by Lilly Atlas
What the hell was the next best move? As much as she’d learned about club life in the past year, there was still much she didn’t understand. However, the fact that prospects weren’t permitted to make independent decisions on behalf of the club was prospecting one-oh-one. They took orders, they didn’t lead. Viper was dead right, Sarge should have taken his idea to a patched member or waited until he was one himself. But in this moment, with tempers running hot and the lateness of the day, they needed to table the fight and pick it up after they’d slept and processed.
“Look, guys, it’s late and we still have an hour’s ride home. Can you talk tomorrow after you’ve both cooled—”
As though she hadn’t opened her mouth, hell as though she wasn’t even present, Sarge did an abrupt about face. “At least I have some fucking ambition beyond playing house with some rich bitch we scooped off the side of the road.”
Well, that was a bit of a stretch. She narrowed her eyes, prepared to blast the man, but Viper’s tense posture and curled fists caught her attention.
He turned, only slowly with what she’d have called deadly intent. Thanks to the beam of light from both men’s bikes she had a crystal-clear view of the lethal glare he shot Sarge’s way. “Fuck. You.”
“Guys, come on…”
“Remember, you ain’t a legacy in this club, Viper. You’re not gonna just float to the top like the fucking cream.” Sarge spat the words with a venom she’d never heard from him.
What the hell was up with the man who’d been their friend? The man who changed his whole life to help Viper rescue her. Who was this angry, power hungry asshole?
“That what this is about?” Viper said spreading his arms. “You fucking jealous? Feel like you gotta one up me or some shit like that? I’m not competing with you for shit, Sarge. I’m your brother. You wanna run this club some day? Good for fucking you. I’m not out to steal that shit from you, but two things.” He held up a finger. “Don’t do it in a way that’s gonna get our asses kicked out of the club.” Another finger rose. “And if you ever involve Cassie in something that gets her hurt again—”
“What?” Sarge shouted. “What the fuck you gonna do? You don’t have any power without your daddy behind you.”
And that was it. Cassie saw the moment Viper snapped and started to go after Sarge again. If she didn’t do something, there was a good chance one of these guys would end up dead. “That’s enough!” she screamed as loud as she possibly could, given how shouting vibrated the hell out of her sore face.
Both men’s heads snapped in her direction and they gawked as though they’d forgotten she was listening.
“I don’t know what the fuck is going on with you, Sarge, but it’s done for tonight. This is a waste of fucking time. Shouting at each other on the side of the road isn’t gonna do a damn thing to solve this. Neither is beating each other bloody. Or bloodier,” she muttered.
Sarge opened his mouth and Cassie lifted her hand.
“No!” she barked. “I don’t give a shit what you’re about to say. Get your ass on your bike and ride to the clubhouse. Get some fucking sleep. We’re done for tonight.”
Her chest rose and fell as she sucked in the night air and worked to keep from becoming as irate as the men. At least the chill had fled her system.
She could see it, right there on the tip of Sarge’s tongue. The taunt, mocking Viper for needing his woman to fight his battles. Viper didn’t need squat, but Cassie was so far beyond over this night she couldn’t keep her mouth shut any longer. Thankfully, some of the Sarge she knew returned and he kept his mouth shut.
“I’m tired, I’m angry, bloody, and my face is killing me,” she said. “Go home, Sarge.”
Viper walked up behind her and slid his arm around her waist, drawing her against his firm chest. God, he felt wonderful against her as always. It was then the magnitude of what could have happened tonight hit her and her legs started to shake.
Had Marco stood behind his threats, Viper and Sarge would have been helpless to stop him. She could have been injured far worse, raped or killed. So could either one of the men.
Just a few more minutes. She only had to hold it together for a few minutes.
Sarge sighed and stared at the woods before nodding. “I’m sorry, Cas,” he said.
Most likely, that was all she’d get from him, but it seemed sincere, and Sarge wasn’t one for apologies. For the sake of the club who’d become her family as much as Viper’s, she’d take it. “Thank you. Ride safe.”
