by Elisa Leigh
I want him and his dark presence and brooding stares. I want the age that comes with a man that has been around a lot longer than I have. I want the assurance that he knows what he wants and isn’t afraid of the hard that will eventually come. Life will get hard, it always does.
No more running , I hear my momma tell me in her pretty southern twang. Grab onto that man and don’t let go. He is your future. He’s going to need you when you face your darkest day.
Knock. Knock. Knock.
I look over and see Ryker standing outside my door staring down at me with a furrowed brow. I unlock my door, and he pulls it open.
“What the hell just happened?” He asks as he unsnaps my seatbelt and pulls me out of the car checking me over.
“Huh?” I’m still dazed. Did my momma just talk to me? The woman’s been dead fourteen years. I must be exhausted from the past twenty-four hours. I’m so tired I imagine things that couldn’t be.
Ryker hugs me to his chest with one big hand on my head and the other rubbing my back. “Tell me you’re fucking okay Emersen. You freaked me the fuck out. One second you look like you need a minute to think and the next your slumping over in your seat and not moving. I was about to get a rock and break your window if you didn’t fucking wake up in the next goddamn minute. Shit Emersen. Has that ever happened to you before?”
“You say fuck a lot for an old man you know.” I giggle.
He pulls my hair. Not hard enough to hurt me, but to get my attention. I sober up and stare up into his scared eyes.
“Tell. Me. You’re. Okay.” He demands.
“I’m okay, Ryker. I’m okay.” I whisper.
“Thank fuck!” He breathes and scoops me up into his arms, carrying me bridal style into the house.
Nine
Ryker
“ Grandy keeps running his fucking mouth. He’s trashing the Steel Daggers and making us look like a bunch of pussies for not putting a stop to it.” Rash argues, pounding his fist on the table the officers of the Steel Daggers are gathered around. We’ve been sitting around the table going back and forth for the past hour trying to agree on how to handle Grandy. I put him in the hospital about six months ago for setting a fire at a major renovation job we had going on. He claimed he didn’t know who jumped him. We made sure to pay him a visit in the hospital to keep it that way.
“What do you want us to do Rash? You want to go off the guy?” Jester asks, wicked smile in place.
“Not like we haven’t done it before,” Prince adds dryly.
“No. We aren’t murderers. Self-defense is one thing. Fucking someone up and putting them out of commission for months, we can do. Talking about taking someone out because he’s starting shit is a road I’m not willing to go down. The Steel Daggers are no angels, but we aren’t crossing that line.” I say evenly, looking each officer in the eye. Vince is my VP, but his road name is Prince. Then there’s Rock our Sergeant At Arms, Jester and Rash are our Road Captains, Triton is our Treasurer and all around tech guru.
Tom Grandy has had a hard-on for us since Rock overheard him making a deal at one of the clubs he was working security for. We haven’t done anything with what we know, but knowledge is power. Guess Grandy didn’t want us having that kind of power over him. He’s been fucking with us ever since.
“Triton, keep eyes on Grandy and his associates. Keep me up to date on his whereabouts and any changes to his routine. Do not approach Grandy, unless he starts in on you first. Keep your piece ready. Spread the word to the brothers. I don’t want the new prospects in on this. Rich is good, but I can’t be sure of Bryan and Kent. I don’t want this turning into a fucking bloodbath. You all good with that?” I eye my brothers and one after another nod their agreeance.
“Good. Thanksgiving is next Thursday. Who’s coming out to the house? Em wants a headcount. Your current fuck piece isn’t invited, family only.”
They all give me a chin lift except for Jester. Rash notices and slaps him in the back of the head. “Stop fucking around Jes.”
“Knuckles, excuse me, Pres., said we couldn’t bring our fuck pieces. I don’t know about you, but if it’s a holiday, I’ll be sliding inside something hot and wet. I’m pardoned from holiday dinner.”
“Fuck you,” Rash says, giving Jester the finger. “Pres. we’ll be there.” I don’t miss the way Rash looks heatedly at Jester. I wonder if Jester knows that his best friend is in love with him. Probably not, because then he’d have to acknowledge his feelings for Rash.
