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

  I couldn't help it. I’d willingly do a second sentence for Autumn.

  “Hawk Watson?” The doctor put a hand out and Hawk shook it. “We have your daughter being treated by us, Autumn Watson.”

  “No it’s Bentley,” Hawk said correcting them. “Autumn Bentley.”

  The doctor frowned glancing down at her records. “No her last name is clearly Watson.”

  Jacob gripped Hawk’s arm. “Autumn changed her last name when she did the adoption papers.” That little fact sent shock across Hawk’s face— like he couldn’t believe she would willingly take his last name.

  Hawk didn’t say anything but it clearly tore him up a little on the inside. He looked back at the doctor. “I want to see my daughter.”

  The doctor forced a reassuring smile. “Autumn was found in an alleyway Mr Watson.” Then the doc inhaled, exhaled, “Sadly there were clear signs of assault. Physical and sexual.”

  And with those words the doctor stepped back behind the police guards, and Jacob and I gripped Hawk, by the shoulders, expecting him to launch himself at someone— anyone, just to get his rage out. Instead he remained deadly still.

  He didn’t move.

  And Jacob and I removed our hands off him.

  His fists clenched at his side. He nodded his head and the police and doctors left. Leaving the three of us by ourselves.

  Jacob didn’t say a word.

  “She’s never going to forgive me for this.” Hawk spoke, and the pain was wrapped around each word. He knew, and I knew, and so did fucking Jacob— Autumn wouldn’t come back from this. And if she did, she wouldn’t want anything to do with the club.

  “You all go see her.” I glared at the ground and then looked up. “I’ll make this right Prez.” And I was going to. I knew she was suppose to meet that gym owner tonight.

  I would make this right. Because God knows there wasn't shit else I could do for her. I couldn’t comfort her like a boyfriend would. But I could do what I was now good at— killing. If there was one thing that came out of my prison sentence, it was ice in my heart which led me to making ruthless decisions.

  And right now I was thankful for it.

  “I’m coming.” Jacob ran his hands down his face. “She’s my sister. I sent her there. This is on me.”

  “Nah, I gave the orders,” Hawk said.

  “Why you two fight about it, I could be getting it fucking done,” I hissed at them.

  They both looked at me like who the hell was I to step up and avenge this. And yeah maybe I was never going to be a good enough man for her. But the type of man she deserved, well he wouldn't be capable of handling this, like I could and was going to.

  Jacob had never taken a life, and in some ways when I walked out of that waiting room. I was going to save his life as well. Because you change, when you take a life. The darkness swallows you, and you begin to walk a life in the grey. There is no black and white. Just a whole lot of fucking grey.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Autumn

  Moments shape you. The moment I was told my father wouldn’t come home. The moment I was told my mother had died in that accident. The moment Cage told me to leave the lifestyle behind. The moment Hawk hit me and I left the club life behind. And then this framing moment.

  As I sit in a hospital bed, staring at the cup of tea in my hands. My eyes drop to the bruises around my wrists, running up my arms. I was in a hospital gown. I couldn't even pull the sleeves up without seeing the visible marks.

  Looking up I catch my reflection in the mirror. Swollen and cut lip, bruised jaw line. Yeah, I looked a mess.

  The hospital’s room door opened, and I looked up ready to tell the nurses I was fine. They said if I didn’t get fluids in, they would put me on a drip. Hence the cup of tea.

  But it wasn’t a nurse whose eyes were locked with mine. It was Hawk’s. Immediately tears of embarrassment and shame flooded me. He had to have known. My lip started to shake as he closed the door and walked to my bedside.

  What do I say?

  The police had questioned me. Over and over. I told them nothing. They didn’t understand till I told the staff to call my father. Then when they knew I was connected with the club, the police disappeared.

  Hawk pulled up a plastic chair, and his hand went over the one of mine that was laying on the bed. Clenching on to my hand I looked back up unto his eyes. What I saw almost broke me more. He had tears in his own eyes. I recalled the last time I saw Hawk cry. At my mother’s funeral.