And that was that. He climbed on his bike and rode off into the quiet night.
The shakes traveled upward until her whole body trembled with visible force.
“Hey,” Viper said as he turned her.
She buried her sore face against his chest, flinching at the pain. When he moved to draw back, she locked her arms around him. Affection from Viper overrode pain any day.
“Baby, it’s over.”
“I’m n-not s-sure w-what’s w-wrong w-with me.” God, even her voice quivered.
He snorted. “Baby, this was a nightmare of an evening. You were threatened, hurt, and terrified. Not a goddammed thing is wrong with you. I’d wonder about you if you took this shit in stride.”
“Are you okay?” she asked. While she waited for him to answer, she inhaled his familiar masculine scent and it quieted her nerves better than any drug ever could.
He blew out a breath then rested his chin on top of her head. It stung when he made contact with the sore roots Marco had ruthlessly wrenched, but she didn’t protest. Being close to him was far more important than physical comfort in the moment.
“I’m not sure. This whole thing fucked with my head. I don’t know what the fuck has changed in Sarge, but it’s something. Jesus Christ, Cass, he put you at so much risk tonight. We need to get you to a hospital to get checked out.”
“I don’t need a hospital,” she whispered. Viper was there. He’d been all she needed to survive a kidnapping and he was all she needed to get past this as well. The injuries she’d sustained were surface level. Aches, pains, bruises, and a skin tear that would all heal without scarring. In a week or two, no one would ever know this night occurred by looking at her. Not a single soul would gaze upon her and know the terror she felt when Marco’s hands held her or when she watched Viper restrained and repeatedly punched. The mental anguish of the night would last far beyond the physical signs.
She tilted her head back until she could see the serious set of his mouth and the somber gleam from his gaze. “I just can’t stop thinking about what could have happened…”
“I know, baby.” He kissed so softly she wanted to weep.
The entire time she’d been watching Viper and fearing Marco’s intent, she’d berated herself for her foolishness. For stupidly withholding her love. Tonight, they’d been a hair’s breadth away from serious disaster, and she’d never told Viper she loved him. The man had rescued her from the gates of hell, taken her across the country and created a life with her. A life she loved. A life where she woke everyday knowing how the man she lived with felt about her because he not only showed her in every action he performed, but he told her in no uncertain terms.
I love you, Cassie.
He’d said it time and time again and because she doubted her own mind, because she didn’t trust herself, she denied him the same comfort. No more. She couldn’t go a second longer without making sure Viper knew exactly how she felt about him. The words burned like fire inside her mouth, demanding freedom.
“Viper, I love you,” she blurted on a half sob. “Oh, my God, I love you so much and I’m so, so sorry I’ve never said it. I was so selfish. I don’t know what the hell is wrong with me. I don’t know why you’ve stayed with me so long, saying it every day when I never returned the words. But I do. I love you. I have for a long, long time. I just—"
“Shh,” he said right before pressing his lips to hers in the softest, sweetest kiss she’d ever received. Leave it to Viper to
somehow convey great passion while maintaining concern for her sore lip. “Baby, you think I don’t know? You think I don’t see how much you love me?”
“Well…I…I don’t know. I should have said it. Months ago. I should have said it the first time I thought it, which was only weeks after we met.”
He smiled the sexy, enticing smile that never failed to melt her insides and rev her engine. “Baby, I know. I’ve known probably since that first time you thought it. I see it every day. Hell, it’s in everything you do for me. I see it when you somehow sneak out of bed ten minutes before the alarm goes off every morning then show up, coffee in hand the moment the damn thing blares. I see it every time your face lights up when I walk in the door. I see it in the way you trust me to keep you safe. I see it in the way you need to be close to me at night, even if it’s just your big toe touching me.”
That was different. Saying it, putting voice to her feelings legitimized it in a way action didn’t. Her face heated. “I didn’t know you were aware of what I was doing.” Her chest ached but it wasn’t an unpleasant sensation. It was from a fullness she’d never experienced before. “I still should have said it sooner.”
