Logan

 

There was no way I was losing Selena. There was no way I was losing her to May. No fucking way. The moment she moved the gun from Saul to Selena it felt like I was dying inside. I had never cared for anyone this much in my life, including all the men. Including Elijah. It was something different than I’d ever felt before and I wasn’t going to lose it now just when I’d found it.

 

I cried out and jumped forward without thinking about it. May laughed but she looked more upset than amused. “I didn’t think you would ever find someone more important to you than the boys.”

 

The truth was, I hadn’t thought so either.

 

“It’s a pity she has to go so soon.”

 

She was pissed off and jealous. She was upset I hadn’t loved her the way I loved Selena. It was difficult, though, to love someone who loved herself so much that there wasn’t space for anyone else. Besides, May had lost the plot ages ago. I had never wanted to spend the rest of my life with a lunatic.

 

The jealousy was insane, though. I could see her bristle. She almost had a green glow to her. It was awful because she knew exactly what Selena meant to me now and she had the gun pointed at her.

 

I still had my guns on me – I hadn’t only packed the dynamite. I knew well enough that it was good to be prepared for every contingency with May. There was no telling what she would do. Selena closed her eyes. I could see her giving up, giving in, accepting her death. There was something very strong about a person who had the ability to do that instead of panicking. Selena was amazing in every way, and the more I got to know her, the more I was reminded of how spectacular she was.

 

This was not the end.

 

I pulled a gun out of my pocket and aimed it at May. I closed one eye and then opened it again and pulled the trigger. It had been aimed at her head. At the last moment I’d aimed it at her hand instead. The gun kicked back in my hand and the shot was loud, ringing in my ears. Selena cried out around the gag. May screamed and the gun fell to the ground with a clatter, pointing at no one in particular. May howled on the ground, her bloody hand clutched against her chest.

 

She was damn lucky I hadn’t just killed her.

 

Selena’s eyes shot open and she sagged to the ground after she realized she wasn’t dead.

 

I ran toward her, holding onto the gun, and caught her. “Hey, it’s okay,” I said, trying to sound as soothing as possible. “Everything’s safe now. You’re safe.” I took the gag out of her mouth and she swallowed twice. A sob racked her chest and she started crying. “It’s okay, I’m here. No one’s going to hurt you.”

 

I glanced up at the guy who had been watching Selena. He shook his head and surrendered his gun. He put his hands up and stepped away from it. He knew he was outnumbered.

 

I turned my attention back to Selena and pulled the tape from her wrists. The skin was red after I got it off and she rubbed her wrists. She was crying and I pulled her against my chest, rubbing her shoulder, trying to get her to calm down.

 

“It’s going to be all right.”

 

I looked up at the guys and nodded at one of them who walked over to Saul and started untying him, too. He got out of the chair and walked toward us with a limp. I noticed bruises on his arms. They must have roughed him up a little, careful not to hurt his face. If I’d seen that I would have lost it right there. May had known that.

 

“Thanks, man. I owe you.” Saul clapped me on the back.

 

I shook my head. “You don’t owe me a thing. This is what brothers do.”

 

He nodded. Being called my brother was the biggest honor I could bestow on him after Elijah. He looked at Selena, concerned. She whimpered in my arms but the worst was over.

 

She finally looked up. She took my face between her hands and kissed me. She tasted like salty tears. “I thought I was going to die.”

 

“I would never let that happen to you.” That was the God-honest truth.

 

She ran her hands through her hair, tried to wipe the tears and the make-up streaks, and took a deep, shuddering breath. “How did you do it?” she asked.

 

I shrugged. “I bought them off. I knew May had offered them money, so I went to my banker and I told her to release enough funds so I could pay them more.”

 

Selena frowned. “You had that much money?”

 

I shrugged. “I didn’t want to tell you what I have. I didn’t want you to date me for my money.”

 

She smiled and it was a wonderful expression. Saul chuckled.

 

“If you don’t have morals, money usually does the trick.”

 

Selena shook her head. We got up. I held her against me as we turned to face the rest of them.

 

“They’re on our side now right?”

 

I nodded. “They work for me now. At least, for today, anyway.”

 

I thanked them and one by one they dispersed. Saul made a call to the rest of my gang, asking them to meet us at the clubhouse.

 

“Come on,” I said to her. “I want you to officially meet the guys.”

 

I got on my bike and Selena got on behind me. One of the others, I wasn’t sure who, offered her a helmet. I drove to the club. Saul would ride with one of the gang who would pick him up on the way. Everything was going to be fine.

