“How long have I been here?”
“A week. The bullet that hit you nicked your left lung. We almost lost you.” He breathes in deeply. “We did lose Ruger and two civilians didn’t make it. Hadley went into labor and gave birth to their daughter in the ambulance on the way to the hospital. Some people are banged up and bruised, but for the most part, everyone is still alive.”
“Get me a doctor. I want to be discharged.”
Beast stares at me for a moment but knows better than to argue the point.
****
Beast drives me straight to Storm’s place. Even though I’m in an immense amount of pain, I need to see her and Brogan. My stomach is in knots as I move to the door. Before I can knock, the door swings open and Storm is right in front of me.
“Just get inside, you idiot.” She yanks on my arm, pulling me into the apartment. “People are trying to kill you, you almost died in the hospital, and you think it’s a good idea to just sign yourself out and drive around with no backup?”
She pushes gently on my chest, forcing me to take a seat on the couch. Just seeing her has my heartbeat calming. Taking her hand in my own, I pull her down on the couch beside me.
“I’m fine. I needed to see you with my own eyes and make sure that you are too. Where is Brogan?”
“He wanted to stay at Wolf’s for the afternoon. I think being there and helping them out with the baby makes him feel useful.”
“Good. I’m so happy that you are all safe.”
She stares at me but doesn’t say anything more. I want to take her in my arms and hold her. I want to kiss her so badly, but what I need to do is going to be hard enough. I don’t want to hurt her, but there’s no other choice.
“I had to come to see you first. I woke up in that hospital and knew that we had to talk.”
She looks at me expectantly, waiting for me to get what I have to say of my chest. But even without a word, I can see that she’s wary.
“I can’t do this. I thought I could, but now I see that it is impossible.”
“What are you talking about?” She faces me head-on like she knows what’s about to come and is going to take the punch straight to the jaw.
“I can’t be with you. I can’t be a father to Brogan. I can’t be responsible for either of you.” My heart feels like it is being torn from my chest. The words coming from my mouth taste foul on my tongue. This is the last thing I want to do.
“Okay.” Storm rises from her spot and heads to the door. She opens it and looks at me expectantly. “You can leave now.”
“Storm.”
“No, Pope. This is the choice you made. You decided to push me away and Brogan too. I hope this doesn’t do irreparable damage to your relationship with your son. But for me? I am done. The fact that you think this is okay just shows how little you know. I loved you. I loved the Gypsy Bastards, and I was willing to stand by your side, through the good and the bad shit, but that wasn’t enough for you. So, yes, I accept your bullshit excuse, but I am done with you. I’m done being hurt by you. Let me know if and when you want to see your son and we can come to an arrangement, otherwise, get the fuck out of my apartment, and just stay the fuck away from me.”
The moment I am outside, she closes the door and engages the lock. I thought this would be for the best, that I was protecting the people I loved. But right now, I know I have made a huge mistake.
Chapter Nineteen
Storm
Instead of staying home and wallowing in self-pity about the choice that Pope made on our behalf, I decided to get out of town. I pack a bag for myself and Brogan and head off to pick him up. I don’t leave a message with anyone or explain where I am going, for how long or anything else. I pick up Brogan and say a hasty greeting to my friends before getting us both on the road.
At first, Brogan is silent and just watches me. But about fifteen minutes into the drive, he clears his throat and starts to speak.
“So, I know I’m a kid and all that, but you are upset and I know my dad did something stupid.” He looks so serious as he says this that I can’t help but burst out laughing.
“Yeah, Brogan, you are a kid but you are a very smart kid. You must have gotten it from your mom.”
“Yeah, Mom always said men were stupid. They didn’t know how to handle their emotions and because of that, they ended up making dumb choices. Is that what Dad did?”
“Buddy.” I sigh. “Problems between me and your dad are just that. Our problems. You don’t have to worry about anything. I love you and so does your dad. He’s just being pig-headed. We’ll go to the beach for the week. A friend of mine has a house there, and when your dad is thinking clearly, we can go home and sort this mess out. We all just need to take a step back for a moment.”
“Okay, but if you are mad at him, so am I.” Brogan tilts his chin out stubbornly and at that moment, he looks more like his father than I think he wants to.
“I can accept that. Before this is over, I might need you in my corner.”
Brogan nods and gets comfortable in his seat.
****
A few hours later, just as the sun starts to set, we pull up outside a beautiful little wooden cottage, painted white with a deep-blue roof and shutters. From where we are parked, I can hear the waves lapping at the shore before we even step outside. Opening the doors, we both step out of the car. As I take a deep breath, I feel the tension that has plagued me the whole drive just start to slip away. The clean, salty air does wonders for my spirits and I feel a grin form across my face. Turning toward Brogan, I find him grinning back at me.
“We have to wait for my friend to bring us the keys and then it’s just me and you for an entire week.” I can’t stop smiling. The fact that his smile gets bigger only reaffirms my decision to bring us out here. The last couple of months have been hell on us and we need a break.
