Cade
I was having trouble walking, but I knew that I had to ride over to the Demon Catchers hideout with Rudy, Tyler, and Boulder. If there was a chance, any chance, of saving Vanessa, I knew that we had to take it as soon as possible.
“You ready?” Rudy eyed me as he tugged his shiny black helmet over his big head.
I nodded. My back was aching and every breath I took felt tantamount to torture, but I knew that I had to go with the others. We climbed on our bikes and set out a course for the edge of town.
The Demon Catchers had two hideouts. One in Madison, and one on the outskirts. A lot of MCs around here had a public face of sorts, somewhere they’d throw parties for revenue, and a private face for more sordid matters. I shivered as I realized that Vanessa probably didn’t have a fucking clue what was going on. Her sweet, innocent face shoved in that dirty building with those assholes…just thinking about it made my blood boil.
The day was turning out to be a chilly one, and I snuggled close inside my leather jacket. The wind whipped at my face and hair and I closed my eyes, gunning my bike into a higher gear and plunging ahead as though we were cruising to the end of the world.
It was impossible to talk on the ride, but I was sure we were all thinking the same thing. I couldn’t think of what would happen after we got there. My hopes were pinned on Vanessa still being alive, and if she wasn’t, I had no fucking clue what I was going to do. Go crazy and murder all the Catchers? Tell Rudy I never wanted to see another bike ever again? Shoot myself?
It was a fucking mess.
By the time we pulled up to the Demon Catchers property, my heart was beating against my chest like a frantic drum. We slowed our bikes in hopes that the men wouldn’t hear us coming, and then ditched them by the side of the road in a big clump of green bushes. The wind was something strong, and even with Rudy right by my side, his voice sounded far away and distant.
“Mitchell, we gotta make it in there,” Rudy said. He pointed ahead and I saw a ramshackle wooden house. It was two stories tall, and I guessed it belonged to some Demon Catcher’s grandmother. It wasn’t the kind of house an MC would use as a hideout; it looked too homey, too run-down, too residential.
A loud scream made me whip my head around and stare at the back yard. Vanessa ran through the yard, clutching something black and shiny in her hand. Her brown hair was loose and streaming behind her like silky ribbons, and even from a distance I could tell that her face was bruised and bloodied around the lip. I barely had time to watch her sprint away before a clump of Demon Catchers ran across the field, hot in pursuit. Reaching into my waistband, I pulled out my gun and aimed it at the men. I recognized Dante and Bruno, followed by Isaac. Isaac was limping and his arm was dangling at an angle that made me wince just from the sight—it looked like it was in even worse shape than it had been when I’d first broken it.
I took aim and fired, right into Isaac’s kneecap. He went down with an anguished squeal and Dante and Bruno stopped dead in their tracks. Thankfully, Vanessa kept running. The gunshot had made her look and when she laid eyes on me, I saw joy was written plain on her face. She darted over towards us and scuttled behind Boulder and Tyler as I aimed my gun at Dante and Bruno.
Dante and Bruno wasted no time grabbing their own guns, and aimed towards us. The first round of pop, pop, pop made me hurl my body to the ground and I held up my arms.
“Wait!” I yelled loudly. “Don’t shoot!”
Dante and Bruno approached, their eyes gleaming with malice. I grinned. Suddenly, I was fearless. Knowing that Vanessa was alive suddenly made all the difference in the world. I no longer gave a fuck if those assholes had tried to hurt her. She was back in my line of sight, and I knew that I’d do anything in my power to keep her safe and warm.
“What the fuck?” Dante hissed. He walked up, shaking his head. With some effort, I hauled myself off the ground and stood up to my full height.
“No shooting,” I said, gesturing behind me towards Vanessa. “There are ladies present, don’t you know?”
Dante let out a grunt. “That bitch ain’t no lady,” he said. He leaned over and spat on the ground. “She fuckin’ hurt Isaac real bad.”
I glanced over to Isaac’s supine frame. He was laying on the ground, his knee to his chest, moaning in pain. His hands were covered with blood and his eyes were screwed up tightly.
I snickered. “He looks fine,” I said. “It’s just a knee.” I shrugged.
Dante and Bruno growled as Rudy gripped my arm and pulled me back.
“Mitchell, watch it,” Rudy hissed. “We ain’t here to cause more trouble. We’re here to solve things, right?”
There was a soft touch on my other arm and I turned around to see Vanessa. She looked terrible—she was wearing some kind of club outfit that was covered in blood and dirt—but I’d never been so happy to see her. I hugged her tightly. Deep down, beneath the sweat and grime, I thought I could still catch the faint whiff of cinnamon and flowers in her brown hair.
“I’m so glad you’re okay,” Vanessa said softly. She wrapped her arms around my waist and squeezed me tightly. It hurt, but I didn’t want to let her know. Instead, I gave her a brief nod and extricated myself from her fierce grip.
