Ohmygod guys! Thanks so much for all of your reviews and support! God, there's only chapter left after this, it's so sad :( This is definitely one of my favourite stories and I'm so upset about it ending. I've talked to a couple of people about it and it's been mentioned about a sequel and I've decided that I will go ahead with it. I'm not entirely certain when it's going to be up, but I've got a name for you guys to look out for; Tungsten and Silver.
You guys excited about that?
"Well, where the fuck is the asshole?" Alex snapped out, slapping his palms down on the table.
"How do we know that Garrett isn't involved? Where the fuck is he?" Gabriel piped up, his eyes flashing around the large, oak table where the Phantoms were gathered. "This is church—you only miss it if you're dead!"
"Same goes for Noel!" One of the older members of the club, Richard Deckard, growled.
"Garrett isn't part of whatever Noel has got himself mixed up in," Caleb said firmly. He shot a look over at Eric and then down to Wren, both who's knuckles were cracked and bruised. "We know that for a fact. He's got a pass for tonight because he has had some...Problems." Truth was, he had been dropped off at the local hospital after Eric and Wren had finished with him. "As for Noel," he let out a growl under his breath and shot another look at Eric. "We haven't been able to get in contact with him."
"Someone dropped by his house?" Wren asked, leaning forward, clasping his hands in front of him.
"His house was empty, he wasn't at the strip club. Tried a couple of the girls and they haven't seen him," Eric said.
"This shit needs to be dealt with," Gabriel hunched his shoulders forward.
"And Hanna knows what she saw?" Alex asked, running a hand through her hair.
"She didn't know what she saw exactly, but she knew who she saw," Caleb said. "She didn't know anything was up until Noel came to talk to her at work, asking about if she saw him. Apparently he got pretty intense," the man's eyes darkened at the thought of someone threatening his girl. "That's when she told me. We showed her the picture of Alison and she said that that was the girl with Noel."
"Wait. So are we saying that Noel killed Bunny?" Alex's voice was deathly quiet. The brothers all looked across at him, there's eyes all dark, and then back to Eric. Eric tensed him jaw.
"Or he would at least know something about it," their president muttered. A collective hiss was released from the Phantoms and silence fell as they processed the betrayal.
"Have you spoken to Hanna?" Wren suddenly asked, turning to look at Caleb, who raised an eyebrow.
"I rang her about half an hour but she didn't answer," Caleb shrugged. "But she was probably asleep. It's late."
"You don't think he's over there? Finishing his 'talk' with her?" Wren tilted his head to the side. Caleb's brows furrowed and he locked his jaw. His brothers watched as he mulled over the thought before he stood up abruptly, rubbing a hand over his forehead. Wren looked at him worriedly. "Brother, it's just a thought..." he began but Caleb shook his head.
"I need to check on her," Caleb said. He pulled out his phone, dialing her again but once more ringing straight through to her voice mail. He looked over at Eric, who's lips were pursed as he stared back at his second in command.
"Go chick on your woman, brother," Gabriel stated. Caleb nodded, shoving his phone back in his pocket and nodding at the table of club members. Eric tapped his fingers on the table and got up as well.
"I'll go with you. Church is adjourned until I call you all back," Eric told his club. "When we know that Hanna is safe, we will meet back together. And we will find Noel, and there's going to be blood."
Caleb froze as he and Eric approached the front door and he spotted the broken glass on the ground, the door wide open. Eric held up a hand, indicating that they stop, but Caleb shook his head and pointedly ignored his president, stepping over the thresh-hold. The broken shards of glass crunched under his boots and he winced as he did a quick survey of the lounge and hallway. The house was cold from the night air and it was deathly silent. Eric stepped in after him.
"I've text the boys. Noel's bike is around the corner," his voice was low and tense. Caleb jerked his head in a nod, taking another step down the hallway. There was no one in the bedroom, and he could see her phone on the bedside table.
