Cotton: Satan's Fury MC (14 page)

The figure didn’t move, but my scream quickly got Clutch’s attention. He shot to his feet and barked, “What is it? What’s wrong?”

I pointed toward the window and shrieked, “Someone’s out there!” I’d only looked away for a second, but the man was already gone.

“Call Guardrail,” Clutch ordered as he raced over to the window, quickly releasing the lock before he raised it. Before he stepped out on the ledge, he drew his gun and said, “Lock this behind me and stay put till they get here.
I mean it
, Cass. Don’t open that door unless it’s one of the brothers!”

I nodded and watched as Clutch disappeared into the darkness. I heard his boots stomp up the metal steps as he went after the stranger. When I couldn’t hear him any longer, I called Guardrail’s number, and by the time he answered, I was a complete and total wreck. My voice crackled with nerves as I said, “Someone’s here, Guardrail. A man is outside on my fire escape, and Clutch just went after him!”

“Stay where you are. We are on our way. Lock your doors and windows. Don’t let anyone in until we get there,” he ordered.

“Okay,” I answered, but the line was already dead. Seconds later, my phone started ringing. When I looked down, Smokey’s name was flashing on the screen. I quickly answered, “Hello?”

With his voice sounding a little panicked, he asked, “Hey, doll. You okay?”

“Yeah, Smokey. I’m fine… but Clutch just went after this guy and …,” I started.

“Don’t you go worrying about Clutch. He’ll be alright. You just try to relax…. I’m close. I’ll be there in two minutes. Just hold tight until I get there.”

I tried to hold back my tears as I asked, “Smokey?”

“Yeah?”

“Can you stay on the phone with me until you get here?” I pleaded. I knew it was silly, but just hearing his voice was settling my nerves.

“Yeah, I can do that,” he answered. I was just about to go sit on the sofa when I heard two gunshots fired off in the apartment above me. Seconds later, there was a loud thud that echoed against the ceiling.

“Shit,” I screeched. My heart started pounding wildly against my chest as I said, “Smokey… gunshots. Two of them in the apartment above me.”

“Did you lock all the windows and doors?” he asked.

I stared at the window, too scared to move from the spot where I was standing, and said, “No.”

“Cass, I know you’re scared, but you gotta go lock that window, doll,” he ordered.

Knowing he was right, I forced myself to move forward, and despite my trembling hands, I managed to secure the lock. Once it was done, I told him, “Okay. I did it.”

“That a girl. You did good, Cass. I’m about to pull in. You doing okay?”

“No, Smokey. I’m not. I hate myself for it, but I’m freaking out. I’m worried about Clutch. What if someone shot him?” I cried.

“Don’t. Clutch will be fine,” he assured me.

My heart started to race when I heard the sound of footsteps walking across the floor above me. My heart was racing as I said, “I’m scared, Smokey. What do you think is going on upstairs?”

I heard his keys jingle as he turned off his truck. He closed his door before he said, “I have no fucking idea, but we’re about to find out. The boys will be here any minute. I’m on my way up. Stay on the phone, and I’ll tell you when I get there.”

“Okay,” I answered. A few moments later, I heard someone pounding on my door. “Smokey, is that you?”

“It’s me. Open up.” I quickly released the deadbolt and opened the door. The second I saw him, I rushed over to him and wrapped my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly.

I was still holding on to him when I heard a commotion upstairs. I immediately released my hold on him and said, “You’ve got to go see about him. Please.”

From the look on his face, it was clear he was struggling with what he should do. “I’m not leaving you alone.”

There was more ruckus above us, making me plead with him even more. “Smokey, if he’s in trouble…”

He finally agreed and said, “You don’t leave this apartment. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“Okay,” I promised.

He reached in his back pocket for his second handgun and gave it to me. “Just in case.”

I nodded, and as soon as he walked out of the apartment, I shut the door and locked it behind him. Feeling a nervous wreck, I paced back and forth in the kitchen, trying my best to hear what was going on in the apartment above me. It felt like an eternity, but it’d only been a few minutes when I heard a knock at my door. “It’s me, Cass.”

I rushed over to unlock the door, and when I opened it, I found Clutch standing there. When I noticed his blood-soaked shirt, I almost lost it.

“Don’t look at me like that, Cass. I’m fine,” he assured me.

“There’s so much blood,” I cried.

“It’s not mine. Go grab your stuff. We’re going to the clubhouse,” he ordered. His tone was forceful, which only made me worry more. It wasn’t like him to be so short with me.

