Ryder's Last Run (Dueling Dragons MC Series)

by Rose Dewallvin

  She looks up at me with those beautiful eyes and I am lost. “Thank you, Zeke. I feel like I’ve been a little judgmental. I mean, you seem like a nice and decent guy. Well… I… I just wanted to apologize for my ill treatment of you at Faith’s family home and on the road trip here. I wasn’t very nice to you or to your friend. Tank? Isn’t that his name? Well, anyhow, I am sorry for acting like a child at times.”

  I shake my head and laugh a little. Oh lord, Lil Mama was hell on wheels from Alabama to Arizona. She made it her life mission to make me and Tank fucking miserable. She complained about everything and assaulted us with barbs that made us miserable. “I accept, Lil Mama, and it’s understandable to be a little out of sorts on a long distance run like that, especially with a baby on board. So yeah, babe, I feel ya.”

  She nods her head and looks down at Lil Man for a second. “Thanks Zeke. I appreciate your understanding my rude behavior. Well, I am going to track down Faith and see when she wants to eat and what our plans for the rest of the day are looking like.” I nod my head at her and she picks up the baby and walks out and heads down the hall to find Faith, who I assume is in Ryder’s room.

  I walk out to Faith’s car, which thankfully is unlocked. I grab Peggy and Tucker’s luggage and that playpen/crib contraption. She refers to a as pack and something or other. I want to get everything set up for them in my room so she’ll feel more at ease.

  As I unloading her belongings, I think back to our trip back to Arizona. Damn that woman had us in knots over anything and everything. It was the road trip from hell. Poor Tank took the blunt of her wrath. When Tank broke the news to her that we would all be staying overnight at the club for safety factors, she threw a shit fit of all shit fits. We both found out how stubborn this woman is.

  She locked her and Tucker in Faiths car and cranked up country music while Tank beat on the door, trying to coax her out of the car, in a Tank kind of way. I sat there on my hog taking in the entire situation and the craziness of it all, and falling for this chick. Tank finally pulled his piece out and knocked on the window, to scare her. What did she do? She flipped him off and tore out of the parking lot, which resulted in Tank getting his right foot, ran over by the car. I had to take off after her and pull her over a few blocks over and talked her down from going back to kill Tank and well, he was another story. I’ve been trying my best to keep those two separated for a general truce on both sides. So far, it has not been easy.

  I manage to grab a new prospect to help me carry everything to my room. He sets the luggage down and splits. I don’t think the kid is much into messing with baby gear. Then again, I’m no pro at it. Trying to set up the crib or the play along thing for Lil Man to sleep is easier said than done. I know it seems as though I am jumping on the kid wagon to impress Peg, but holding that kid did something to me. He made me want to settle down and have a family. I never had much growing up and my parents were crazy Bible thumpin’ Holy Roller zealots. Josiah and I grew up in a strict household, and my parents invested more in the church than they did their sons. I hated life until I met Ryder in school and found out there was more to life than praying and reading the Bible for hours on end. As a kid, I longed to be a free spirit and think for myself, and the biker lifestyle did that for me.

  I snap out of my melancholy thoughts and proceed to set up the baby bed, and I changed the bedding for Peg. Just as I am moving my socks and underwear, Peg comes out of the bathroom with Tucker. She looks around and then back up at me. “I see you’ve been busy. Thank you for thinking of us and bringing our belongings in from the car.” She smiles at me and I feel myself swell a little. Her hair is damp and the scent of her shampoo hits my nose. She puts Lil Man into his crib bed and heads for the bed herself.

  “So, tell me, what do you make of Bambi dropping the news on Ryder about having his love child and never letting him know about it?”

  She sits on my bed and seems to ponder my question. “Well, I think the child is the one that suffers in the long run over the mother’s sin. Ryder had no idea this child existed, so I can’t blame him for this mess. However, it is devastating to Faith. It’s not like she won’t care for the child, but she’s so young and for her to have to be thrust into the role of a step-parent so soon in their relationship might take a toll on her emotionally.”

