Chapter 26
26
Cassidy
I gently bounce my knee, holding my phone tightly as I stare off into space while my sister grips my free hand beside me, the brothers all looking at me with concern.
My phone has been blowing up, and I know it’s Tanner wondering what is going on, but I can’t face reality just yet because I know, for a fact, I will break. Ironically, my body is gravitating toward church, to Colt….
He’s still the one I need in time of uncertainty, and what happened in his office is proof of that. He’s my everything and that hurts to realize.
“They’ll find her, Cassy,” Perrie whispers, but I don’t answer.
I haven’t been able to think since I received the message. As soon as we came to the clubhouse, Killian needed my skills, though Medic is now watching him, and then Colt broke.
In all the years I’ve known him, I have never seen him break, and it was heartbreaking.
I meant what I said to him; it’s not his fault. He couldn’t have known the bitch would take our daughter, that she’d turn crazy like this.
My phone rings again, and I look at the screen to see it’s Tanner again. I sigh as Perrie says, “He won’t give up; just answer it.”
I do as she says, but before I can speak, he states, “Well, she finally graces me with her attention!” I wince. “I find out from Sandra that you rushed off in the middle of your shift for some emergency with Moira, and what, you decide not to fill me in. I’m your?—”
I cut him off, “Moira was kidnapped by Colt’s ex-fuck buddy!”
Nothing but silence meets my outburst, and I know he’s processing.
“Shit,” he chokes out after a few minutes, and I grimace, feeling guilty for not at least messaging him when he’s been there since the day Moira was born.
“I, uh, I need to go, but I promise I’ll keep you updated,” I whisper.
“Love you, sweetheart,” he says back after a beat, and I smile a little, and reply, “Love you too, Tan.”
I hang up and sniffle before looking up to see every brother looking at me with narrowed eyes, and I raise a brow at them despite the tears falling.
“Does my prez know you're telling another man you love him when he’s doing everything possible to win you back?” Art asks with a bit of heat behind his words.
“By taking me against my will?” I retort.
He narrows his eyes while Bowler, an older generation brother and father to Anchor, chimes in, “No, by showing you he needs you,” and I look at him. His dark brown eyes soften, seeing I’m close to breaking as he says, “That man has loved you since the moment you met. Has he made some bad decisions in the name of the club? Yes, he has, but he got cocky and thought you’d always be there for him while he was trying to prove himself to the club, to his dad. He doesn’t deserve to know you're professing your love to another man, especially not while he’s trying to find your daughter.”
I sigh and sit back as I look at all the brothers watching me with disappointment—what jackasses.
“Seriously, you all think I’m the type of woman who would declare her love for another man while my daughter is missing, after I screwed your president in his office?” I state firmly, and Perrie, spits out the water she was just drinking.
“Okay, that just makes it worse,” Bulldozer adds with disappointment.
I sigh and admit, “Tanner is gay,” and every brother's eyes widen in shock, but Canine laughs and says, “You’re punishing him.”
I lean back and just shrug, not confirming, and the brothers all nod with pride, like they weren’t ready to scream and shout at me despite my daughter having been kidnapped by a woman they all believed over me.
My body tenses and my sister whispers, “Your mind just went there, didn’t it?”
I nod, and Canine’s smile disappears. “We were just looking out for Steal, sweetheart.”
Slowly, I stand and nod, “Just like you were all looking out for the crazy bitch four years ago when she ensured I was assaulted, and I got a gun held to my head, right?” They wince, and I shake my head. “You know what? I’m done. I was pushed aside for years because of this club and that woman. Then I spent another four years raising my daughter alone, all because of this club and that woman.” I look at each man. “If I tell another man I love him, whether he is gay or not, has fuck all to do with any of you, because I never asked for this. I didn’t ask for Steal to bring me here and hold me against my will, I didn’t ask to be involved with the club, and yet here I am, saving one of you while trying to put aside the fact that bitch could kill my daughter!”
