by E. C. Land
“Then let’s get out of here.” Closing my door, she scrambles around the truck to get in the passenger side.
“Where the fuck are we?” I ask as I start the truck and gun it in the direction Ally points.
“We’re on the outskirts of a town called Fincastle,” she tells me as she keeps looking around us for any possible threats.
“Alright, you want to tell me what the fuck you had to do to get me time to rest?” I grumble. It’s still stuck in my head from the other day.
“No, and don’t ask. I won’t tell you. I just want to forget,” Ally murmurs, giving me a direct look.
“Okay, fine, but I’m not letting you get away from me again. You’re coming to the clubhouse and staying with me. I just got you back in my life,” I tell her as I maneuver the truck off the dirt path and onto the road.
“Hayden, as long as I have my freedom, I don’t plan to go anywhere else.” Smiling, Ally settles in for the ride.
“Good. Now let’s find a fuckin’ phone so I can call my brothers before I pass the hell out,” I growl. The pain is starting to become too much to bear. I need more time to heal.
We drove for an hour before coming upon a motel that I felt would be doable until I got us home. I told Ally to stay in the truck long enough for me to run in and get a room, I didn’t want to chance anyone recognizing her. Getting the key, I head back to the truck and move it to in front of the room. Thankfully, the woman at the desk had a room in the back so I could park where no one would spot the truck.
“Why don’t you go grab some drinks from the vending machine?” I suggest as I unlock the door to the room.
“How about I walk over to the diner and grab some food? I snagged your wallet from Charles’s desk, so I have your card.” At the mention of my wallet, I could kiss her, if she weren’t my sister.
“Oh, thank fuck,” I mumble. “I need to use the phone. Go grab food. I don’t care what you spend,” I tell her.
“Okay, I’ll be back,” Ally says as she walks out of the room. I watch her until she’s in the diner before moving back to the side of the bed and picking up the phone.
Dialing Twister’s number, I wait.
“Hello,” he says, picking up on the third ring.
“Prez,” I barely get out.
“Hades? That you?” he asks, his voice sounding gruff.
“Yeah, Prez, it’s me.”
“Where the fuck are you?”
“Don’t fuckin’ know other than Ally saying we’re near Fincastle,” I tell him along with giving him of the name of the motel Ally and I are at.
“Ally?” I can hear the question in his voice.
“Long fuckin’ story and I don’t know where to even start,” I say.
“Alright, brother, hang tight. I’m getting everyone rounded up, and we’ll be heading in your direction in five,” he says before disconnecting.
Sighing, I hang the phone up and lay back against the bed. Finally, I’ll get home. Hopefully, I find my woman at the clubhouse when I get there.
“I’m coming home, Emmy,” I murmur to myself as I close my eyes and wait.
5
Emerson
The annoying ringing of my phone draws me from my sleep. Reaching over the side of the couch to the end table, I grab it to see who the hell is calling me. It’s been days since I left the clubhouse, and I’ve thankfully been able to avoid everyone, including my sister, as long as I answer my phone.
“I’m fine,” I say, putting the phone to my ear.
“They found Hades.” At Steph’s words, I shoot up into a sitting position on the couch.
“What did you just say?” I ask, needing her to clarify.
“Hades, they found him. All the club members just left a little while ago to get him,” she says, excitement filling her voice.
“That’s good,” I say, hoping she can’t sense the tension in my voice. I want nothing more than to be going with them to get him, but I’m sure he hates me for not getting the guys to him sooner. Shit, I’d hate me too.
“It is good news. Why don’t you come back to the clubhouse? I’m sure he will want to see you when he gets here,” she suggests.
“I highly doubt that,” I mumble, more to myself than to Steph. “I’ll come by in a few days when he’s had time to rest. I’m sure he’s gonna need it,” I say.
“Emerson Connors, don’t you dare try to act like that, especially toward me. I’m your damn sister, and I’ve been doing what I can to make sure you had the space you need, but it’s time to get over it. Now get your ass to the clubhouse and spend some time with your nephew and me. Don’t make me come beat your ass,” Steph huffs out.
