Ricky
I’m in the wheelchair, my bag is packed and I’m ready to get the hell out of here. I need to be with my brothers at the club. While I wait for Pope to collect me, I pull out my phone and call my mom. Kyla’s been keeping her up to date on my progress but I said I’d call her myself when I was being discharged. She answers on the fourth ring and her voice reminds me of home.
“Hey, mom.”
“Hello darling, how are you feeling today?” she asks.
“I’m okay, better to be going home.”
“Are the doctors sure you’re well enough to leave?”
“They’re sure,” I chuckle, “As soon as Pope gets his ass here, I’m gone.”
She doesn’t share my joy to be going home, it doesn’t matter how hard I try to convince her I’m okay, she worries too much.
“Mom? What’s wrong?” I ask, when the line goes quiet.
“I wish you’d let me come and see you, I could see for myself that you’re okay.”
The last thing I need is my mother coming to town and being caught in the fight. It’s hard enough Kyla is in the middle of it.
“You’d have a wasted trip, I’m fine, I promise you.”
“I hardly think seeing my boy would be a wasted trip,” she snaps down the phone, beginning to lose her patience with me.
“If I promise to come and see you soon, will you stay where you are?”
Where it’s safe, I think to myself.
“How soon?”
“Very soon,” I say, not able to give her an exact date, “I’ll bring Ky with me and we’ll stay for a few days.”
Hopefully this will be enough to placate her because I’m running out of ideas to keep her away.
My mom was weary of Kyla when they first met. She worried that Kyla’s history with drugs would bring me down and the grief I endured over my sister’s overdose would resurface. However, after a couple of days seeing how serious I was about her and completely in love, she used the time to see past Ky’s addiction. Once she relaxed, Kyla relaxed and they both got on well.
“Okay, if I don’t see you both soon, I’ll come to you and you won’t have a choice,” she warns and I release a long sigh as a weight is lifted off my shoulders.
“Cool, I’m going to go. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Bye, son.”
I hang up and throw my phone in my bag as the door bangs open and Pope walks in with Cas, Sparky and Slade.
“What are you all doing here?” I ask, surprised they all made the trip.
“How could you think we weren’t gonna bring our brother home in style?” Sparky booms, walking around me and taking hold of my chair.
He starts pushing me out as Slade holds the door open, and says, “You’re going home, brother.”
Cas is walking with a slight limp, Sparky is pushing me looking like he’s had a fight with a Bull and Slade has stitches along his hairline. We’re the walking wounded and everyone stares as we pass. We’re alive though and that’s what counts.
Outside, it’s beginning to rain and the cool breeze washes over my face. I’ve never been so happy to be out in the rain.
I spy Slade’s truck. “Get me out of here, brothers.”
“We’re at the cabin until further notice, which should keep your old lady happy.”
I ignore Sparky and keep my mouth shut. Kyla hasn’t mentioned me leaving the club in the last couple of days, but I haven’t missed her tense up every time Pope and I talk about Danny. She keeps quiet and ignores everything club related.
The hospital fades into the distance behind us and I don’t look back. I don’t like feeling vulnerable, I’d rather go back to prison.
A wave of dizziness hits me and I roll down the window for the fresh air. Inhaling deeply, I hope it passes quickly. The doctor warned me I might feel dizzy and suffer from headaches for a while. I wasn’t listening to the rest, I was too keen to leave. I would’ve agreed to anything to get out.
“You okay?” Cas asks, lighting up a cigarette.
“I will be in a second, nothing to worry about.”
“I trust you, but Kyla is worried, she doesn’t want you getting back in the fight yet.”
I look over to my president, “Has she said something to you?”
“Yeah, she thought if I told you to sit out you’d have to listen.”
Fucking hell. I can’t have my girl going behind my back to my president. I know she’s still shook up from the blast but this wasn’t her call.
“You’re not going to listen to her, are you?”
“No, unless I see for myself or one of the brothers tell me different, I’ll take your word you’re okay.”
I should be listening to my brothers filling me in on what’s been happening but I stare out of the window and try to keep my cool about Kyla going to Cas. It’s embarrassing.
I’m divided when I see her waiting on the porch as we pull up to the cabin. I smile because she’s only sitting there because of me, knowing I’m her world but then I’m pissed because she’s been around long enough now to know how the club works, and more importantly, how I work.
She walks over when the truck comes to a stop and opens my door. She holds her hand out like I’m going to take it.
“I can get out of the truck, babe,” I growl.
“Still being a stubborn ass then,” she mutters, sarcastically, turning away.
I reach out and grab onto her hand before she can walk away and keep her close to me as we head into the cabin.
I hear all the welcome homes but I can’t take them in until I’ve spoken with Kyla. We need to set things crystal clear between us now.
“What room have you been staying in?” I ask, pulling her to a stop by the stairs.
I know she would have had her own room being my old lady and Pope’s daughter.
“I’ll show you.”
I keep a hold of her hand as she leads me up the stairs and I follow her to the end of the hall and into the last bedroom. I don’t think I’ve been in this room before, it’s small and just about fits the bed and a wardrobe.
