15. Chapter 14
Thunder – Two Weeks Later
I speed up as I check my mirrors and follow the Untamed van as they come off the freeway. Gunner comes up beside me for the fifth time since we left the clubhouse, giving me a nod. I nod back so he knows I’m alright before he rides back to his position at the left side of the van.
Today is the first time I’m riding long distance to see how my shoulder and knee take it.
So far, I’m doing alright, a little sore which is expected, but otherwise alright and fuck, I have missed riding fast on my bike.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve ridden around town with Scottie on the back, but being on the freeway, fuck, it is something else.
We’re on our way to meet up with my club to pick up a load of guns, ammo and weed that they’ve just picked up.
I’ll be helping the Untamed sell them until I return home which will be soon.
Scottie and I have a meal with her family at some point.
I know she isn’t excited about it, but she hasn’t declined, instead she’s sent her dad her shifts so her mama can arrange a day around them.
I’m so fucking proud of her, of how she’s willing to try after being treated like an outcast most of her life.
I fucking love her relationship with Sammie, I mean fuck, right now, despite being off work for three days, instead of having down time to herself, she is currently at home with the demon cat and Sammie.
He is only fucking person the thing will go near and all I want is to go home and spend time with them, my family, but I have to do this.
Even though I’m at the Untamed, I still need to be the brother I was taught to be, and I’m lucky enough that my girl understands.
The club indicates right, then turns down a dirt road that leads to the air strip. I follow, my eyes going to my mirror, watching the blacked-out van that has followed us since we left town drive past, and I frown as I follow our van, my guard up.
It could be a coincidence that it followed us this far, but I don’t believe in coincidences.
I pull up beside Gunner, who looks my way, and I state, “A blacked-out van followed us but kept driving when we turned down the lane and something doesn’t feel right.”
He nods, then looks around before he calls, “Turner and Leroy, head to the end of the lane and keep watch!”
Two prospects nod and walk back down the road, and I turn when I hear, “Yo, fucker,” and I lock eyes with Tank, and I grin wide.
“Well, look what the cat dragged in,” I chuckle as I gently climb off my bike just as Stone grabs me into a hug. I slap his back because fuck it’s been a while since I’ve seen him, like nearly eleven months.
“Missed you too, brother,” I say when he squeezes me tightly, and he shakes his head as he pulls back, then looks me over just as Tank grabs my shoulder and begins checking it, and I roll my eyes.
“Mother hens much?” I chuckle, and both brothers glare at me while Dagger laughs at my expense.
“How is your pain level?” Tank demands, and I grin.
“It’s good, brother,” I promise, and he narrows his eyes at me, so I divert, “How’s Jasmine and the kids?”
“Pissed at you,” he grunts, and I wince slightly.
“I’ll be home soon,” I promise, and Stone snorts, “Sure…” Not looking very convinced.
“Got something to say, VP?” I goad with a smirk, and he narrows his eyes, as Trigger calls, “I fucking do,” gaining everyone’s attention, “You’re a fucking hypocrite,” and I chuckle while the Untamed openly laugh.
“Not really, brother,” I deny because I know I am not a hypocrite.
“Yeah, you fucking are,” Stone grunts, “You gave all us brothers hell about not being there for the club and blaming the club for shit we caused or let happen, and here you are…”
I cut him off and state, “Doing a club run and telling you all I’ll be home soon,” I look between my brothers, “Unlike all you all, I haven’t fucked up, I haven’t hurt the woman I am claiming and I haven’t once accused the club of shit.
I rode because I felt lost with the pain, I’m now healing but I’ve also got a girl who has a nephew she won’t leave. ”
“You going to kidnap the kid?” Stone asks with a smirk, and I grin and admit, “It isn’t really kidnapping, not with the plan I have. I just have to execute it with Axel’s and Scottie’s dad’s help.”
Stone grins wide, looking impressed while Trigger looks at me, mouth gaped, and I shrug.
“She’s mine, and she knows it,” I state and a grin breaks free on the man’s face.
“I’ve never felt so proud,” Tank claims with awe, and I laugh, I can’t help it.
“You got Doc to order a cut then?” Stone asks, and I nod, then lift my left hand up and show them the tattoo Hawk gave me this morning before we left, and my three brothers grin like idiots seeing Scottie’s name on my ring finger.
As I said, she’s fucking mine.
“Right, I need to see if these idiots are doing their job right,” I state and Stone pats my back as I walk past, Triggers, “I never thought I’d see the day where he’d exceed his plans from hurting himself to get his own way to kidnapping.
I must admit, I’m really fucking proud too,” washes over me, and I shake my head.
Idiots…
***
“Alright, that’s all of it,” I state as I slam the van door shut and turn around, but I frown and ask, “Yo, Gunner, why in the fuck are Turner and Leroy walking back?”
Gunner frowns and looks to the track, and everyone follows his eyes as Axel demands, “Why are you two not watching the fucking road?!”
Turner stops and mentions, “The road was quiet, barely any traffic, and we knew you’d be done, so we walked back,” his brown eyes looking a little scared, and I curse.
“What is it?” Trigger demands, and I snap, “A blacked-out van followed us all the way from the clubhouse but didn’t turn off down the dirt road. I had a bad feeling.”
