Allegiance (The Chicago Defiance MC Series Book 8) Read online

  “I just wish I’d walked her to her car…” he wipes his hand through his hair, “… then none of this…” he trails off like he’s lost in his own dark thoughts.

  “Tell the cops we’ve gone to the clubhouse. They can find us there,” I tell him.

  Tim nods in understanding as I turn pressing speed dial 1 on my cell. Torque, my president, has no idea of the shitstorm about to rain down on him and the club, and I fucking hate that I’m about to be the one to break it to him and spoil his night.

  LIFT

  Groaning sounds mumble down the line as it connects. I wonder for a second if Torque’s in danger, but then he clears his throat. “What? I’m sleeping here, fuckface.”

  There’s the president I know.

  “Torque, we have an issue.”

  He grumbles again as I hear shifting like he’s sitting up in bed, then he exhales. “Okay, hit me with it.” It sounds like he’s rubbing his face.

  With a deep intake of breath, I make my way to my bike in the crisp morning air while talking to Torque. “It’s Hayley. She was assaulted at Club Modesty. It’s bad, Torque.”

  “Fuck! How bad? Is she beaten? Who are the fuckers that did it?”

  I shake my head, then run a hand over my smooth scalp. “No, fuck! That came out wrong… let me start again. Hayley was walking to her car when a guy came at her. He knocked her out, and…” Fuck, I hate saying these words, but they have to be said. “He sexually assaulted her. She’s in a bad way, Pres. Vibe’s bringing her back to the club now, but she doesn’t want to be touched.”

  “Fucking hell—”

  “There’s more—”

  “What fucking more can there be, Lift?”

  My body tightens while preparing to tell him the one thing a president never wants to hear. “There are multiple witnesses, and… they called the fucking heat. They’re already here and have pulled the footage from the club. It’s out of our hands, Pres.”

  He groans, mumbling something unintelligible.

  “What’s going on?” I hear Foxy, his Old Lady, mumble in the background.

  “Trouble at the club, babe.” He exhales. “Lift, I’m guessing Hayley needs a doctor?”

  “Yeah, we’re gonna need a formal report.”

  Torque’s quiet for a pass as he lets this shit sink in. “The kids are asleep. I don’t wanna have to wake them and bring them in to see this fuckin’ shit unfold. But Foxy needs to be there for Hayley. I’m gonna have to stay with the kids till I can get someone here. In the meantime, Foxy’ll be on her way. Tell Trax he’s in charge till I get there.”

  “Got it!”

  “Lift, if anything else happens, call me. Let me know as soon as Foxy arrives. You hear me?”

  “I hear you.”

  I get it, this is huge.

  Knowing the heat’s going to be on our doorstep at some point soon is never a comfortable situation for an MC, even if they will be there on our side for once.

  Torque ends the call, and I take a deep breath before hopping on my ride. I glimpse at Vibe’s bike next to mine wondering how he’s faring with Hayley. Maybe I should have gone with him to help her into the car. But perhaps they need some time alone together.

  Who fucking knows at this point? I guess there are no right or wrongs here.

  Fuck knows what the right thing to do is in this type of situation. We can only do our best.

  Starting my ride, I hammer down, soaring off through the morning air, feeling the wind whip at my face. It freezes my nose almost instantly, and I feel like it’s chilling me to the very bone. Or maybe I’m just cold from the frigidness of the night’s events running in a loop through my mind.

  Either way, I need to get back to the clubhouse and fast.

  As I pull through the gates, I see Hayley’s car already parked out front. Getting her back here is what’s important. I also note Foxy’s arrived. I duck-walk into my space, get off my bike, and head inside to see all the lights on. There are a few brothers awake with the commotion in the clubroom.

  Hayley’s talking to Foxy in the corner while Trax is in a heavy conversation with Vibe.

  Torque must have rung ahead.

  I walk up to Trax and Vibe, overhearing Vibe filling Trax in on what went down. Vibe’s voice cracks under the strain of his emotion, but he stays stoic.

