Chapter 18

Shawna

"You knocked him unconscious?" I shout at Austin as he bends down to collect more glass on the floor.

The place is a mess, glass scattered everywhere from the alcohol knocked over, tables overturned from them trying to wrestle Max down, and decorations separated from the walls. Candice has actually been a pretty good trooper about the whole thing and is not only helping to clean up but has everyone laughing by making jokes about how someone should have told her how lame the theme was.

"Had no choice." Austin states calmly making me want to smack the back of his head.

"You had no choice? He's your brother Austin, and he had just poured his entire heart out to you about what he went through over there." My voice cracks as I recall everything I heard Max telling Austin.

After all the commotion, Abby, her boyfriend Jason and I, went to the windows where we saw them trying to subdue Max. He wanted me, all he wanted was to speak with me and they wouldn't give that to him. I was so close into going in there with him, but Abby kept telling me that Max needed to see what he was doing to everyone, including me. When everything got quiet I leaned in to listen to what they were saying and that's when I heard him. I heard everything he told Austin and it broke my heart. I couldn't take it anymore when he told us that he was sent home from the hospital and I walked away. I had no idea they were going to knock him out and send him to his room in the compound.

"Don't you think I know that?" Austin shouts causing a few of the brothers to look over towards us. I step up to him, knowing how funny it must look because of our height difference. People used to always say how different he and Max were, where Max was blonde haired, blue eyed and full of fun and jokes, Austin was his opposite. Tall, dark and broody. I always saw it though, they both have the same facial expressions. Reminded me of their father.

"No, I don't think you do. You were thinking like his president, like someone that is in charge of him. He needed his brother at that moment. The one that he used to run to when he was a scared little boy. He needed you Austin, and you gave him the cold shoulder."

With that, I walk away from everyone and head straight to the bedroom he and Candice assigned to be mine until all of this blows over. I shower, dress and lay in the bed tossing and turning. I hated everything about tonight but the worst part was not being able to tell Max about everything. Austin has the tags and the club knows they are most likely looking for someone in the military but when I overheard them discussing it, they had no leads as to why someone would be trying to hurt them.

Images of Max calling out for me and not being able to reach me ignites pain in my heart. I can't believe everything he admitted to tonight. When he told Austin about the Pashtun woman he tried to subdue, I was floored. I couldn't have imagined that he would see me in her face and eyes. It's no wonder when he came home, how he acted towards me. I'll never forget the lonely and isolated feeling I had when he would turn away from me or reject my moves to him. It had been a while before we broke up that he actually touched my body, and now I knew why.

Deep down in his mind, I was the one responsible for killing his entire squad.

Now the morning after we made love makes sense. When Max woke up and saw that he was not only naked but with the woman who looked just like the one that killed everyone, he must have went into attack mode. I've read up enough on PTSD and what to expect, but the books, the articles online, nothing prepares you for the reality of when they are in front of you and all they see if what the experienced over there.

Frightening is not a strong enough word for it.

After another hour of tossing and turning and trying to rid the negative thoughts. I decide to get up and make my way to the kitchen. I didn't eat much tonight and after everything happened between Max and Jamison and then Max and the rest of the club, my appetite never came back.

I enter the dark area of the house and see that it is completely empty. The mess is cleaned up and everything from Candice's party is pushed to the side. Guilt rushes through me as I realize the only birthday party she ever received was ruined. I may not have been the one to cause it, but it revolved around me, and for that I feel terrible.

I tip toe to the kitchen assuming Candice and Austin are in bed and grab an apple and granola bar out of the fruit basket. After munching on both and draining a bottle of water, I begin to head back to the guest bedroom. Before I get there, I look over to the window that looks out to the front yard. I see two figures standing around on their bikes and assume they are patrolling the area.

An idea hits me as I run back the kitchen and look out the window that looks to the backyard.

No one there.

I make the spontaneous decision to run back to my room, change into my jeans and a tank and grab my slip on shoes. I can't stay here, knowing Max is somewhere no doubt hurting and alone. I'm pretty sure they took him to the compound, so I'll call Inette when I get far enough away from Austin's house and have her take me there.

I tip toe back out to the kitchen and head to the sliding glass door. Austin had mentioned the alarm but I know they disabled it when the glass was broken in the window. I head to the sliding glass French doors that are attached to the kitchen and hold my breath as I crack them open. Once I know there is no booming alarm that will sound, I head out in the night with nothing but my cell phone in my back pocket.

I'm halfway down the road when I decide I've put enough distance between me and the road that an idle car wouldn't be noticeable. I call Inette, but before the phone could connect something hits me over there head, and darkness takes over.

It's cold when I wake up. The ground is hard and as I blink a few times to take in my surroundings.

Looking around I take in my environment. I'm in some kind of underground prison, I can't yet tell if it's functional but judging by the open cell doors and cold sterile off yellow walls, it hasn't been used in a very long time.

I sit up gently, feeling the horrible ache in my back, no doubt from sleeping on the ground. I do a mental check of my body for injuries, having seen enough movies to know you shouldn't move too much if you're injured.