“Like you can even beat my ass,” I remark sarcastically. I’m sure I sound juvenile at this point, but I’m not ready to see anyone. And as for being there when Hades comes home, he’s not gonna want to see me. Not when I’m the reason he’s gone through hell.
“Em, please do it for me. Logan and I miss you, and you dodged us on Christmas. Just come for a little while,” she tries again and this time, it sounds like she’s crying.
Sighing, I give in. “Fine, I’ll come visit you and Logan for a little while. Give me an hour and I’ll head over.”
“Great, I’ll see you then,” she says before disconnecting.
“Fuckin’ great. I swear she did the whole crying thing on purpose,” I mutter to myself. I head to the coffeemaker on the other side of the room and press the start button, ready for that heavenly aroma to fill the area. If I’m gonna go back to the clubhouse, I need to at least have a cup of this before heading out. Actually, I need something a lot stronger, but coffee will do for now.
I move toward the bathroom as I wait for the coffee to finish to get cleaned up. One of the perks about the space I bought for my salon is it has a small bathroom with a shower attached to it. Which has worked out for me since I didn’t have anywhere else to go to get cleaned up. Yeah, sure, I could find a place for rent, but I haven’t wanted to do that just yet. I want to get through the rest of the year first, maybe even get through January before looking.
Dressed and ready, I grab a to-go cup and head out, dreading being at the clubhouse. If I’m lucky, I’ll be gone before the guys get back with Hades.
Fingers crossed, I’ll be gone before then. I don’t want to see the hatred in Hades’ eyes when he gets home. That’s his space, and I won’t taint it by being there when he needs his family the most.
“What’s going on with you, Lynsdey? You’ve been moody recently,” Izzy asks Lynsdey a while after I got to the clubhouse. I’d noticed it as well but figured it was stress.
“I have a lot of shit going on in my head. Plus, I’m taking care of the twins. It’s not easy,” she grumbles, darting her eyes toward me.
“You know we’re all here for you, so spill it,” Kenny says, cradling her newborn in her arms while handing a cookie to JC.
Sighing, she sits forward. “Honestly, I’m confused. Thorn and I have been arguing a lot recently, and a lot of it has to do with information he decided to withhold from me,” she confesses.
“Well, what was it?” Cleo asks.
“Evidently, Hades is my cousin on my mother’s side,” she blurts out.
“What?” Cleo gasps.
“Yeah, I know. I don’t understand it either, but it’s true. Thorn dug into the past and found out Hades’ mom was my mom's cousin or something like that. I’m not sure that information is still fuzzy to me. I kinda went off on Thorn and refused to have sex with him for not telling me Hades was my cousin. And then, with him being gone, I’ve felt like I was losing family before I even knew it,” Lynsdey says, her eyes cutting to me once more. Now I get it. She blames me for not being able to help find Hades sooner.
“Lynsdey, you can’t think that way. Remember, you will always have family in us. We’re sisters through this life and the next,” Cleo says, reaching over to grab hold of her friend’s hand.
“You’re right, but it still hu
rts,” Lynsdey says.
While each of the women around me comforts their friend, I slink back, hoping to get out of there soon. I shouldn’t have come. I’m not part of this family even though I’m Steph’s sister.
“It makes you want to throw up, doesn’t it,” Susie Cue says from behind me.
“Excuse me?” I ask.
“Them.” Nodding her head in my sister's direction, she smiles. “They think they’re this big happy family, that the world revolves around them and we’re all on the outside of it. Just because we’re not claimed by one of the members yet.” She goes on talking about them and I tune her out, not wanting to hear any more.
Just as I’m about to let them know I’d see them later, the roar of bikes vibrates the building. The guys are back. My heart feels like it’s about to pop out of my chest as I stand behind everyone as they gather around to welcome Hades and the club back.
When the doors open, my heart shatters at the sight in front of me. Hades’ entire body seems to be bruised and battered as Twister helps him on one side, but the part that hurts is seeing him smile at the woman on the other side of him.
