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

  Jacob had disappeared by this point and I knew that the raven-haired beauty that asked him for directions outside the club, had scored his interest. Over his protection of me. Because he ditched us.

  Leaving me with Lit, Vod and Cage in the booth. The other members had all scored, and if I had to guess would be deep into the woman they had scored.

  Lit grinned at me, and I didn’t get in the booth. He moved over, and so did Cage. Vod gave both boys a look, as if to ask why the fuck you getting closer to me. So did I go to Cage’s side or Lit’s side? .

  I hadn’t spoken with Cage since he picked me up from school and even then, we didn’t really speak. He found out I was seventeen and I think he had a freak out. While Lit, always knew my age and it was his birthday.

  But then the thought of Cage’s hand on me, had me slipping into his side of the booth. To make it less awkward to Lit, I leaned over the small table to talk to him.

  “So has any girls made the hit list?” I grinned at Lit.

  He smirked, “Yeah one has.”

  He leaned closer over the table, it was already small but with three large bikers surrounding it, it felt smaller.

  Just as I went to question him on who, I felt a hand on my thigh. His fingers slipping in on the inside of my thigh.

  One finger trailing up.

  I chewed my bottom lip, and Lit pushed a shot in front of me, from the tray I had brought over before.

  His eyes were locked on mine. But Cage’s hand was on me.

  “I think I’m going to dance,” I said before throwing the shot back. Cage’s hand tightened on my thigh. I knew he wanted me to stay put. But I couldn’t deal with the eyes Lit was giving me.

  I snuck a glance at Cage, who was looking down at his drink.

  I then brushed his hand off me, getting up and moving on to the dance floor.

  CAGE

  “Fuck that woman knows how to get a rise out of me.” Lit muttered, his eyes on Autumn as she moved onto the dance floor. I kept my lips shut. But I had to agree, she was fucking perfection.

  Lit looked at me. “Thinking of seeing if I can get her and Casey both; make one of them my side piece.”

  “Who the fuck is Casey?” I barked at him. Didn’t even know he was seeing someone.

  “The counsel chick. She gets the club’s business clearance, every six months.” Vod answered my question.

  “And I’m the lucky bastard who has to fuck her and keep a relationship with her.” Lit snapped into the conversation.

  Then Lit cursed loud.

  “What?” I said, following his eyes. What a surprise he was looking at Autumn. But then I saw what the problem was. It was the barely legal man talking to her.

  I went to get up but Vod’s hand on my arm stopped me.

  “He’s her ex.” He said, and I stilled. My eyes on the boy that had a shot with her. Something I would never really get because I was a biker. “Broke it off with her though.”

  “Then why the fuck he talking to her?” I gritted out.

  “Don’t know but he’ll be spitting blood soon. Autumn was fucking torn up when he ended it.” Lit threw his shot back and got up, heading towards Autumn.

  I was behind him, Lit was a creepy serial killer when he wanted to be and he had that glint in his eyes right now.

  “Dylan man.” Lit threw an arm around his neck, and the boy stilled. “Didn’t know you were legally allowed in here?”

  “About as legal as her.” Dylan muttered, and his eyes were locked on Autumn. “I was just telling Autumn here it is time to leave.” Dylan got out of Lit’s grasp. “With me.”

  “Like that will be fucking happening.” I scoffed, and Autumn looked at me.

  Dylan was looking for security I could tell.

  This just wasn’t going to go well. I knew that, I knew that I’d be the one charged. But the look he gave her and the fact he was the one threatening her in those messages the other day, I couldn’t fucking stand here. So I pushed Lit back a bit.

  He’d make sure Autumn got home. I was going to deal with her ex boyfriend.

  “You know Dylan, think you and I need a word.” I said and the boy looked at me smugly. As if predicting that I wouldn’t do anything because we were in a crowded club. But that smug expression was off his face when my fist connected with his jaw, and his body hit the floor. Which resulted in— chaos.