My back hurts, my head aches a little, and my body feels tight from being cold, but other than that, I feel okay. I stand up in place, noting nothing is tying me to anything. There is a small cot next to where I was sleeping that has nothing but a rusted spring. I thank God my capture didn't put me on that filthy thing.

Besides a small hole in the ground that reeks of piss, those are the only things in the room. Never been one to sit still, I head for the opening between the cell doors and the wall. I look around before venturing out, seeing only a long hallway with no doors on the other sides. I head right and look into the next cell that was beside mine. Same size, same bed, only difference is, this one has a chair that looks to be cemented to the ground. It's brown with four sets of shackles around it.

Two for the hands, two for the feet.

Just below the chair looks to be dried blood and right then and there, I decide it's time to get the hell out of here.

I head back out of the cell and keep heading to the right. On the way down the hall I spot several cells, all having the same design as the one I woke up in. Small hole in the floor used as a bathroom, a bed that had either a shredded, filthy, thin mattress or the same barbwire spring as mine, and a chair. I spot a door and nearly tumble as I run to it and try to open it.

The door doesn't budge as I give it all my strength. I push and pull, slam my shoulder into it over and over again, causing immense pain to rush through my body like a tidal wave. Finally after ten minutes and drenching in sweat, I collapse to the ground in a hysterical mess. I should have known this mystery asshole wouldn't have just let me wake up, look around and not make sure I couldn't get out.

I sit up, rubbing my ankle and look around. I haven't tried the other side of the hallway, and although I highly doubt I will find a door, never mind one that will be unlocked, I refuse to give up. He will use me to hurt Max and the Warriors, and I will not let him do that to me or my friends.

I stand up and run over to the other side. I pass each cell, looking into them one by one and stop when I find the cell I woke up in, the only one with no chair. The blonde guy from the diner sits on the mattresses cot with his head in his hands and his feet tapping.

So he is the one behind all of this.

I don't think he's heard me or he would have attacked me by now. I could still make a run for it, but I find myself stuck in place. His demeanor looks different. Whereas the man in the diner that morning was cold, calculating and calm, this one looks to be angry and uncontrolled. His body is shaking and if I lean in close enough I can see his body is shaking. Not wanting to have anything to do with his wrath once he sees me, I slowly walk past him to the other side of the cell. Before I can make it any further, my hair in yanked back and I fall hard to the ground.

I scream out in pain as my already sore back and head hit the cement floor.

"Sorry about that my dear, but I can't have you thinking you can just come and go as you please. I have many things to do and not so much time, so if you stay here like a good little girl, it will make my life much easier.

"Fuck you." I gasp trying to catch my breath. I lean up from the floor and ignore the smirk he is now sporting.

I'm in the same cell I was when I woke up and the mystery bastard is facing me, blocking the exit. Fuck, I should have just ran for it, of course he heard me walking up and down the hallway.

"You have spunk, I like that in my women. It's no wonder Max chose you for his bride."

"That's where you're wrong asshole, Max and I aren't even together. So me being here is pointless. You might as well let me go."

"Nice try, but I'm a firm believer in the fact that if the person you love is in your heart, and your soul belongs to them, then words mean nothing. Trust me, you love him and he loves you, your together in a sense, and that's all I need.

"Who are you?" I ask scooting away as far as possible from him. He follows me closer into the cell as my back hits the wall.

"My name is Julian Matthews and I am in need of your help."

Matthews? His name sounds familiar. I remember briefly Max mentioning the names of his fallen brothers and that one stuck out as he said it. Could this be the guy? Did he really survive? I found tags that day I fought him, were they his from the same tour as Max's?

"Why the hell would I help you?" I say changing he subject. I don't want this fucker to know I know more than he might think.

"It's quite simple really. I need you to be broken. So broken that you alone destroy your little boyfriend. See, I found out the hard way, that when the person you love leaves you, really leaves you, then you break. I broke when that selfish son of a bitch killed my brother."

"Your brother? Matthews was your brother." It wasn't a question but he nods his head anyways.

"And your man got him killed. Thank to Max Stone, I have no one left in my life. And now, he will know what that feels like. I'm going to kill you slowly, in front of him. I will kill everyone in their damn clubhouse and everyone he cares about. Then and only then, will I let him die."

"You're sick." I say angrily. How fucking dare he. "You think Max's actions were the cause of your brother's death but they weren't. Max tried to get your bother out of there but he wouldn't leave. He knew he would never survive coming back home. Your brother died with honor saving the lives of his brothers."

Julian's hand latches onto my throat and I use my hands to try and push him off but it's not use. The angle my body is in thanks to the wall behind me is not allowing him to fully choke me but I still see the black spots so enough of my air is being cut off.

Julian lets go enough for me to cough and bring in some air but slams his fist into my face before exiting the cell. I lie there is in sloppy, bloody ball as I cradle my throat and face. I cry letting the anger and frustration of my situation fall out. I vow here and now, that I will not allow this monster to use to me to hurt anyone.

I need to get to Max.