Chance

I walk into the clubhouse with anger brewing. Once again, we were in danger and I for one, am sick of being sitting fuckin' ducks. Abby walks beside me, nearly having to jog just to keep up with my quick strides. I head straight to my room with her hand clutched to mine and let her inside.

"Stay here. Sleep get some rest, but do not leave this room. I need to know you're safe." I stare at Abby's eyes, hating that all I see is fear in them. This girl was raised by bikers and yet, is as sweet as they come. I can't stop remembering the feeling of her lips on mine, or how in control she was. Just the thought of her body near mine is doing things to me.

"Is my dad here?" Fuck she sounds so small. As soon as this shit is over, I'm going to teach her how to gain that confidence back in her voice that used to be there. Abby has always had a shy spot, but she's also lethal and confident. I don't sense that anymore and judging by the way she almost slid off my goddamn bike half an hour ago, I can see it's not coming back anytime soon.

"Should be. I'll come and get you so you can see him, but not yet. I'm going to speak with Austin and then I'll come and get you." She nods her head and moves to sit on my bed. I've had the occasional pussy but not in here, never wanted to lay down on a bed and smell someone that shouldn't be there. Seeing Abby sitting there? Looking extremely small and fragile? Yeah, that's doing things to my mind and body that I need to steer clear from. I rub my face, trying to get the naked image out and head back out to speak with Austin.

Walking past the bar, I spot Bone sitting there with a bottle of rum in his grip. I shake my head and intend on walking past him, but when the fucker mumbles under his breath, I decide on making a detour.

"The fuck did you just say?" I shout starring him down and immediately smelling the odor of alcohol coming off him. He smells like liquor and bad odor, a typical combination for him lately.

"I said you're a fuckin' pussy. Don't know shit about you, but I do know that for sure." He chuckles at his own lame joke.

Shaking my head, I ignore him, not having time for this shit, and head straight for Austin's office. Bone deserves to know about his daughter and what happened in his own home, but the fact that he didn't even question me being here without checking to make sure I had someone watching over her, no longer gives him that privilege.

Opening the door, I let it slam against the wall and watch as Austin narrows his eyes and raises his eyebrow towards me while sitting in his seat.

"Thought you wanted a little offense? Is that what the fuck you call all the shit happening to this club right now?" Austin stands and march's over to me.

"Know you're pissed Chance, but I won't take disrespect. We can't go above fuckin' cops, even if we know they're dirty."

"That's not good enough anymore prez."My voice is growing louder but I don't care. Abby could be dead right now, and I can't shake that image out of my head.

"Not good enough? I'm busting my ass all day every day for this fuckin' club. You don't get to come in here and demand shit just because you're a little pissed."

"A little pissed? Abby could be dead right now. If I were just a few minutes late, she would have been. I thought you didn't want to make the same mistakes your father made?" A punch puts me on my ass, and I stare up at Austin while holding my chin with my hand.

Fuckin' hurt like a bitch.

"That's your only goddamn warning. You won't be disrespecting me ever again." He lowers his hand so that I can get up, but I ignore it and stand on my own. I know Austin isn't to blame and he does do a lot for this club, but it's been two years since that fucker came into our life, I'm over the fuckin' excuses about why we can't go after him. "I won't be like my father, I'm smarter than his mistakes, and I won't let anyone, including you, pull me down. If you can't understand our ways, or respect them, then you don't have to be here anymore. Church is in one hour." He walks past me, stopping just before his door and crosses his arms.

Dismissed.

Taking my cue to get the hell out of his office, I head back to my room but stop when I see Bone in the same exact spot I left him in. Anger courses through my body as I take him in.

His eyes are on his liquor as he knocks back a few shots in a row. I walk over to him, ready to let him know what transpired at his home tonight when he looks up and spots me.

"Well if it ain't Chance. The fuckin' chosen one." He announces.

"Need to speak with you a minute." I tell him but watch as he chuckles to himself and mumbles what sounds like waste of his time.