  Chapter Fourteen

  CAGE

  “Fucking punching a kid! Knocking him out cold! Haven’t ya fucking heard of one punch death penalty! Everyone knows, including you Cage, that your fucking punch has some heat!” Hawk continued to roar at me. “Your undefeated in the ring for a fucking reason! What the hell were you thinking, using one of those deadly fists on a kid! A KID!”

  I shrugged my shoulders which sent his rage up a notch. I couldn’t fucking say that, that little kid was making Autumn uncomfortable and was threatening her. If I had, I had a feeling that Hawk’s rage would be redirected to her and I’d rather take it, then have her have it.

  “I wasn’t wearing club colors. No blow back,” I said calmly. And Hawk’s eyes locked on me, suddenly I wished I had picked my words wiser.

  “No blow back? No fucking blow back? I bailed your ass out of jail! The cops knew who you were and who you fucking ride for when they ran your prints! Need I remind you, that you did three years for trafficking for us!”

  Hell, shit never escaped Hawk. “It’s not a big deal.” I didn’t know what else to say. “The kid presses charges I do a few months. Regardless I stand by my decision.” I pushed the chair back. “You done ranting at me?” Geez, Christ he was worse than a woman on her period, when you pissed him off or put his club in trouble.

  Hawk stormed out before me and I knew then that I was in his bad books. Walking out of the boardroom, it was the dead of the night, well early morning now.

  Then I saw her, sitting at the bar, ice pack in hand.

  “Thought you might need this.” She got up and walked towards me.

  I looked for her old man, but he wasn’t in sight. “Surprised you weren’t dragged to ya room and locked in it.” I said, knowing that Hawk was going to get to the bottom of how we let her come out with us.

  “He isn’t speaking to me. Most likely cause he doesn’t know what to say. Needs to sleep on it and then he’ll have a lecture for me.” She applied the ice to my knuckles. “Sorry for getting you involved tonight.”

  “Damn sure it was my fist that knocked the boy out. You had nothing to do with it.”

  She looked at me dryly. “You saw the messages the other night, didn’t you?”

  I could lie. Instead I shrugged.

  “Thanks Cage.” She gave me a small smile. And then went to pick up her heels. Guessing she was heading to bed. “I’m sorry about your hand.” She frowned, seeing the spilt skin, and I couldn’t give a fuck about it.

  “Don’t worry about it, had worse.” Wasn’t sure what else to say to ease her concerns.

  Her hand went to my cheek. “You should look after yourself better.” And then her hand was gone, she brushed past me, leaving.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Autumn

  School was the vein of my existence as I sat in class, watching the day drain away. Dylan was sporting his bruised jaw like it was a fucking trophy which he got. No one knew how he really got it— or the fact he was knocked out cold. So he seemed like a hero but I saw right through it.

  I knew Cage had got a grilling from Dad on the weekend about punching Dylan; and it was all my fault.

  Which brought me to my latest issue. Should I message him on Facebook? I looked down at my phone message thread open. I frowned. He wouldn’t want to hear from me—would he?

  I ended up giving into the weaker side of me, who really wanted to see how he was. So I sent him a message saying sorry for the drama on the weekend.

  CAGE

  Sitting in the church boardroom. Hawk was rattling off details about the latest shipment fuck up. He was still fr
eezing me out from the weekend. I lit up a cigarette— barely listening when my phone vibrated.

  Pulling it out, it was a Facebook message. Only had one person on Facebook. I smirked. Suddenly the morning got better.

  Sry bout the wk is ur hand ok?

  Didn’t she realize I got in to fist fights all the time. I was a cage fighter for a reason. My knuckles were always swollen or bleeding from fist fights. I was thinking of what to respond back to her. Finally, I decided to keep it neutral.

  All good darling

  Then realized hadn’t left it open for her to respond. So I quickly added;

  How’s school? Did you replace that dress?

  That image of her in that dress had helped me out the other night in the shower. But before I got lost in the memory of her in that tight school dress I looked down to see her typing.