  “I’ll make this fucking right Autumn. I promise you that.” He said, and leaned in kissing my forehead. And just like that I fucking broke into tears. He got up, wrapping his arms around me. My hand leaving the cup of tea on the small meal tray and the tears just fell.

  I heard him mutter in my hair that the man that this to me was a dead man, he’d make sure of it.

  CAGE

  Accepting who you are, and who you become after life events, is what can test your soul. As a child, I was innocent. Through my teenage years I danced with the law. But it wasn’t till I did time, that I became a man.

  But it was moments like right now, as blood was sprayed over my clothes, my knuckles bleeding, it defines you. I was drenched in blood. His blood. Like I said it was moments like now I questioned if I was a man, or a serial killer.

  My phone rang on the basin sink and I was going to ignore it, till I saw Crow’s name. Picking it up, I barked a hello into the phone.

  “Got word on the street that you killed a citizen tonight. The Club is not happy, ” Aaron Crow spoke dryly into the phone.

  I straightened up looking at myself in the mirror. “He hurt the club. If your club has a problem with that, tell ya prez to call me.” I wanted to ask since when did the their club start keeping an eye on us.

  “That would be me,” Aaron said into the phone and I frowned.

  “You walked from the club. You wanted nothing to do with it.”

  “Yeah well that ain’t the case now,” Aaron barked at me rudely. Clearly he was frustrated with the situation. “Just giving you a heads up, that ya bringing heat onto the clubs. Pull ya fucking head in Cage. Knifing a bastard in broad daylight, will result in you getting the injection.”

  “Hey Crow?” I said before he hung up.

  “What?”

  “Just wanted to know, what is her name? The girl that has you back at the club?”

  He hung up immediately causing a grin across my face. Only a woman would have Aaron Crow back in club colors. The man and I did time together in Penten. Just two months before he was freed. It was long enough for Aaron to open up to me.

  He told me something his father told him. Killing a man, doesn’t make you a man. Living with it does. So was I a man because I was living while I had taken the lives of those who had done wrong?

  Then again I was no god to determine if their life was meant to be over.

  I flicked the shower on, ready to wash away the evidence of what I had done. But no amount of soap or water, was going to wash away the man I was becoming.

  Autumn

  “I don’t blame him,” I blew out. “Perhaps I should. But I went there because I wanted to help. He didn’t force me.” I looked at the flowers. “Hawk isn’t really coping with it. He keeps looking at me waiting for me to break. I know he has something he wants to tell me, but he is staying quiet about it.”

  I placed the flowers down, staring at the two headstones. “He loves me. I know that, Mom. And Dad, you’d be proud. Hawk is a hell of a man and I’d be lost without him. As for Jacob,” I paused frowning, “he’s changing. I don’t know what happened. But he’s gone quiet. The type of quiet that comes after a storm. I’m worried about him.” I snuck a glance over my shoulder. Seeing him by the bike on his phone. “Between him and Hawk, I’m never by myself.”

  I inhaled, seeing the headstones, seeing their names. It was a reminder. Family is everything. Material shit comes and goes, family, at the end of the day— is all you have.


  I placed a kiss on my fingers and placed it on mom’s headstone and then did the same with dad’s.. “Days like today, I’m glad you guys aren’t alive, because…” my voice tightened, “because I’m failing.” And the wave of depression went through my body. I knew the signs. I knew what was happening. I was being swallowed by a monster you couldn’t see.

  I couldn’t say it out loud. That I was failing at life. That the depression was back and it was strong. It had me lying crying for hours a night.

  I walked towards Jacob, my hands in my pockets.

  “Ready to go?” he asked looking up and again that coldness was in his voice. He was distant, he wasn’t my Jacob. I just nodded my head, getting on the back of his bike, wrapping my arms around him.

  “Jacob?” I said before he started the bike up.

  “Yeah Autumn?”

  “I hope they can’t see us or see what’s becoming of us.”