  I nod my head. I think to myself, is she really talking about Faith here, or is she may be thinking about the idea of what it might be like if she and I got together, and what it might be like for me. I have no problem with Lil Man and being a father figure to him. The kid is special and I like him, a lot. I just shake it off.

  She throws out something that turns me on. “If that bitch Bambi messes with my friend and hurts her, I will not be responsible for my actions against the skank. I am just putting that out there right now.” I smile at the thought of her going all girly fight with Bambi and kicking Bambi’s ass. Damn, what a fantasy that would make.

  We work in a comfortable silence together until I hear her let out a loud gasp. I look up and she’s holding the broken B.O.B. that belonged to Paige. The one I destroyed the day I kicked her out of my life. She’s holding it with a napkin and she’s got a sneer on her face. She turns and looks at me. “What, pray tell, is this thing?” She looks rather embarrassed to be touching it.

  I’m actually embarrassed but I play it off. “Oh, that thing? Well, honey, it’s a B.O.B. Ain’t you ever used one?”

  She drops it to the ground and looks up at me with a disgusted look on her face. “What in the hell is a B.O.B.?”

  “Babe, B.O.B. is short for battery operated boyfriend. You haven’t ever heard of it?” She shakes her head. “Well, sugar, that one is broken, but I could certainly head over to the adult store and purchase you one, and give you a demonstration of the enjoyment of a B.O.B.” I give her a big grin and she raises her hand and slaps me across the face. I didn’t see that coming. She grabs Tucker out of his bed, stomps out of the room, and slams the door behind her. Well, that flirting session was an epic fail.

  I manage to stay off Peg’s radar for a few hours by making myself scarce and hanging out with some of the brothers. I have yet to see Ryder; he and Faith have been hiding out most of the day.

  Peg comes into the main room. Tucker must be down for a nap because she’s empty handed. She has a black thing with a screen on it in her hand and a walkie-talkie looking thing in her hand. She looks around the room and ignores everyone, settles onto one of the leather couches and starts to do something on the screen, and then stares at it. Must be one of those tablet things. I decide to turn my attention away from her and let her have her space. I am sure she is still pissed at me for my B.O.B. comment earlier.

  Looking over at Fat Boy, who got his nickname not because he of his build. But because of his love of smoking pot. He’s even named his hog the 420 Express. He’s always been quite the jokester.

  I notice that Fat Boy is eying Peg up and down and licking his lips. I kick him in the shin and glare at him. “She’s off limits, brother. She’s soon to belong to me.”

  He gives me a gruff laugh and shakes his head. “If she’s soon to be yours, why ain’t you over there working that bitch?”

  I jump up out of my chair and pull Fat Boy up, grab him by the collar of his shirt, and glare at him. “Don’t. Ever. Call. Her. A. Bitch. Again. Her name is Peggy Sue or Peg. She’s a lady and you will treat her as such. She’s not a club whore. You feel me?”

  Fat Boy step backs after I release my hold on his shirt. He holds his hands up in a surrender motion. “Sorry, dude, I didn’t know you had that much of a thing for her. I assumed when you said she was soon to be yours, I thought you meant you were gonna hit it.”

  I grab my beer, walk up to him, and get right up in his face. “Don’t look at her again, unless you want to take me on, brother. She’s too good for the likes of you.”

  I turn on my heel, walk out to my bike, and decide to take a ride to cool down. I don’t know what’s come over me about
Peg, but I feel very protective toward her, and I don’t want my brothers harassing her. Period.

  ****

  Peggy

  We arrived at the club with Zeke and Tank. Faith was so quiet on the last leg of the trip and she looks so tired and wore out. I think everything is just catching up to her emotionally, and now she’s about to reunite with Ryder after a long absence from him. I think it’s just all hit her at once.

  The loss of her daddy; Ryder’s disappearance and leaving her brothers behind again. Aleast she and I have patched everything up and we are like sisters again.

  I understand how hurt she was over catching me with Beau. I knew for a long time that she was too good for him. I figured I could get him away from her so that her life could be better than it was. She was so blind to his lies and him cheating on her over the years. He would lie to her, go out with other girls, and screw them in her car. I caught him one night at a park.

