Chapter 36

Austin
I don't think I have ever had to explain my story to anyone. I have only ever had my brothers, my mom, and my club. Sure, I have had women here and there, but no one serious enough to know my business. Granted the only reason I am telling Candice about club business is because she is now mixed in it. I hate that they think she is with Max, but I am happy they weren't stupid enough to kill her. Another reason I need to speak with Snake. I no longer think this is his club's doing. They would never hurt old ladies. I know Snake and he would never do something like this.
Snake and I go way back. He is a piece of shit but he ain't stupid. He knows our club would destroy his. He is around my dad's age and my father and him never got along. There was lots of bloodshed on both parts with them getting in each other's way of the drugs and money over the years. When I got the club, I let Snake know right away I wanted nothing to do with that shit.
I look to Candice to make sure she understands the severity of the situation. I know she would rather be at home with her boyfriend making out next to a fire or some other shit, but she needs to know she can't leave. Not yet. I need to take control of this situation first. That's what took so long in church earlier. The guys voted to protect her since she is an innocent, but they want to make sure she doesn't go running her mouth as soon as we are done with this shit storm.
"Candice? I need to know you understand what I am saying to you." I repeat to her for the third time. She is just sitting there staring at my bathroom door.
I get up, get in front of her and bend down on my knees so that we are eye to eye. Once she notices I am looking at her she transfers her gaze from the door to me.
"I'm so sorry you lost your father the way you did, that couldn't have been easy. Thank-you for sharing that with me. I hear what you're saying though Austin. I won't go to the police. I just want this nightmare to be over."
Candice pulls her gaze downward and takes a hidden breath. I think admitting that has exhausted her. I can tell she is the kind of person that feels like she has to be strong all the time. There is a gut punch to my abdomen about my being right in her eyes. The day that I met her, I made her feel inadequate. I hate that I did that to her. I exhale loudly, stand up and walk over to the door.
"Gonna make sure my men are all good before we head out. Call your family babe, let them know what's going on then we'll head to my place." With that I walk out and close the door.
When I get to the kitchen I see Chance and Abby having a heated discussion. I thought Abby left? When I walk in they notice me and go silent. I give them an eyebrow raise and Abby just shakes her head at Chance and leaves the room. I look to Chance, but he just shrugs his shoulders like he doesn't understand what that was about. For as long as I have known Abby she has always had a crush on Chance. At first, I figured her age was what stopped him from noticing her. They must be about ten years apart but now I think he really just doesn't see it. Clueless Fucker.
"She good?" He asks in his typical moody fashion.
"Yeah, she's in my room getting some rest, or attempting to anyways. I explained everything to her, I hope she understands that she is safer here than on her own. I don't need to add drama to this already fucked up situation, so I hope she says yes to staying with us and we will deal with the rest later. Did you set up a time with Snake?" I know we are meeting up tomorrow, but I am unsure of the time.
"Yeah. He wants to meet early. Like six a.m. early. He says he needs to show us something that happens around seven. I don't know what the fuck that means but I just nodded my head and got the fuck out of there." He says.
I nod my head at Chance, then head to the bar for a much-needed drink. Torque walks up to me and pats my shoulder. I turn to give him my full attention.
"Got anything?" I ask.
Torque is our tech wiz. He is extremely skinny with black shaggy hair and bright green eyes. He is a little punk but extremely fucking loyal to our club. When he first came to me to be a prospect I laughed at him. He was only sixteen at the time and not someone I would ever take in in. He had a goddamn t-shirt with a unicorn on it for crying out loud. It wasn't until Max found out he was homeless that I had him looked into. Torque's family did something bad to him when he was only fifteen, so he ran away from home and started sleeping on the streets. Learned how to break into stores to eat without setting off their security systems which is how he got his nickname. When he saw what we were about he wanted to be a part of it. I offered him a job cleaning up the compound and as soon as he turned eighteen brought him in as a prospect. Once he told us what his foster parents did to him, Shane and I personally went down there where I beat the living shit out of the father until he couldn't stand up.
"Nothing. It's strange man, the camera was working just fine up until five minutes before the flood lights turned on. Right after that, it goes all staticky." Torque states dragging me back to the present.
I had Torque look into the video surveillance from last night. I wanted to see who dropped her off and what kind of car they were driving. This shit is too much of a coincidence and I want to get to the bottom of it before anyone else if hurt.
"Wait, so we have nothing but static right before her drop off?"
"Yeah man, and not only that but a few minutes after we all came out, the video resumes like nothing was wrong. It's strange really, it's like someone deliberately turned them off and on."
Before I could question him further, Max walks in with a small bag in his hand. I haven't seen him since breakfast and I want to speak with him about where we go from here. I signal Torque to leave and Max takes up the abandoned seat.
