“So we need to make plans for the club.”
“Like fuck we will!” Jacob roared, and this was the first time since his sister’s death that he had shown any emotion. “I’ll fucking handle this.”
“Jacob, no threatening is going to get me off,” Hawk again calmly spoke.
Jacob scoffed, getting up. My eyes followed him out as he went to leave, and Hawk looked at me. We both know he was a ticking time bomb. Autumn’s death hadn’t settled with him yet. Hell, I was still barely functioning.
Got up. Dressed. Got through the day. Drank myself to sleep. Repeat.
“Cage.”
I looked up, seeing Jacob. “What?”
“You and I. We need to talk.” And then he walked out of the room.
I pushed my chair back and followed him. What he had to tell me I doubted I wanted to hear. But out of respect for Autumn, I would listen to her brother’s rage about Hawk’s sentence.
Walking out of the boardroom, Jacob was scribbling something down on a piece of paper. He then shoved it in my hand.
“You need to go there. But only after I tell you something.”
I frowned and nodded my head for him to continue.
“Autumn’s alive. But that isn’t the sick part. The police are blackmailing her. She doesn’t realize her doing a statement on where Hawk was that night, will send him to get the injection. She thinks he is getting off the chargers. They are lying to her. You have to go to her. I can’t.”
“What the fuck you going on about?”
“My mom and Autumn are in
witness protection. Or will be soon. My mom was the one informing on the club but that’s not the best part. I just found out that Mom, she was the one that killed that man that Hawk is looking at the injection for.” Jacob was speaking quickly. “Hawk’s not speaking up about Mom being involved but she killed that man. Not Hawk. Now Mom is willing to sit back, for Autumn to put Hawk there that night. But Mom was there too. She pulled the fucking trigger.”
I wasn’t keeping up.
“Mom killed that man. Hawk is going to be executed because of it. Autumn’s statement, which she better not have given yet, will place Hawk there. Autumn doesn’t know. You hear me? Autumn doesn’t know she will get Hawk executed!”
I just stared at Jacob, he had lost his mind. That was what I was thinking before Jacob pulled out his phone and showed me a picture time stamped. Of Autumn.
The grief lifted and pure rage replaced it.
Chapter 25
Autumn
“I don’t understand why it is so important that I sign this?” I muttered looking at the piece of paper, that Mom had shoved in front of me. “It is just stating Hawk was at Liam’s that night? You were there. So why can’t you sign it?”
And Mom’s eyes widened. Before her hand whipped across my cheek. “Don’t say that ever again.”
My hand went to my injured cheek.
“What is going on?” I asked, why were they so determined for me to sign this piece of paper?
“Sign it, now Autumn!” My mother demanded and put the pen in my hand.
The detectives would be here within hours. Actually, I just heard a car pull up. They were here early to move us.
I looked down at the piece of paper. Something didn’t feel right…
CAGE
Upon arriving at the motel I got out of the car, putting my gun in the back of my jeans. I, then, began looking the motel up and down. Room thirteen Jacob had said. He was busy telling Hawk what was going on when I left.
Who the fuck knows what was going to happen if this was real. A part of me wanted to see Autumn in that room. A part of me didn’t because there was no coming back from informing on us.
I didn’t knock.
I kicked the door in causing it to burst into pieces.
And my eyes locked with hers. Autumn was indeed a live. Before I could make a move towards her a gun was pointed at me. By who had to be Autumn’s mother. Now, I wasn’t a mind reader- but I had a feeling she would pull the trigger.
Chapter 26
Autumn
“Cage!” I went to walk towards him. But my mom pointed a gun at him before I could. “Put the gun down!” I hissed, and then watched mom’s finger go to the trigger.
“Autumn,” Cage put his hands up. “Has your mom told you everything?”
I frowned.
“Like how when you sign that piece of paper Hawk will be sent for the injection. Even though it was your mother that killed Liam. Hawk is taking the fall for her. Even though he thinks you’re dead,” Cage said, looking from Mom to me.
I looked down at the piece of paper.
Then Mom pulled the trigger.
Cage dived, tackling Mom to the ground.
And the gun hit the floor and slid across hitting my foot. I didn’t even think, I picked it up.
She grabbed the gun from his waist band as Cage’s hands wrapped around her neck and she pressed the gun into his chest.
I saw the look in Cage’s eyes. He was going to kill her.
She was going to ensure he died
But the gun was in my hand.
My heart stopped beating as my finger pulled the trigger. As their body slumped to the ground. I knew my life had ended with theirs.
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