"Don't got shit to say to you asshole. My daughter is in love with you, and all I see from you is heartbreak for her. You've got too many secrets, and I for one think one of them might be that you work for the fuckin' enemy."

My anger takes over as I grab Bone by the collar of his cut. He falls of the stool, liquor falling along with him. There are glass shards and booze everywhere, but my focus is solely on him and what he represents.

"You fuckin' moron. You've got no idea what the fuck is going on with Abby. She was fuckin' attacked tonight and here you are gettin' fuckin' wasted again."

I land a punch to his face, Bone scrambles back up and matches my stance as we both stand and stare off.

"She was attacked, and you were nowhere to be found. She has to always take care of you and look out for you when it should be the fuckin' opposite. You're not worthy of her kindness you piece of shit. Ava deserves so much more from you."

I take a step back when I realize I didn't say Abby's name. I said Ava's. I look around at my brothers and notice them all staring at me with strange looks. Max is in the corner near a crying Abby and the look she is giving me is causing my heart to nearly fall out of my chest.

Pity.

She's giving me a goddamn look of pity.

"Chance. Who's Ava brother?" Max asks as I walk right past him and out of the door.

¡ù¡ù¡ù

I run my thumb along the tiny seashell as I listen to Austin explain to the group what occurred tonight. My grip tightens around the necklace automatically when he goes over the part about the fucker now being tied up in our back shed. I can recall the first time Ava gave it to me. She had just come home from school, happy as could be and ran right into my arms. She told me they were having arts and crafts at school and that she wanted to make me something I would never take off.

I kept my promise.

"So that's where we are right now, I want everyone to be vigilant. It looks like we are in the end game with this shit, so stay alert. Max, Shane, I want you two to get ahold of Claude, used to be a pimp downtown and something tells me the fucker will know all about the asshole that held Abby. If these guys really are in our town for good and don't mind tagging together with an ex-cop, then we are in deeper shit than we originally thought. Dismissed."

Everyone stands and begins to exit. I spot Bone on the other side of the room and narrow my eyes on him. He's got quite the shiner above his eye and I internally smirk knowing I put it there.

"Chance, Bone, need to speak with the two of you." I nod my head towards Austin, knowing he would want to reprimand us for getting into it earlier. "Anyone want to tell me what the fuck that argument was about?" Austin asks the moment everyone walks out.

It's silent and I'm just about to speak up, but Bone beats me to it, surprising me with his words.

"My fault. I uh¡­. left my post on protecting Abby earlier. Asked Chance to get there, didn't know he was already there. If he wasn't¡­.."

Bone looks genuinely hurt by his negligence with Abby's life. I look down at the necklace clutched in palm once more before placing it back around my neck.

"Need you to start sobering up Bone. We need you on this, but I won't have a brother that's not one hundred percent in. Can't have you with us if we have to constantly look out for you."

"I hear you."

Austin nods his head towards him, indicating his dismissal as well and I watch as Bone leaves. The moment he is out of the door I stand and walk over to Austin.

"So that's it? He leaves his post and you give him a goddamn pep talk? I leave and it's fuckin' world war three?"

"He didn't leave to shoot Alberts wife and kids Chance." Fuck. I knew Max would tell him where I was that night.

"Never planned on shooting them." I mumble knowing damn well that is not the point.

"But she didn't know that, does she Chance? For all you know, she could have gone to the fuckin' cops about this, then we would have no fuckin' lead." I close my eyes remembering my panic after I realized Abby had been kidnapped.

"You're right prez. I'm sorry."

"Look, I get where you're coming from, Bone needs some changin'. But you're still his brother Chance. We need to stick together. Now more than ever."

"Yeah, I got it." I head for the exit but stop and look back at Austin. "What I said earlier, I'm sorry Austin. Didn't know your father, but I'd be damn proud of you if I were him."

"Thanks brother. Now, get the hell out of here before we both have our fuckin' periods synchronized or some shit."

I smirk and close the door behind me.