Chapter 20
Chapter
Twenty
WAR
Something is wrong. My body feels tight, like it is expecting something to happen.
I am at the Rugged Skulls clubhouse, talking with Racer, Savage, and new member Crash, but I can't focus on what they’re saying.
Their voices drone on, but an image of Cleo comes to mind.
A restlessness crawls under my skin, and I clench my fists, knuckles pale.
Savage nudges me, his words muffled, concern flickering in his gaze.
“You okay, brother?”
I shake my head. “Something feels off.”
I scan the room but nothing and no one seems out of place.
“We haven’t heard from those fucks who sent you the photos. The prospect reported back that Cleo was safe.”
“I know, but something doesn’t feel right.”
She needs you.
I jump, spinning around in my seat to see who the fuck just whispered in my ear. The men with me are frowning but I ignore them, pushing to my feet. My skin is crawling with the need to get moving, but I am not sure where.
Cleo.
Fuck, there it is again.
This time, I focus on the sound of the voice, my heart stopping for a beat in my chest.
Lilian.
She needs you.
Closing my eyes, I relish hearing her voice again, but also the warning snaps me back to reality and I move.
I snap my gaze to Racer and Savage. “I need to get to Cleo; something is wrong.”
“How the fuck do you know that? The prospect has not called it in. Brother, you need to fucking relax, man, have a smoke,” Forge calls, walking across the room to us, but I am already shaking my head.
“No. I am going to check on her.”
“I am going with him. If nothing is wrong, then no harm done with his freakout, but if Cleo does need us, we will be there to help and I get to fire a prospect,” Savage casually says.
Before I can speak, Rogue comes into the room like a man on a mission. His focused gaze lands on me, then moves to Racer and my gut twists, feeling that bad news is coming.
“We found them. Intel got in touch, and sent me information to look into here. My security software just pinged the fuckers close to Cleo’s house.”
“FUCK.” I run, my blood turning to ice in my veins.
We mount our bikes and with my blood pumping, adrenaline adding fuel to my already fried nerves, I ride.
Brothers stick together no matter what.
We may be with different clubs, but me claiming Cleo will solidify a union between the Three Kings MC and the Rugged Skulls MC.
My knuckles are white as I grip my handlebars, as we zip and dive between cars.
We arrive at Cleo’s house, the rumble of bikes filling the street, and some neighbors come out but say nothing.
A loud pained scream comes from inside of the house and I react, knowing that Savage, and Racer are right behind me.
I grip onto the doorframe, bringing my booted foot up, and kicking the door in. The frame splinters, and I growl seeing what I am greeted with.
A man covered in blood on the one side of his head has Cleo under him, her head pulled back with her hair tightly in his fist.
I make eye contact with her for a second before she passes out, then I fucking attack.
Storming across the room, I tackle the cunt off my woman. We wrestle on the floor, and the fucker lands some hits, but it does not deter me; I am killing this fucker tonight.
My body is on fire for revenge. He hurt my woman, so I will hurt him before I end his life.
He rolls and jumps to his feet, trying to gain an advantage over me. I am bigger than him, but this fucker is quicker. Blood covers his teeth as he smirks at me.
“She tasted so fucking good.”
“Fuck you.”
“End this, War.” Gets called from behind me.
“You should have kept your fucking nose out of our business. You pussy ass bikers think you rule the fucking world. Well, we’re here to show you that you don’t. We are everywhere,” he taunts, before I dive for him again.
He does not anticipate me getting the upper hand this time. I straddle his narrow hips, my fists taking over my body as I throw punch after punch. His face gets more and more distorted with each hit.
“Stop, War, we need him to talk.”
He gurgles. “Kill me. I will not talk.”
Rogue appears over my shoulder but I do not look at him.
“You have no secrets to spill, my friend. You see, we are the Rugged Skulls MC, and we fucking rule Arizona, but what we also do is allow other clubs to come and help one of their own.”
Fear fills the one eye that is partly open.
“Your buddies are fucking cooked, man. The Three Kings MC, this man’s”—his hand lands on my shoulder— “club. They took care of this little pest problem we found in the motel, Paradise Pink.”
“End him, War. Your woman needs a hospital.” I hear Racer say.
Without blinking, I grip the fucker’s big head, applying pressure and twisting, snapping his neck. The sound echoes around the room. With a satisfied grunt, I drop the cunt on the floor, sitting back on my heels to catch my breath.
“Found the prospect, Pres,” Crash says, coming into the room.
He is their newest member and got his name when he crashed a truck into a house saving Target’s woman.
“Where?”
“Dead around the side of the house. Neck snapped.” I climb to my feet, turning to see Cleo now conscious, leaning against a wall.
“Fucking poetic if you ask me.” Savage laughs.
My focus is on my woman as she looks at me, her face battered, blood coating some of her face. Her eyes are on me and I feel like a lifetime passes before she holds her hand out to me, inviting me to her.
I rush forward, my fear of her being scared of me vanishing when she gives me a weak smile.
“We need to get you to a hospital, baby.” She shakes her head at me, making me frown.
“I am battered but not broken. I need rest, Mason, and I need you. That bastard got what he deserved, for hurting me, and for killing an innocent prospect.” Tears fill her eyes and it guts me.
“I will have Forge take a look at her back at the club; he has some Army medical training,” Racer explains.
With a nod, I lean in, kissing her head.
“I am going to pick you up and carry you. It may hurt, baby. I’m sorry.” With a nod from her, I slowly, gently collect her in my arms.
Her teeth grit together, stopping her from crying out.
“You are a tough, bitch, Cleo baby.”
She flips Savage off, making him laugh.
“Truck is outside,” Crash says as I walk past him.
Giving him a chin lift, I leave with my girl, getting her to the help that she needs. I fucking hate that I did not get to her quick enough, and that is something that will always be with me.
I could have lost her like I lost Lilian, and I would have died all over again, but this time I would have stayed dead.
Cleo is my fucking heart; I will breathe and live for her.