Chapter 43
Hound Dog
I never considered myself a warrior, a soldier. Maybe a protector, maybe a killer. But never one to say I was a soldier ready for a battle, not when I was ready to win a war and take no prisoners.
“An empty warehouse by the river shouldn't be too far. They knocked out any cameras on the property, but nearby street cameras show people by the main entrance, and possibly surrounding the warehouse.” Blaze relayed as we mounted the bikes.
The rev of the engines shot a sense of power and avenge. I knew that it would be a bloodbath, one had been coming for a long time. Too much time has gone by since the threat of the Hogs and I wasn’t going to have that in our futures.
They took someone that belonged to me, one that I promised to keep safe.
My mind has spun with the past few hours. I could only assume that the woman that threw herself on me was paid off by the Hogs and she waited until they told her when the time was right. The time that Melody would witness everything and make her vulnerable.
She wasn’t going to run away, she was going to come back. She was going to confront me, my brave woman. But I wasn’t going to let her down again. I was also tempted to never let her go again. Wherever I go, she would go with me. And vice versa.
Fender started the ride, leading us down and out past the city. The parade of chrome shined in the night, sending a message of terror and anguish to all those who watched us.
We had agreed to be down a block or two. Blaze had stayed behind, only to be our eyes when we didn’t know where to go, aside from the darkened streets.
There was a fire coursing through my veins.
As we parked down the way from the warehouse, Blaze sent a message stating that the east entrance wasn’t as occupied and the weakest in entrances. A quarter of us would take the east entrance and others around the other way.
Reverend had offered to stay behind in case a twist in events were to happen. I didn’t know how much pull the Hogs had, or alliances. But I also knew that Reverend wouldn’t take a life unless it was desperate measures. But he would take the pain from others or be there to shoulder the “sin”. He’d try to keep the peace as much humanly possible.
Shooter offered a sneak attack approach as we dismantled the east entrance, we’d sneak behind and open the other entrance.
All I knew was that I was ready to charge like a bull. A beast inside ready to do some damage.
“There’s no going back, Hound. Risk everything for blood and her,” Otis reminded me
I looked up from loading my gun, giving him a wide-eyed look, “Never said it wasn’t a risk, and I’m sure as hell not turning back.”
Otis just nodded, following my lead down the streets along with Hank, Stray, and Blue.
Blaze’s information was accurate, the amount of people at the east entrance were limited and easy targets. Seeing their patch swarming the place only made my blood boil. Stray stepped in front of me, propping his weapon with a silencer on a trash can. Stray took a moment to find the aim we needed to start taking them out one by one.
With one slow breath, one of the medium sized members dropped like deer shot in hunting season. The dead member’s partner started to whip his head back and forth, looking for a sign of who fired.
Shooter had reminded us that it would be over too quickly, and before we knew it, it would be us that would be kissing the gravel or an early grave. Before the other man yelled for help, Stray popped another bullet, shooting him straight in the temporal lobe. He dropped down to the ground the same as his friend.
There was another one hidden, but they hadn't come into the light.
I was running out of time and patience. The longer we stood there waiting like hunting season, the less time to make sure Melody was alive. My impatience took over, but I was yanked back down before I could bolt.
Blue, a man of very few words, looked at me and just said. “Wait.”
I wanted to fight back, but the words never came. That was until the third member came around the warehouse corner, shocked at the sight of two men plastered on the ground. Stray wasted no time and quickly took the shot.
The last member we saw dropped to the ground. No more were coming. I confirmed with Blaze that there were only three over here, and he assured me that there weren’t any more.
I knew the Hog’s numbers were dwindling close enough for just a board and a few members, but there was only one person that I was concerned about meeting the mouth of my gun.
Saber. The only man that would dare try anything.
The four of us moved quickly, staying somewhat low to the ground. The other entrance was going to be yards away. I signaled for Blue and Stray to move on, to meet Shooter and B.B on the other side.
Otis stood behind me, as I stalked toward a small opening that was a little too quiet for my liking.
