by Harley Wylde
“No,” I said. “Not your men. I don’t trust them.”
The guy sighed. “Fair enough. My name’s Attila, and I’m the club president. I apologize for the idiot who accosted you. He’ll be dealt with. I don’t tolerate that kind of shit around here.”
He stepped out and I heard him shouting. Dingo and Slash came into the room. Both of them started cussing when they saw the shape Outlaw was in. He had a busted lip, his knuckles were bleeding on both hands, and a bruise was already forming on his right cheek. That was just what I could see, but I had a feeling he had bruises elsewhere too.
“I’m so fucking sorry,” Dingo said. “I tried to stop him, tried to come after you, but they held me back.”
“I’m fine, but I’m not so sure about Outlaw,” I said.
“Let’s get him up, and we’ll take him to the place you’ll be staying tonight. I’ll make sure you have the place to yourselves. If you need anything, one of us will be next door. They were going to have us pile into one of the duplexes, but fuck that shit,” Slash said.
They lifted Outlaw and half-carried him between them. He was awake, but he stumbled the first few steps. I could tell he was hurting, and I was so angry I wanted to scream. We went out into the hall and I heard Attila yelling at his men. By the time we made it to the common area, half the Raptors wouldn’t hold eye contact with us, but two of them came forward. I glared and they froze.
“We just want to help. I’m Maui and this is Ravager. I’m sorry for what Truth did. It was uncalled for.”
“At least tell us what you need and we’ll personally see to it,” Ravager said. “Anything.”
“Outlaw and Elena will be taking one half of the duplex and we’ll need the other side for the rest of us,” Slash said. “I want to be close in case they need me, but I think they should have some space.”
“Not a problem,” Attila said. “Elena, please make a list of anything you need while you’re here. The club will take care of it at no cost to you or the Devil’s Fury.” Slash growled and Attila held up a hand. “I know it doesn’t make up for what Truth did, but I’ll make sure Outlaw is compensated not just for bringing attention to Bastard and Shepherd’s dealings, but also for the trouble he and his woman encountered from my club.”
Outlaw mumbled something that I didn’t quite catch. I leaned in closer and he said it again, his gaze holding mine. Should have bought you a ring.
“A ring?” I asked. “You’re worried about me having a wedding ring right now? Are you kidding me?”
He gave a half-smile, then winced when it made his lip bleed more.
“Wedding ring?” Attila asked.
“She’s not just his ol’ lady,” Badger said. “She’s his wife.”
Attila closed his eyes, muttered under his breath, then gazed at his crew with pure hostility. I had a feeling they were in for a major ass-chewing once we were out of the clubhouse. Slash and Dingo helped Outlaw outside and then into the truck. Beau drove us to the duplex with the others following on their bikes. I could tell that Outlaw hated them seeing him like this, so once he was in the bedroom and seated on the edge of the mattress, I shooed everyone away.
I knelt at his feet and helped remove his boots, then carefully pulled his shirt over his head. I couldn’t contain my gasp as I saw the damage that asshole had done to him. Bruises were forming across the ribs on his right side. I pressed on them, trying to figure out if they were broken, but I was far from a doctor and didn’t have a clue what I was looking for.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“What? Noah, you have nothing to be sorry for.”
He shook his head. “I didn’t protect you. First that bitch got to you at the compound, and then I left you in a room full of men I’ve never met. I came out of Church and saw them pinning Dingo to the wall and you nowhere in sight. He yelled out that Truth had taken you down the hall.”
“I’m fine.” I rubbed my hands up and down his thighs. “Really. I was scared, and I didn’t know what he’d do to me, but he didn’t hurt me.”
Outlaw lifted his hand to my face and I grasped it, then pressed it to my cheek. “Couldn’t fight him off. After the first few blows, it was hard to maintain a fist.”
I kissed him. “Noah, you charged in there and protected me. That’s all that matters. I hate that your hands hurt you so much, but if you’re worried I’ll think less of you, then you’re wrong.”
“None of us do,” Badger said from the doorway.
I gasped and turned to face him. “Where did you come from? All of you left.”
