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“I am so damned glad to be home,” I exhale as we pull into Alarick and Briella’s driveway.
It has been a long few days home. We have all taken turns in driving just so we could get here quicker. Nobody stopped. We slept and drove. That was it.
Benedict was released when we were packed and ready to head out of town. Angelica was brought to him, and the deal was made. We would all go our separate ways, and that would be the end of it. So far, it seems Benedict has held up his end of the deal. I didn’t doubt he would, but with a man that powerful, it’s hard to ever truly know if he’s going to come back and bite you sometime in the future.
Luckily for us, he hasn’t.
Yet.
Still, in the end, it’s all over.
Finally.
“I can’t wait to climb into that bed,” Briella exhales, yawning. “I’m so tired.”
God, I feel that.
All I want to do is sleep.
Samson was transferred back as soon as he was stable enough to handle the flight, and will be waiting for us in our local hospital. He’s doing well. Lilian hasn’t left his side. Seeing them together, it’s absolutely beautiful and also incredibly heartbreaking. I know why he betrayed everyone to get her back. Why the hell wouldn’t you? They’re going to have an incredible bond. I just know it.
For now, Lilian is going to stay with Zariah, who she is incredibly close to. I guess because Zariah is the first person she saw and the person she trusts the most right now. I’m glad she has someone, god knows her road to recovery will take a while. We don’t even know her full story yet, or how she got in the hands of those monsters. I know one thing for certain, though. That haunts you forever.
Even now that I’ve made peace, those demons still linger inside me.
Cohen puts his hand on my leg, and I jerk out of my thoughts. I turn to him and smile. He looks exhausted, and I’m sure he’s looking forward to bed, too.
“Are you going to stay with me?” I ask.
He nods. “I’m not fuckin’ goin’ anywhere, babe.”
That makes me happy.
So incredibly happy.
“I’m glad to hear it. I’m starting to think I could sleep for days.”
He leans in closer, his hand running up my leg. “Not until I’m done with you.”
His voice is gravelly, and my word, it does things to me. I shiver and turn, finding his lips and kissing him. He growls against my mouth, and I bite his lip when he tries to deepen the kiss.
“Get a room you two, fuck,” Alarick mutters.
Briella laughs. “Leave them. They’re so super cute. Remember when we were younger, and we used to talk about these guys. You always did like Cohen best.”
I grin. “Don’t make his head bigger than it already is.”
“You talked about us, huh?” Cohen murmurs into my ear. “What did you say?”
“We don’t ever talk and tell,” I chuckle. “Sorry, honey.”
“I will tell you this,” Briella laughs. “She was a wild one. You were never getting away from her.”
We all laugh.
Alarick pulls into the house, and slowly, we pile out of the truck and go inside, bags in hand. The guys go to have a shower, and we prepare some lunch to have before we all fall into those deliciously soft beds and pass out until tomorrow. I can’t fucking wait.
“I’m glad you two are together,” Briella tells me, sliding a sandwich in my direction as she cuts the ingredients for the next ones.
“Me, too,” I smile, taking a bite.
“I’m glad you’re back, too. I hope now this is all over, the two of us can find that friendship we lost. I have really missed it.”
I stare at her and give her a small smile. “I think we can do that. I’ve missed it, too.”
The relief in her face makes me happy.
I do want our friendship back. I want it all back.
My whole life.
“Have you heard any more from Romeo?” Briella asks, taking a bite of her own sandwich.
“Yeah, he has text me a few times. He’s coming this way next week with all the documents, and he asked if we can hang out and get to know each other. It’s so weird, knowing I have a brother...”
“He seems like a nice guy. I’m sure you two will grow close. It’s good for you to have a family again.”
“Yeah,” I nod. “It really is.”
“Did he deal with the men who were after you?”
I nod. “Alarick said he was happy to take care of it, and he confirmed he had a few days ago. I guess with everything going on, I didn’t even think too much about it. I’m glad that’s over though.”
“I can imagine, it must feel nice to finally be safe.”
It really does.
“What are you two yabberin’ about?”
We turn and see Alarick and Cohen walking into the room, both shirtless, both with their wet hair falling around their faces. My god, we’re two lucky ladies. My eyes move down Cohen’s body, across those tight muscles and damp skin. Suddenly, I don’t have an appetite for food. I have an appetite for him.
I stand, taking our two plates of sandwiches.
“I’m going to finish these in my room,” I say, locking eyes with the gorgeous man in front of me.
He grins and extends his arm. “Lead the way.”
Oh, yummy.
Bring. It. On.
~*~*~*~
“HOW ARE YOU FEELING, Lilian?” I ask, smiling at her as she sits on the sofa at the club.
“I’m okay,” she says softly. “It’s weird, being here with all of you. I never thought...”
I know that feeling.
She never thought she would ever escape.
I give her my warmest expression. “You’re here now, and you’re family. We’re going to make sure you have everything you need.”
She smiles at me. “I know, you have all been so nice.”
“How’s your dad?”