“Cassy,” Perrie whispers, but I shake my head and walk toward the bathroom. Some clubwhores look at me sorrowfully, while others glare at the brothers, but I ignore them, even though they’re on my side.
Surely the brothers know they’ve fucked up if the clubwhores are pissed at them.
“Cassidy!” Bulldozer shouts, but again, I ignore him and walk into the bathroom just as my phone goes off.
I sigh and take a look but swallow hard.
Unknown: Come alone to the docks where the brothers handle their business; otherwise, not only will I kill Steal, but I’ll also kill your daughter!
“Cassy…” Perrie says from beside me and I turn and lock eyes with her.
“Which docks?” I demand to know, and her eyes go to my screen. I shake my head at her when she goes to speak, and I snap, “Which docks, Perrie?”
She swallows and admits, “East, but that’s their fake warehouse. Maybe you should speak to Steal….”
I scoff, “Why, so the brothers can accuse me of something else? No thanks.”
That said, I storm past my sister and into the common room. Ignoring the brothers who try and speak, I head outside and out of the gate. The prospect, whose name I don’t know, looks at me with confusion, but I ignore him and run down the street while messaging for an Uber.
It takes the Uber ten minutes to arrive, and then forty-five minutes to pull up at the docks.
“Are you sure this is where you want to be?” the man asks, looking into the darkness around us. I smile and nod before replying, “Yes, thank you so much,” and climb out.
He doesn’t hang around, which makes me roll my eyes, before I look toward the warehouse where that bitch is holding my daughter. I look around to see any red little lights indicating a camera.
I swallow hard when I see nothing and walk quickly to the large metal building. I can feel my heart pound and my palms sweating, but I ignore it as I get to the door and slowly open it, trying not to make any noise. I slip into the room, slowly shutting the door behind me, and duck behind a box.
I keep myself unseen as I look around a room full of decoy crates, before my eyes lock on Faith pacing, a gun in her hand, in the middle of the room. I hear her mumble, “Where is the bitch!” and I sigh in relief.
She didn’t hear me come in….
I look around the room again and see a lump in the corner. My anger hits when I realize it’s Moira, who is asleep on the floor.
I swear, if Faith drugged my daughter, I’ll slice her throat open!
“Tank, did you see her leave?” Faith shouts. I look at her again and see she’s on the phone. Sweat builds, knowing this is my chance.
“No, the bitch isn’t here yet,” she snaps. She’s quiet for a moment as I slowly move from my hiding place. “What do you mean the brothers have all left the clubhouse?” I quicken my steps. “Well, which way did they?—”
Her words are cut off as I slam into her, causing her to gasp and drop the gun, and we land hard on the floor.
I kick the gun away, then lift my arm and slam my fist down on Faith’s face, making her scream as blood pours from her nose. I go to hit her again, but she twists, knocking me off her, and she scrambles toward the gun. I grab her leg before she can touch it, and pull her hard, then scramble to get it myself.
I hear a commotion near the doorway, but I ignore it, grabbing Faith by the hair, and slamming her head onto the concrete, making her cry out. Then, I crawl over her, but just as my fingers touch the gun, Faith grabs my neck and pushes my face down as her fingers wrap over mine, trying to grab the weapon. I quickly knock her back, slamming my head back into her, connecting with her jaw, making her cry out again as dizziness hits me.
Crap, Perrie never told me that kind of move can disorient you.
As soon as I feel her body lift off me, I quickly stand, trying to get my bearings, and go to attack her again, but I freeze when she points the gun at me from where she’s laying the floor.
Faith grins, blood coating her teeth as she sneers, “I win,” and pulls the trigger. I squeeze my eyes tight, expecting pain. Instead, I’m pushed away before the bullet can hit me, and I gasp as I hit the floor.
Breathing heavily, I look up and scream when I see Colt falling to the floor as Pitbull tackles Faith, slamming her head down and knocking her out.