“I’m scared, Clutch. Are you going to tell me what’s going on?”

“Everything is going to be fine, but we need to get going...
now
, Cass. Grab your stuff, and I’ll send one of the prospects to get Henley’s stuff later.”

“Henley… she’s babysitting Dusty. I need to tell her not to come back here.”

“I know, Cass. It’s already been taken care of. Now, put a move on it. We’ve got to get the hell out of here.”

“Okay,” I answered as I rushed to my room and threw a few things in a duffel bag. My mind was in a complete blur as I grabbed my purse and headed for the door. I had so many questions swirling around in my head, but I knew better than to ask. I knew something had happened with the guy from my window—that much was obvious from the blood on Clutch’s shirt, but I had no idea what. I desperately wanted Cotton. No matter what was going on, he’d always managed to make me feel safe, but since he wasn’t around, I had to figure it out without him. I had to. Falling apart in the middle of all the chaos wouldn’t help anyone.

As soon as we got back to the clubhouse, Clutch said, “I’ll get you to your room.”

He took my hand and started leading me down the hall. We were almost to my room when I asked, “But what about you. Where are you going?”

“I’ve got some things to take care of, Cass.”

I reached for his arm and said, “You have to tell me, Clutch. I need to know. That man… has he been in my apartment? Was he the one moving my stuff around and eating my food? Was it his cologne I smelled on my blanket?”

“There’s no use in thinking about all that now, Cass. It’s late. Try to get some sleep,” he told me before he freaking left.

I lay down on my bed and tried to settle my nerves, but there was no freaking way in hell I was going to be able to sleep. I couldn’t stop thinking about that stranger being in my apartment, going through my things. The fear was suffocating, and after a few hours of staring at the ceiling, I finally gave up and went into the entertainment room. I curled up on the sofa and turned on the news, praying the boring, monotone sound of their voices might help settle my nerves. Unfortunately, it didn’t. I was still up several hours later when Clutch walked in, looking as tired as I felt. He’d taken a shower and changed his clothes, but the image of his blood-soaked shirt was still burned into my memory. I almost cried as I watched him walk over to me, but the moment he sat down next to me, I immediately started to feel better. He’d always been such a good friend, and it meant so much to me he was looking out for me. Without saying a word, he put his arm around my shoulder, and once I laid my head on his shoulder, I finally managed to fall asleep.

I’d gone to bed with one thing on my mind—Cass. When I sent her away, I was being selfish. I was used to being strong and in command, and I didn’t want her to see me any other way. I knew I was hurting her, but it was what I wanted and it never occurred to me she had a say.  Looking back, I understood how wrong it was. I finally understood that loving someone was about respecting the feelings of the person you love. It took getting my body blown to shreds to get it through my thick damn head. I wasn’t sure if she would ever forgive me. If the roles had been reversed, I wasn’t sure I’d be able forgive her, but I had to try. I had to get home and do whatever it took to make things right with her. I’d just need time to make her understand… to explain all my reasons for pushing her away, and to find a way to make her forgive me for being such a damn fool. I just needed a chance, and then I could spend the rest of my life making it up to her. That chance was almost ripped away from me when Derek showed up on her fire escape. When Clutch went after him, he discovered Derek had been hiding out in the apartment above Cass. None of us were sure how long he’d been there, but he’d managed to gather quite a collection of her things. And just like before, there were pictures… everywhere. I could only assume he hadn’t made a real attempt to hurt her, because she hadn’t been alone in days. I’d upped the watch on her, leaving him with no opportunity to get to her. Thankfully, Clutch made sure he’d never get that opportunity.

When Clutch discovered Derek cowering in the apartment above Cass’, he lost it. A fight ensued, and Clutch ended up shooting him—twice. He hadn’t killed him, which gave me the opportunity to decide his fate. The brothers brought him to the clubhouse, where they anxiously waited for my arrival. Since Guardrail called, I’d been doing everything I could to get back home. Thankfully, Sara managed to pull some strings to get us a private flight into Washington.

Just before we boarded the plane, I walked over to Sara and said, “Thanks for this.”

“Don’t mention it. I’m just glad I could do something to help,” she smiled. A concerned look crossed her face as she pleaded, “Be careful, Cotton.”

“Always.” I stepped forward and gave her a tight hug before I said, “Take care of yourself, Sara. I expect to hear from you… soon.”