“My dad packed you a bag from ours, the essentials and some clothes.”
I nod and sit on the end of the bed. Kyla hovers by the window and the anger I felt on the way back evaporates. I can’t be angry with her for loving me, worrying about me or wanting the best for me. Still, I have to make sure she understands she doesn’t make decisions for me, not when it comes to my life in the club.
“Why did you go to Cas behind my back?” I begin.
“It wasn’t behind your back, you weren’t here and he was…”
“Don’t bullshit me, why did you do it after we spoke at the hospital?”
She walks over and sits beside me.
“All I keep hearing is how the club is strong, their plans to fight harder and fiercer. There’s more guns being brought here every day, all everyone is talking about is blood and death and all I can see is you being dragged out of a burning car unconscious. I thought you were dead…”
“But I’m not, I’m still here,” I say, cutting her off.
“For how long?” she snaps, “You won’t even take a few days off to rest. I’ve seen enough in the club to know it’s going to get a lot worse before it gets better.”
I reclaim her hand and press my lips to her warm, soft skin.
“I’m stronger around you and my brothers. I have to stand with the club and as much as I love you, and I do love you so much, there is nothing you can say to stop me from fighting.”
She purses her lips and nods. She pulls her hand away from mine and walks over to the door.
“Do you want something to eat? I know how much you hated the food in hospital,” she says calmly.
That’s it? No tears? No arguing with me? This isn’t what I was expecting and it throws me off.
“No, I’m not hungry…is that it?” I ask, confused as fuck.
“What more do you want? I’ve told you how I’m feeling, you haven’t listened and have told me what I’m feeling doesn’t matter. There’s nothing left to say.”
Growling in frustration, I get up off the bed and go over to her. Bracing my hands on either side of her face, I make sure I have her whole attention.
“Do you know what, Ky? If you want to think that then go ahead. Know this though, it’s not all about me standing with my brothers, it’s about keeping every threat against us away from you too.”
“I have my dad for that…”
“No,” I yell, not wanting to, “I’m your man, it’s my job to protect you and I will keep you safe. You don’t get to tell me how I look after you.”
She softens and leans into my chest. I wrap my arms around her and hope this is the end of it.
“You won’t be able to protect me if you’re dead,” she murmurs, “Why can’t you see I’m trying to protect you in return?”
I can’t help myself, I laugh.
“It’s not funny.”
“I know it’s not,” I soothe her, “Believe me, I know how serious this is. Trust me when I tell you everything is going to work out, just wait and see.”
She doesn’t have anything else to say and winds her arms around my waist. I feel the fight leave her and I hope she can find the trust I need. I bring my hand up and run my fingers through her soft, silky hair and wrap my hand around the back of her neck.
"I will always come home to you, please believe me. I love you, you are the reason for everything I do, sometimes it's crazy and dangerous and sometimes it's quiet and safe, but no matter what we go through, nothing will break us apart. I fucking swear it."
She pulls away but not far as I don’t let her, and the fear in her eyes isn't gone like I had hoped.
"I believe every word you tell me, always have done and always will. But, I believe in the unknown too and that's what scares me."
We're not getting anywhere. I lean forward and press my lips to hers, I can feel her hesitance and I start to believe it's already coming between us. However, that feeling fades when she responds and sweeps her tongue across mine. I start backing us up towards the bed when some fucker bangs on the door.
"Cas wants you downstairs," Slade yells.
"I'll be down in a minute."
Kyla is out of my arms and across the room before I hear Slade's boots walking away from the door.
"I can't wait for this to be over and you can see all this worrying is for nothing."
"I hope you're still here when it's over, I really do and if you are, I'll never say another word about it."
She opens the door and slips out before I can say a word and when I make it downstairs, she's with her mom in the kitchen. My brothers are set up in the living room and I close the door behind me, and take a seat next to Pope.
"Now Rick's back where he belongs, we can move forward. The prospects are clearing up the club ready for us to return. Jake hasn't been around again and while he's off our back for now, Slade, Sparky and myself will head out hunting and Niall, Noah and Dex will go out when we return tonight," Cas says, earning disgruntled groans from Pope and I.
"I ain't sitting around on my fuckin' ass while everyone else does the hard graft," Pope snaps.
"I didn’t say you'd be left here on your ass, but you and Ricky will stay here and watch over the women and kids. I don’t want to hear any more about it."
Pope's anger radiates off of him in waves and it matches mine. It's because of me, I know it is, if I hadn't have been discharged from the hospital this morning I'd be out with them today.
"We're leaving within the next ten minutes, Pope and Rick, you can check over the weapons and make sure they're ready to go when we are."
I nod and Cas waits for Pope to agree. He does and every one stands but us.
"I'm sorry, if it weren't for me, you'd be out there," I say, once we're alone.
"Nah, my turn to stay behind was due, I just don’t fuckin' like it."
He heaves himself up to his feet and I'm left alone in the living room listening to everyone getting ready to leave and I feel like shit.