Chapter 38

Austin
Watching Candice strut around my house, worried that she might come across some picture of me and a woman was amusing. I know that's what she was doing. At first, I was just going to let her believe I was with someone, see how long until it drove her crazy, but something inside of me wanted her to know immediately that I'm single. I have to admit she's been on my mind nonstop since I realized she was the woman that we found unconscious outside the compound.
I take off on my bike headed to the old community center. When Abby first told me that Chance was there I knew what was in his head. I just needed to be alone before I could take off to see him. I had texted him earlier and told him to stay put. I didn't get a text back, but I knew he would be there. We have never had a shooting at the compound, and after it happened I was so focused on Max's turmoil, Chance's never even came to mind.
I know I need to get to Chance, talk some sense into him, get back to the compound, check on everyone there, then head home so I can take Candice to her house to get her shit, then we can head back home to rest. Christ, I'm exhausted just thinking about all this. When I pull up to the old youth community center I take a look around the old building. Two years ago, this was a youth community center, now it's just an old abandoned building full of bullet holes and bad memories.
I spot Chance almost immediately. He is staring at a spot on the ground deep in thought. I can only imagine what he is thinking so I make sure I make some noise as I walk up, I don't want to scare him and have him freak. Chance doesn't turn but he does tense up, so I know he hears me, I'm sure the bike's noise was an indication of me arriving anyways. Chance turns and glances at me before turning back and staring at the same spot on the ground. When I make it to him I can see a faint red mark at the spot he is so focused on. Blood.
I don't say anything. I wait for Chance to make the first move. Apart of being a good leader is knowing when to let your crew have their moments. He may have been a newly patched in member, but he is still family. I need to respect that. Chance eventually breaks the silence when he starts speaking.
"She was right here Aus, right fucking here, right where I'm standing. I didn't hear anything at first. Everyone was screaming so loud and running around that it took me a second to understand the sound of gun fire. By the time I snapped out of it and realized I needed to protect my students, it was too late." He states.
I already know the story of his past, but this is the first time I have ever seen him look genuinely saddened by the incident. When he first told his story to me to last year all I saw was anger. Today must have reminded him of the shooting. Abby being hurt must have drugged up those old memories. I know he had to get out, but he has to understand, the brothers needed him. He can't always just leave.
"Know you don't have a good past with this place Chance. I think if you weren't in a bad condition after the shooting, you wouldn't have been at the clubhouse to become a prospect. I understand bad memories man, we live them every day being in the club, but I need to know if you are all in." I start.
I don't want this coming from left field for him, but this puts him in a bad spot.
"Many of the brothers have had some kind of bad experience that brought them to the Nightmare Warriors, but I can guarantee that if any of them saw you hurt they would stop everything to help you. They needed that from you earlier man, and it wasn't reciprocated."
Chance just stares at the spot. I wait a few minutes to let him think about everything, then I walk back to my bike. I hear him shout something from behind and I turn around as he continues.
"What's my punishment?" He says still staring at the spot. When I don't immediately respond, he turns around and matches my eyes.
"Something tells me your punishing yourself enough right now brother." I say and turn back to my bike. I won't let the guys give him shit but I needed to let him know he will be in the hot seat for a while.
The drive back to the compound is nice and relaxing. After everything that happened, I know I shouldn't be riding alone but I forgot how much more relaxed I feel when I ride without a million thoughts in my head. I wouldn't mind take a vacation after all this bullshit is over with and just head up the coast. Be nice to have a certain redhead to join me on that trip. Wait. What? Where did that thought come from? I am a little surprised I have been gone no more than an hour and yet here I am already thinking of Candice. Her wrapped around my body earlier had done something to me, I just don't know if I want that going somewhere. For the first time in my life, I'm thinking long term.
I pull up to the clubhouse, grateful to have the thoughts fluttering around my mind about a certain beauty in my home come to a temporary stop, and see a few men outside on the roof standing watch. I don't see any guns, but I know they are packing, trained them myself. I walk in and immediately find Max sitting on the sofa on his phone. I sit next to him, waiting for the conversation to end.
I'm lost in my thoughts until he says a certain name from our past has me quickly turning my head to him in surprise.
"No, Shawna, I'm fine. I don't need you to call me every time you hear something going on over here." With that he hangs up. Fuck, he was speaking with Shawna? I give him a stern stare but when I get the same look mirrored back to me, I let it go. Too much shit to deal with as it is.