“So,” I said cockily, striding forward and crossing my arms over my chest. Breathing still hurt, but my adrenaline was riding high and I felt powerful and untouchable. Like a god. “I believe we have somethin’ to settle.”
Dante and Bruno looked at each other in disgust. “You’re a real fucking piece of work,” Bruno said. He glared at me and I grinned. “You think you can just waltz in here and take what belongs to us?”
I spat on the ground. “This woman, Vanessa, she doesn’t belong to you,” I said, shaking my head. “You fucking kidnapped her, and I know the truth.”
“They told me you were dead,” Vanessa said softly. She stared into my eyes and I felt a shock of lust and power. “They told me that they’d killed you.”
I flexed my arm. “Baby, it takes a lot more than these Demon fuckers to knock me down,” I said smugly.
The sound of a gun firing made me jump in the air. “What the fuck?” I turned to Dante and Bruno and they were both aiming at me. I held up my hands and grinned a mocking smile. “Boys, let’s settle this another way.”
Dante shook his greasy head. “No, thanks,” he said curtly. “I’m gonna fuckin’ kill you, just like we told your bitch.”
“No,” I said. “Let’s agree to a race. A race instead of a shootout.” I raised my eyebrows. “If we win, y’all back off.”
“For now,” Rudy added. He glared at me. “We can’t make any agreements about the future, but if we win the race, you leave us alone for the time being.”
Dante and Bruno looked at each other, then back at their lieutenant. Isaac was still on the ground, rolling around in pain and clutching his leg. The blood was flowing freely from the wound in his knee and I had a feeling that unless he got to a doctor soon, he’d be toast.
“A race?” Dante leered at me. “How the fuck I know you ain’t gonna cheat?”
“I don’t know that Cade should be the one racing.” Rudy stepped in and as always, he had the look and feel of real authority. “He’s hurt real bad, Dante.” Rudy let out a chuckle. “You and Bruno really knocked him around, you know?” Rudy glanced at me and I stood straighter than ever, trying to mask how I really felt. “You guys better have a go at me, or Boulder, or Tyler.”
“Yeah, boss,” Tyler said. He stepped forward and pushed his sleeves up his brawny arms. “I’ll do.” He glanced at me and nodded. “I can take any Demon Rat there is.” He smirked and I let out a low whistle.
“Or me,” Boulder said. He gave a cocky little shake of his head and stared Dante down. “I can beat you on the road, or off it,” he said with a wink. “And don’t take anything gay by that comment either.”
“No,” I said firmly. I stepped forward and gently pushed Tyler and Boulder to the side. “This is my race we’re talking about here.” I looked at Vanessa, all sweet and shining. “My girl, my race. I ain’t lettin’ you guys take over for me.”
Rudy grabbed my arm and dragged me to the side. “Mitchell, listen to yourself,” he hissed in a low voice. “You really think that you can make this about you just because you got us into this mess?” He shook his head. “You know that we gotta fucking look out for you, right? This is our thing to deal with, too.”
I glared back at him. “I can race,” I said firmly. “I’m just a little banged up, but I know I can do it.” I glanced over my shoulder to Dante and Bruno. They were prowling around like a couple of greasy Italian snakes. “I want to do it,” I added. “I know that I have to. I got you all into this shit, and I have to get you out of it.”
Rudy took a deep breath. “Cade, you’re young,” he said. “This might not be the first time you fuck up. This might not be the first time that you feel obligated to do something…” He trailed off, raking a hand through his hair. “You gotta think about the girl, Mitchell,” he said. “If something happens to you during the race, and you die, then what the hell are we supposed to tell her?”
I looked at Vanessa. Even though she was standing a few feet away, I couldn’t stop feeling like I was a guy at a high school dance. Just being in close proximity to her was making my palms sweat and the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I had to do it for her. I had to win it for Vanessa. She was perfect, she was sweet, she was everything that I’d ever wanted in a woman. And right now, I was dying to take her into my arms and tell her that the bad guys wouldn’t ever be able to fuck with her again.
“I have to do it for Vanessa,” I said out loud. “She’s terrified and scared, and those assholes kidnapped her because of me. If I don’t show them that I can stand up to them and take them down, they’re never gonna stop. And I want them to leave her alone.”
Rudy looked deeply into my eyes. “Mitchell, are you sure?”
“I’ve never been so sure in my life,” I bluffed. “I have to do this.” I stretched, feeling my injured vertebrae crack painfully in my back. “And I promise I’ll win.”
Together, Rudy and I stepped forward to face Dante and Bruno. Dante wore a patronizing grin on his fat face. “So, boys, what did you decide? Nice little pow-wow?”
I smirked. “Yeah, we decided. I’m riding,” I declared as I pointed to my bike. “I’m riding and there ain’t shit you can do about it.”
Dante prodded Bruno until he stepped forward with a stupid grin on his ugly mug. “Bruno’s gonna ride for us,” he said loudly. “On account of how you took out our lieutenant and all.” He glared at me. “I ought to cap you in the knee for that before we even start riding.”
