I’d all but given up on finding happiness, deciding that it simply wasn’t in the cards for me. I started to think that I was destined to live my life with tears in my eyes and an ache in my heart, but I was wrong—so very wrong. To my absolute wonder, I found someone who, without hesitation, has faced all the turmoil and doubt of my recent events, and given me everything he’s got for support. He made everything seem easy, and that as long as he was by my side, I could handle anything. For the first time since I’d left home, he made me feel like I had a place where I belonged—that I belonged with him. I wanted to trust my feelings. I wanted to take a chance and hold on to the happiness that I’ve found with him, but the looming doubt of what was to come terrified me. It was impossible to think about the future when my past was holding us back, and that’s when I realized that there was nothing worse than being stuck in a place where you didn’t belong. I was going to take a chance. I was going to take a chance with Diesel and the life we could have together.

It wasn’t exactly a difficult choice. He’d been wonderful to me from the start, and things just kept getting better. The next morning, I woke up to the sound of pots and pans banging in the kitchen. When I rolled over and found myself alone in the bed, I got up and threw on one of Diesel’s old t-shirts. My feet were freezing, so I grabbed a pair of his socks and slipped them on, too. After I pulled my hair up in a ponytail, I went to see what Diesel was up to. As soon as he saw me heading towards him, a sexy smile crossed his face. “Good morning, beautiful.”

“Morning.” I smiled as I walked over to the stove. “What’s all this?”

“Thought I’d make us up some breakfast.” He leaned towards me and kissed me on the temple. “I hope I didn’t wake you.”

As I rubbed the sleep from my eyes, I asked, “What time is it?”

“Almost eleven.”

“Eleven? I had no idea I’d slept that long.” I watched as he cracked a few eggs into a bowl. “Can I help you do anything?”

“Nope. I’ve got it. Why don’t you grab a cup of coffee and keep me company?”

After I poured myself a cup, I walked over to the end of the counter and sat down on one of the stools. My heart swelled as I watched him, the rough and tough biker, scurry around the kitchen like a professional chef. He never failed to surprise me, and I found myself wondering how I’d gotten to be so lucky. “Can I ask you something?”

“Anything you want. Unless it’s the recipe for my biscuits. That’s a secret.” He teased.

“Why are you doing all this for me?”

“Well, it’s not just for you.” He smiled. “I plan on eating, too.”

I sighed with a playful roll of my eyes. “That’s not what I meant, and you know it.”

“I don’t know. Maybe I was just overcome with a need to help a damsel in distress.”

“Seriously? That’s all this is to you?”

An intense expression crossed his face as he laid the spatula down on the counter and walked over to me. “No, Ellie. That’s not all this is to me. I wish I knew how to explain it, but I honestly don’t even understand it myself. This thing … this connection between us baffles me, but I like it. I like it a lot.”

“I like it, too.”

“You’re an amazing woman.” He brought his hand up to my face, cupping my jaw as he continued, “Even after everything you’ve been through, there’s still a fire burning in you. You haven’t given up, and something tells me, you never will.”

“So, what you’re saying is … you like me?” I goaded.

His mouth dropped to mine as he kissed me tenderly, leaving me completely breathless. I’d barely had a chance to recover when he said, “Yeah, that’s what I’m saying.”

“Good.” I replied with a smile. “Because I’m pretty crazy about you, too.”

“I guess we’re all set then.” He smirked as he moved back over to the stove. “Now, let me cook, woman. I’m starving.”

After we ate, we bundled up in his clothes, and he took me for a stroll down by the water. We spent hours just walking and talking, and after we made our way back to his house, we spent the afternoon making love. It was wonderful, mainly because neither of us spoke about my case or the unknowns surrounding it, and it stayed like that for the next few days.

During one of those days, Diesel took me to the local drug store to pick up a few toiletries, and a cute, little boutique to buy a couple of items of clothing and undergarments, considering I’d left with nothing but the clothes on my back. Another day, we went to some of his favorite places: a little diner at the edge of town, a secret trail tucked away in the mountains, and a beautiful waterfall at Cape Flattery. I couldn’t imagine a better way to spend a day. Each day we just took our time to enjoy one another’s company—until one simple conversation changed everything.

It was early. The sun was just starting to come up, and as I stood there staring out the window, I marveled at just how beautiful it was. Without even realizing it, I let out a troubled sigh. Diesel came up behind me and offered me a cup of coffee. As I reached for it, he asked, “You got something on your mind?”

“I was just thinking.”

“Thinking about what?” He pushed.

“You.”

His lips curled into a sexy smile. “What about me?”

“Why don’t we just run away somewhere … maybe one of those little islands by Fiji.”

“Sounds pretty tempting.”

I gave him a small smile. “Yes, it does, but we both know we can’t do that.”

“Unfortunately, you’re right.” He took a sip of his coffee as he looked out the window. “Can I ask you something?”

“Sure.”

