Seeing Wildcard ride off turns my stomach. His figure becomes smaller and smaller as the distance between us becomes greater. Noah slings an arm around my shoulders.
“It’s going to be okay, Lollie,” he says, quiet and low. I’m too choked up to speak, but manage to nod.
One by one, the ladies head back inside. That’s when I notice Priest slumped in his wheelchair and Camille by his side.
“Ready to go back in?” she asks him.
“I need another minute,” he replies gruffly. Camille is holding Kyrian, her hands full as it is.
“Mind if I stay with you?” I ask Priest. He gives me a casual shrug. I send a silent glance to Camille, and she leaves me with her brother. “It hurts so much,” I confess to Priest.
“He’ll be okay,” he says.
“I know. That’s not what hurts.” Priest turns his head to stare at me, waiting for me to continue. “My father shows up, and all hell breaks loose. Noah gets rattled all over again, after finally getting his head on straight. Goons show up, and Wildcard almost gets shot. And if that’s not enough, Dad shows up dead in the morgue, after sending Satan’s Pride on the hunt for him. Wildcard pays for the funeral, and all of you show up to support Noah and me. Everything that happened to you is because of me. If my father hadn’t come calling, Vega wouldn’t have known where to find you.” I throw my hands out in a big circular motion, saying, “This disaster is because of me. What hurts is that I caused this disaster to people I love.” I suppress a sob, covering my mouth with my hand.
Priest tugs on my arm, then takes my hand. “Bad shit happens to good people. You got to shake it off, Charli. Wildcard wouldn’t want you to torment yourself with this.” He stares down the road in the direction the Pride men rode. “Vega was hunting, and he found me. My brother, John, was in deep, and Vega wanted revenge. He would have found me sooner or later. I wasn’t hiding in the shadows. Eventually, they’d take me down.” He inhales deeply. “I don’t blame you. The club doesn’t either. Let it go, shake it off, and build a life with Wildcard. Eyes forward.”
“What about you?” I ask. “Are you going to let it go and move forward?”
His eyes clear, and a curious smile comes across his lips. It’s like it finally dawns on him. He’s been blaming himself, yet he’s absolving me.
“Cute.” He chuckles, and it turns into a roaring laugh until he forces himself to stop and grabs his ribs. “Christ, that hurts.” After a few dep breaths, he says, “I’ll make you a deal. You let it go and I’ll do the same. When it gets to be too much, you come to me, and I’ll do the same. We’ll work through it together. Although, I’m telling Wildcard. Last thing I need is a jealous man on my ass.”
“Deal,” I say, stretching out my hand to seal the deal. Then I bend at the waist and kiss his cheek. “One day, you’re going to meet a woman who’s going to appreciate all that you are.”
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Take me inside. I promised Noah I would teach him the ins and outs of bounty hunting.”
“He’s not becoming a bounty hunter!” I declare. Good God!
“Don’t worry. It’s not his gig, but he should have every Pride option open to him. Whether it’s carpentry or bounty hunting, he’ll choose something that suits him. He might be like Saint and go after something completely different. Either way, it’ll be his choice.”
* * *
Wildcard
We came, we kicked ass, and we conquered. All of Risk’s planning and Demon and Orion’s information gave us the edge we needed. Vega was stunned when we burst through the abandoned factory entrance. He made a beeline for the back exit, only to find War, Roscoe, and Thunder waiting for him and his second-in-command.
With nowhere to go, Vega’s men had no option but to defend themselves. As good soldiers would, they tried to protect their leader, but the Pride brothers were furious and we were out for blood. Hammer and I quickly subdued the guards. Hammer made it easy for himself, slashing the throat of the man he had pinned against the wall, while I used my fists to beat the gang member with him to the ground, like they did Priest, and twisted his neck, crushing the life out of him.
War and Thunder took their frustration out on Vega’s second. It was slow, and the screams and pleas for mercy reverberated through the empty factory, echoing off the walls, to no avail. The Pride was wronged and our enemies must know that there’s no mercy when you attack Satan’s Pride. Risk is a very effective torturer, and before long, Vega’s second was begging for death. Risk ended him with a shot to the head.
Guard went straight for Vega. Vega pulled out a gun and took the first shot, hiding behind some old steel barrels. Guard would not be deterred. Taking out his own pistol, he crouched down, moving stealthily across the floor. Guard’s a patient man, while Vega was a hothead, firing continuously. Guard waited until Vega’s magazine was empty and then, with the speed of a jaguar, he was on him. Not taking any chances, Guard shot Vega in the hand, and Vega dropped his gun with a cry of pain. When Guard reached him, he literally dragged him by the collar across the floor, around the lifeless bodies of his men, and sat him in a chair. Not giving Vega a chance to react, Guard wrapped his hand around Vega’s throat and squeezed until he started turning blue, then released him.
“You beat one Pride brother, and twenty more come calling for you,” Guard said, his face inches from Vega’s. Vega gasped and coughed, trying to get air into his lungs. With a quiet, menacing voice, Guard said, “No one, fucking no one, puts their hands on my men and lives to talk about it. You’re going to die, that’s a fact, but the way you die is my fucking choice.”
