No Man Left Behind: A Veteran Inspired Charity Anthology by Elizabeth Knox (black authors fiction TXT) 📕

I didn’t listen to what he said as I stared at the blank wall in front of me. Within minutes, the rumble of bikes filled the air and some of the panic seeped from me. The President, Smokey, walked inside with his old lady, Piper. She was always nice to me and when she came and kneeled in front of me; I felt safe.

“Let’s get you some clothes packed, Sadie.”

She offered me her hand and I stood, pain shooting through my body. I whimpered and when I glanced over at the Death Hounds who were standing in the living room, I could see the rage and destruction pouring off them.

Piper helped me pack for myself and both boys before assisting me in getting Jacob secured into the back seat of her car. Dalton hopped onto the back of Uncle Mick’s bike and I gingerly settled into the passenger’s seat with Piper.

We stayed at the clubhouse for weeks, and Piper became the only person who knew exactly what happened to me. She held me while I recounted my ordeal and helped in my healing. Uncle Mick kept his promise and from that point forward, nothing and no one caused us trouble. When we finally left the clubhouse to go back home, I was shocked to find the house where my attack happened burned to the ground.

The feeling of a wet nose on my hand stirred me from the dark recesses of my mind and I fought to swim to the surface. I blinked my eyes and my head throbbed as I slowly came to. Looking down, I saw a beautiful German shepherd with its head resting on my stomach and when I took in my surroundings; I saw a Death Hounds winter cut hanging on a hook.

I was safe within the walls of the compound but had no idea whose room I was in. I tried to speak but my voice was scratchy, and my mouth was dry, and when I coughed, the beautiful dog barked toward the door. Within a few seconds a man walked in, filling the doorway with his broad shoulders.

I blinked, thinking I must still be dreaming as the handsome man with striking amber eyes and thick blond hair slowly walked to the bed and spoke. “You’re safe, Sadie. I’m Gunner and this is Bear.”

“Jacob?” I asked, and he jumped when he heard my voice, quickly handing me a bottle of water. I drank deeply and tried again. “Where’s Jacob?”

“He’s with Skid and your uncle. Would you like me to get them?” he asked and started to walk away.

Fear lanced through me at the thought of him leaving, and Bear pushed into my hand. I sat up and grasped Gunner’s hand to stop him from leaving. The instant my hand touched his, an electrical pulse shot through my veins, calming me. His eyes grew wide, and he turned to me, a smile on his face as he wrapped his fingers into mine.

Chapter Six

Gunner

Her touch was settling and the anxiety that was coursing through my veins lessened as I linked my fingers with hers. She tugged on my hand and I sat down on the bed and slowly reached out, brushing a lock of hair from her face. She leaned into the simple embrace and exhaled. Bear sat next to her, watching both of us as I stared down at her, memorizing every inch of her beautiful face.

“I need to get your brothers. Will you be okay here with Bear while I go find them?” My words were soft, and she nodded slightly. “I’ll be right back.”

“Okay,” she whispered, and it took everything in my soul to walk away from her.

When our hands disconnected, I felt a pain shoot to my heart, but I pushed it aside and walked to the door, slipping outside, and pulling the door closed behind me. Three gazes turned to me and I looked around for Jacob.

“I sent him to my cabin for Piper to clean him up. Did she say anything about what happened?” Smokey asked as I approached the group.

The party appeared to be over and a large group of brothers stood near the clubhouse, watching us with curiosity and thinly veiled patience. Club rules are that family, women, and children are off limits and to witness Jacob and Sadie’s pain was obviously upsetting to them. I’m surprised they weren’t already on their bikes, patrolling the streets for whoever hurt them.

“She’s asking for Jacob. Did the kid say anything?” I asked Skid and noticed his eyes were red.

Emotion wasn’t something the Death Hounds relied on, but for his only family to be here, and both traumatized by something or someone, was too much for my brother to handle. Mick patted me on the back and walked toward Smokey’s cabin as Bullet joined the group. His expression was wary, and I wondered what the old timer knew that we didn’t.

“He was walking home from the library when some asshole approached him.” Skid started and cleared his throat before continuing. “The dumb motherfucker tried to rob Jacob and had a gun pointed at him when a man walked up and slit his throat. Jacob said the man was dressed in black and winked at him before casually walking away without saying a word.”

“So, he’s not hurt?” I asked, exhaling the breath that was stuck in my lungs.

“He’s scared to death, but he’s unhurt. What happened to Sadie?” Smokey responded, and I shrugged.

“One of the Cleveland brothers thought she was a club slut and propositioned her. She freaked out and kneed him in the balls and when she tried to leave, something freaked her out and she fainted. No one hurt her, but there’s more to what happened with her than a few rowdy brothers being assholes,” Bullet explained and my vision grew red at the thought of someone touching her, scaring her, or even thinking she was one of the easy