“You fucking bitch.” My shoulder was on fire from the shots. Somewhere from behind, something hard hit my head causing me to fall to my knees. Mel kicked my gun out of my hand as my grip loosened from being a bit disoriented from the blow, and I fell to my stomach, the pain in my head a bit more than I could bear. I held my stare with my little guy. As blow after blow came from the back to my head, I struggled to remain conscious. It’s baffling that I could go blow for blow with the guys, but a couple of unexpected blows to the back of my head could wipe me the fuck out.

“Coo… per…” I called out to him, trying to reach him, but my body wouldn’t listen to me. The pain in my head and shoulder taking over. Cooper came barreling towards me and just as he was about to reach me, Mel scooped him up. “No…”

Mel kicked me hard in the face, which normally wouldn’t affect me, but with everything else it made me see stars. I wanted to get up to my knees, but I couldn’t. I was stuck where I was. Lying flat on the shop floor, my eyes were going in and out of focus. The last thing I saw was Mel carrying Cooper off, and there wasn’t a damn thing I could do about it.

Chapter 13—Cruz

As we sat back in the trees waiting for this asshole to show up, I replayed last night in my head. If Butch had tried fucking her, I would’ve killed him. Whether she was wearing the rag or not, she fucking told him she was my ol’ lady. Sure, bitches lie, but my girl wasn’t. I was just damn happy that it didn’t come to that point.

This waiting shit was for the birds. Becs was inside the office like he always was. He’s sending texts every so often, but nothing has happened. Dagger was hidden in the dressing room with Stella close by. Rhys, Diamond, G.T, Pops, and I were scattered outside. We needed to get the outside threat gone first, then move in.

The sound of bikes in the distance had us getting our pieces ready. The plan was to do this cleanly and just capture the fuckers. Hopefully it goes as we planned.

Three bikes pulled up wearing the Bobcat Demon patch, none of whom I recognized. One of the men stayed outside as their watch, while the other two went inside. Nodding at each other, we snuck up behind the fucker watching the bikes. I pointed my gun directly at his head; he immediately grabbed for his piece. “Don’t,” I ordered, his arm instantly stopping.

“What the fuck do you want?” he said as I ripped his pieces off his body, handing them to Rhys. After he was secure, I handed the man off to Rhys.

“You’ll find out soon enough fucker.” Nodding, Rhys, took the asshole to the waiting cage we had parked on the side of the building.

“Let’s go.” Placing our pieces back in our jeans, we slowly made our way through the building. Women were dancing, their tits bouncing everywhere, oblivious to what was about to go down in back.

Weaving through to the dressing room, Stella was on her knees with one of the assholes dicks sliding in and out of her throat. “Hurry up, Bitch. We don’t got much time, and I need mine,” the other asshole said as he smacked her ass, hard, making gagging noises come out of Stella. Seeing Dagger out of the corner of my eye, I nodded. With G.T. and Pops on my sides, we moved in quickly. G.T.’s gun at one of the fuckers and mine at the one getting head, they immediately reached for their pieces as Dagger stepped out of the shadows.

“Don’t fucking move pricks,” his low voice grumbled as he stepped into the light, pointing his gun at them.

Stella fell back to the floor as the guy whose dick was just in her mouth kicked her hard in the stomach. “You fucking bitch. You’re dead,” he growled. The butt of my gun slammed into the fucker’s skull with a loud crack as he fell to his knees.

“Don’t move,” I growled, aiming at his skull as we swept for their guns quickly. “Stella, get out of here, now.”

“Guys,” G.T. said from the side. “Drugs and cash.”

“Grab it,” Diamond cut in from behind us. “Get these two fuckers in the cage, and get ‘em up to the barn. Meet there in fifteen.”

* * *

The barn was an old building the Ravage MC acquired about ten years ago. It was located in the center of a hundred acre farm where no one could hear anything. The road into the barn was rough, making us unable to take our bikes down the path. Parking them in a small shed at the edge of the property, we hopped on the four-wheelers while the cage followed between us.

The barn was very stark. We stored supplies there and used it for the occasional informational gathering. The floor was dirt, and the wooden beams had seen better days, but it served its purpose.

Rhys and Dagger unloaded our special guests and brought them to the center of the dirt floor. “Give us your rags,” G.T. ordered.

“Fuck you!” they barked in unison. I smiled. This was gonna be fun.

Each of us took turns pounding their faces leaving them utterly bloody, but still able to talk. Diamond grabbed the discarded rags as the men groaned. “Looks like you had to take them off, anyway. At least you did it with honor,” Diamond said laughing.

“Why you guys targeting girls at X?” Pops barked. None of the men said anything, causing us to give a few hits. “Tell us!”

“Rabbit told us to.” No shit there.

“Why?” Pops was obviously leading this interrogation. When no words were spoken, a few hits to the skull changed their minds.

“She’s going after Babs,” the one on the far right said. We then knew he was the weak link.

“Tie those two up Rhys,” Diamond said as Rhys got to work. “So, what has Babs said?”

His eyes widened as we stood around him, just itching to start fighting. When he hesitated, Diamond ordered, “Tie his hands and attach them to the beam up top.” G.T. and I did as instructed, leaving the man hanging with his feet about a foot off the ground. He moved and shook, trying to loosen the rope, but we knew it wasn’t any use. Hitting him in the stomach detoured his movements. “Now try this again. What has Babs said?”

“Princess is after her. We gotta take her out.” Shit we already knew.

“What happens if Princess takes her out?” When he didn’t respond, Diamond nodded at Dagger who reached for his knife. He began twirling it in his hand back and forth through his fingers like a well-oiled machine. He placed the knife on the man’s t-shirt slowly and meticulously cut it cleanly away from his body. Taking the blade, Dagger began running it up and down his sternum never cutting the flesh. The man trembled beneath the blade. “You either tell us, or he’s gonna gut you and we’ll watch you bleed out.”

