Cocky Biker: A Stand Alone MC Romance Novel (Cocker Brothers of Atlanta Book 2) (6 page)

W
e walk
inside and freeze at the nauseating sight that awaits us. This room was originally several rooms before walls were torn down to make it one large cell. There are no windows. Beds line both sides. A single bathroom is lit at the far end, the door open. Other small lamps light up somewhere around forty trembling women huddled in groups, all with bellies.

In horror and loud enough for everyone to hear, Honey Badger says, “They’re all pregnant!”

Scratch grabs his arm. “Shhhh.”

Our faces are contorted in an attempt to restrain horror, confusion and shock as we realize this is a baby-making factory. My guess is it’s probably for infertile women who want to adopt, and who will never know where their children really came from.

Struck at the sadness, abuse and loss these women have endured, we’re all wondering the same thing,
how long has this been going on?

“It’s okay,” Scratch announces to the women, holding up his hands. “We’re here to help.”

By his side I also reassure them, “It’s over! It’s all over.”

Tonk and Honey Badger puts their guns in their belts again to hold their hands up, too.

“You’re safe, ladies,” Honey Badger says in as gentle a tone as he is capable of.

One of the women believes us, because her sobs twist immediately to those of deep relief. She crumbles to the ground and Tonk rushes forward to embrace her, kneeling by her side. She’s about five, maybe six months to her due date and she can’t be more than eighteen.

He looks at us, his face total agony. “Who would do this?”

Scratch mutters, “We have to call the police on this one.”

Several women scream, “NO!” which shocks the fucking shit out of us.

In hurried cries of terror they beg us not to, some speaking in English, others in Spanish. It’s a big mess of female, terrified voices and weeping. We quickly realize they think the cops have been dirty all along. They think the police and government as a whole, knowingly let this happen.

“Fuck,” Scratch rasps, overcome by the insidiousness of how deep this goes.

I raise my voice with patience and leadership. This is what I’m good at — calming people.

“Ladies! Ladies, listen to me for a minute. LADIES!” The room goes quiet and dozens of big, scared eyes lock on me. “Some of you speak English, so please, when I’m done, translate this for the others.” I pause. “The police do NOT know you’re here. They
are
your friends. They have
no idea
what you’ve been through and they
can
help you. They want to help, just like we do. You have been lied to and I’m very sorry for that. I am deeply, deeply sorry for what you’ve been through. My friends and I are here to set you free. We need to call the police, get you medical attention to make sure your babies are okay, and you will have many, many people working together to get you homes.” As the glimmer of hope shines back from some of them, I pause, trying hard to keep my voice steady. I’ve never seen something as sick as this shit, and it’s fucking killing me. “It’s hard to believe. I can see you’re scared and you have no reason to trust men. But I promise you we are different. You are about to discover
I’m
honest.
My friends
are honest. We are telling you the truth. See my face? This is
an honest man
looking at you. We are here to save you. This shit you’ve been through – it’s over. It’s done. Forever.”

The room is dead silent. Tonk pets the young woman’s dark hair before he rises up to join us so that we can stand in one powerful line together and show them we are not evil.

We mean what we say.

We will keep our word.

Scratch mutters, “We need to make sure none of those evil fucks gets away.” He calls out to the women, “We’re going to make sure the men who’ve hurt you are taken care of. Then we’ll get you out of this hellhole. It’s going to be okay.”

The English speakers start translating, but of course trust is earned and this will be an uphill ride.

We head out.

“I wish we’d brought more Ciphers,” Scratch says after the door is closed.

Honey Badger’s mind is working and he grabs our V.P.’s arm. “There’s not that many guys here. Ten, twelve? I don’t know, but I bet they didn’t need more because – and I fuckin’ hate to say this – but this place looks like a well-oiled machine.”

With disgust, Tonk growls, “Since they lied to the women about the police, I bet they never try to escape.”

On a long exhale, Scratch asks Tonk, “You have the rope?”

He nods. “It’s in my bags.”

“Jesus, no wonder you never change your pants. You don’t have any room in there,” Honey Badger mutters.

“Hey, I’m prepared for shit like this,” Tonk shoots back.

We all make quick strides back to find Fuse kicking one of the bodyguards in the gut.

“He was getting up. I got that one over there, too.” Fuse points to a mess in the corner. He nods with amusement in his eyes. His nose is a dripping, bloody mess and his jacket is gonna need a sewing job.

“Good thing you got shot,” I tell him, staring at the man he kicked. “Kept you out here keeping watch.”

Soon we’re cutting rope with pocketknives and tying up the fallen evil. I hear a noise and look up. To say the staircase is ornate would be a fuckin’ understatement.

“Did we check upstairs?” Everyone shakes their heads. “Someone’s up there. I’ll go.”

Honey Badger tightens the knot around the ankles of a thug and rises to come with.

Scratch warily looks upstairs and exhales through his nose. He swipes a couple machine guns from where they fell, and hands them to Fuse and Tonk. “I’ll protect the women and guard their door. Fuse, you make sure no one gets out the front. Tonk, check the other rooms on this floor. Jett, Honey, grab those rifles on your way.”

