On my bike, I followed Abel back to his house. It had been a little over a day since Raine went missing and I was barely in my right mind. I knew I needed to keep it together and that I was no good to anyone, especially Raine and our baby, freaking the fuck out and raging all the time. But, how could I not be going absolutely fucking bat-shit crazy? All that was keeping me going was knowing she was out there and I was going to rescue her. Nothing else in the world mattered.

“When’s the last time either of you slept?” Crickett asked right as we walked through the front door.

We both shrugged, evading the question.

“What can I do? How can I help?” She was bouncing her knee, standing in front of the stove, cooking what smelled like chili. Her face was still swollen. I hated seeing the bruises on her body. They made me so much more worried about the shape Raine was in.

“Get your ass to the bar and stay there, woman. You’re supposed to be on lockdown, just like everyone else. Just because you’re my old lady doesn’t mean you can do whatever the fuck you want. You shouldn’t be here alone,” Abel barked at her as he went over to his gun safe.

Collin came trotting down the stairs. “She’s not. I needed to shower and change and Mom needed to keep busy.”

Abel stopped fiddling with the lock on the safe and grabbed his son by the neck, throwing him against the wall. “You have got to be fucking kidding me. How is my own son this goddamn stupid? You’re acting like you don’t give a fuck that your sister is missing or that your mother almost died in a car accident yesterday!”

I put my hand on Abel’s shoulder. “We’re all here together. They’re safe. Let’s not let this get worse by adding in a family feud to the shit storm that is already forming.”

Abel slowly pulled a deep breath in through gritted teeth, letting go of Collin.

“Sorry. You said we couldn’t be alone, and there were two of us here.” He tried to explain, but Abel held up his hand to stop him.

“Save it, son. I meant that we all ride in pairs. You should have brought Holt, Red or Jesse with you, anyone for fuck’s sake.”

Crickett threw a dishrag at Abel’s face. “What? Do I not count as a person or some shit?”

“Do not forget your place. Are you wearing a cut? Do you weigh more than a buck-ten? Can you fight off a group of bikers trying to hurt you?” Abel’s chest was heaving as the artery in his neck started to pulse. The stress that we were under was starting to get the better of us all.

Crickett just hung her head and started to cry. She hadn’t been out of the hospital more than a few hours and I knew she was still on pain medication. I couldn’t imagine how helpless she felt in that moment, and Abel saw it too.

Abel walked over to his wife, taking her into his arms. “I’m sorry baby, I just couldn’t stand something more happening to you right now.” He pulled her chin up, kissing her bruised cheeks.

“We’re all under a lot of pressure. I just want Raine to come home. I am so sorry.” She looked right at me as she apologized.

“For what?” I was beyond confused. “None of this is your fault. You didn’t run your car into the other vehicle. You didn’t kidnap Raine.”

“I should have protected her,” she screamed, dropping to her knees.

I got down on her level, grabbing her shoulders. “Crickett, look at me.” It took a few seconds for her to finally comply. “I don’t doubt for one fucking second that if you could have stopped any of this from happening, you would have. No one is blaming you. Let yourself off the hook. Raine needs all of us working together to get her home safely.”

She wiped her running nose with the back of her hand. “Yeah, okay. You’re right.”

I helped Crickett to her feet and walked her over to the kitchen table. “Take a seat and try to relax while we grab everything we need from here.”

“Are you okay, sugar?” Abel knelt down in front of Crickett to check on her one more time.

“Just bring our baby home safe and sound.” She kissed his forehead before he got back to his feet.

“Ryder, fill this duffle with all the guns and ammo from the safe.” Abel handed me the bag and I went to work.

Collin helped Crickett put the chili into a few Tupperware containers as Abel went around grabbing all the hidden pistols and shotguns. I knew he had a small arsenal in the house, but had never known just how many. We had enough firepower to start a guerilla warfare militia, and that was a conservative estimation.