  No, but I will be when I finish today. Mr H won’t stop staring and touching.

  My eyes widened. Mr H? Who the fuck was Mr H? And why was he touching her!

  What do you mean touching?

  I was glaring at the phone at this stage.

  Too much to explain.

  And just like that I knew where I was heading to. I looked at Prez hoping he had wrapped up this meeting. Sure enough he sent the hammer down, and I walked out of the church boardroom heading for the school. If I go there in time, it would be lunch time.

  Wat room u in?

  I sent to her.

  B22 Y?

  And I put my phone in my pocket and headed out to the lot. I think it was time for her school to realized he belonged to a club; more importantly that this club protected what was theirs.

  Autumn

  I didn’t understand why Cage wanted my room number. But as half an hour passed and the class was coming to a close— I just assumed he had asked a odd question.

  There was a knock on the door.

  And my eyes bounced up— seeing Cage standing there.

  What the actual fuck!

  Mr H slid the door open, and he looked Cage up and down.

  Cage took a step into the room, and the room went dead silent.

  “I need to borrow Autumn.” Cage’s words were as serious as they were dark. He was eyeing down Mr H.

  I quickly gathered my things.

  Please god don’t let him cause a scene.

  “Sorry, she only can leave with family members.” Mr H said.

  And I swear Cage stood up taller. “Well you and I both know, she and I ain’t fucking family.” He then leant forward whispering something in Mr H’s ear, causing him to back away from Cage.

  “Let’s go Autumn.” Cage said, his eyes not leaving Mr H. Cage then caught sight of Dylan, a smirk on his face. “Nice shiner boy. Perhaps you’ve learnt ya lesson not to touch what is mine.” His eyes went to me, and gestured with his head for me to get moving. So I did.

  Leaving the room with speechless students, and one scared looking teacher.

  Cage slid the door shut after us.

  “What are you doing here?” I asked him.

  A smirk spread across his face. “Thought you and I could go for a ride.

  I wanted to laugh. “You aren’t serious?”

  “Why you want to stay here?”

  Did I want to stay at school?— hell no.

  “I need to dump my books in my locker, then we can go.”

  I didn’t know his way of ‘going for a ride’ was actually saying good bye to me— I had no idea that he was facing trial. If I had, then maybe I would have enjoyed the moment of being with him more.

  * * *

  My eyes were on the latest Facebook photos that Dylan had posted, of him and his new girlfriend. He was sporting that bruised jaw like it was a trophy. Seeing him with pictures of Steph, confirmed it— he had moved on.

  He stopped threatening me as soon as Cage got involved and that was what I wanted, wasn’t it? I frowned and kept scrolling. I really should be doing something productive.

  The week was passing in a blur. I went to school. Came home. If you’d call this home. Ate. Then went to my room. I was bored. Going to turn my music up, I heard yelling and I knew that voice.

  Opening my door, I heard Hawk roaring at someone. A sane person would go back in the bedroom and lock the door. Well I didn’t have a lock and I wanted to know who was scoring the wrath of my stepfather.

  So I wandered down the hall.

  “This fucking leaves us without an enforcer!” Hawk roared! “Nine fucking months!”

  I paused, looking around the hall. Everyone was quiet, apart from Jacob who was telling Hawk to reel the shit in.

  “Cage didn’t know they would throw the book at him.” Jacob spoke and my interest sparked.

  “What happened?” I said to a quiet room, and Hawk’s eyes landed on me.

  “Cage had his trial. He didn’t get off. He is now doing nine months in Penten because of it. Now the Mother Chapter is without an enforcer, I’m down a right hand and on top of all that…” Hawk’s eyes narrowed on me. “The one man that I needed to fix your mother's death is now behind bars.”

  He was furious, and that rage, that anger— was directed at me because if I hadn’t gone out that night, Cage wouldn’t have got involved.

  “I’m sorry.” I didn’t know what else to say.

