by Ryan Michele
“What’s wrong?” he asks, cupping my cheeks and examining me.
“I’m fine,” I lie.
“Dammit, I thought we were over this. Tell me what’s wrong,” he orders just as Tanner, Blaze, and Angel come in behind him.
Embarrassment hits me.
“I’m fine. Just a lot going on,” I try to placate, not wanting to tell them anything, especially the women.
“Shaina.” His tone deepens. It’s the one he uses when he is going to push and push until I give in. He’s only done it a couple of times, but each time, he got answers from me.
I let out a heavy breath and contemplate lying to him for all of about five seconds.
“I left my medicine in the cabin.”
“Medicine for what?” he asks, and I look at the women behind him, each of their looks appraising.
I’d love to crawl in a hole now, please.
Breaker must see it, because he takes a step into the room and shuts the door behind him, slamming it in the women’s faces. Damn, I love how this man gets me.
“Now tell me.”
I blow out a huge breath. “I have medicine I take to regulate my anxiety and depression. I haven’t taken it since I got here, and now everything inside me is messed up.” I watch his face, waiting for some kind of judgment there, some kind of taunt or something. When I get nothing, I continue, “I have to take it twice a day, and when I left, I forgot to grab it. When I don’t take it, I get …” God, what’s the word for it. “Depressed, I guess you would say, and my anxiety is more difficult to control.”
“So all you need are these pills, and it’ll help you?” he questions without a hint of accusation or disgust.
“Yeah, they help a lot. I’m still working out the dosage with my doctor, but yeah, I need them,” I tell him honestly.
“You should have told me this when you got here, Shaina.”
“I know.”
He pulls me close to him and kisses the top of my head. My heart stops as does my breath. Breaker has never kissed me, not ever. And even if this is a friendly one, it’s everything. My everything. That simple, little gesture breaks me wide. I’m unable to speak, unable to move as he pulls back.
“I’ll get it. Have it to ya in a couple of hours, alright?”
I nod. That is all I can do.
Breaker turns, and then he’s gone.
The weight becomes heavier with his disappearance. I want him back to help relieve it.
The door to my office opens just a crack, and Ma sticks her head inside. “Can you talk for a few?”
I give her a smile. Damn, I love this woman.
“Always, beautiful.”
She awards me with a smile of her own as she comes to the side of my desk. She obviously has something heavy to say because she normally would be kissing me right about now.
“Say it.”
“Shaina.”
Mixed feelings come over me at the mention of her name, but I lock it down. She came in a bitch and learned a really hard lesson.
“Know you wanted her here, so she’s here.”
“Thanks for that.”
“Want to tell me why it was such a big deal for you?” I ask, curious. When she came to me and asked, my first thought was no way, but I went with my gut, instead.
“I had a feeling, and just talking to Princess confirmed it. Shaina’s fucked up worse than I thought when I asked you to have her here. Princess thinks she may be thinking about killing herself and wants to know where all the guys stand with her. She thinks it would be good to know if everyone feels the hate or if she is welcome in Ravage.”
I lace my fingers and put them behind my head, leaning back in my chair. Ravage doesn’t give second chances. If you fuck with us one time, you’re out. She fucked with us, so why do I have the urge not to force her out? Why do I feel like I should be the one to protect her in some way? It must be because of Diamond. I loved that man, and she is an extension of him.
“I’ll talk to the guys.”
Ma wraps her arms around my neck and presses her lips to mine. When she pulls away, she tells me, “I love you.”
“Love you, babe.”
And Ma is off.
I look around my office, an office that used to be Diamond’s. An office I’m in because of me staking my claim on Ma all those years ago, which got him killed. If he were here, he would know what to do with Shaina. He’d know exactly where to find Ransom.
I have one person I can call, and if I do, my club and I’ll owe him big. Beyond big. The even worse part is I can’t tell the guys. I need to fly this under the radar. It’s a risk, but Ransom needs to be found and destroyed.
I grab my cell and dial.
“Yeah.”
“Rhys, my office.” I hang up.
He will ride and do what needs to be done.
“You sure about this?” Rhys asks after we cut the engines to our bikes.
“Last resort. Need that motherfucker now,” I reply, taking off my leather gloves and swinging my leg off my ride.
The drive wasn’t bad, only three hours, but the weight on my shoulders grew with each passing mile. As if it weren’t heavy enough already.
“Let’s do this shit,” Rhys says, taking my back as we walk up the beaten path to a very extravagant looking ranch-style log cabin.
The wraparound porch is the highlight with four old chairs resting on it. Flowers hang from the banisters, bright reds and yellows. The sight makes me smile, reminding me how my ol’ lady loves those damn things.
The front door swings open, and there he stands, gun in hand, aiming it directly at us. Damn, he’s a brute of a man. Even at seventy-five years old, he looks to be my age.
His sharp eyes laser in on me. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
“Need somethin’,” I tell the man as his eyes go to Rhys.
“Rhys,” he says, earning him a chin jerk.
“Baby, who is it?” She steps to the side of him, and her eyes lock on mine then fill with tears. There is absolutely no stopping her as she darts out the door and to me. She’s still as beautiful as the day she left, pretending to be dead along with her husband. Long, brown hair shines in the sunlight, and the eyes, the same eyes that I stare into every time I look at my wife.