“There’s something about that night that’s been bothering me. I don’t know what it is, but I thought it might help if we talked about it. Maybe we can figure it out together.”

“Okay.”

“You said that you asked him for a divorce. Was that the first time you’d asked him?”

“No. I’d asked him one time before.” I sighed. “Honestly, our marriage was doomed before it even began. We were young and clueless, and neither of us were happy. After I lost the baby, it took months before I could even look at him, but I stayed because I had nowhere else to go. I was stupid enough to think he wouldn’t hurt me again, but he did. You know, I kept thinking … if I was good to him and made him happy that he would stop. Eventually, I just shut down.”

“So, what happened when you asked him for a divorce the first time?”

“He freaked out. I thought he’d be happy to get rid of me, but he refused. We had a huge argument, and I spent three days in the hospital. He told me if I tried to leave him, he would kill me. Needless to say, I wasn’t exactly eager to ask him about it again.”

“Damn. I really want to fucking kill this dude.”

“I think it’s a little late for that.” I teased.

“For his sake, I hope it is,” he grumbled.

“Brady wanted everyone to think that he had the perfect life, but the truth was, other than the fights, we hadn’t touched each other in years. I got to the point where I just avoided him at all cost.”

“So, what made you decide to ask him to sign the papers this time? Did something happen?”

“It’s kind of a long story,” I started. “I kind of blackmailed him.”

“Blackmailed him?” His voice was filled with surprise. “With what?”

“These men came by the house …”

His eyebrows furrowed. “Wait. What men?”

“I don’t know. I’d never seen them before. They had on vests like you and the guys wear, only theirs had something different written on them.”

“Fuck.” He raked his fingers through his hair as he thought about what I’d just revealed. “Do you remember what it said?”

“Something Saints, but I’d have to think about it to remember the rest.”

“Why did they come to your house?”

“They were looking for Brady. They kept asking all these questions about where he might be. They seemed pretty adamant about finding him.” I sighed with frustration. “The whole thing was very odd.”

“So, then what happened?”

“At first, nothing. I figured it had to do with some arrest he’d made or something like that, but then, I got to thinking about all the money he was suddenly making. It wasn’t the kind of money from a police officer’s salary, at least not that I know of, so I started searching for some kind of clue. I didn’t really know what I was looking for, but after a couple of days, I finally found it.”

“What did you find?”

“Drugs. At least that’s what I thought it was. It was a duffle bag filled with white bags of powder, and there was also a big sack of money.”

“Damn.” His entire body grew tense as he crossed his arms and asked, “So, you used all that to blackmail him into signing the papers?”

“Yeah, but it didn’t exactly go as planned. I think he got spooked after he signed the papers. He thought I might tell somebody what I’d found, so he came after me,” I explained. “But at least I got all of it hidden before I left.”

“Hold on.” He stepped towards me. “You hid the money and the drugs?”

“Yes, and if he’s alive out there, I bet he’s pissed that it’s not where he left it.” I shrugged. “I figured I could use it as collateral after I got the papers signed. I’d tell him where I put it once I was off somewhere safe, but everything blew up in my face before I could tell him what I’d done.”

“So, he has no idea that you have the duffle bag?”

“Well, I don’t actually have it.” I grimaced. “I just moved it.”

“Where?”

“I really didn’t have enough time to hide it away from the house, so I put it where the filter goes for the air conditioning unit. Do you know what I’m talking about?” When he nodded, I continued, “I opened it up and slid it under the house, where you couldn’t see it.”

“Damn. You’re a smart one, Ellie Blackwell.” He looked over at the clock, and even though it was early, he said, “I need to call Cotton. I want to see if he has any idea who might’ve come knocking at your door.”

“Do you think it really matters? It’s bad enough that I shot Brady, but if the judge finds out that I was blackmailing him, he’ll think I had motive for killing him.”

“When the judge finds out that Brady was up to no good, it’s going to help you, not hurt you, angel. It’s time for us to turn this thing around and prove once and for all what a piece of shit Officer Brady Blackwell really is.”

I watched as he reached for his phone and called Cotton, telling him everything I’d shared with him. Apparently, his interest was piqued when he heard that another club might be involved, so he told Diesel to bring me over to the club. We both went to his room to get dressed, and as I looked to grab my things, I realized that I’d run out of clean clothes. Having no other choice, Diesel gave me some of his things to wear, and we were on our way. Once we were at the clubhouse, Diesel led me down a hallway I’d never been and right into Cotton’s office. Cotton was talking to Maverick and Stitch when we walked in. After each of them quickly greeted us, Cotton turned to me and said, “Why don’t you tell us what you can remember about the guys who came to your house?”

All eyes turned to me as they waited for my answer. I’d only met Stitch a couple of times, so I still wasn’t used to his intense expression. Trying my best not to let it intimidate me, I told him, “There were four of them. They were riding motorcycles like yours, and they were wearing vests like the ones you wear.”

“Diesel said you remembered seeing the word Saints embroidered on their patch.” He handed me a photograph and asked, “Did it look like this?”

