by K. Renee
I reach out to grab the phone, and when I put it to my ear, I hear his voice. He’s still going crazy and cussing at his brother.
“Hendrix,” I whisper.
“Syd, baby, I’m coming for you. Where are you?”
He sounds panicked and I hate that I’m the reason for everything that is happening. Turning back the clock may change the outcome of all of this, but then again I would have never met Hendrix. I would have never fallen in love with a biker that showed me what it really was like to fall in love, the consuming type of love that my brother and Ellie had.
“My house.” The words are harder to get out this time. My stomach is cramping, and all I want to do right now is curl up into a ball and cry. I want to forget everything. Forget the pain, the hurt, and looks on their faces when the truth came out. Everything.
I drop the phone on my floor and force my body to move toward Callen. When I get to her chair, I see the blood all over her skin. Half of her clothes are torn, and she’s got a busted lip and a black eye.
Reaching over her, I try to untie the ties that are keeping her in the chair. Her good eye opens, and a tear falls down her bloody cheek. “I’m so sorry Callen.” Her eyes scan over my body. As she takes in all the blood covering my pants, her eyes widen.
“Sydney…” Her voice breaks and then she looks over my shoulder at the front door as it opens, slamming into the wall.
Chapter Nine
Hendrix
Brant, Ryder, and I are riding as fast as we can to Sydney’s place. The moment that Hallum answered her phone, I knew that he was going to hurt her. He said that there was blood all over them. I don’t know who else he has there, but I can take a guess that it is someone that Sydney cares about.
My heart is racing, and the only thing I know is that I’m going to kill him. He’ll wish he never came after Syd. I’ll make sure he never hurts another woman for as long as I live.
We pull into her driveway, and nothing looks out of the ordinary.
Getting off my bike, I grab my gun from the holster tucked into my jeans and we start to make our way toward the door. I try the doorknob, but it’s locked. I give Ryder and Brant a look before I slam into it, breaking the casing and forcing the door open. The door slams into the wall, and both of the girls turn to look at us.
A girl I’ve never seen is tied to a chair, bloody and bruised. My girl is covered in blood and trying to get her friend out of whatever restraints my brother used on her.
Rushing over to Sydney, I pull her into my arms, and she yells out in pain, squeezing her eyes shut.
“I’ve got her, help get her lose,” I say to Ryder as Brant starts to go room by room through the house.
When he comes back, he’s got a picture in his hand blood smeared over Sydney’s stomach in the photo. I stare at the picture for a second before it registers. She’s bleeding. I set her down on the couch and lift her shirt up to expose her stomach. She has no cuts or anything, only a large bruise that is starting to take over her skin.
“Fuck,” Brant whispers when he finally understands what it means. “We need to get her to a hospital or at least get the doc –”
Ryder cuts him off. “Fuck no, no hospital. Prez won’t let her anywhere near the clubhouse either. We need to get someone here now. Call whoever you know to come down here and check her out.”
Sydney grabs my hand and holds it to her chest. Tears fall from her eyes, and she squeezes my hand.
Brant grabs his phone from his pocket and dials a number, putting the phone to his ear. When Ryder gets the other girl's ties undone, she wraps her arms around him, and he carries her over to where I have Sydney. She reaches over and grabs Syd’s other hand, and they link their fingers together.
“Ry,” Syd whispers, and he comes closer.
“Don’t say anything. I should have made sure you were protected. I should have known that he’d come after you once you got banned from the clubhouse, done more to keep you safe.” He gets to his knees next to her and runs his hand over her forehead.
She winces and cries out, but I don’t know what or where she’s hurting.
“Syd,” I choke out. She looks up at me with tears in her eyes, and I vow right then and there that I’m going to find that son of a bitch and kill him, blood or not.
“Just make sure Callen is okay. She wasn’t part of this.” Ryder looks over at the girl he untied and then back at his sister.
“Callen Cruz?”
