by S. Nelson
As he unzipped my jeans, the bell over the door sounded once more. It was then I mentally berated myself for not calling Ryder to see if he was going to meet me there to follow me home. I’d been so stubborn about him being my shadow that I’d inadvertently put myself in danger.
“We have to go,” another stranger shouted. I couldn’t see who it was because the man throttling me blocked my view of the front door.
“We have time,” my attacker said, pulling the waistband away from my jeans, his fingers fumbling with the material of my panties. I closed my eyes and tried to imagine I was somewhere else, but it didn’t work. I felt every callus on his fingers, smelled his breath as it hit my face and heard his breathing increase as he scraped his rough hand over my shivered skin.
“No we don’t,” the other guy warned, a touch of panic in his voice as he stood guard, openly allowing his friend to assault me. “We gotta get outta here before he shows up. You know he’s coming.”
Is he talking about Ryder?
Pulling his hand free from my jeans, thankfully not touching my most private of areas, he smirked before releasing me. My hands instantly shielded my neck, flinching at the already forming bruises.
Taking a step back, he spat, “Fuckin’ Knights. They took out our prez, and now we’ll stop at nothing until we wipe out every last one of ’em.”
Without another word, the evil bastard spun around and walked out of the salon as calm as could be. His partner in crime had already disappeared before I could get a good look at him, but I figured none of it mattered. All that was important was making sure that Kena was safe.
After my initial shock finally wore off, I grabbed my phone from the counter and texted my sister. No response. I sent her another message. Then another, and another. Still nothing. Before leaving the salon, I made sure the coast was clear, locking up before racing toward my car. I dialed Jagger’s number, but it only went to voice mail after a few rings. Leaving him a rushed message to call me back right away, I hung up and tried to call Ryder, but he wasn’t answering either.
What the hell?
Why isn’t anyone answering their phones?
Thankfully we lived close, but that didn’t stop me from speeding home so fast I swore I broke every traffic law. I barely put the car in Park and shut off the engine before I was racing toward the front of our house, keys in hand and fumbling with the lock before practically kicking open the door.
“Kena!” I shouted, running from room to room searching for her. But she wasn’t home. I tried texting her again, but again she didn’t respond. I called Jagger but still nothing.
Frustration fueled my emotions, switching from shock and fear for what I’d been through to an unbearable need to protect my sister from the man who’d attacked me.
Barreling out of the house, I jumped back in my car and took off toward Ryder’s, trying him again as well. When my calls continued to go unanswered, I tossed my cell on the passenger seat and concentrated on getting to Ryder’s as fast as possible.
As it turned out, he wasn’t home either. Slumping down on his front porch steps, I cradled my head in my hands and finally allowed myself to release what I’d been feeling as soon as that bastard had left the salon. Tears rushed down my cheeks, the adrenaline of trying to find Kena finally wearing off. My body trembled until I expelled every last bit of anxiety swirling inside me. Minutes later, I gathered myself, wiped away the rest of my tears and headed back toward my car.
There was only one other place I could check. I just hoped I remembered how to get there.
Ryder
Stone and his woman stopped by to talk to Marek before heading out to shop for more baby stuff. Adelaide was just over four months pregnant, and the bigger she got, the more Stone had a permanent look of worry imprinted on his face. The last time she found out she was pregnant, she also found out she had ovarian cancer, and while she was now in remission, the fear was there that the disease could always return.
The club’s VP cradled his daughter, Riley, close to his chest when they’d approached and saw that there was a ball of fur on my lap, resting peacefully from a very trying and dramatic day. I’d told them both all about what had happened, and that was when Adelaide recommended Dr. Rubin. Of course, she fussed over the little guy, petting him and then stealing him from me, showing him to Riley before finally handing him back a few minutes later.
Luckily, the vet’s office was able to take me on short notice, especially after I gave them a rundown of what had happened. The doctor confirmed the puppy was in good health, and a purebred to boot. A border collie. He also placed him at around six weeks, exactly what I’d guessed.