He cupped her face with both hands, no humor or teasing in sight. Every word he said, he meant. “Baby, I’m so happy to hear the words come from those pretty lips. But please don’t feel bad. Don’t think I begrudged you for not saying it. Because I know and I feel it every single time you look at me. Every time you touch me. Every time you allow me the gift of being inside your body.”
“Viper,” she whispered as tears fell from her eyes. The man brought her to her knees with just a few well spoken words.
“I love you, Cassie.”
“I love you too. So much.”
He kissed her again, just as gently as the first time. “Let’s go home, baby. I need to be in our bed, wrapped around you for the next fifteen hours or so.”
With a nod, she wormed her way out of his arms and walked toward the bike. For a moment, he stared down the road in the direction Sarge had ridden. “I’m not sure how I get past this,” he said without turning. “It was more than reckless. He knew exactly what he was doing and he didn’t give a shit that the consequences could have been devastating. I’m afraid what he calls ambition is blind greed.”
Cassie sighed. “He won’t be able to keep it from the president any longer. Not now that Marco is sending Sarge’s ideas up the chain. He’ll be dealt with through the proper channels.”
He turned and her heart broke at the look of anguish on his face. “I feel like I owe him so much. I do owe him. Jesus, if he wasn’t willing to back me up last year, we wouldn’t be here. You would be…” He shook his head and she nodded. The words didn’t need to be spoken aloud. Both of them were well aware of her fate had Viper and Sarge not intervened. Still, after all this time, her stomach soured and her mind rebelled when she remembered the stark terror in the hours leading up to her rescue.
“He’s changed so much, I barely recognize the man we left Washington with.” Viper rubbed his face. It’d been a good few days since he’d shaved, and a thick layer of scruff had formed. If she had her way, he’d grow it into a full beard. Already, the soft hairs felt amazing against her skin.
If only there was something profound she could say in that moment to take his pain and confusion away. But there wasn’t. She was as lost and confounded by Sarge’s behavior as Viper. “Come on, honey, let’s go home. You’ve got to be as drained as I am. It’s impossible to think clearly when we’re this exhausted.”
He blinked then cupped the side of her face. “Shit. Here I am running my mouth and you need to get to the hospital.”
Placing her hand over his, Cassie shook her head. “No, I don’t. What I need is a hot shower, a pint of ice cream, and a solid day in bed with you.”
He looked like he wanted to argue but nodded instead. “That sounds perfect, baby, but don’t think I won’t be checking your injuries first.”
The man took such amazing care of her. “Wouldn’t expect anything less.” She took his hand and together they walked back toward his bike. “I love you,” she said before he helped her on the back.
After a soft kiss, he rested his forehead against hers. “Fuck, I like hearing that. Please keep saying it.”
“Forever,” she whispered and there wasn’t a doubt in her heart she’d live up to that promise.
CHAPTER TWENTY
PRESENT DAY - TENNESSEE
So much changed after the night Sarge brought them to Marco’s bar. For a time, Viper struggled to remain close to his brother. After a few weeks, Cassie’s bruises had faded, but she’d have been lying if she’d said she hadn’t been plagued with a nightmare or two. Maybe had Viper not woken to her whimpers and unconscious begging not to be harmed, he could have forgiven Sarge and moved on faster, but it didn’t go down that way. The guys’ relationship had suffered. For years, the next three or so, the two men coexisted and worked well together, but the friendship they’d had dissolved into merely an association due to club loyalty.
Another surprise to have come of that night was the president’s willingness to engage in Sarge’s plan. Actually, he’d jumped on the idea and within the month Vito, Marco, and the Handlers became partners, selling weapons Sarge’s contact pilfered from the military. Viper hadn’t reacted well at first, mostly because of how she’d been treated in Marco’s bar. About a week after the incident, Marco’s motorcycle had been reported stolen. A few days later, it was found in an abandoned shed, fired, charred and smoldering. The man had been insane with rage, but with many enemies, had no idea where to turn that fury. They’d never spoken of it, but Cassie was pretty certain Viper had been responsible and while he’d have loved Marco to know he’d been the one, he couldn’t risk his club that way. He’d had to settle for anonymous vengeance.