The asshole didn’t hesitate. “Then there’s a bounty on Princess’s head for 50k.” I stood there for a moment. Didn’t the Intel say that it was a million?

“You sure that’s the amount?”

“Y… es” I didn’t believe him. I could tell that Diamond didn’t either by the scowl on his face.

Diamond growled, “Dagger.”

Dagger began carving into the man’s chest and stomach, deep enough to cut, but not deep enough to release any internal organs. With each cut, the man’s screams became louder. The other two men sat on their knees watching, but with the gags in their mouths, all that could be heard were weird grumbles.

“What’s the fucking amount?” Diamond grumbled loud.

“50k I swear… please…” The asshole cried.

“Who’s putting out the hit?”

“Rabbit…” he moaned.

“Is he the only one that can put it out?”

“Ye… s”

I still thought Babs was working with someone. “How did you guys know the girls were having a hard time and needed the drugs?”

“Don’t know… never told us.” Dagger put a few more blows to his ribs as he grunted. “Don’t know… assumed Babs.”

When my cell rang, I pulled it out quickly going to push ignore, but when I saw Ma’s number, I looked up at Pops, who nodded at me.

Walking outside, I answered. “Hey Ma, how’s it going?”

“Cruz, get to the hospital. Mel… she shot Princess and knocked her in the head, pretty hard. She’s hurt really bad, and Mel took Cooper.” My entire world was frozen by the words she just spoke. I couldn’t form a single word. “Cruz!” she yelled, snapping out.

“Mel has Cooper.” I repeated back to her. “Is he hurt?”

“No. He was fine when she took him.” That was a relief, but didn’t mean it would last.

“Princess, is she okay?”

“I don’t know. The docs have her in surgery. She took a shot to the shoulder, but it’s her head that’s the worst. God, Cruz… it’s not good, Cruz. It’s not good.” Hearing Ma’s sobs, I kicked into high gear.

“I’ll be there as soon as I can.” I closed my phone, charging back into the barn. “Diamond, Pops!” Their eyes turned towards me as they began to walk.

“Princess has been shot and Cooper’s been taken by Mel. We gotta go… now!”

Diamond barked, “End it.” And three shots rang out. “Dagger and Rhys, get this cleaned up. We gotta get to the hospital; Princess has been shot.” We hopped on the four-wheelers, racing to our bikes.

* * *

Once we got to our bikes, I asked Zed and Becs to call Tug, Buzz, and Breaker and search Mel’s house, work, parent’s house, and anywhere else they knew to look. I’d be joining them soon, but first I needed to make sure Princess was okay.

Rushing down the hospital halls with Pops, G.T. and Diamond on my tail, I felt dread… utter and complete dread. I couldn’t lose her. I wouldn’t survive. And Coop, God knows where he was with that bitch. I swore when I fucking found her, and I would find her, I would end her. Fuck that no hitting women rule that bitch was dead.

Asking every person in a damn white coat where the hell Princess was pissing me off. Every worker there was scared and petrified us big bad bikers were in their hospital. If they didn’t tell me where she was soon, I was gonna give them a reason to be fucking scared, real quick.

Finally, an older lady with graying hair and round as can be, directed us to a waiting room where Ma was propped in the corner with her hands covering her face. G.T. ran up to her. “Ma! What’s going on?”

Ma looked up, her eyes red and puffy. “G.T.!” she yelled as she jumped up, wrapping him in her arms, hugging him tight and sobbing. Her knees gave out, and G.T. picked her up and set her gently in the chair.

“You okay, Ma?” Pops asked, looking at the bandage and blood on her shirt.

“Just a graze, not even enough for stitches.” Pops wrapped his arms around her, kissing her on the forehead.

“How is she?” I said, panicked and not hiding it one bit. It’s amazing how my world could spiral down so quickly.

“I’m so sorry, Cruz.” Ma wept. “She’s in surgery. The blows to the head were what knocked her down. The bullet didn’t do much, but I haven’t got an update yet. I’m just waiting.”

“What happened?” As Ma replayed the entire scene, my gut ached, and my fury boiled. “Who else was there besides Mel?”

“That’s what I don’t know, Cruz. I didn’t see them.”

“Did Mel say where she was going with Coop?”

“No. The only thing she said was ‘I’m taking my boy.’ I’m so sorry. After the bump on the head, I got dizzy and couldn’t get myself together to help either of them.” She sobbed harder. “I’m so sorry, I let down my babies.”

Pops pulled Ma into his chest as she sobbed uncontrollably. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. I wanted to stay here and see how Princess was doing, but I needed to go out and find my boy. Thank God, my brothers were doing it, because I would lose my shit if they weren’t by my side right now.

That damn clock ticked and ticked and ticked. I felt like eternity that we waited. Ol’ ladies came in along with other chapter members. When Dagger and Rhys came in, I jumped up immediately. “Any sign of my boy?”

“Not at the house, her work, or parent’s house. We even checked the local hotels showing a picture of Coop… nothing. But one of the nearby gas attendants swears he saw the little boy come in and use the bathroom with a woman matching Mel’s description. He then saw them get into the back of a green, four-door Honda. He even gave us the plates from one of their security cameras. I had Buzz go back to the club and run them. That’s the strongest lead we’ve got so far.”

“Fuck!” I yelled; I ran my hands through my hair, pulling it tight. I never felt this out of control in my life. I felt, so God damn helpless. I couldn’t help Princess; she was in the doctor’s hands, and I have no fucking clue where that bitch took my boy. Dammit.