I had just been coming back from the bathroom, Hawke watching over the dog in my absence, when I heard a commotion outside. Before any of us could find out what it was, the door burst open and in ran Braylen, her blonde hair wild and matching the look in her eyes.
Terror.
Rushing forward, I reached her in no time, my eyes landing on her neck, the skin discolored from forming bruises.
“What happened?” I yelled, gently touching her throat. She flinched, which only served to infuriate me. Not at her but at whoever dared to put their hands on her. Every passing second restricted my breathing, a fierceness racing through my veins the likes of which I hadn’t felt in a very long time. “Who did this?”
“I don’t know,” she confessed. Braylen looked around the room before giving me her attention. “Where’s Kena?”
“I have no idea. She’s probably with Jagger.”
“Where is he?” She was frantic.
I shook my head, looking to Stone before turning toward Marek, who’d been hanging out in the doorway of Chambers.
“Anyone know where the hell Jagger’s at?” I asked.
“I’ll call him,” Marek offered, reaching for his phone and dialing Jagger’s number right away. After the third try, he’d finally gotten through. “Where you at?” Seconds of silence. “Is Kena with you? Then get to the clubhouse ASAP.” Another second of silence. “Now, and make sure to keep an eye out on the way here.” Our prez tossed his phone on the table next to him and said, “They’re on their way.”
I saw Braylen relax a little, but she was still freaked out, and I couldn’t blame her. “Tell me exactly what happened,” I coaxed, guiding her to the couch to take a seat. I kicked Hawke’s leg for him to move and he got up, walking over to the bar without complaint. Crouching in front of her, I hooked my fingers under her chin and raised her head. She flinched but then steadied herself as soon as she looked at me.
“Sorry,” she whispered, a lone tear coating her cheek. Wiping it away, she began telling me, and everyone standing around us, what happened to her. “I was closing up early at the salon when a guy came in. I didn’t see him at first because my back was to him, and by the time I turned around, it was too late.”
I couldn’t help it. My anger bubbled forth before I could halt it. “Why were you there by yourself, and why didn’t you lock the door?”
“Ryder,” Adelaide warned, frowning at my brief snap of interrogation. “Stop.” Her voice was softer on her last command.
Taking a breath, I nodded at Braylen, silently asking her to continue.
“He wrapped his hands around my throat and pushed me against the wall. And then when he tried to take off my jeans . . . I really thought. . . .” Her gaze drifted away as if lost to the horrific ordeal all over again.
“Fuck,” I growled, my hands instantly curling into tight fists. My outburst threw her back into the moment. She fiddled with the bottom of her shirt, not quite knowing what to do with herself. When another tear appeared, I placed my hands over hers and tried to soothe her, letting her know I was there and no one was gonna hurt her.
“What did he look like?” Stone asked, approaching from the side. “Did he say anything specific?”
“Back up,” I warned, throwing him a threatening look before hoisting myself off my haunches and taking the seat dir
ectly next to Braylen.
“We need to know, Ryder,” Stone rasped, taking a step back when he saw I was about to lose my shit. Adelaide placed her hand on Stone’s arm and gently shook her head as if to tell him to wait.
Braylen started speaking, answering Stone’s questions before I could ask her anything of my own. “He was tall and skinny, shoulder-length gray-brown hair with facial scars. One long nasty one from here to here,” she said, running her finger from her mouth to her forehead. She took a moment before continuing, glancing from each person present to the next before opening her mouth again. “He said something about you taking out their president, so now they’re gonna wipe out every last one of you.”
Shivers racked her body, but when I slung my arm over her, offering her comfort and protection, she leaned into me. I was wrought with guilt from not protecting her from that asshole, but I sure as hell wouldn’t make that mistake again. “Oh, and there was another guy with him, standing by the door.” Turning to face me, she uttered, “They know all about me and you . . . and Kena. How do they about my sister?” Her voice became panicked, and streams of tears began to fall again.
