by K. Webster
“Press?” she asks.
“Cypress Collins,” I explain, briefing her on this new tidbit, “is a pseudonym for Colin Press.”
“We have to find them,” Stormy whines. “Night Giant will—”
“He won’t,” Koyn assures her. “He won’t touch another hair on Dragon’s goddamn head.”
She relaxes and nods. “Which means you have eyes on them?”
“They’re being followed,” Koyn confirms.
“This wasn’t their only operation,” I say, understanding the point of all this. “They’re going to lead us to the rest.”
“And then what?” Stormy asks.
“Then they’ll get some motherfucking justice the Koynakov way.”
Rather than flinching from his words, she nods. “Good. I hope it hurts.”
It’s morning by the time we roll up to Koyn’s. Stormy slept the whole drive back, pressed to my side. I still can’t figure out who Dragon caught a ride with. I’ll eventually need to get back to my house and to my dogs, but for now, we need to crash soon.
“The clubhouse is good enough to take in some of these people,” Filter says from the front seat. “Gibson, Bizzy, and Nees offered to stay with them and protect them.”
Months ago, I would’ve questioned the abilities of those three, including my son, but not anymore. They’re all capable badass bikers and it makes me proud.
“The twins will come home with us,” I tell them as we climb out. Filter shoots me an annoyed glare but quickly schools it before I can figure why.
“And Erin,” Stormy croaks out sleepily. “She comes with us too.”
“Fine,” Filter grunts. “The other eight can go to the clubhouse. We’ll take care of them.”
I scan our group who are all exiting vehicles or climbing off bikes, looking for Dragon. Still missing. What the hell?
“Hey,” Stormy says, cupping my cheeks and turning my attention to her ruined face. “Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
“I know…” Her eyes water. “I know you must have seen the video… It’s just…please don’t hurt him. It’s complicated, but we were in survival mode. We had to do what we had to do.”
I study her face, taking in every bruise and cut. “I know, little storm. If you’re worried, don’t be. I love you. All I care about is getting you in the shower and into bed so I can hold you.”
“Promise?”
“Promise.” I give her a soft kiss on her forehead. “Get the twins and Erin settled in the two guest rooms downstairs and then meet me in your old room.”
As soon as she disappears into the house with them, someone grabs me and shoves me against the side of a vehicle. Green, wild eyes bore into me.
“Looking for me?” he snarls, pressing a knife to the side of my throat.
A wounded Katana lingers not far behind, making no moves to stop Dragon.
“Actually, yeah,” I grunt out.
“To kill me?” His eyes flash with pain. “Because I deserve it?”
“I’m not going to kill you, dumbass. You’re a fucking victim. I’ve been doing this job long enough to understand that.” I grab his hand with the knife and shove it down. “Besides, Stormy would never let me hear the end of it if I did. You know how mouthy she can be.”
His lips twitch with a smile. “She’s one tough bitch.”
“Fuck yeah she is, but…” I trail off and pin him with a hard stare. “Her siblings aren’t. They’re one of us now.”
“I got the littles’ backs. Don’t worry, old man.”
I pull him to me for a quick hug before he tugs away and disappears with Katana. Filter’s stare is locked on me, but it’s missing the usual venom.
“I’m not going to give her any more shit,” Filter says as I approach. “We’re good.”
“Just like that?”
He shrugs. “We had a chat.”
I’m not sure when this chat took place, but I’m happy anyway.
“All right then. I’m going to hit the sack.” I tip my head at him and then walk inside.
By the time I make it to Stormy’s old room, she’s already stripping out of her clothes. Her body is battered and she’s wrecked, but she’s still beautiful and strong and mine. I shed my clothes and follow her into the shower. It’s not until the steam fills the air and the hot spray is raining down on her that she finally breaks.
Unravels.
Shatters.
Allows the events to finally catch up with her.
Gently, I wash her abused body, cleansing her everywhere, and kiss away any pains that I can. The ones on her heart will be the hardest, but I’ll spend every goddamn day trying.
“Little storm?” I ask once she’s clean and no longer sobbing.