“Came back to make sure you didn’t need anything.” He stayed where he was, but I could see he was assessing Outlaw’s injuries. “The club doc is a good one. Wouldn’t hurt to let him check you out. Attila has his crew under control, and no one will even think of hurting Elena. Your wife is safe.”
“Please let him look at you,” I said. “I’ll worry about you all night if you don’t.”
Outlaw gave me a half-smile. “Fine. He can come check me over.”
“There’s one more thing. One of the Raptors is outside. Rebel is a silversmith and wants to talk to the two of you about wedding rings,” Badger said.
Outlaw seemed conflicted, but I told Badger to let the guy in. It wouldn’t hurt just to hear what he had to say. The guy who came in was carrying a wooden box. He barely stepped inside the bedroom before stopping. His gaze was on Outlaw and he never once looked my way.
“My name’s Rebel, and to help make amends for the dumbassery of my brothers, I brought some rings for your wife to check out.”
Outlaw snorted. “Dumbassery?”
Rebel shrugged. “Seemed like the best way to describe it. In Truth’s defense, once we received the files about Bastard and the scheme he was running, we did some digging. Turns out a girl Truth had been seeing hadn’t just left him like he’d thought. She’d been taken and put to work in one of Bastard’s brothels. She couldn’t handle it and killed herself.”
My heart hurt for him, and that poor woman, but it didn’t excuse his behavior. I’d told him the truth, then he’d forced me into some sort of interrogation room and cuffed me to a table. I still didn’t know what he’d planned to do to me.
“I don’t know if anything I have is your wife’s size, but when I’m not filling custom orders, I tend to tinker a bit and make random things. May I show the two of you some of the rings in this case?” he asked.
Outlaw gave a nod and Rebel came farther into the room. He set the box on the bed next to Outlaw and lifted the lid. The inside was lined in velvet and the rings were truly breathtaking, but there was one in particular that held Outlaw’s attention. I watched as he reached into the box and lifted out the silver band that looked like it was made of angel wings. The detail was incredible and I could see every feather.
I held my hand out to him and he slipped the ring onto my finger. It was a perfect fit, as if it had been made for me. He held my hand and rubbed his thumb over the band. “Angel wings for my angel.”
“If you’ll let me measure your finger, I’d be honored to custom make a wedding band for you,” Rebel said. “I can ship it to your house when it’s done.”
I could tell he was about to say no, so I gave him puppy eyes in hopes he’d agree. I got another of those half-smiles, and then he told Rebel to go ahead. The guy measured Outlaw’s finger, made a note of the size, then packed up his stuff and left. Badger followed him out, leaving me alone with Outlaw. I hoped the doctor wouldn’t be long. The bruising was darkening so fast that I was worried he might have broken bones.
I lifted one of his hands and kissed his fingers. I wished I could take his pain away. He audibly swallowed and I could have sworn I saw his eyes tear up as he tugged me closer. Outlaw wrapped his arms around my waist, just holding on. He pressed his head against my chest and I ran my fingers through his hair.
“Thank you for agreeing to the ring,” I said. “And I love mine.”
“Anything for you, an
gel. I’d pull the moon from the sky if it was what you wanted.”
I rested my cheek against the top of his head. “I think I’m falling for you, and it’s so fast that I’m scared. You just keep saying and doing all the right things, and I’m afraid I’ll wake up tomorrow and it will have all been a dream.”
He laughed. “I’m no dream, angel. If anything, I’m a nightmare. But I’m real, I’m here, and I’m yours, just like you’re mine.”
“Good because I don’t want anyone else. I think you’ve ruined me for all other men.”
He kissed my collarbone. “That’s the plan.”
We stayed like that, with him holding me, and me playing with his hair until the doctor arrived. Thankfully the news wasn’t as horrible as I’d feared, but he did advise Outlaw to refrain from more fights and said to take it easy a day or two. After leaving some painkillers, the doc left and Badger made himself scarce. It was just the two of us, and in that moment, I realized that there was no one I’d rather face the future with than him. Maybe I wasn’t just falling for Outlaw. Maybe I’d already fallen.
