Beautiful Outlaw (29 page)

I could really care less if the bitch is dead; she got what was coming to her.  “I don’t know and really don’t give a fuck.  As far as I’m concerned, that’s just one less bullet I’ve gotta waste.”

Tin nods his head in agreement, before going on. “We need to get our asses over there. Rollo’s not gonna wait long for back-up, before going in.”

Knowing what must be done, my focus shifts back to Cash. “It’s time old man.”

“Let me do it,” Toke says stepping up beside me. “A son shouldn’t have to kill his own father.”

“I don’t give a fuck who does it, but someone better kill his ass now, or I’ll be pulling the trigger my damn self,” Lock says, pulling a pistol from his belt.  “We’ve wasted enough time on this shit.”

I’m about to tell him that I ain’t got a problem ending the bastard, when Cash speaks up.  “No, the boy wants me dead.  The least he can do is be the one to kill me.”

“Don’t listen to his shit.  This isn’t something you gotta do,” Toke says with a shake of his head. “I know you would fight and die for this club, but you don’t need your father’s death on your conscience.”

Cash ignores him and moves his eyes to mine.  Some of the fire is back when he spits out, “It’s time to be a man, Bowie.  You think you can run the Outlaws, prove it.”

Cash is right.  This is one deed that I’ve got to do myself.  In fact, it’s something I’ve been waiting to do for years.  Turing my back on Toke, I pull my knife from the case at my side and place it near his throat.  I look over to Tin, wanting to gauge his reaction.  His hands are fisted at his side, as his eyes focus on our father. I may have to do this, may even want to, but my brother doesn’t need to be part of this shit.  “Wait outside.”

His eyes jerks to mine, and he shakes his head. “Fuck no.  I’m by your side on this one, brother.”

Knowing that he won’t budge, I look back down to Cash. “Are you ready?”

“Get it done,” He barks out, his voice filled with pain and a hint of fear. Defeat is written all over his face, as if he can see the Reaper standing over his shoulder. 

Sliding my knife across Cash’s throat, I watch as my father’s blood pours onto the floor.  As his body slumps against the chair, I wait for regret to fill me.  Instead, relief comes.  After years of living with his shit, knowing he put my woman in danger, the fact that he’s gone and I’m the one that ended him doesn’t leave me with an ounce of remorse. 

Placing my bloody knife back at my side, I turn away from Cash.   “It’s over.  Let’s get my woman back.”

Do or Die

Shay

Marcus is screaming as he pushes me down onto a cold metal table, “You’re mine, always mine.”

“Leave me alone,” I shout trying to pull away from him. 

He shakes his head as he pushes a long knife into my side. “Never.”

I scream out in agony as my blood covers his hand.  “Go away, just please go away.”

His head shakes back and forth and he shouts his denial.  “I’ll never go away.  I’ll always be here.  You’ll always be by my side.”

“No, no,” I plead as I try to pull away from him, trying to force his hand from my side. Instead, he pushes the knife in deeper, causing my whole body to convulse in pain.

Stars dance before my eyes as I gasp for breath.  “You’re killing me.”

“I’m making you better; I’m making you Gwendolyn.” His hold is tight as he cuts off piece after piece of me, sending waves of pain through my body.

Tears fill my eyes, when I realize I’m going to die.  “Please stop, please don’t do this to me.”

An evil smile spreads across his face as he whispers.  “I will, if you open the door.”

I want to cry out, ask him what door, but his free hand is suddenly covering my mouth.  I shake my head, trying to make him move, but he holds firm.  Leaning over me, he whispers, “Let me in.”

Just as the knife digs deeper again, my eyes jerk open.  It takes me a second to realize that I’m still in the safe room. It had all been a dream, everything but the pain.  It’s overwhelming; it’s like nothing I’ve ever felt before.  Even with my limited knowledge, I know there is more wrong with me than just a few broken ribs.  

With each breath I take, the pain nearly causes me to lose consciousness again.  Just as I think I can take no more, a cough makes it way up my throat. My mouth suddenly fills with blood.  Rolling my head to the side, I spit it out but the taste lingers on my tongue.   My mind runs in circles, trying to figure out what is wrong with me.