We took no prisoners and Guard did not hold back. Before we ended Vega, Ghost confirmed where the rest of his gang was hidden. An anonymous call to the police about their drug warehouse was made. A short time later, Hammer, Thunder, and Steady watched from afar to see the cops drag out the gang members, cuff them, and put them in the backs of their police cars.
Instead of returning to the compound, Saint suggests that we go to the clinic first. He’ll stitch us up there, and we can clean up. I’ve got four stitches in my side and some nasty bruising to my back from when I tussled on the concrete with one of the motherfuckers, but other than that, I’m good. Demon got the worst of it this time with a nasty slash to his biceps. After twenty-four stitches, antibiotics, and a phone call from his wife telling him to come home, he is on his way back to Sofia.
Guard’s low rumble when he walks through the main room at the compound immediately catches Ava’s attention. “Angel, time to go home,” he says. He looks to our ally brothers. “Can I ask you to hang around till morning? We can talk then.” The leader of our sister club, Spike of Mayhem MC, gives him a chin lift in agreement.
We all make our way to Priest, one by one. He knows vengeance for what happened to him was complete. Priest decides to walk to the car outside the club, with Steady’s help. He’s going home with his family tonight. Saint can use the break and some alone time with Izzy.
Charlotte’s driving Noah home, and I’m following behind. Noah’s exhausted and literally falls into his bed. I check in on him and think he must have fallen asleep as soon as his head hit the pillow. Out of habit, I lock down the house before I go to the bedroom.
Charli’s curled into a ball, sleeping. I need to shower the night off before crawling in beside her. I let the warm water run over my head, washing the stress and ugliness of the night away. I lean my palms against the tiled wall to hold myself up. I hear the creak of the bathroom door and glance over my shoulder. It’s Charlotte. She strips off her nightgown and comes into the shower with me, her front to my back as she holds me. Her breasts and cheek are pressed between my shoulders. She places soft kisses along my spine, but stops when she sees where the skin is torn from being knocked into a sharp edge, ripping my cut. I didn’t even notice the cut from the adrenaline coursing through my veins. Gentle fingers trace the raw wound.
Taking the soap in her hand and being careful, she washes me. She reaches around me and shuts off the water, then steps out of the shower and wraps a towel around herself. She waits for me to step out and dries me so lovingly that it brings a lump to my throat. She re-dresses my wound and leads me to our bed. Charli lies down, pulling me to the mattress with her.
“Sleep, Em. It’s my turn to take care of you,” she says. She runs her fingers over my face and across my lids, closing them. “Good night, my love.” The soft whisper of a kiss on my cheek is the last thing I remember as I sink into a blissful abyss.
* * *
Charlotte
I let Emmet sleep in. Normally, his eyes open as soon as I move to get out of bed. Not this time, though. As I walk into the living room, I find Noah lazing on the sofa. He turns his head when he hears me coming.
“You’re up,” I say, ruffling his already messy hair.
“Yeah.” I know that look. Noah’s thinking, and whatever he’s contemplating seems pretty serious.
I tap his temple. “Want to tell me what’s going on in here?”
“Nothing.” He shrugs.
“Right.” I come around and plop down in the space next to him. “You’re a horrible liar. It’s okay if I’m not the person you want to share your thoughts with, but I’m going to urge you to talk to one of the guys.”
Noah blurts, “I’m going to be eighteen, and you’re still watching over me. Guard, Roscoe, Wildcard, they’re looking after me. What do I give them back? Nothing, that’s what. I asked if I could go yesterday, and Guard said no. They don’t trust me.”
“Did Guard give you a reason?” I ask quietly.
“He said I was too young. It’s not my turn yet.”
“Guard’s a wise man. We don’t always know the reasons behind his actions, but we have to trust that Guard has our best interests in mind. You’ve already been part of a violent gang, Noah. Did you think that maybe he’s trying to shield you from that part of the life? At least for now. Give you some normalcy like a teenage boy is supposed to have. School, dances, girls.” I lean into his shoulder, resting my head on it. “You never got to have that. You’ve already experienced the bad. Now, he’s giving you the good.”
“You think that’s it? Really?” he ask, with a lilt to his voice, clearly wanting this to be true.
“I really do. They love you like the rest. War, Orion, all of them talk about you like you’re one of them. Good men leading another man into their fold. I’ve never seen anything so profoundly beautiful.”
“Geez, Lollie, you make it sound so girly,” he chastises.
“I am a girl, dork.”
Noah changes gears. “Wildcard okay?”
“Just needs to sleep. Yesterday was intense. But the answer to all problems are buttermilk pancakes. Come help me in the kitchen.” I tug on his arm, and he follows.
It’s been a long time since Noah and I worked together, cooking. His smile lights up his face and reminds me of Mom. Like Mom, he manages to get more batter on himself than in the bowl. He’ll never be a chef, but he’s got so much more going for him since the guys took him under their wing.