“Got it. I’ll tell her to plan for everyone then.” I knock knuckles on the table twice, and everyone gets up and leaves, except for Prince.
“Why the hell isn’t your name on her back yet?”
“I’m ready, she isn’t. She thinks we’re moving too fast, while I think we’re moving too slow. It’s been three weeks Prince. If it were up to me, she’d have my last name and a baby in her belly already.” I smirk. “Might have already accomplished the latter. We’ll see in the next couple of weeks. I’m taking care of one right fucking now.”
He slaps me on the shoulder. “Damn brother. I never thought I’d see you want a woman again. I knew when I saw her, that if anyone could bring you back, it’d be her. I’m happy for you man.”
“Thank you.”
I follow him out to the bar and search out my heart. Where the hell is she?
“Emersen, where the fuck are you?” I yell above the noise and Camden immediately turns the music down. All my brothers are on alert and searching her out. There’s no way she would have slipped out the door without one of them noticing. Not to mention, Gage was supposed to be on her tonight, where is that fucker at? I’m going to tear this place apart ‘til I find my woman and rip the motherfucker apart who dared to do anything to my sweetheart.
Emersen
Oomph. What the fuck? I just came out of the bathroom when I was shoved into the wall of the dark hallway. Where the hell is Gage? I knew he had babysitting duty while the officers were in church. The man presses my head into the wall. He pushes his whole body against my much shorter one, efficiently leaving me unable to fight back. Hell if I’m giving up though. I jab my elbow back, but he anticipates my move and moves to the side. Goddamnit! Then I feel the blade at my neck.
“Listen bitch. You make a sound, and I slit your throat. You fight me, and I’ll cut you up and toss you in the lake.” Shit! I go still not wanting to piss the asshole off. “Good girl. Come with me quietly, and you can try and talk the boss out of killing you. He’d probably go for a fat ass like yours right about now. He’s been healing up the past couple of months because of what your old man did to him.” My mind races, but I nod, doing whatever I need to stay alive. He pulls me by my hair away from the wall and leads me out the back entrance. He shoves me into a van where there’s another asshole in the back duct taping my wrists, and then my ankles together. I guess I should be grateful they didn’t hog tie me.
That was thirty minutes ago, and we just arrived at some death trap of a house on the outskirts of town. He pulls me from the van and pushes me to walk. I guess he didn’t remember My ankles were taped because I fall and land face first in the dirt and rocks. He picks me up roughly and throws me over his shoulder. He walks into the house and throws me on a saggy stained couch.
“Don’t get any blood on the couch. We just got that one.” Is there something wrong with this guy? He keeps twitching and running his hands through his long stringy hair.
“From where, behind the dumpster? It’s disgusting. There are stains all over it, and it stinks.” I complain.
He laughs loudly, and I can’t help staring at his rotten teeth. How the hell did this prick get into Spanky’s? Someone else must be running the door tonight because Rock would have never let him in. He’s wearing a cut, but it doesn’t have Steel Dagger’s patches on it, close but no cigar. His clothes are dirty and don’t fit right. He just looks gross! Not the caliber man you see in the Steel Daggers.
“That’s where we fuck the bitches that are brou
ght in. We have to try out the merchandise before we sell it.”
“You have sex on this couch, like all of you people? Eww!” I roll off and do my best to sit up against the wall closest to where I was so the douche bag holding the blade, fucking still, won’t get pissed and use it on me. He thinks this is the funniest thing ever and almost has tears falling down his face as he slaps his knee like the idiot he is.
“Wait that isn’t just jizz, there are darker stains, is that freaking blood?”
He smiles proudly. “Sometimes they don’t want it at first, and they need to be persuaded.”
“Oh my God,” I whisper, and push myself up and sit as straight as I can. I knew I was in trouble, but now I’m terrified. I’m not cut out for this shit. I can’t take my eyes off the couch and wonder if I’m going to be the next one on the couch bleeding all over it because there’s no fucking way I’m spreading my legs for anyone besides Ryker.