“Malcolm!” she cries, throwing herself at me and wrapping me in her arms.
I take a moment to enjoy the feeling. It has been years since I saw her. Years since my in-laws disappeared from civilization. Very few people know they are even alive. As far as the government knows, they died in a car crash over twenty-five years ago. They fell off the grid in every way possible to everyone’s eyes, but Richard knows his shit. He may be off the grid, but he knows everything. How he does it, I never ask, but he has what I need right now.
“How’s my girl?” Helen asks with a wide smile, an exact replica of my ol’ lady’s.
“She’s good.”
“And Harlow and GT?” she asks excitedly.
“Helen, there is so much going on with those two that it would take me a year to let you in on everything. Just know they are good, but I need to talk to Richard. It’s important.”
She looks a little defeated, and I hate that I did that to her. She’s a good woman. Raised an even better one.
“You’ll tell her after we’re done,” Richard demands from the stairs.
I fully admit I’m not used to taking orders; I gave up that ticket a long time ago. But out of respect for my woman, I lift my chin and get Richard’s smile.
“Okay, I’ll run along, and you let me know when you’re done,” she says, scampering off inside the house and closing the door.
“Better be good,” Richard says, moving to one of the old rocking chairs with Rhys and me following.
Rhys sits next to Richard while I lean against the railing with my ankles crossed. Richard’s eyes connect with mine, determination exuding from them.
“That fucker Ransom is still hung up on Charlotte.”
He shakes his head. “Doesn’t surprise me one fuckin’ bit. My girl is somethin’ else.” He clicks his tongue.
“So, you know what’s going down?” I ask.
His eyes turn into a did you really just ask me that shit look. “I know everything.”
“Figured you did. Care to tell me why you didn’t communicate all of this to me?” I ask, a bit pissed off.
“My intel on it was slower than I would have liked, and you had your people on lockdown, so I figured you already knew,” he says calmly, and I let it slide.
“Need a lock on him. Where is he? Who’s he with? What does he have at his back? I need to destroy him.”
“Get that,” he remarks, rubbing his stubble of a beard. “What’s the return?” Always the deal maker.
“Your daughter’s safety,” I deadpan.
“No, I left you in charge of that shit years ago when you went to battle for her … when you protected her. That’s on you,” he tells me straight out.
It’s true. He did, and I don’t regret a moment I have had with my woman. True, I did gain respect from him by pulling Ma out of that mess she was in. Richard wanted to kill Ransom and set a plan in motion. Once he saw how I could keep her safe, he tapped it down, not wanting another battle on his hands.
“What’s the price?” I question.
“Bring her up here and the kids. Helen wants to see them. It’s been too damn long.”
I quirk my brow. “Princess and GT think you’re dead. You want them to know differently?”
“Want to see my grandkids.” At least, owing him big isn’t as bad as I initially thought.
“The reason you’re in hidin’ gone away?”
Richard was in some serious dealing with a drug lord, and the only way for him to get out of the mess was to plan his and his wife’s deaths. It was a pain in the ass to pull off, but we did it. Ma, Rhys, Dagger, and me, that is. From Ravage, we’re the only ones who know these two are alive.
“Yep. So is his worthless crew, parents, family—everyone. There’s a little shit who took over, and his days are numbered, too.”
“You do all this from all the way out here?” Rhys asks.
“You’d be amazed what I can do, son.” Richard gives a slight tilt of the lip, the one that says he knows how good he is and owns it.
“Fuck,” Rhys says, sitting back in the chair.
“So you want to see your grandkids and your great-grandkid.”
Richard’s eyes light up.
“Cooper. Princess’s man has a kid. Now he’s hers,” I tell him.
“Well, fuck me. Didn’t think that would happen.”
“So much for knowin’ everything,” I grumble, and he narrows his eyes.
This trip down memory lane needs to stop, and shit needs to get done.
“Need you to find him and two of his men,” I cut to the chase.
He studies me. “Gonna bring me my grandbabies?”
I lift my chin. Fuck, that’s the least I can do. “After all this shit blows over.”
Richard reaches into his pocket and pulls out a flip phone, the same kind of burner phone we use. He pushes some buttons then lifts it to his ear. “Ransom. Find him. Sending you a pic,” he orders then shuts it and tosses the phone to me.
Good thing my reflexes are still good; I catch it mid-sail.
“Take that. I’ll call you on it when I get word.”
I slip the phone into my cut. “Thanks.”
“Go in and tell my wife about her grandkids and the great-grandkid.”
I push off the ledge just as Rhys says, “How do you still do it?”
“Secrets aren’t meant to be told.”
Thwack.
“Count, Bella,” I growl as my hand stings from the blow. It’s a delicious one, and watching the red form in the shape of my hand on her bare ass is one of the sexiest things I have seen in my life.
“Five,” she says softly.
My girl loves getting her ass spanked, and I’m happy to give her that.
She lays over my knees, ass in the air, torso aimed down, her hands touching the ground. With each slap, her tits bounce against my leg, and my cock grows harder.
