Sinners & Saints (Ravage Riders MC Book 2)

by Nikki Landis

  Me: Done.

  There was a hell of a lot more I wanted to reply but arguing over text was a waste of my time. Max sent the message over two hours ago and I was still fuming. The guy had a set of brass balls and didn’t give a shit about how he ordered everyone to do his bidding. That fucker didn’t know it yet, but I was gonna make sure he didn’t show his face around Providence again.

  I sat on my Harley, debating my next move. Ghost and GQ were in a heated debate about some club whore and I didn’t focus on the details. Valan was typing away on his phone, his brow furrowed. I didn’t ask about his personal business, but I could tell it was serious. I let them have a few minutes before we finished our ride to the Mill. We stopped about ten minutes away to figure out our strategy. I wasn’t just waltzing in there without a plan.

  Before I could say a word to the others, an odd but familiar green mist began to appear, floating along the surface of the ground and lifting higher into the air until I was completed surrounded. I blinked as I stood, concerned as the mist grew so thick that I couldn’t see more than a few inches in front of my face. As far as I could tell in every direction, there was only the greenish fog that clung to every surface.

  The night I was stabbed suddenly broke through my thoughts and I gasped as a pair of eyes glowed green within a shadowy figure only a few yards away. Was my attacker here to finish the job? I stood my ground and reached into my pocket, relieved to find my fingers curl around my knife.

  “R.J.”

  A feminine voice filled the silence. There was something oddly familiar about her as she materialized, forming right before my eyes. I couldn’t explain how it happened. Didn’t make any sense. Jaw dropping, I couldn’t believe the person that stood just a foot away. A woman I knew well.

  Patty Harding.

  “Shit,” I whispered. “You’re dead.”

  What the fuck was happening?

  She smiled sadly. “Yes. What you see is an echo. A part of my consciousness that I was able to save and project into the future.”

  The future? What in the actual fuck?

  “You need to understand why I’m here.”

  Why was she appearing to me and not her husband or children? Mack, Edge, and Bryce needed to see her more than I did. “I don’t understand.”

  “I know.” She sighed softly. “I don’t have enough time to explain. I’m here to offer you a choice. One chance to access the timeline. It’s the only way.”

  “What’s the only way?” She was only confusing me more with every word she spoke.

  The mist began to dissipate, and its place was the most glorious sight I’d ever seen. Brilliant colors mixed with glistening layers of light. Dumbfounded, I wasn’t sure any of what I was seeing was real. Had I crashed my bike? Was I injured? Dead?

  “You have just one chance, R.J.” She smiled and gestured to the rainbow-like stream of conscious thought that was moving and twisting, flowing like a sideways waterfall between us. “One chance to fix it all and make everything right.”

  “How do I do that?”

  “You’ll know. In your heart, you’ve always known.”

  “Because of our ability,” I guessed.

  “Yes. You’re a Rider. You have the blood of our race. Do you remember what Mack told you?”

  “Yeah,” I gasped, briefly distracted by all the shimmering colors. “We’re like time travelers.”

  “In a way,” Patty agreed. “We can bend time. Ravage it and use it to obey our will. All Riders have the same unique ability. It’s how you’ll recognize one another. The green mist only accompanies one of our kind.”

  Frowning, I didn’t understand why she wasn’t joining us if it was that simple. Didn’t she want to be with Mack, Edge, and Bryce? “Don’t you want to be with you family?”

  “Oh, yes, but that isn’t my path.”

  Confused, I was certain that I was only dreaming. This was just too unbelievable.

  “It’s real, R.J. You have to believe. There can’t be any doubt in your mind. What I offer is a brief opportunity that likely won’t ever be repeated. It’s risky. This moment in time, it will never be recreated.”

  Why not? If could bend time, why was now so critical? Why couldn’t I come back to this moment again?

  As fi she read my mind, she shook her head slightly. “Sometimes specific circumstances can’t be recreated. This is one of those instances. Some pieces of the time continuum are rigid. They can’t be visited more than once.”

  Then this moment was critical. I could sense the urgency.

