When Cricket woke up a few hours later, Deke was sitting next to her. Raine had put her in a sitting position with pillows behind her back. She glanced around the room looking for Raine but he wasn’t there. Max was lying on the bed next to her and he was watching Deke carefully.

Deke chuckled briefly while he watched the dog watching him. “You and I need to talk.”

Cricket nodded. “I figured as much.”

“Before we start, there’s something you need to know.”

“And what would that be?” she asked carefully.

“The man that shot you is dead,” Deke told her bluntly. “Your uncle shot him and we questioned him.”

“Did you kill him?”

Deke stared her straight in the eyes. “Yes, I did. By coming here and taking a shot at you, he declared war on the MC. That he did it by order of his own president makes no difference. He knew the consequences of his actions.”

“I see.”

Deke shook his head. “No little girl, I don’t think you do. What I did I didn’t do lightly. I hate the fact that a man died tonight when he didn’t have too. I hate the fact that Zeron Stark is going to cost every man in his MC their lives, because that’s what he’s done when he ordered his men to kill you. He’s declared war on every MC his men come across. He should have had the guts to admit his mistake and try to find you and ask you about the money but he didn’t. He didn’t give a fuck about his men, or what position he’s put his men in. As a president that’s just dead wrong. As a human being it’s even worse.”

Cricket was silent for a moment before she asked, “What do you want to talk to me about?”

“You said when Cordy came back after the robbery you hid the money and diamonds. I need to know where you hid them.”

Cricket nodded at his statement. “I had a feeling you would ask about that.”

Deke shook his head. “Maybe, but I’m not asking for the reason you think. I need to know where the money and the diamonds are so I can call the police and tell them where to find them. You were right when you said the money didn’t belong to Stark.”

Cricket nodded. “But the man is still hunting me and he won’t stop until I’m dead.”

Deke shrugged. “Maybe not, but it was Cordy who set you up and Cordy who signed your death warrant.”

Cricket nodded. “Yeah, she didn’t have a kind bone in her body. Did you know she tried to kill me several times over the years? This is just one more attempt and this time she might just succeed.”

“Not if we have anything to say, she won’t,” Deke vowed.

Cricket just looked at him. “The money is in the St. Hope Cemetery in Bethlehem. We buried it under a headstone with the name Maude Bright. Maude had just been buried that day so the ground around her was still soft. We buried it as close to the headstone as we could get. We had to dig a deep enough hole and pack it down, so it didn’t look disturbed. Then we got the hell out of town. We got as far away as we could get in a night, and then we holed up for three days. We heard over the radio about Stark being arrested. Cordy laughed out loud when she heard about it. You see she thought she was in the clear after that. She told me she could do what she wanted, go anywhere she wanted once he was in jail. She was free.”

Deke narrowed his eyes at this.

Cricket shook her head. “Yeah, I know. I told her Stark had friends, dangerous friends that would kill her. Now I guess we know why she wasn’t worried huh?”

“She deserved the kind of death she got.” Deke sighed in disgust.

“I know,” Cricket agreed with his assessment. “I wish I understood her better but I never did. She was always so cold. She never felt anything everyone else did. She used to cut herself just to feel pain. She said it was the only thing she could ever feel. She often used pain the same way normal people used love. She never felt love, so for her, it just didn’t exist.”

“So death for her was like a release.” Deke reasoned. “Her pain was over. She didn’t have to fake her way in the world anymore. No wonder she didn’t mind dying that day.”

“She’s more like her father than she ever realized,” Cricket told him. “Bane and Michael are the same way. Their eyes are dead. Their souls are empty of any feelings at all.”

“Are you sure about that?” he asked. “Bane is still here. He protected you tonight.”

Cricket shook her head. “No he was protecting his name and reputation when he shot that guy. He couldn’t let it be known he didn’t finish the job. But yeah, his eyes are like Cordy’s and Michael’s. That’s where they got it from. My mom’s eyes were warm and full of life.”