“Hmm?”
“You’re a hero. You helped save those people, including your siblings.”
Her lip trembles. “I don’t feel like a hero.”
“Maybe not, but you sure as hell look like one.”
Stormy
Two weeks later…
I follow the sound of Gibson’s guitar after a much needed nap. That’s all I’ve done the past couple of weeks, while we’ve hung out at Koyn’s rather than going home, as I’ve tried to recuperate. Getting kidnapped is awful on a regular day, but add in pregnancy, and it’s too much. Thankfully, my man is doting and attentive. At times, he just hovers with a worried glint in his eyes, which is why I told him to go spend time with Nees and let me rest.
Now that my cranky bitchiness has faded, I miss him again.
Fatigue isn’t the only thing making me grumpy. Being intimate with Copper is at the crux of the matter. As much as I want him to make love to me again, I’m worried. Doc visited with Jameson a couple of days after we came back home to check in on us. I’m still pregnant and my face will always be scarred—Hadley says Koyn and I are practically twins now—but my main concern is the unprotected sex with Dragon. Until I get the test results back, I don’t want to chance infecting Copper with anything. At the time, I was in short-term survival mode, but now I’m thinking of the long-term and a STD doesn’t bode well with me.
I find Gibson in the living room with his groupies—aka Bizzy, Calla, Hadley with the baby, Nees, Pete, Charlie, and Mel. They’re all listening to him play his popular rendition of Hank Williams, Jr.’s “A Country Boy Can Survive.” Something about hearing that song puts my soul at ease. I blow Gibson a kiss, loving how his handsome face reddens slightly, but he never misses a beat. Of all the people we brought back with us, only a few stayed, and oddly enough it was the ones I was trapped in that room with, minus poor Terri. At first, I worried Mel would be a problem, but once she was cleaned up and given some mood stabilizing medication, she chilled out and is actually quite funny, even if she does continue to call the other guys PeePee Pete and Crybaby Charlie.
Bermuda is in the kitchen peeling potatoes. Shirtless. His OU ballcap is flipped backward and he’s swaying his hips to the song, lost in his own world. Whichever girl thinks she’s good enough for my Bermuda is going to have to go through me first. It’s going to take one helluva woman to get my approval.
I give him a hug from behind, enjoying his familiar warmth, before continuing my trek to find my man. Filter and Koyn are standing on the back patio sharing a smoke. The animosity I’d felt from Filter has faded. His attention is elsewhere these days. Not sure if I approve of the looks he gives Calla, but it’s better than hateful ones toward me. As Gibson’s song ends, he transitions beautifully into Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Simple Man.” I grab my coat and then head out back, smiling at Koyn and Filter.
“You seen Copper around?” I ask, hugging my coat tighter around me.
“In the garage talking to Cove.” Koyn drops his gaze and Filter stifles a laugh.
“What?” I demand, not at all liking the fact that the prez of the Royal Bastards MC can’t even look me in the eye.
“Nothing,” he grunts, still not looking at me.
“Oh, it’s some
thing,” Filter tattles.
Koyn punches his arms. “Asshole.”
Since neither of these idiots is going to tell me what the hell is going on, I storm around the side of the house to the open garage. Katana is leaned against the garage doorframe, growing stronger each day since he was shot, watching Dragon.
Dragon in all his masculine glory is on a mission to see how many pushups he can do, the muscles in his back all bunching with power as he moves. All he’s done since we got back is brood, hide, and push his body to the extreme. It has to bother him that Night Giant got away. Knowing what I know now, it makes me wonder how he’s faring. I know when to push and when to stay away. Until we see his taunting, crazy-ass smiles again, I’m going to let him work through it in the best way he can. Besides, his best friend always has his back, shadowing his every move. I wink at Katana and then head over to where Cove and Copper are in deep conversation on the garage couch.
Something’s different about my brother. At nineteen, he’s always been on the small side, but something in his stature seems bigger or taller today, which is insane because Copper is a mountain beside him. I squint, trying to pinpoint what it is.