  “You must choose. Quickly.”

  I just had one question. “Will I be able to save the ones I love?” Edge, Rae, Leah, Cara. The RRMC.

  Green mist swirled around her body as she began to fade. “I can’t answer that. Only your heart will know. Choose wisely, R.J. I know you’ll do the right thing.”

  The right thing? What the fuck was that?

  “Come back!” I shouted as she disappeared completely, and I was left standing in the middle of the most ridiculous, beautiful, chaotic, and unbelievable place ever conjured into existence.

  This was a disaster. I had no idea what to do.

  Leaving a massive decision like this in my hands was just pure stupidity. I’d only fuck everything up. What if I destroyed the whole damn timeline? What then?

  Sighing, I ran a hand through my hair.

  When was the one moment that everything went wrong? What single choice pushed my life in this direction and affected not only me, but Pete, Rae, and everyone else that I cared about? Ron’s death? Mack’s exile? Patty’s sacrifice?

  Was it that complicated?

  Maybe I should think about it with simpler terms.

  Was I supposed to stop Ron from going to the warehouse the day he died? What would that solve? Rae would have her father. Sarah never would have married Charles. She’d still be alive. That was significant.

  I could help Rae. One possibility.

  But what if it wasn’t Rae I was supposed to help?

  What if I was supposed to stop Patty from dying and two brothers from losing their mother? The warehouse again. Was that it? Another possibility.

  Pacing back and forth, I knew time was running out.

  Wait. What about Cara? No one had suffered as much as she did because of Maxwell Forman. He beat her, used her, controlled her, and tried to break her spirit. A man like that never should have entered her life. Could I stop them from becoming engaged? Go back to the moment she said yes? Was that the answer? What if they never met? Could I prevent him from speaking to her at all?

  A third possibility.

  What if I was selfish? There was my own father’s death. My mother’s choice to marry a man who only acted with his fists instead of words. Her depression and drug use spiraled out of control. Could I save my parents? Prevent their destruction?

  A fourth possibility.

  Patty said I had one choice. That was it. One moment in time to do with as I pleased.

  How could I possibly do that?

  Blinking, it suddenly occurred to me that none of my friends, brothers, or those I cared about would be who they were without the experiences they had growing up. Life had molded and created who they were as individuals. Alter or change that in any way, and I could possibly change who they were and what connection we shared. There was no way of knowing that if I tweaked a single thing on the timeline that no one could be affected. It just wasn’t possible.

  The outcome wasn’t guaranteed.

  Which meant any decision I made had the probability of removing any single one of them from my life. Maybe more than one. It wasn’t acceptable. I wasn’t willing to sacrifice my life, Pete or Rae, and especially not Cara. She walked into my life at the exact moment we needed each other.

  Closing my eyes, I knew the decision I had to made and I didn’t hesitate. My head and my heart agreed. Torn up by the knowledge that I left us all with the same past, I clenched my fists and tried not to panic. This was the
only way. Sometimes the right choice was nothing.

  I didn’t do a damn thing.

  Five seconds later my eyes opened, and I was staring at Ghost, GQ, and Valan on their bikes, completely oblivious to the last few minutes. I had no idea how much time had lapsed. Maybe none at all. It didn’t matter.

  I swung my leg out and planted my ass back on my Harley, glancing at my brothers. The men I trusted and rode with every single day. The MC was my life and I wouldn’t trade it for any reason. They had my back and I had theirs. We were family. Together with Rae, Cara, Hayley and the rest of the club.

  Swallowing hard, I knew I did the right thing. Fate was on her own.

  Chapter 16 – R.J.

  The old Mill parking lot was empty as we rolled up, parking our bikes in a row. I didn’t see any other vehicles but that didn’t mean Maxwell wasn’t here. Cautious, I pulled my gun and ticked my head toward the front doors as my brothers did the same. There was no way we were walking into a trap.

  Ghost went left and GQ right as Valan followed me inside, both of us scanning the vicinity. Nothing but dusty machines and clutter filled our vision. I glanced down and noticed the multiple footprints that had moved through the dust and disturbed the layers. By my guess, at least a half dozen guys were located in the building.