“Why does this feeling too fucking easy?” Otis remarked. I couldn’t blame his paranoia because I agreed. This opening of the warehouse was a little too easy to get through. Everything in me was shouting that this was a trap, and someone was the bait.
A little light was shone in the entryway, but nothing else mattered as the sight of Melody flooded my mind.
Her beautiful body was limp and bound. Her hair looked knotted like someone touched it, but I couldn’t tell her other injuries. For all I knew, whatever she was dosed with may not have worn off. I had hoped she was breathing. I had checked to see if there was anyone hiding before taking a few steps toward her.
I’m here, songbird.
It wasn’t until we were halfway in the warehouse that Melody’s head lolled from side to side before snapping up to look at us. I couldn’t make out her full expression, but I could see her shaking her head.
A clicking of a readied gun stopped us dead in our tracks. Our bodies froze, straightening up to peek at who dared to stand in our way. My way.
But a sinister laugh pulled my attention, Saber switched on a light that shined brighter, illuminating the space, illuminated the rough spots on Melody’s body, smears of blood, and her clothes exposing more skin than I liked.
Saber lit a cigarette, finally taking a step from the side, but with a hunting knife by his side. A cloud of smoke swirled around him, as he made his way toward Melody.
Her eyes started to well up with tears. It took everything in me to not dart to her.
“Well, darling girl, I think you were right. It was better to have that power and control. It just feels so good,” he said, stepping behind Melody, trailing his hand along her neck and down her torn open shirt. Her body contorted at the touch. “Fell into a trap so easily. You said he’d come and that it was better to leave you alive, using his one weakness against him.”
She wouldn’t help him. The way he spoke made it seem like it was a long time plan.
“Hound,” she whispered, “I’m sorry. I tried to buy you time…” Her voice cracked from the raw emotions bubbling in her throat.
Saber interrupted, “Oh, she’s being a little modest. Told me to use her to control you, thought it would be that you’d give up easily. Cause you wouldn’t want any harm to come to her, though.,” hHe pressed the cigarette still burning in his hand into her collarbone. “She bleeds so easily.”
Melody held back the painful screams. The butt of the cigarette burned into her skin. He discarded the stick and pulled the knife to her throat.
“One would say she’s a perfect little plaything.” He smiled.
I pointed my gun toward him, but the person behind us stepped further to Otis’s back. I glanced behind to see Stetson, a troublesome soul, point his gun at Otis’s head.
“Let her go, if you want me then take me,.” I offered. But he only laughed.
He bent closer to Melody’s ear. “What a noble thing. But you know, Melody, why would he say something like that, not when a little minx was sucking face with him, just hours ago. She’s more what he wants. More to offer.”
“Melody, don’t listen to him,” I tried to remain calm.
“Oh, but it’s true, you saw. I mean, the timing was perfect. I mean almost like fate.”
“Honey, you know what I’ve said. You and me.” I couldn’t think of the right words.
She cracked a soft smile, she knew.
“You believe this? This man would even let a woman like that girl approach him. He could have walked away.”
All kinds of fire burned in me, he was trying to taint her way of thinking. He continued, “I mean, he has you to thank. I mean those messages with B.B, letting us know your every step, made it all the easier to show you the truth.”
“What truth?” she asked.
“That bitches are easily replaced, thrown out like trash.”
I stepped closer, but Otis grunted as he took a hit to his body. I twisted around, seeing him on his knees.
“I wouldn’t do that. It’s one thing to choose her over your club, but choosing over a long time friend and brother over a girl you fawned over,” he hissed.
I had a few ideas that popped in my head, ones that I didn’t know if it would work out.
“Well, now that you’re here, let’s talk about what happens next. If you want this cunt alive, leave Memphis, I don’t care where you go, but Memphis is ours. I’ll leave with her and if you follow through then, I’ll return her.” There was a sinister smile that told me that she wouldn’t.
“Not going to happen.”
He sighed. “Pity that you had to make this harder than it needed to be.”
There was a slight commotion outside of the warehouse. A few guns fired in the background, I snapped my eyes to see Saber worry, almost falter, not knowing if a force would be coming through those doors.