****
For days, we do whatever we want. We go swimming in the ocean, not too deep because of Brogan’s cast, pick up seashells, watch movies late into the night, and eat at local restaurants. We enjoy each other’s company and get to know each other better away from everyone else. But it is time to return to our regular lives. Gage has been out of school for long enough and I need to find a new job. I don’t think that I’ll be able to return to stripping even if Pope and I are split up. I’m a mother figure and a role model now, and I need to remember that.
Resting on the back porch with an ocean view, I listen as the waves crash against the beach while drinking a beer. There are so many things that my mind keeps trying to figure out, problems it keeps trying to solve, but I shut those thoughts down immediately. This is my last night here, in this beautiful and tranquil place before heading back to the madness that is my life, and I will do my best to try to enjoy the last couple of hours.
Suddenly, a man jumps over the railing, and without giving me a second to react, he has me out of my chair and pressed to the white wooden walls of the cottage. One hand is closed over my mouth and the other is holding my hands above my head. I can’t remember ever seeing anyone move that fast.
For a moment, he just stares into my eyes, watching me closely. He doesn’t say a word and the longer he remains quiet, the faster my heart beats. The adrenaline is kicking in and I want to fight, but I can’t. Brogan is in the house, asleep, and if this man were to know that, he might hurt him and I would never be able to live with myself if that happened.
“I’m not here to hurt you. I know Brogan is asleep in the house and I don’t want to hurt him either. But we need to talk.” The man doesn’t lower his voice or whisper, he simply states it.
I now know that he has been watching us and that this isn’t just a home invasion. The need to fight thrums through my veins and I have to work to tamp it down. Slowly, I nod my head. The man releases my mouth and my hands and steps away.
“Storm, I need you to listen to me. You may not know me, but I’m here to help. Will you at least just hear me out?” He has his hands li
fted up, palms turned outward. But he’s right, I don’t know him and I sure as shit shouldn’t trust him. As I look at him in the glow of the single outdoor light, I have a gut feeling about him. I need to listen to him.
“Who are you and what do you want?” I’m trying to put on a brave face, but I haven’t been this scared since I was eighteen years old and living on the street.
“My name is Calum Quince, but most just call me Bishop. And I’m here to help you and the Gypsy Bastards before this gets any worse.” He stares at me with pleading eyes.
“Okay, Calum, why would you want to help us?”
“I want to tell you everything, but you need to let me finish my story, then you can make your judgments.” He no longer has his gaze trained on me but instead on the shoreline in the distance.
“You have ten minutes to convince me that you aren’t some kind of psycho, and if I’m not convinced, I will shoot you.”
A low chuckle escapes from him as he faces me.
“Why do you think I waited until it was dark out? Until you were relaxing with a beer? I know what you are capable of and I don’t want to get my nuts shot off.” He smirks and for the first time, I realize how attractive he is.
Now that I have decided he isn’t an immediate threat—mostly—I can look at him more closely. He is of average height but there is nothing average about his build. Strong, muscular arms encased in a fitted red t-shirt. Muscular thighs that are hugged by the denim of his dark-wash jeans. He has a chiseled jaw and high cheekbones with just a little bit of scruff covering it. He seems to be in his twenties but looks like he might be carrying the weight of the world at this moment.
“So tell me.” Stepping away from the wall, I take a seat on the opposite side of the table.
“You, Pope, Brogan, and the Gypsy Bastards are in danger.”
I snort but before I can speak, he lifts his hand to silence me.
“Let me finish, please. I know as an outlaw club the Gypsy Bastards always has some or other form of trouble, but this is different. King wants Wolf’s head on a platter and he wants Hadley back. And that’s just to start with. Riot is losing his mind because Sparrow killed Mutt, the president of the Mongrols, and also his brother. I have seen first-hand what happens to clubs and their families when those two go on a rampage, and it isn’t going to end well.”
“Well, thank you for the warning, but Brogan and I are fine—”
“But you aren’t,” he cuts me off. “In the four days you have been here, frolicking in the ocean without a care, one of Riot’s men almost killed you. And if it weren’t for me, you would both be dead.”
He states this calmly, like reading a grocery list out loud. And although I want to argue, the look in his eyes tells me every word he is saying is the truth.
“Thank you for that. But I don’t understand why you would help me or the club.”
“Because it’s the right thing to do. Because you don’t run around killing women and children when you are trying to get to a man. Because I am tired of this bullshit.”
Calum is clearly upset. I’m missing something important and I can’t seem to put my finger to it.
“What bullshit, Calum?”
“Watching King and Riot do whatever they want.” He runs his hand over his shortly cropped dark hair. “Since I can remember, this has been their M.O. Someone crosses them, sometimes without even knowing it, and then they start. First, they target family members, friends, loved ones. Then they go after the entire club and tear it down piece by piece. They will give the offending party the chance to hand themselves over soon in the game, but it’s not what they actually want and very rarely happens. Usually, they wipe out everyone and everything before ending it all.”
Dread fills me. They are doing the exact same thing to Sparrow.
“How do you know all of this?” I whisper, afraid of his answer.
He stares at me for a moment, clearly considering whether to tell me the truth or not.