She nods and then rolls her eyes. “He hates being in the hospital. He’s grumpy, but I like him a lot.”
I laugh. “They’re all grumpy sometimes, honey. That’s just bikers.”
Her smile widens.
I go to the bar to grab another drink.
Alarick has put on a cookout to welcome Lilian to the family. It’s nice being back here, all together, finally feeling free from the pressure the entire situation was bringing.
“How do you feel now we’re home?” Merleigh asks me when I approach the bar.
She’s waiting to collect two drinks for her and Bohdi.
“I’m glad to be back. What about you, honey?”
She nods. “Yeah, I’m glad that’s over.”
“You and Bohdi seem to be getting along well,” I say, winking at her.
She laughs softly. “We really do get along well, but he’s so closed off. I still don’t know anything about him. He just doesn’t open up...at all. I tell him everything, but he gives me nothing.”
Yes, Bohdi certainly is an interesting one.
“I’m sure he’ll come ‘round. Give him time. Maybe he has a past that’s hard to talk about.”
I know how that feels.
“Yeah, I’m certain he does. Come and have a drink with us?”
I nod, and we walk outside to a large wooden table where everyone is sitting. I sit beside Cohen, and Merleigh sits across from us next to Bohdi. He gives her a nod when she places the drink down in front of him. There is a warmth in his eyes when he looks at her, a depth that certainly goes deeper than friendship. I wonder what he’s so afraid to share with her?
What kind of secrets is he keeping?
We talk for hours, laughing and joking, and as the night slowly goes on, everyone unwinds. The pressure of the last few weeks dissipates. It’s about seven p.m. when a car pulls into the club parking lot. I figure it must be Zariah and Kendric, coming back from whatever it is that kept them from being here earlier, but instead, a young woman and two children get out of the car.
“They must have the wrong address or be lost,” I say, watching as the woman carries one of the kids on her hip and holds the other one's hand as she walks into the club.
She approaches the group, and up close, I see she is very pretty. Long, blonde hair that’s very surfer type. It’s not soft and flowing, but it’s not a dreadlock style. It’s kind of in-between. Like she has spent her days in the sun and the sand. She has piercing blue eyes and tanned skin. The little kids are the same, both of them clearly boys and both of them sporting long locks of blond hair, blue eyes, and little beaded necklaces around their necks. They’re gorgeous kids.
“Sorry to bother you,” the woman says, her voice soft. “I was looking for someone and was told he might be here.”
Alarick stands and smiles at her. “Name is Alarick. I’m President here. Who are you lookin’ for?”
“His name is Bohdi.”
Bohdi.
No way.
“Are you a friend of his?” Alarick asks.
The woman shakes her head. “No, no, I’m not. Is he here?”
Alarick nods. “He is.”
Alarick sends Mykel to go inside and get Bohdi. He and Merleigh just disappeared in there for another drink, but they’ve been gone a while. I stare at the woman and kids, wondering who she is? Is it possible she is his sister? Maybe a friend? He has never mentioned having kids, so I couldn’t see them being his.
Mykel returns a minute later, with Bohdi and Merleigh following him.
The second Bohdi lays eyes on the woman, he freezes. His entire body goes stiff, and he stares at her like he has seen a ghost. His eyes widen, and his jaw tightens. I look back at her and see she is staring at him almost the same way. Her face is swirling full of emotion and heartbreak as she stares at him.
“Isla?” he murmurs, his voice low.
“You’re here. I thought the lead was wrong, that you couldn’t possibly be here, but...”
“What’s goin’ on?” Alarick asks, looking between the two of them. “Bohdi, is this a friend of yours?”
“I’m not a friend,” Isla says, her voice cracking. “I’m his wife.”
Wait.
What?
Everyone in the room falls silent.
Merleigh looks like she’s been struck as she turns and stares in horror at Bohdi.
He glances at her, giving her an expression as if to say ‘I’m sorry’ but she turns away and disappears. Oh, Merleigh. That poor girl.
Nobody saw this coming.
That’s Bohdi’s wife, and those are clearly his children.
What in the ever-loving hell is he doing here?
“And he,” Isla points to Bohdi, her face hard, a tear rolling down her cheek, “is meant to be dead.”
A gasp can be heard in the group.
Dead?
He’s meant to be dead?
What the hell is going on here?
Alarick looks to Bohdi and carefully asks, “You want to explain this?”
“No,” Bohdi says, his voice hard.
“These are your children,” Isla says. “I am your wife. We thought you were dead.”
This is messy.
So messy.
“Can we do this somewhere else?” Bohdi asks, his eyes falling on the boys clinging to her.
It makes sense now I look at them. They’re just like him.
Isla nods, and the two of them disappear into the darkness.
I turn to Cohen. “What the hell just happened?”
“Fucks me, but whatever it is...it’s fuckin’ bad.”
That’s one way of putting it.
Bohdi has a wife and kids.
A wife and kids who thought he was dead?
We all knew he had a story.
We just didn’t know the story was going to be so twisted.
Things are about to get interesting around here.
Really. Fucking. Interesting.