  His hand went to mine, which was wrapped around him, he squeezed my hand. “Yeah Autumn. I hope so too.” And then he started the bike. I didn’t know what had happened with Jacob. But I knew that whatever it was, it was a life changing moment.

  Chapter Twenty Two

  CAGE

  The Church boardroom had never been so fucking quiet. No one knew what the fuck to say. My fist under the table was clenched, if I had nails, they’d be bringing out blood. My other hand was tapping my cigarette packet on the table.

  “Well we have to do something.” I said, my eyes glued on the cigarette packet, because if I looked at one of the other boys in the eyes— I’d lose my fucking shit.

  “Can’t kill him again, ” Jacob said coldly. He hadn’t been the same since he witnessed what I had done.

  “Can’t bring the internet down either,” Vod said. “But we can report it to the police.”

  The room went to silence again.

  “Can’t.” Hawk sighed, running his hand over his head. “They’ll know that Neil’s disappearance will be linked to us.”

  My eyes flickered off the cigarette pack to him. “I’d rather have the needle then let fucking sick cunts out there, masturbate over Autumn being raped.” There I said it. I said what everyone was afraid of saying. Rage flared through my body as I glared around the room.

  “Because that’s the other option. This sick fuck, recorded it. Put it on the internet and we are just going to do nothing about it? Because ya afraid I might get the injection? FUCK THAT!” I tossed the cigarette packet across the room out of frustration. “Fucking let the cops investigate Neil’s death. I’d rather be on death row right now then have that video on the internet with it heading towards a million views!” Hawk stared at me blankly. A firm expression on his face.

  “Not telling the cops.”

  My glare got sharper on him. “Maybe we should see how Autumn feels about this video being online? How about you say those words, what you just said to her.” I hissed, and looked around the room. “Y'all ain’t seeing that this will affect her life. If one person recognizes her it will destroy her. But no. You all sit here and worry about losing a member, over her life being ruined.”

  I forced the chair back, getting up. “This is all bullshit. Report it to the fucking cops.”

  One glance at Hawk and I knew what was going to happen.

  “Fuck you all. You all are gutless wonders.” I kicked the chair out of my view, and left the church boardroom heading for the bar. I needed to think of my options. I could hand myself in. Come clean on the murder. Then there would be nothing stopping the club from reporting the video of Autumn to the cops.

  “Hey.”

  I nearly jumped through the fucking roof. I looked her up and down. Her body was slowly healing, I could see that. But I knew the scars that were bleeding in her, weren’t close to healed— cause they couldn’t be seen.

  “Autumn, how are you?” I tried to gather my shit together, and keep up a front like everyone else, that we weren’t dealing with a massive problem.

  “Okay.” She frowned, following me to the bar. “Are you okay?” she said to my back.

  “Fine.”

  “Everyone is acting weird.”

  I turned seeing her biting her bottom lip. Didn’t want her thinking that we saw her differently because of what happened. But the boys didn’t want to tell her that she was on the internet.

  “Club business darling, don’t you worry about it.” I said, grabbing a bourbon. Just as I did, the church doors opened, and out walked the rest of the table. Hawk giving me a look when he saw me talking to Autumn.

  I swallowed the bourbon. She was still standing in front of me. I didn’t know how to comfort someone, who had been through what she had been through.

  The only person I knew that had gone through something as traumatic as this, was Holly and she was hours away. Not to mention her and Autumn had never met.

  Holly was roofied one night at a club. Changed her life. And I was pretty damn sure that her new love interest Aaron Crow, didn’t know about it.

  Her and I spoke the other night. I called to wish her a happy birthday. Holly and I were friends through the clubs. Their club were part of our brotherhood.

  Everyone thought one of us were going to patch the other over. But it hadn’t happened, but I wouldn’t rule it off the table.

  “Cage?” Autumn said my name.

  “Mm?” I was half listening, half thinking about how I could connect Holly and Autumn together.