Chapter Twelve
Outlaw
My club decided I’d helped enough, but I wasn’t so sure. It had been two days and the Raptors and my brothers weren’t getting results. There was one last card that I could play, if I dared. On a trip through Texas about two decades ago, I’d run into a guy at a rodeo. Like, literally ran into him, and we’d started chatting. Last I’d heard, he was a cop in this area. As much as I knew the Raptors didn’t want the law involved, I knew putting a bug in the right ear could be beneficial.
While Elena had slept last night, I’d done a little digging and found Carson’s number. It wasn’t like he’d been hiding since it was listed in the damn directory for Bryson Corners. I just hadn’t called him yet. Something told me it would be a good move, but I didn’t want to piss off Attila, or Slash for that matter. They said they had this shit handled, but I had this gut feeling it was all going sideways if I didn’t reach out to Carson.
“You’ve been fiddling with your phone for twenty minutes,” Elena said. “Whoever you’re going to call, just do it already.”
“Not that simple, angel. It could land me a ton of trouble. The club too.”
She sat next to me and placed her hand on my arm. “Noah, if you think whoever this person is can help, then call them. If you’re wrong, then just give the guys a heads-up that you fucked up and trouble is coming, but I don’t think you’d ask for help if you weren’t sure you’d get it.”
She was right. I was about ninety percent certain that Carson would want to help. Mostly because he was a good guy and believed in doing the right thing. Back then he’d been riding the circuit, but now he was a cop. From the commendations I’d found for him on the Bryson Corners PD website, it seemed he was doing a good job of protecting this town. He had to know about the shit Shepherd and Bastard were doing, even if he didn’t know who was behind it.
I dialed his number and waited for him to answer. He picked up after a few rings.
“Office Benson, do you remember a guy named Outlaw from a really fucking long time ago?” I asked.
“You mean the out-of-place biker at the rodeo?” I could hear the smile in his voice. “Why the hell are you callin’ me after all these years?”
“I’m in Bryson Corners, and there’s trouble brewing in your little town. Thought you’d want to know about it.” I cracked my neck. “Look, some of my crew is here at the Savage Raptors’ compound. It’s too much to discuss over the phone. Can we meet somewhere?”
It was quiet, then I heard him sigh. “Yeah. If you swear this shit won’t touch my family, you can meet me at the house. Just don’t be scarin’ my wife and kids.”
“Text me the address. Mind if I bring my wife with me?”
“Go ahead. Peaches would like the company.”
I hung up and flexed my aching hands. “Think you can get ready pretty quick? We’re going to Officer Benson’s house. He’s got a wife and kids there, so you can talk to her if you don’t want to hear all the shit I need to tell him. It’s nothing you don’t already know.”
“Just give me ten minutes and I’ll be ready.” She kissed my cheek, then walked out.
I was as dressed as I was getting. I’d take my cut with me, but I’d leave it in the truck. There were people who saw a club’s colors and panicked a bit. Didn’t want that happening. Back home, everyone was aware of the club and either gave us their support or a wide berth. I didn’t know shit about Bryson Corners, though. Even though they had a custom bike shop, it didn’t mean they liked non-AMA sanctioned clubs in their town. The Savage Raptors lived here, but I didn’t want to go borrowing trouble when it wasn’t necessary.
Elena came back in a pair of jeans and a modest shirt. It hugged her curves, but the neckline wasn’t overly low. I’d noticed that even what she considered her sexy clothes tended to be on the more conservative side. Probably her upbringing with the reverend and his wife. Didn’t matter to me what she wore, as long as she was comfortable and hadn’t chosen the outfit because she thought it was what I wanted her to wear. I could be a controlling asshole at times, but I tried to save that for the bedroom.
“Come on, beautiful. We’ll take the truck. If anyone asks, we’re just going out to meet up with some friends in the area,” I said.
“I doubt they’ll ask me anyway.”