Trigger curses as Stone demands, “Did you see a blacked-out van?!”
Leroy clears his throat and admits, “Twice,” and I growl loudly.
“I fucking knew they were following us,” I snap, and Leroy defends, “They kept on driving!”
“And I bet they’ll be down the road any fucking second!” I snap just before a sound of a gun being shot echoes, and I grunt as my body flings to the floor with the force of the bullet that hits my arm, and Tank roars, “Thunder!”
A bullet hits the ground near my head, and then another near my leg, and I quickly roll and notice the blacked-out van as the brothers scramble. Leroy actually fucking does his job as he tackles the shooter to the ground, kicking the gun away.
“Fuck,” I choke as my arm throbs just as Tank kneels before me and grips it, causing me to groan.
“That fucker wanted you dead,” he grunts, and I look just as someone shouts, “Get the fuck off me!” and I groan louder, recognizing the fucker trying to get out of Stone’s hold while Leroy holds his nuts.
“His name is Dino, he used to work with my girl and wanted her,” I moan, and Tank growls loudly just as Trigger crouches down.
“You good?” he breathes, and I nod even though my arm hurts and Tank slowly helps me sit.
“Scottie is going to be pissed,” I groan as a jolt of pain hits my shoulder, and Trigger winces as he looks at my arm. I follow his eyesight only to wince at the trail of blood.
Fuck…
***
I check my phone for the tenth time since we got back to the Untamed clubhouse half an hour ago, a journey that took longer than it should have because of my arm, and I wince.
Treasure
“Brother, she is going to kill you,” Stone mutters, and I nod because yep, I’m already aware of that. “Though I swear if I didn’t already know that kid was her nephew, with the grin in that photo she has looking at him, I’d think she was his mama.”
I nod again, because again, I already know that as well.
Their bond is something to cherish, that is for sure, and that is why I’m going to so much trouble to ensure Sammie comes home with us and lives in a family environment.
I fist my hand then open it again. My arm is fucking killing me.
I'm pretty sure the bullet is still inside, and Tank and Dr. Thomas are both pissed because I refuse for them to touch it until this fucker is questioned, then killed. That and I’m hoping to get the sympathy vote from my girl while she cares for me instead of ripping my balls from my body.
“Brother, I swear, I need to get that bullet out,” Tank grunts, but I wave him off.
Trigger went home with the prospects, much to his dismay, while Stone and Tank followed us back.
“And I need my girl not to tear my balls from my body,” I mutter as I tilt my head at Dino, who is slowly stirring.
Stone knocked the fucker out then after Leroy managed to get over the pain of being kicked in the nuts, rode back with the idiot in the van while I rode back much to my brother’s dismay.
Tank huffs as he crosses his arms over his chest, and I smirk as he mumbles, “This is fucking worse than you showing up in my ER.”
“W-what?” Dino rasps, and I curl my lip at the fucker as my phone rings again.
Fuck, Scottie is going to be pissed.
“How’s your head?” Axel goads, and the jackass tied in the chair looks around the soundproof room before his eyes come my way and widen, and I grin.
“You’re a lousy shot,” I chuckle, and he looks around the room again as his breathing picks up.
“Why’d you aim for Thunder?” Axel demands as he grabs the fucker’s hair, forcing him to look his way, and Dino chokes, “Scottie was supposed to be mine!”
Fuck’s sake! I roll my eyes as Tank snorts.
“If it isn’t crazy clubwhores or patch chasers, then it’s crazy ass men,” Stone grunts, and I hum as I nod.
“And you decided you had the balls to kill a brother?” Axel snaps, and I tilt my head, waiting for his answer.
“He isn’t the first brother I’ve killed,” he grunts, and that gets my fucking back up as I stand straight, “Herman Chains grew up with me.”
“Who is Herman Chains?” Gunner asks, and I growl, “He was the leader of the Pillars, the sick group that kidnapped, raped, and sold women, men, and children. Anchor's woman Summer was held for over a year.”
“How is little old Summer?” Dino goads like an idiot, “She missing my cock?”
I grab my gun without a thought and lift it to the fucker’s head and growl, “Not very smart to gloat about raping an old lady in a room full of men who care about her fucker!”
Summer tried to kill herself after her, she fucking hung herself from the beam in Anchor’s room then had found out she was pregnant. This fucker was partly the cause and an idiot for bringing her up.
Dino curls his lip and snaps, “You won’t kill me, my dad is a part of the Cartel!”
Axel chuckles, “And we’re affiliated with them and never even met your father on a job. He’s a lower-level grunt worker and will be killed after hearing that you dabbled in the flesh trade behind their back!”
Dino’s eyes widen as Axel shoves his head back and moves out of the way. I don’t hesitate as I pull the trigger, the bullet going through Dino’s head, causing it to fling back, and I breathe heavily.
“Axel, you call the Cartel about their grunt man, I’ll call Doc and let him know that we missed one man from that sick group,” Stone grunts then looks at me and sneers, “Go get that fucking arm fixed and bring your plan forward, I want you home. I want her behind club walls and under club protection so shit like this doesn’t happen again! ”
I nod once before turning around, but as I walk out the door, Tank calls, “Good luck, brother, hopefully you’ll still have your balls,” and laughter follows as I roll my eyes.
“Fucking assholes.”