Running Alone (Mayhem Makers-MMM)

12. ‘Kitty’

TWELVE

‘KITTY’

RUBY

Something wakes me and I don’t know what. When I hit my bed, immediately I fell into a dead sleep. Don’t even think I’ve moved since I first got into it. I throw my covers off as I look to my nightstand to see light, which means it was probably my phone that woke me. Grabbing it, I scroll up and see a text from Lachi. When I read it, I immediately jump up, grab some yoga pants, and then a sweatshirt to put onto of my sleep shirt. I run down the stairs and off to the left where Tink and Noodles’s suite is Feeling bad but knowing I have to do this; I pound on the door.

Takes about maybe five or so seconds and Noodles is at the door, jeans pulled on, one top button open, and trying to get his arms in his T-shirt. Tink is a little slower but coming up behind him. When she sees me, she pushes her ol’ man out of the way.

“Kitty, is Addie okay? What’s up?”

She never gets pissed or mad when we bother her, which is why she’s not only a good president but also an awesome sister.

“Sorry, guys, got a text from Malachi, the guy I told you is a friend of Presley’s. He said something is going down. He called your dad’s friend, Nova, and they are trying to hightail it out of Wyoming as they have a group called something brotherhood on their ass. Yeah, Tink, thought the same thing. He said they’ll be coming in hot.”

She turns and looks around until she sees what she wants. She reaches for her cell phone and is immediately pushing buttons.

“Pops, we got a problem. Yeah, how’d you know? Well, would have been nice if you would have thought to forward that warning here, since they are coming to my ranch. Yeah, I know, it’s just I hear any form of that group’s name and it sends shivers down my spine. I’m going to put a call out for Zoey, which means Panther and Avalanche at least will be with her. The rest will start doing recon. Okay, see you when you get here. Hey, sorry, didn’t mean to be a biotch. Yeah, I love you too, Dad.”

When she disconnects, she motions for Noodles to get dressed as she grabs a long sweater and makes her way past me.

“Send out an emergency text, Kitty. Tell the club we got incoming and it could be bringing in a shit ton of trouble heading our way. No, it ain’t your man either, sounds like it might be our nemesis again. The goddamn Thunder Cloud Knuckle Brotherhood or maybe a smaller sister club. I’m going to call my dad, make sure they’re ready too. Someone reach out to Raven to let her brother, Ollie, know at the Blue Sky Sanctuary. You know how these assholes think, so make sure everyone is on the same page.

I immediately do as my prez told me to, by first sending out the alarm text and then another text to Raven, telling her to let her brother know about the chance of a threat. When I’m done, I make my way to the kitchen, which is bustling with more coming in every few minutes. I’m shocked to see Addie already up and helping Kiwi try to throw some breakfast together. Tink is dressed and sitting at the corner table, phone to her ear as she listens intently.

My phone starts vibrating so when I pull it out of my back pocket and see it’s Malachi, I let out a loud shriek. Everyone looks my way and I shake my phone back and forth.

“Tink, it’s Lachi. I’ll put it on speakerphone.”

I hit answer and can barely hear him, they must be up in the air.

“Ruby, we should be to you in less than thirty to forty-five minutes per Nova. One of my boys got shot when we were running to the helicopter, so can you maybe get someone there to help us? Oh, Nova said to tell Tank that he’s now pissed too. They took shots at him and believe me; it took everything in us to get him in the chopper. Ruby, he’s one crazy mother. Anyway, damn, I’m so sorry for all this shit. We need to talk as soon as I land. See ya soon, gotta go.”

After he hangs up, once again I see Glory back on her phone next to Tink. Noodles is bringing our prez some hot tea, which is strange since she’s a huge coffee drinker. Something must show on my face because she looks at me then puts her finger to her lips. What the hell? As I’m trying to figure out what that means, the swinging door flies open to our enforcer Shadow stomping in.

“Goddamn, can’t you prospects ever find a man who doesn’t have trouble attached to his ass, for Christ’s sake? What the hell, Kitty? Whatcha man got into, and how the fuck does he know Nova? Don’t you dare say it’s a small world, little sister. Well, cat got your tongue or what?”

At the same time Panther puts his hands on her shoulders, I hear Tink say softly, “Zoey, give her a minute.”

