CAGE’S FALL: The Vulture’s MC Page 12

  “Autumn. I know I never asked the question, so I’m partly to blame.”

  “Blame for what?”

  He locked his eyes with mine. “Two men attacked you.”

  My heart sunk. Why would Cage tell him? I swallowed sharply. “Can we not talk about it? I’m done with it. It’s in the past.”

  “It has to be dealt with.”

  “I don’t want it dealt with.”

  “Autumn!” he yelled and I jumped. He closed the gap between us. “I won’t have a man walking freely out there, not getting caught for what he did. If you don’t want me to handle it, then we are going to the station.”

  I scoffed. “So your solution is to bring the police in?” Was he mental? I didn’t want the cops near this. They would connect the dots between the club and Neil’s disappearance.

  “If you won’t let the club handle it. Then yes.”

  I gritted my teeth. “Well I’m not telling you anything on this man. Nor am I telling the cops. So yeah. Have fun tracking down a ghost.” I went to leave. And Hawk grabbed my arm. “What now?” I hissed.

  “You taking your meds?”

  Okay. That was completely left field. Why would that even come up? I looked at him dazed for a second, and then it clicked. Cage had told him about the second man. Cage had told him about the self harming.

  I wrenched my arm from his grasp, and stormed towards Cage.

  “Can’t you keep your fucking mouth shut?” I roared at him, and his eyes were telling me to reel it in. But I wasn’t listening to him silently telling me off.

  “How could you tell him?” and then my eyes went blurry. Before I shook my head. “Oh I know how. You didn’t want the responsibility of knowing it. You hand-balled it. Well, so much for you not telling anyone, anything that happened between us.”

  “Autumn,” Cage growled. And I shook my head, putting my hands up.

  “I’m done. I said I trusted you, but you should know something about me Cage. Once someone breaks my trust, that’s it. You get one bridge and you just burnt yours.” Emotions were flooding my body. “Stay away from me.”

  With tears in my eyes, I left.

  CAGE

  “What the fuck was that about?” Hawk growled at me, and the tattooist had already taken a step back before Hawk’s fist connected with my jaw, sending me flying back in the chair.

  My back hitting the floor, the chair cracking but I knew I couldn’t fucking fight back. So I stood up, volunteering to take a second punch from him.

  “What the hell was she going on about?” Hawk roared again.

  “Maybe stop punching the man and let him explain Hawk.” Vod spoke up. As Vice president, he had more pull on Hawk’s actions.

  “Nothing,” I said and spat out a mouthful of blood. “I ain’t saying shit.”

  Vod and Wild gripped Hawk by his arms, holding him back.

  “What the hell is going on with my daughter?” he sneered.

  “If you want to know, talk to her.” I didn’t know what else to say. “Cause I ain’t saying shit.”

  And I knew then, in that second— after saying that, I had just been more loyal to a woman, then my president and he fucking realized it too. I broke the bikers brotherhood, all for a woman who had just told me she wanted nothing more to do with me.

  Chapter Twenty Nine

  CAGE

  “Even if we get the drugs to the docks we need to get a new contact at the dock. Allan retired.” Vod was bringing up our latest problem, with getting our drugs in.

  I was barely listening. As an enforcer my job was to keep this meeting, as well as the club in line. But when it came to business I just voted. Didn’t speak up. Didn’t suggest other options. I just sat back, let them deal with it.

  Jacob was still coming down from his bender. Lit was making suggestions, while shooting glares at me.

  Hawk was silent.

  Wild was drumming his fingers on the table, which was annoying me. My ears were sensitive since hitting the liquor last night.

  Money, sex and drugs was what this lifestyle was built on. And currently our money was running low, our drugs weren’t coming in and as for sex— well the women kept up with that.

  The Mother Chapter was running at max, if not overloaded with members from southern Chapter and the west coming to visit.

  Their presence was felt in this meeting as their patch table members took a chair on the sidelines around the table.

