Chapter 21

CHAPTER 21

Striker

Getting the address for ‘Marionette' wasn't too hard once we knew where to look. Tony Decker didn't hide any property he owned. Well, not very well. He put it under a shell company that Gadget was able to track down easily. It'd taken him all of five minutes to crack through and find what we needed.

The place was roughly two hours away.

Twister and Horse rode up front with me. Mostly because Autumn was my woman, and Tony was going to see me coming for him. I wasn't going to be behind anyone. Badger had just gotten back in time to join in on the fun.

Connors called just before we left and said that Lila had been given a dose of morphine. This is probably the only reason my sister was able to remember anything. She doesn't react to morphine like others do. It sedates her but doesn't knock her out, not completely. Connors said she was sending her over to the clubhouse with Kenny and Izzy. Autumn's parents were also going with her and would be there when we got back.

I didn't have time to tell her I was thankful for her call, but I had to get on the road.

Now that we're close, adrenaline rushes through my veins. Visions of killing Tony run through my head. I look forward to killing him with my bare hands. I'll make him suffer for thinking he can harm my sister and take my woman.

I take the turn leading to the property. We probably should've come in silence, but I wanted them to know I was coming.

The closer we get, I brace. That is until we come to a massive opening and see military-grade vehicles blocking the way, men on the other side, guns aimed our way, and bullets coming at us.

"Fuck." My lip curls in fury, and I squeeze the brake. I pull my gun out and return fire.

All hell breaks loose. Fire singes my arm, but I ignore it. The only thing I care about is getting past these asshats and to my woman. Aiming to kill, I pull the trigger and send each of my targets to the ground, bullets in the head.

One of the reasons I got the name Striker is that I'm a damn good marksman who can be in the worst situation and be able to strike and take out my enemy.

Moving in on foot, I take off past the remaining men shooting at my brothers. They can handle this while I head for Autumn.

My chest tightens when the house comes into view, and I see her. She's fighting Tony's grip.

Lifting my gun, I aim for Tony as Rolland and Jason both lift guns and point in my direction. Without even blinking, I pull the trigger, killing Jason first, then Rolland.

"It's over, Tony," I shout, focusing in on him.

Tony spins and yanks Autumn in front of him. "Don't come any closer," he shouts, holding the gun and pressing it into Autumn's side.

"Let her go, Tony," I order, fighting the urge to look at my woman. To make sure she's okay. To assure myself, she's whole.

"Not going to happen." Tony takes a step back, moving him and Autumn closer to the vehicle.

"Your operation here is done," Brass announces, coming to a stop next to me. "Let her go, and let's be done with this."

"Autumn is mine. You aren't taken her away from me. I'll kill her before I'll let you take her from me again," Tony threatens, pressing the gun tighter into Autumn's side.

"I'm not yours, and you aren't doing anything to me," Autumn shouts. It's only then that I meet her eyes for a brief second because she moves. When she does, I feel my heart stop.

Autumn grips Tony's hand holding the gun, and forces him to squeeze the trigger. The gun goes off, and he lets her go as she falls to the ground.

"No," Tony screams and goes to his knees.

Before he can touch her, I'm there, tackling him to the ground.

"I've got her," Brass yells, talking about Autumn.

Fists pummeling into Tony's face, all I can see is Autumn and her fighting him. I don't see him. It doesn't even phase me he's not fighting me. Nothing stops. I keep pounding away, distorting his features until Twister and Horse pull me off him.

"Come on, brother, he's dead. Your woman needs you," Twister remarks, cutting through the haze in my head.

I release a harsh breath and nod. "Where is she?"

"Brass, Dragon, and Burner are with her." He jerks his chin toward where the vehicle Tony was trying to put her in had been. "They took the Hummer."

"How bad?" I squeeze my eyes shut and take another breath, shaking my head.

"They're heading to the nearest hospital," Horse utters, slapping a hand on my shoulder.

"I can't lose her," I admit to them.

"We know," Twister says, his voice getting a raspy note. "You're not gonna lose her. She's a fighter. You saw she fought him."

"She's a survivor," Thorn says, coming to join us.

Rage, Hades, K-9, Red, Badger, and Gadget all stand from their seats, nodding their agreement.

"She's not just a survivor, she's a fighter," Hades remarks, looking past me to the house. "She was trying to escape."