“Riot is my Father.”
Chapter Twenty
Pope
The last five days have got me going insane. I shouldn’t have pushed Storm away. I knew it the moment I walked out of her apartment. But I’m stubborn and I have my pride. I didn’t know how else to protect her or Brogan and it seemed like the only answer. I thought I would be able to control the ballgame, have her watched from afar to ensure that they are safe. But life doesn’t work according to plan and Storm left town, taking Brogan with her.
I have no idea where she is or if she is safe. And I have no way of finding out because she isn’t taking my calls, again. Every time I call and she doesn’t answer, I leave a voicemail. They range from telling her I love her and I am sorry that I fucked up, to angry and threatening. I don’t know if she even listens to them, but I hope she doesn’t. I said things that I hope she never hears and the things I want her to hear should rather be said in person.
At midnight, I find myself standing at the foot of the stairs in the clubhouse, looking at everyone gathered. My club is in full lockdown mode. Again. Members, family, and friends are all staying at the compound until we can figure out this mess with Riot.
My eye catches movement at the side door and I turn to see who it could be. My breath catches in my lungs as Storm walks into the clubhouse. Relief washes over me for a moment before I see a man enter directly behind her, carrying my sleeping son. I feel my face heat as my temper spikes, and I cross the room toward them. Five days. Five days is all she needed to replace me.
I love her with everything I have and she can just replace me?
Striding across the clubhouse, I can feel everyone watching me, judging me, pitying me. I don’t need their pity and no one here has the right to judge me.
“What are you doing here?” I growl at her.
Instead of shrinking away from me, like most other people would, she lifts her chin. There is a fire in her eyes and I ready myself for the fight I know is coming.
“Judging by the number of voicemails and the fact that you kept on calling for the last five days, I assumed you wanted to see me. But I can just as easily leave if that would suit you better?” Her left brow is arched in question.
“Just leave, Storm. Just get out and take your boy toy with you. You aren’t welcome here anymore.”
I hear a sharp intake of breath behind me but I don’t take my eyes from Storm.
“First, he is not my boy toy. He is the man”—she emphasizes the word man—“who kept me and your son alive for the last five days. So you might want to show him some fucking gratitude. Second, I don’t give a shit what you say. I will always be welcome here. Just because you don’t want me in your life anymore doesn’t mean I’m not family. And third, if you ever come at me with your goddamned attitude again when you have none, and I repeat none of the facts, I will use the gun you bought me to shoot you in the foot.”
She stares at me, waiting for me to say something. I feel like a chastised child.
On one hand, I want to roar and rage at her. Who is this man she suddenly trusts with her life and my son’s? On the other hand, I am simply relieved to see her and Brogan, alive and well. I have a million questions flying around in my mind. Where has she been? But I can’t ask her anything, as she turns away from me.
“Justice, can we put Brogan in your room? He is exhausted and I don’t know how clean any of the other rooms will be.”
Justice nods his head, leading the man, the stranger, into the bowels of our clubhouse. Around me, people pretend to do things but I know everyone is watching us.
“What are you doing here, Storm?” I ask again.
“Where is Sparrow?” she counters.
I look around, trying to find him in the sea of faces, but don’t see him. I turn back to Storm to tell her that he might be in his room but find her talking to the stranger.
“I think I should head out, let you settle things here, but I will see you in the morning,” he says to her.
Storm nods, r
eaching out to hug him around the neck. I have no idea what possesses me, but I yank her back and place her behind me. Grabbing the stranger by his throat, I walk him back against the wall and bring my fist down into his face. Everything happens so quickly, and before I know it, Beast pulls me off the man. Wolf is in my face, trying to talk to me, but I can’t hear him over the sound of my blood rushing through my ears,
Looking over Wolf’s shoulder, I see Storm staring daggers at me while the man leans against the wall, touching his bleeding lip.
“Typical,” Storm says while moving closer. “You don’t talk to me, just jump to your own conclusions about everything. Perhaps if you had asked who my new friend was instead of assuming the worst about me, thank you for that by the way, we could have avoided this whole mess.”
She waits, staring into my eyes, for me to calm down.
“Who is your new friend?” I ask through clenched teeth while Beast still holds me back.
“His name is Calum Quince, and he is the answer to all your problems.”
****
As the sun rises over Gypsy Falls, we gather in church. For the first time since my father started this club in 1986, we have not only a non-member but a member of a rival club joining us. Every fiber in my being is screaming at me that this is wrong, that I need to get him out of here, but I can’t do that. Twice now this man has saved the lives of someone I love. Twice now he has been there when I wasn’t. He called me ahead of the church shooting and although there were still deaths, the number was significantly lower than it could have been had we not been warned. And then he kept Storm and Brogan alive for the five days they were out of town.
I pushed her away, basically sent her out of town to protect her, not knowing that I was putting her in more danger. If I had known, if I had even the slightest inkling that they would be in more danger because they were away from me, I never would have said those things, I never would have pushed her away.
Calling the meeting to order, I stand and look over my club members. Old members and new stare at me with questions in their gaze.
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