Cassie sighed into her coffee. Those days seemed like lifetimes ago, yet they’d been integral in creating the life she had today.
“Hey, Mama V.” Jazz’s voice had her snapping back to present day. She accepted kisses and hugs from both Jazz and Shell before they slid into the booth opposite her.
“Sorry,” Shell said. “We didn’t mean to startle you.” Both women wore teal shirts with the diner’s logo over their left breast. Denim skirts completed their uniforms. Jazz’s short black hair was styled in its usual funky, pixyish style while Shell’s blonde curls which had grown considerably since she became pregnant, were high on her head in a long ponytail. Each had coffee as well, and Shell appeared to be giving into a craving with a giant plate of French fries set in front of her.
Cassie put down her mug and smiled at the women she considered her adopted children and best friends. “You didn’t. I was just lost in thoughts of the past.”
They shared a look before sending sympathetic smiles her way.
“I imagine that happens a lot these days,” Jazz said, shaking out two sugar packets. She tore into them and dumped the contents into her black coffee. “Thinking about the past, I mean.”
“Hand me a couple of those,” Shell said. “If I add enough sugar, I feel like I’m getting a caffeine buzz from this decaf nonsense.”
With a snort, Jazz slid the small ceramic dish of sugar packets Shell’s way.
“Good memories?” Shell asked as she pulled out four packets.
Cassie winced, feeling the cavities develop just looking at all that sweetness sprinkling into Shell’s cup. “For the most part. Actually, I’ve kinda been reliving our relationship from the beginning. Just now, I was remembering the falling out your dad and Viper had back before you were born. Actually, it started the night he met your mom.”
Shell paused with the mug halfway to her lips. “Really? I’ve heard the drama of that story and how my dad acted like a bit of a lunatic, but I didn’t realize it caused a lasting rift between you all.” She set the mug back down without taking a sip then leaned her arms on the table. “So what happened? How long did it last? What eventually c
onnected you guys back together? Because I remember you all being fairly close when I was a child. I mean, Dad chose Viper to be his VP.” She grabbed three fries and took a huge bite.
Jazz snorted as Cassie chuckled.
“What?” Shell asked, mouth full. “Don’t judge. You try growing Copper’s spawn and we’ll see how hungry you are.”
Hands raised, Jazz shook her head. “I’m good, thanks. And I was making fun of the way you asked Mama V about fifty questions in one breath, not how you’re pigging out.” She snagged a fry and was subjected to a death glare from Shell. “I’m all for the pigging out.”
“I was laughing about the fries,” Cassie said.
“Hey!” Shell threw a fry at her, making all three of them laugh. “All right, that’s enough. I want to hear the story.”
“Geez, mom,” Jazz muttered, earning herself a torpedoed fry to the ear.
“Well…” Cassie leaned back in the booth. “How much do you know about the night Sarge and Cindy met?”
“Nothing,” Jazz said at the same time Shell said, “I think I know it all, but why don’t you tell it anyway. Just in case my version was abridged.”
“Okay.” Cassie let her mind float back to the events she’d been reminiscing on for the past few days. After filling the girls in up to the point Sarge’s plan for trafficking assault rifles was accepted by the club, Shell interrupted.
“Wow,” she said. “I can’t believe Cutter went for it. Copper would flip his shit if a prospect tried to make a deal behind his back like that. Even if he thought it was a good plan. It’s about respecting the hierarchy in the club.”
With a nod, Cassie said, “I can’t tell you how shocked we were. Viper was floored. I’m pretty sure no one else ever found out your father was the one who came up with the idea. Cutter took credit for it.”
Shell snorted. “I’m surprised my dad didn’t demand the praise.”