  Valan nodded once and I knew he saw the same. We moved quietly, scanning the interior. Across the room was a door. On the other side I could hear a scuffle. They were ready for us.

  Valan shrugged and we surged forward, bursting through the doors at the same time, our guns aimed at the center of the room. Maxwell Forman stood in my direct line of sight, his arms stretched out wide at his sides and an amused expression on his face. Several men with guns stood at his left, clearly his hired thugs. To his right, the surprise wasn’t all that shocking. Devlin and four other members of the SOMC had their own weapons.

  Looked like he finally found a way to get his payback. Too bad Devlin wasn’t gonna last the night.

  Ghost and GQ had their arms raised; guns pointed at their chests as each man was shoved into the center of the room. Maxwell nodded toward a tall, lanky guy with a ponytail.

  “Crank.”

  Max moved and four chairs I hadn’t seen before came into view. My brothers were shoved into them, Ghost and GQ tied down by the wrists, ankles, and chest by thick nylon ropes. There was no fear in their eyes. Guys like us weren’t afraid of death. We looked into that sick bastard’s face on a daily basis. When the reaper came for us, we’d go out with a fight.

  Just like today.

  But in the end, we were ready.

  Sure, the odds were against us but that didn’t mean we would find a way to turn this shitshow to our advantage. Not to mention the fact that Mack, Edge, Tank, and Jake all knew where we were headed. If we didn’t return soon, they would send help. Didn’t hurt that we had a little backup either.

  Beckett was watching the warehouse. Maxwell Forman was going down.

  He just didn’t know it yet.

  In the interim, I’d play along.

  “Time we met. Don’t you think?” Max’s dark eyes assessed and dismissed me as if I was nothing more than dogshit on the bottom of his shoe. A mild nuisance.

  “Sure. I’ve been wanting to kick your sorry, pathetic ass.”

  His jaw locked as he smiled. “I think your overestimate your chances of survival.”

  “I think you’re a fuckin’ worthless piece of shit and an abuser. But hey, that’s common knowledge.”

  Even a couple of the Outlaws smirked at that. Devlin’s sneer didn’t leave his face. He was waiting on Max’s decision. Dumb fucker. He was too stupid to realize Max was only using him. Devlin had a long list of crimes and he was still wanted for Rae’s mother Sarah’s murder.

  Justice would be served on multiple counts today.

  “Put down the guns and sit down,” Max ordered, gesturing to the remaining chairs.

  Valan already knew the plan. We couldn’t make this seem too easy, but we didn’t want to give in too fast either.

  “Fuck off,” I replied, aiming for his head.

  “You really should listen, R.J. After all, I hold the ace.”

  “What’s that?” I asked, just a little too cocky.

  Max gestured behind me and I heard movement, turning around in time to see Cara’s shocked face as our eyes met. Fuck!

  “Put down your weapons or she dies. The choice is yours.”

  Obeying immediately, Valan and I set down our guns. I didn’t pay any attention to the men that yanked me to the set of chairs or the fists that punched my gut, strapping my body down. Several blows hit my face and head. I didn’t flinch. Didn’t do a goddamn thing but focus my gaze on the terrified look in Cara’s eyes.

  “It’s okay,” I managed to say when I was finally left alone.

  Her green eyes held tears, blinking them back as she tried to step forward and one of Max’s goons stopped her. “R.J.!”

  Maxwell laughed as Devlin moved forward. He lifted his gun, pulling back the trigger.

  The gun discharged.

  Holding Cara’s gaze, I prepared to meet death and knew that this time, I wasn’t escaping my fate.

  Edge

  “YOU’RE BEING RELEASED.”

  The RICO agent looked pissed as he opened the doors to our cells and Mack and I stepped out, wide grins on both of our faces.

  “Isn’t that interesting?” I asked, looking up at my old man.

  “Very. Guess they didn’t find anything on the RRMC.”

  Chuckling, we both walked from the row of cells and out into the main hall. Sidney stood with his briefcase and nodded a greeting.

