by Colbie Kay
“Shouldn’t we talk about it?” I ask, staring into his eyes.
“Really? You want to talk about it now?” He chuckles, then kisses my neck. Moving down to my breast, he pulls my nipple into his mouth, biting down gently, just how I like; his tongue moves in tiny circles around my heated flesh. My moans give him permission to move as his thrusts start making me lose all coherent thoughts.
I never did respond to his question, and I don’t even care now as Gunner rocks methodically against me. The times that we have had sex were desperate, rough, and consumed by a need for each other. This is nothing like that—Gunner’s making love to me, and it is beautiful. Together, we fill the room with sounds of passion as my hips move upwards to match his tempo.
He pulls back, looking into my eyes, and I see everything. We search inside of one another without a word being spoken. The walls that were protecting my heart break apart and something inside of me happens. A tear trails down my cheek and Gunner watches it fall before wiping it away with his thumb. “I love you, Lindy.”
Reaching up, I cup his cheeks with my hands. “I’m gonna be yours, Caide.” That’s the first time we have ever used each other’s names, and I know now in this moment, with Gunner making love to me, that I love him. I love him and I’m okay with that. I want to love him and I want everything with him. I want babies, a house, a relationship, and whatever else he has to offer.
“You already are,” he responds, then picks up his pace.
My cries and his grunts intensify the closer we get to finding our release. My nails scratch and dig into his back as my hips move faster. My building orgasm grows stronger. “I’m about to come.”
“I know. Come for me, Chat. I’m right there with you.” I shatter right then, with him falling right behind me. We hold on to each other until our breathing is normal, and when he pulls out, I feel like a part of myself is missing. When he was inside of me, it was like we became one person, our souls matching, hearts beating to the same rhythm.
After we get cleaned up, Gunner lays back down, pulls me close so my head is on his chest and my leg is wrapped around his, and I fall asleep. Not for long, though, because I am woken up with Gunner’s mouth on me, and I scream out his name in pure ecstasy—here we go for round two. A few more rounds happen before we finally sleep from exhaustion.
Chapter Ten
Over the last couple of months, I’ve only been able to make it back home twice. It’s hard being there and then having to leave again. It’s hard having to let Chatty go—it feels like I just got there, when really two days had flown by. Every time I get to hold her in my arms, I feel complete; she’s the other half of me, my heart beats for her, and she breathes life into me. She’s my soulmate. We still talk every single night, even if it’s just for me to say goodnight. My favorite nights are the nights we FaceTime and I get to see her beautiful smile.
I hate the questions of when I’ll be home for good, because I don’t have an answer for her. Tink is making progress—he’s now “a prospect” for The Four Kings, but something is off about it. He says they haven’t mentioned retaliating on us, but they are building into a large club. He says most join out of fear, but it is giving them the numbers they would need to ambush, if that’s what they are planning. They don’t let the prospects in on the meetings, so he is working hard at spying and getting information out of some of the other members.
My burner phone rings in the console of the Prius. I flip it open and answer the call. “Yeah?”
“Hey, Gunner. We got a bad storm movin’ in, the news is talkin’ tornados and shit, so we got the women and children here at the club.”
“Yeah, I saw it on the news. I’m already headed back—I’m about an hour out.” I left Topeka earlier than expected, hoping to get home before I get caught in the worst of the storm.
“The rain’s already comin’ down hard, so be careful, brother.”
“Will do.”
Fuck, it really is comin’ down hard! I can barely see shit as I pull into the gate and then get parked. Quickly, I open the driver’s door and haul ass into the clubhouse. The suit I’m wearing is drenched and I run my hands down my face and over my short hair.
“Hey, Gunner,” Crazy Girl says from one of the tables in the bar, where she has her and Hanger’s three kids.
“Hey, Crazy Girl. Where’s Chatty?” Usually she is waiting for me, and she knew I was coming. She’s not behind the bar either.
