Tyres' Wraith

by E. C. Land

  My heart skips a beat and I swear all the breath I have in me swooshes out of my body.

  Tyres just told me he loves me. For the first time in years, I hear words I’ve only dreamed of him saying, and never once was it as good as just now.

  “I love you too, Ike. I never stopped,” I whisper, tears sliding down my cheeks.

  “Good to know. Now sleep, Baby Doll. I’m exhausted.” It doesn’t take long for me to do as he orders.

  He wore me out.

  Waking up alone in bed isn’t something I’ve done all week. Tyres has always woken me up. I open my eyes and listen to the silence of the room, only to hear the shower running.

  Throwing the covers back, I climb out of bed and walk toward the bathroom. I step inside the steamy space and go straight to the shower.

  Tyres turns to me as I open the stall door.

  “Hey,” I whisper softly as his eyes look over me.

  “Hey, Bluebell,” he murmurs just as quietly.

  I move to Tyres and wrap my arms around him, laying my head against his chest. He wraps his arms around me and presses a kiss to the top of my head.

  “I didn’t hurt you, did I?” he asks.

  “No.”

  “Good,” he utters.

  I lift my head off his chest and look up at him, the water from the shower raining down on us as he pulls me under the heat of it.

  “What happened last night?”

  “Remember me telling you the other day I go to fights sometimes when I need to?”

  I nod my response because I do remember. He goes to these fights not to watch but to participate in them. Tyres explained to me this was his way of releasing anger so he wouldn’t hurt anyone. I understood what he meant.

  “I needed to fight last night,” he utters, his brown-black eyes glitter with anger already starting to build within him again, even with him taking that fight last night. It must not have been enough. That’s why he worked some of it out on me. “I need to tell you something and when I do, you’re going to listen and not run.”

  “O–Okay.” I hope it’s not about him wanting to be with another woman and keep me too.

  “I found out yesterday after you were raped, multiple women who have similarities went through what you did but also were murdered and dumped into a lake,” he shares.

  “No,” I whisper, hoarsely, my saliva lodging itself in my throat.

  “That’s not all. When I got back from the fights and was coming home, Fuse caught up with me and told me there have been two more here in Emerald Isle in the last week.”

  I feel myself go faint.

  No. No. No.

  This can’t be happening.

  “Don’t make a sound, or I go find that little boy and kill him.”

  The harsh rumbling threat from the man who held the knife on me screams in my head.

  “I need to go. Please, Ike. I can’t let them hurt our son or your daughter. I won’t do it. I’ll die first. He’s killing women because of me. Let me go, Ike.” The sobs start and my knees buckle. If Tyres wasn’t holding me tightly to him, I would have crumpled to the floor of the shower.

  “I’m not letting you go, Rissa. Told you never again,” Tyres states. “I won’t let them get anywhere near you again, and for the record, Wren is your daughter now as well.”

  “But . . .”

  “No buts, Ris, I’m taking care of you. I’m protecting you and our family. No one, and I mean no one fuckin’ person, is going to stand in my way. Not even you. You attempt to leave, and I’m coming after your ass. You got me?”

  I nod in response.

  “Words, Rissa,” he growls harshly. “Tell me you got me.”

  “Yes, I got you,” I whisper.

  This time around, I have to trust him to take care of what’s happening around us. And I have to have faith that when he catches them that they feel every ounce of Tyres’ wrath when he sends them to hell.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Tyres

  The door closes behind Speed when he enters the room. Chains called church for this afternoon. It’s been three days since I told Rissa about the women being murder who hold similarities to her.

  To say she’s freaked is an understatement.

  She refuses to step foot out of the house. Worse she doesn’t want the kids outside either. Rissa has gone full-on nuts when it comes to keeping them away from the windows and everything else.

  Ike asked me yesterday why his mom was all of a sudden acting like she did a year ago when they first moved into Tombstone’s house. Evidently, those first days after, she didn’t want him out of her sight. When he went to school, he was escorted to and from by members of the Satan’s Keepers MC.