The door opened and Raine came into the room. He stood at the end of the bed he shared with Cricket and glared at Deke. “She needs time to get her strength back.”

Deke got to his feet. “I agree with you.” Glancing over at Cricket, he smiled. “You follow what Raine has to say and get better soon.”

Cricket nodded. “I will.”

“What’s his name?” He nodded at the dog beside her.

“His name is Max.” Her fingers ran through the dog’s fur.

“He should grow up to be a fine animal.”

Cricket’s eyes hazed over for a moment then she nodded. “He’s going to be a beautiful dog.”

Raine watched as Deke left the room then he looked at Cricket. She patted the bed next to her and Raine crawled in beside her. “Are you okay? Do you need anything?”

Cricket smiled. “I just need you to hold me for a while. I never knew getting shot would be so painful or so tiring. Can you please just lay here and hold me for a bit?”

“I’ll lay here and hold you in my arms forever if you’d let me,” he murmured in her ear.”

“Mmm, that sounds nice.” She closed her eyes and was soon back in the arms of the sandman.

Raine laid there for a while. For the longest time, he just watched her, memorizing every line of her face. As if committing her features to memory would keep her with him.

He looked down at Max and found the dog looking back at him. Raine reached out and began stroking the dog’s head. “You and me we’ll keep her safe, won’t we boy?”

Max licked his hand as if to agree with his statement. Then he inched himself up closer to Cricket’s neck and laid his little head across her throat.

Raine smiled and gave the dog a nod. “That’s right boy, you keep her safe. Watch over her a few minutes, I need to go talk to Deke.”

He got up without disturbing her and quietly left the room. Walking down the hall, he joined everyone else in the main room. They were all eating supper and while the food smelled good as usual, Raine had no appetite tonight.

He sat down at Deke’s table.

Gator and Reva sat there alongside of Deke and Cassie. Bones and Melora were there as well.

Raine noticed this and looked around the room. Most of the married couples were sitting together and he wondered what was going on. “Did I miss something?” he asked as his eyes met Deke’s.

“I thought it might be better for everyone if we all stayed together until this situation could be resolved.” Deke just stared at him.

“Why?”

“The guy Bane shot earlier today told us he was with two more guys,” Gator spoke. “We looked for them but didn’t find them and we don’t know if they took off or Bane took care of them.” He shrugged. “Either way it don’t matter. We aren’t giving them hostages when we don’t need to.”

Raine nodded. “We’re on lock down then?”

“I think it’s best until we solve this, don’t you?” Deke reasoned. “I’m not giving anyone a second bite of the proverbial apple.”

“Fuck.” Raine swore softly.

“Why? Did you want to go somewhere?” Deke questioned.

Raine nodded shortly. “Yeah I kind of, sort of did.”

Deke glanced over at Gator briefly then looked back at Raine. “Oh, is there something I need to know?”

Raine reached for a cup and filled it with coffee from the thermos on the table. “I found something out earlier today.”

“What was that?” Deke frowned slightly.

“Cricket told me the reason she asked Bane for three days.”

Deke glanced over at Gator then he looked at Raine. “So why?”

“Tomorrow is her birthday. Did you know that? I didn’t. She’ll be twenty four at four a.m. She asked for the three days because she wanted the chance to turn twenty four and then she wanted one more day beyond that.” Raine’s words were softly spoken, yet everyone in the room heard them.

It was so quiet at the moment you could have heard a pin drop.

He looked up at his president and found Cassie and Reva with tears running down their faces.

Deke and Gator wore no expressions at all.

“And where did you want to go?” Deke finally asked.

“I wanted to go to church and marry her at exactly four a.m.” Shrugging he added, “I know it wouldn’t be legal but it would be enough. She’s never felt like she belonged to anyone before. When she was a kid, her parents were on the run from Bane, then her mom died and her dad couldn’t see beyond his own grief, let alone take care of two little girls. After he died, she was left with Cordy and we all know how that turned out. This is the first and only place she could call home, a real home.”

