Warrant (Righteous Outlaws #1) (14 page)

D
addy’s eyes
were filled with rage as he lunged at Cash. He knocked into him, taking down a shelf. Shock and disbelief completely consumed me as I watched my father attack the man I was falling hopelessly in love with. This was worse than any nightmare, because I knew there was no waking up from this. If I didn’t do something. If I didn’t intervene, they would kill each other.

Dad’s fist came flying at Cash, and Cash ducked, causing Dad to punch the wall. He cried out, grabbing his hand. “Daddy, no!” I yelled. He was a surgeon; he needed that hand. If he did damage, he wouldn’t be able to work. He wasn’t thinking clearly, and I needed to be his brains. “Please stop!” I begged, hoping that my voice would snap him out of the dark place he slipped into. My words couldn’t reach him though. Nothing could. Dad continued to throw more punches and Cash continued to dodge them. I looked around the room for something I could use to restrain him.

“How dare you touch my fucking daughter?!”

“I didn’t know she was your daughter!” Cash yelled, trying to defend himself, but it was as if a switch flipped in Dad. Nothing was getting through to him. The look of fiery rage burned brightly in his eyes, and only grew with each passing second.

Cash held him by the shoulders, determined to hold him back. I knew he was resisting using his full strength because of me. I didn’t know what else to do, so I jumped in front of Cash as Dad brought his fist back.

It came at me in slow motion like a movie just before something bad was about to happen. “No!” Cash yelled out, and grabbed Dad’s fist before it made contact with my face. He threw Dad on the floor, seething with a murderous glare.

I had to do something and I prayed that my pleas would work better on Cash than they did on Dad. Cash raised his hand above his head ready to strike. “Cash, stop.” I grabbed his wrist, halting him from beating Dad’s face to a pulp. “Please. Don’t hurt him. Please,” I begged, and he snapped his eyes to mine. The deathly glower dissipated as he rose to his feet. He took my face in his hands, resting his forehead against mine. “Are you okay, Sunshine?”

“I’m okay,” I assured him, and then broke away to check on Dad who was pushing himself up from the floor.

“Daddy, here let me help you.” I went to grab his arm to help him up, and he snatched his whole body away from me. “Daddy?” Tears filled my eyes as, for the first time in my life, I saw my father look at me in total and utter disgust.

Dad pulled at his collar, and swiveled his neck back and forth. “What are you doing with this dirtbag?” he demanded as he got to his feet.

“He’s not a dirtbag!” I sneered, and then looked at Cash with a silent apology.

“He’s a criminal, Aubree. A goddamned criminal.”

“You don’t even know him!”

“And you do?” Dad questioned with venom in his tone.

I went to speak, to defend Cash, but Dad held his hand up halting me.

“Aubree, we’re leaving.” I didn’t move. I stood between Cash and my father, an impossible decision lingering before me. Do I alienate my father? A man I loved and respected. A man who worked hard and gave me everything. Or do I give up Cash, the man I was falling hard for? “Now!” Dad yelled, and I jumped at the pure ferociousness in his tone. Something I never heard before, and didn’t even know he was capable of.

“No! I’m not going.” I crossed my arms in defiance, finally taking a stand for myself. I was so tired of him thinking he could make my decisions for me. I might have lived under his roof, and loved him unconditionally, but that didn’t make me his puppet. I was an adult, and this was my choice. It was time for him to respect my decisions and stop treating me like a child.

“Fine, you want to act like a child, then I will treat you like a child.” Dad’s hand latched onto my wrist, and he pulled with an angry yank.

I stumbled forward and a surprised squeak spilled out.

Cash lunged toward us. “Don’t you fucking touch her!” He stood in front of Dad, blocking our path, and hovering over him by several inches. Cash looked down at Dad, moving closer to him with each second.

He eyed my father with a murderous glare, and I couldn’t take it anymore. I couldn’t stand to watch these two fight about me. This was all my fault. I knew Dad would never approve of someone like Cash, and that was the main reason I went after him. Kind of like a “eff you” to Dad to show that I didn’t fit into this perfect little box that he tried to mold me into. In hindsight it might not have been an adult thing to do, but I had no regrets.

I just never expected to fall for Cash the way I did. It was so quick and so easy. He came into my life like a tornado, uprooting everything I ever thought I knew about myself, and changing me. I never believed in soul mates, but for a second there I thought maybe they were real. I wanted him so badly, but I wasn’t sure if the cost of losing my family was worth it.

“Daddy,” I said, again, this time tears cascading down my cheeks. “Let’s go.”

My gaze swung to Cash’s, and I might as well have drove a knife through his heart. He stumbled back, a man stripped of power and control in this situation. I did that to him, and I didn’t feel stronger. All I felt was complete and total remorse and overwhelming sadness.