"Where's Red? I got some stuff for her here. Nothing big just some more clothes and shit from Abby." He says indicating to the bag in his grasp.
"In my room resting. We need to talk." I say as he gives me a troubled look.
"She's going to let us handle everything. She ain't going to the cops, but I'm taking her to my house until we can figure this shit out."
"Sure that's wise man? There are a fuckload of us here and we already vowed to protect her. You really going to leave her at your place alone all day?" He says with an angry stare.
I close my eyes and sigh, does but my brother really think so little of me?
"No man, she will have protection there too, but she wants some privacy. I don't have anywhere to give that to her but my place. It's secure, and I plan on having someone with her when I can't be."
Max nods his head looking away, I can tell he doesn't like the plan. I'm not a huge fan of it either but it's better than the alternative of her going to the cops with this bullshit.
"Got a meeting in the morning with Snake. Taking Chance with me, would take you but figured you wouldn't want to see him anyways." I say knowing Max and Snake's history.
"Nah, I'm good. You take Chance, but you really should take another brother. Never know what that fucker will do." He says with a snarl.
I nod my head then head to the kitchen. Candice was pretty hungry earlier, so I want to get her some more food just in case she still isn't ready to leave the room. I grab a plate of quesadillas that one of the old ladies are making. I chat with Claire, Tone's old lady for a few minutes about her leaving right after she is done, as well as the other old ladies that came to help out for a few hours today. I know they want to help by making sure we all eat but I can't have them in any kind of danger. If the note wasn't clear enough, Candice's bruised face should confirm.
When I get to my room I knock once but don't hear a reply. I assume Candice fell asleep, so I open the door and get the surprise of a lifetime. Christ. Candice is sitting on my bed in nothing but a matching bra and panties putting on lotion.
I have no idea where she got the girly glittery lotion, I have no idea how she got the jeans or t-shirt that are on my bed to her right, but I don't care. I have never seen such a beautiful sight in front of me. She has creamy skin, her hair is a deep red and long, longer than I thought. I notice a towel next to her feet, so she must have recently showered. I am pretty damn content on standing there staring at her until someone clears their throat behind me.
Candice turns around quickly and tries to cover herself with her hands. Fuck. I turn around myself and see Max standing there leaning against the doorframe with his hands crossed at his chest and a bag dangling from his fingers. Fucker, he is smiling at me like he knew what I was doing. I turn back around, and notice Candice run towards the bathroom. I narrow my eyes and glance at my brother. Instead of calling me out at being a perv he walks in and places the bag on the bed.
"So you microwaved her some quesadillas? How chivalrous of you Aus." He says in a condescending tone.
I get ready to tell him to fuck off when I notice he is digging through the bag and uncovering some clothing. I'm just about to ask him what the hell he is doing when Candice emerges from the bathroom. She has on tight fitting jeans and a black tank top. Her tits look delicious in that damn shirt.
"Hey darlin, so I got you some more items, Abby told me to she went shopping for you this morning but wanted you to have some extras before you head out. Also got you some food here, just in case someone tried to offer you something like microwaved quesadillas." Max says with a smirk in my direction. I toss the plate on the dresser and the clatter causes Candice to look my way. Fuck she is beautiful.
"Actually, I thought I smelled something good from the oven while I was in the shower. Can I have one of those Austin?" She says in a gentle tone.
Max chuckles from behind her as I go over to the dresser and grab one to give to her. She starts nibbling on one and then goes over to Max. Candice pats his back and a little tingle of jealousy starts crawling up my back. I give Max a pointed look. He walks over to me and opens the door to leave. Before he does he turns back at Candice and says something that reminds me to have a talk with him.
"I also got you some cream to help hide the bruises. I wasn't sure if you would want to use it or not, but I figured the bruises around your neck look a little harsh." With that he is gone.
I hear Candice exhale loudly and I turn to her getting ready to defend my brother. I know Max said he hurt her yesterday, but she has to know he isn't the kind of person to just do that to someone. I can tell there is more to the story than I originally thought but I still feel like I need to explain Max's situation to her.
"Listen Candice, about Max…" I start but she interrupts me.
"I had a stun gun. My grandmother bought one for me years ago when I first started doing night shifts. The day I got a flat tire I put it in my purse when I saw someone pull over to help me. I didn't know it was your brother. When he offered me a ride to the repair shop and told me he wouldn't charge me, I thought he was propositioning me for something else." She says looking down and fiddling with her nails. "I put my hand in my bag and grasped the gun just in case, but he must have saw it. I saw his eyes, Austin. I saw his whole demeanor change once he saw I had something that could potentially hurt him. He was so quick I didn't know how to even react. When he backed up and I started to run I could see the anguish on his face. He's broken. He may put up a good front, but your brother needs someone."