I looked down at the picture of a man wearing a vest, and as soon as I saw the name Forsaken Saints, I knew it was them. “Yes. This looks exactly like the vest they were wearing. In fact, I think this was one of the guys who came to the house. Do you know them?”

He didn’t answer. Instead he looked over to Stitch and said, “Put a call in to Rip. Tell him we’ll be heading that way in a couple of hours.”

Stitch nodded, then headed out the door. Once he was gone, Cotton turned his attention back to me. “Diesel said you’d hidden some drugs and money at your house. Do you think it’s still there?”

“It should be, unless someone found it.”

“Is there a way we can get in there without anyone seeing us?” he asked.

“It would be kind of hard, considering there are security cameras everywhere. I’m not sure how to get past them without being seen.”

“We can take care of that, but once we’re in, we’re gonna need you to show us where you hid the drugs.”

“Okay.”

“And while we’re there, maybe you can grab some of your things.” His eyes skirted over me as he smiled and said, “You know, maybe some clothes that actually fit.” Cotton apparently wasn’t done with me yet when he added, “By the way, darlin’, these vests right here”—he pointed his thumb at his chest and then swirled an index finger at Diesel’s—“are called cuts. It’d do you well to remember that.”

At least he still had a smile on his face when he said it.

While the idea of getting my things excited me, the thought of going back to that house did just the opposite. I hadn’t been back there since the day I’d shot Brady, and I hadn’t planned on ever going back, but I knew it was something I had to do, especially if Cotton asked. After all they’d done for me, there was no way I would tell him no. I listened as Cotton put a call in to Big.

“Need you to do something for me. See what you can do about the security cameras at Ellie’s place … Better yet, kill the power on the whole fucking street. I don’t want to take any chances on anyone seeing us.” After he paused for a moment, he continued, “I’ll text you when we get there. Thanks, brother.”

As soon as he hung up the phone, I followed the guys out to Cotton’s SUV, and once we were all inside, he started driving towards my house. Almost three hours later, we were pulling into the alley behind my garage. After Stitch surveyed the area and gave us the signal that the coast was clear, I led the others through the back entrance and up to the side door of the house. Trying to hide my uncertainties, I used my key to unlock the door.

An eerie feeling washed over me as we walked inside. It was like a part of me expected Brady to be there waiting for me, ready to seek his revenge for what I’d done, and that feeling only got worse as I stepped into the kitchen. My eyes dropped to the floor where I’d left him, and I was surprised that there was no sign of blood anywhere in sight. In fact, the place was spotless, like the shooting had never happened. I looked around the room and noticed how the chairs sat perfectly around the table, the vase that had been knocked over was back in its place, and the rug that had always been in front of the stove was now missing. I was completely baffled. “This doesn’t make any sense. This isn’t how it looked when I left.”

Diesel looked over to me and asked, “What do you mean?”

“Everything’s been put back where it belongs, and Brady ...” I pointed to the floor. “That’s where he was when I left.”

With a blank expression, Cotton asked, “Where’s the bedroom?

“Down the hall. The second door to your left.”

I followed him into the bedroom and watched as he went straight to the closet and opened the door. “Do you notice anything missing?”

“His clothes are gone … and our luggage, too.” I gasped. “Does this mean he’s still alive?”

“I’m not sure what it means. Take us to where you stashed the bag, and then quickly, go grab some of your things. We need to get the fuck out of here.”

They all followed me down the hall, and after I showed them where I’d hidden the drugs and the money, I went back to my bedroom to get what I wanted of my things. My mind was reeling as I started shoving clothes and whatever else into my bag. I didn’t even hear Diesel when he walked up behind me. “You okay?”

“Shit!” I gasped. “You scared me.”

“I take that as a no.” I reached for my bag and placed it on the bed, then he wrapped his arms around me and quietly hugged me. My pounding heart began to slow down as the tension in my muscles started to fade. After several seconds, he whispered, “It’s gonna be okay, angel.”

“Are you sure? I’m really starting to have my doubts about that,” I confessed. “If he’s alive, he’s going to come looking for me. There’s no way he’s just going to let me walk away, especially after I shot him and took his bag.”

“You let me worry about that. I’m not going to allow anything to happen to you.” With a look of pure determination, he said, “No one will ever hurt you again.”

“Diesel! We got everything.” Cotton shouted from the hall. “We need to get rolling.”

“Two minutes!” Diesel reached for my bag. “Grab whatever else you think you might need.”

After I gathered up a few more of my things, we went to the kitchen to meet Cotton and Stitch. As soon as we did, Cotton asked, “Ready?”

Diesel nodded, and as we walked outside, I glanced back at my house and felt a sense of relief knowing that it was the last time I would ever walk through those doors. As I turned to leave, I realized that what I was moving towards was so much better than what I was leaving behind. It was time for me to let go of the past and put all the memories of Brady where they belonged—in the past. I just prayed my future would let me.