Abel handed a handgun to Collin and then one to Crickett. “Take your mother back to the bar and make sure everyone is accounted for. We’re going to meet Bear and Holt on Copperline. Do not tell anyone where we are. Got it?”

Collin nodded. “Yes, I’m on it. I’m not going to let you down again, Dad.”

“I know.” Abel hugged Collin quickly before turning to Crickett.

“Honey, we both already have guns.” Crickett held her purse open for Abel to see that her Smith & Wesson was right where it always was.

“I know, but having a backup never hurt.” He quickly kissed her goodbye and we watched as they pulled out of the driveway in my truck.

“Kevlar?” I looked over to Abel and he nodded.

“Damn, I can’t believe I almost walked out here without those.”

We both put them on under our shirts then he double-checked that all the guns were loaded and ready to go.

“We have all the bases covered now.” Abel slapped me on the shoulder. “Let’s bring our girl home.”

* * *

“We know they just moved her from the original holding place to the warehouse I mentioned this afternoon,” Bear explained.

“Are you sure?” I asked before thinking it through.

He glared at me. “Oh sorry princess, I didn’t know I was going to have to explain myself at every damn turn. I’ve had a tail on these guys for a few months now. Yes, I am one hundred fucking percent positive they are holding your damn wife where we are about to go.”

Abel punched him square in the jaw. Bear, just like my dad and I, stood frozen in disbelief as Abel shook out his right hand. “Don’t talk to my son-in-law like he is a fucking imbecile. If he asks you a question, you answer it as if I asked it of you. Don’t forget who wore the patch first, brother.”

Bear gritted his teeth. “Look, we’re all under a lot of pressure here. I’m sorry, but I am trying to get your girl back and clean up your mess as quickly as possible.”

Holt loaded a clip into his gun. “Lead the way.”

I stood in front of them, clearing my throat. “First, I need you all to remember, we’re on a rescue mission for two. This needs to be as clean as possible. Raine is already in a fragile state as it is. We cannot lose this baby.”

Hearing my own words damn near broke me. I was terrified of what it would do to my sweet wife if she miscarried; she had already been through enough.

It took a few hours to get just down the road from the warehouse, and we were met by two guys I didn’t know from the Atlanta chapter.

“Gents, this is Jaxon and Rigger, two of my best men.”

Jaxon nodded to us while Rigger started to explain, “We saw them take Raine in a beat-up dark van and they went around back of an industrial park just down the road from here. We know there were two guys in the vehicle, but we have not been able to assess how many are inside.”

Something felt off to me about Rigger. He seemed to know too much for someone that was just tailing. How’d he know the layout of the industrial park we were about to enter, if they couldn’t get close enough to know how many guys were in there? I pushed my concerns to the side because it didn’t matter how he knew any of this shit, he was helping me get my wife back.

The sun started to peek up over the mountain range off in the distance. I stared off, trying to really get my head in the game. I reached into the side compartment on my bike, pulling out a hunting knife I’d had since I was a kid. The image of slitting all of Raine’s captors’ throats wide open flashed before my eyes as I fastened the leather sheath to my belt.

Abel cocked his head to the side, looking at me. “What’s one more weapon?” I said with a shrug, and he left it at that.

“We have a utility van stashed in the woods.” Jaxon pointed behind us. “We’ll leave the bikes here and all ride in together in that beast.”

Bear started to the walk his Harley back into the thicket. “We’re going to have to act quickly though. The element of surprise and the early hour are the only two things we have going for us. We’re probably going to be outnumbered and outgunned.”

I started to chuckle, throwing the heavy-ass duffle I’d carried on my back all the way down there at his feet. “There’s no fucking way they have us outgunned unless this is a fucking storage locker for all of their weapons.”

After stashing our motorcycles, we climbed into the van. Bear was at the wheel with Abel riding shotgun, and my dad looked across at me. “Everything is going to be fine, son. We’re going to get Raine home safe and sound.”