Everyone stayed quiet, some of the women sniffled through their tears.

Raine took a drink of his coffee. “Now with this hanging over her head, whether it’s Bane or some other jackwad looking for a payday or just the fuckin glory, I wanted to give her something no one else in her life has ever given her. I wanted to give her a sense of belonging.”

No one said a word for a few minutes.

Then Deacon got to his feet. “You don’t need to take her anywhere. You just bring her out here. We can give her a wedding.”

Raine shrugged. “I sort of wanted it to look real, you know like in a church with a minister and all.”

“She’ll have her wedding and it will be a real as it gets,” Deacon assured him.

Raine frowned at the man and then looked at Deke. “What do you mean Deacon? Are you a minister now?”

Deacon nodded. “As a matter of fact I am.” He shrugged. “I never said anything about it but I’ve been ordained.”

“Really?” Deke was astounded. “Why didn’t we know?”

“Well mainly, because the church frowned on some of the stuff the MC does, but mostly because religion is a private thing. At least for me it is. When I lost my sister and then I couldn’t find my niece, I fell into a funk. I thought I was alone in the world with no family and no one to care about whether I lived or died. That’s when I met you guys. Suddenly, I had a family. I had someone who cared about me, but I could never forget what I lost. I eventually started going to a church and I began talking to the minister there. He got me into classes and about five years ago, I was ordained. I never said anything because like I said it was private for me.”

Raine searched the room for anyone who might object.

Cassie reached over and patted his arm. “You bring her out here at four and we’ll have everything else ready.”

“Ready? What is there to get ready?” He frowned.

Cassie looked over at Reva and they both burst into laughter. “Men! Are you all this dumb or what?”

Raine looked over at Deke and Gator.

They shrugged and Gator offered a comment. “I don’t get it either. To me as long as you both show up and say the words it’s done. But to a woman they like it to be nice, with flowers and shit like that.”

Deke laughed. “Don’t worry about the detail. Cassie and Reva will take care of things. Grab something to eat and watch over your woman. We’ll come get you when its time.”

Raine looked around the room again. Reva got up and fetched his a plate of hot food. He ate it then finished his coffee. Pushing back his chair, he got up and addressed the room. “Thank you. This is what being part of this MC is, being family.” He turned and went back to his bedroom.

Cricket was still sleeping when he came back to bed. Wrapping his arms around her, he smiled slightly when she snuggled into his chest.

“I missed you,” she whispered.

“I thought you were sleeping.”

“I was and then I got cold.”

“I had to talk to Deke for a minute but I’m back now.” Raine settled partially on his back. Looking at the ceiling he asked, “I don’t know what’s going to happen over the next few days, none of us do. But after you were shot today, I was thinking about something.”

“And what would that be?”

“Do you want to see Dusty? I know you two are very close and I thought you might want the chance to see him again.”

“I would love to see him again but I can’t bring him into this.” She half leaned up to look into his eyes. “You have to promise me something.”

“What?”

“You have to promise me that you’ll always look out for him and that you’ll never let Bane know about him. Please, you have to promise me he’ll be safe.” Tears fell down her face. “I couldn’t bear it if anything happen to that little guy. He’s finally got a chance at a good life with your family and that’s what I want for him. It’s what I’ve always wanted for him. Having Cordy for a mother was such a mean cruel joke. Karma fucked that one up but now he has a chance to be loved and to learn how to love. That’s what I missed. Having someone who loved me back. Then when he was born, I had him and he had me.”

