CAGE’S FALL: The Vulture’s MC Read online

“Funny because you look exactly like her.” The male detective said with a charming smile on his face and put a handout. “Detective Andrew Peters.”

  I looked at the hand, then back at him. “What do you want?”

  The lady detective and him, shared a look. Then both looked back at me. The lady detective handing me a card. “This is in regards to a current investigation. If you could come down the station, for a statement…”

  “That won’t be happening.” I cut her off. “I have nothing to give a statement over, nor do I know what this investigation is about.”

  “It’s regarding your father's homicide.”

  “My father died in a motorcycle accident. A long time ago.”

  “We’ve just reopened the case after new information was brought to our attention.”

  “What new information?” I hissed. “Don’t you dare touch him. He’s at peace. Leave him be!”

  “We have opened the investigation which does mean the body has to be examined.” The lady detective said, and I went to lunge at her. Just as two strong arms wrapped around my body, pulling me back to his chest.

  “That isn’t a body! It’s my father! And he is at peace!” I hissed, tears swelling in my eyes.

  The detective took a step towards me. “Like I said Autumn, we would like your answer to a few questions and get a statement.”

  “I was nine!”

  “Yes. But.” He tilted his head. “Your loyalty to this.” He waved his hand at the club. “Could change, if you know the truth.”

  “Get the fuck off private property.” Cage’s voice was as hard as steel, as he spoke to them. “Now. Fuck off.” The rage was clear in his voice, as he held me back.

  I watched as they walked back to their car.

  “We’ll be in touch Autumn.” Detective Peters said, before getting in the car.

  I watched them pull out of the lot. And I stopped fighting Cage’s grip on me. Going still in his arms. They were digging my father up. I swallowed sharply. Who would have fed them new information?

  I glanced to my side, seeing Jacob standing there. He had heard every word. Him and I locked eyes, and we both knew that this club was all we had. He silently told me, not to be scared. But I was terrified because detectives were like bloodhounds. They wouldn’t stop.

  CAGE

  The church boardroom was quieter than normal. Aaron was sitting in Hawk’s chair, and Jacob was staring aimlessly at the table, with a glint in his eyes.

  Wild was the one who was creepily quiet.

  “Well what do we do?” I said, and looked at Aaron then Lit. “Can’t have cops hanging around while we work out the next shipment.”

  “We can’t let Autumn near them.” Jacob said, still staring at the table. Then he looked up, a coldness in his eyes. “She won’t understand.”

  “Understand what?”

  Silence echoed through the room. I waited for someone to tell me what was going on. Aaron was just as clueless as me. Clearly, this was a secret the mother Chapter had kept to themselves.

  “The club killed my blood father,” Jacob said, “and if Autumn learns the truth, she’ll turn.. Hawk and I don’t want that.”

  I just stared at him.

  “Why?” Aaron said. “Why did the club kill him?” He was staring directly at Wild, who was the only member at the table that was a ranking member all those years ago.

  “Dark days brother,” Wild said, running his hand down his beard. “The man was crippled with guilt. Couldn’t take the weight of the hammer.” He looked directly at me. “Some men aren’t born to lead a club.”

  Why was he looking at me like that? I wasn’t in fucking line for the president patch. I was no where near it. I was an enforcer, that was as far as I would step up.

  “His fuck up costed us five men. It had to be answered,” Wild added. “The man was crippled with guilt about it. We did him a favour.”

  My fists came down on the table

  “A favor! A fucking favor! You could have stepped him down! Not execute him! Where does Hawk sit on this?”

  Jacob looked me in the eyes. “Who do you think gave the order?”

  Everyone has secrets in their closets. Ones they hope never come to light. This was a club secret, and now, now it rested on my shoulders- to keep from a woman I was planning on claiming.

  “We can’t escape the past,” Jacob muttered. “But that’s all it is. My blood father was a drunk and an addict. He never deserved my mother or my sister’s love. Hawk did us a fucking favor.”