  I saw Faith’s car and thought I’d surprise her. Well I was the one surprised when I found Beau with another girl. He begged me not to tell her. That is when he started coming onto me and flirting. I took advantage of it and decided to rid him from Faiths life. I knew it was a risk but I felt it was worth the risk to let her be free of him.

  My life changed for the better when my son made his way into this world. Beau being the prick that he really is, walked away from his son and me. His loss not mine. Tucker and I are better for it and I have my bestie back and that is all that matters.

  I find Zeke in his room after one of the biker guys pointed me in the right direction. He’s unpacking his things and looks exhausted. I know that I gave him and Tank a hard time all the way here. I don’t know what got into me, but he seems to bring out the brat in me.

  “Can I come in?” I look at him from across the room.

  “Yeah, come on in. This is where you and lil man will be in here.” He lifts his arms and turns in a half circle as if he is showing off his room.

  “Zeke, Tucker and I will not sleep in here with you. I am not that sort of woman. I barely know you and for God sake, my son will be with me.” I accuse him of wanting to sleep with me. Big mistake.

  He laughs it off, “Mama, just chill already woman. I am giving you and lil Man here my room. I will room with Fat Boy or Tank. Shit woman, yes I wanna get to know you better, but I wouldn’t dare compromise your virtue.” He smiles.

  I take a good look around the room and it seems clean and well organized. That’s a positive.

  He seems proud of his surroundings. He points out the closet to unpack our belongings and then informs me of a locked gun safe in the back of it. I have to admit, guns make me nervous. I don’t have much experience with them and my parents never kept one in the house.

  He looks at me with a questioning look and then drops a bomb on me as he shrugs his shoulders. “Sorry babe, but guns are a necessity of life in my world.” This is something that I certainly do not want to think about. His life isn’t always on the up and up and I am afraid of my attraction to him.

  A few hours later I wonder around the clubhouse while Tucker naps but I can’t find Faith so I assume she’s still hiding out with Ryder and I don’t want to disturb them. I don’t want to pry but I am dying to know about that woman that was with Ryder when we arrived today.

  I seem to have put some of the story together on Bambi and Ryder and it’s not good. Her resurfacing after the death of the President of the club has some members whispering about her.

  I walk back to Zeke’s room to take a shower. After my shower, I walk out into the bedroom to him in there setting Tuckers Pack-n-Play and he’s brought in our stuff from Faith’s car. How sweet. It’s stuff like this that makes this man dangerous to my heart. I put Tucker down in his Pack-n-Play for bed, I look down at him and smile.

  He grabs onto his blanket and closes his eyes quickly. I turn to Zeke who has been standing there watching me look over my sleeping son. He clears his throat and seems embarrassed to be caught watching us. I play it off and begin to help him clean his room.

  “So tell me, what do you make of Bambi dropping the news on Ryder about having his love child and never letting him know about it?” I am a little confused as to why he’s asking me this.

  “Well, I think the child is the one that suffers in the long run over the mother’s sin. Ryder had no idea this child existed, so I can’t blame him for this mess. However, it’s devastating news to Faith. It’s not like she won’t care for the child, but she’s so young and for her to have to be thrust into the role of a step-parent so soon in their relationship might take a toll on her emotionally.” He seems to like my answer.

  “If that bitch Bambi, messes with my friend and hurts her, I will not be responsible for my actions against the skank.” I mean that. I will take her out if she tries anything on Faith.

  We grow silent, it feels so comfortable having him around even though we aren’t really talking. I keep watching him and stealing glances of him. I see something sticking out from under his bed that I grab a napkin I see on the side table and bend down to pick it up.

  Oh my goodness, it’s a broken sex toy. What in the hell is he doing with a sex toy under his bed, and why is it broken? Oh I have to give him a hard time about this one!

  “What pray tell is this thing?” He jerks his head up from the closet. He looks a little embarrassed for a second or two. I stand there with a disgusted look on my face.