"Cops?" I ask. My brother and I have always had a certain way of communicating. I could ask him an entire question with just one word and he would respond the same way. Used to drive mom crazy.
"Some, gave them some bullshit story about one of our guys fucking around outside with a firearm. Timmons gave us the, I don't believe it, but I can't prove anything shrug. You know the one where he shakes his head and closes his eyes while pinching the bridge of his nose." I laugh at his impersonation of officer Timmons.
Timmons has been giving us shit for years. He is as old as my father and usually means no harm. He knows I am trying to make this club legit now, so he usually doesn't interfere. Today might test that friendship with him though, some things he can't control. I won't be surprised if he shows up next time with a warrant.
I walk around checking in with some brothers and when I get to Shane I pull him inside the room reserved for Church. This room holds many memories for me. It's in this very room that I got my patch, bringing me from an immature prospect to the man my father would be proud of. There are pictures all over the walls of our brothers that are no longer with us. The walls are covered with them and in the very center of the room is a round table with chairs all around it. The club's insignia has been pyrographed into the wood. Shane crosses his arms to his chest; his signature fucking pose and speaks first.
"Snake says it wasn't his crew. Couldn't tell for sure if he were lying or not but your meet for tomorrow morning is still on." I had asked Shane to contact Snake for me when we couldn't find Chance. I know he has got his grudge against the man who runs the club that killed his father, but we needed answers quick and Max and Chance were a bit preoccupied.
"Good, I don't know man, seems like Snake is telling the truth to me. He ain't a pussy. He would have straight out come at our club with everything he had, not fucking around with guys we don't recognize. I wish I had a cut from those assholes that ran me off the road. Something tells me they wouldn't match up to the Road Kings' cut." Shane just nods his head at me. He was never much of a talker.
"Gotta ask you, When I need to come to the clubhouse, I may need you and Max to keep an eye out for Candice. She is shacked up at my house right now, but I want someone always there. I got Miles on her right now, although she doesn't know it." I say feeling a little guilty that I didn't tell Candice. Last thing I wanted before I left was an argument. Although with Candice I notice I keep anticipating one and not getting it. This woman is something else. Fuck there I go thinking about her again.
"You want me to baby-sit?" He asks, his face that of absolute horror. Normally I wouldn't ask this of Shane. Women aren't necessarily his forte, but I want her comfortable. Max will make her comfortable and the only other brothers I trust with her is Shane and Chance. Chance wasn't in the right state of mind when I went to him earlier so that left Shane.
"She don't know me." He states.
"I know man, but maybe you should get to know her and stop acting like a child that just came off his mommy's tit."
Shane tenses at that but I don't really give two shits. The less I have to worry about, the better. I know he isn't a fan to someone new to the group, especially a female, but he needs to get over it. He eventually nods his head at me and leaves the room. I scrub my face with my hands then head out as well. I am walking out the front door intending to head home when I see Psych in the corner of the room. He is talking to some girl with brown hair and a shit load of glitter on her eyes. I give him a chin lift wondering why some whore is here, when I specifically told the men no women this week.
Psych nods back and starts pushing the women away. At first, she makes a protest but eventually settles down once she sees me looking her way. She looks a little familiar, but I don't have time to ponder. It's getting late and I need to get home. I still need to take Candice home to get her stuff.


Once I park my bike next to my house I get off and survey the home. I have a pretty nice state of the art surveillance system, but I can never be too sure. I pull out my phone and text Miles, letting him know he can head back to the clubhouse. I get an instant reply back and head inside.
I have always been a bit of a music guy. I used to play the guitar when I was a teenager. rock was my preference and I can tell, staring at Candice, that she is also a fan of rock because she is sweeping around my kitchen using the broom as a microphone to Bon Joi's Living on a prayer. Girl after my own heart. I stand there and watch her shake her ass for a few minutes until she finally turns around and notices I am there. Candice let's out a loud shriek that I have to thank God for no neighbors. Girl has a set of lungs on her, that's for sure.
"God, Austin, you scared me to death. Don't do that to someone who is already panicking at being alone in a new house, while biker gangs are out to get me." She yells walking over to turn the iPod off.
A pang of guilt hits me dead center. Maybe I should have told her someone was here to protect her. I take a look around my house and noticed she cleaned. Like really cleaned. I am not a messy guy but damn, it almost looks like a house right out of a television sitcom. Candice walks over to me and crosses her arms in front of her body, pushing her breasts forward. I am not complaining at this stance.