He lowered the knife toward her side, then wrapped his arm across her chest, “No matter what is going on outside, it doesn’t mean you win.”
I focused on Melody, her eyes stared back at me. Her breathing became steady and her arms started twitching. My gun started to shake a bit in my hands
“There is no way out, you and your men are fucking pathetic thinking that you will win. We built a case with your name in it. It may not be your fault, but your club’s name is tainted, for anyone to pin something else on you. We were here long before you, and we’ll keep coming back. There is no way out.”
Saber sounded like what he was: a desperate man rambling on, trying to grasp a sense of dignity, thinking that in the end he would end this battle, when the war would be over.
She puffed out her chest. Her small voice was powerful against the noise outside. A small smile lit up her face. “Remember when I said that you wouldn’t want to unleash the beast if you killed me.”
“You’re lucky that you’re still breathing.” He sneered.
“Well, be prepared for a reckoning, you’ll need all the air,” she said before her arms snaked out from her bindings, wrapping her hands around his hand over the knife.
It was quick.
Melody thrusted the knife, slashing her side along the way, and shoved up into Saber’s chest. My voice roared and all time stood still.
I didn’t know what commotion was happening behind me, all I knew was that Otis had swept Stetson’s legs from under him, and Stetson ended up with a bullet in his skull.
Melody fell to the side, hitting the wet gravel under her. A dark pool of another wetness spilled on the ground.
I rushed to her side, ignoring Saber screaming from the pain, slowly writhing away.
I shook my head, this wasn’t supposed to happen. It should have been me in the place, the one lying on the ground. I whipped off my cut and the long sleeve flannel. I rolled the flannel, applying pressure to the wound.
I cradled her head, shook her a bit to wake her up. Her eyes fluttered open, and that beautiful smile warmed me with hope. “Hey baby.”
“You realize that was stupid.” I choked out the words. I wanted to be mad at her, but she proved that I could never underestimate her.
She chuckled. “Never said I was the smartest. I mean that’s not a deal breaker is it?”
“Oh, someone’s got jokes.” I played along. I should have taken it as a good sign that she was joking, cracking jokes in a time like that.
“Well, if I ain’t got the brains, I guess I’ll be the funny one in the relationship.” She coughed.
I didn’t know how else to help her. I needed to find Shooter or Fender. I saw the glimpse of Otis running to the other side of the building, hoping that he was trying to find someone.
“You know I wrote you a song.” She broke my attention.
I imagined she was, the way she would stare at me randomly with the lovesick look in her eyes. I nodded. “Yeah. I hoped you did. You gotta sing it for me one day.”
She took a ragged breath, “Little girls dream of princes, ones that would whisk to the great unknown.
I kissed her hard, stopping her because I knew what she was trying to do. But I felt her humming against my lips. She pulled away.
“Please,” she pleaded.
“No, honey, you’ll sing it to me when you’re ready.”
This wasn’t going to be her goodbye.
Her dirty, probably wounded hand cupped my cheek. I leaned into her touch. “Why is it that music has been easier around you?”
“Guess you needed a teacher.”
“No, I didn’t. A teacher can come and go, but you, Nash, are a forever thing.” She continued, “I didn’t need a teacher, guess I just needed you, the person that sees me for everything that I am.”
I hugged her tighter, keeping the flannel in place.
“Just to think you saved me from fire all those years ago and see you’re still saving me.”
A thunderous parade of footsteps grew louder. One soul that rushed to the side. A glimpse of Shooter was breathing heavily, a little splatter of someone’s blood across his face, and yet the sight of him filled me with joy.
“I’ll always see you, Melody.” I rested my forehead on hers.
“Hound, I…” she started to say, but I silenced her with another hard kiss, wiping away any thought of her saying she loved me before I could say it first. She wasn’t going to say it as if it was her last goodbye.
Because in reality, if she was actually dying, so would I.
A world without Melody would be a world without the sun on your face warming you, giving everything and anything that was good.
“Let her go, man, I got her,” Shooter tried to coax me to let go.
One thing was for sure, I would never let her go. I didn’t think any one of us would be able to let her go. No one wanted to have the hardest goodbye.