Wild Heart- Extended Edition (The Wild Heart Series) (23 page)

“Figured it had to be something bad if they wouldn’t let you come and get me,” he answered, taking off his jacket to reveal the two Beretta M9’s holstered under each arm.

“Bloody hell, Ani. We should have called your pops earlier,” Rage said as he came up, shaking her dad’s hand.

“I have a duffle bag in the back of Riley’s truck with plenty of artillery if you need it. No serials, untraceable.”

Ani plugged her ears, “I don’t want to hear this.”
La la la, rainbows and kittens.

“Oh, dear, you didn’t realize your old man was an outlaw once did you?” he chuckled as he took a seat at the end of the bar.

Ani heard a loud whistle, turning she saw Rage and Jameson standing at the opening of the hallway. Rage took a second, cleared his throat and then spoke loudly to the group. “Tonight we’ve had a few issues. Got some things goin’ on that might put some of you in harm. We’ve already had a close call tonight,” his eyes wondering to Ani first and then toward the wooden doors that Charon still lay behind. “I want everyone on lockdown until we can get control of this shit. If you need food or something to set up a bed for your wee ones, let Ani or Starla know. If you have a concern about safety talk to Doc.”

The room that was completely silent only a moment ago suddenly erupted into loud and chaotic chatter. Ani tried to focus on the fact that everything was going to be ok. She tried her best to be brave, even if for the moment it was nothing more than a cover. She turned to Johanna who was sliding a cup of coffee across to her, along with a shot of whiskey.

“It will make you feel better. Just knock it back,” Johanna smiled as she made her way down to Ani’s dad.

Ani spun the shot glass with her finger as Rage came up to her, “Might need a few more of those to make it through tonight,” he attempted a smile, “We are leavin’. Don’t know how long this will take.”

“Get Knox back here safe, Rage. Whatever you have to do,” she lowered her voice before she continued, “Whoever you have to run over to get to him, I don’t care, plow them the fuck over. Get. Him. Back.” She turned the shot glass back letting the warmth of the whiskey linger before taking a sip of her coffee.

“I promise I will. Might need you to do me a favor. You think you can call in your sheriff?” Rage looked over at her questioningly.

“I don’t know how Cash would feel about that. He’s pretty straightforward about his job. I know that you have a few cops in this town that look the other way, but I don’t know if he can.” She followed him toward the door, taking Kate’s hand as they made their way out into the yard.

“If we aren’t back by morning call him. Give him this address,” he handed her a slip of paper, “Tell him to come get us. Whatever he’s gotta do.”

A shiver went up Ani’s spine as she thought about the weight of that sentence. She knew that no King would willing go with a cop. It would have to be over their dead body. “Ok, I will.” She let Kate’s hand go, watching as she became engulfed in Rage’s arms.

All across the yard were motorcycles, their riders, and their old ladies seeing them off. She glanced over to Lulu who was now standing by her side and put her arm around her. Kate came up to the other side of Ani and wrapped her arms around her waist. “It’s gonna be ok. I know it.”

The sudden roar of their engines caused Ani to tense. She watched as Rage took his place at the front and one by one the pack left out of the yard, leaving behind a trail of dust and a group of anxious women hoping that they would all come back safe.

“Charon’s going to be ok,” Lulu said in almost a whisper.

“That’s good. Is he awake?” Ani asked as they made their way back into the clubhouse.

“No, but Doc was able to get him patched up. Said he should wake up in about an hour or so.” Lulu made her way behind the bar pouring each of them a shot of whiskey and passing them out.

After Ani had gotten everyone in a room or on a cot to sleep, she made her way to Knox’s room. It felt uncomfortable and too quiet as she leaned against the back of the door. Now that she was in private, no one to see her stay strong, she let the emotions erupt through her. She slid down onto the floor as the sobs wracked through her body. She reached over and grabbed his hooded sweatshirt off the chair next to her. Laying it across her lap and tracing the word “King” across the front before bringing it up to her face and breathing in his scent. She missed him, his warmth, his touch. The thought of never being able to have him in her arms again was becoming too hard to handle.

