Chapter 6

CHAPTER 6

Striker

Leaving Autumn in her apartment is the last damn thing I want to be doing right now, especially after that kiss. It wasn't much, but at the same time, it was more. I don't think there's ever been a woman I wanted to kiss, let alone kiss like Autumn.

I knew she was shy and sweet. I figured that once I actually started paying attention to her. Instead of finding her ums and ughs annoying as I probably would someone else, I have to admit they're cute.

What I don't get is why she's so damn shy? The one time I saw her not be totally shy was when she'd been talking to my sister and called me a jerkface. Right after, though, I'd seen the way her cheeks blushed.

If Twister hadn't called telling me Gadget had some intel on the bastards who'd been in Autumn's apartment, I wouldn't be leaving. This was shit I had to see too, though. I also knew that once I left the building, she'd still have eyes on her just as she's had this past entire week.

After Athena clued Brass and me into the shit on the security footage, Brass and I took it straight to Twister and Horse. We filled them in on what we saw on the feed, including what's been going on with Autumn, and how she's been leaving for work as early as two in the morning.

Horse and Twister both like Autumn, mainly because of Kenny and Izzy. The two of them would do a man bodily harm if someone they cared about wasn't protected. Kenny nearly lost her shit when she found out Autumn had been at that warehouse where Athena found her. Izzy ended up flipping her shit in the clubhouse when she heard two of the clubwhores talking about it. She made sure that they knew they weren't welcome anymore, even if Autumn wasn't a part of the club. She was still seen as a friend.

The ride from Autumn's apartment to the clubhouse doesn't take me too long. Unfortunately, with the rain, I hadn't been able to ride one of my bikes. I'd taken my truck. I bought it off Burner a while back. He didn't want to sell it. Hell, neither did Ally for that matter, but they sold it to me so I had something else to drive. I'd already given my sister my other truck. I hated being behind the wheel rather than on the back of a bike. But if I had to be behind the wheel, there wasn't any better truck than Ghost.

She's a damn beast. Square body. Ran like it was brand new, charcoal gray sitting on a six-inch lift and twenty-seven mud terrain tires. Yeah, she's a beauty, but like any woman, she'll drain that bank ‘cause she goes through diesel like it was nothing. Regardless, I don't give a damn.

Days like today, or when I decide to go down to the beach, I get behind the wheel. Otherwise, I'm on my bike and able to feel the wind around me.

I pull in through the gates the prospect opened when I got close, ease through the lot, and park Ghost near the back. Since it's Friday and Lila has plans to go to her friend's house for a sleepover, I'll crash here tonight. Usually, when I do this, it would mean selecting a bitch to sink into after I finished hanging with my brothers and drinking until I was drunk off my ass.

With my mind made up about Autumn, there wouldn't be any of that. Well, I'd have a drink, maybe get drunk off my ass, but that depended on what Gadget had for me.

Getting out of the truck, I make my way toward the doors, scanning the lot, and spotting Brass's truck was also here. This means he's probably got Jesse with him since Athena thankfully agreed to take care of the café tonight.

Sucks my time with Autumn was cut short. The two of us still have a lot to talk about. From the way she looked confused and questioned my interest in her, it's gonna be a hell-a-va a lot more than I originally thought.

Inside the clubhouse, music is pulsing through the speakers, but it's not overly loud to where you can't even hear yourself think. The new prospect is behind the bar serving drinks to both Horse and Twister as they talk to Gadget, Hades, and Rage.

"What's goin' on?" I ask, once I'm closer and signal the prospect to get me a beer.

All five men twist to look at me, each of them staring with different expressions, none of which I could read. None of these men are easy to read as it is.

"How was dinner with Autumn?" Gadget asks first as Dragon silently joins us and stands arms crossed next to his twin.

I never understood the connection the two of them have, but it works for them and the woman they share. Together they're stronger, and no one best fuck with Connors or their kids. The boy who doesn't share their blood or the twins. With Connors carrying their fourth child, another boy, they've been a bit more protective than they already are .

Same with Rage regarding his woman, Cleo.

I hadn't been here when they'd gotten together with these women, but I'd heard the stories. The shit they went through, it was fucked up.

If I hadn't still been in the military, I'd have been here, but I had to finish out the time I signed up to do. It hadn't been easy, not with taking custody of Lila. Making sure she was good while I was deployed, but I made it work. Once I got out, I moved Lila here, and her life got a hell of a lot easier. Mine became less stressful, I was with my brothers again, and I was grateful. I'd already done my time as a prospect, and when I came home, I was a member.

"It was interrupted," I grunt and take the beer the prospect slides in my direction. "Twister said you had something."

"Yeah." Gadget nods.

"Let's take this to the other room," Twister says, pushing away from the bar.

The way he says this, my gut tightens. With him not wanting an audience for this conversation or for someone to overhear, it's serious, more so than I want.

Following behind Twister, I'm not surprised he walks straight to the room where we hold church or that Brass joins us as we make our way in there, or that K-9 and Red both join us with Burner and Thorn. I'm sure if Badger hadn't taken Jordan for a trip to visit his dad, he'd be here as well.

