by S. Nelson
After he’d abruptly snatched the life of our enemy, we drove an hour out to the secluded area we’d used to get rid of countless other bastards, disposing of the Reapers without so much as another thought.
We never knew their names. Didn’t matter. The only thing that was important was that we were able to exact revenge on the man who’d attacked Edana and Braylen, and rid the world of two more of their kind.
I didn’t make it ten feet from the truck before Braylen came sprinting out of the clubhouse, Brutus doing his best to keep up with her, his missing leg not much of an obstacle. She ran straight for me, throwing her arms around my neck and jumping on me. She wrapped her legs around my waist and pressed her lips to mine as I held on to her for dear life.
Never in a million years would I have pictured that exact scene unfolding in front of me. Braylen was stubborn and mouthy, with a fiery temper to match. To see her fear and elation mixed together—for me, of all people—kicked me in the ass while making my heart thump a little faster.
“Miss me?” I chuckled, welcoming the breath of fresh air that was this woman. Especially after everything I’d just dealt with.
She hugged me tighter, essentially answering my question. But for as hurriedly as she welcomed me, she held no punches either. Unhooking her legs from around my waist, she lowered to the ground and steadied herself before smacking my chest. Hard.
“You’re an ass,” she chided, stepping back and planting her hands on her hips, her expression angry.
There she is.
“Man, you go from one extreme to the next. You on the rag?” I knew my mistake as soon as I said it. Never, ever say that to a woman. It only intensified her mood, as I soon witnessed.
“Shut up. No, I don’t have my period.” She narrowed her eyes and silently cursed me. “I was worried about you. You couldn’t call? Text? Nothing?”
“Bray—”
“No, you don’t get to give me some stupid excuse that you can’t contact me when you’re dealing with ‘club business.’” She used air quotes when she said it, like that was not what I was really doing. “Not after everything you’ve already put me through. Understand?”
Her brown eyes darkened, the fire behind them turning me on like never before. Here was this petite, feisty woman, throwing orders at me as if she held the reins in our relationship. Like she was in charge. For as much as it annoyed me, it made me want to hike up her skirt and fuck her right there in the open. Her pouty mouth and adorable scowl only added fuel to my overactive horniness.
Bending over and picking up Brutus, who was busy sniffing my boots, I cradled him under one arm and snatched Braylen’s hand with my free one. I dragged her behind me and made it to the clubhouse door in no time. Luckily, Reece was on her way out, Tripp following swiftly behind her, so I was able to snag the door with my foot since my hands were full. For the quick glance I’d given them, it looked like they’d been involved in some sort of heated conversation. I didn’t have the time or energy to ask if he was okay, and the annoyed look he’d shot me was enough of a warning to keep my questions and comments to myself. Besides, I had someone of my own I had to deal with, and I couldn’t waste any more time.
“Slow down,” Braylen shouted, tugging on my hand to free hers, but her attempts were laughable.
As soon as I entered the space, I saw Adelaide standing near the kitchen talking to Kena and Sully. Walking toward them, I untucked Brutus from under my arm and passed him to Braylen.
I finally released her hand. “You stay here. Talk to them,” I said, gesturing toward the other women. “I’m gonna take a quick shower.” She took a step closer, as if she wanted to come with me. “No.” I walked off before she could argue, hurrying toward my room to wash off the remnants of the past two days.
After the quickest shower of my life, I strode out into the common room, a towel slung around my waist and water droplets running down my chest. Braylen was still in the same place I’d left her, engaged in conversation, when I walked up behind her. Without warning, I swung her around and she let out a surprised shriek. I tossed her over my shoulder before she realized what was happening and practically ran back to my room. I heard everyone’s laughter follow us but I didn’t care.
As soon as we entered my room, I slammed the door behind me and locked it.
“Let me down, you Neanderthal,” she shouted, pounding on my back as if she could convince me to do so with her tiny fists. “What is wrong with you?” Walking toward the bed, I flung her down onto the mattress, straddling her before she could attempt to get up. “Seriously, what’s wrong with y—”
I cut her off by crashing my mouth to hers, nipping her bottom lip before thrusting my tongue inside.
Braylen moaned, the vibration and sound making my dick harder than I ever thought possible. When the shock of what I’d done finally wore off, she gave herself over to me completely, sucking on my tongue and even biting me back. “I can’t stand you sometimes, you know that.”
“You love me,” I goaded, realizing what I’d said right after the words left my mouth. I thought for sure she would deny it, but she said nothing, just stared at me before pressing her lips to mine once more.
Swinging my leg over so I was kneeling next to her, I whipped off my towel before hastily taking off her clothes.
“No foreplay?” she asked, smiling as she asked the question.
“Not today. Now spread your legs for me. Let me see you.”
She inhaled a ragged breath, desire filling her eyes as she did as she was told. Her arousal was staring me in the face, and I thought she’d never looked so damn delicious. I restrained myself, albeit briefly.
I raked my eyes over her, from her gorgeous face to her toned legs. The woman was perfection, and yet she had no idea. When I couldn’t take one more second of not being inside her, I moved closer and positioned her legs so they draped over my shoulders. And for the next hour, I made her scream my name, over and over again, until her voice finally fell silent.