Not wanting to break up their conversation, I start for the clubhouse when Copper pins me with a hot stare that melts my insides. I mouth to him I’ll be right back and he nods.
“Erin in the clubhouse?” I ask Katana on my way out.
He nods as if it’s a dumb question. She’s always in the clubhouse. In fact, I don’t think she’s left once since she decided she was leaving Koyn’s and staying there instead. Since Payne and Halo are missing, I assume one of them has taken up watch while the other patrols.
The trek from the garage to the clubhouse isn’t far, but it’s cold. I shiver against the blistery wind and hurry to the massive clubhouse. It’s like any biker clubhouse complete with a giant hangout room with a rock fireplace, a kitchen, full bar and seating area, a meeting room where Koyn says they’ll start holding Church, an office, laundry facilities, and a dozens of bedrooms. Of course, because Koyn is Koyn, it’s been recently furnished with top of the line furniture and décor—somehow rustic and manly but still looks expensive.
Once I’m inside, I find Erin sitting on the love seat near a roaring fire, a hot mug of steaming coffee in her hand and a bottle of tequila tucked into the cushion beside her. Her brown hair that was once matted dreads is now a cute chin-length bob that suits her, thanks to Hadley giving her a cut last week. The always present scowl on her face unnerves me, though. She’s not the girl I remember. They took all the good parts of her and left her this angry husk.
“Hey,” I greet, keeping my voice soft. “Just checking on you.”
“Same as yesterday,” she clips out. “You don’t have to babysit me, Brenda.”
It’s then I notice Halo sitting at the bar, still and quiet. He gives me a nod of acknowledgment, conveying in one look that she’s always like this, not just to me.
“We’re going to leave in a few days to go to Copper’s,” I say gently as I sit down beside her. “I want you to come with us. Or, if you want to go home—”
“I’m not going home,” she snaps, burning her glare into me. “I’ve told you that already.”
“Okay…” I sigh. “I’m just trying to help you and make you comfortable. Do you want to stay here or do you want to go to Copper’s with me? The twins are coming and—”
Halo lets a snort out.
“What?” I demand, frowning at him.
“Nothin’, Stormy.”
Oh, it’s something. First Koyn and Filter. Now Halo. Those motherfuckers are up to something and I can tell I’m going to be pissed about it.
Ignoring him, I turn to Erin again. “Copper’s place is secluded like this and huge. He’s got a couple of dogs—”
“Dogs?” Her face wrinkles in confusion, the first real Erin expression I’ve seen since before she disappeared.
“Hansel and Gretel. Dobermans.”
Her eyes widen a bit. “You’re terrified of dogs. Like deathly.”
“I still am,” I grumble. “But Hansel and Gretel are my babies. They’re loving and protective. Since we’ve been here, Copper’s ex-wife Krista has been keeping them for us. I miss them.”
Erin was always a huge dog lover and it was something she could hardly understand about me when she discovered I wasn’t.
“I could use a change of scenery,” she finally concedes. “I can’t promise how long I’ll stay, though.”
It’s enough.
More than enough.
This small breakthrough means there’s hope for my friend coming back to me. Sure, she’s changed and broken, but with time she’ll be healed. She’ll need a friend to see her through the hard times. I absolutely want to be that friend.
“Bermuda’s cooking supper now. I swear to God, that boy needs his own cooking show. Shirtless Souffles we could call it,” I tease as I stand up. “You should go see if he needs any help. Your ass probably still burns macaroni and cheese. You could use a few lessons before I take you home with me.”
She smirks and shoots me the bird. “Fuck off, Stormy.”
It feels right hearing the nickname from her lips. As much as my siblings still call me Brenda, I’m not her anymore.
I’m Stormy.
Copper’s ol’ lady.
A fighter.
I’m shocked when she stands up too, setting her mug down on the table. She shoves her feet into the new shoes Hadley bought her. Since everyone arrived with the clothes on their backs, Hadley dragged Koyn with her on a necessary shopping spree. I bet seeing adorable, young Hadley at Target with mean-ass, ugly Koyn and their precious baby in his arms was a sight to see.