Shit. I miss him so damn much. Why have I been pushing us to slow down? I knew I loved him the morning I woke up in his arms. I’ve basically moved in with him, but I’ve refused to give up my apartment in case he decides he doesn’t want me anymore. He wants me to get a job at a doctor’s office in town, instead of in a big hospital where there’s more danger. I’ve ignored him and gone about life like he’s an addition instead of the very thing I need to keep living. I know why I’m scared to take the final leap, he knows too since we’ve discussed our lives in explicit detail.
I sit against the wall on the cement floor until my butt goes numb and frozen. They must not have the heat turned on because my long sleeve t-shirt and jeans do nothing to keep the chill out of my bones. Thank God Ryker got me these kick-ass biker boots last week because my feet are warm and toasty. I pull my knees up to my chest and lay on them as best as I can with my wrists taped. I’m exhausted after working my shift at the hospital and then meeting Ryker at Spanky’s. I wasn’t expecting to be up all night, scared shitless for my life. I can’t do this. I need to move, I need to do something. I’m not going to wind up like the others here before me.
“I need to pee,” I say as I do my best to stand up. It takes me a minute, but eventually, I’m standing, more like leaning, against the wall. Chuck, as he’s told me his name is, leers at me as I struggle. He licks his lips but doesn’t move to touch me.
“Nice try. The boss should be here any minute, and you can ask him for whatever you want.”
“Who is your boss?”
“I am.” A handsome man in designer jeans and an oxford shirt says. He walks in from another room coming to stand directly in front of me. He looks nothing like the guy who has had me all night. He’s clean and even smells nice. He’s taller than me, most people are, but he’s shorter than Ryker. I look up at him, daring him to hurt me.
“I like your fire Emersen, but don’t disrespect me. I’m not like your old man Ryker, I will put you in your place quickly.”
I bite my lip, so I don’t spew the hundreds of insults I want to at him. “What do you want with me?” I ask instead.
“The Steel Daggers know some things that they shouldn’t. I can’t have people knowing my business. When I tried to get my point across, I wasn’t prepared, and he almost took my life. I can’t have that. While I was laid up in the hospital, I had plenty of time to plan. It didn’t come to me until a few weeks ago when I went looking for something that got away from me and found you. I decided I’d take something even more important to him than himself.”
“Are you talking about the women you bring through here?”
His eyes go from humorous to cold in an instant. He draws his weapon and shoots yucky Chucky between the eyes. I jump back, screaming. He drops right where he’s standing, and blood slowly starts pooling around his head.
“Why did you do that?” I implore, staring at the dead body, knowing there’s nothing I can do to help him from a GSW like that.
“I can’t have men in this organization that run their mouth Emersen. Certainly, you understand that by now, don’t you?”
I nod swiftly. I’m in deep shit. Where the hell is Ryker and the Steel Daggers? Why am I still here in this shit pit with the devil himself smiling at me like I’m dinner?
Ten
Ryker
I t’s been two hours, and I still have no idea where my heart is. Gage had to piss and told one of the prospects, Kent, to keep an eye on her for a second. When he came out of the bathroom, he couldn’t find her or Kent. All of this had to happen right before I walked out of church. If I were out only minutes earlier this wouldn’t have happened. I can’t change any of that now. The only thing I can do is get Emersen back in my arms.
After we kicked everyone out except members and Chelsea, because she refused to leave, we deduced that Rich, another prospect, let someone in that he shouldn’t have. He’s having money troubles and whoever he let in gave him five hundred bucks to look the other way. Guess betrayal is the easiest money he ever made. I’ll make sure he regrets every fucking dollar he got. Too bad, we needed some new blood in the club, and I was kind of hoping he’d work out.
Triton has been on his computers since we figured out my sweetness was missing. He caught a video of an old van speeding out of the parking lot. He ran the plates through Pennsylvania State’s tag database but came up with nothing. He keeps searching, but I can see how much this is driving him mad.