  “She kept backing away from me when I went to touch her,” he almost whispers like it’s the most painful thing he’s ever had to admit in his entire life.

  I rest my hand on his back for moral support.

  Trax grimaces. “You gotta give her time, brother. She’s been through something so fucking violent and disgusting, she’s not going to want anyone touching her. Just remember, it’s not you. You’re not the problem. But you’re probably going to need to get her some help. Sparx can offer a hand. She has the names of healthcare professionals who have some expertise in this. With Sparx’s bipolar, she’s had to have therapy. Lots of it. So, I’m sure she can help Hayley with suggestions when the time’s right.”

  “Thanks, brother, I’ll keep it in mind,” Vibe suggests.

  We all look over to see Foxy leading Hayley down the hall.

  “Where are you going?” Trax calls out.

  “I’m taking Hayley for an examination,” Foxy replies.

  Vibe tenses, a pale reflection on his skin. Honestly, it looks like he wants to be sick. He stares into Hayley’s eyes as they water. “Do you want me to come?”

  Her bottom lip trembles, but her head slowly bobs up and down. Without hesitation, he takes off after them as the three of them step off down the hall to do something I don’t even want to think about.

  I crack my neck to the side as I take a much-needed breath.

  This has been fucking intense.

  Suddenly, our siren blasts through the clubhouse for incoming police making me tense all over again. It’s not surprising, we knew they were coming, it was only a matter of time. Still doesn’t make me feel at ease.

  I glance at Trax and exhale loudly. He tilts his head toward the door. We both step outside to the gate to greet the incoming police. We have no idea who it will be, or if they’ll be understanding, or come in with the force they like to do. They all have a macho complex. But all we know is they’re here, and they’re going to probe us for everything we know and probably search the damn premises.

  The gates open, but to my surprise, Brody and Grier are standing there, leading the damn invasion. Instantly, I relax as I see the two cops who are on our side and have been for years.

  Brody went to school with our resident tech nerd, Ace. So, when they reconnected years ago, Brody decided to bend the rules a little now and then, and his gorgeous but a little standoffish partner, Grier, came along for the ride. They’ve been a significant help to us on countless occasions. So, seeing them now is quite simply a relief.

  “Brody,” Trax calls out. “I gotta admit, your ugly mug is a sight for sore eyes.”

  Brody weakly smiles as he steps forward shaking Trax’s hand. “VP… good to see you, too. It’s been a while.”

  “Mmm… we’ve been keeping our asses to the ground. Seems like it doesn’t stop fuckers from coming after our women, though,” Trax replies.

  Brody sighs. “We heard. Sorry about this, Trax. I’m equally as sorry to have to do this tonight, but you know how it works. The assault was reported. We have the guy in custody.” He grimaces. “So, we need Hayley to make a statement.”

  “Yeah, yeah, we know. She’s being examined by Foxy right now, so there’s a medical report for you. We’re doing it by the book. We know how this shit needs to go down.”

  Brody looks back over his shoulder obviously to see if any other officers are within hearing distance. They’re not. The chicken shits are all still in their cars. “It has to be legit, guys. Unfortunately, I can’t do shit about it for you. There’s nothing you can do as a club either. You know that, right?”

  I nod, so does Trax. “We know. Don’t worry, we’re no
t gonna do anything stupid,” Trax admits.

  “Vibe might,” I warn.

  Brody sighs. “Then you have to keep him in check ‘cause if he goes off-book, there won’t be a damn thing any of us can do to get him out of the shit.”

  Trax glances at me, then back to Brody. “I’ll straighten him out. I know firsthand what it’s like to go off the rails. I’ve got some knowledge about how to bring yourself back from the edge. I’ll calm him somehow. Leave it to me.”

  “Glad to hear it. I’ll tell my team Hayley’s having an exam by a licensed physician, and that you’re willing to cooperate and give a statement to Grier and me. They’ll leave if I do that, and then we’ll come in if you’re cool with that?”

  “Our house is your house. You know that, Brody,” Trax states.