Candice just blew my mind. I had a feeling it was something that set Max off but having her confirm it has made me a little weary of Max's condition. I hate that he did this to her, accident or not, but I'm grateful she sees it for what it is. Not many people would still look at Max the same way. There is bound to be some anger, sadness, or Max's least favorite emotion, pity.
"Max hates being the bad guy. He will do anything possible not to hurt anyone. I think it's bothering him that he hurt you, but I'm glad you understand." I barely get out. My mind focused on my little brother.
I can't believe Max hurt her like that. It must be tearing him apart. I'm grateful that she didn't call the cops on him or something. She could have made the situation a whole lot worse but chose not to. This woman continues to shock me with her kindness and compassion. Max attacking her must have really frightened her but instead of being afraid of him, or giving him looks of sympathy, she is sweet to him. I'm starting to notice this woman has a heart of gold.
"So he really is the opposite of you huh?" She says with a little smirk.
I roll my eyes at the comment. People have always been a little shocked at the fact that Max and I are related, but I know Candice is referring to the other day at the hospital. I rub the side of my head. I know I owe her an apology and if my mother were here she would smack me in the back of my head for not doing it sooner.
"Listen Candice, I'm sorry for treating you badly the other day. The same guys that attacked you, ran me off the road that day.I was pissed, and stressed out, but I shouldn't have taken it out on you. You didn't deserve that." I say genuinely.
She gives me a little smile that is making me feel ten feet tall. I walk over and grab the sandwich from her bag, sit on the bed and start eating. She walks over to the dresser, grabs another quesadilla and sits next to me. She bumps my shoulder a few seconds later and asks me a question I knew was coming.
"So when do we leave to your house? I have to admit, it usually takes a few dates for me to sleep over at a man's house, so you should feel pretty lucky." She jokes.
Fuck she is cute. It makes me want to kiss her damn lips. She is taking this whole situation in stride, but I can tell a lot of it is for show. I can read people well, and although I apologized to her about being a dick the other day, I know I wasn't wrong. Candice doesn't like people seeing her true emotions. She needs to constantly be in control.
I'm about to let her know we will be leaving soon when I hear someone shout get down. I grab Candice and push her on the ground. I hear her cry out in pain as I do so, but my mind is working on overdrive as I hear gunfire hitting the cement of the clubhouse. Candice screams in my arms and I crawl over to the bathroom. I pull open the door while pulling her body to my chest. We are far enough away from the entrance and my room is a part of a hallway, but I don't know if whoever is attacking us has made it inside or not.
"Babe, stay here. I got to go check on my men. Do not answer this door for anybody." I say shouting over all the noise of my brothers yelling. Candice just stares at me with eyes wide. I want to comfort her, but I need to go see what the fuck is happening.
"Babe, know your scared but I need you to understand what I'm saying to you. Stay here and wait for me to come and get you. Do not come out until I come and get you myself." Takes a second for her eyes to focus on mine, but she eventually gives me a head nod.
I jump up, close the bathroom door and head to the bedroom door. I walk out and see that some of the brothers have some wounds. Slice is working on a brother's leg when I reach him.
"What the fuck happened?" I yell amidst all the noise.
Slice doesn't turn his head towards me but answers my question while still putting a towel around Mute's leg.
"Fuckers shot up the clubhouse, but nobody was seriously hurt. Seems like it was more a scare tactic. Jr. and Mute here saw them pull up out front in a white van. Three guys started firing at us then drove off." He pauses then looks to me. "Austin, they had Road Kings cuts on."
Shit, I need to figure out what the fuck is going on. This sounds too suspicious. Not only did they not kill one of us again, but they made themselves completely known this time. Sounds too suspicious. Now I definitely need to speak with Snake tomorrow. I thank Slice then start looking around for Max. Last thing his mind needs is the sound of a gun firing at him.
"He's outside on the roof." Slice answers my unspoken question. I narrow my eyes at him but he just shrugs. "If it were my brother, I'd be looking for him too."
I nod my head in thanks and head to Shane and Psych who are giving some orders around.
"Church in one hour. Slice says just a couple grazes for Mute. Other than that we have no injuries?"
I get a head nod from them both and head over to the front door. I put in a spiral metal staircase when I first became president just in case there was ever a time we needed to get to the roof quickly and couldn't get inside. I round up the stairs and stop at the last landing when I see a sight that pains me. Max is sitting on the roof holding a gun in his right hand to his head and his left hand is buried in his hair. He is rocking back and forth, and his eyes are tightly closed.