The moment we're all in seats around the table, I don't bother waiting for Twister to bang the gavel. I turn my attention straight to Gadget. "What did you find out?"

Gadget grins and glances toward Twister. "He doesn't beat around the bush, does he?"

"Not when it comes to something like this," I answer for him. "I don't have time for bullshit or the patience for it."

"That wreck changed you," Gadget says, losing his grin. "You used to be all for jokes and shit."

"Yeah, well, when a bitch like Selina gets the best of a man, he learns quickly not to fuck around anymore." I shrug. "Now, what information do you have?"

"Striker, brother, you gotta listen a minute to what we've got to say," Horse mutters. "That shit with Selina, it was fucked. No one knew you were gonna be targeted or that she'd be dumb enough to run you off the road."

"She shouldn't have been able to," I grind out. This isn't a conversation I'm looking to be having with my brothers, now or never.

"Brother," Twister calls, and I give him my attention. "For you to be able to handle what Gadget's got, you need to be able to let shit go. We all get it. You're not just a biker, you've been riding since you were a kid. They targeted you because they figured if they took you out, they'd weaken the club."

"Why the fuck would the club be weak without me?" I demand, now curious.

"Because they figured if we needed to send something out without being caught up with, it would be through you. You're the fastest rider in this club," Horse answers.

"The information we found is that what's going on now is connected to when Selina ran you off the road," Gadget announces.

"Wait just a minute," I snap, straightening in my seat, fingers balling into fists. "What the fuck do you mean? I thought Trevor was connected to it."

"We all thought it, but remember he killed her because she went against his orders," K-9 says, grimacing. He blamed himself because he'd been protecting his woman and kid. A kid who was technically his nephew.

"Let's just say they were being played. Just like we were. The ‘Marionette' was able to convince Selina somehow to do his dirty work," Gadget says.

"You know where he is yet?" I ask.

"No," he answers. "But I'm working on it. The men who broke into Autumn's apartment, they're bottom feeders to the organization the ‘Marionette' controls. "

"He making a play to get her back?" The question comes from Twister, but it's the same one I was about to ask myself.

"Not sure, Athena deactivated the device and got it to me. I'm still working on it, but I don't see why he'd want to plant a listening device if he were planning on just taking her again.

"You see the feed?" I ask, looking directly at Gadget.

"Yeah." He nods.

"Then you saw that not only did those bottom feeders plant a device, one of them decided to go in her room and be a total perv and sniff her panties." I can still visualize it in my head. The way that bastard walked right up to her dresser, opened it, and pulled out a pair of her panties to sniff the damn crotch.

"Saw it." Gadget's eyes flare with murder in them, and his jaw twitches. "From what I've been able to find so far, this being why it's taken me a week to get this much, is that Autumn's twin sister, Avery's, man was connected to the organization. I believe Rick knew ‘Marionette'. That because of him, she's targeted."

Well, fuck me. I didn't see that.

"Why would he target her for someone she's not associated with anymore?" Red asks.

"Because Rick lived with Avery until she ended it with him. He didn't take it well. Ended up killing her and himself. Was one of those obsessive types," Gadget explains, eyes coming to me briefly, then looking around the table to the rest of my brothers. "Rick blamed Autumn for Avery leaving him, and I was able to find out a bit more about that murder-suicide. Beside the fact Autumn witnessed the whole thing and fought to get the door open, Rick kept things, stored them somewhere, and lost them. I'm putting money on when Avery threw his stuff out of the house. But ‘Marionette' possibly thinks Autumn could have whatever that was."

That's a big if on a possibility. Either way, Autumn's being targeted for something she has no reason to be targeted for. That is if it's because of Rick. If it's not due to the coward and because of something else, I intend to be there to find out.

Autumn's been doing this alone long enough. It's wearing her down. You can see it in her eyes. The way she moves, watching everything and everyone around her. She doesn't trust anything or anyone. But she's going to learn to trust me, to know that I've got her back, and I'm not gonna let anything happen to her.

I know I've got to take things slow and move in bit by bit. Tonight was just the start of that. Tomorrow, I'll move a bit more. The day after then, a little more. Give her a bit more each time. All of this I'll use tomorrow to explain what's happening, including the fact two men broke into her apartment.

As safe as it is for her to be there, it's not safe enough.

I made up my mind earlier that day, and I intend to stick to it. She's moving out of that apartment and into my place. She'll stay with Lila and me. This means at some point before tomorrow night, I need to have a conversation with my sister and let her know what's about to happen.

The discussion goes on a bit longer before we leave church and go back toward the bar. My phone rings as I'm about to order another beer, and I pull it out of my pocket to find it's my sister calling.

I cock a brow and answer it, not having a good feeling about this. I knew better than to trust her about a sleepover at her friend's place.

"Lila, you okay?"

"Can you please come pick me up?" she asks, breath hitching and tears in her voice.

I didn't even bother to ask what was going on. Instead, I ask her for the address. If she were at her friend's house, she'd have her car and wouldn't be calling me. I'll find out what's going on once I get her home. Then I'm fucking grounding her ass until she leaves for college.