  I looked at Jacob. “I doubt your sister sees it that way.” I looked back at Wild. “Emily’s death,” I looked back at Jacob, “ya mother, did we have anything to do with her death?”

  “Blow back from a patch over.” And this time Jacob actually sounded human and emotional. “Autumn knows about that though. Or at least, we think she does.”

  Aaron cursed. “If the cops want to flip her, telling her and then proving we killed her father will do it.”

  “He was a fucking addict drunk!” Jacob hissed. “I’ll talk to Autumn. She'll remember the times I locked her in the closet while he drank. Autumn knows deep down what type of man he was.”

  “Who her father was, isn’t up for questioning,” Aaron sighed. “It’s her faith and trust in us, that will be up for the slaughter.”

  Aaron looked at me, and we both knew- if Autumn found out, she would wipe her hands of the club, if not go for the heart of it and tear us to pieces. She had information on the club that most women didn’t get access too. I was fucking furious in that moment, because Hawk had let her in so close, that she could tear us apart.

  But what I wasn’t thinking of then, is what it would do to me, if she found out. I wouldn’t just lose her. I’d lose my future with her. But then again, what I did next would lose her regardless. Didn’t know that then.

  “I’ll make a call.” I said, and they looked at me. “The lady detective I have strings with. I’ll pull on them, get the case closed. And we,” I looked around the room, “don’t fucking tell Autumn, ever.”

  And Aaron brought the hammer down on the meeting and it was settled. Autumn wasn’t to know.

  Autumn

  Nerves flooded my body, as I brought my fist to Cage’s door. He had disappeared yesterday. I knew they had a church meeting after the police showed up. But he didn’t surface when all the other men did.

  The door cracked open, and Cage’s face dropped.

  “Hey.” I said, with a smile. “Just cooked breakfast, you hungry?”

  He looked sheepish, like I was the last person he wanted to see.

  “Um Autumn…”

  “Cage come back to bed.”

  And those few words, sent ice over my body. I watched what I think was fear appear in Cage’s eyes, along with loss, then finally, grief.

  I pushed on the door, swinging it open and laying in bed was the brunette. The detective brunette from yesterday.

  I scoffed. “Sleeping with the pigs.” I crossed my arms, looking at him hurt. “Guess I should expect that from a pig.” And then I walked off down the hall, leaving him behind, after he had just taken a knife to my heart.

  I blinked back tears. Why did I let him in? Everyone told me not to, but did I listen? No. And now my heart was throbbing because of it, and I had myself to blame.

  CAGE

  “So you slept with the cop, to get the case closed, so Autumn didn’t find out and leave the club. So she wouldn’t leave you. Only for her to walk in on you with the cop?” Aaron went to clarify my shitty situation.

  I didn’t say anything.

  “So you cheated on her?”

  My eyes snapped to him. “Her and I weren’t officially together.”

  Jacob scoffed. “Man, you bought her a $300k car.” He then glanced across the room. “Admit it you loved her.” He then had a smirk on his face when he looked back at me.

  I couldn’t admit it. Because it wasn’t loved. It was love. I love Autumn. But I knew there was n
o chance I’d get her back.

  Chapter Thirty Three

  CAGE

  “God can you get any more depressed?” Holly muttered. “Honestly Cage, just have a conversation with Autumn!”

  “What’s the point? It won’t bring her back.”

  Holly’s hand slapped the table in front of me. Causing my eyes to bounce up and look at her. “You don’t know that Cage. How do you know a simple sorry, won’t fix this?”

  “Because I know her! You and her, have been friends for a week. Don’t act like you don't know how she is taking this.”

  Holly frowned. “That’s just it Cage. She’s taking it fine. Hell, if you had done it to me, I would have burnt that car you bought. But she hasn’t. She’s fine.” She sighed and pointed at Aaron. “Aaron even agrees with me. That you’re the one that has taken this hard.”

  “Yeah well you and Aaron can fuck off in the sunset together.”

  “That’s it. Mope in the corner, with an endless bar tab. I’m sick of telling you to make a move.” She got up and left, and I wrapped my hand around the whiskey glass.