Everyone breaks off. Honey Badger and I do as we’re told and then stalk our way up the gaudy-ass staircase, but I’m sure whoever’s up there heard us talking.

They know we’re on our way. I feel calm. Ready to strike. I know Honey Badger feels the same. He’s great under pressure. I feel sorry for the fuckers we’re about to meet.

As we make our way down a long hallway, the second floor is quiet as a graveyard after a funeral. We carefully open doors to empty rooms decorated in the most expensive furniture money can buy.

At the far end one is cracked and waiting for us.

I’ve suddenly got a feeling in my gut I don’t like.

Honey Badger looks at it, then back to me.

I nod.

Crouched, we approach and duck as a man jumps out and starts shooting. We meet his shots with our own and he falls in a grunting, jerking heap.

I kick the door open and we both freeze.

An elderly man is in a bed fit for a king. He’s on oxygen, watching us with wrinkly eyes that have an odd smile pulling at their edges. In front of the bed is Sunshine, tied up in a velvet red chair, her mouth covered with duct tape. Her beautiful eyes go wide at the sight of me.

Honey Badger shouts, “JETT!”

D
ucking just in time
, a bullet zips past my head. Honey Badger rushes the guy hiding behind the door. As I stride over to Sunshine another gunshot explodes through the room. I look over my shoulder to see if my friend is okay. He nods at me, his rotund body rising up as he grunts. The thug took the bullet. He’s down.

“Search for more!” I growl as I reach her, setting down the machine gun by her feet. “You okay?”

She nods.

“They hurt you?”

She shakes her head.

“This is gonna hurt,” I warn as I rip the duct tape off.

She gasps for air and handles the pain like a soldier.

“All clear,” Honey Badger assures me, returning and staying by the door, just in case. “This is the last room upstairs.” The old man watches us with rasping breaths echoing pathetically off the walls. The machine is making a pathetic sound, but I don’t like the look in this guy’s eyes. This guy is the big honcho. There’s no doubt in my mind. On his nightstand are bottles of pills and…her 9mm.

“What are you doing here,” she demands, voice hoarse from fear and bondage.

Untying the ropes on her wrists and ankles, I joke, “It was either this or rob a bank.”

I assumed the old man couldn’t talk.

I was wrong.

“Is this your boyfriend?” he rasps with the shittiest smirk. “Come to
save you
?”

She kicks off the rest of the bindings and stands to face him. “Fuck you.” She grabs my machine gun and backs away, aiming at him.

My hands go up and I step toward her. “Whoa. Sunshine.”

She aims the gun at me. “Get back to where you were!”

I’m no idiot. I do as I’m told. Honey Badger and I exchange a look as she points the gun at the old man again. It’s a bizarre picture. A guy in his eighties – hell, maybe nineties – whose body has given out on him, shrouded in a four poster bed with black curtains, and a beautiful woman aiming a gun at his head.

“You didn’t get what you want after all,” she snarls.

“I did,” he rasps with that evil smile. “You’re in my bedroom.”

Furious, she centers her aim. “You piece of shit, I hope you rot in hell.” Her finger starts to press the trigger and I picture her in prison for the rest of her life.

“Don’t do this.”

“You don’t know what he’s done,” she growls to me, determined, but scared. She’s probably never killed anyone before. If that’s true, it gives me enough of a chance to maybe talk her out of this. I’m gonna give it my best try.

“Sunshine…listen…I’m aware of the women downstairs. I know this guy is the boss and leader. But look at him. You won’t be able to call this self-defense. You’ll go to jail for murder. Or be on the run your whole fuckin’ life.”

She doesn’t even look my way. He is the only thing she can see. “I’ve been on the run anyway! At least now he’ll be gone. He’ll be where he belongs. Do you know what he did?”

“I saw.”

Staring at him with memories playing across her eyes, Sunshine whispers, as though she didn’t hear me, “He preys on people. He spent his life making money off lonely women. Women who didn’t have families, who didn’t have anyone to help them. He sold them like cattle. For sex. And it didn’t matter who wanted it. The evilest men in the world walked in, and he took their money and told them to do whatever they wanted. Like their lives meant nothing. All they wanted was a home and he twisted their dreams into nightmares.” Tears start to fall down her cheeks as her steady hand begins to shake. “My mother was murdered by one of those animals. And he’s lying there smiling at me!”

I look over. She’s right.

The sick fuck is grinning.

I want to go punch the old bastard myself, now.

Honey Badger walks up and stops two feet behind me, silently wanting the same. But this is her fight.

I try one last time. “You willing to go to jail for life? We’re calling the police. They’ll take him away. You don’t have to do this.”

“Yes, I do,” she whispers, bringing the gun up and closing one eye for aim.

The demon in the bed throws ice into my veins as he rasps something I never saw coming.

“So…you’re gonna kill your own father?”