"Where is she?" Caleb growled.
"Sh," Eric murmured warningly. "His bike is here, that means he still is." Caleb nodded, reaching behind and taking his gun out of his waistband, at his lower back. He took off the safety and noted that Eric was doing the same. They inched down the hallway and then Caleb halted, in front of the study doorway.
"Fucking hell," Eric breathed. Caleb took a deep breath, before stepping inside. His body ran cold as he took in the scene. The door was broken clean in half, splinters of wood sprayed over the dark carpet, jagged edges catching Calebs jacket as he passed through the door. The chair that belonged in front of the desk had been flung across the room and there was a slight dent in the wall, showing that it had been thrown with some force. Both the mens eyes were then drawn to a puddle of blood seeping through the carpet underneath the desk.
"Fuck, Hanna!" Calebs body sprung to life and he crossed the room, stopping short when he saw Noels body lying face down on the carpet. A movement caught the corner of his eye and he looked to the corner of the room where the windows were, the thick curtain concealing a shuddering, huddled figure. "Hanna," Caleb breathed, stepping over Noel's body and dropping to his knees in front of her, holding out his hands. "Babe, come on..." a shaking hand pushed back the curtain, revealing a pale and shivering blonde. Blood stained her clothes and streaked her face and his heart was in his throat as he did a quick scan of her body, looking for any injuries. His eyes stopped at the gun in her quivering hand, cocked and ready to be fired, pointed directly at him and Eric. "Baby," he forced his voice to stay calm. "I need to make sure that you're not hurt. But first I need you to give me the gun." She blinked at him, her expression blank as though she was seeing right through him.
"She's in shock," Eric stated, his voice rough. Caleb looked up at him. He was standing over his brothers body, his fists clenched at his sides and his eyes suspiciously glassy. After a moment he kicked away the gun that was in Noels hand. Caleb was glad that Noel was face down, or he had a feeling he would have a very overwhelmed president as well as a shell-shocked girlfriend. Blood was soaking through the in his leather Phantoms cut and Caleb cleared his throat pointedly, to draw Erics attention. The older man blinked and looked over at Hanna. "It looks like it's just spray, I don't actually think that she's been hurt," Eric stated. "I'm, uh," he rubbed the bank of his neck. "I'll ring the boys, find out how far away they are. We need to take care of this." Caleb watched as Eric stalked out of the room before turning his attention back to Hanna, who was still pale with the gun clutched at her side.
"Baby," Caleb placated her. "Hand me the gun." He touched her knee and her chin snapped up, her gaze sharpening as though seeing him for the first time. Her mouth dropped and her face became stricken, her eyes darting over to Noel's body and then down to the gun. She let out a gasp and threw the gun down on the ground at Calebs feet.
"Fuck!" He growled and jumped back awkwardly, the loaded gun bouncing on the ground. He let out a sigh of relief when it didn't go off, quickly flicking over the safety and resting the gun on the desk, next to where he had put his own. Then he reached forwrd and gathered her into his arms. She resisted at first, her body rigid against his, but he forced her to comply, taking her cold and shaking body into his warmth. A moment later, he felt her body relax into him and then the tears started.
Her entire body was racked with tears, her shoulder lurching and her fingers burying themselves into the skin of his shoulders. Her face was buried in his chest and he could feel her heart-breaking sobs right down to his stomach as they soaked through his shirt. He held her as tight as he could, his lips pressed to her hair, kissing her repeatedly and making comforting noises.
Caleb vaguely hear the roar of several motorbikes outside and soon, Wren and Lucas were in the doorway, Eric behind them.
"Ah, shit," Lucas sighed, running his hand through his hair. Caleb twisted his neck to glare the younger boy who quickly snapped his mouth shut. He turned back to Hanna, who had stopped crying, although her breathing was still ragged and she had her head lowered so that her hair was covering her face. He put his fingers under her chin and tilted her head up so that she was looking at him.