His eyes looked deep into mine, a quiet plea not to leave him. But, what other choice did I have? As much as I wanted him, I didn’t want to give up my family. I mouthed, “I’m sorry,” and walked away from Cash again, knowing this time it was for good.

Out in the hallway, I straightened myself up, and ran a hand down my front to make sure nothing was out of place.

“Where have you two been?” Mom’s voice echoed off the walls, as she and William appeared at the end of the hallway.

“My button broke, and Aubree was helping me fix it.” Dad said the lie
so
easily; it just rolled his tongue. I wondered how many other lies he had told so easily over the years.

I cleared my throat, fighting back the emotion that was clawing its way to the surface. “It’s good as new now,” I said, with a perkiness I didn’t think I could manage.

“Good, now let’s get back. There are people asking for you, and we have dinner reservations in an hour at the club,” Mom said, as she glanced at her Cartier watch.

“I’m not going to be able to make it to dinner,” Dad said.

“What?” Mom exclaimed. “You missed dinner the other night. What can be so important that you have to miss it again?”

Dad ran a hand down his arm. “I just have a lot of paperwork at the office. It can’t wait till tomorrow,” Dad said, and I knew it was another lie. He just couldn’t stand to be in the same room with me. He didn’t want to sit across from me at dinner. Didn’t want to be reminded of what a disappointment I was to him. It was going to kill him and the realization tore at my heart, ripping it to a million tiny pieces. I was not only humiliated, but hurt that my own father couldn’t stand to be in my presence.

“You okay?” William asked, and draped his arm around my shoulders, pulling me gently against him. He was warm and safe, but, in that moment, it suddenly became abundantly clear to me. Warm and safe would never be enough for me when I knew hot and dangerous was in my reach. I craved it and the need for it was stronger than anything I had ever felt before.

We all made our way to the door, but I couldn’t help myself from glancing back. Cash stood in the doorway like a shadow. I searched his face, trying to determine what he was feeling. To know that he understood my decision and was just as heartbroken as me. But, as I scanned all his hard lines, I found nothing. He was completely devoid of emotion.

I
’d been shot
, stabbed, and tortured. All of which caused unbearable pain, yet having Aubree choose her father over me rivaled them all. Anger surged through my veins as I watched her walk away from me with that douchebag’s arm wrapped around her shoulder as if he owned her. He didn’t own shit. She was mine, and I needed her back.

Determination outweighed the anger, and I set off after them. Just as they pushed through the doors, Kade came in. He pointed over his shoulder. “Was that panty girl with the doctor?” he asked, but then the laugh lines around his face dissolved. It took one glance for him to know shit wasn’t okay.

“He’s her father,” I muttered.

“Oh fuck,” Kade said. “Talk about fucking irony, huh?”

“What about we don’t talk about shit?” He got the gist of it, and I was done, ready to move on. The desire to rip Aubree from that prick’s arms was a fleeting memory, and lost to the red-hot anger coursing through me again.

She made her fucking choice, and I was done being second rate. If she wanted me the way I wanted her, she would have fucking stayed. Instead, she chose security and familiarity, and I guess I couldn’t fucking blame her. Why would she want me when she could have Daddy take care of her?

Funny, if she only knew the truth. Knew what type of man her father really was. Knew that if it wasn’t for the club, the house that she grew up in would have been seized, and everything she loved inside would have been auctioned off to pay his debts.

I protected her when I didn’t even know her. Helped preserve her pureness, and that familiarity she was heading back to now. I took care of her when her father couldn’t.

I could go run after her and blow up the doc’s spot. Give him exactly what he had coming to him for years, but fuck it. I was done. Girls were complications, and there was a reason I never let them get too close. I fucked up when I let Sunshine get to me, and it was a fuck up I wouldn’t do again. I was done. Through with the bullshit.

“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” I growled as I flung the door open. Kade followed behind me to the parking lot. The crowd had thinned, and the booths were wrapping it up. Looked like everyone was ready to call it a day.

The guys met us by our bikes as I pushed my sunglasses on. My eyes spotted Aubree getting into the back of her daddy’s Range Rover, and that fucking prick sliding in beside her. I imagined for a second what my life would have been like if I wasn’t born into the club. If the doc would have accepted me as he did that preppy douchebag. If Aubree and I would have gone on actual dates where someone didn’t wind up shot dead with a bullet hole to the head. Then, my sanity kicked back in. Why the fuck would I ever want that life? I may have been born into this life, but it was my decision to stay. I was an outlaw through and through, and nothing not even a sweet pussy like Sunshine’s could change that.

The Range Rover drove away, and I snapped my attention back to my brothers.

“Pretty successful day,” Nick said, grabbing his helmet from his handlebars. “Now, why don’t we all go have a drink back at the clubhouse? Well, except for Phil. He has some new family members to bring home.” He nodded across the way, and we all turned to see Phil and his old lady put two puppies into the backseat of her car.