“Shadow, I’m like you, don’t have no idea what’s going on. As soon as I knew trouble was coming, I went straight to Tink. Now for anything else, guess we just have to be patient. I mean, you know what that word means, right?”

Instantly, my hands fly to my mouth as the kitchen goes eerily quiet. I can feel all eyes on Shadow and me. When I look up into her eyes, I can’t read her for shit. Great, I’ll be dead by the time Lachi gets here, and I’ll never hear what he wanted to tell me. Then I watch Shadow’s eyes start to twinkle, right when she reaches out and grabs me, pulling me close. Every single person takes in a gasp because she is not one for any touching, except when she’s working in her wet room. I mean, recently I’ve seen her and Panther holding hands or him putting an arm around her. Though she did give Heartbreaker a hug and consoled Tink. Anyway, I bring my thoughts to the situation at hand.

She leans down to me and whispers for my ears only to start, “Well, well, our little kitty is showing her claws. I thought this boy didn’t mean anything to you. If that’s the truth, why are you so frazzled, little Kitty? Or maybe you weren’t telling the truth, which is it? And believe me, sister, I do know the meaning of patience, question is, do you?”

Then she starts to laugh, though her laughter is scary and a bit demented. Tink walks over to her, giving her a shove, which does nothing to our enforcer because our prez is tiny. Everyone lets out a chuckle and I step back, so Shadow’s hands fall off my shoulders. She grins at Tink then shrugs her shoulders.

Peanut swings the door open, her eyes wide.

“We got incoming, coming into the southern pasture. I heard bikes but not sure if it’s the Intruders. What do you want us to do, Prez?”

Tink, Shadow, and Glory exchange a look before Shadow, Panther, and Avalanche push past Peanut, heading toward the front door. Tink just shakes her head.

“Okay, let’s split into three groups. One will go with us to the location, one will hold down the fort here at the ranch, and the last bunch will go grab any survivors from the bunkhouse and Dr. Cora with her mom. Take everyone to the conference center and put them in the two back panic rooms. Everyone, keep your phones on.”

With that we all separate, going to our groups and moving ass. I’m with Tink, thank God, so I can get to Malachi as soon as they land. I’m worried on what he wants to tell me but am going to try to keep my anxiety down, if possible. This isn’t on me at all, though our club could use a break with all the frigging drama. Just got through with Wildcat’s and now looks like I’m adding to it.

Instead of jumping on our bikes, we take a few trucks and one of the club’s vans. Better coverage if this shit hits the fan. No one is saying a word in the pickup since I’m driving with Noodles, Tink, Glory, and Duchess. We are all just watching the landscape fly by as Noodles takes the curvy driveway like an Indy 500 driver. On the last curve when he straightens up, we can see a row of bikes which are definitely the Intruders. All their bikes standing armed to the max. Then I hear the faint sound of the helicopter making its way toward us. Everyone is waiting nervously, that’s when I notice the Intruder’s bikes are back-to-back, one side facing the field and the other eyes on the driveway. Leave it to Tank to think about watching their backs too.

All eyes are on the huge military helicopter as it slowly approaches the field. Looking closely, I can see someone hanging out of the door, standing on the landing rail. When I squint, at first I think it’s Enforcer, but when I look closer it hits me this dude is way bigger than the Intruder. Must be one of Nova’s men. In a matter of seconds, the copter which was up in the air and right in front of my eyes is now landing in the field. The man on the rail lifts up a huge gun onto his shoulder and motions for those inside to get off. I see another huge guy jump off, turning around as I see one of Malachi’s friends stumble off. Both men reach up as I see….Oh my God, Malachi covered in blood, trying to help another man off, no doubt the one who was shot. Another one of Malachi’s friends is behind the injured guy, guiding him off the chopper. When he collapses into the man’s arms, he turns and runs with the injured man over his shoulder like he doesn’t weigh a thing. Malachi is looking around and when he sees the crowd of us, he screams something that has the man redirect and head straight for us. The rest of the men follow suit as the guy with the gun brings up the back. The helicopter, when all are cleared, immediately takes off but stays low as added protection. That’s when I see the missiles on the lower side beneath the doors.

Jesus Christ, what is Malachi involved with and what is he bringing to my club, and worse, to our small town of Timber-Ghost? Guess I have to wait and give him a chance to explain himself.