Lounging flat on my back with my arms tucked behind my head, I turned my head toward her, the hesitancy on her face telling me that she wanted to talk about something. So I did something I would’ve never done before—I encouraged her. “Go ahead. Ask me what you want to.”
She didn’t refute or deny, instead parting her lips and saying, “Tell me about your daughter.” Without thinking, I groaned. I hadn’t meant to, really I didn’t. It was just a reflex. “Ryder, you have to tell me eventually.”
“I know, and I’m fine answering anything you want. Old habits, ya know?” I flashed her a smile before starting. “Zoe is gonna be eleven in a few months.”
“Zoe? That’s a pretty name.”
“It fits her. I didn’t pick it, though. Her mother did.”
“What’s the story there? With the two of you?” Braylen flipped onto her side, and I did the same, running my fingers up and down her arm, then resting my hand on her side, pulling her closer so I could kiss her.
What the hell is happening to me?
“Rose and I met in high school, believe it or not. We weren’t high school sweethearts or anything like that, but we did date on and off. Well, when I say date, I mean. . . .”
“Yeah, I get it.” She shook her head and smiled, placing her hand on my chest and drawing circles. I didn’t even think she knew she was doing it, but the motion soothed me. And I certainly needed it after what I’d recently dealt with.
“Anyway, we hooked up again a few years later and decided to give it a go. Thing was, she got pregnant a month into the relationship, and even though I didn’t see it working out in the long run, I stuck with her. You know, for Zoe. But it crumbled, just like I thought it would. She left and moved to Illinois. She had family there still.”
Braylen rose up on her forearm. “She took Zoe with her? Didn’t you have a problem with that?”
“Yes and no. While I missed my daughter, I knew it was for the best. Our club wasn’t the safest then, so I was okay w
ith them both being away from me. After they moved, I went to see Zoe twice a year or so, calling her often.”
“I can’t wait to meet her.” There was a brief silence before she spoke again. “Do you get along with Rose?”
“Yeah, for the most part.” I rolled her on her back and pinned her to the mattress. “Are you done with your questions?”
“For now.” She laughed, wriggling beneath me to try and escape, but the only thing she was doing was sealing her fate.
For the next half hour, at least.
Ryder
Braylen looked so peaceful while she slept, her hair fanned out on the pillow, lips slightly parted. She’d been staying at my place, taking the bed while I slept on the couch. We’d argued about the separation, but I couldn’t take the risk of attacking her again while I slept.
Sure, I’d let her in, more than I ever had for anyone else, but I still had walls thrown up. And for them to start to crumble, I had to put the final piece of my past to rest before I could move forward.
Clutching a piece of paper in my hand, I quietly exited my bedroom, gently closing the door behind me so as not to wake her. I’d left her a note telling her I had club business to take care of and that I wouldn’t be back until the following day. I’d also told her that Hawke would be stopping by to follow her to and from work, and for her to not try and ditch him because I’d be royally pissed off. I could picture her rolling her eyes and mumbling to herself after she’d read it, and the image made me smile.
I knew damn well if I’d told Braylen in person that I had to leave, she would’ve seen the look of indecision on my face and known I was lying. She would’ve questioned me until I’d either revealed the truth, something I wanted to shield her from, or we would’ve started to argue. And that was the last thing I needed to deal with, especially since we were in a pretty good place. We’d finally turned a corner.
It’d taken me a while to get there, of course. I’d been a dick and had made her believe that she meant nothing more to me than someone to just hang out with, a chick I hooked up with when the mood struck me. She had every right to pull away, and at the time I even welcomed the distance; it meant she was less likely to be pulled into my club’s shit. But then I’d been proved wrong.
When that fuckin’ bastard paid her a visit, I knew the only way she would be safe would be if she was by my side. Once and for all. But in order for her to forgive me, I knew I needed to finally let her in. Tell her things about my past I’d kept secret from even my brothers. It was difficult but necessary. In my gut, I knew Braylen was the woman for me; I just had to get out of my own goddamn way and see her for the blessing she was.
Straddling my bike, I kicked over the engine and took off down the long and narrow dirt road, heading toward the highway. I welcomed the solace of the early California breeze, allowing my thoughts to drift from the woman I’d left sleeping in my bed, to the threat against my club, to what I was about to do. My mind fired off in all three directions, flitting back and forth and driving me crazy.
Being on the open road was normally therapeutic. The freedom it provided usually helped to sooth my anxiousness—put everything back into perspective. But this trip wasn’t like any other.
For more reasons than not, it paid to know people in law enforcement. The Knights had certainly taken advantage of the information we’d obtained, giving us the edge we needed, whether it was locations for drops or addresses for people we needed to pay a visit to. Granted, we didn’t bother with such leads anymore, not since the club cut ties with the cartel, getting out of the drug trade a while back. But I’d called in a favor, and it was because of that favor that I was on my way to Roseburg, Oregon.
I’d had the information for two months but only now decided to act on it. The first night I received the news, I had my first nightmare. How convenient, right?
The mind was a strange thing. No matter how much I tried to suppress the memories, they still bled out, finding a way to terrorize me all over again as soon as I closed my eyes.