“You owe me money, brother,” I said, pointing to Kade.

“Pussywhipped, bastard,” Kade muttered, as he slapped a twenty into my hand.

I shoved the money into my pocket and straddled my bike. I revved the engine before pulling out into formation, and leaving Aubree behind me where she belonged. Unfortunately, she was still in my fucking head, torturing me.

I could still taste her sweetness on my lips, so, at the next traffic light, I lit a cigarette. I took a long hard drag, letting the nicotine spread through me, but it did nothing for my rattled nerves. If anything, the rage inside of me was building with each passing second.

I was so over this day. The faster I got to the clubhouse, and had some Jack, the happier I would be. We continued on down a back road that didn’t get much use. The sky was overcast, and I suspected it to rain at any second. Halfway down the road, a line of bikes blocked the path in front of us.

Nick slowed his bike down, and raised his hand for us to do the same. I squinted, trying to focus on their cuts. It didn’t take me long to realize it was the Montamos. What the fuck did they want? My guess was they figured out we framed them for Anthony’s death.

Before any of us could dismount our bikes to ask questions, gunshots rang out. Bikes swerved and cut to the side of the road, and we took cover where we could. I dove behind my bike, using it as a shield, as I grabbed for my Glock.

A bullet whizzed by my head, and I ducked down. Son of a bitch. Nobody shot at my club and me, and got away with it. I was sick and tired of people thinking they were better than me. That I would just sit back and let them take the reins. That wasn’t who I was, and I was done acting like it.

I got to my feet, a fury inside of me taking over, and causing my surroundings to go dark. A stupid fuck pointed his gun at me, but, before he could make the shot, I took him out with a bullet to the goddamned head.

I walked out from behind my bike and just started shooting. I didn’t care about the bullets coming at me, or the fucking bastards who were shooting them. All I cared about was proving my worth. Showing these pieces of shit that I was unstoppable. That I wasn’t some pussy who would lie down while they shot at my brothers and me.

If they wanted a war, I was ready to bring one, and I wasn’t going to stop until every one of these fucks were dead.

“Cash! What the fuck are you doing?” I heard Kade yell out behind me, but I ignored him and kept walking. Kept shooting. “Fuck! Cover him!” Kade’s voice drifted past me in the wind. After that, I didn’t hear anything except for the whizzing of bullets and the blood rushing through my ears.

Blood burst from heads, as each one of my targets collapsed to the ground. I lost count as body after body disappeared from my view. Rain began to fall, but it didn’t stop any of us.

As I got closer, I realized it was only the beginning. They had called in reinforcements, and they had other charters here. Good. It was about time every last one of them knew that the Righteous Outlaws weren’t to be messed with. That, if they came on our territory, they would fucking die or I would die protecting my own.

I wasn’t scared of death. It was inevitable. We were all ticking time bombs; it was just a matter of when. At this point, I had nothing to lose. If it was my time to leave this world, then I was ready to do it. Going down in a blaze of glory for my club seemed like the best way to go.

Pain exploded in my arm, and my body jerked at the force, just as I was tackled to the ground. The fog in my head dissipated, and the scene in front of us cleared. Kade was on top of me.

“How many times is that now?” Kade asked. “Two, three?” he asked, as he took a few shots and then dragged me back behind his bike. “I think I’m going to have to start charging to save your life. I can make a fucking fortune.”

“I’ll give you the twenty you gave me earlier, and we’ll call it even,” I joked, but then winced at the sharp twinge shooting through my arm.

Kade jumped up and took a few more shots. “You okay?” he asked, as he came back down next to me.

“Fucking peachy,” I answered as the twinge turned into raw excruciating pain. “Fuck me.” I rested my head against the cool metal of the bike.

“Let’s end this,” I heard Dice yell out, just as a flaming bottle of booze flew through the air. “Take cover!” Kade and I stayed put, ducking down and watching the bottle soar through the air. It hit one of the Montamos’ bikes, igniting it like the fucking Fourth of July. Screams echoed through the late afternoon as bodies dove out of the way.

Flames spread up one of the Montamos, and he ran around in circles as the fire grew. Stupid motherfucker. Hadn’t he ever heard of stop drop and roll?

“Let’s get the fuck out of here,” Nick yelled, and all the guys hopped on their bikes and took off.

The rain picked up, turning from a light drizzle to a steady stream. The fire would die down soon, and we needed to be as far away as possible for when it did. “You okay to ride, man?” Kade asked.

“Rain or shine, we ride,” I said, forcing a smile through the pain.

“Nowhere in there does it say with a bullet hole,” he pointed out.

“I should be fine.” I pulled a bandana from my pocket, and, with my teeth, made a tourniquet. “Ride by my side just in case.”

“You got it, brother,” Kade said, mounting his bike and waiting for me to lead the way.