She closed her eyes, imaging him, imaging what he was doing and what he was thinking and for a brief moment she felt him. She could feel his heartbeat, his hands wrapped around her body. He was one with her soul and even when he wasn’t physically there, she still carried him within her. She let the calm engulf her, spreading through her body as she heard his words whispering in her mind.
“She has already stolen my heart, my mind, and my soul. I may as well be in the afterlife if she were to ever leave me.”
Everything had to be ok, because she knew that she couldn’t live without him and she didn’t want to.

She looked out at the vast darkness beyond the window of the room. There was something eerily calming about the pitch black void in front of her. But when she looked up at the stars, blanketing the sky with twinkling white lights, she realized that, without darkness, you can’t see the stars. Even in the darkest of times, she knew, that if she’d only look up at the stars, it would remind her that there was always light. She clung to the hope that all of their men were ok. But even though her light had dimmed a little in the fear of what could happen, she trusted that Knox would soon return to ignite the spark within her could once more.

Rooms were now inhabited by women and children, families; her family. She had to be strong for them, even if it meant plastering on a fake smile and continuing life as if nothing had happened. Just as a new wave of tears were threatening, she heard a light knock at the door and wiped her face; standing and opening the door to find a petite blonde on the other side. Her face red and blotchy as she stood in front of Ani helpless.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bother you; it’s just that, I’m scared and everyone else is asleep.” The girl twisted the front of the old Harley shirt she was wearing.

“Ok, give me just a minute and I’ll be downstairs. I just wanna change.” Ani smiled at the girl as she turned and headed down the stairs.

She pulled off her leather jacket and draped it across the back of the chair, slipping off her boots and pants next. She rummaged through the drawers until she found a pair of Knox’s sleeping pants and one of his old t-shirts. Lingering for a second as she slipped it down over her head. She pulled her hair up and made her way to the hallway. Checking in Repo’s room to find her dad loudly snoring, she smiled as she quietly closed the door and made her way downstairs.

The blonde sat at the end of the bar, along with Kate and Starla. Apparently no one was going to get sleep tonight. Ani made her way over to them, all wearing the same attire as Ani. She took a seat next to the blonde, searching her face to try and remember who she’d seen her with.

“I’m sorry. I don’t think I’ve ever introduced myself, I’m Riley’s old lady, Quinn.” The blonde reached her hand out to Ani.

“It’s nice to meet you, Quinn,” Ani shook her hand and looked over to Starla, “I don’t know how you did this back in Ireland.”

“This is a cake walk compared to what they dealt with there. But none the less, when you’re man is gone you worry until they walk back through the door.” Starla winked as she served up a round of beers, “When you let someone into your heart, you give them a piece of it and it isn’t whole again until they are back.”

“And what happens if they don’t make it back?” Quinn said quietly, staring down at the mug in front of her.

“Well, then you’re heart is never whole again. You can only truly give out one piece of your heart in your lifetime. But, the thing to look forward to is that when this life is over, you get to spend eternity with your heart whole again. It’s part of the creed, dear.” Starla rubbed the back of her hand in comfort.

KNOX

Knox stood in the corner of the warehouse, flinching as Johnson attempted to stich his arm up. He’d lost a good chunk of his upper arm when the bullet had torn through him, but all that mattered was that he was able to lead these guys back to safety. Even if it hadn’t been the way Rage and his Sergeant at Arms wanted it to go down. He was their leader and he owed it to them and their families to make sure that they were safe. He’d take a bullet for any of his brothers without so much as a thought, and he knew they would do the same for him. This club was about more than just a fixation on motorcycles, booze, loose women, and illegal activity. The club was a brotherhood, a family. It was made up of more than just the men who wore the patch, but their families, their children. He was going to get them out of this, get them back home, and let them be the fucking heroes.

“Prez, looks like they just got company,” Connor said as he looked into the security monitors on the large desk in front of him.

“How many now?” Knox asked.

“Looks like thirty altogether. Though I’m sure they have some pecker heads in the woods that we can’t see,” Connor answered.

