Romeo gets off first. Sunshine’s hesitant. I know this is hard for her. Not because of me, but because of what she’s been through. Rebel filled me in over coffee this morning. Him, Chelle, and the kids have breakfast with Foxie and me before they leave for Church, every week.
Meanwhile in Florida
Karly (Baby)
I should’ve taken the day off. Lucky has been here for most of the day so I am hiding in my office. Elaine says he wants her to testify against Samil. She’s seriously considering. I won’t advise her either way. She has to make the choice. I can’t make it for her.
I know I did what was best for my family and me, despite how much it hurts not being able to go by my birth name, Baby. I hate that Cole will never know my father. I miss that old asshole so much. Some nights I lay on my back patio and gaze at the stars wondering where he is and what he is doing. I sip my wine and imagine what my sister would be doing if she were still here.
Would she have stayed with Rebel even though he was having a baby with Lil Bit? I’m not sure if Sarah could’ve handled that. I think about Rebel too. Is he happy? Does he have other children? Would him and Striker have been able to put everything behind them and be brothers again? Cole probably has cousins he will never know.
My thoughts drift to Romeo as well. How can they not, after all that we shared? I hope he found some sort of happiness for himself and the kids. I hope he has found someone to love who treats him with the affection he showed me. I don’t wish him any ill will.
I love Nash with all that I have in me. I know without a doubt he is the only man for me. I think back on our weekend. We took the kids to SeaWorld in Orlando. They had the best time. Seeing Nash experience, the little moments with our children is all I need other than his love. And God does he love me.
My thoughts are interrupted by a knock on my door. I hope Sara isn’t acting up. She was in a bit of a grumpy mood this morning. Our weekend wore her out. I opted to bring her in with me even though Nash is off today, I thought he could use some time to himself. He wanted to go riding this morning.
“It’s open,” I call out as I smooth my skirt and straighten my pens.
I look up when the breeze of aftershave blows through my doorway. Lucky. My heart jumps into my throat. I keep my eyes down. I know they have a unique color and if he spends more than a minute with me, he may recognize me. I can’t have that.
“Detective? What can I do for you? I am just about to head out for a meeting,” I lie.
He closes my door before taking a seat. “I’m sure you can spare a few minutes for an old friend, Baby.”
Fuck!
“Don’t bother denying it’s you. I couldn’t shake this feeling I got when we met and I checked you out.”
“Fine, you got me!” I slam my palms down on my desk. Ouch! That hurt. “What do you want?”
“Just wanted to see how you are doing. This is what I wanted to give you. The life I thought we’d share.” He takes my family photo from my desk and puts it back. He looks away briefly before meeting my eyes again. “Why couldn’t it have been me?”
“Lucky, I was a kid back then. And as much as I liked you, we would’ve never amounted to much.” I shrug blowing his words off. They mean nothing to me. They didn’t when I was a stupid girl either. If they had I would’ve done anything to be with him. We didn’t share a rebel love. A rebel love is undying, can’t eat, can’t sleep love. You’d lie, cheat, steal or even kill for that love. I wasn’t willing to do all of those things for him but for Nash—my husband, I’d set the world on fire and watch it burn.
He considers my words. “That’s honest.” He frowns.
“It’s the truth. I’m happy and I plan on staying happy with my husband. I have a family Lucky. I don’t need you screwing my life up twice. Once was plenty.” I look away. I don’t want to see the anguish in his eyes. Neither of us are who we used to be, if Lucky even really knows who he is.
I get up to show him out. “I don’t know what you expected but I won’t help you with Elaine. You need to leave.” I wave my hand towards the door. “I don’t want to have this conversation again.” I glance at my watch to avoid his eyes. Nash will have picked Cole up by now from his sleepover at his friend Timmy’s.
Lucky stops in front of me and tilts my chin up. “If things had been different, I would’ve been good to you.” He’s gazing into my eyes and I admit I have a flash of how things could’ve been had I opted to run with him.