I pulled her close and kissed her temple over and over. “It’s okay. No one is gonna hurt you or your sister. I promise.” I heard some of the guys mumbling something to each other, but I wasn’t about to leave Braylen’s side to find out what. Not right then.
Ten minutes later, Jagger and Kena finally arrived at the club, rushing through the door because they knew Marek had meant business when he called.
“What’s going on,” Jagger asked, looking all around and waiting for someone to fill him in.
“Braylen was attacked,” Adelaide blurted, looking at Kena specifically when she said it.
Right away, Kena raced forward and sat on the other side of her sister. Are you okay? What happened? She didn’t even wait for Braylen to answer before she was hugging her so tightly I thought they’d never separate. But they finally did.
“I’m fine now. I’m just worried about you,” she confessed, pulling Kena in for another hug. When they finally broke apart for the second time, Braylen looked up at Jagger. “Please make sure you don’t let anything happen to her. Stay glued to her side if you have to. Please, Jagger,” she begged, more tears welling in her eyes as she pleaded with him to keep her little sister safe.
“You have my word. Nothing will ever happen to her.”
In reality, none of us could keep our women safe, not 100 percent, no matter how much we wanted. Not unless we had a . . .
“We need to go on lockdown, Prez,” I yelled, standing and walking toward him with purpose. “Enough is enough. We need to find out who the fuck keeps threatening us.”
“We know who keeps doing it,” Hawke said, walking right up to us. “And the bastard Braylen described sounds exactly like one of the guys who attacked Edana.” His posture went rigid, the look in his eyes one of determination. “Do you know how lucky your woman is, Ryder?”
I did, but I wanted to be sure Braylen wasn’t leaving anything out, no matter how difficult it was to tell me. Spinning around, I was back next to her in three long strides. “Did anything else happen? Did he . . . ?” She knew what I meant and shook her head. “You can tell me.” Even as I said the words, I had no idea what I’d do if I found out she’d suffered the same fate as Edana.
“No, nothing like that.”
I thought someone was gonna put up a fight about my demand for a lockdown, but all of my brothers simply nodded.
“Okay,” Marek agreed. “We go on lockdown till we can find ’em.”
I should’ve been relieved. I should’ve been happy that Braylen would be at the clubhouse safe and sound, but I wasn’t. Not entirely. Yes, she would be safe under our constant watch, but because we had to go in search of the bastards threatening our club, and our families, we were sure to get bloody.
Braylen
Ryder explained what a lockdown meant, and while my initial reaction would’ve been to reject such a thing, I was only too happy to stay at the club until they sorted everything out. “Eliminated the threat,” as Jagger so casually stated. I wasn’t sure what that meant exactly, and I didn’t think I wanted to.
The guys had taken Kena and me back to our place to pack a bag, enough for a week’s stay. They said it shouldn’t take any longer than that. Once back at the club, Ryder showed me to his room, placing my bag on the chair and pulling me in for a hug. I knew he was upset about what happened to me, but the one good thing that came out of it was that he seemed to be showing more of an affectionate side. A more tender side, to be more precise. Maybe it took an incident so drastic to finally make him realize that his feelings toward me might be more than what he wanted to let on.
No matter how tired I was, I just couldn’t fall asleep. Ryder told me that he had to leave for a bit but would be back as soon as he could. He wouldn’t tell me where he was going, other than that it was club business, but he assured me he wouldn’t be in any danger. I wasn’t so sure I believed him.
After another half hour of restlessness, I gave up, pushed off the covers and left his room, walking toward the front part of the club where a few of the members were still gathered, straddling the barstools and throwing back shot after shot.
It was close to eleven at night, and I had a feeling these guys were just starting their evening. Kena and Jagger weren’t present, so I assumed they were in his room. My anxiety had started to come back, thinking about my sister being in danger, when Sully came striding out from the kitchen. I hadn’t seen her in some time, and she was certainly welcome company.
“Hey, Braylen,” she greeted. “How are you holding up?” Ryder had told me a few things about Sully’s past, and I thought she was the bravest woman I knew. Surely the club’s lockdown was nothing compared to what she’d been through.