"Max." I say in a hushed tone. I don't want to scare him.
He startles and stands, gun still in his right hand. He gives me a forced smile that doesn't reach his cheeks and stands up to walk to me. Max tries to be strong for me and the club, that much I can see. I appreciate it as his president but as his big brother, I'm worried. I've never seen him like that. I hope to God that was the only time he has ever done that.
"You good?" I ask him as he makes his way to me.
"Yeah, we need to get these assholes though Austin. Someone could have been fucking hurt." He says changing the subject.
I nod my head at him but can't take my eyes from the gun in his hand. We don't have time right now, but we need to address this problem with him. Candice is right, I think Max might need some help.
"Let me see your gun Max."
"Fuck Austin, I said I'm fucking fine. Let it go man. We need to focus on the Road Kings."
"And we will, but for now I need to make sure all my brothers are focused and on the right mindset, Max. Let me see your gun then I want you and Psych to head over to my house and set up a perimeter. I can't keep Candice here. We need to leave now."
Max blows out a breath, and what feels like hours later finally hands me his gun. With a shake of his head he walks past me and down the stairs. He knows I should make one of the prospects do that, but I need Max to have some quiet time and as much as Psych fucking talks, the distraction might be good for him. I stare down at the gun in my hand that my brother handed me and look up to the sky.
"Need some help here old man. Don't know what to do."
I head inside and walk back to my room. I need to let Candice know that everything is all clear. When I walk inside I head straight for the bathroom. I head over and slowly open the door. I do not want to scare her more than she already is. Candice is sitting in the tub with her arms around her knees and has her head down within her arms. She is shaking badly, and I can hear little whimpers. I slowly walk over to her and sit. I know she can hear me in here because she tenses and tries to cover her tears.
When she is sure she is more presentable, she looks up at me. Little splotches of red cover her eyes where I can still see the remains of bruises left behind by those assholes. I sit up, lean into her and kiss her forehead. I'm not sure what prompted me to do that but when I release her, she is smiling a grateful smile. I give her one back then stand up and put my hands out for her. I want to apologize for everything happening around her because of us, but I think she understood in my gesture how sorry I am.
We walk hand in hand into the main room where it is still chaotic. Candice runs over to Simms sitting on the coach holding his right leg. I know he wasn't hurt by a bullet, but Simms has a bad leg from back in the day. He is another old timer that rode along my father. Candice sits down next to him and speaks with him. I can't hear what they are saying but when I see him nod his head she helps take his boot off and examines his leg.
Psych walks over to me and is staring at Candice like I am. This woman just keeps surprising me at every turn. Just minutes ago she was in a tub belonging to a club full of men she doesn't know, worried she might be shot from the same thugs that beat her and kidnapped her, yet, here she is taking care of a brother.
I look around and notice everyone else is staring too. Guess it's been a while since we have had a new woman in here. Although I don't think that is the reason they are all staring. Candice has a beauty about her unlike any club whore strutting around in here. Max comes from behind me and slaps me hard on the back. Dick. He gives me a small smile showing me that he is fine. I stare at his eyes a little long just to be sure. After all Max tends to fake it for me and mom quite a bit.
"She seems to be alright." Max says as Candice moves on to next person." But we need to talk about Chance."
I look around to see what he is referring to but can't find Chance anywhere. I rub my face with my hands to alleviate some of the stress. I'm getting sick and tired of playing catch up in my own goddamn clubhouse.
"Church in fifteen boys." I shout making all them stop with whatever they are doing. I know I said an hour earlier but I need to get a move on. Apparently, I'll have to move everything forward a little faster to now accommodate Chance's disappearance.
Once they all start filling in the room we use for church, I head over to Candice who is wrapping up Wipp's arm whom also got a graze. Wipp shakes his head in amusement at Candice when she tells him to put some bun cream on it every four hours and gets up to join the boys. Candice looks around realizing that most of the men have cleared out.
"He isn't going to do it, is he?" She asks indicating at Wipp with her chin.
"Nope." I answer. "Listen, can you stay out here and keep an eye on the women?"
I would ask Abby, but I want Candice to feel like a part of this club. After today there is no way I can let her go home now.
"Oh, um, sure. No problem." She says looking around a little panicked.
I chuckle a little when she sees Bertha walking in. Bertha is Wipp's old lady and I know she noticed Candice helping him out. Bertha wouldn't hurt a fly but I'm sure she is wondering who Candice is.
"Thanks Candice." I say.
I bend down and kiss her forehead. She is starting to really grow on me. I just wish her being here was under different circumstance. I head over to the room for church and notice all the boys looking tense as hell. Before I can ask what the hell the problem is now, Max walks up to me and speaks.
"Chance is gone, Austin."