It was a fucking bitch trying to steer with one goddamned arm, but somehow I managed. I got the bike back on the road, and we burned rubber, leaving the burning mess in our wake. The rain had slowed, but that didn’t matter. The ground was slick and making it even harder for me to keep it straight.

My place was the closest, and I just needed to get there. Once I did, I could take care of my arm. Get the fucking bullet out, clean it up, and be as good as new again.

“How you holding up?” Kade yelled over to me.

I gave him a nod, and continued on our path. It was only a few more blocks. If I couldn’t make it, then I sure as hell didn’t deserve to.

My house came into view, and I gunned it until I was in the driveway. I went right inside, holding my arm and trying to ignore the growing sharp aches. I had taken care of bullet wounds before, and didn’t think this one would be much different, but, as I attempted to get the bullet out, it was apparent that it wasn’t going to be easy.

I bit into a leather belt as I searched the wound, trying to find the bullet. Kade kept me numb with a bottle of Jack, and, while the Jack helped with the pain, it wasn’t helping to keep my head clear.

“I don’t give two shits what you’re about to say, but we’re going to see the doc.”

“No!” I growled. Over my dead fucking body would I ask that shithead for help. Hell, he’d probably spit in my face now that he knew I was fucking his daughter. There was no way he would help me. I was on my own, and I was fine with it.

I’d survived worse.

Blood poured from the wound, and I wondered if I nicked something I shouldn’t have.

“Despite what you may think, you’re not a doctor,” Kade tried reasoning with me.

“I don’t care. No doctor! Fuck him. I don’t need him. I can do this on my damn own.”

I held the tweezer to my arm again, but I couldn’t focus on the wound. The room began to spin until I couldn’t keep my eyes from closing. I popped them open, determined to get this shit done.

“Sorry, brother,” I heard Kade say, just as pain shot through my face and the blackness consumed me.

S
ounds rushed through my ears
, but I couldn’t make any of them out. I tried to open my eyes, but I couldn’t find the strength to do so. Slowly, things started coming back to me. Bits and pieces from right before the lights went out.

“You will do it.” Kades voice broke through the fog in my head, then the sound of a gun cocking. I forced my eyes open, and saw the black barrel of Kade’s gun pointed at the Doc’s head.

“You know this isn’t how it works in the real world,” the doc said.

“Isn’t it? You’re a doctor, you help people. So fucking help him.”

“I’m talking about the gun. You can’t just go around threatening lives. You aren’t God. You don’t have the power to give and take life.”

Kade pushed the barrel of the gun harder into the doc’s head. “My gun here says differently.”

“Put the gun down,” I managed, and pushed myself up against the wall. Kade looked at me with annoyance. A stupid smirk settled on Kade’s face. “Look who decided to wake up.”

“You knocked me out, you fucking bastard.”

“You didn’t give me much more of a choice.”

“No you didn’t. And now I’m not giving you one. Put the damn gun down.” I reached into the waistband of my pants, and pulled out my gun, pointing it at my best friend.

He rubbed at the scruff on his chin. “I’m taking care of it.”

“If he doesn’t want to help me, then fine. I told you I didn’t want his fucking help anyway.”

Kade stared me down, but I didn’t waiver. I kept my hand as steady as I could, refusing to put the gun down until he did.

“Alright,” Kade groaned, dropping his arm. “Do whatever the fuck you want. But just so you know. You die and so does he.”

Kade slammed his hand into the door and shoved it open, disappearing into the hallway.

“Sorry about him,” I said. “He’s a little gun happy.”

The doc didn’t say anything. He got up from his chair, and propped himself up in a corner, arms crossed against his chest.

“How is she?” I asked, because despite everything: Aubree choosing him over me, being ambushed by the Montamos, and being shot, I cared. I didn’t fucking want to, but I had no control over it anymore.

“Don’t talk to me about my daughter. Don’t ask about her. Don’t even use her name in my presence. You got me?” he seethed.

“I just want to know if she’s okay.”

“It’s none of your fucking business. She’s none of your business. You will never talk to her or see her again.”

“That’s all I needed to hear.” I pushed off the doctors table and headed for the door. My hand went for the knob and missed. The world tilted, and I grabbed the wall to keep my balance. I just needed some sleep. Once I got that, regained my strength, I’d be able to take care of my damn self.

I didn’t need the doctor. He could keep his expensive education and shove it up his yuppy ass. My hand slipped, and I used my shoulder to keep from tumbling to the floor.

“You lost too much blood. Sit down,” the doc spat. “Before you go down.”

“Why?” I questioned. “You actually going to help me?” I laughed, feeling like I was on the verge of losing my damn mind.

“I haven’t decided yet, but I don’t need you passing out on my floor and bleeding all over my carpet.”

“Why? Don’t have enough money to replace it?”

“That’s none of your fucking business.”