“I’m all right, I suppose. Just worried, ya know?”
She gestured toward the couch, and I followed, sitting next to her and smiling at her genuine kindness.
“Try not to fret too much. The men will handle it.” She sounded so sure. “They’ll die before they let anything happen to us.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” I whispered.
“Sorry, I probably shouldn’t have put it like that.” Sully shot me an apologetic smile, patting my hand before leaning back against the sofa. Her dark eyes roamed over the space of the common area, smiling while watching the mundane task of men drinking and talking. Looking back toward me, she said, “You probably think I’m crazy for smiling, but I’m still getting used to this life.”
“But I thought you’ve been with them for quite some time now.”
“I have, and while it was a little bumpy in the beginning between Cole and me, the entire club has always treated me well. I constantly waited for the other shoe to drop, but it never did. Not with them.” Her smile was infectious, and I soon find myself mirroring her expression. “So tell me, how are things with you and Ryder?”
“Bumpy.” We both chuckled at my word choice, but it fit perfectly. I caught glimpses of another side of Ryder, but just when I thought he’d show me more, he’d throw those walls back up. It was frustrating, to say the least.
“Give him time. He cares about you. A lot. He tries to hide it but I see it, and so does everyone else.” Her words gave me comfort, something I very much needed after the day I’d had. Twisting her black hair up into a messy bun on top of her head, she threw her arms over her head and stretched, a yawn coming out of nowhere. “Oh my God, I’m so sorry. It’s not you, I promise.” She chuckled. “It’s just that I haven’t been getting much sleep lately.
“Because of everything with the club?”
“No. Sadly I’m used to that. It’s because of Kaden.”
“Who?” I didn’t remember Ryder mentioning anyone named Kaden.
“The little boy Cole and I have been caring for. Tripp’s ex dropped him off out of the blue, claiming he was his when in fact he wasn’t. When she d
idn’t get what she wanted from Tripp—although who knows what that even was—she took off and left her baby here. He hasn’t been able to locate her as of yet.” A mixed look of hope and sorrow took over Sully’s expression, and I couldn’t help but feel bad for her.
“So he’s been keeping you up late?” I wanted to take her mind off whatever plagued her, and the mere mention of the baby had her smiling once again.
“Yes, but I’m not complaining. I’ve always wanted children. I know he’s not really mine, but I can’t help feeling an attachment to him. It’s one of the reasons Cole was hesitant to take him while Tripp searched for his ex. He knew how hard it would be for me to give him back when he finds her.” She let out a hefty sigh. “But I can’t think of that right now, can I?” Her question was rhetorical. A brief moment of silence lingered between us before she asked, “Do you want kids someday?”
“Do I want kids?” I repeated. “Well, it’s not like I’ve never thought about it, but I guess I just never settled on an answer. I guess . . . I don’t know. With the right guy, I suppose I’d be open to the idea.”
She bumped my shoulder with hers. “Could that be Ryder?” She wiggled her brows and I laughed.
“I’m not sure.” Better to be neutral, right?
“I wonder if he wants any more. Then again, I doubted Cole would come around to the idea of Kaden, but when I see him with the little boy now, my heart swells. He’s fallen in love with him as much as I have.”
I stopped listening after she uttered the first sentence.
“Wait. Go back. What did you mean by ‘any more’? Does Ryder have kids?” My voice rose higher than intended, drawing the attention of Hawke, who was busy drinking at the bar.
Sully’s eyes widened before she mumbled, “Shit.” Turning fully toward me, she continued with, “Sorry, Braylen. I thought you knew. He has a daughter. I think she’s around ten.”
Tears of anger flooded my vision, but I refused to cry. Pulling in a deep breath, I exhaled before speaking again. “No. I didn’t know. I guess he didn’t want to share that with me.” What did that say about his feelings toward me, that he wouldn’t tell me he had a child? Just when I thought he might be coming around to the idea of us being more than a casual thing—in his eyes, at least—he abolished all of those crazy notions with his secret. One of many, apparently.