  “Mack. Peter. A pleasure as always.”

  The smug expression on his face proved the guy was worth every penny we paid him.

  “Good to see you,” Mack answered, shaking his hand.

  I was about to congratulate Sidney on his success when my brother Bryce emerged from one of the interrogation rooms. He looked my way and lifted his chin. Confused, I didn’t understand why he was here. There was no reason to pick him up. He wasn’t considered RRMC, at least not to the Feds. Sheriff Daly knew of his connection, but that shit wasn’t common knowledge.

  “I had to, Edge.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about?” I demanded, moving closer to my brother. Gripping his shoulder, I didn’t understand what he was saying until the same righteous prick who released me and Mack produced a pair of handcuffs and pulled Bryce’s hands behind his back. “What the fuck?”

  “Don’t,” he cautioned. “I made the right choice. You’ll see. Tell the club I’m loyal.”

  I was prepared to fight until I saw the pleading look in his eyes. “Bryce.”

  “You just kiss that baby boy for me when he’s born. Tell him Uncle Bryce can’t wait to meet him.”

  Swallowing hard, I had to shove down the surge of emotion that tried to surface with his words. What did he give up? What did Bryce sacrifice in order to set me free?

  He didn’t really care about Mack. This choice was made for me alone, to allow my freedom so I could be with Rae. Hugging my brother hard, I didn’t release him for a few seconds.

  “Love you, brother.”

  He lifted his chin in response as the RICO agent hauled him away and I had to watch him disappear into the jail. There was no way I was letting Bryce take the fall for our club.

  Turning my head, my fierce gaze landed on Mack. “This doesn’t end here.”

  My pres nodded his agreement. There was nothing else we could do today. As soon as possible, I’d make sure Bryce was set free.

  “Sidney.”

  He was frowning and I knew he wasn’t happy about Bryce either. “I’ll look into it, Pete.”

  His word was solid. I knew Sidney would do everything he could to make sure my brother didn’t serve time in prison. I was already an ex con. Bryce didn’t need to go through that shit. He was strong but he’d had a hard life. Striker used to beat him as
a kid. I didn’t know he was my brother back then. If I had, he wouldn’t have been abused for so long and he probably wouldn’t have the scar pulling the skin by his mouth upward toward the right, and stretching the skin that ran jagged across the left side of his face from temple to chin.

  “Pete.”

  Mack was already walking toward the exit.

  Head high, I followed after my father, a piece of my heart left behind with my brother’s arrest.

  Chapter 17 – Cara

  “No!” I screamed, struggling against Fitz’s hold.

  The gun discharged and a bullet pierced R.J.’s right shoulder as he grunted, closing his eyes. Blood began to ooze from the wound as he slumped over and I screamed again, stomping on Fitz’s foot to break free. My elbow landed in his gut as he exhaled, and I ran to R.J.

  Ghost, GQ, and Valan were all shouting obscenities and threats but I hardly noticed. My hands pressed to R.J.’s wound as tears slipped down my cheeks. He was unconscious as I called out his name, hoping he would wake up.

  Please don’t take him from me, I pleaded. We just found each other.

  A cruel laugh seemed to bounce off the hollow walls of the warehouse behind me. “I guess I should have guessed you would have spread your legs for another man as soon as you had the chance.”

  Maxwell’s words were meant to tear me down as they had in the past, but they didn’t have the desired effect. I wasn’t the same weak girl. R.J. had given me strength, but it wasn’t him alone. Rae and her courage also showed me that I could be a woman and still be strong.

  I was no longer a victim.

  “Kiss my ass, Max.”

  The room was silent for a few seconds and then laughter followed as I turned my back on him. He wasn’t worth my effort or response. I heard something click and a few shouts, but I didn’t care. If he shot me, I couldn’t stop him. All I knew was that I was no longer afraid.

  Resting my forehead against R.J.’s, I pressed a brief kiss to his lips and kept pressure on his wound. “I love you,” I whispered. “Even if we never make it out of this room, I need you to know.”