I take in a deep breath; pain instantly fills my body. Even though it hurts to breath, I’m not struggling to get air in.  If my broken ribs had punctured a lung, I would be struggling to breathe.  Since I’m not, I don’t think that has happened.  Still, I know something inside of me is bleeding and that can’t be good.  I try to think of something that will keep me alive until Bowie gets here, but there is nothing I can do but wait for him.

The sounds of something or someone beating on the door draws my attention.  For a second, I think it might be Bowie but the sounds of Marcus’s voice kills my hopes and proves that part of my dream had been reality.  “Let me in.”

Never,
I whisper out as I pull in a pain filled breath. 

“Open the door, Laura.”

I almost laugh when I hear him say that name.  For years, I was Gwendolyn to him and now he finally calls me Laura. I want to scream out, tell him my name is Shay, but I don’t have the strength.  Instead, I do my best to ignore it.  Trying to focus on something else, I think of Bowie.  His beautiful blue eyes, his gentle kiss, the secret smile that he doesn’t share with anyone but me.  I have to see him again, have to tell him I love him again and hope to hear it back. 

“Open this door now,” Marcus bellows, drawing my attention. 

My eyes instinctively move to the door.  My fear spikes as I wonder if he’ll get in. With the shape I’m in, I wouldn’t be able to fight him.  I doubt I’d even be able to scream, not that anything I would do could stop him from taking me away.   

I watch the door for a second before I realize that, even though I can hear him beating on it, the door’s not budging.  He could bang on it all day, and he’d never get in.  Still, I know I’ll have to come out sooner or later.  I just hope I can hold off until Bowie gets here. 

The sounds start to fade as my eyes start getting heavy again.  Realizing that if I close them they may never open again, I try to think of something to do to stay awake.  I reach for my water bottle and try to force a drink down my throat.  I can’t seem to swallow it, no matter how hard I try. In fact, all it does is cause me to cough again.  The pain is so extreme that I give up the idea of trying to force the water down. 

Knowing I need to do something or I’ll fall to sleep, I push my body from the floor. Black spots fill my vision, and for a moment, I think I’m going to crumble back to the floor.  It takes a moment for the room to quit spinning and finally my eyes clear.  Scanning the room, crate after crate line the walls.  I have no idea what’s in them and don’t have the strength or energy to look. 

Walking to the center of the room, I stare at the door.  Marcus is still pounding on it, screaming from time to time. For the first time, I realize I haven’t heard Red since I woke up.  I wonder if he’s gone.  If he is, I hope he hasn’t gone back to the clubhouse.  Just the thought reminds me that I need to find a way to get out of here before Red does something to hurt Bowie. 

Looking away from the door, my eyes land on the shelf that holds the water bottles. I notice a small black box on the wall beside it.  It takes a second to make out what I’m seeing, a phone.  It’s the old-fashioned kind, with a coiled cord and a big dial in the center. 

Relief fills my body as I move towards it.  As I reach for it, reality sits in.  I never bothered memorizing numbers anymore; they are all stored in my cell.  The same cell that is tucked safely away in my purse, sitting on the dresser of Bowie’s room at the clubhouse.  The only thing I can do is call 911.

I pull it from the hook and start to turn the dial.  The crates catch my eye again, just as I start to turn the last number.  I can only assume that drugs or guns are inside of them, but I know for sure that whatever it is isn’t legal. The police would help me, but they would have to enter this room to do so.    Then, Bowie will be in trouble.  After all he has done for me, I can’t do that to him. 

Pulling my finger away, I try to think of another way.  My only other option would be to call my dad.  He and mom have had the same phone number at the house for as long as I can remember.  It’s the only phone number I know by heart, but I’m not sure I want to use it.   I can’t get him in the middle of this; he’s been through enough. Just as I’m about to turn away, another pain rushes through my body followed by a hard cough.   When I taste more blood, I know that it’s call or die.

Making my decision, I start turning the numbers as fast as I can.  On the second ring, he picks up. “Hello.”

“Daddy, I need help.”

Finding Shay

Bowie

Pulling my bike behind the trees, I cut off the engine and look around for Rollo. A shadow crosses the grass, just before he steps into the light.  “About damn time you got here.”

“We’re here now,” I reply as I slide from my bike.

He steps up, placing his face only inches from mine.  “Do you know how fuckin’ hard it was just to stand here waiting on your ass to show up? Shay’s in there, and I couldn’t do a damn thing, because you ordered me not to.  What the fuck was that about?”