  Fuse has been keeping an eye on things. Both women who were killed last week were dumped in the same place. Fucked up part about it is, the two women from here were found five miles from our backyard.

  Chains made a call to the captain of the local PD here and spoke to him. They know who we are, and we know them. There’s a truce of sorts between the PD and us. Now they know we know. They confirmed both women were raped. Also, one of the detectives is one of my friends from high school. I spoke to him about it and that there were other murders in Texas with the same MO. What I didn’t tell him, however, is the fact the women held similarities to Rissa, and she’s the target.

  The PD doesn’t need to know that little detail since I’ll be making sure to make them pay for what they’ve done. Not just for Rissa, but for the women they’ve killed.

  “Brothers, you’ve all met your VP’s ol’ lady,” Chains says, starting church.

  Each of my brothers nods their answer.

  “Rissa came home, and as with all the ol’ ladies of the club, it seems trouble has followed as you all have heard,” Chains states the truth. “But what you all don’t know is trouble is what caused her to leave. She wanted to protect Tyres from her parents when they threatened him. This shit cost them ten years together.”

  “What trouble caused her to leave?” Pipe asks.

  “Remember Whip and his brothers talking about the shit going down with some cult?” I mutter, speaking up.

  “Yeah, I remember.” Pipe nods.

  “Her parents evidently were a part of it. They died over six months ago when they took one of the member’s ol’ lady from the South Carolina charter. I wish I had the chance to kill them both myself for what they did to her,” I sneer.

  “What did they do to her?” Brake asks.

  I hadn’t shared that part with anyone yet and not all of it was in the information they had gotten on her for the background check when she applied to be a nanny.

  “The day after her eighteenth birthday, they took her out of town. Allowed men to beat her up, cut her stomach in five different spots, and bury her in a shallow grave alive. She had to climb her way out of it. She survived and so did our son,” I explain.

  “What the fuck? Why didn’t she just come home where we could all keep her safe?” Brake asks, seeming to be agitated.

  “Because Rissa was an eighteen-year-old girl scared out of her mind and wanted to protect the one person she loved most,” Ryder answers.

  How does he know?

  I didn’t say anything. He must have gone to see Rissa before I did.

  “Ela says Rissa’s soul shines through her, always has, and that the darkness will always try to dim it if she doesn’t have someone to protect her from the demons,” Fury grouches from his spot next to my uncle.

  “Rissa’s demons followed her back here, so what do we do?” Speed asks, leaning forward to brace his elbows on the table, his fingers coming up to rest in front of his mouth.

  “We find the motherfucker and the bitch with him. I don’t give a damn if it’s a woman or not, they’re both dead,” I snarl, slamming my fist on the table.

  Each of my brothers starts muttering agreement about this.

  “Now that is out of the way, we have other business to discuss,” Chains states in a
matter-of-fact tone that tells me whatever it is, isn’t good.

  What else is going to come at us?

  Chains starts talking, and my gut goes tight with each word he spews. Seems there’s a problem down in Florida at our brother Risk’s club. This brother revolves around the Cintron Cartel.

  The Cintron Cartel deals in drugs and human trafficking. I have to hand it to the Cintron Cartel, they stick to coke and heroin on that side of things, while I’ve heard of others that are creating their own drugs.

  From what I’ve heard from Risk, the Cintron Cartel has been causing quite a few problems, but now he’s worried about someone leaking information to the cartel. This isn’t a good thing. Risk is going to have to find out who it is and fast. If the leak keeps going, it can end up getting deadly for them all.

  By the time we finish church, Brake, Pipe, Speed, Shock, and Steel all agree to ride down there to check things out and give Risk a fresh pair of eyes.

  Chains bangs the gavel on the table, and I stand to leave the room. I want a moment with my brother to talk to him. He seems pissed, and I need to make sure he’s okay. More or less, I want to know what the hell’s going on with him because he’s not being his joking self.

