“I knew it.” I slammed my fist into the steering wheel as I glanced over at Cass, who was bouncing in her seat. The flames of a raging bonfire could be seen from the gravel road as we made our way to her folks’ home.

“Don’t be mad. Everyone wants to celebrate with you.” Her sheepish grin and furrowing brow melted my heart.

“I could never be mad at you, babe. Thank you for putting this all together.” It was a kind gesture, but it stung my heart a bit.

We passed the row of bikes lining the fence as we headed into the field out back. “Looks like the gang’s all here,” I remarked as I parked my truck between Nate’s and Witt’s.

“Are you surprised?” Cass grabbed my hand before I could hop out of the Bronco.

“I couldn’t be more surprised if I woke up in the morning with my head sewn to the carpet.” I shot her a wink.

“Okay, Clark Griswold,” she teased, following me out of the car.

Handing me a beer, Nate slapped me on the back. “Happy birthday, man.”

“Thanks.” I cracked open the can, taking a long swig. “It’s just like old times.”

Cassidy had no idea how hard it was for me to have a birthday, let alone celebrate it like we used to so many years ago. It made me miss my brother so much and feel guilty that I was alive to see another year while he was six feet under. My mind tripped back to all the parties Cameron used to throw in this very field as we were growing up, the dirt still etched with the countless times he’d stupidly done donuts in the Bronco after a few too many. I could hear his voice echoing in my head, telling me to suck it up and enjoy the night, but I fucking missed him, some times more than others.

Reading me, Nate held his beer high in the air, pouring a little out. “He’s here with us, man—don’t forget that.”

I gave him a quick hug. “Yeah, you’re right.”

Nate’s eyes were glassy and his pupils were dilated to three times their normal size. I could tell he was on something, but it wasn’t the time nor the place to bring that shit up again. I’d have to figure out another way to make him open up to me about it.

Glancing over my shoulder, I checked to make sure Cass was with Teresa and Witt as Buck and Mac walked up to join Nate and me.

Right as I was about to head over to them, a sight for sore eyes came into view. Ryder, Raine, Bear and Scarlett were walking over with shit eating grins on their faces.

“Y’all were in on this too?” I hooked my arm around Ryder’s neck, squeezing hard. “I could kill you guys for not giving me a heads up.”

Raine nodded over to Cassidy. “Your little lady would have shot us all dead if we had spilled these beans.”

“How’s little Abel doin’?” I asked, getting them all beers.

“Good. Home with Crickett for some grandma time. Growing like a fucking weed,” Ryder replied with a proud look plastered on his face.

I hugged them all and shot the shit with my friends for a bit.

“Hey guys! Y’all made it!” Mac and Buck greeted the presidents of the other charters and their old ladies with quick hugs.

“Happy birthday, brother.” Mac bumped his can to mine.

“Guys, can you give us a second?”

“Sure thing.” Bear’s large hand landed on my top of my back. “It is really good to see you, brother. With or without a cut on.”

I watched as the group walked out of earshot before I growled at my former president and his new VP. “That shipment is still at the goddamned warehouse. Care to fucking fill me in, brother?”

Buck put his hand on my shoulder. “Nothing to worry about. I’ll handle it. Let’s just have a good night. I’ll figure out that mess in the morning.”

“I would be having a better night if I didn’t have stolen narcotics in my warehouse where my drug-addicted brother-in-law fucking works.” I was pissed, and I wanted them to know it.

“It’ll be handled, you have my word, and you’ll be compensated for the extra storage time,” Buck said coolly.

“It’s not about the money and you fucking know that,” I bellowed before crushing the rest of the Budweiser in my hand, letting the can fall to the loose dirt next to my boot. “You have until Friday before I handle it myself.”

Right as Mac was about to jump to Buck’s defense, an unmarked, blacked-out van crashed through the gate like a bat out of hell. Before I knew what was happening, a machine gun was blasting off, trying to mow down everyone in the field. Return fire from most of the men scared the van away, but I watched in horror as Cassidy was pulled into Witt’s arms and he covered her and his wife.

The episode was over as quickly as it started, and I rushed to Cass’s side, time speeding back up to normal after seeming to decelerate to slow motion. She was holding her bleeding side, collapsed in Witt’s arms.

“Baby, oh my god.” I pulled her to me, screaming, “Who the fuck was that?”

Ryder and Bear hurried to my aid, helping me check Cassidy for other wounds.

The crowd gathered around as everyone else checked to make sure there were no other casualties. I didn’t care. I leapt to my feet and into my truck as fast as I could.

I tossed my keys to Nate. “Drive,” I barked.

“Follow that van!” I yelled out my window as we sped to the hospital with Cassidy.

I ripped my shirt off, holding it to her side. It was soaked with blood within seconds. “You’re going to be all right, baby. Just stay with me.”

Her eye fluttered as she mumbled, “Was I really shot?”

“Baby, you’re going to be fine. The docs are going to fix you right up.”

The tires screeched as we pulled up to the front entrance of the emergency department.

I bolted through the doors, shouting, “Please help! My wife has been shot.”