I growled like a dog and opened my mouth to protest when Rudy stepped forward and gently pushed me to the side. “No,” Rudy said loudly. “Bruno and Cade will ride, and that’s that.” He looked at Dante. “And if we win, remember what I said. You stay the fuck away from us, and we’ll consider this matter done.”
“And if we win?” Bruno had a whine that sounded like a dog’s cry. “What do we get, huh?”
“Full medical treatment for Isaac,” Rudy said. “We’ll pay for everything.” He pulled a wad of bills out of his pocket and waved them under Bruno’s nose. “How does that sound?”
Dante burst out laughing. “You gotta be fucking kidding me,” he snapped. “I ain’t racing for green.” He looked at Vanessa and licked his lips. She shuddered visibly. “It’s gotta be something a little sweeter than that. Hey, Bruno, what do you say?”
Bruno grinned. He leered at Vanessa with such force that I wanted to slap him. “Agreed,” he replied. “If we win….” He glanced at Vanessa again and licked his lips. “If we win, that little pussy over there is our property.” He snapped his teeth at Vanessa and she cowered behind me. “And I’m gonna make sure that bitch won’t be able to walk for weeks.”
Anger flared in me and I reached forward and punched him in the face without even thinking about it. Bruno went down like a sack of leaves and Rudy wrapped his fingers around my wrist and tugged me back.
“Mitchell, enough!” Rudy hissed. “You gotta stop fucking around! These assholes are dangerous, remember?”
“Yeah, yeah,” I muttered, rubbing my knuckles. They were bruised and sore from all of the punching that I’d done lately, but I had a feeling they’d be hurting even more before this whole episode was over.
“Mitchell,” Rudy said firmly. “You gotta agree to their terms.” He looked me in the eye. “And if you want me to ride, just say the word. I know I can beat him,” he added fiercely. “I know I can.”
I stared. For a moment, it was almost tempting. I was hurting and sore, and thinking about those Demon Catchers taking Vanessa was the most painful thing I could imagine. But after a moment, I stood up straight and swallowed hard.
“No,” I said finally. “No. I’m riding, and that’s fucking final.” I turned to Bruno, who was rubbing his jaw. It was beginning to swell, and I grinned at the results of my handiwork.
Suddenly, Vanessa threw herself into my arms. She was soft and warm and supple and she wrapped her arms around my neck, kissing me passionately. Even though her breath was stale and she smelled like sweat, I felt more turned on than I ever had in my life. I couldn’t believe it—she was mine again. And this time, I wasn’t ever going to let her go.
“I can’t agree to those terms,” I said loudly, clearing my throat after the passionate kiss. “They’re too much. Too dangerous.” I shook my head. “I ain’t agreeing to that.”
“It’s the only way we’ll leave you alone,” Bruno said smugly. He’d stood up and brushed the dirt from his pants. “Otherwise…” He raised his eyebrows at me. “Otherwise, we might have to borrow the bitch for a little while before we let you alone.”
“It’s okay,” Vanessa said. Her voice was soft but firm, and my jaw dropped as she stepped forward between myself and Bruno. “It’s okay. I agree to the terms.” She wriggled close to me again, pressing her hot little body against mine. In my pants, my cock stirred to life as though it had been hibernating. A powerful wave of lust broke over me and I felt my skin break out in a fierce sweat. I wanted Vanessa so badly that I could have yanked down her panties and fucked her right then and there.
“What are you doing?” I hissed into her ear. Vanessa grinned and giggled like a schoolgirl.
“I can take care of myself,” she said sweetly, gesturing to the gun in her hand. I hadn’t noticed that before, but upon closer inspection, I realized that it must belong to Isaac. It was a shiny black revolver with a mother of pearl grip on the handle and the initials T.R. carved into the side. “Haven’t I proven that already?”
My shoulders sagged in defeat. “I can’t let you sacrifice yourself like that,” I said softly. “What happens if I lose?”
Vanessa winked at me. She looked cocky, confident, almost like the kind of girl that I’d grown so sick of before I’d met her. “Like I said,” she said in a light voice, “I can take care of myself.” She winked at me. “And besides, you’re going to win anyway, aren’t you?” She made big eyes at me and I felt my resolve weaken. “I believe in you.”
Pulling Vanessa close, I wrapped my arms around her and kissed her passionately. My tongue slipped between her lips and danced with her tongue, and she pressed her small body against mine with a passionate heat. Her lips were soft like petals and I closed my eyes, letting the kiss grow steamier and steamier with each passing second. My heart was beating hard in my chest when we finally broke away.
“I’m gonna marry you as soon as this shit is over,” I said firmly, putting a finger under Vanessa’s chin and tilting her cute face up to meet my own. “I love you, and I’ll marry you as soon as I can. To make sure that none of this happens again.”