She doesn’t even blink.

“Matias…I can’t wait. Tell Lucifer you’re home.” Sunshine steadies the machine gun and fires. The old man’s chest explodes. Then his face as she fires again.

I watch her trembling lips part as the gun falls from her hands. Relief laced with finality is all over her. She turns her head and gazes at me with a silent question. I can hear her asking as though she said aloud.

Is it over?

I nod and start to go to her. But a shot rings out. Her eyes lose their sad light and she crumples to the ground. I rush forward, darting a look behind to understand what just happened. The thug, the one we thought was dead, wasn’t.

As Honey Badger runs to take him down, time slows. Everything is fuzzy as I scoop up the woman I held in my arms last night, and watch blood stream from the side of her head.

I am rocking her.

Shouting for an ambulance.

Whispering to her to hang on.

She’s limp and heavy.

The blood won’t stop.

“Stay with me.”

S
cratch runs
into the room and looks around. “What the fuck!!”

“GET AN AMBULANCE!” I yell.

He rushes to me, taking her in. “We did. Called the police, too. We’re going to have to do a lot of explaining. And we’re probably going to jail for this.”

I barely hear him. I’m holding her, covered in her blood. “Stay with me, Sunshine. Fight!”

“I’ve got an idea!” Honey Badger cries out. “Scratch, come with me!”

They disappear. Time is frozen, and yet there they are again, carrying a guy in from outside. “Careful not to let his feet drop.” To me, as if I care, Honey Badger says, “He’s already dead.”

They bring him over and lay him beside her, slump him like he was facing the bed. Scratch holds him up and leans way back. Honey Badger runs over to the unconscious guy by the door, the one who shot her.

“Jett, duck!”

I cover her with my body and bend out of the way.

He picks up the guy’s gun, aims and fires at the dead thug. Scratch swears under his breath as the blood spatters on him and us. The now twice-dead body slumps to the side, his head a fuckin’ unrecognizable mess. Scratch takes the gun Sunshine used and wipes her fingerprints off. He puts it in the dead guy’s hand and makes sure the guy’s fingerprints are on it in all the right places. Then he uses his shirt to wipe his own off.

Turning to me, Scratch sees my dazed expression.

I can’t stop whispering to Sunshine.

I can’t stop.

“Jett, focus! This is the deal.”

My eyes slowly move to listen. Honey kneels in front of me. “This guy shot HIM.” He points to Matias in the bed. “She went to
save
him. The old guy. She went to save him, you hear me?” I nod once. “And when she did, that guy shot this guy to save his boss, and accidentally hit her, too.” He jabs a finger at the guy by the door, the fucker who caused my anguish. “You got it?”

“Stay with me, Sunshine,” I whisper to her, nodding to my chosen brothers that I understand. At some point later I will thank them for clearing her name. That man fathered her. Then sold her mother as a whore. I can only imagine how that went down. Sunshine deserves peace, and respect for her bravery today.

She’s got my respect.

“Hear those?” Scratch mumbles, as sirens get louder. “We ready for this?”

“Yeah,” Honey Badger mutters, looking from me to the door.

I say nothing, but they know I’m good for it. We trust each other with our lives.

They go downstairs and I stay put. Again time tricks me. Suddenly EMTs are in the room telling me I have to let her go. I barely know this girl. I don’t even know her fuckin’ name. But I witnessed something in her. It began last night when she gave herself to me. It deepened tonight when I learned her story. I witnessed her enact a vengeance that she’d waited her whole life to do, and that kind of thing bonds you to a person.

I saw her soul tonight. Hell, I saw it last night, too. She took her wall down for me. How I earned that honor, I’ll never know.

And now it’s over.

“I’m going with you,” I whisper, following them as they carry her out on a gurney.

Cops are everywhere. Searching. Listening.

The Ciphers are answering questions.

When two police officers try to stop me at the front door, my voice is firm. “I’ll answer anything you want. But I’m not letting her out of my sight.”

“How do we know you won’t leave the hospital?”

“Do I look like I’m going anywhere she’s not?”

They stare at me.

Fuse yells from behind his broken nose. “We’re the good guys here! Let him go!”

“I’ll go with him,” a female cop says to the guy. “Cantor and I will make sure he stays put.”

I head out. The EMTs have her in the ambulance and are about to close the door. One looks over his shoulder to see what the verdict is, if I’m coming or not. That’s decent of him. I motion to the bike and he nods.

Climbing onto my baby, I flip the ignition. The familiar roar calms me. Centers me. Reminds me who I am. I’m Jett Fucking Cocker. I can handle this. And if these cops wanna put us in jail, they’re going to have to fight me for the right. We help people, goddammit. They need men like us. Something my father doesn’t want to believe, except when it serves him to use me to his own ends.

Sunshine…I thought I had problems with my old man. You win.

As we speed down the canyons of Los Angeles to Cedars Sinai Hospital, cars pull over for the ambulance and do double takes at the biker then the police car, whispering to each other, “What the hell happened there?”