“Thanks, Witt. I appreciate it. Feel free to put Kathleen to sleep in the guest room and y’all can sleep in our room. I’ll call you when I know more.” I hung up the phone, shoving it back into my pocket.

I paced in the waiting room, my white undershirt still covered in Cassidy’s blood. Nate sat in a chair off to the side, his head in his hands. Silently, Raine and Scarlett sat in chairs crying while Ryder and Bear joined the club at the barn to try to get to the bottom of the cause of the shooting. Cassidy had already been in surgery for an hour, which left like years at that point.

“Ryan, I have to tell you something.” Nate’s tear-filled eyes met mine as I walked over to him.

“What is it?” I tried to stay calm, but panic was already taking over.

“I think I know who those guys were. They were after me.” He started sobbing into his hands again. “I fucked up, man. I really fucked up.”

Grabbing him by the throat, I pulled him to his feet. “What the fuck did you do?” I shouted into his face, spit flying all over his red cheeks.

“I really fucked up,” he blubbered.

“I need more information than that,” I demanded gruffly, tightening my grip on his throat.

Raine jumped up next to me. “Ryan, you need to try to calm down for Cass’s sake. We don’t need to cause a scene in the middle of the hospital.”

I knew Ryder’s queen was right, but I didn’t care. If Nate was the reason why Cassidy had a bullet wound in her side, I was not going to calm the fuck down.

“He needs to answer me,” I barked at her and she backed away. She knew better than to stand in the way when men fought.

“They’re the thugs my dealer uses for back payment. It’s who Cass saw the other day at the house. I owe a lot of money to the wrong people.”

“Fucking asshole,” Scarlett muttered and I agreed with her.

His confession made me see red. I punched him square in the jaw, letting him drop to the floor at my feet. Both women gasped but didn’t make a move to help him.

“Who are they?” I growled, pulling my phone out of my pocket.

“Some of the Renegades. I’ve been buying from them this entire time. I never really got clean.” He was on his knees, holding his cheek.

“I need a name.” I started to dial Buck.

“Darvey is the guy I’ve been buying from.”

I knew the scumbag well. He was supposed to be an ally of the Unacceptables, not dealing to their family members.

Buck answered on the first ring. “Yeah?”

“Darvey has been dealing to Cassie’s fucking brother this whole damn time. They’re behind this shit.”

“We lost the van, but I know where their safe house is,” Buck replied. “Want me to handle it?”

“No. Wait for me. This is my score to settle.”

I hung up and sank into a chair across from Nate.

“Girls, go to the barn,” I ordered.

“We don’t mind staying here,” Raine muttered.

“Yeah, okay. That might be better. Thanks.” I gently gripped their hands.

I hung up and sank into a chair across from Nate.“What the fuck am I supposed to do now? Your sister, my wife is lying on an operating table, fighting for her life because you wanted to get fucking high. Do you know how bad all of this shit is?” I yelled.

“I’m so sorry, Ax. I am so fucking sorry,” he mumbled as he wept.

“You’re getting yourself into an inpatient rehab this time. I don’t care how much you don’t want to fucking go. You need to get cleaned up if you want to be a part of this family ever again.”

The doctor finally came out of the operating room, walking over with a smile on his face.

“How is she?” I asked, holding my breath, not able to stand from my seat.

“Your wife lost a lot of blood, but she’s going to be fine. We’re going to be moving her to the ICU soon. You’ll be able to see her there.”

Relief washed over me. I didn’t know what I would have done if Cass hadn’t pulled through. There would have been a lot more blood on my hands, to say the least.

“Thank you, doctor.” Tears ran down my face as everything started to sink in. Everything I had done to try to keep Cassidy safe wasn’t enough; she was still in danger. In that moment, I had never felt more vulnerable or out of control.

“Go home,” I ordered Nate. “I don’t want you here right now.”

“Can I at least see her?” he asked, still sitting on the floor like a damn coward.

“You don’t get to see her or my son again until you’re clean. Mark my words, you will not be part of our family if you’re a junkie. We stood by you for years while you struggled, and now it’s time to be a man and handle your shit on your own.”

I walked toward the ICU section of the hospital with Raine and Scarlett. There was nothing more to say to my brother-in-law. He needed to experience tough love for the first time in his life; it was the only way I knew how to save him at that point.

Sinking down on the side of Cassidy’s hospital bed, I completely broke. She was still out from the meds, hooked up to the machines.

It felt like a lifetime before her eyes finally fluttered open.

“Baby.” I grabbed her hand as I looked down at her.

“Ryan.” A small smile perked up her cheeks. “What happened?”

“Nothing that isn’t going to be handled,” I responded.

“No more blood, please. All of this needs to stop. What if Mikey, Abel or Kathleen had been there?” Tears started to roll down her face, seeing the fear in her eyes sent a knife right into my heart.

“I have to handle this, baby.”

“Do you know who they were?”

I nodded. “Yes, and I am going to make sure nothing like this happens to our family ever again.”

“We’ll stay with her and keep you posted.” Scarlett scooted her chair closer to Cassidy’s bedside.

“We got this.” Raine gave me a sympathetic smile as I started to back out of the room.

“I love you, Cass.” I muttered.

She blew me a kiss. “Come home to me.”

“Always, baby.”