  “Wild find out who replaced Allan, and apply some pressure. We need a contact. Vod is right.” Hawk ran a hand down his long beard. “As for the other matter.”

  My eyes went to him. Other matter? What other matter? I looked around the table, no one else knew what he was talking about.

  “Got pulled up on a speeding ticket. Been drinking. Looking at six months now.” Hawk’s eyes went off his whiskey glass. “Ain’t shit I can do to get off it. Plus there are a few members inside I need to have a word with.”

  “You’re going to prison?” Jacob looked at Hawk, seeming furious. “When’s court?”

  “Had it.” Hawk’s words sent rage across the table. “Now, I’m going in for six months in two days. And I need shit here sorted before I do. Family shit,” he looked at Jacob, “and club shit.”

  “How did Autumn take it?” I spoke for the first time since sitting down in this meeting.

  Hawk looked at me, “Like I’m fucking telling you.” And with those words, he got up. “Two days boys to get shit in line. And Vod will be stepping up while I’m in.”

  * * *

  I was in the garage working on my F-100 when my phone buzzed on the workbench. Working towards it. Seeing Holly’s name.

  “Hello?” I said into the phone.

  “Cage, I need Autumn’s number.”

  “Why?”

  “Aaron’s gone on a bender. Apparently, she might know where he went,” Holly said sounding panicked. “Please Cage. I wouldn’t ask if it wasn’t important.”

  “I don’t have it.” I knew I had to be a good friend to Holly so. “I can go ask her though, she’s inside.”

  “Thank you so much Cage. I’ll wait for you to call back.”

  Putting the spanner down, I headed into the clubhouse. Autumn hadn’t spoken to me since she nearly blew up in front of everyone that we had sex. Walking through the pub, up the hall. I knocked on her door. Hearing hushed voices.

  Well she wasn’t alone.

  The door opened and Autumn was standing there with tears in her eyes.

  “Are you okay?” It was my immediate response. I hated seeing her upset. “Autumn.”

  I leaned on the door and it opened fully, and sitting on her bed was Aaron Crow. Bitterness, with anger mixed through my blood.

  The need to throw a punch at him to prove I was a better man and was stronger. But instead I just stood there, my eyes going off Aaron and on to Autumn.

  “Holly’s looking for Aaron. She said you’d know where he was. She was right.” And then I went to leave. Autumn’s hand on my shoulder stopped me. I looked at her, waited for her to say something, she seemed torn up about it.

  As if she wanted to tell me but couldn’t.

  Was she that concerned she would break my heart? I was a man not a boy, I could take it but it would fucking hurt knowing she was going for a man, that I couldn’t compete with. But she had to know Aaron was not a man that would marry her, or love her. Then again neither was I.

  “Autumn, leave it.” Aaron was standing behind her. “Cage and I need to have a word. I’ll sort it.” He said, and I wanted to know what the fuck needed sorting.

  He kissed the back of her head, and shoved me to get walking. I knew then that her and Aaron were more than just friends, and it sent roaring rage through me.

  * * *

  “Stop thinking the worst of her,” Aaron said. For some fucked up reason- most likely to punish me. He followed me out to the garage.

  “I’m not.” Was all I said.

  “Come on. Holly cal
ls you concerned then you find Autumn and I together. I know what’s running through your head.” Aaron looked at me with this all knowing smirk. “Got to admit brother, never thought you’d fall for Hawk’s daughter.”

  “Haven’t.”

  “Well, she has for you.” Aarons words caused me to look him in the eye.

  “She was just telling me how she fucked something up with a bloke, didn’t give me a name. But I know it's you.”

  “It’s not.” I gripped the spanner. “Why are you in town Aaron?”

  “Got shit to handle.”

  “Don’t bullshit me. Holly is concerned. You and her have a fight?”

  He tilted his head. “Can’t fight with a woman that isn’t mine.”

  “Yours.” I scoffed. “You were always obsessed with claiming things as your property. Holly deserves better then to be marked by a Bastard.”