  Her hand was on my arm, scoring my full attention. “You’d tell me if something was wrong right? You wouldn’t lie to me?” she was speaking so softly. Like I was the only one she trusted here not to lie to her.

  I inhaled sharply and locked my eyes with hers. “Do you want to go for a ride?” I said. Perhaps if I got her away from the club, she would stop thinking that everyone was talking about her. When in reality that was exactly what was happening.

  If the boys could stop making it so fucking obvious.

  “Yeah, okay.”

  “Good, let’s go.” I left the rest of the bourbon, knowing I’d be under the limit. Learned that her getting on the back of a bike was a big deal. I didn’t want her getting on thinking I was under the influence.

  * * *

  “When you said, let’s go for a ride. I was expecting into town.” She said, as I held the bike up, while she climbed off. “Does Dad know I’m here?”

  Hawk had no idea where we were, and that was how it was staying. Didn’t plan on kidnapping her for a two hour ride, but I had. To the Bastards of Satan mother Chapter.

  Knew Holly would be around, and Autumn needed to talk to someone.

  “Well if it ain’t Cage at my fucking clubhouse.”

  I grinned loosely. Getting off the bike. “Aaron.” I shook his hand.

  “Didn’t know a Vulture was in town, let alone one I knew.” Aaron let go of my hand, his eyes going to Autumn. Why was he looking at her like that?

  I wanted to shove him for giving her that look.

  Then he did something I wasn’t expecting. He opened his arms, and Autumn went into them.

  “Hi Aaron,” she said softly into his chest.

  They knew each other?

  She pulled away from his arms, and he had a rather large smug expression on his face when he looked back at me.

  “Well any Vulture member is welcome at the Bastards.” Aaron said and I couldn’t help but think he had fitted into being a mother Chapter president way too fucking well. Guess he was born to be one.

  * * *

  I had sent Holly a message asking her to come to the club. She used to come here on and off with Vex being in charge. Since his death, I didn’t know what was going on with her.

  But when she walked in the door, Aaron’s expression dropped. Like she was a ghost or something. I got out of the booth, and wrapped an arm around her.

  Been a good year since we had seen each other. She had visited me in prison. She made a crack at me about not having my lip piercing back in.
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  I looked back, only to see Autumn glaring at her glass and Aaron glaring at Holly. What the fuck was going on with them?

  I sat in the booth and then Holly placed a hand on my shoulder, telling me to move around. So Autumn moved closer to Aaron and Holly sat next to me.

  Couldn’t help but think that Holly and Aaron had some tension.

  Then I was starting to think Autumn and I had some tension. By the looks she was shooting that glass. Something was wrong.

  Didn’t know why I did it, but I did. I ran my arm along the back of the booth, behind Autumn.

  “So what are we doing?” Holly asked and turned to look at me. “What has Cage Hurley in town?”

  For you to speak to the woman I kind of love but won’t admit to loving. “Needed a scene change. Have you met Autumn?” I said, and Autumn looked up.

  “Yeah we’ve met. She slept with Jacob a while back.” Autumn said and Holly’s expression dropped.

  “No, I never slept with Jacob.”

  “I watched you come out of his room. You denying that?”

  “Jacob and I are friends. Nothing more.”

  Autumn smirked. “Well you are friends with a lot of The Vultures men aren’t you?”

  Holly’s eyes narrowed on Autumn. “I think you and I need to have a discussion.”

  “If it involves fists then yes we do.”

  “Calm down girls.” I looked between the both of them. “No one is punching anyone.” I said that more to Autumn then Holly. Autumn would get into fist fights with her brother. Holly was more of a slap you kind of girl.

  Holly’s eyes were glaring at Autumn, and then I put a hand over Holly’s on the table. Putting myself in her view. “Stop it.” I ordered her. Here I was thinking Autumn could have a girl chat. Not a fucking cat fight.

  Holly’s eyes flickered with something, and her hand went to my cheek. “I’ve missed you Cage. It’s been a year since I saw you in prison.”