She nodded and watched as we loaded the plane, waving one last time before walking towards her car. Sara had really come through for us, and I was grateful. With her help, we were able to make it back to Washington before daybreak. When we walked into the clubhouse, Luke and Guardrail were waiting for us in the bar.

Luke immediately got up, walked over to me, and put his arms around me, hugging me tightly as he said, “Good to see you, man.”

“Good to see you too.”

He stepped back and smiled as he said, “Do you have any idea how hard it was to keep Mom from heading up there to see about you? She is not happy with you, bro.”

“Didn’t figure she would be, but there was no point in her coming all the way up there.”

He laughed as he said, “Yeah, well, you try explaining that to her.”

“I’ll set her straight. Where’s Derek?” I asked.

Guardrail stood up and said, “Stitch has him in the back. He’s pretty bad off. Not sure how much longer he’s going to make it.”

“And Cass?”

“She’s in the TV room. Had a hard night,” he told me.

I knew I needed to tend to Derek, but he was going to have to wait. I needed to see Cass first, to see for myself she was really okay. Before I headed for the TV room, I turned to Guardrail and said, “I’ll be there in ten.”

He nodded as I walked out of the room and headed to find Cass. When I found her, I wasn’t prepared for what I saw. She was curled up on the sofa, sleeping with her head on Clutch’s shoulder. I was only standing there for a brief second when he looked up at me. He didn’t move, just sat there, holding my Cass in his arms. I knew they were close. They’d been friends since the day she started working in the bar, but there was something different in the way he held her.

My chest tightened in anger as I looked at him holding her close. I wanted to jerk him up off that sofa and rip his fucking throat out, but instead, I walked out. I’d lost her, and I had no one to blame but myself. I needed time to think before I acted; I had learned that much. I stood outside in the empty parking lot, breathing in the early morning air, and tried to clear my head. Then the back door opened and there he stood. I didn’t have to turn around to know it was Clutch. I could feel the uncertainty radiating off of him.

Without turning to face him, I asked, “How long?”

When he didn’t answer, I turned around and said, “Dammit, Clutch. Answer the goddamn question! How long have you been in love with her?” I pushed.

I watched as he considered what he was going to say, and I could see he was struggling. Finally, he answered, “Honestly, I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t in love with her.”

“Fuck,” I roared.

He took a step forward and looked me right in the eye as he said, “I’ve never crossed that line, Cotton. You should know me better than that. I followed the orders I was given, and I was a friend to her. That’s it.”

“Fuck,” I growled. “What the hell were you thinking?”

“I was following orders. As I always do. None of the other stuff matters. You saw the way she looked at you. We both did. She loves you, Cotton. Only you.”

“Does she know?”

He shook his head and answered, “No. She has no idea.”

Before I had chance to question him further, Guardrail opened the back door of the warehouse and said, “Everything okay out here?”

“Yeah. On our way inside,” I told him as I stepped forward. When I walked inside the warehouse, my brothers were surrounding Derek, who was bound to a chair in the middle of the room. His head was slumped down with his chin resting on his chest, and he had two bullet wounds to the chest. I noticed the pool of blood beneath him and quickly realized Guardrail wasn’t exaggerating when he said he didn’t have much time left.

I walked over to Derek and grabbed a fistful of his hair, jerking his head back to face me. His eyes blinked open, and when he saw me, an evil smirk curled across his face. He took a struggled breath and mumbled, “I was wondering when you’d show up to the party.”

“You’re not looking so good, cousin,” I smiled and released my grasp on his hair.

His eyes roamed over me, stopping when he saw the cane in my hand, and said, “Could say the same about you. Looks like I need to work on my fucking aim.”

“Among other things. But you’ve been pretty fucking clever. How in the hell did you survive the crash?”

“Figured you thought I was dead. You’ve always been a gullible sonofabitch,” he gasped, each breath more difficult than the last. “I was thrown from the truck just before it hit the bottom of the ravine. Guess you could say I had luck on my side.”

As much as I appreciated that my brothers were there, having my back when I needed them, I had to do this on my own. I looked over to Guardrail and motioned my head to the door as I said, “Out.”

He nodded, and I watched as they all filed out the room. Once the door closed behind them, I turned my attention back to Derek. The color had completely drained from his face, and I could tell that his time was running short. I pulled a stool over and sat down in front of him as I said, “Looks like your luck’s run out, Derek.”

When he didn’t answer, I said, “You know… you could’ve just left it alone. Gone on with your sorry fucking life and no one would have ever been the wiser, but you just couldn’t do that, could you?”

He coughed, trying to muster up the strength to speak, then grumbled, “Fuck you.”