I knew I shouldn’t have come here. As quietly as possible, I inch my way toward the hallway that would lead me to the backdoor. There’s no reason for me to be here. I’ve seen he’s okay, and it’s time for me to go.
6
Hades
Walking into the clubhouse felt damn good, but what would have been better was seeing Emerson standing there waiting for me. But that wasn’t the case.
“Let’s get him to the other room so I can fix him up,” Connors says, moving forward, her eyes scanning between Ally and myself. Her smile seems almost forced. I should probably inform everyone exactly who Ally is to me. Hell, I hadn’t even bothered to tell my brothers yet.
“Before you start to poke and probe me, I’ve got something to say. Well, more of an announcement. Everyone, meet Ally, she’s my sister,” I state loud enough for everyone to hear me.
“Your sister?” Connors asks dumbfoundedly.
“Yeah, Ally is my sister, so please help her feel welcomed here,” I am more or less pleading to the women of the club not to be mean thinking she was some whore.
“You should know better than to have to ask that, Hades,” Izzy says, moving forward. “Come on, Ally. I’m Izzy, and this is Kenny, Cleo, Lynsdey, and Connors. Emerson is here somewhere,” she states, and my body goes solid. She’s here, my woman is here.
“Actually, she left,” Susie Cue informs everyone as she moves toward me. “Hey, baby, I missed you.” I have to grind my teeth to keep from snapping at her to not touch me.
“Okay, skank, back up. I need to get him to the back,” Connors sneers toward Susie Cue as she pushes her away from me.
“I’ll be waiting, baby,” she murmurs as she turns, throwing a wink at me as my brothers and Connors lead me to where she wants me.
“Shut up,” I hear Izzy say behind us.
I’d laugh if it didn’t hurt so damn bad. The women in this club can be protective and the fact they all gathered around to be here when my brothers brought me home fills me with pride. But there’s only one woman I really want to see, and it hurts to know she left before I could even put my eyes on her.
“Is she okay?” I ask Connors as I sit on the edge of the bed in the infirmary.
“I can’t answer that honestly,” she says over her shoulder while moving around the room to get things she needs. “Dragon, honey, will you call Jordan for me? I’m gonna need her help.”
“Yeah, baby,” Dragon rasps out as he pulls out his phone.
“Wait, who the hell is Jordan?” I ask as Connors turns back to me.
“She’s actually Dragon and Gadget’s sister and my assistant,” Connors informs me.
“Okay, but I thought you worked at the hospital. What the hell have I missed?” I can’t help but feel like an outsider at not being here. Even if it wasn’t my fault.
“We’ll fill you in once you’ve had a chance to rest, brother,” Gadget says.
“Why not now? Give me something to think about other than worrying about where the fuck Emerson is or what the hell’s gonna happen next,” I grumble.
Sighing, Gadget starts from the first-day shit went down all the way to when I called Twister. My mind is fuckin’ blown at the shit the club went through while I was sitting chained to a damn wall. Connors and Emerson lost everything they owned when Hydro blew their house up and kidnapped Connors’s son Logan. I’d never hold anything against my brothers for not coming after me sooner, but I’m glad they put that little boy ahead of me. He’s just a kid and needed them more than I did.
My mind is reeling with everything they tell me, but it keeps going back to one thing. Well, I should say person. Emerson. With her and Connors’s house gone, where the hell is she staying? Why isn’t she here at the clubhouse where no one can get her?
“Emerson was staying here for a while in your room, but a few days ago, she up and left without telling anyone,” Connors whispers, answering my unspoken question.
“She was staying in my room?” I ask her, my mind reeling with thoughts of Emerson lying in my bed. Using my pillows to sleep on.
“Yeah, she refused to come out of there. Then she did and hours later, she left completely,” she informs me.