  “Brake.” I catch up to him right outside of the clubhouse.

  “Yeah,” he says, sliding his sunglasses over his eyes and turns toward me.

  “You good?” I ask, covering my own eyes. Swear the sun can fuckin’ blind you when there’re no clouds out to help block the damn thing.

  “I’m good. Why?” I don’t miss the set of his jaw or the way he tenses slightly.

  “Bullshit, remember, we’re twins. I know you better than anyone else.” Crossing my arms over my chest, I take a stance that I hope he clues in on. I’m not leaving any room for him to get out of talking to me. “What’s going on with you?”

  “Nothing,” he mutters, clenching his teeth together.

  Brake scans the area and shakes his head.

  “Come on, Brake, it’s me you’re talking to,” I say calmly.

  “It’s nothing, okay. For once, you’re not the broody fucker at the club, so enjoy it. I’ll deal with what’s going on myself. If I want you to know, I’ll tell you. Okay?” Brake snaps.

  Fuck me. I’ve never heard that tone in his voice. It’s almost as if he’s in pain. What the hell?

  “You know you can talk to me, right? We’re more than brothers. We’re twins.” I don’t like or want to see my brother hurting.

  “I know I can talk to you, but you just got Ris back after years of not having her. You need time with her. You definitely don’t need my problems. Go be with your family. You’ll get the fuckers who have hurt her. I’ll call when I get to Florida,” he says, turning away from me.

  We’ve rarely gone on separate runs, and I, for one, am not having good thoughts about this.

  “Who is she?” I utter the question before I can stop myself.

  “Who says it’s a she, or a he or a them?” he shoots back, straddles his bike, and fires her up before I can question him again.

  Shit.

  Whoever the hell it is my brother’s become broody over better be worth it.

  Sighing, I turn to my house and walk the short distance. I need to lay eyes on my family and make sure they’re okay. I know things aren’t going to be okay right away, but I’ll make sure it is soon enough.

  Rissa deserves to finally breathe easy and not worry about some fuckin’ killer/rapist coming after her.

  As I stride up the stairs leading to my house, the front door opens, and Ela steps out.

  “Tyres,” she says in greeting.

  “Hey, Ela, what are you doing here?” I ask.

  “I’m just visiting with your sweet Rissa before Fury and I head out. We’re going to go see Raven and Blaze. I don’t like missing so much of my grandchildren’s lives, but there’s no way I’m moving there, or she’s moving here,” Ela says with a bright smile. It’s a rare thing when she doesn’t have a smile in place on her face.

  “Have fun and tell her I said ‘hey’.” Raven has always been a good person and lately, she and her ol’ man have had it rough. Between all the fucked-up bullshit they’ve all been through, she deserves to finally have some peace. Not long ago, Fury was nearly pulling out his still-dark hair when shit went down with a ghost, we all thought dead.

  Chains wasn’t too thrilled to learn the Boogeyman was still alive.

  “I will, but, Tyres, remember something for me, please?” Ela’s eyes get that far distance look in them as she speaks.

  “Sure,” I utter softly.

  “Fear consumes her right now and with that, it’s blinding. Keep eyes open and watch through the night. They’re coming when the moon is full,” she whispers, blinks, and smiles. I smile tautly at her, not wanting to worry.

  Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

  That’s the clearest Ela’s ever been with one of her things.

  Nodding, I let her go. I turn to follow her with my eyes as she does, making sure she gets to the clubhouse safely. Fury steps through the clubhouse doors, and I wave, knowing she’s safe with her ol’ man.

  Twisting back to the house, I head up the steps and walk into the house. The first thing I hear is my son’s and daughter’s laughter. Ike’s deeper than Wren’s little giggles. I can’t help but grin.

  After Rissa left, gutting me, I never thought I would have this. Didn’t want it. Not if it wasn’t with the woman who took my heart with her.