It was hard to give him the order to hold, but I learned a lot when I was in the desert.  Most importantly, never go in without backup.  If you do, someone can die and that someone can be the one person you wanted to save.  “I couldn’t let you go in.”

“Why the hell not,” He nearly shouts, before remembering where we are.  “Tell me, brother.  Why the fuck did I have to sit on my hands when I could’ve been saving Shay?”

“You didn’t get a visual on Shay.  If you had, I would’ve let you go in.  Without that, you have no idea who’s in there.”

Before I can go on Tin pulls his bike behind mine.  Turning from Rollo, I look at him. “I want you to stay out here.”

“No fuckin’ way.  I told you before, I’m by your side on this one,” He says as he climbs from his bike. 

“I need you to be look out.  If someone comes out of that house, I want you on their ass.” As much as I appreciate Tin having my back, Lock is who I need right now.  We’ve been side by side many times, taking out insurgents without them even knowing we were there.  It’s Lock’s stealth I need now, not Tin’s back up.

His eyes blaze as he asks, “So you want me just to sit back and watch?”

“No, I want you to make sure no one else shows up.  I know Cash is gone, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t anyone else coming.” I explain, hoping he’ll drop the attitude without me having to kick his ass.

All of this has been too easy.  Finding Cash in the bar, Shay being at my house, Marcus’s car still sitting out front; it’s like one thing after another is falling into my lap.  If there is one thing I’ve learned it’s that nothing ever comes easy.  When it does, you better watch out because shit is fixin’ to hit the fan.

“No,” He says stepping forward.  “I’m not letting you go in there without me.”

Grabbing his shirt, I pull him even closer.  “You’ll do what I say, because I’m your fuckin’ President. If you don’t, I’ll put your ass on the ground.  Do you understand me?”

He nods, I push him away.  “Just keep your eyes open.”

“Fine, I’ll sit out here playing with myself, but I’ll make sure to keep a look out while I do,” He growls out, pissed as fuck.

Not having time for his shit right now, I ignore his smart ass mouth and turn to back to Rollo. “I want you to head back to the hospital.”

His ass decides to argue too.  “No, I’m going in with you.”

“Lock and I are going in alone. I need you at the hospital to watch Tag.  When he wakes up, the cops are gonna be asking questions.  I want you there to supply him the right answers.” That’s the last I’m gonna say on the matter so I look back to Tin. “If we’re not out in thirty minutes, hit the road.  I don’t want you here when the cops show up.”

His anger flares again.  “You want me to just walk away from you?  Are you fuckin’ crazy?”

Shaking my head, I tell him the rest of my plan.  “If something goes wrong, you’re President of the Outlaws.  I’ll need you on the outside to make sure that everything goes down like I got planned. I also need you to take care of Shay.” 

“You sure this is what you want?” He asks, still not liking my plan but no longer looking so pissed. 

“Yep, just keep your eyes open.  If Red or Marcus tries to run, fill them with lead.” Motioning to between the spot where Lock is parking his truck behind my bike, I go on.  “I don’t care who it is.  If it’s not one of us take them down.”

He nods then looks to the house.  “I’ll play look out if that’s what you need but save Red’s ass for me.  I brought him into the club, and he betrayed us. I’m gonna be the one to make him pay for that betrayal.”

“Red’s not there,” Rollo says, stepping between Tin and me.  “It’s only Marcus and Shay.”

“How the hell do you know that?” Tin asks, looking back at the house. 

“There’s bloody footprints heading off the porch and none coming back in.  I’m figuring, Red walked through the blood in the kitchen floor before heading out.”

I don’t question Rollo, knowing from experience to depend on his word, but Tin does. “How do you know it was Red?  Marcus could’ve been the one that left.”

He shakes his head.  “First of all, that bastard’s car is still out there for everyone to see.”

“He could’ve….” Tin starts, but Lock cuts him as he gets out of his truck. 

“My dad says Marcus is in the basement.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”  How the hell would Lock’s dad know anything?

“She made it to your safe room and called Dad.”

I think of the room, one that I barely walk into. Its sole purpose is storage, has been since before I bought the place.  When I had it redone, I left the room as it was, just reinforced the walls and added the security system and door.  Other than that, everything else has stayed the same including the old phone.