Thwack. I give her five more then plummet my fingers into her wet heat.
“My girl’s hot for me.”
She moans, and I move my fingers quickly, giving her just enough friction but going nowhere near her clit.
Her body hums for me, but she’s a good little girl who keeps herself still, exactly how I like her.
I remove my fingers and slap her ass hard. “Knees.”
She complies quickly as I push my soaked fingers in my mouth. Her taste explodes on my tongue.
I look down at my woman. Her pupils are so contracted all I can see is the beautiful exotic purplish color her eyes take on.
“Taste so fuckin’ good, Bella.” I lick and suck my fingers, giving her a show.
Her lips part, and her chest heaves in and out. Damn, I love watching those tits of hers bounce.
“You want this to be in your pussy?” I give one lick from the base of my finger all the way to the tip and circle my tongue at the tip.
“Yes.” Her voice comes out strangled. I love that I have that effect on her.
“Put my cock in your mouth.”
Her eyes stay glued to mine as she lowers her lips to my shaft. Fuck, her lips are utter perfection. She sucks in deep, hollowing her cheeks providing the perfect suction.
It isn’t long before my balls draw up, and I pull her head away from my cock. I’m not ready to go yet. When I do, it will be inside Bella.
She heaves in air, her lips plump from the suction.
I lean down and take her mouth, pulling her up to stand with me.
Her hands tangle in my hair and latch on tight, and her tits press against my chest as I grab her behind her knees and lift her.
She pulls away and stares into my eyes as I pull her legs wide open and sink my cock into her. She drops her head against my neck on a moan as her hot pussy sheathes me like a tight glove.
I lift her and slam her back down on my cock. Her head flies up as she screams.
As I move her up and down, letting gravity help me get deeper and deeper inside of her, I give Bella everything: my heart, my soul, and fuck yes, my love. She is perfect for me.
I toss her to the bed and stare into her eyes as I watch her come once, twice, three times, and on the fourth, I come with her. Best fucking lay I ever had, will ever have. Ever.
Alarms I installed all around the clubhouse start going off. They are intended to warn us when there has been a breach.
I jump from the bed and throw on my jeans, the noise blaring in my ears.
“What’s going on?” Bella asks, alert as she jumps up and throws on clothes.
“Don’t fuckin’ know, but it can’t be good.” I grab my gun from the nightstand and put it in the waistband of my jeans. I pull two others out of my drawer and put one in my boot and hand the other to Bella.
“Safety is off. If someone other than Ravage comes in here, you start shooting. You got me?”
Fear crosses her face, but she quickly wipes it away. “Yes.”
“I’m going to check shit out. Stay here.”
A large explosion sounds off, and the entire room shakes and rocks Bella onto her ass.
Her eyes dart to me. “Was that a bomb?”
“Think so. New plan. You come with me.” I hold out my hand, and she takes it. Screams can be heard on the other side of the door. “Hang on.” I rush to my laptop and pull up the security system. Three men stand outside the gates, each lighting something before heaving it over the huge barbed wire gates.
Where the fuck is the watcher? We always have a man on watch.
I move the camera to the other side and see Derek lying unconscious on the ground. Fuck. Inside, Princess is pushing all the people to one side as the hits happen. I watch as the three men—no one else—throw the last ones then hop on their bikes.
I rush to Cruz, him being the first I see. “Three guys on bikes just took off. Bombs. Those are the last of them, and Derek is unconscious by the front gate. We need to go.”
Pops rushes up, hearing the second half of the conversation. “Go. Dagger, the Claytons, and I got everything here. Get the fuckers.”
I pull Bella, kiss her lips hard, and rush out to my bike. I pull one of my T-shirts from my saddlebag and pull it on, strap on my helmet, and we are off. Cruz, GT, Becs, Breaker, Tug, and I all align after I give them directions and descriptions of the men.
We are fucking hunting.
We split into three groups and case everything. When the call comes in from Cruz, saying he found them, Breaker, Rhys, and I take off to their location.
“How the hell did you find them?” Rhys asks, clenching his hands as we pull up to a local bar.
“Helmets. Look.”
My gaze swings to them, and sure enough, the same bright blue skulls on one and the crossbones on the other rest on the bikes I recognize from the monitors.
“Son of a bitch,” I snap. “That’s them.”
“Get the bikes first,” Rhys says as we scope out the area, which is clear. It’s the middle of the fucking night. These dicks are going to learn.
Cruz pulls out his cell. “Need the van.” He gives the location then disconnects the call.
We head to the bikes where GT, Tug, and I pull off the helmets as Cruz, Rhys, and Breaker pull the bikes over to the side lots. Luckily, not too many people are here at this time of night, but they should be closing soon.
The bikes are thrown—yes, thrown—into a center pile. Breaker climbs over them and unscrews the gas caps, letting the liquid flow into puddles underneath the bikes. If the fuckers want to play with the big boys, let’s see what they’re made of.
Several of the guys pull out smokes, inhale a couple of drags, and then toss them into the center of the pile at the same time. The flames instantly ignite, and we move back from the burst of heat. No one exactly knows who started it, but all feel the benefits.