Knox sat contemplating what their next move was as the image of Ani floated into his mind. He knew she had to be scared and he wasn’t sure how she would be able to handle this after everything that had happened when they went to the nightclub. He closed his eyes, picturing her smile. As her face fluttered into his mind it was as if he could feel her, heart heartbeat, her anxiety, and sadness. She was worried about him, if he was ok, and he willed to her that everything would be fine. He absorbed the calm, sending it to her heart from his. The feeling that flowed within him, that was his soul, and before the chaos ensued he grasped it, trusted it. He trusted that everything would be ok, because it had to be.

He felt his phone vibrating in his pocket, pulling him from his thoughts. “Yeah?”

“Prez, we’ll be in place in about twenty minutes,” Rage’s voice came through.

“Aye. Let ‘em meet the chaos, V.P.” Knox hung up the phone as he summoned the group into the room. They made their way over to the table at the middle of the room. Knox grabbed one of the assault rifles that lay on the table and cocked it. “Time to show these assholes who they’re fuckin’ with.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

10-11: OFFICER NEEDS BACK-UP

Ani paced back and forth across the floor at the end of the bed, her phone in hand contemplating whether she should call or not. She had already begun dialing the number fifteen times and each time she decided against it. Day was just beginning to break behind the tops of the southern pines and there was still no sign of Knox, Rage, or any of the other club members. She held the burner phone in her hand, shaking as she pushed dial and brought the phone up to her ear.

“Officer Roberts, how may I assist you?” Cash’s voice came through the speaker. She paused for a moment, he sounded good, happy as he answered and she knew she was about to bring that all crashing down around him. “Hello?”

“Cash?” her voice was a whisper as she spoke, she waited for him to hang up, yell;
something
. But it was only silence.

“Ani, are you ok?” he asked cautiously.

“I am. But I need your help.”

“Ok, with what?” his voice was guarded.

“It’s a club problem,” she grimaced as the words left her mouth, closing her eyes so tight and pretending this whole thing wasn’t happening.

“Ani, you know…” his voice was stern as she cut him off.

“Cash, I know. I know what you’re about to say, but I need you and there is no one else I can trust. I know that you don’t agree with my choice, I know you don’t want anything to do with the club, or with Knox, but they need your help,” she pleaded, silently praying that he would agree.

She could hear him let out an irritated breath as the wheels in his head started spinning. The silence was overwhelming as she waited, pacing, for his answer before he spoke. “Ok, what do I need to do?”

“Can you come here to the clubhouse?” she asked.

“Send me the address, I’ll be there in ten.”

“Thank you, Cash.”

“Don’t thank me until after we talk.” With that, he hung up the phone.

Ten minutes later he was pulling up to the gate of the compound. “We gotta prob, Doc,” Johanna said from behind the bar. “There’s a cop at the gate and he’s wantin’ to come in.”

“It’s Cash, let him in. He’s ok.” Ani rushed down the stairs as Johanna pressed the button for the gate.

Ani raced out to the yard as he pulled in and cautiously got out of his truck. He made it only a few feet from Ani when Charon and Doc came up on each side of her. “The good sheriff. Nice to meet you.” Charon, who towered over Cash, stuck his hand out toward him.

Cash eyed the bandages on his shoulder before taking his hand and shaking it. “What can I do fellas’?”

“Let’s go in and talk about this,” Doc eyed the woods around the compound before ushering them back inside.

They made their way back into the safety of the house and Charon, Doc, and Cash made their way over to the elaborately carved doors. Ani’s heart was racing in her chest as she watched him turn back to her before walking in. Seconds later the door closed behind him with a loud thud that reverberated off of the walls of the room. She let out the breath shed been anxiously holding as Kate came to her side.

“You ok?” Kate asked.

“Yeah, I’m fine. I just hope he’ll help,” Ani said, “Come on, let’s go make some breakfast for everyone.”

“Your dad has already started cooking,” Kate smiled as she followed Ani toward the kitchen.

CASH

Cash was completely out of his element as he walked in behind the giant of a man who was called Charon. Everything in his gut screamed at him to leave, that he didn’t need to be getting caught up in this club and whatever came along with it. But when he heard Ani’s voice, full of need and scared, he knew that he would help no matter what it meant. Ani looked good, happy even. As much as he didn’t want to admit it to himself, the life she had chosen was working well for her.