  “Maybe next time I tell you to pull ya fucking head in, you’ll listen!”

  “Prez, don’t take ya rage out on Autumn. It’s not her fault Cage got physical.” Jacob went to my defence.

  Hawk scoffed and turned around to look around the room.

  “Take this as a fucking lesson to all you bastards who keep looking at my daughter. She will cost you your freedom. Cage is proof of that.” Then with those words said, Hawk stormed out of the room. Leaving me with tears in my eyes, because he was right, I was bad luck.

  TWO MONTHS LATER

  I blew out a nervous breath, as I looked up at Penten Prison. High security. High risk. Known for imprisoning the worst offenders. How Cage got sentenced here I didn’t know. But from the rumors around the club, Cage wasn’t wasting his stay here.

  I went through the tests, the security guards and finally I was ushered to the visiting room.

  I had to pull strings. I didn’t even really have to get a visit with him. I had organised it last month. But he ended up getting put in solitary confinement. He got out two days ago, and my visit had been scheduled for today.

  The prison was under the impression I had something to do with his legal team. The guard came to a steel door, and then unlocked it. Opening it. My eyes landing on Cage.

  His piercing was gone.

  His hands were handcuffed on the table. And I noticed that the back of his hand was now tattooed. As well as the side of his hand, running up his untattooed arm.

  He looked up, and I don’t know what I was expecting to see. But what I saw in his eyes, wasn’t love, or thankfulness, they were hollow. There was no other word for it. His eyes were hollow. The type of hollow that comes when you have nothing to live for.

  I knew that. Because I had seen that same hollowness in my own eyes after my mother's death.

  “Hi Cage.” I blew out, and his eyes darkened with rage.

  “What the fuck Autumn.” He hissed at me, after the door slid shut behind me.

  “I wanted to see you.” I wasn’t going to lie. I moved across the room, towards the steel table. Taking a seat across from him. I knew if I had something to say, I would have to speak up.

  “Does your old man know you’re here?”

  I shook my head.

  He scoffed. “Autumn, you need to learn to listen and stop going against ya old man.” That hollowness was back in his eyes. “You shouldn’t be here. I ain’t no man of yours.”

  “You’re in here because of me.”

  “Yeah and I’ll be staying here a hell of a lot longer because of my own doing.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “You need to leave.”

  “Cage—�
��

  “Guards!” he called out and then looked at me, knowing we had seconds, if not moments together. “You need to move on. Don’t feel guilty over something I did. Be a smart girl, and stay the hell away from men like me.” With those words said the door behind him opened. And he gave me one more look before being shown out. Leaving me sitting here with tears swelling in my eyes.

  I looked down at my hand, feeling every bit of stupid for doing what I had done to see him. Only to be told— to leave him alone. I wiped the tear off my cheek.

  That was the very first time, Cage Hurley broke my heart.

  Chapter Sixteen

  CAGE

  One Year & Nine Months Later.

  I spat a mouthful of blood into the steel sink. Bastard elbowed me. Then again, he was just trying to protect himself from me and the razor. Stabbed him six times, left him to bleed out in the toilet stalls.

  The bastard should have listened when I told him that the club was watching him.

  I wiped my mouth with the back of a towel. That took my number up to five. Five lives I had ended while being in here. Two were under Hawk’s orders. The bastard that ran that stop light, that took Hawk’s wife, was in here.

  It was two of my kills in, and I was more creative at this point. So I stabbed his eyes out before putting the shiv in his neck.

  I was in two riots which resulted in me getting an extra six months for my involvement. You would think I learned from the first riot. But I hadn’t. So I got involved in the second one. Got another six months. But all that was ending tomorrow. Tomorrow I walked free.

  * * *

  The gates squealed behind me, as I walked towards the pick up.

  “Bout time you got ya ass out.” Jacob grinned at me, then pulling me in for a manly hug, before shoving me back. “Hawk’s throwing you one hell of a party.”