A new identity.
A new life.
I got those things though and with the right man—Nash.
Lucky’s thumb brushes over my lips. “You’ve been my one regret.” His mouth is a mere inch from mine. I turn my head just as Cole comes barreling into us.
“Get away from my mom, you weirdo!” My boy kicks him right in the nuts too.
Lucky is cursing and down on his knees in pain. Nash rounds the corner of the hallway with Sara in his arms and her bag on his shoulder.
Nash
An unwelcome face is down on his knees at my wife’s feet. I jerk Cole back by the collar of his shirt as he starts swinging haymakers. “Have a seat son.” I show him and Sara into their mom’s office and close them inside.
Karly is being too damn quiet. I trust her but I don’t like what I’m seeing. Is he the reason she’s been coming home upset? “Explain,” I demand from my wife.
Lucky starts to get up and I shove him back down by his shoulder. “You stay! I’m not asking.”
My eyes are still on my wife, demanding an explanation.
“I was going to tell you. I was just hoping he’d be gone before I had to. He’s here for a case. Nothing more.”
“Looks like a lot more to me,” I state. I don’t want to cause a scene at Karly’s work. I don’t want to ruin this for her, but I won’t tolerate this shit.
My eyes narrow on the rat bastard who helped set my family up. “Stay away from my wife. I won’t warn you a second time.”
He stands up and gets in my face. “Nice to see you too, Striker.”
I don’t bother with words. My fist to his jaw is all the response he needs. Karly gasps and grabs my wrist, begging me not to take it any further.
“Stop it Nash, he isn’t worth any of our time or our effort.”
Lucky rubs his jaw and says, “You still hit like a bitch.”
“Fuck you!” I shove him as I remember handing his ass to him years ago. Got into a scrap at a gas station when he mouthed off about Aspen. Was talking shit about how her ass would look a lot better on the back of his bike.
Cole opens the door to the office and says, “if you don’t kick his ass dad, I will!” His little fists are curled up and I can’t help but be proud. That’s my boy! I hug Cole into my side and Karly gathers Sara into her arms.
“Let’s go to dinner,” I announce, and with that, I take my family home.
Karly and me will have words but not right now and not here. Lucky doesn’t get to be a part of that and he never will.
Chapter 29
Drag Creek
Romeo
With a chin nod to Grim, I help Sunshine from my bike. Christ. She’s still shaky after seeing Patrick. I’m not sure taking her in to see Paul is the best idea right now, but I agree with Grim that we need to get this shit over and done with before people start asking questions.
“You don’t have to do this. Let me handle it.”
“No,” she croaks trying to find her voice. “I want to see him. I need this.”
Grim goes in ahead of us. Paul’s skin looks like burnt pizza. He’s hanging onto life by a thread. Ropes have his arms bound to the rafters that support the frame of the cabin. Blood and pus is seeping through his clothes and onto the tarp below him. Sunshine has to run back out the door to vomit from the smell. I go out onto the porch and hold her hair as she leans over the rail.
“Let me take you home,” I tell her softly.
“Home!” She screeches wiping her mouth with the back o
f her hand. “You made me come here. YOU. LIED. TO. ME! I didn’t ask for this.” She shakes her head pacing back and forth across the length of the wooden plank porch.
I try to touch her back to offer my support. She’s vibrating she’s so upset. “Don’t touch me right now. I don’t know what I need!” She snaps.
Grim steps out onto the porch. “You need to hit something. Hit me!”
“Are you crazy? I’m not going to hit you!”
“I said hit me goddamn it. Don’t think about it. Just do it! Do onto me what you want to do onto him,” he demands heated, angry and in her face.
Sunshine’s hand whips back and smacks his face, hard, splitting his lip. She seems appalled by herself and bursts into tears. Grim spits a speck of blood out and wraps her in his arms.