Triton turns his chair to face me who’s been standing behind for past half hour. “I’m sorry Pres. I’ve got nothing right now. I’m still looking, but honestly, I don’t know where to look.”
I punch the wall in front of me. I hit it so many times there’s a huge hole left after Prince and Rock pull me away. I struggle out of their hold, not wanting them touching me. “Get the fuck off me.” When they’ve got me far enough away, which is out in the deserted parking lot, they release me, and I start pacing. I walk past the trash can and kick the bastard, needing to do something.
“Fuck!” I scream out. I don’t stop kicking it until the door opens and bangs shut and I hear Triton yelling that he’s got something.
I give up on the trashcan and jog over to wear Triton is standing and looking confident again. I like that look. It gives me hope that I can get to my heart before it’s too late.
“I ran the plates from the van through other states. I got a hit.” He passes me a paper that has printed information on it. I scan it, but I can’t think straight enough to read what is written.
“Just tell me,” I growl.
“The van belongs to a Charles Tyler. It took some digging, but I found a house he’s renting on the edge of town.”
Finally, something I can go on. “Prince, Rock, let’s get Jester and Rash. I want this small. I need my brothers in on this one.”
“I’ll get my stuff too Pres. I want to help.” I hear Gage behind me. I know he feels like shit because he messed up. I don’t blame him, but I’m not ready to talk to him yet. I’m focused on getting Emersen back.
“Stay here Gage. We’ll talk later, yeah?” I slap his shoulder and walk away, intent on getting to her as soon as I can.
∞∞∞
We pull up about half a mile away from the house. We made sure to take a truck so they wouldn’t hear our bikes ride up. It’s pitch black except for the street light that keeps flickering on and off. There’s not much going on in this small town, especially after midnight. We’re a hundred feet from the house when we here a gunshot. I start running even when Prince is yelling at me to stop. I look to my side and Rock is there with me, keeping stride ready to battle any motherfucker wanting to meet their end tonight.
I enter the house from the back, knowing I need to be somewhat smart about this. With Rock at my back, I walk into the living room with my gun drawn. Grandy is standing close to my woman who is hugging the wall, but staring down at the dead piece of shit who took her. She doesn’t see me yet, but I know she will any minute. I notice the gun in Grandy’s hand, and I don’t know whether to shoot him now in
front of my love or to try and draw him away from her.
“Drop the fucking gun, Ryker James.” Emersen’s eyes snap to mine, and I hold her steady in my gaze.
“Not fucking likely Grandy.” I bark, still staring at her.
Grandy laughs, and I don’t realize why until I see two men pushing Prince and Jester into the house, guns pointed at their heads. Another appears with Rash, and I pray they don’t have Rock. He’s the only chance we have of getting out of this.
I look around the room getting my bearings. How the fuck do I get us all out of this alive? I hold my hands up in surrender, gun in hand, and begin to lower it to the ground. As I’m about to let go of the gun, I hear my second gunshot of the night. I look to my right and see Camden and Triton coming in through the front taking out the guys who had Jester and Prince. They grab their piece and one of them, or both, shoot at the guy who has Rash. I raise my gun and point it at Grandy who now has Emersen standing in front of him and his gun to her head.
We now have the upper hand in the room, but he still has his gun pointed at Emersen, and my heart refuses to beat until she is safe.
“Put your gun down Grandy,” I shout.
“Fuck you, James. I let her go, and I die.” He starts edging away from us, still holding onto Emersen, gun to her head.
“Take me,” I say and walk closer to him. “Get back James. Step back. I’ll do it.” I draw my gun and point it directly at his head, nervously he switches it up and points the gun at me. That’s all Rock needs, and he shoots Grandy in the back of the head.
The next few minutes are chaos. When Grandy falls, he’s still got a hold of Emersen, so she goes down with him. He also squeezes off a round that fires into the wall. I get to Emersen who’s gone pale and is shaking, covered in the blood of the man who almost took her from me for good.
I pull her into my arms, and she flinches away from me and rolls to her side rocking with her eyes pinched shut, screaming. Shit.