  “Autumn deserves better then to be marked by a Vulture.” Aaron pushed himself away from the bench. “Especially a gutless one like you.” He was speaking like I had insulted him with the Holly line.

  I gritted my teeth. “Yeah you’re right. Which is why, I ain’t in the picture.” I said throwing the spanner on the workbench. “You still didn’t answer why you are in town.”

  “Vod got arrested last night.”

  “So?”

  “So you are without a president, and vice. Hawk asked me to step in while he works out who to step up. Hard for a man to do much when he goes in tomorrow.”

  For fuck sake. My luck couldn’t be that bad. “Don’t you have your own mother Chapter to run?”

  “Yeah I do. But I’ve got a VP that can run it while I clean up Hawk’s Chapter.”

  “You tell Holly you are leaving her for six months?”

  “What do you think the fight was over?” he said glaring at me. “Now you and I need to have a fucking conversation cause I ain’t getting in a punch up with you every time you see me with Autumn.”

  I scoffed. “See you with Autumn. So you and her are a thing?”

  “Autumn and I have a history.”

  “Yeah and a future by the sounds of it.”

  “You damn right we do,” he said then crossed his arms.

  Enjoying me getting more and more worked up as we got into this discussion.

  “You and her are a thing. I get it. End of discussion, now get the fuck out of my garage.”

  Aaron had this smug smirk on his face, finally he nodded his head. “Fine. If you won’t listen. So be it.” And he walked out of my garage but the thought of having to see him around, fucking had me clenching the edge of the work bench.

  I thought it was bad seeing her with Lit. But seeing her with Aaron. Was worse.

  Autumn

  My arms were wrapped around Hawk, as I clung to him for a few more moments.

  “Come on Acorn, it’s six months. You’ll be okay,” he said softly, hugging me back.

  I pulled back, tears in my eyes, and he was quick to wipe them away.

  “Stop crying.” His voice cracked a bit and I knew then I was making this harder on him then needed.

  “Please don’t end up getting killed in there,” I whispered, knowing that Mother Chapter Presidents were at the top of a hit list in prison.

  “Acorn. Look at me.” He lifted my head up, and I looked into his blue eyes.

  “Ain’t shit going to happen to me. I’ll be out before you know it, and I made sure Aaron is staying in town. I know you feel safe with him.”

  My stomach tightened after recalling how Cage was glaring at me and Aaron this morning.

  “Aaron won’t let anything happen to you. Plus, the man is very protective of you. But I need to ask one thing of you?”

  I nodded my head.

  “Just to give your old man some peace of mind.” He said, before tucking my blonde hair behind my ear. “Stay away from Cage. I don’t like his obsession over you. It’s another reason I picked Aaron to step in.”

  I stared at him blankly. “Cage and I aren’t anything. Not even friends. You have nothing to worry about.”

  He frowned. “You never told me about what happened in the common room, between you and him. You keeping something from me?”

  He asked me for like the tenth time, trying to get an answer out of me about mine and Cage’s fight last week.

  “I’m fine.” I blew out, and smiled. What else could I say? That I wasn’t taking my medication? That I was self harming? That I was doubting every move I made? I couldn’t tell him any of this, because he was about to go into prison and there wasn’t shit he could do.

  But the main reason I didn’t tell him, was so he didn’t get worked up, it was out of his control.

  “Look after her Jacob.” Hawk pulled Jacob into a hug, and the police were now waiting.

  “No visits. They’ll have my visits bugged.” He looked at me, and that was going to make the next six months harder.

  “Same with letters. No substance to be put in any of them.”

  We nodded our heads. This wasn’t the first time Hawk had gone in. And he gave me one more kiss on the cheek, hugging me tightly, before he just turned and walked towards the police.

  And just like that I watched the man that had always tried to keep the pieces of my life together, head into prison for six months.