She wasn’t wrong. I’d heard about the sass she’d given the Raptors while I was in Church with their officers. It might have brought some heat down on us, especially me, if Truth hadn’t fucked up and lost his shit so spectacularly. By running off to interrogate my wife, he’d pretty much given Elena a free pass. I didn’t see Attila or anyone else saying a damn word if she opened her mouth again.
In fact, one of the Prospects had dropped off some papers last night. To make amends for what Elena had suffered, and my own wounds, which my ego was honestly bruised worse than the rest of me, Attila had not only punished Truth, but he was offering me a hundred grand in reparations. I wasn’t going to say no since we could use that money as a nest egg. Now that I had a wife, and hoped to have at least one kid someday, it would be smart to start saving.
I helped her into the truck, then got in on the driver’s side. When I reached the front gate, they waved us through and didn’t even stop us to ask where we were going. I couldn’t decide if I was insulted that they saw me as such a weak link, or glad they didn’t give a shit where I went. The fact I wasn’t needed was going to make this a lot easier.
Elena pulled up the address from the text Carson had sent and got directions. The neighborhood was cute with modest homes. A lot were on the smaller side, but well-maintained. Carson’s house had toys in the front yard and a bicycle turned over sideways in the driveway. I stopped on the street along the curb, and hoped this wasn’t an area that ticketed anyone parked on the street. I hadn’t seen another car in this area that wasn’t being driven or in a driveway.
I hadn’t even cleared the truck before Carson stepped out. He’d aged since I’d last seen him, but then so had I. He gave me a smile as he came closer, his gaze scanning me from head to toe, probably determining if I was a threat to his family. I’d left my gun in the truck since he said he had kids. I hadn’t wanted to upset his wife. While he was a cop, and I knew he was armed, he likely kept his weapon locked up when he was off-duty. Unless he had to go back to work, but that didn’t seem likely since I didn’t see a badge on his belt.
“Long time no see,” he said, slapping me on the back. “Damn. Is it me or did ya get uglier?”
I flipped him off, but he just laughed. Elena got out of the truck and gave him a little wave.
“I’m Elena, his wife.”
“Nice to meet ya. I’m Carson and my wife Peaches is inside. So are the kids, so watch where ya step. They have crap everywhere.”
We followed him inside, where he made the introductions to his wife and three kids. Elena went off with Peaches and Carson
led me out back. They had a nice deck with a table and chairs. He already had two cold bottles of beer set out, and I noticed he’d left the top on mine.
“Figured ya might be like me and not trust anyone,” Carson said, taking a sip of his drink. “Bottle opener’s attached to the house.”
I glanced back at the house and saw a metal opening screwed into the side of the house, like those old-fashioned ones they used to have when sodas all came in glass bottles. I popped the top off my beer, then settled back into my chair.
“Trouble come with ya, or did ya follow it?” he asked.
“Followed it. The Savage Raptors have a rat that’s causing some problems, but it’s the kind that might be affecting your town. The kind that causes an increase in illegal guns and drugs, or missing women around town.”
He nodded. “Yep. Seen a lot of that for a while now. Figured it was tied to that club, but ain’t been able to prove it.”
“It’s not the club. Savage Raptors have some legit businesses around town. But one of their men is a rat and is dealing this shit on the side, along with a guy who got his colors stripped about fifteen years ago. We think Elena’s foster dad is on it, and from a recent incident at our clubhouse, possibly some of the congregation of his church.”
Carson held up a hand. “What the hell? A preacher doin’ this shit?”
“So it seems. I’d thought maybe Bastard was holding something over the reverend, but once the wife was shot and dumped, it became apparent that wasn’t the case. The good reverend seemed a little too comfortable with Bastard. The wife, though, she was scared.”
Carson whistled. “What do ya want me to do? Ya know I can’t take this shit to my chief unless you want cops all over this. I’m thinkin’ that ain’t why ya came to me, so what am I supposed to do?”
I’d thought about this, and I hoped I was making the right call. There was a chance my club was going to have a fucking fit and I’d be in a world of trouble when we got home. But if I was right and this was just the distraction needed, then it might help the Raptors and my brothers get a handle on the problem and find both Bastard and Shepherd before it was too late. And where those two were, the reverend was probably nearby.