I blow Halo a kiss of thanks before slipping out the clubhouse door on a mission back to Copper to get to the bottom of all the secret smirks and weirdness going on between these bikers. They seem to forget I was a federal agent of the FBI. Nothing gets past me. Fuckers.
I’m almost to the garage when Nees and Bizzy approach me.
“We’ve come to relieve Halo,” Nees says, his chest puffed out like a damn rooster.
“No need.” I walk up to him and pat his chest. “What’s with the goofy face?”
Bizzy cackles. “So fuckin’ goofy.”
“Screw you, fuckface,” Nees grumbles. “You don’t get to be a dick anymore.”
I slide my palm away, gasping to see that the prospect patch is gone on his cut and is replaced by one that says member. “Nees!” I squeal out in delight. “Congratulations!”
“Koyn thought I proved myself with the rescue mission,” Nees brags. “Patched in earlier.”
“Is that all that happened?” Halo asks when he and Erin walk past us.
Nees’s face pales and he clears his throat. “I don’t remember the rest.”
The pussy runs—actually runs—away from me. Bizzy’s tubby ass chases after him. Hell, that’s the only time I’ve ever seen that man run.
What.
The.
Fuck.
Anger swells up inside me and I march after them into the garage. Dragon is no longer working his ass off and instead is leaned against the wall guzzling water, his eyes on Copper and Cove. Bizzy and Nees follow Erin and Halo into the house, running like their pants are on fire.
“What’s everyone’s problem?” I demand, meeting Dragon’s fiery green-eyed stare that doesn’t make me cringe anymore.
“Ask your brother.” Dragon’s lip curls up and then he spits some water to the concrete at his feet. “He’ll tell you.”
Slowly, I drag my head to where Cove is sitting beside Copper. Neither of them is talking now. Copper’s brow is slightly arched as though he’s waiting. Cove’s chin is lifted in defiance. Sitting there in their matching cuts, they seem comfortable as hell together.
Wait…
Matching cuts.
Cove’s cut has a prospect patch that practically glows at me.
No.
Hel
l to the motherfucking no.
“Absolutely not,” I seethe, storming their way. “He’s too young. No, Copper. Whose idea was this? Who put him up to this? Are you guys fucking serious right now?”
Copper, used to my tirades, lets me get it out of my system before he replies. “He’s old enough to make his own decisions. You know that.”
Fuck him and his logical reasoning.
“But…” My eyes burn with unshed tears. But he could barely handle being kidnapped. But he would have died by Dragon’s hand had I not intervened. But he’s just a little boy.
Copper stands and approaches me. Once he’s close, he pulls me to him. “But nothing, little storm. It’s done. We’re going to look after him. It’s what we do. You know better than anyone that this club protects their brothers. He doesn’t need his big sister to fight all his battles anymore. Now, he can fight them himself and when he can’t, he has the Royal Bastards to have his back.”
I pull away slightly to look at Cove. He may seem soft and young to me, but the fierce determination in his eyes can’t be missed.
“What about college?” I ask weakly.
“I never fit in anyway. Not like Calla,” Cove replies. “After…” He sighs, breaking my gaze. “I have to prove to myself that I’m a man who can take care of himself.” His blue eyes lift to meet mine again. “A man who can protect his sisters.”
I open my mouth to argue that I’m the big sister and that’s my job, but Copper presses his thumb to my lips, dragging my face back to meet his handsome one.
“Let the kid be a man, baby.”
Against my better judgment, I nod. Copper is right. Cove needs a support network and protection. Who better to provide that than these mean-ass motherfuckers?
“Oh look, no one died,” Koyn says as he struts into the garage, a cigarette wobbling between his lips. “My money was on Nees because he’s easy pickin’s.”
Nees bangs on the window from the garage to the kitchen. “I heard that, asshole.”
Koyn laughs and flips him off. “Copper, you gotta minute?”
When Copper releases me, after a chaste kiss to my lips, I make my way back over to Dragon, who continues to thrum with pent-up energy.