  I wasn’t someone to pray. How could I believe in God when both my parents were taken from me? But in that moment, as I watched him disappear, I prayed that he only did six months and didn’t do something fucking stupid to be in there longer.

  Chapter Thirty

  CAGE

  I hit my phone that wouldn’t stop ringing, silencing it and rolling back over. Fucking barely had any sleep and now some bastard thought fuck it, let’s call Cage in the early hours of the morning.

  I groaned when it rang again.

  Sitting up, I reached for it. Answering it.

  “What?” I wasn’t a morning person

  So whoever this was better fucking realize their life was on the line if it wasn’t important.

  “Your prospect won’t let me through the gates. Said that I have no business being at the clubhouse if there wasn’t a party on.” She went on ranting about how stupid our prospect was and I pulled the phone from my ear, as she continued to rant.

  “Alright Holly. I’m coming.” I snapped into the phone and threw the blankets back getting up. “Just tell Mo, I’m coming.”

  “He doesn’t believe me.” She hissed into the phone.

  Fucking stupid prospect. I hung up getting my jeans on and heading down stairs.

  Why couldn’t she have fucking called Aaron?

  Walking into the common room, the smell of food hit me and my stomach twisted. Fuck, what I would do for a feed.

  By the smell of it, Autumn was cooking. Early too.

  I opened the clubhouse door and headed for the gate. Mo was there, giving Holly a serve, and as soon as I appeared he disappeared back into his office.

  “What you doing here Holly?” I said, taking the bag off her shoulder.

  “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  “Well we are.”

  She stormed past me heading into the clubhouse.

  “Holly, you need to tell me what’s going on.”

  “I need to see Aaron,” she said over her shoulder and pushed open the clubhouse door.

  Autumn

  “And they say that clubs don’t have fucking paperwork!” Aaron said while glaring at the paperwork in front of him. “Do you have any idea how many of these things I’ve fucking done today?” he held a piece of paper up, and I took it off him.

  “An invoice?” I smirked at him. “You do realize the club runs a garage they need to invoice customers.”

  “Where is the fucking prospect?”

  “The prospect doesn’t know that we charge an extra twenty five percent on top of labor. Suck it up Aaron, you have to do it.”

  He groaned. “Fucking got my own club to build and here I am, doing this shi
t for another club.”

  “You volunteered.”

  He looked at me dryly. “Let’s see run my own club and keep shit afloat or save my sorry ass friend from Cage Hurley.”

  “Cage isn’t even a threat. He hasn’t even spoken to me.”

  Aaron scoffed, and had an expression on his face like he knew the reason behind why Cage was avoiding me. I narrowed my eyes on him.

  “Crow, what have you been saying?” I said to him, just as the kitchen door burst open.

  My eyes went over a shirtless Cage, to Holly— who looked murderous.

  “Can I have a word with Autumn?” She hissed, her eyes locked on me.

  “Yeah that won’t be happening,” Aaron said, stepping in between her and I. “Holly why are you here?”

  “Why am I here?” She hissed. “Why would you promise me the world and then go running to her?”

  What the hell had gotten into her? Aaron hadn’t ran to me. He was here for the club, and well to protect me from Cage Hurley.

  “Come on, outside. We need to talk.” Aaron said but Holly dodged his arms, and headed for me.

  “You think you can just take my man? And I’ll fucking let you!” She then picked up a frying pan throwing it at me, before lunging.

  My body hit the floor and it was flight or fight mode. And I wasn’t one to run. So, I gripped her hair, pulling her head back before I head budded her.

  Dazed she fell to the side.

  I straddled her, fight mode had clicked in. Because for one she hit my leg with a frying pan, that may have possibly burnt my skin with third-degree burns. Two, she had knocked me to the ground.

  “Don’t fucking stand there, get Autumn off her!” Cage roared at Aaron.

  Blood trickled down my forehead from where I had headbutted t her. But I wasn’t done, as I pulled my arm back, forming a fist. Only before I made a connection with her face, I was pulled off her but two strong arms.