Biker Taken (The Lost Souls MC Series Book 6) (5 page)

Chapter Seven

Shellie

The clubhouse is packed and tension is running high. Working behind the bar, I usually hear most guy’s conversations. Not tonight, everyone is keeping their voices down and talking fast. Throughout the day, it’s been getting worse. Guys have been showing up and disappearing into the back room.

John normally hangs out with me but he’s been in the back room all afternoon, only venturing out once for a bathroom break.

Even Rayna and Flo haven’t come in, they usually pop in and out constantly. The only woman hanging around is Kitty and I don’t like her. She’s always angry and dare you look at Michael, she’ll pounce on you and make it clear he is hers. She’s welcome to him.

I don’t think she likes me either, and I think it’s because I get on with Rayna and like everyone knowing about Michael being in love with Rayna, everyone knows Kitty would rather scratch her eyes out then make nice with Ray.

Personally, I’d rather be friends with Rayna than Kitty, so I stay away from her and try not to look at Michael. The less interaction I have with them two, the better.

Cheering and hollering erupts from the back room and what sounds like someone pounding on the table. The doors open and this time John walks out and heads straight for me.

“Hey, darlin’, can you get me a beer?” he asks, sliding onto the same stool he always sits on.

“Sure.”

I slide him a beer over and he leans over, taking my breath away before planting a quick kiss on me.

“I don’t know what I need more, this beer or your lips,” he grins, teasingly.

“If you need the beer more, then we have a problem,” I chuckle.

“Yeah, definitely your lips,” he winks, swigging the beer from the bottle, “we’re heading out soon, I, um, don’t know when I’ll be back so don’t wait up.”

“Okay, you don’t sound so sure you’re coming back at all,” I mention.

His face falls a sickly green before turning a cold sheet of white.

“You are coming back aren’t you?”

I’m beginning to panic; why would he react like that?

“Of course I am. I just don’t want you waitin’ up all night if that’s how long I’m gone.”

I don’t know how he expects me to sleep now, I probably won’t get no rest until he is back.

“Where are you going?”

It’s been two weeks since he declared I was his old lady and I haven’t asked him once what he was up to when he leaves. He’s always made it clear he will be back and most of the time, he tells me, but tonight feels different.

“I don’t want to tell you.”

He keeps his eyes on me and he’s hard to read. He gives nothing away.

“So that’s how we’re going to work?” I spit, throwing his own words back at him, “you get to keep things from me, but you go behind my back when I do the same to you? Because if that’s the case, then I’m sure Ray or Flo, or even Kitty would tell me and I’m sure they know.”

Sliding off the stool, he comes behind the bar and holds my hands in his.

“I’ll tell you myself so you don’t freak out when I’m not around to deal with it, but don’t freak out because there is nothin’ to make a fuss of, okay?” he rambles on.

“Okay,” I agree, but I’m not sure if I’m actually agreeing or just agreeing to find out what’s going on.

“We’re riding to the Raging Riders clubhouse and we’re gonna attack them on their own ground, payback for Mark and Ray’s wedding night, payback for Benny.”

Okay, so I agreed for the sake of finding out what was going down. Inside, I’m starting to freak out.

The last time the two clubs were in one mile of each other, someone died. He has made such an impact on my life already, I can’t bring myself to think about losing him already.

“Say something, your face is startin’ to freak me out,” he murmurs, closing the space between us.

“I don’t know what to say,” I tell him, truthfully.

I know I can’t ask him not to go, he is a member of a motorcycle club and he is doing what he has to, but it’s on the tip of my tongue and I have to bite it hard to stop myself from saying what I really want to say to him.

“Tell me what you’re really thinkin’?” he begs.

Closing my eyes, I gather the strength to say the words. I asked for the truth and he gave it to me, he’s now asked and I owe him the same.

“I don’t want you to go.”

“I have to, darlin’. If we do nothin’ they’ll come back and it could be you who gets hit, it could be any one of us anyway. We have to show them what happens when they come on our territory.”

I was expecting his answer, but it doesn’t mean it sucks any less to hear it.

“Then you should go and get ready,” I mutter, pulling away from him.

He pulls me back to him and lifts my chin, forcing me to look at him.

“When I leave, go to the house and lock the doors and windows. We’re leavin’ some men here but I need to know you’ll be in that house till we return. Rayna and Flo will be with you too.”

“Okay,” I say, agreeing so he’ll let me get back to work.

I won’t leave the house but this conversation is never going to go the way I want and it dawns on me, I have to get right with this way of life, and fast.

John is more than capable of looking out for himself but Benny didn’t strike me as a man who couldn’t handle himself either and look at him, he’s dead.

He doesn’t stop me when I pull away and I keep myself busy keeping the bar in order while the rest of the bar fills with men and guns.

The sound of guns of being locked and loaded scratches against my ears like nails on a chalkboard. I try to block them out but it gets too much. Throwing the towel in the bucket, I slip from behind the bar while John has his back turned talking to Michael and Micky and I head for the house. A creepy silence hangs outside around the clubhouse and visions of Benny’s blood comes back to me, only this time when I’m trying to stop it, it belongs to John.

“This is my life, Shell, decide if you want me as much as I want a life with you. This shit might happen again and I can bet my life I’ll go and defend this club again. I don’t need a lot from you, but you have to accept this might happen.”

His voice pierces the night and surrounds me. I stop walking and turn to face him. The distance between us feels like miles, physically and emotionally. I should have known I wouldn’t be able to leave without him noticing.

“I know I do, and because I want to be with you I will accept it in time, I just don’t think I’ll ever like it.”

A sly grin tugs at the corner of his mouth and he takes slow steps towards me.

“You not likin’ it means you care. The day you don’t is the day I’ll know you won’t care if I make it home or not.”