Noah’s setting the table while I’m flipping pancakes, when a shirtless sexy Wildcard struts into the room. He makes a straight line right to me, sliding in behind me, a hand to my belly, the other moving my hair off my shoulder to expose my neck. I feel his lips on my skin, and a shiver runs through me. That’s all it takes for me to want my man. A simple touch, the warmth of his body against my back, his manly scent, and I’m gone for my guy.
“Mornin’, baby,” he rumbles in my ear. I tilt my head up and to the side. His eyes, sleepy and gorgeous, meet mine. “Kiss me, dollface.” I lift myself on tiptoes and press my mouth to his.
“Morning, sweetie. I’m making fluffy sugary goodness for breakfast.” He glances down at the skillet, then at the counter covered with bowls of strawberries, crème fraiche, caramel, and nuts.
“I can see that. You’ve got enough to feed a dozen people. If I eat all this, I’d have to run for six hours straight to work it off,” he teases.
I don’t think it’s funny at all. Especially when I know that he’s hurt with stitches. “You’re not working out until that’s healed.” I point to his side. “Time for you to sit down and enjoy a quiet, movie-streaming day. Junk food and TV, that’s what the doctor ordered.”
He smiles at me and says, “I’ve been through worse. This is nothing. Swear to you, babe, I’m good.”
I relax a little. He does seem to be doing well, but I really want him here at home with me today.
“Please, just one day at home. For me,” I plead.
His big hands frame my face. “Okay. We’ll do a lazy day.” He kisses me sweetly. “Got to check in with Guard, and I want to see how Priest’s doing. Besides that, I’m all yours.” He looks at the pancakes. “Better take those out. I’ll put this stuff on the table.”
Wildcard chats with Noah. They talk about cars and school, and Noah tells him all about a club he wants to join. Through it all, Wildcard reaches over and either casually covers my hand or touches me.
“I’ve almost got enough to buy a camera. These guys are really good. Some are normal pics. You know, mountains, and shit, but then they do these cool ideas with faces and stuff.” Noah pulls out his tablet and shows us the school website and the camera club photos they have posted. They’re artistic and, Noah’s right, pretty cool.
“I can loan you the money,” Wildcard tells him.
“No way. This is something I’ve gotta do on my own,” Noah insists.
“Everyone needs a helping hand sometimes,” Wildcard counters.
“I know, and you guys keep giving. This is all me. I’m working with War, and I’m almost there. A couple more shifts and I can buy a starter camera. It’s basic, but decent quality. Jas told me all about the kind she thinks would work. She likes the simple ones. She says it makes it about the subject and the art, not about the technology.”
Hmm, this is the first time I’ve heard about Jas.
“Jas?” I ask.
“She’s a friend. That’s it,” Noah responds, a little too strongly.
“Well, I can’t wait to see your stuff,” I reply, not wanting to push the Jas thing. I figure this is more a guy thing than a sister thing.
Noah’s happy. After all we’ve been through, this is the first time I’ve seen him relaxed and happy. When his phone rings, he’s quick to pick it up.
“Hey. How’s it going, Hammer?” There’s a pause before he answers. “Sure. Yeah, I’m in.” Another pause. “I’m ready. Just finished having Lollie’s famous pancakes.” He listens to Hammer and lets out a laugh. “Okay. I’ll wrestle the last few away from Wildcard. See ya soon.” He turns to Wildcard. “Don’t make me fight you. Hammer’s taking me to spend time with Priest if I save him some of this.” He waves his hand over the table littered with delicious goodness.
“Too battered to fight you, bud,” Wildcard says with a chuckle.
A short time later, after Hammer inhales the last of the pancakes, he and Noah are on their way to cheer up their brother Priest. I convince Wildcard to rest, and he only agrees provided that I won’t fuss over him.
With his feet crossed on the coffee table, lying back on the soft padded cushions and a remote in hand, he flips through the channels until he settles on a program on rebuilding antique cars. I snuggle in next to him. He instinctively drapes his arm on the back of the sofa, allowing me to get closer and nestle into him, with his arm dropping to cocoon me in place.
“Last night, I couldn’t help touching you,” I say. “Even when you were asleep, I needed to check to make sure you were all right. I’m glad you called to tell me you were okay, but I have to admit that I was out of my mind with worry.”
“It doesn’t happen often. At least not anymore. Before my time here, the club was on a bad path, and Guard cleaned house. He wanted a club that was about integrity. Each member has been chosen by him. How we get here is anyone’s guess. Guard thinks it’s fate. Since he’s started this chapter, we’ve been legit, and that’s where we’re staying. Unfortunately, there are some who try to draw us back to the dark side. They come, they try, and they fail. And we move on,” he says matter-of-factly. With a gleam in his eye, he adds, “I’m open to a full-body inspection. Just to ease your mind, of course.”
“Well then, sir, I’m going to inspect every inch of you. Starting here,” I say, and kiss the shell of his ear, then make my way down his body, fulfilling my need and his.