Her brows furrow. “I’m not sure. I haven’t seen her, but I haven’t been here long.”
“I haven’t seen her, either,” Jacey announces from another table with her and Bear’s two kids.
Nodding, I head towards her room, and when I get there, I knock. Tinsley opens the door. “Have you seen Chatty?” I ask.
“Not since this morning. I figured she was going to tend bar. Is she not out there?”
“No.”
Tinsley’s expression turns worried, matching mine. “I’ll call her.” She does, but hangs up with no luck. I try next, and she doesn’t answer for me, either. My gut twists with concern. The women haven’t had good luck with shit happenin’ to them, and I will kill someone if they have hurt or taken her.
“Where would she go?” I ask her cousin, hoping she can give some insight.
“I’m not sure. Hold on.” She walks over to the nightstand, then turns back around. “My keys are gone.”
“Come on, we gotta find her before this storm gets to its worst.” We run out of the clubhouse without a word and jump into the Prius.
Trying to think of anywhere she might go, I drive to my mom’s house. Chatty’s not there. Next, we go to the stores, gas stations, and anywhere else we can think of, but she isn’t at any of those places.
“There’s only one more place I can think of.” Tinsley’s eyes lock on me from the passenger side.
“Where, ‘cause I’m out of ideas.” I need to find her. My heart squeezes tighter every time we fail, and I can’t take much more. I feel like I can’t breathe and my lungs lack oxygen. I’m starting to have a fuckin’ panic attack.
“The cemetery.”
*****
“There’s my car!” Tinsley sighs in relief, and the breath I was holding releases.
I barely make out Chatty’s form through the thick rain pouring down. Opening the door, I step out and run to Ripper’s grave. “Chat, how long you been out here?” Her clothes are stuck to her body, hair drenched and plastered on her face; goosebumps cover her arms, and I can see she’s shivering.
“I don’t know.” Chatty shrugs her shoulder and goes on, “I just left the store, stocking up on food for everyone, when I decided to come here. It wasn’t raining hard then, but when I got here, I couldn’t leave.” If it wasn’t raining hard when she first came out here, then she’s been sittin’ out here for hours. Sitting beside her, I look at my brother’s headstone. Ride Strong, Ride Hard, and Ride Free. Loving and devoted husband. “This is the first time I’ve been here, Gunner.”
“Me too.” I put my arm around her shoulders, not caring how soaked I get; none of that matters now that I have her in front of me and I know she is safe.
“Does that make us shitty people?” Her eyes meet mine and her sadness is heartbreaking.
“No, Chatty. We keep Ripper in our memories and in our hearts. I believe he is watching down on us right now and he knows how much he was loved—he knows he will always be remembered.” I kiss the top of her head before asking, “Why’d you come here?”
“Because I wanted to tell him that I am letting him go now. I’m ready to leave the past there and move on. I’m giving him his last request. It’s time, and I’m ready.” A shy smile forms on her lips.
“That’s good to hear.” I grin back, then add, “We have to go now, though. The storm is getting bad, Chat, we have to
get back to the clubhouse. And we need to get you in some dry clothes so you don’t get sick.” Standing, I hold my hand out for her to take and she does.
“Bye, Ripper.”
“Give me a second.” I let go of her hand, walk up to the headstone, and lay my palm flat against the wet stone. “I don’t know what you would think about all of this, but I love her, brother. She’s my everything, and I will take care of her, I promise.” Tapping my knuckles on the top, I turn back to Chatty.
Taking her hand back in mine and lacing our fingers together, we walk back to the cars; Tinsley is still waiting in the Prius. “Tinsley, follow us back to the clubhouse in your car. Chatty’ll ride with me.”
“Okay.” She smiles and nods, then gets out and runs to her car.
Chatty gets in; I shut her door and then run to the driver’s side. Starting up the cage, we slowly go around Tinsley’s car and she starts to follow.