Pulling up to the gate, Abel jumped out. He cut the security chain and rolled the gate to the side. Hopping back into the front seat, he looked over at Bear. “That seemed easy.”

“I agree.” He shook his head as he continued to drive toward the back of the lot. He parked the van in an empty bay and we all silently rushed out.

“I’m not liking how quiet it is here, even for the time of day and location,” Holt said to Abel. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

Rigger trotted over to their side. “It should be right over here. We saw them turn this corner.” He pointed and started to lead the way.

I was bringing up the rear of the group with my dad right behind Rigger. We were all on high alert and in agreement that something just didn’t feel right about the situation. There wasn’t a guard on patrol, no alarm on the gate, no one by the back door. The damn door wasn’t even locked.

We slowly filed into the large empty storage room. I looked around frantically, seeking any sign of where they could have been hiding Raine.

The sound of muffled weeping came from the very back. I held my finger up to my lips then pointed to my ears for them to listen closely with me. Right when I heard it again, my heart started racing—it was definitely Raine.

I couldn’t run back there fast enough. I kicked the door open and there she was, balled up in the corner, crying softly.

“Raine,” I said as I exhaled, scooping her up into my arms.

“Ryder, I knew you’d come for me.” Her voice was weak as her head fell onto my chest.

Her hands were cuffed and she was really banged up, but she was alive and that was the most important thing. I started to rush back toward the group.

Right as I got about two steps away from Abel, a machine gun started firing from the open back door. Without even thinking about it, I rushed back into the room where Raine had been kept. Holt, Bear, and Jaxon were all right behind us.

“Where’s my dad?” Raine asked, looking at the guys desperately.

“He’s here, sweetie.” Holt grabbed Raine from me as he reassured her. “He’ll be here any minute now.”

I looked through the cracked door—Abel was hiding behind some shelving on the far side of the warehouse. As I was about to shut the door again, a man walked up and tried to grab me. Without even thinking, I grabbed my knife. I cut his hand first then shoved the blade right into his eye socket. The body felt to the floor in a convulsing, blood spewing heap.

Abel ran over to us, ducking into the small space.

“Daddy! Oh thank goodness,” Raine yelled.

He wrapped his arms around his daughter. “Baby, I am so glad to see you.”

“How many were out there?” Bear asked, getting us all back on track.

“Two from what I can tell. One I got, and the other Ryder stabbed. Nice work with that knife, kid.”

“Can you walk?” I asked Raine as my dad put her down.

She nodded. “I don’t know if I can run, but walking has been all right.”

“Ryder, you carry Raine and we’ll cover you,” Abel instructed.

They all surrounded me as I pulled Raine up into my arms with Abel directly behind us.

He put his hand on Raine’s cheek, wiping a tear away. “Let’s get you home, sugar.”

In the middle of the circle, I ran for the exit as fast as I could. When we were all almost out the door, a single shot was fired. I heard a body drop behind me and I knew who it was but I couldn’t stop. I had to get Raine to safety.

Holt and Bear both turned back and I heard them yell and unload their clips. Jaxon, Raine, and I were in the back of the van waiting for the rest of our group.

Rigger jumped in right after us. “Holy shit that was close.” His chest was heaving as he took a seat opposite Jaxon.

“Where the fuck were you?” Jaxon asked him.

The look of satisfaction on his face was sinister. “Finishing the plan.”

“What the fuck does that mean?”

Rigger pulled his gun out of its holster, pointing it right at Jaxon’s head. “This.”

Before Rigger could pull the trigger, I shot him right in the temple.

Jaxon was frozen for a few seconds before his fist slammed into the metal side of the van. “Fucking traitor!” he screamed, “I cannot believe that my own brother would double cross us like this.”

I tried to think of ways to calm him or ease his rage, but there was nothing. Nothing that I could say would make treason all right. We had a fucking Benedict Arnold in our midst and none of us caught on fast enough.