 

The trip back was like going back in time, in a way. It felt like a million years ago that I was last at the club, in a different lifetime. Now I had Selena at my side, all my men were safe, May was taken care of. I knew the others would run her out of town. They were on my side now – if you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. Right? That was what I did. Sort of. I’d really just offered then a price they couldn’t refuse so they’d ended up joining me but that was beside the point. The only thing that mattered was that everyone was safe. Selena. Saul. My boys. Me. I’d lost a lot of people in my past but those days were over and I wasn’t going to lose any more of them.

 

I also wasn’t going to sacrifice my life to save them. I had Selena now, and even though my boys were still everything to me, I was going to make sure everyone was safe, and that included me.

 

I was exhilarated. We’d won. I’d managed to beat May. I’d managed to get rid of my past. It was a lot more than just facing someone in the flesh. This had been all about facing my demons and I’d managed. I knew I was ready for the new chapter in my life now. I could give Selena a clean slate. I could offer her the life, the man, she deserved.

 

When we pulled into the lot at the club all the other bikes were there, lined up. Selena eyed them when she slid off the bike and took off her helmet.

 

“They’re family,” I said to her.

 

She smiled at me and I knew she understood. I wanted her to feel safe around my men, safe in the life that would come with me no matter how hard I tried to change it. I was still me, after all, and there would still be parts of me that would never go away.

 

We stepped into the club and everyone clapped and cheered. I couldn’t help but grin like an idiot. Selena seemed shy. She stood very close to me, but she was smiling, too.

 

“Do you mind if I go make a call?” she asked.

 

I nodded.

 

“I don’t have a phone on me.”

 

I led her to the office. May had draped herself over this very desk just over a week ago. Maybe it was a good idea to christen it with Selena, just to get rid of all the bad memories. I looked at her, at her body, her face, and I wanted her. I always wanted her.

 

She smiled at me and in her eyes I could see she knew what I was thinking.

 

“I need to take care of this,” she said firmly. It wasn’t a no; it was a ‘not right now.’ I pointed at the phone on the desk. She could use that to make her calls. I checked the window, made sure everything was safe and secure. I knew we were out of danger now but I was still in protective mode and I’d been way too close to losing her to just be able to relax now that it was all over.

 

I stepped out of the office and closed the door behind me.

 

One of the boys stood in the hallway, looking at me. “I’ll make sure she’s okay,” he said.

 

I clapped him on the back. They were all loyal to the death and they seemed to understand. They really were my family, there for me through thick and thin.

 

Saul walked to me when I joined the others in the bar area. His face was somber, his limp a little more pronounced. “We sent two boys over to Selena’s apartment to check on Mitchell.”

 

His voice was grim and I knew what they’d found before he shook his head with a sad expression. I balled my hand into a fist and punched the wooden wall next to me, making a hole. I’d lost one. I couldn’t save them all. The pain was sharp and intense. Familiar.

 

“He died fighting. There were signs of distress. He died looking after her for you.”

 

I nodded. It was the most noble death I could imagine. We would give him a farewell worthy of his honor and his loyalty. I had to take care of the living now first.

 

“Are you okay?” I asked.

 

Saul nodded and leaned against the wall, his head right next to the hole I’d just punched. “Just a little beat up, but I’ll survive. I’ve had worse.”

 

I nodded. “I’m glad you’re alive.”

 

“Me too.”

 

We both chuckled and then we fell silent again. We watched the rest of the gang laughing and talking, some of the others, the ones I’d bought over, in the room, too.

 

“I don’t know how you did it.”

 

I shrugged. “I don’t know, either, to be honest. When I found out she had you I was about to lose my shit all over the show. She’s lucky she’s still alive.”

 

Saul smiled. “I was thinking that. You looked murderous when you arrived.”

 

We stood side by side for a while. It was good to be home, with my people. It was good to be next to Saul, my brother. All this was good.

 

“I asked her to marry me.”

 

Saul gave me a sideways glance. “That’s big.”

 

I nodded. “She’s different than anyone I’ve ever known. I want to be with her. I want to give her the kind of life she deserves. I want to settle down and have the life I deserve.”

 

Saul put his hand on my shoulder and I knew he agreed. He approved. “I always knew you were too good for this life.”

 

We gave each other a half hug before I stepped into the room and called for the attention of my men.

 

“I have some news,” I said.