  He smiles up at me, “Well honey, it’s a B.O.B. Ain’t you ever used one?” I drop the thing to the ground and now I am a little disgusted, and intrigued at the same time. I continue with my little miss innocent act, “What in the hell is a B.O.B.?” I ask.

  I can’t come out and tell him that I have one of my own. That would be so embarrassing. A girl gets lonely sometimes and needs to take care of herself when the need arises. I just don’t like the way he’s laughing at me.

  He continues to laugh and manages to ask me, “Babe, B.O.B. is short for battery operated boyfriend. You haven’t ever heard of it?”

  Standing there shock has over taken my body with his question that I refrain from yelling out ‘Of course I have you ignorant asshole.’

  He winks at me, “Well sugar, that one is broken. I could certainly head over to the adult store and purchase you one, and give you a demonstration of the enjoyment of a B.O.B.” Oh the nerve of him! Yes, I want you to do that! I’d give my right eye to have you tease me with one just to feel your hands all over me.

  I snap out of my mini fantasy, raise my hand, and let one loose on his cheek. Asshole! I grab up Tucker and walk out. That felt good. I am so needy right now and I could use that damn B.O.B.

  After my encounter with Zeke earlier, I’ve taken Tucker for a walk and returned and laid him down for nap, I grab a book and head out the main clubroom to read. I don’t want to speak to anyone right now. I just want to disappear with my romance novel about a rock band, written by my favorite author Jade C. Jamison. I always manage to get lost in her books and I feel so calmed down after I read her books. She takes me away to a world of romance, and hot guys.

  Zeke is sitting over with a couple of bikers. One of them looks just like a younger version of Ryder. The skinny biker is handsome in a rugged sort of way and he’s tall too. I see him wink at me so I throw out my best sneer at him. Zeke tense up when he notices the guy looking at me; he bends over and says something to him.

  All of a sudden I see rage come over Zeke’s face and he jumps up and grabs the other guy by the collar, I see the guy looking over at me. Zeke releases the guy and grabs his beer and then the guy says something else and Zeke is back up in his face.

  Damn, I wish I could hear what they are saying back and forth to one another. I know it’s about me. The guy turns and says something to one of the younger guys and walks out.

  I hear a bike start up and leave. I sit back and try to read but that scene between them is eating away at me. I wonder if Zeke was trying to protect me from that guy. I guess I
will need to find out.

  I open my book and try to escape into the world of rock stars and romance and forget my own world of bikers and looming trouble.

  Chapter 16 -

  Faith

  As I walk into Ziggy’s room, it hits me for the first time; Ryder wants me to live this life with him. He didn’t even give me a heads up or a ‘hey babe, I’m the new Prez.’ It was ‘I’m the new Prez and as my ol’ lady, you stand behind me.’ You know the whole, I am man, hear me roar. Bullshit. I am not going to stand behind him.

  “So, what the hell was all that drama about?” Peggy asks as she walks across the room; it’s rather large for the size of this building. The room is really clean for a guy’s room. But Ziggy is always so clean and put together so I wouldn’t expect any different.

  Peggy walks over and puts Tucker down for a nap. “Sit. Zeke said that while we are here, this is our space. So tell me, what the hell happened?”

  “Oh god, Pegs. I don’t know. I don’t know where it all went wrong. I don’t even know if I am the one that did anything wrong.” I start to sob. I am pretty damn proud of myself I have kept it together this long. “He has a son, seven years old. With that nasty fucking bitch!” Wrinkling my nose, I start thinking about her again. Peggy laughs a little bit and I look up at her. “What? Don’t look at me like that!” I sniffle at her.

  She reaches over and strokes the side of my head like I’m her child. “Knock it off!” I knock her hand away from my head.

  “Faith, you need to realize that he has a past. A pretty bad past from what I can tell.” She shakes her head and looks over to check on Tucker who’s started to fuss a little bit. “I know this is going to be strange coming from me, but are you sure that he really kept all this from you? That bitch that came out of that office caused holy hell in the common room. You should have seen it.” She starts to snicker.