He takes the last step and the distance that felt so wide a few seconds ago is gone. He strokes my cheek and winds his hand around the back of my neck.

Leaning down, his mouth meets mine and like every time he kisses me, I forget everything going on around us.

“We’re leavin’ soon, you should go inside and please, don’t worry about me. I’ll be back before the sun rises.”

If only he didn’t stop kissing me, I could keep him forever.

“Be careful,” I whisper, turning for the house.

He might have heard me, he might not, he doesn’t say another word as I open the door and close it behind me.

Chapter Eight

Oak

“Is your heart beating as fast as mine?” Micky asks, quietly.

Mark and Michael are parked upfront on their own and Micky and I are in a van we fixed up last week, with ten other brothers parked behind them. Big Ron and Tommy are with twelve brothers in another van parked up the street from them. 

The plan is too wait for Mark’s command and rush them on their own territory. Straight in, shooting every Raging fucker we see.

“If yours is beatin’ like crazy, then yeah.”

Pushing Shellie out of my mind, I focus on what needs to be done. She’s home and she’ll be there in the morning when I return and I will return. I promised I would and I intend on keeping my word to her.

You can hear their music and deep voices shouting to one another. We’re so close to them now and they have no idea we’re here. My blood rushes around my body and sitting still is making me dizzy.

“Mark’s getting out of the truck,” a prospect calls back.

It’s our signal.

“Time to fuck shit up,” Micky growls, adding to the prospect, “Keep the lights off and the engine running.”

Slowly, he opens the van doors and we filter out into the shadows, keeping out of sight.

Up the street, Big Ron and the others do the same and we split into two, our van creeps along the wall lining their clubhouse and Big Ron and their van load come from the other side.

Everyone is ready to go.

Mark and Michael faces us from the other side and Mark mouths, one…two…three.

Springing into action, they’re all distracted partying and having a good time when we make our move.

No one from their club moves for a long few seconds, all stunned frozen with the turn of events.

I count six of them dead before any of them reach for their guns and then it turns into a blood bath.

Shots are being fired everywhere and the adrenaline takes over. Lost Souls are holding their own and the only bodies I see hitting the ground don’t wear our patch.  

I’ve never thought about having to kill a man before and maybe I should be more concerned with the fact I’ve shot down two Raging fuckers, but I’m not. When we began the club and Hunter made it clear we weren’t welcome, deep down I began preparing for moments like this.

“Boss! Behind you!”

I spin round until I see what Big Ron sees and Mark is slumping to the ground after being hit across the back with a steel pipe. The Raging Rider raises the pipe over his head, ready to bring down over Mark again and I raise my gun. Aiming for his head, I inhale deeply and calm myself enough to squeeze the trigger and hit my target. Before the pipe can connect with Mark, his attacker lands on him, bleeding out everywhere.

Running over to him, I pull the guy off him and hold my hand out to help him to his feet. He accepts and when he’s up, he winces when he circles his shoulder down into his back where he was hit.

Moving behind him, I keep my eyes everywhere until he is back on form.

“Where’s Hunter?” Michael calls over.

I haven’t seen him and judging by the look on Mark’s face, he hasn’t either.

“He’s not here,” someone shouts, but none of us see who.

The doors to their clubhouse slam shut and everywhere we look Lost Souls are breathing and Raging Riders are the ones dead on the floor this time.

“We’ve made our point, let’s get out of here,” Mark calls out, and in turn, Lost Souls begin to make their way back to the vans. Michael and Tommy are the last ones to follow us and Michael quickly catches up with his brother, and Tommy splits off with Big Ron.

Piling into the back of the van we came in, the prospect hits the gas to the floor and Micky barely makes it in before we are driving away.

“Oh man, what a fucking rush,” he hollers.

Blowing out a long breath, I can’t remember if I breathed through the last ten minutes. I mean, I must’ve done, fucking hell, we survived.

                                                              ****

Celebrating is on everyone’s minds apart from Marks. He disappeared into the main house as soon as he put a few guys on the gates to keep watch, in case we’re hit tonight in retaliation.

The music gets cranked up and the drinks begin to flow but all I can think about is the woman sleeping in my bed. Nabbing two glasses and a bottle of tequila from behind the bar, I slip out of the clubhouse and jog across to the house.

Three empty bottles of wine are on the table in the lounge downstairs and I guess that’s how my girl got to sleep last night, judging from her still form tucked up on my side of the bed.

Kicking my boots off, I put the glasses and tequila on the bedside table and quickly strip down to my boxers. Climbing in under the blankets on her side of the bed, I pull her into my arms and kiss her shoulder where her skin is exposed.

“I heard you all come back,” she murmurs, clearly awake the whole time.

“I thought you were asleep.”

“I thought you’d know that would never happen until I knew you were home,” she retorts.

“Well I’m home now, everyone is.”

“For now, they will fight back and this will never end.”

“I don’t want to argue with you now, we had a good result and I’m tired. Yes, my life is gonna be dangerous at times but I will do everything I can to make sure it doesn’t reach you.”

“I don’t want to argue either but I’m more worried about you.”

“Then let’s not argue, I went and I came home. You stayed in the house like I asked you too and we took revenge for Benny. Tonight ran smoothly and as I hold you in my arms right this minute, there is nowhere else I’d rather be. So turn around and fuckin’ kiss me.”

No doubt the Raging Riders will attack us again and we’ll live to see another day and retaliate again, bigger and deadlier than they. Life around the clubhouse will continue, we’ll carry on working in the outbuildings, the bar will be restocked every few days and more men will join us over time. Life will continue the way it was always meant to be, with my brothers and Shellie, life is more than good, my life isn’t as lost no more.