  “Oh. You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!” Jacob said loudly across the bar, and his eyes were on the door. I looked at what had his attention and saw the N.F brothers. But I didn’t give a fuck that the serial killers were paying us a visit. What I couldn’t take my eyes off, was F’s arm around my Autumn.

  And she was fucking grinning like an idiot.

  What the fuck was going on? For them to be in town was a big deal. For them to be at the club, was another.

  The N.F brothers were as lethal as the injection itself. It was rumoured that they had a connection to The Vultures but I had never personally known how or why. For them to be at the mother Chapter meant they had a connection here, to the belly of The Vultures.

  Hawk was in prison. They would know that.

  So why were they here?

  Aaron and I shared a look. The twins were unpredictable. They would react to any situation with guns or fists. They were hotter headed then me- which was saying something. Ticking bombs they were. So why the fuck were they in town?

  They were the cancer of the gangsters. They didn’t have a moral code. They just did what fitted them.

  They would bend rules, or break them, to fit their circumstances. As F said once, he only felt right, when he was doing wrong. And wrong he did- by everyone, including his twin.

  So why the fuck was Autumn near him?

  “Here for a word with Autumn,” N said. “We need a room.”

  I looked at Aaron. He better fucking say something.

  “She’s under club protection. So that word you are here to have, would be with me.” Aaron said and I saw the glint in F’s eyes, as he looked at Aaron.

  Guns were all pulled at the same time. Aaron has his at N’s head. I had mine at F’s head. N and F, were loaded and had their guns pointed at Aaron. F was slowly moving his gun from me to Aaron.

  “Boys why don’t you just tell Aaron why you want to talk to me?” Autumn said and then her hand went on F’s gun, and she forced him to lower it.

  “Aaron, it’s fine really.”

  His eyes flickered to Autumn. “What’s it about?”

  “Business,” Autumn replied. “If you are that interested in it you can sit in on it,” she said. And I wanted to know when the fuck she had business with N and F.

  Aaron looked at me. I knew I had done wrong by her, but I didn’t want her getting into trouble. After all, the fall from this gangster lifestyle usually involved bullets.

  “Cage and I’ll sit in,” Aaron said, putting his gun in his holster.

  He knew I wanted in and this was him giving me the opportunity. But if Autumn didn’t want me there, I wouldn’t fucking put myself there. I watched her reaction. She just shrugged her shoulders.

  * * *

  No amount of apologizes was going to get her to forgive me. But as she sat next to F, I wanted to fucking beg her to take me back.

  I didn’t deserve her, and I kept reminding myself that as she sat with F.

  “So, what’s your business?” Aaron said, lighting up a cigarette.

  “I own the gym, right?” Autumn said, and Aaron nodded his head.

  “Technically the club does,” I added. Seeing as Aaron wouldn’t speak up and my gut was telling me she was up to something.

  “Yes, but I run it, right?” She looked at me with no hate or hurt in her eyes. I nodded my head. She was right, she did run it.

  “Well, I’ve decided to move into the steroids business,” she said simply. Oh so simply.

  “Like fuck you have!” I growled. “You ain’t getting mixed up in their shit.” I pointed at the twins.

  “They’re supplying. I’m distributing it,” she shrugged.

  I was furious. One. That she was putting her life and her freedom on the line. Didn’t she realize she could go to prison for this shit! Two. She was acting like I was nothing. No dirty looks. No hurt in her eyes. Nothing. She couldn’t give a fuck if I was here or not. Made me think that Holly was right. Autumn didn’t care. She was fine.

  “Clubs running drugs through the gym,” I said calmly, gaining her attention. I just needed to keep my shit together. “How do we know that this operation won’t be stealing business from us?”

  “Gym junkies want to get high, but they’re there at the gym to get fit. Build muscle. Look tough. Don’t worry I’m not stealing business from the club.” She looked from me to Aaron. “As for Dad’s approval, he knows I’d never earn straight. That’s that.”