“Why didn’t someone go after her? Where the hell is she staying now? Someone needs to bring her ass back here. We don’t know what these fuckers are gonna do. I’m sure they know Ally and I are gone by now. They could be coming here as we speak.” My voice raises to a roar by the time I finish speaking. I’m pissed hearing that Emerson would be so careless with her safety. Shit, she fuckin’ should know more than anyone else here what the fuck could happen to her if they get a hold of her.
“Relax, brother, we’ve been keeping eyes on Emerson. She’s staying at the salon,” Dragon says as he gently places a hand on my shoulder.
“Still need to get her ass back here,” I grumble.
“I agree, that’s why I convinced her to come here in the first place. I should’ve known she’d sneak out. I just don’t know when. We were all talking and then you all pulled up. I guess she must have left right after you all came inside,” Connors states, her brows furrowing as if she’s trying to remember when she could have left.
“Well, soon as you finish patching me up, I need to go find her,” I say, needing her to hurry up and get shit done.
“Umm, I’m sorry, but I can’t let you do that, Hades, at least not for a few days. You seriously need antibiotics and an IV. Along with rest. I’m sure I don’t need to tell you the trauma your body has been through. And on top of that, you need sleep. It will help the most in healing,” Connors says firmly. As I go to protest, she holds her hand up. “I’m not sure what the hell is up with you and my sister. However, I have a brain that can put two and two together. Meaning, I can see with my own eyes that you two have feelings for each other. At least, I hope you have feelings for her, and it’s not some hero-tistic thing where you need to see with your own eyes that you saved her. That she’s unharmed.” I can’t hold back my laughter at Connors’ rant. Neither can her men.
“Hero-tistic? Baby, seriously?” Gadget asks, chuckling.
“Oh, shut up,” Connors throws over her shoulder as she goes about stitching me up. “Now, as I was saying, you’re going to do what I’m telling you to do and rest. I’ll take care of my sister until you’re well enough to do so yourself. Meaning, regain your strength some because I have a feeling you’re gonna have more of a battle getting her to listen you,” she says, never once moving her focus from my stitches.
A knock on the door ends our conversation as a woman in scrubs walks in and begins right away, helping Connors get me bandaged up. This must be Jordan. I’d seen her briefly when Gadget had been in the hospital, but looking at her now, I can see the resemblance between the three of them. But something tells me she’s got a story and it’s not pretty. Yet she hides it behind a
smile that doesn’t quite meet her eyes. As they finish up, I close my eyes and repeat Connors’s words in my head.
Why would I have a battle getting Emerson to listen to me? It’s not like I’ve done anything against her. Connors says she must have left around the time we got back and has feelings for me. Shit, she must have seen Ally under my arm and thought I’d brought a woman home with me.
Fuck, she’s right, I will have a battle on my hands getting her to listen to me. Emerson will have all her walls built higher than Mount Olympus, and I intend to break them down. Whether she wants me to or not.
Emerson is my woman and now that I’m home, I’ll be claiming what’s mine.
7
Emerson
The sight of Hades walking into the clubhouse with his arm thrown over another woman is burned into my brain and fills my dreams. Instead of him being tortured, they’re now of him telling me I’ll never be enough for him.
Since leaving the clubhouse, I’ve avoided all calls from everyone. I sent Nora, a friend of mine who works at the salon, a message asking her to hold down the fort until I get back. I need time to process and heal. Well, more or less time to figure out what to do now.
I decided to head to the beach for a few days to see if that would help. Yet it hasn’t. My thoughts rotate between everything that happened to what could happen.
My thoughts are interrupted as I hear yelling and laughter behind me. Lifting my head up from drawing in the sand, my jaw drops at the sight in front of me. It’s like any woman’s wet dream. A surfer comes out of the water only to put his board down and remove the upper half of his wetsuit. You’d think he’d freeze with it being winter, but holy shit, the muscles on the man are to die for. They even rival Hades and he’s a big man.
“That looked fuckin’ awesome, Ricochet!” a woman yells out as she runs past me, throwing sand up as she goes. She must not have seen me sitting there and honestly, I’m not mad. Who could blame her for being excited to have that man's attention?