And thus, that tiny bit of sanity that Autumn kept inside me, that true north, that moral compass- all went to hell and I think in that very moment- that was when I lost all my soul.
I’d die young and heartless. I knew that then. And if I could have it my way, it would be fucking soon.
Chapter 24
CAGE
“I’m looking at the death penalty. It was confirmed this morning,” Hawk announced to the boardroom. Silence met his announcement. “There is no getting off it. They have a key witness who puts me at the scene.”
For a man that was going to die he sure as fuck was taking it calmly.
“So we need to make plans for the club.”
“Like fuck we will!” Jacob roared, and this was the first time since his sister’s death that he had shown any emotion. “I’ll fucking handle this.”
“Jacob, no threatening is going to get me off,” Hawk again calmly spoke.
Jacob scoffed, getting up. My eyes followed him out as he went to leave, and Hawk looked at me. We both know he was a ticking time bomb. Autumn’s death hadn’t settled with him yet. Hell, I was still barely functioning.
Got up. Dressed. Got through the day. Drank myself to sleep. Repeat.
“Cage.”
I looked up, seeing Jacob. “What?”
“You and I. We need to talk.” And then he walked out of the room.
I pushed my chair back and followed him. What he had to tell me I doubted I wanted to hear. But out of respect for Autumn, I would listen to her brother’s rage about Hawk’s sentence.
Walking out of the boardroom, Jacob was scribbling something down on a piece of paper. He then shoved it in my hand.
“You need to go there. But only after I tell you something.”
I frowned and nodded my head for him to continue.
“Autumn’s alive. But that isn’t the sick part. The police are blackmailing her. She doesn’t realize her doing a statement on where Hawk was that night, will send him to get the injection. She thinks he is getting off the chargers. They are lying to her. You have to go to her. I can’t.”
“What the fuck you going on about?”
“My mom and Autumn are in witness protection. Or will be soon. My mom was the one informing on the club but that’s not the best part. I just found out that Mom, she was the one that killed that man that Hawk is looking at the injection for.” Jacob was speaking quickly. “Hawk’s not speaking up about Mom being involved but she killed that man. Not Hawk. Now Mom is willing to sit back, for Autumn to put Hawk there that night. But Mom was there too. She pulled the fucking trigger.”
I wasn’t keeping up.
“Mom killed that man. Hawk is going to be executed because of it. Autumn’s statement, which she better not have given yet, will place Hawk there. Autumn doesn’t know. You hear me? Autumn doesn’t know she will get Hawk executed!”
I just stared at Jacob, he had lost his mind. That was what I was thinking before Jacob pulled out his phone and showed me a picture time stamped. Of Autumn.
The grief lifted and pure rage replaced it.
Chapter 25
Autumn
“Idon’t understand why it is so important that I sign this?” I muttered looking at the piece of paper, that Mom had shoved in front of me. “It is just stating Hawk was at Liam’s that night? You were there. So why can’t you sign it?”
And Mom’s eyes widened. Before her hand whipped across my cheek. “Don’t say that ever again.”
My hand went to my injured cheek.