  Brody nods, turns, and walks over to the other squad car. They roll down their window, then he talks to them in hushed tones.

  I turn to look at Grier, she’s as stoic as ever. “Grier…” I murmur. She raises her brow at me. “I think you should take Hayley’s statement. She has a problem with men at the moment. Brody might not have any luck with her.”

  She softens her soldier-like stance, a gentler side seeming to shine through—perhaps sympathy for a fellow woman. “Okay. Yes. That makes a lot of sense,” she replies kindly, her hard exterior fading.

  Brody steps away from the squad car. The other team rolls up their window, reverse, and drive off leaving Brody and Grier with us.

  As it should be.

  “Right, let’s get inside,” Trax calls out.

  When we step in, Trax leads them to Hayley and Vibe’s room while I move over to the bar. It’s been a long-as-hell night, and I need something to calm my nerves before I head to bed.

  Jazz and Nova, the club girls, are still behind the bar pouring drinks for the few stragglers who are hanging around not knowing what to do. They’re all tired but concerned. The girls’ leader, their head club girl, the one who mentored and taught them how to function in this club, is going through hell tonight. It must be making them all feel uneasy.

  I tap the bar, then Jazz pours me a beer, her eyes struggling not to shed a tear.

  “She’ll be okay. Hayley’s stronger than you think. You don’t get to be head club girl by being weak.”

  They both force a smile, then continue moving around the back of the bar.

  Pretty sure my words meant shit.

  LIFT

  I’ve been sitting here for hours. I don’t know what Foxy, Brody, and Grier are doing with Hayley, but I’m getting fucking weary. I was tired before all this started.

  Torque arrived a while ago. He arranged for his mother, Freckles, to tend to the kids while they sleep, so now I’m sitting out here by myself considering if I should call it a night and go to bed. Trouble is, I’m not sure I could sleep even if I did.

  Eventually, Trax walks down the hall. He drops himself on the stool next to me. I sigh as I look at him to tell me something, anything.

  “This shit’s a shamble. Vibe’s not in a good way.”

  I roll my shoulders. “Yeah, I can only imagine. When your woman’s assaulted like that, I can’t even begin to think about how he’s feeling. What she’s feeling. They’re gonna have a rough go of it for a while.”

  Trax grimaces. “I’m going to bed. I got twins I have to get up to in a few hours.”

  “Night.”

  He swivels on the chair, then takes off down the hall.

  How’s the club going to cope with this? Its head club girl, one of our own, was violently attacked, and we can’t seek our own form of retribution. We won’t be able to manage this the way the club normally would. Our actions are what make us strong, makes us family, and not being able to do that for one of our own, well, it’s shit. It will rip at the very fiber of every single brother.

  I feel for Vibe, it is going to eat at him.

  I have no idea how to help.

  But for tonight, I need to let Vibe be with Hayley.

  Tomorrow’s a big day for Starlet and Infinity—the club won’t stop because of this. Our support for our old ladies will continue because, as a family, we uphold our loyalty to everyone. Someone will stay behind with Hayley tomorrow, probably Vibe, while we all head out to support our other club members.

  It’s crappy timing, but it is what it is.

  Standing, I head down the hall toward my room. I’m dead on my feet. Walking through the door, I kick off my boots at the edge of my desk, pull off my cut and place it neatly on top, then fall onto my bed. I don’t even get out of my jeans or T-shirt I’m so tired. It’s been a hell of a day, and sometimes being a biker is fucked.

  You see things you don’t want to.

  You have to live with shit you’d rather not.

  People you love get hurt.

  But it’s all part of the lifestyle.

  Something you sign up for when you join.

  While there are severe downers in this life, the upside is the brotherhood, the family, and comradery. You can’t get this anywhere else.

  This club—it’s more of a family than mine ever was.

  Sure, I have my blood brother, Noah, or Midnight as we call him now, and we’ve always been close, but as for a family, our parents were crazy when we were growing up. Midnight and I had to fight for everything. Our parents are over-the-top religious, and they tried to raise us to be something we’re both not. Their bullshit ended up pushing us both away. It’s why I turned to the brotherhood, and Noah turned to security in a brothel until he also joined the MC.