"I'm going to take you back to your place, okay?" He said to her softly. "Are you okay to ride?" After a second, she nodded mutely. He stood up and helped her to her feet, steadying her on her wobbly legs. Her neck was tense as she forced herself not to look at Noel. When they were halfway across the study, she stopped short, her eyes wide. What is it, babe?"
"I need to talk to the police," she began, her voice high pitched. "What am I going to say? Am I going to be arrested? I couldn't stop him—he wouldn't stop—"
"Baby, baby," Caleb hushed her, his hands rubbing up and down her arms. "This is club business. The police don't get involved." Hanna stared at him for a long time, processing what he said, before finally nodding. Wren and Lucas moved out of their way, and Eric reached down to kiss Hanna on the head as she passed. Caleb paused to give their president a quick slap on the back and a one armed hug before leading Hanna down the hall. Several other members were coming into the house now, and Alex shot Hanna a comforting look as they passed. Caleb ducked into his bedroom to get her phone and her set of keys and then joined Hanna where she was standing outside. "Come on," he murmured, steering her to his bike. It was as though she had no idea what was happening, numbly climbing on the bike behind him, and laying her head on his back as they accelerated down his driveway.
The first thing Caleb did when he got them back to her apartment was strip her out of her clothes and get her into a warm shower. He gently washed the blood off her face and out of her hair, before leaving her in the hot spray and making his way into her room. He turned on the heater and changed the sheets, then went back into the bathroom with a fluffy towel. Hanna was in the same position he had left her in. He had to turn off the shower and physically remove her from the cubicle. Swaddling her in the towel, he led her back to her room. She sat quietly as he brushed her hair and dried it as best he could, and then prompted her to tie it into a knot at the nape of her neck. Then he locked the doors and windows, undressed, and pulled Hanna between the covers with him. She tangled her legs with his and burrowed her body against his. Caleb ran his hand through her hair, his mind going over everything that had happened in the past twenty-four hours. This day had definitely not turned out the way he had expected. It was almost half an hour later, Hanna spoke, surprising him as he thought she was asleep.
"There was nothing I could do," her voice was so soft Caleb could barely hear it.
"I know, baby, I know," Caleb assured her.
"He was going to...Shoot me," Hanna stumbled over her words and Calebs hold on her tightened.
"You did the right thing, baby," Caleb soothed.
"I killed someone, Caleb!" She pulled back from him and stared into his eyes. They were shrouded with tears and he held a breath, wondering if her conscious was all going to come crashing down on her now at this moment. "How is that ever the right thing?"
"Because, Hanna," Caleb stated firmly, propping himself up on his elbow and staring down at her intently. "If you hadn't killed him, he would have killed you. And he wouldn't have felt bad about it. I have seen Noel beat guys half to death one minute and then make a joke about some slag the next." Hanna's sapphire eyes were wide, horrified. "What I'm trying to say, baby, is be upset about what happened. Mourn for it. But don't think for one second that you had another choice. Second guessing your choice will screw you up inside." Hanna was still staring at him, not acknowledging that she had understood what he had said. "Hanna."
"Yeah," she mumbled. "I heard you." She laid back down on her pillow and after a moment, Caleb joined her. He pulled her close and soon they both fell into a dreamless sleep.
Ooh, okay, so I've completely and utterly fallen in love with this song called Undone by Haley Reinhart. It is gorgeous. I've pretty much had it on repeat for the past week.
And the other thing I've loved the past week is that the Teen Choice Awards! So, the Fast and Furious cast were so cute, holding hands (especially Vin and Michelle) and I teared up a little when Paul Walker got his award. So beautiful. And then when Jensen and Misha got Choice TV Comedy Award. Hahahaha. Fell a little bit more in love with the pair of them then. And also, the selfies that Tyler Blackburn and Ashley Benson took were fucking adorable. God I love those two.
There's a preview for a review :)
