Chapter 54

Austin
I pull up to the hospital not long after the phone call with Shane. All he told me was that I needed to get my ass over to the hospital as soon as possible, so that's what I did. I left Max to deal with Miranda and Snake. I know I shouldn't have done that, as president it's up to me to see out another president from my club but for once the club and all its rules are coming second. Hearing Shane's distress was enough of a kick in the ass for me to see that this woman was made for me and I have no intension of letting her go again. I just hope I'm not too late.
Shane meets us half way up the emergency entrance and I stop so we can walk over from prying ears and eyes. Cops are usually in this area and I don't want them even getting in my way. Especially if my girl is danger.
"She showed up at work a few hours ago but Doc says she left early. Took her car. Got a hold of the security camera, she wasn't alone." Shane says when we are far enough away from people.
"How the fuck did you get a hold of…. Know what, never mind. Who was with her?"
"Some chick wearing a shit load of make up around her eyes. Lyla said her name is Melissa Wells. Had Torque look into her name. She changed her name when she moved to New York, but her name was Melissa Shields, she's Psych's sister Austin.
"Fuck." I shout pulling the attention from an older lady awaiting a family member's news no doubt.
"Gets worse brother." I look to Shane and wish he would just spit it out as opposed to being all mysterious.
"She used to work for Cole Industries but was put on leave a couple years ago. My guess is they're both using and needed some cash. Had Torque looking into her properties since Psych ain't got none in his name."
"Don't bother, Psych's ex told us that he stays at his old lady's house all the time." When Shane gives me a shocked look I know I need to elaborate. "Jesse is his old lady. They have been planning this shit for a long time. I just don't know why they would need Candice."
"Well then let's fucking roll. The fuck we doing standing around like a bunch of fucks?"
"Tried her place man, ain't no one there." My phone vibrates in my pocket and when I lift it I see Max's name on display.
"Got something for me?" I answer going right to the point.
"Yep, got another place registered under her name. Had torque do one of those video surveillance things with a nearby streetlight, Candice's car is there. Need to hurry Austin. Me and Snake are meeting you there."
"Send me the address." I say hanging up, I don't bother letting anyone know what is going on. I know my boys will follow me, that's what makes this a brotherhood. They will follow me until I stop riding. I see a glimpse of Lyla kissing Shane goodbye and we head out.
Takes us about twenty minutes to get to the house and when we get there, Max is standing there with Snake and Drift. I know it is taking a lot for Max and Snake to be around each other so I walk up behind Max and make sure he is good. He gives me a look he perfected since he has been home form the Army and I spin my gaze around to the abandoned house.
I wave my hand towards my men indicating for them to surround the house. It isn't a very big house, can't be more than a thousand square feet, but I don't know of any exits in the back and if they have my girl I don't want them getting away.I walk up to the door, my gun in my right hand. I don't think they have neighbors, the houses all look abandoned but just in case we need to make this quick, I don't want anyone calling the cops about fifty bikers in their neighborhood.
I walk up the few steps to the house and narrow my eyes on the small holes in the wood that the windows are boarded up in. They are just small enough for someone to see out of from the inside. I walk the perimeter of the house and right before I get back to the door, I hear a shout of words coming from a familiar voice.
"Austin, they have guns, get away from the door."
I run to the edge of the deck and hop onto the floor as a single shot is fired in my direction. I shout to my men to hold their fire because Candice is inside. I run over to the back of Candice's car and duck my head from the now onslaught of gun shots I'm receiving. Fucker is going to die a slow death for this shit.
"Max, Candice is inside." I yell to my brother who is ducking behind his Harley. I see his head nod and know I can trust my brother to get my girl out of there.
I see movement in the next-door neighbor's window and know we only have a little bit of time before cops show up.
"Chance, go in from the back." I yell and see him and Jim, another one of our old timers, run towards the back guns drawn.
Suddenly the shooting stops, I hear shouting and then a bang, as if someone fell to the ground. I take my chances and run towards the door and with a heavy foot kick it in. I lean to my left so that whoever is on the inside can't see me. Shane turns up at my side and together we run in guns drawn. Psych is sitting on the ground with an unconscious Candice in his arms. She looks extremely banged up. Her face is completely bruised. She has some swelling around her eyes and blood all over her scrubs. His gun drawn to her slouched head. Fucker is using her as a shield.
To his right is Jesse, who has a nasty cut on her head and is bleeding profusely out of it. She is lying on the floor clutching her head and crying out in pain. There is a girl next to her that has been shot in her chest. She looks vaguely familiar, but I can't place her. She is gone.
"Stay the fuck back man. You want her to live, you're gonna do as I fuckin say." Psych screams out.
I lower my gun with my hands up and Shane does the same. From the back of the room I can see what appears to be the bedroom. Max is crouched down below coming out of the room and signals to me to keep my eyes on Psych. He is clearly unstable and as much as I just want to crush his fucking windpipe with my bare hands I know I need to cool it to keep Candice safe.
"You want me, here the fuck I am, but her let fucking go Psych."
"You don't fucking get it Austin." He cries out hysterically. "This club was supposed to stay in the business. I would have everything I needed, but you took them out of it. This is all your fault. Look what you made me do." She shrieks pointing to the girl on the ground. That must have been the sister Shane was telling me about. Crazy bastard killed his own sister.
Jesse makes a noise, getting ready to stand up causing Psych to take his eyes off of me. I jump towards Candice and pull her away from Psych at the same time that Max takes his shot at psych. Psych is down in a heartbeat bullet hole in his head while Jesse starts screaming. I roll Candice to her back and try waking her.
"Fuck baby, wake up Candy. C'mon babe." Nothing. There is blood everywhere.
"Candy please, I can't lose you. C'mon babe." Nothing.
I scream for Slice and he runs over checking on Candice's body.
"Needs a hospital Austin. I think she might have an infection in her back. Fucker cut her up bad." Slice says while rolling Candice back and forth.
Anger clouds over me. I look over to Psych and get no kind of remorse for him. Fucker should have gone painfully slow.
"Rein it in Aus. We need to move now." Slice says dragging my thoughts from my former brother to the woman I love.
I assist Slice in helping her up and have one of the guys bring our SUV over. We brought it over thinking we might need it to haul Psych out. Even though it's no longer the case I'm glad we brought it all the same.
Slice hops into the driver's seat as soon as we get Candice in and I have him meet me at the hospital. I run over to my bike where Shane and Chance are.
"Max?" I ask worried about my brother's state of mind.
"He'll get there. How is she?" Shane asks.
Before I can answer, Snake walks over to me.
"Need us to handle this?"
"Yeah, appreciate that Snake. Appreciate everything." Fuck if it weren't for him, I might have been too late.
"I'll need a repayment eventually. Keep in touch Stone."
I nod my head towards him, hop on my bike and fly the hell out of there. My men will help with clean up and come up with some shit to say to the cops. Meanwhile Snake and his men will make sure the bodies are disposed of.
One thing is for sure. When Candice wakes up from this, I will help her through it all. She got into this mess because I didn't believe her. I didn't trust her enough to listen to her. She tried to tell me about her father, about her past and the connection to the MC, but I wouldn't listen, and now she is fighting for her life in a SUV not ten feet in front of me. I make a silent promise to make sure she sees just how much she means to me and how sorry I am for all of this.