Twisting, I look behind me and see the sheet rope, and I shake my head. "Fuckin' hell." I follow them up to where they start. "She was scaling down from the third floor."

"Let's finish here and get you to her," Twister states.

"Yeah." I need to set eyes on her.

"We'll finish clearing the place, Prez," Rage mutters. "Striker needs to be where Autumn is."

That I do.

All that matters to me right now is making sure she lives. Autumn has sacrificed enough. She's lost even more. She needs to stop losing, and if she makes it through this. I'll make sure that shit stops once and for all.

Before heading to the hospital, my brothers forced me to clean up and change. It's a damn good thing I still had a pack in my saddlebags with a change of clothes from the last run I'd gone on and hadn't taken it out yet.

I didn't waste any time in getting to the hospital. In the waiting room, I find my brothers sitting, waiting to hear something.

Brass is the first to get up and meets me halfway. "They took her back. We haven't heard anything just yet. We told them her husband was on the way," he reports. "I already called Athena. She's on the way with Autumn's folks and Lila."

I nod and take a seat. There's nothing else I can do for the time being. All I can do is wait for the doctors to come out and give me news. I don't like it. I've got a lot of patience, but when it comes to finding out if Autumn is okay, if she's going to survive this, I'm nearing my limit. I need to know she's going to live.

I want to be pissed at her for what she did. Hell, I am pissed. What was she thinking?

Time passes by, and I feel like I'm going to lose my mind. Finally, the doors to the back open, and a doctor steps out, still wearing scrubs with blood on them. He speaks to the nurses, who then point in our direction. I step forward, and the doctor comes toward me.

"How is she?" I get right to it before he can even say anything.

"You must be Autumn's husband."

"Yes," I lie. "Is she okay?"

"Your wife is very lucky," the doctor says as we're joined by my brothers. "The bullet missed vital organs. We were able to repair the damage that it caused. She had a few cuts that needed to be stitched. Her body is bruised up, but all in all, she will be okay. She's in recovery at the moment. Someone will come and get you when she's transferred to a room."

"Thanks, Doc," I tell the doctor feeling a sense of relief at knowing she'll be okay.

She'll be okay.

My woman was gonna be okay. Knowing this eases a part of me, but the rest one breath easy until I see her for myself.

"I'm sorry, sir, but visiting hours are over," a nurse tells me from the door to Autumn's room.

"Yeah, and I'm not leaving her side," I informed her a bit harsher than I probably should, but I wasn't about to be kicked out .

"But—"

"I'm not leaving my woman's side," I snap, interrupting her.

She rushes out of there, and I let out a breath, eyes looking at my woman. The heart monitor beeps steadily, assuring me she was okay, but she's yet to open her eyes.

Her parents and Lila had come and left. They were going to a hotel to get some rest and would be back first thing in the morning. They didn't need to be here, watching her like this. I told them I'd give them an update if and when I had one for them.

Leaning forward, I take her hand in mine and kiss the back of it. "Mama, it's time to wake up."

"You know you were rude to her," she whispers, her voice barely there. But I heard her.

Jumping to my feet, I lean over her, pressing my forehead to hers. "Thank fuck."

"I'm sorry," she whispers again.

"What're you sorry about, Mama?" I whisper back.

"That I all but shot myself, but I had to. I had to get away from him, and I knew you'd make sure I didn't die. I didn't want to die, but I could survive. I just —"

"That's enough, Autumn," I tell her, not wanting to hear more. "Just rest, Mama, tomorrow's soon enough for us to discuss this shit. And we will, but first, you have to get your strength up. ‘Cause when we discuss it, I'm putting your ass over my knee."

"Mhmm, sounds interesting," she says sleepily.

"Rest, Mama, I've got you. You're safe."

"Okay," she utters and drifts back to sleep.

I retake my seat, holding her head, feeling better knowing that she's going to be okay. This shit is over for her. She'll recover. She'll be good, and she'll be by my side.

I meant what I said to my Prez and VP, I need her in my life. I couldn't lose her. She's my woman. Mine and I'll stop at nothing to keep her that way. I'm not afraid to admit just how important she is to me. She's my heart, and yielding to that thought is one that doesn't even scare me in the least.

She's the one for me that I knew would be mine when I stopped fucking around and decided to do something about it. And I was right.