The perimeter check brought nothing, Tal even swept the area and only found heat signatures for some deer. That done, the team once again approached the cabin. Tank had heard Reagan screaming, and it killed him to stay outside, Whiskey had to hold him back physically more than once. Tank didn’t care if someone got to him as long as Reagan was safe and unharmed. But he couldn’t risk his brothers, and that sucked, he wanted to be selfish.
Once in position, Tank started the countdown; on five he lifted his foot and smashed the door in. Reagan on was on the floor tied to a fucking chair while her brother kicked her over and over again. Suzie was on a bed bound and gagged with her shirt lifted above her bra. Not even thinking twice, he yelled ‘Bobby’, when the fucker looked up at him in shock, he put a bullet right between his eyes.
He didn’t even notice his brothers coming into the cabin, he had been so focused on getting to Reagan. He vaguely remembered hearing each one of them announce an all clear but all of his attention was focused on Reagan. Hell, she was in bad shape, so bad, he wanted to bring Bobby back and kill his ass all over again.
“Baby,” Tank said, trying to rouse her. When that didn’t work, he pulled the knife out of his boot and started to cut the restraints away, the whole time talking to her, pleading with her to wake up. Tuck came over to them as some point shaking his head.
“Ah hell, Rea, damn.”
“Tuck, I don’t know what to do?” Tank looked up to his President and said. Fuck he could even feel tears burning in his eyes, but he didn’t care, all he cared about was Reagan.
“I got you, brother.” Getting down on his knees, Tuck checked Reagan for a pulse. Tank knew he should get out of the way, but his body wouldn’t move. He watched Tuck and waited holding his breath. When Tuck smiled, apparently finding a pulse, Tank took his first deep breath, there was hope. Tuck got on his phone and started barking orders, but the words barely registered in Tanks mind. He was stroking Reagan’s head willing her to open her eyes and talk to him. It didn’t happen.
“Brother, you need to take your girl out to the SUV, Crash is waiting to take you two to the hospital. Once I clean all this up, I’ll be right behind you, okay?”
“Cleaned up?” Tank was in a fog.
“Yeah, two men down, Bobby and Potter.”
“Potter, what the hell was he doing here?”
“Don’t know, man, but we aim to find out. He was the other heat signature; the body is still warm. Get your girl the help she needs; we have this, Tank.”
Tank stood up with Reagan in his arms as carefully as possible, placing one arm behind her knees and the other behind her back. She weighed nothing, hell, she was so tiny it was almost like lifting a child. How could he have not noticed how fragile she was before now?
“Come on, baby, let me see those copper eyes,” Tank begged, “it’s okay you need your rest. I’ll take care of you, I’m not leaving you again.” Tank kept on talking to her, saying anything and everything that came to his mind.
When he got into the SUV with Crash, he kept talking to Reagan, begging, pleading, and promising anything he could think of, she needed to be okay. Tank needed her more than she would ever know. Fuck, he loved her, always had and always would, she had to make it through this so that he could finally tell her. Crash never said a word, not that Tank was paying any attention to the man, but he did appreciate the fact that he drove them to the hospital quickly and efficiently, two things Tank knew he wouldn’t have been capable of at the moment.
The trip to the hospital seemed to take forever and yet no time at all. When they pulled up under the awning of the emergency center, Doc was waiting with several other people, all dressed in scrubs. Crash parked the SUV, and the door opened. Doc was standing there motioning for Tank to hand Reagan over, and all Tank could do was shake his head. Getting out of the SUV with his precious bundle, Tank walked to the gurney, laying Reagan down. He didn’t want to let her go, but knew he couldn’t do anything more for her, she needed the medical staff. It almost killed him as he watched them roll her away.
Fuck, he hated feeling helpless, it brought back feelings he didn’t want to remember, like the night that he almost killed his best friend and George’s girlfriend Grace. He watched then to, watched as they were both air lifted off the country road where Tank had crashed his car. His Dad had caused that accident, and Tank knew the old man was involved in what happened to Reagan. Tank felt a rage overtake his body he had never felt before. He couldn’t change the past, but he sure as hell could do something now. He was no longer that scared, naïve teenager. He was a man, a biker, and one hell of a Ruthless Bastard.
Tank stalked away from the ER doors. It was time his Dad paid the piper. Someone had to pay for what had happened to Reagan, and considering her brother was already dead, it looked like his father would be the one. Crash tried to step in front of him, but Tank wasn’t having that, he needed to do something, and no one or nothing was going to stand in his way.
Just as he got to the SUV, he heard the sounds of pipes; he knew his Brothers were on their way, but he needed to do this alone. Going to the driver side of the SUV, Tank open the door, but before he could get in, a strong hand landed on his shoulder. Turning slightly, he stepped back a bit when he noticed that the hand belonged to Whiskey.
“Get the fuck off me, Whisk, I have shit to do.”
“I know you do, brother, but we are a family, that means no man goes it alone, we have your back.”