Brant comes over to stand behind us, and I can feel the tension fill the room.
Sydney looks between her brother and her friend, a question in her eyes. “How do you know my name?” The girl asks from beside Sydney.
He doesn’t answer her, he just shakes his head. He gets up and walks away. I look at Brant, and he looks like he’s seen a ghost.
We sit just like this in silence for a long fucking time until the doctor finally shows up. She’s a pretty little thing, but she does nothing for me. She walks over to us and asks what happened, and I give her a rundown before she asks if we can move the girls into the bedroom where it’s more private.
Ryder refuses to go near Callen again and so he helps Syd into the bedroom while I help her. Once we get them both in the room, the doctor kicks us out and shuts the door. I follow behind Ryder, and when he stops, I ask, “What the fuck is the problem with Callen Cruz?”
I look between Brant and Ryder, and they exchange an uneasy look.
“Her father is Michael Cruz. He used to be a member of the Saints before he went off the deep end. He got mixed up in the wrong shit and long story short; he was the one who pulled the trigger that got Cason’s first wife killed.” I close my eyes and suck in a breath.
This shit just keeps getting better and better.
“I thought a rival club killed her.”
“He joined their ranks after my old man and Prez stripped him of his colors,” Brant states, running his hand through his hair. “I need to call him and give him a heads up.”
“Don’t. Not yet. I need to make sure Sydney’s okay before you call in Prez,” Ryder says quickly.
“You and I both know that it will only make shit worse if I don’t say a word.” Brant grits his teeth and clenches his fists.
“This shit isn’t just about her. We need to deal with having Callen Cruz with us.”
They stare each other down, and I get in between them. “I’ll call. You both are only here because of me. I asked you to come, and I’ll take the heat. Whatever we need to do, I’ll do. I won’t let the doc leave without helping Sydney; you have my word on that, Ryder.”
Grabbing my phone from my pocket, I dial Prez’s number on speakerphone and wait for him to answer while Brant and Ryder are looking about ready to come to blows.
“Yeah kid?” Prez finally answers.
“We have a situation,” I state trying to figure out the best way to say I went against orders.
“Fucking hell. Do you need a lawyer?” It sounds like a door closes and I try to ready myself for the verbal beating I’m going to take.
“No. I’m with Sydney, and Hallum was here. She’s hurt pretty bad, and so is her friend. He must have grabbed her when she got caught.”
The line goes silent, and I don’t know if I should continue or not. Instead of thinking about it, I just spill the rest of it. “Her friend is Callen Cruz.”
This time I hear the sound of glass shattering over the line and a string of fucks and god dammits.
‘What the hell were you thinking going anywhere near that fucking girl when I gave an order? I told you and Ryder to stay the fuck away from her.” He’s pissed, and I swear I can feel the anger radiating off of him from here.
“I can’t, Prez. I love her, and I’ll always protect her, orders or not.”
Ryder groans and then Prez yells some more. “Let me fucking guess that Ryder is there too.”
“Yeah Prez, I am. She’s my sister. I can’t just stand by and let that bastard hurt her or worse.”
>
“Who else is with you?” His question lingering for a second before Brant speaks up saying he’s here too. “Just fucking great. You and two of my best men are protecting a rat.”
“She was pregnant.” Both Ryder and my head snap toward the voice in the hall. “Whoever kicked her in the stomach hit her so hard and so many times that she had a miscarriage.” I feel like the wind got knocked out of me and the only thing I can focus on is the doc as she continues. “So I guess one of you is the father.”
Brant and Ryder both look at me, and my heart drops. My phone falls from my hand, and I rush toward the bedroom, but the doc stops me. “You need to know that she might have a hard time dealing with this. She didn’t even know she was pregnant and wasn’t very far along.” I nod my head, not really listening but needing to see her.
When the doctor finally lets me into the room, I rush to her side and kneel on the floor next to the bed. Her hand reaches out for mine, and I let her take it. “Syd,” I whisper. “I’m so fucking sorry.” New tears fall down her cheeks, and I rest my forehead against her side.