If I was any other man, I might be jealous, but I know there is nothing left between them in a sexual manner. This is two old friends being there for one another.
“I’m sorry,” he tells her gruffly.
She’s nodding and wiping her face on his shirt.
Grim looks to me and says, “I’m not good with the wet shit,” and transfers her into my hold. “Take her home. I got this.”
I nod but Sunshine stiffens. “No, I owe it to myself and my son to end this.” She straightens her back, walks back into the cabin shutting the door, leaving me alone with Grim.
I start to go in after her but Grim stops me with a gentle but firm hand to the chest. “Let her do this. She’ll need ye when it’s over.”
I don’t like it but I know he’s right, and as much as I hate him at times, I’m thankful he’s here today.
I’m not sure what words are said between Sunshine and Paul, if he says any at all. I’m not sure if she’ll ever tell me and I have to be okay with it.
An hour later, Grim and me are taking Paul out in a dingy boat to the deepest part of the lake. With an anchor hooked through each end of the tarp and four cement blocks weighing him down, we roll his body over the edge, waiting for him to sink as Sunshine watches from the edge of the shore, appearing like and angel of death or mercy—maybe both.
The high noon sunlight is blinding behind her as her blonde hair wisps in the wind. Grim is watching her too and a peaceful calm washes over us. We share a joint and talk a spell about life.
“I’ve been debating telling you for a while. But you’ve had enough resting on your conscious. This is your one and only reprieve from me. If you ever speak of anything I am about to say to you, I’ll slit your throat and dump ye next to ye friend, down there. Tread and me are fixing to go on a ride, to Florida. He’s got shit to take care of with Liberty’s ex. I have something to take to my daughter and ye got something to give to ye son.”
I stare blankly at the ripples on the water and watch the mosquitoes dance along the surface.
I know he doesn’t mean Jamie.
A tear slips from my eye.
The son I never wanted.
The son I never loved is alive.
Grim slaps me on the back and says, “Now don’t go turning into a pussy on me just yet. I’ve spent nearly forty years trying to make ye into a hardass.” He passes me the joint and baits the hook for his reel.
The End
Closing Remarks
I hope you enjoyed the ride. As I have stated before, I never know where these characters will take me when I sit down to write their stories, they always have their own ideas. My plan was to have book 8 be Cole/Colt’s story, but my Rebel have other ideas. I am not saying no and I am not saying yes, but there may be another book before his. I feel there is still some things I would like to explore before I go there. I know this might not be what you want to hear, but that’s the way it is for now. I never dreamed I would have so much story to tell with these characters, but the journey has been amazing and I thank you all for coming along for the ride. And I hope to see you for the next one.
If you are interested in knowing more about Lucky and Genesis (Elaine), I do have plans for a spinoff book for their story, but I can’t give a release date, it is still in the early stages of planning.
If you want to know what I listen to while writing these series, you can find the playlist on Spotify under Black Rebel Riders MC. If you want talk about the series with me, please join my group Black Rebel Riders Revelations on Facebook, where we leave nothing off topic. So be warned that you must’ve read books 1-6 to join. There will be a discussion for this book once members are ready. Thanks again for your support.
About the Author
Glenna Maynard is a Kentucky native with a passion for romance, best known for her bestselling romantic suspense novel I'm with You and The Black Rebel Riders' MC series. When she isn't arguing with the voices in her head or drinking reader tears, she enjoys watching classic TV shows with her two children and longtime leading man.
You can also find Glenna on several social media sites including Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Blogger, Google+ and Goodreads. You are also invited to join her reader group on Facebook just search for Glenna’s Rebels.
Available Now
Beauty & The Biker A Dark Fairytale
Drunk On You
I’m with You
The Suffocation of Katie
Grim The beginning
Rumor
Baby
Striker
Romeo
Heart of A Rebel
A Rebel Love
A Rebel Love (Black Rebel Riders' MC Book 7) Page 18