  We wanted to rebel, to prove we didn’t need religion forced down our damn throats to be good people. It doesn’t mean I don’t have a place for faith in my life. I still believe. I just do it in quiet and never ever push my view on anyone else.

  Ever.

  When religion is discussed, I try to steer the conversation somewhere else. It was such an explosive issue at home, so I avoid that discussion at all costs.

  My thoughts run rampant about my life—past and present. I guess having something so dramatic take place causes you to rethink, to reassess. It makes you question, doubt, and challenge your thoughts. But right now, my head’s going in loops, and I need to shut down.

  I’ve got to sleep.

  I want to forget.

  Today.

  My past.

  Everything that makes me tense.

  The Next Day

  I’m so fucking tired.

  Actually, exhausted doesn’t come close to how I feel.

  I went to bed spent, and now I’ve woken the same damn way.

  But this is something we must do. Starlet and Infinity’s press junket for their second movie is today, and it’s bound to be a box office smash.

  Vibe and Hayley stayed behind at the clubhouse as expected, but the rest of us are here, even though last night was crazy bad.

  It’s busy as fuck in here. We, as a club, are all standing at the back watching Infinity and Starlet being hammered by the press. They’re firing questions at them, one after the other, along with the rest of the cast of the movie. Because our ladies are the leading stars of the comedy—which, so I’ve been told, is about a set of sisters—they were able to dictate where their junket was to be held.

  Of course, they chose Chicago.

  Any chance they can get to be back home, they will take it with open arms.

  Every damn time.

  And who can blame them?

  Ace and my brother, Midnight, are fawning over their old ladies on stage. It’s good to see Midnight so settled.

  I can’t help but wonder, as his older brother, why I haven’t been able to find a woman to settle down with. It seems like I’m one of the only brothers left at the club who isn’t either married or heading that way. I don’t even have a steady fuck buddy. Sure, Nova and I get down and dirty occasionally, but she’s a club girl, and that’s their job description. Not that I’m using her, she’s down for it, it’s just she’s more of a friend than
anything. There’s no spark there, at all. She knows it, and I know it.

  I’m zoning in and out. I’m tired and need a caffeine hit. Would anyone notice if I slipped out to grab a coffee from the cart down the block?

  I check to my left, the rest of my brothers are either deeply engrossed in the junket or the complete opposite—distracted on their cells. No one is going to notice me slipping out. I sidestep toward the door, trying to be casual as fuck, then I slowly open it and make my exit. I take a deep breath feeling lighter for being free of all that shit in there. I mean, I support Infinity, of course, I do. Hell, she’s basically my sister-in-law, but I’ll be fucked if this fancy superstar bullshit isn’t for me. It’s more my brother’s style. It’s why they’re such a great fit.

  I head for the building exit, then take a right down the street and head straight for the coffee cart. The fresh air hits me fair and square in the face, and I take a deep breath feeling like I can finally breathe again. With the drama of last night and the chaos of this shit today, it’s been go, go, go for the past twenty-four hours.

  I need a damn second.

  Having the press in there makes me uncomfortable, especially when I’m dressed the way I am in black slacks plus a white button-down. I’m not relaxed—this shit’s not me. My head’s shaved, my tattoos are covered, and if one didn’t know better, I look respectable. Actually, I look more like a businessman than a fucking biker, and I don’t like it.

  I’m a walking, talking douche.

  I’d give anything for my torn jeans and leather cut right now.

  Walking up to the cart, the aroma of coffee smacks me in the face. I breathe it in, and calmness takes over.

  But it’s not what knocks me back.

  It’s the tall brunette standing there, her body toned, but with curves in all the right places. She’s wearing a dress suit— obviously a professional businesswoman. I eye her up and down. Her cute button nose sits perfectly on her oval face, her pale skin is highlighted with just the right amount of makeup. It makes her big doe eyes pop as she turns, while I approach.