Not wanting to chance an accident because of the downpour, I decide to take the backroads. About ten minutes in, I look in the rearview mirror and notice a truck behind Tinsley. It’s coming up fast, unusually fast. My brows pull down as I watch between the road and the mirror. “Fuck!”
“What? What’s wrong?” Chatty sits up in her seat and starts looking closer out the windshield.
“Someone’s following us.” As the words leave my lips, Tinsley’s car runs off the road.
Chatty turns in her seat, looks out the back window. “Oh my God! They ran her off the fucking road!” Her eyes are wide, mouth hanging open as she turns back around, grabbing her phone out of the back pocket of her jeans. “Shit, it’s dead!”
“Yeah, we tried to call you. Here, take mine. Make sure she’s okay, then get Hanger on the phone and tell him to get here fast!” Chatty does exactly as I demand while I keep driving, picking up speed because this motherfucker is comin’ up on our ass quick. It’s hard as shit to see, but I keep the car steady.
“She’s okay, but stuck in the mud,” Chatty frantically tells me as she calls Hanger.
“Fuck!” The truck hits the back of the Prius, making us both jerk forward. Picking up even more speed, I look at Chatty. She’s scared—you can see it written all over her expression as she rambles off the approximate location of where we are.
“Chatty?” She doesn’t hear me.
“Chatty!” I yell louder, getting her attention this time; she hangs up. “I need you to stay calm, get in the console, and get the pistol out. I know you know how to shoot a gun, so get it ready. Don’t fire unless they do first.”
The truck bangs into us again, harder this time. Chatty grabs the pistol and gets it ready. Her hands are shaking. I grab the 9mm from under the driver’s seat, getting it ready as well, all while trying to keep the car steady on the gravel road.
Looking in the rearview mirror, I try to see in the truck, but the windows are blacked out. Our turn is coming up. Taking it, I fishtail around, but upon finally gaining control, I drive faster. It does no good—the truck slams into us again.
Suddenly shots are fired! “Fuck! It’s time, Chat! Start shootin’!” I shout inside the little space as we roll our windows down and return fire at the truck. I’m not sure if we are even having any luck.
One hits through the back windshield—we both duck before firing off more bullets.
The second hit comes to the back driver’s side tire. We start to swerve, and I’m losing control. The truck rams into us and that does the damage. We spin before going off the gravel road and into the ditch. The car comes to a stop, and so does the truck. “I’m out of bullets!” Chatty screams.
“It’s going to be okay.” I try to keep her calm, but I’m not so sure I didn’t just lie to her. Shots keep coming. And they’re comin’ closer.
“Undo your seatbelt!” I yell at Chatty as I make quick work of getting mine off. Throwing myself on top of her, I try covering every part of her body with mine just as a white hot burning sensation hits my back. “Fuck!” I yell out.
Two more times I feel that same heat—then everything around me goes black.
Chapter Eleven
As soon as I am freed from the seatbelt, Gunner’s huge form hovers over me, covering every part of my body as gunfire reigns down on us. Screwing my eyes shut, I wait for our impending fate and for this to be over. Cold terror races through my body. When I ran out of the clubhouse, I had no fear, because the only concern I had was to get to Ripper. Nothing else mattered. But now…now is different. There is no greater fear than lying here defenseless, unable to protect ourselves as we are hunted. One bullet—that’s all that it will take to end our lives, to make us take that final breath, sending our souls into the unknown.
That scares the shit out of me.
“Fuck!” Gunner yells out; I assume it’s because the shots are getting closer.
It could have been minutes later or seconds, I don’t really know, but the gunfire finally comes to an end. I lie underneath Gunner, waiting for him to get up, but he doesn’t.
“Gunner.”
He doesn’t respond.
“Gunner, it’s over. We need to get up.” No sound or movement comes from his still form.