Raine looked up at me. “Who are they?” she whispered in my ear.

I laughed at the simple question. “This is Jaxon. He tailed the van that brought you here.” Then it all clicked—it was never about Raine. It was all a trap to get us there.

My eyes got wide and I shoved my pistol into Raine’s hand. “The safety is off. Just point and shoot if anyone gets near this van that you do not know.” I looked at Jaxon. “Guard her with your life.”

I didn’t even wait for either of them to respond as I rushed back in to find the rest of my guys. Bear was standing over a kneeling body with another on the ground. “Dad? Abel?” I called out as I ran over to them.

I couldn’t believe my eyes: Abel was lying motionless on the ground in my father’s arms, the back of his head gushing blood. My dad started to attempt CPR. It wasn’t working. Abel was gone.

Bear dropped to his knees as a burly scream rose into the air. Looking past them, I saw three Sinners’ bodies sprawled out.

“Come on, Abel. You can’t die like this. Not here, not now.” My father growled, “I will kill every last one of them.”

I pulled him to his feet. “Let’s get him out of here.”

Bear and I carried Abel’s limp body toward the van.

“Give me a second.” I set him down before getting back into the van.

“Raine, baby? I need you to be so strong right now.”

She batted her eyelashes at me, waiting for me to continue.

“It’s your dad.” The words formed a lump in my throat. I didn’t know how I was going to tell her.

Her cuffed hands flew to her mouth. “No….Ryder? Please…don’t…he’s fine. You’re just fucking with me, right?”

I shook my head and she started slamming her hands onto my chest.

“No! He can’t be,” she sobbed.

“Honey, I need you to sit in the front seat for me, please,” I begged, carrying her through the back of the van up to the passenger’s seat. She frantically tried to get out of my arms to see what was going on. Pulling my wife onto my lap, I held her against me as tightly as I could, covering her eyes.

“Ryder, please stop.” She tried to get me to move my hand.

“Jaxon, will you please help Holt and Bear.”

He hopped out and I could hear the guys struggling to get Abel’s body into the back of the vehicle.

“Babe, trust me, you have to keep your eyes closed. You do not want to see this.”

She didn’t listen, and how could I blame her? Her father was her world. The shrill that broke from Raine’s lungs was one I would never be able to forget. It was the sound of a heart completely shattering.

“Daddy! No! Wake up! Please!” She thrashed in my arms, trying to get back to him.

“Raine, I am so sorry.” I sobbed as I forced her to stay with me.

I had thought I was heartbroken when Raine went missing, but that anguish paled in comparison to watching the woman I loved with my entire self completely break down in my arms and not being able to do anything about it.

We got back to where our bikes were within minutes, and Raine was still wailing. Bear looked at me. “I’ll make a call and get all your bikes back up to Vilas by the evening.”

I nodded. “Thanks.”

He ran his hand over his face, his eyes glassed over. Looking back, he sat there for a few seconds. “Abel is the best man I have ever known and his love for his family is unparalleled.” He hopped out of the driver’s seat with the van still running. “Y’all take her back up with you. Holt, are you good to drive?”

My old man made his way up front, blood covering most of his body. “Yeah. Good to go.” He hopped out to give Bear a hug before climbing behind the wheel.

I tried to ignore the fact that we were heading back home with two dead bodies in the back of an unmarked utility van that probably had fake or stolen plates on it. All I could do was focus on trying to calm Raine down. I completely failed. She cried so hard that she ended up passing out in my arms after about an hour, simply overcome by exhaustion.

“Do not go to the bar,” I told my father.

He shot me a blank stare. “We need to get Crickett and Collin.”

“Go to Abel’s house. I’ll take his truck and take Raine to the hospital.”

My dad glanced at me again. “And what, just ignore that other issue?”

I shook my head. “We have to get her to a doctor right away. Once I am out of there with Raine, call Crickett, do whatever the fuck you have to do, but right now, just get me to that damn truck as fast as you can.”