“Then I took that away from you, didn’t I?” Raine asked. “I took him away from you when I insisted his father know about him. I’m sor—”

Cricket put her hand over his mouth. “No, don’t you dare finish that sentence. You did it because it was the right thing to do. As much as I miss him, he’s happy finally knowing his family. He needs that to grow. Your brothers and your parents are going to teach him how to be a good man. I could only give him so much. Cordy wouldn’t let me give him too much. She always said she didn’t want her son to have more than she ever did. But she never cared that Dusty wasn’t like her. He was more like me. The last time we talked to him, he was so happy. He has a family and that’s more important for him.”

“What about you?” Raine asked. “What’s important for you?”

Cricket smiled. “I got everything I need right here.” She patted his chest. “I got you and now I have my Max. That’s all I ever wanted. That’s all I ever needed.”

“Is that all you ever wanted?” Raine frowned.

She nodded. “I’m a simple person, with simple needs and dreams. I lived with the fear my parents shared every day of my life. I didn’t know any better. That fear went away when I came here, I didn’t feel it anymore. Then I found you and you were everything I wanted. You complete me like I’ve never been before.”

Raine felt his throat swell. The woman was so giving and sweet. He never thought he deserved her. But he sure as hell would keep trying to be what she deserved. “How’s your shoulder feeling?” he asked.

“Not too bad actually.”

“Are you hungry?”

She shook her head. “I’m not hungry for food anyway,” she whispered. Lifting her eyes to his she let him see the desire she had for him.

Raine groaned. “Honey, we can’t. You just took a bullet earlier today.”

“I know but I’m not dead and I want you.” She licked her lips. “It doesn’t have to be a pounding. I just want to feel you inside me.”

Raine’s hands dropped down to the top of her jeans. He couldn’t deny her anything. He unbuckled her jeans and pushed them down her legs. He moved her to her uninjured side and reached down to slide his own jeans down. Then he gently pushed his way inside her from behind. He was rock hard… she was wet and very willing, so he slid deep inside her. He hissed as she groaned and gripped him tightly.

Raine tried to hold back but Cricket wouldn’t let him. Instead, she wrapped her legs around his and pushed back hard. Grinding her ass into his pelvic region. Raine gripped her hips and began to pound in and out of her core. “I thought this was going to be gentle?” Raine gritted as he pushed and pulled in and out of her.

“I can’t help it. I can’t seem to stop myself. I need you too much.”

Raine pumped harder and faster. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he felt her body tighten and then release. She screamed his name and he slapped his hand over her mouth to stifle her cries. Then he plunged in one more time and filled her with hot cum .

“Oh my god, that was fantastic.” She moaned after the few minutes it took to catch her breath.

“You are crazy, did you know that?” He groaned as he moved away from her and flopped on his back.

Cricket giggled and turned to lay next to him. Her arm was starting to hurt a bit now but she wasn’t going to complain. “And why is that?” she asked.

“There’s no way we should have done what we just did. Your shoulder has got to be hurting.”

Cricket grimaced. “It is but that doesn’t take away from the pleasure you just gave me. That will always remain the same or get better, every single time.”

“Do you want something for the pain?”

Cricket shook her head. “No I don’t. The pain reminds me that I’m still alive and right now, I need that. I need to hang on until the day after tomorrow.”

“What if I can’t let you go the day after tomorrow?” he whispered.

“But…I promised,” she whispered brokenly. “All a person has besides their name in their honor. The name came from my father so I can’t even claim that as mine but I can claim the honor of my word. I can protect this club and stop any senseless killing. Bane is too good at his job not to take some of the men with him if you were lucky enough to get a shot off before he shot you. Which of your brothers would you sacrifice to a bullet needlessly? Which one or more of those women out there would you make a widow?”

“But I don’t want to lose you,” he insisted.

Cricket raised her good hand to the side of his face. “I don’t want to lose you either. I finally found my place in this life and its right here beside you. But if even one of those men lost their lives for me I couldn’t stay here. I would have to run and I’d be running then for the rest of my life.” Tears welled and ran down her face. “And I’m so tired of running. I just can’t do it anymore.”

Raine held her tight. He would keep her as close as he could.