  “I’m pretty sure he would have an opinion on this.” I was dead set sure that Hawk wouldn’t let this happen.

  “I’m doing it,” she did with confidence while looking me dead in the eyes. “I didn’t have to tell you, but I did.”

  “You could go to prison for this, if you’re caught” I wanted to give her a reality check.

  A smirk spread across her lips. “It’s not a prison. It’s building connections.” She sighed. “Look if the club is really against this. I’ll buy another gym and deal there.”

  Aaron and I shared a look. We both agreed in that moment, that having a look over Autumn’s shoulders was in her best interest and ours.

  “Club takes a cut,” I said, it was instinct to make sure everyone was paying their way as Enforcer.

  She nodded, giving me a smile. A fucking smile!

  “I know. Already secured the club twenty percent. It’s one of my overheads.”

  Then N and F, started talking about the first shipment. I wanted to know how she got brought into N and F’s drugs. I wanted to know her connection to F mainly.

  But I had no right. So I remained silent, watching her talk passionately about the drug deal with the twins.

  Autumn

  Sitting at the bonfire, with Nate and Fate, I had a smile on my face, and it was nice for a change.

  Jacob took the camp chair next to me.

  “So, what has my cousins’ in town?” Jacob asked, cracking open a can. Fate gave me a look. We had already gone over the fact that Jacob would know every detail that went down in that boardroom.

  Out of the twins I had always been closer to Fate. Maybe because he would take time out of hanging out with the boys to have a conversation with me.

  “Just helping our little cousin with supply and demand,” Fate said opening the cooler while grabbing another can and handing me one.

  “Can I ask you something?” Jacob said to me, and I just nodded my head. “Why does everyone think you and Fate are fucking?”

  I spat out a mouthful of beer. Fate shot Jacob a glare.

  “No one thinks that,” Fate growled at Jacob.

  “Yeah, I’m with F on this one. No one is thinking that.”

  Jacob smirked and nodded his head across the bonfire. My eyes followed his direction and I saw Cage glaring at us. I sighed. It was time him and I had a conversation. I wasn’t some love sick teenager. I knew what bikers were, and how they behaved.r />
  Did he hurt me? Yes. But did he break me so I wouldn’t function? No.

  I got up, walking around the bonfire. Cage was busy glaring at the fire when I approached him. Aaron was sitting on a cooler next to Cage, Holly on his lap.

  Holly tapped Aaron on the shoulder and they made some excuse for leaving Cage and I by ourselves.

  “Nice fire.” I said, and he scoffed, his eyes not lifting from the glare he was shooting it.

  I sat down on the large cooler next to Cage.

  “You okay Cage?” I blew out. The man was drinking his weight in liquor and burning his way through the club stash.

  His eyes lifted from the fire, to me. “Why wouldn’t I be? Just watching you and your boyfriend, laugh and flirt all night.”

  “Ew gross,” I said quickly. “Fate and I—”

  “So that’s what you call him?” he sneered, leaning forward. “Your fate?”

  “No. That’s his name. His birth name.”

  “Like you know what his real name is.”

  “I would because I’m his cousin,” I said before sipping my beer.

  “Nate and Fate are Jacob’s and I’s cousins and I’ll have you know, just for the record, we aren’t kissing cousins.”

  He frowned. “Are you seriously trying to joke with me right now?”

  I shrugged, “I am their cousin and I was just trying to lighten the mood.”

  Because God it was tense around him. I sighed. “I’ll leave you to drink by yourself.”

  I got up, and his hand brushed mine. Pausing, I looked down at his hand.

  “I know you slept with that woman for the club. Or at least that is what I tell myself.”

  He went to speak and I shook my head. I hadn’t finished.

  “But I know what you are now. You’re a bloody biker and you’re loyal to the club that’s it. Not me. Not anyone else. But the club.”

  “Why do I have a feeling that is worse than you thinking I cheated on you?”

  “Because we could have moved past that, but you being loyal to the club,” I sighed. “We can never move past that. Because it is who you are. You’re a Vulture club member. That patch on your back comes before everyone else.”