Tank was too enraged to deal with Whiskey at the moment. They had been friends once, a long time ago, but that had changed, because of Whiskey. The man always had a chip on his shoulder, Addy might have knocked it off recently, but Tank wasn’t as fast to forgive and forget. The guy was an asshole.
“Back off, Whisk, I have shit to do that doesn’t involve you or the Club.”
“What, like going to do a beat down on your old man?”
Tank laughed, he might want to kick his Dad’s ass for the shit he had done to those women and even for his actions regarding Reagan, but he wasn’t going to beat him down; no, he was going to do something much worse. He was going to expose his ass. Tank had every intention of destroying the one and only thing Jeremy Taylor held dear, his reputation.
“I’m not going to say it again, Whisk, back the fuck off.”
“Listen, bro, you need to think this through, going after your Dad when you're stressed out over Reagan isn’t the way to handle this, you need a plan. Think about everything that Reagan did for you; if you show all your cards now, it could all blow up and those three fuckers could get away with all of it. Is that what you want, do you think that is what Reagan wanted for you? She needs you right now Brayden, put her first. Go to your Old Lady and hold her hand. Get through this and then deal with your Dad.”
“Jesus!” Tank screamed pushing Whiskey back roughly. “Who the fuck are you to tell me to put my woman first? You think that because Addy somehow found it in her to forgive your ass that you’re the new expert on relationships? Reagan doesn’t need shit right now, she is unconscious and getting the best possible care, I could get her. The least I can fucking do is make sure that when she wakes up, NO ONE, and I mean NO ONE, is gunning for her ass. Can you understand that asshole?”
Whiskey stood his ground staring right back at Tank, the fucker had barely moved from his push and that only added to Tanks rage. The least he could do was back the fuck away. Tank didn’t want to listen to him or anyone else right now.
Tank noticed Tuck and Link walking towards them with determined looks on their faces. Whiskey might have been the first wave, but here came the fucking finale.
“Walk away Whisk,” Tuck said clapping the other man’s shoulder. When Whiskey left Tuck stood in front of Tank in a defensive position, feet shoulder width apart, arms loose down at his sides, Link on his left mimicking the pose.
“What’s your plan,” Tuck asked?
“I’m going to talk to my Dad, do you have a problem with that Tuck?”
“Yeah, actually, Tank, I do.”
“Fuck you.”
“No, fuck you. You’re not in the right frame of mind to deal with this shit right now. Let’s go back inside and wait to see what Doc has to say about Reagan. Once you know she’s going to be alright, I’ll call Church and the Club with help you deal with your Dad and the others. You don’t have to do any of this alone.”
“Fuck,” Tank said throwing his hands up in the air, “I don’t want to fucking wait, and I sure as hell don’t want anyone else getting caught up in this shit. Can’t you understand that I want to be able to tell Reagan when she wakes up that this shit is over? That she doesn’t have to look over her shoulder anymore and that her sister is safe. She didn’t trust me to help her, it’s the least I can do.?
“Fuck, man, if I know Reagan, her taking off had nothing to do with trusting you, she was trying to protect you just like she always has, can’t you see that?”
“No, I can’t see that. Fuck, I let her down, just like I fucking let everyone down.”
“What the hell are you talking about, George and Grace? Fuck, man, you were set up. Who exactly have you ever let down? I’ve seen you help old ladies cross the street. You’re always the first one to come up with and volunteer for charity runs. You’re a boy scout in a leather cut, asshole. It's time you started to accept that shit and leave the fucking lies which have messed with your head for way too long in the past.”
“Damn it, Tuck, you don’t get it. It was me driving that car; regardless of the hand my Dad had in that accident, I was still in control. George and Grace trusted me to get them to the party safely. Fuck, man, I waited to get to Reagan, I followed orders instead of following my gut. I didn’t want to wait to go into that cabin, and if I had gone with my instincts, she wouldn’t be unconscious in the fucking hospital beat to hell.”
“Tank, you can’t know that. You were drugged, your car was tampered with, and you were a fucking kid. As for Reagan and what just happened, talk to her man. I think once you do, all that shit in your head will go away. You need to forgive yourself and move the fuck on. Blame the right people for the fucked-up shit that has happened; Bobby, your Dad, hell, even Worthington and Potter paid a part in all this.”
Tank’s vision became blurry. He didn’t want to think about why, but he knew he was about two seconds away from crying like a little girl. No way was he going to do that in front of his brothers. He heard someone clear their throat and noticed Crash. Fuck, what now? Tank started walking towards the man he had left to look out for Reagan, mentally preparing himself for the worse.
“Doc sent me out here, Reagan’s awake, and she’s asking for you, Tank. Doc said that if you didn’t get your ass in there soon, he was going to sedate her ass. She’s throwing a fit I could hear her screaming for you all the way to the lobby.”
Tank started running; if Reagan needed him he was there, period. He would deal with the rest of the shit running around in his mind later. He would also deal with his Dad whether Tuck and the rest of his brothers liked it or not.