  Moving deeper into the house, I find Rissa in the kitchen smiling as she looks on to what the kids are doing. Following her gaze, my grin turns into a full-on smile. Ike and Wren are playing in a fort my son must have made for the two of them. Wren is sitting on her bottom while her big brother is playing with motorcycles. He’s making the sounds of their bikes and telling her that the men who ride them will always save the day.

  I’m finding Ike sees men who are in MCs as heroes and not menaces to society.

  Because of this right here, I have something worth fighting for.

  My family.

  My woman.

  My kids.

  The one person who holds my heart in their hands.

  Rissa.

  Without her coming back in my life, it would still just be Wren and me.

  Fear consumes her right now and with that, it’s blinding. Keep eyes open and watch through the night. They’re coming when the moon is full.

  Ela’s words pop into my mind again.

  I have until the full moon to stop them. I just need to find out when that is first then come up with a way to stop them. Until then, I’ll make sure she sleeps peacefully through the night while I watch over her and our kids.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Rissa

  ‘Fear should never decide your fate.’

  God knows I’ve missed Ela. Pitch Black and Raven’s mom is the sweetest mom. I used to wish she was my mom.

  Ela is special to everyone she comes in contact with and wants into your fold. She left earlier while I was finishing up cooking lasagna soup for all of us. It’s both Ike and Tyres’ favorite meal. Okay, so it’s not really their favorite, but it’s one of them.

  Now with dinner finished and the kids getting ready for bed, Tyres is reading a book to Wren while Ike is chilling out in his room. He claims he is too old to be tucked in or have a book read to him.

  I decided to take a shower before climbing into bed myself. I’ve allowed fear to wear me out the past several days. The only time my mind has been off those women is when Tyres takes my mind off of it.

  Throughout the day, I’ve kept the kids inside away from the windows. My fear of that man’s threats keeps filling my head, no matter how many times Tyres reassures me I’m safe at the clubhouse.

  It’s why earlier, Ike and I made a fort for him and Wren to play in. God, I love that little girl like she was my own. I finally had a conversation with Tyres about her and who her mother is. He told me the full story and not just bits and pi
eces of it. I found out that he’d been drunk off his ass and that he doesn’t even remember the woman. But evidently, he must have told her his name and opened up about himself because Wren was his. Wren’s birth mother even gave Wren Tyres’ last name from the get-go. It hurts my heart that Wren lost her mother. I thank the woman for her gift, though, and promise to raise Wren with as much love as I do with Ike.

  Stripping out of my clothes in the bedroom, I walk the short distance to the bathroom. My eyes lock on the bathtub and stay glued to it.

  I lick my lips nervously. I used to love baths. Lana would get me bath bombs, and I would soak in the tub for hours if I could. I found it just as relaxing as sitting in an Adirondack chair on the porch listening to the birds chirp and the crickets crick.

  Arms surround me, and I feel Tyres heat at my back.

  “What are you doing, Bluebell?” he asks softly, his arms tighten around me slightly.

  “I used to love baths,” I whisper, not taking my eyes off the tub. It’s a massive one that could easily fit Tyres and me both, and we would still have room to move.

  “You trust me, Ris?”

  “Yes, I trust you, Ike,” I answer, hearing the quiver of nerves in my own voice.

  Tyres loosens his arms from around my waist, his hands come to rest on my hips. He pushes me forward toward the tub. My heartbeat picks up and I swear it’s going to push its way out of my chest wall.

  Keeping a hand at my waist, Tyres reaches around me and twists the knob for the water to come on. The sound of water fills the room; however, I don’t pay attention to it. No, I’m paying attention to the man who has a hand on me. Whose front is pressing into me.

  “Get in the tub, Rissa,” Tyres commands, his hand leaving my waist and his heat moves away from my back.

  I bite my lip to keep from whimpering in protest at losing his touch.

  I take a step forward and climb into the tub. I tilt my head in Tyres’ direction to meet his gaze. “Sit down, Baby Doll,” he commands. His tone takes on phenomenal tenderness I’ve never heard before. Not even with his daughter.