“You’ve always wanted what you couldn’t have. Just couldn’t get it through your thick fucking head the club was never yours. Same goes for Sara. She never wanted you. Hell, she couldn’t even stand the sight of you, especially after you tried to fucking rape her. But she wasn’t enough… you had to go after Cass, too.”

“Sara,” he started. “She was something. Beautiful… Smart. But Cass. Fuck, she was a
real prize
.” Blood started to trickle from the corner of his mouth as he said, “That girl has it all. Those legs and that mouth…. I was looking forward to having those lips wrapped around my cock right before I put a bullet in her head.”

I jumped up from my stool and slammed my fist against the side of his jaw as I shouted, “Shut your goddamn mouth!”

I clenched my fists at my side and tried to steady my breath as I reined in my anger. I wanted to wrap my hand around his throat and end it right then and there, but I had to ask him, “Where was it going to end, Derek? When would it ever be enough for you?”

“Nothing… would ever be enough... Not even when everything you’ve ever wanted… everything you ever cared about was dead and buried,” he snarled. “You did this to yourself, Cotton... You got greedy… Took what should’ve been
mine
.”

“The club was never yours, Derek. You made sure of that long before I ever stepped in. Uncle Saul tried…,” I started.

“
Fuck
Saul
,” he grumbled angrily. His voice was low and hoarse as he said, “It was easy, you know… Just took the bolts out of the rear brake caliper and let Daddy Dearest do the rest... He never saw it coming.”

He confirmed what I’d always suspected, and the rage I felt was all-consuming. I reared back and punched him again and again, until his body fell limp in the chair. I looked down at my blood-soaked hands and knew down in my gut that it was over. I couldn’t change the past. What was done, was done. I sat back down in front of him and watched as he struggled to breathe. He tried to fight it, tried to hold on, but it was useless. It took almost an hour for the life to completely drain out of him, and even after he was gone, I sat with him, trying to make peace with everything that had happened between us. But I finally realized that time might never come. I eventually got up and walked out of the warehouse, leaving Derek and our past behind me.

As soon as I stepped outside, Maverick walked over to me and placed his hand on my shoulder as he said, “We thought he was dead, Cotton. I fucked up....”

“Don’t. No way either of you could’ve known he was thrown from that damn truck. Besides, doubt I’d be here right now if you hadn’t gotten me to the hospital when you did. Derek’s gone now. That’s all that matters,” I assured him.

“I’ll get Derek sorted,” he told me.

I nodded and without saying another word, I headed for the clubhouse. I knew my mother would be pissed I hadn’t come to see her, but I couldn’t face her. I hadn’t slept in over twenty-four hours, and after dealing with Derek, I needed some time to decompress and hopefully get some sleep. Before I reached my door, I spotted Cass standing at the end of the hall. She stood there, frozen, as she stared at me with surprise.

“Cotton?” she whispered. She took a step closer and began crying as she said, “My god, you’re really here… and you’re standing… walking.” I wanted to go to her, but I didn’t move. I deserved to lose her, but everything in my body screamed she was mine.

“Cass,” I said softly.

She moved a few steps toward me, but stopped herself. I could see the wheels spinning in her head as she looked at me. Finally, she said, “I’ve missed you… more than you know.”

“I’m here. Not going anywhere.”

“I want so much to go back to the days before you were shot. But, Cotton, how do I do that? How do I forget how you hurt me? Even after I’ve read all of your letters, I just don’t know what I’m supposed to do.”

“You give me a chance… a chance to prove to you I know what a mistake I made, and I will do everything I can to make it up to you. All I’m asking for is a chance.”

Her eyes dropped to the ground, and then she said, “I’m not sure I have it in me to give you that chance.” I felt like I’d been punched in the gut as I watched her turn and head back down the hall. I had to fight the urge to go after her, but I knew pushing her wouldn’t resolve anything. I’d give her time, but I wasn’t giving up. She would be mine again.

I stepped into my room and locked the door behind me. I took off my cut and jeans, and dropped to the bed, closing my eyes as I mulled over everything that had happened in the past thirty-six hours. Cass, Derek, my recovery… it was all just too much. Eventually, everything just became a blur, and I fell asleep and didn’t wake up until the next afternoon. I got up and took a hot shower, then headed outside to have a smoke. When I stepped through the back door, several of the brothers were in the back parking lot, working on Maverick’s bike. They were swapping out the passenger seat, so Dusty would have an easier time riding at the run.