"Are we leaving to go get my clothes and stuff now?" She asks with an attitude.
"First off, a little bit of manners go a long way. Secondly, they are not biker gangs. Don't ever say that, it sounds stupid. Thirdly, we need to talk before we go anywhere else." I say rubbing my head at an impending headache coming my way.
Candice huffs and puffs, then walks over to the couch and sits, arms still crossed. I join her, making sure to sit extra close. I don't know why I enjoy seeing her stumble a bit when I am near her, but I like her reaction to me. She gives me an eyebrow lift, indicating for me to begin. I exhale loudly and begin.
"Candice, I am sorry this happened to you. I know there has been a lot to take in and I appreciate you being so patient with me." I say looking at her bruise. The one on her face is a lot better than it was before but I can tell she is still in a fair amount of pain in her midsection by the way she is walking. "I know I can't let you go home, but I need you to understand you can't go back to work just yet either."
She gives me a strange look, but I continue before she can interrupt me.
"I know it's hard because you work in E.R. but if you can see if there is any way you can take a few days off that would help us out tremendously. If these guys find out where you work, we can have a whole new slew of problems."
She stares at me for a while then eventually breaks the awkward tension.
"Actually, I am currently on vacation. It isn't exactly what I had in mind, but at least I don't have to be at work for a few days. I do however need to call my mother. She lives with me and I need to make sure she stays with my grandmother." She says.
Another pang of guilt weighs me down. All she wanted to do was have a few days off. She has been beaten, kidnapped, thrown into an mc club and now I can't allow her to go home. Maybe I need to cut her some slack. I nod my head at her and I receive a small smile back.
"Okay, lets head over to your place to pick some things up, but first grab your burner so you can call your mom."
Candice clears her throat, looks to me, to the phone, then back again twice. I give her a little smirk when her knee starts to bounce. She hates being uncomfortable
"Can you um, give me a moment?" She asks blushing a little. Damn, that's a sexy color on her cheeks.
"Nope" I say, smiling at her.
I nod my head at the phone in her hands and she huffs a few times then dials a number.
"Hello? Mom? Hey, oh um yes, I left my phone at home, I'm, uh with a friend. Yes, yes, listen mom I called because I needed to tell you not to go home. Why? Um, because we have termites." I am trying very hard not to laugh right now. I don't get why she just doesn't tell her mother the truth. Or maybe just a side version of it. I'm sure she doesn't want her mother to worry but seriously termites?
"What?!" Candice screeches pulling me from my thoughts. "You're home now?" she looks to me, her eyes wide.
"Tell her we are on our way babe" I say, loud enough for her mother to hear.
"Um, yes that was my friend. Listen mom, you and grandma stay there, I'm coming. We need to talk." She says hanging up the phone.
"Are you kidding me Austin. My mother is going to assume we are sleeping together now. Why did you say something? Now she is home, with my grandmother, and I have to figure out a way of telling them both that there are goons watching the house like a bunch of mobsters." She says arms flailing around.
Fuck, she is cute when she gets all amped. I want to pin her down and kiss the hell out of her. She is so dramatic. She has to be at least thirty years old and here she is worried that her mother and grandmother know that she may have a damn boyfriend. I just simply chuckle at her and shake my head. I get off the couch, grab the burner placing it in the kitchen drawer and turn around to her still frowning at me from her spot on the couch.
"I'm serious Austin. This is my life, remember? I think I should have a say in whether or not I want my mother and grandmother to know I was around you." She says with a snarl.
What the fuck is that supposed to mean? She thinks her family wouldn't want me around their precious daughter? I have gotten looks and whispers about me my whole life because of the club. I have never given two shits about any of it, but something about the way she said that and the way she has a disgusted look on her face has me livid.
"Oh, yeah? Well let's take a page from your fucking book, shall we? Let's go over there tell them some bullshit lie about why they can't be in your home, then we will put on that false smile you always wear and see if they buy it. That work for you Candice?" I scream.
I don't realize the depth of my words until I see tears bordering on the edges of her eyes. Shit, I barely apologized for the first time I hurt her feelings, now here I was doing it again. I let out a long breathe and grab my keys and helmet. When she stands up straightens herself and puts on that damn fake face I hate, I know she is ready to go. We walk in silence to the bike and I hop on first to start her up. Once I feel Candice slip on and put her arms around me we head over to her house. The whole way there I am contemplating how the hell I am going to make this up to her and more importantly, why I care so damn much.