“Gunner!” My heart races as I pull a hand out from underneath him and push against his still body. Patting his back, I lift my hand, now covered in his blood, and my body begins to shake. “Oh, God, no!” I scream inside the car, sobs racking through me. “Gunner, baby, please—you have to wake up,” I tell him as I try pushing him up far enough for me to get out. It’s no use; he’s too heavy. I check for a pulse; it’s there but it is slow and light.
Feeling around me, I find the phone I used to call Hanger. Dialing 9-1-1, I tell the operator where we are and what has happened. She keeps me on the line.
“Chatty? Gunner?” I hear our names being yelled outside of the car. Hanger opens the driver’s side door, and his expression turns to one of horror.
“An ambulance is on its way. I’m on the phone with the operator.” Responding to Hanger, I try to stay calm. “Don’t move him; he has a pulse, but barely.” I mouth guns to Hanger; he searches the vehicle until he finds them, and takes them to his truck.
Finally, in the distance I hear the sirens coming. Everything happens quickly after that: Gunner is removed from the car and put on a stretcher. I open the passenger side door and get out, and Tinsley runs over, hugging me tightly. Hugging her back, I watch as they rush him into the ambulance and start working on him immediately, checking his vitals and inserting an IV for fluids. “We have to get him to the hospital now; is anyone riding with him?” asks one of the EMTs, aiming the question in our direction.
“Go, Chatty! We’ll meet you there,” Hanger says as he runs to his truck. Letting go of Tinsley, I rush to get in the ambulance. They slam the doors shut and race to the hospital. I sit, quietly looking down at an unconscious Gunner. What if he doesn’t survive this? My heart sinks at the possibility.
It’s an overwhelming feeling when the doors of the ambulance open; doctors and nurses stand there, waiting. The stretcher is pulled from the ambulance, everyone is rushing to help Gunner, the EMTs are rambling words that don’t make sense to me, and the doctors are asking questions while I try to answer as many as I can. “Get him into O.R. two!” announces one of the doctors.
“You can’t go any further, ma’am,” a kind-looking nurse tells me. Stopping in my tracks, she stays behind with me. “Follow me to the waiting room. Your...”
“Boyfriend.”
She nods with a kind smile. “Your boyfriend is being taken to surgery—he has some internal bleeding.”
“Internal bleeding. Oh, God!” Covering my mouth with my hand, I ask quietly, “Is he going to be okay?” Tears flood my face.
“I can’t answer that right now, but I can assure you that he is in good hands. If
you need anything, I am here until six tonight—my name is Sarah.” Nodding, I follow her to the waiting room.
Soon, it fills up with all of the Satan’s Sinners members and prospects, all of the girls, and Gunner’s mom. All of us take turns pacing the waiting room floor, sitting down, and asking for any update they could give us.
It’s been hours since we arrived, and I wouldn’t leave to go with a doctor; instead, Sierra checked me out right here. I wasn’t about to leave and miss finding out something on how Gunner is doing. But we have yet to hear anything, and most of us are getting anxious.
The cops have come in and questioned me; apparently with gunshot wounds, the hospital is required by law to report it to them. I told them basically what happened, without saying we fired back, because that would land Gunner back in prison—if he makes it through surgery. I told them I had no idea who would have done this, but I am pretty sure Hanger knows. You can see it in his hazel eyes. They were satisfied with my answers for now, and left to go check out the car.
Sierra is leaning against the wall, in a heated discussion with Hacker. Her body language is tense; she obstinately pokes him in the chest, her face bright red with anger. “How dare you!” She slaps him across the face hard enough his head turns.
A smile plays on his lips, and then he straightens, grabs her by the shoulders and pushes her against the wall.
“Sierra?” I call out, getting their attention, and Hacker lets her go. She quickly walks over to me. “Are you okay?”
“Yes, I’m fine.” Her head hangs down. “I can’t believe I just did that. I’m so embarrassed, and this is definitely not the right place. I’m sorry.” Her glassy eyes meet mine.
“Don’t apologize. I’m sure he deserved it. Is there any way you could see if you can find out anything on Gunner?”