Close to eight hours later, I was finally creeping up to my destination, the address scribbled on the piece of paper held in the palm of my hand as I pulled off to the side of the road. The house in question was two blocks away, and since I needed the element of surprise, I made sure to hide my bike between two large SUVs.
I wasted no time advancing with purpose, darkness settling in, the low dim of the streetlights barely illuminating the sidewalks. The area was residential, and while the homes had seen better days, it certainly wasn’t the worst place I’d seen.
The building in question had faded green siding with dingy white shutters. A few cracked steps led to a small porch. Normally I was heavy-footed, especially with the shit-kickin’ boots I had on, but I tried to tread lightly. The creaky floorboards weren’t so forgiving, however.
I heard the click of a recliner’s footrest going back into place. I waited several seconds while the footsteps trudged across the floor. Blowing out a rushed breath, I widened my stance and opened the screen door.
“Is someone there?” I heard a man croak out, walking the final steps until the large wooden door slowly opened. “Can I help you?” He opened the door wider, leaning forward so he could see me better.
Standing on his doorstep with the intention of finally ridding myself of the guilt and fear that had stolen my peace my entire life, I was surprised when a pair of dark brown eyes looked back at me. This wasn’t the man I remembered. Not at all. The man standing before me was old, possibly in his early seventies. Feeble. Gone was his intimidating presence, the power he had wielded over me years before. His hair was closely cropped to his head and stark white. Deep lines etched his face, the evidence of a hard life of abuses.
The years had certainly not been a friend to him, weakening his muscles and aging his body faster than I thought possible. But then again, it had been decades—although for me it felt like months, days even.
It was him, though. There was no doubt about that.
I wasn’t sure how I was gonna feel as soon as I saw him again. In truth, fear was a strong assumption, but then I had to remind myself that I wasn’t scared or weak any longer.
Instead, anger and hatred mixed together to form the perfect cocktail as soon as my eyes landed on my mark.
“What do you want?” The longer I stood there in silence, the more uncomfortable he seemed to become. I couldn’t blame him, though. He wasn’t blind. He knew I meant him harm, as was evident when he took a quick step back and tried to slam the door in my face.
“I don’t think so,” I finally said, pushing until he stumbled back and almost fell over. Entering his house, I kicked the door shut behind me, making sure to lock it so we wouldn’t be interrupted.
“I don’t have any money.” He held his hands up in front of him as if he was surrendering. Little did he know he’d be doing that for real very soon.
“I don’t want your money.”
“What do you want, then?” He looked petrified, and I reveled in his fear, the adrenaline coursing through me thick and hot.
“Your life.”
Ryder
Time slowed.
My eyes bored into his, waiting for the moment when he realized the only thing I wanted to rob from him was the beat of his heart.
“Oh my God,” he gasped. “Roman.”
The evilest grin spread across my face before I gripped his throat and shoved him backward. To say I was surprised he’d recognized me was an understatement; the last time he saw me I was only seven years old. But maybe since he knew exactly who I was, he’d realize that I would be the last person he saw before he drew his final breath.
Clawing at my hand, he struggled to walk while trying to dislodge my hold. I slammed him against the wall, tightening my grip until his eyes started to pop out of his head. His hands finally fell to his sides and he was seconds from passing out when I withdrew and put some distance between us.
“Please” was all he said while his b
ody revolted against the air rushing into his body. He rubbed at his throat, glancing at me every few seconds as if he was planning some sort of defense in case I made any sudden movements.
Still choosing to remain silent, an unnerving tactic I’d learned a long time ago, I pulled my gun from my waistband and placed it on the arm of the chair. I removed my cut and set it next to my weapon.
“What are you gonna do?” he asked, slowly moving to the side because I had him caged in. “Listen, I’m sorry. I wasn’t in my right mind back then. The booze . . . the drugs . . . made me . . . different.”
With one stride forward we were chest to chest again, his frail body racked with fear while I stood tall and fierce. The roles were certainly reversed, and I was gonna take full advantage.
I shut my mind off, blocking the memories until he started talking again.
“I’m not the same man I was. I swear.”
Balling my fist, I hit him as hard as I could, the cracking of his rib signifying success. He fell to the floor and clutched his side, his breathing quite painful from the look on his aged face. “I paid . . . my . . . debt.”
I wanted to remain silent, stoic and deadly, but after he spewed that shit, I snapped. No longer was I a man who held any sort of restraint. I was barely sane when I bent down and snatched him up, pulling his limp body closer.
“Paid your debt?” I roared. “Paid your motherfuckin’ debt? You killed my mother! Right in front of me!” Hauling my arm back, I focused all of my strength as I let loose and punched him harder than I ever had anyone before. I didn’t care that he was more than twice my age, frail and unable to defend himself. He deserved everything I had to give.
“Listen. Please. I’m . . . sorry,” he gasped, blood flowing from his nose, dripping down his chin and onto the dingy carpet beneath him. “If I could . . . take it back—” He coughed, holding his side before finishing with, “I would. I didn’t know . . . what I was doin’ . . . when I . . . I. . . .”