“I should be the one to say sorry.” Her voice comes out in a whisper, and I can’t bring myself to say anything. She has nothing to be sorry for. This is Hallum’s fault. He was the one who took this baby, and I doubt he ever cared. He’s never cared about anyone else but himself for as long as I can remember.
“Don’t. I love you Syd, and that will never change.” I look up at her, and she reaches out and cups my face with her small, cold hand.
“I love you.”
I lean forward and kiss her lips softly before pulling back.
“Sorry, but I need her to rest.”
I nod my head before getting to my feet.
“I’ll be back.” I kiss her forehead once before nodding to the doctor and walking back out into the other room.
When I come from the hallway, I see Brant and Ryder murmuring amongst themselves. When Ryder notices me, he stops speaking.
“I’m going to kill that fucking bastard. Brother or not, I don’t give a fuck anymore. He hurt her, and for that, he has to pay.”
Ryder just nods his head, almost unsure of what to do.
“Prez is on his way,” Brant says bringing my attention to him.
“Why?” I ask. I don’t want him saying shit to Syd, not now. My fuse is getting shorter by the minute. I’m ready to fucking kill my own brother for what he took from me, from us. Sydney never deserved this, and I won’t stop until he’s the one losing everything that he’s ever cared about.
“There isn’t anything else for him to lose,” Ryder says quietly. “He already lost the last of his family, and now he’s got nothing. He just wants revenge.”
I clench my fists knowing he’s right. I wish like hell there was something that he wanted more than me.
The roars of motorcycles fill the air, and I know that the cavalry is here. Shit is about to get ugly, and there will be nothing I can do to stop it once it starts. The blame is going to be passed around, and Ryder and Brant will end up getting blamed for parts that are my fault.
I went against orders because I know that she would never try to hurt us on purpose. She was trying to protect those she cares about just like I would. The only difference between Syd and me is that I would have gutted the bastard. I wouldn’t have given him the chance to come at me. His death would be on my hands, and I wouldn’t care one bit.
I would finally be free of the hold he has over me, the bond that we’ve shared since the womb.
He killed my unborn child.
Nothing will ever be the same now, and I just hope like hell that once this is all done, Sydney will not hate me for what I have to do.
That she will stand beside me through thick and thin.
Chapter Ten
Sydney
The moment I finally close my eyes, the yelling starts in the other room. I heard the bikes in the distance, and I knew they were coming. The Wayward Saints would never leave their men unprotected and right now, Ryder, Hendrix, and Brantley are just that. They are too worried about me being hurt and Callen being here to go anywhere else.
I still don’t know what the big deal is with them and her. She doesn’t even know why they acted the way that they did when they figured out her name.
Lying back against my pillows, I try to fall asleep, but it’s no use. The shouts just continue to get worse, and when I look toward the door, it never opens or magically tells me what they are talking about.
“Do you think that they are going to hurt me too?” Callen finally asks.
I shake my head no, and she bites her bottom lip. I don’t know what is going to happen, but I hope that Ryder or Hendrix protects us both.
My stomach turns, and I'm not sure if it’s because of the miscarriage or everything that is going on around me. The cramps get worse, and I fight the urge to throw up. I cry out in pain, and it takes no time at all for the bedroom door to open.
Hendrix rushes to my side, and I curl into a little ball against him. The pain is worse than any of the normal cramps that I’ve ever had, and I just want it to end. Hendrix rubs my back, trying to do something to make me feel better but nothing helps. I just want to sleep for the next week and hope that when I wake up this nightmare will be over and I can be back in his bed, wrapped around his body after he fucks me hard.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he whispers against my skin. Callen has been lying on a blow-up mattress that Brant found in the garage since the doctor looked her over and bandaged her up. Most of her cuts and bruises would heal after time, and I just hope that she doesn’t hate me after this.
She was the only friend I really had in college. We were both kind of nerdy and awkward compared to the rest of the girls we went to school with, so we just kind of fit.
“How are you?” His voice is small, and I have a feeling it’s because Callen is only a few feet away.
“I’ve been better.” I look up at him and slowly uncurl my body and press against him completely. His hand slowly runs up and down my side. He’s so gentle that I barely even feel his fingertips as they move.
“I wish I could change the shit that happened today. I should have come sooner, moved you to another place or something.” I move closer and press my face into his chest, careful not to hit the bruise on my forehead.
“You didn’t do this to me, Hendrix. Don’t blame yourself. I should have told you the truth from the beginning.” A tear falls down my cheek but is quickly soaked up by his shirt. He runs his hand through my still wet hair, and I continue to hold on to him.
I never want to let him go.
“I just hate that I could have been here to stop him. I should have been here to gut that bastard where he stood.” He clenches his fists, and I try like hell not to flinch as he does it. I don’t want to come off weak anymore. I want to be able to fight back, but in my condition, I can’t, and I doubt that Hendrix would let me.
When the anger in him subsides, he runs his hand up and down my spine in a soothing motion that practically puts me to sleep. Well, that is until my brother’s voice enters the room.
“You need to get out here, Hendrix.” When I lift my head up, I see him standing in the doorway watching us. He stands there for a few minutes not saying anything before he turns and walks away.
I look back at Hendrix, and he reaches forward to move the hair from my face. “Don’t worry. Everything will be just fine.”
I bite the inside of my cheek and keep my thoughts to myself. Everything is not going to be okay. Their president hates me and the problems I brought to their doorstep. If he had his way, I would still be alone in this house with Sampson.
“Hallum will never hurt you again.”
I stare at him, wondering who Hallum is and before I can ask, he grins. “Hallum is his real name. He’s gone by Sampson for a while now, something about that dude from the Bible.”
“Sampson and Delilah.” My voice is hoarse from all the crying I’ve done today,
and it sounds so unlike me.
“You were his Delilah. In a way, you were going to be the one to help him extract his revenge, but instead, you failed, betrayed him in a way.”
“I never wanted any of this. I just wanted to finally move out of the shell of a girl I once was. To be seen for the person I am, not who I was related to.” A tear slides down my cheek, and Hendrix wipes it up.
“I see you.” He sits up, taking me with him. “I see exactly who you are. You are stronger than you give yourself credit for, and the only woman I want by my side.”
He kisses me softly before changing our positions and laying me back against the pillows. “I need to find out what they need from me. I’ll be back to check on you in a little while.”
I nod my head because I’m too choked up to say a word to him. After everything that I’ve put him through already, I can’t believe that he would still feel that way about me.
---
Hendrix
As I make my way out of the room, I scan their faces. This place isn’t safe, and I don’t know why we are even still here other than the fact that Prez doesn’t want to help her any more than we have already.
“You have a plan?” Prez asks when I come to a stop in front of him. The others watch from their positions, not one of them deciding that they should step up and say something, not even Ryder.
“I want to say I’m wrong, but I don’t think Hallum is coming back here. He got what he wanted. Revenge was the only thing on his mind, and he already did what he set out to do.” Prez raises an eyebrow at me, and I know he doesn’t agree.
“What makes you so sure?”
“An eye for an eye. Blood for blood,” I state. It’s that fucking simple.
“Ryder took the one other thing my brother cared about from him. He’s pissed he lost me too, but I don’t mean as much to him as she did.”
All attention goes to Ryder, and he runs his hand over his face, muttering under his breath.
“You really think that bastard brother of yours went after Sydney because of what I did three years ago?”
I shrug my shoulders. “He’s capable of anything. It might have been a stressor, and when I got patched in, he moved forward with it. Fuck, I don’t know what is running through his head right now, but I am going to find that son of a bitch and kill the bastard for even touching her. He killed my unborn child.”