I could see why Mae liked her so fucking much.

“What do you want?” Bella asked coldly. I ignored her and moved to the bed.

Rider’s face was a bruised, battered mess. He had bandages everywhere and one of his eyes was still sealed shut. The other one wasn’t much better, but he could see me. And I could fucking see his apprehension as I stood there.

I lifted my hands and signed, “Need to talk to him.”

Bella frowned. “I do not understand you.”

My nostrils flared with frustration. Rider opened his swollen, cracked lips, and managed to rasp out, “He . . . he needs to . . . talk to me.”

“Then talk,” Bella said, folding her arms.

“Alone.” I signed, quickly losing patience with her attitude.

Rider told her what I’d said. “No,” she said. I saw the panic in her face. My teeth clenched.

“Bella?” Mae’s voice came from the doorway. Bella looked at my bitch. “He will not hurt him. You have my word.” Bella stared at me, trying to read my face or some shit. I stared right the fuck back. “Bella, please. Leave them alone,” Mae begged.

Bella’s shoulders slumped. Moving to Rider, she kissed him on his forehead, then walked past me. The bitch eyeballed me the entire way. I decided right then that if she’d have been a guy, I’d have recruited her to my club on the spot.

When the door shut behind her, I walked to the chair by the bed and sat down. Rider watched me the whole way. My attention fell to the cross-shaped scar on his chest. I felt fuck-all remorse.

“So this is what’s gonna happen.” Rider watched my hands like a hawk. “Since you’re married to Mae’s sister and it would kill my bitch if she left over your stupid ass, you ain’t gonna die.” I saw Rider’s chest lift up and down as he breathed hard. I leaned forward. “But that’s where the fuckin’ charity ends. Mae will only be happy if Bella is close. But Bella bein’ close means your rat-ass bein’ close.” I shrugged. “Then again, it means we can track your every move. And we will. Everywhere you go will be monitored. You won’t take a shit without one of us knowing about it. And if you ever try and do anythin’ to fuck with the club, there’ll be no more second chances.” Rider looked like he wanted to speak, but I didn’t wanna hear his fucking excuses. I shook my head, warning him not to even try and talk. He didn’t.

“You’ll live on the farthest side of the property, well outta fuckin’ sight, but close enough that we can watch you. But I don’t wanna see your face anywhere near the inside of this club. I don’t wanna see you tryin’ to creep back in. In fact, I don’t ever wanna see you again, period. So that’s what’s gonna happen. Once you can move, you’re gettin’ the fuck out of my way and out of my MC.”

I stood up. I was just about to reach for the door handle when the fucker said hoarsely, “If I could go back . . . I wouldn’t do it . . . I wouldn’t have turned coat . . . I’ll regret it every day for the rest of my life.”

My back bunched at the sound of his traitorous voice, at what he fucking said. But I didn’t respond. I walked out into the hallway where Mae and Bella were waiting. Bella shouldered past me and went into the room.

The door slammed shut.

I ran my hand down my face.

Crazy. Fucking. Bitch.

When I looked up, Mae was in front of me wearing a huge fucking smile. “You have chosen the path of forgiveness?” I shook my head in frustration. It was only for her. Always only for fucking her. Ky was right; I was such a fucking pussy.

Cunt-struck. So fucking cunt-struck.

Mae stood on her tiptoes and pressed her mouth against mine. Groaning into her mouth, I slammed her against the wall and took her full lips with mine. Mae moaned, then pulled away. My hands fell to her waist, and I felt her looking at me hard.

Mae took a deep breath. “River?” My heart fucking slammed against my chest whenever she called me by that name. I flicked my chin. “I think it is time.”

I frowned. Time for what?

Mae cupped my rough cheeks with her hands and answered my unspoken question. “For me to be completely yours . . . for me to finally become Mrs. River Nash.”

I froze. I fucking froze stock still and my eyes narrowed. “Wh-when?” I barked, wanting it to happen fucking yesterday.

“As soon as we can,” she said and put my hand on her stomach. “Before our child arrives. When things around here have calmed down again.”

I wanted to ride out, kidnap the first fucking pastor I found and drag his holy ass to the clubhouse to marry us.

But instead I decided to take my soon-to-be wife back to our cabin and fuck her until she screamed.

So I fucking did.

Chapter Nineteen

Rider

Ten days later . . .

“Do you need anything else?” Bella asked as she helped me back to bed from the shower.

“No,” I said and held onto her hand. Bella smiled down at me. I glanced down at her hand in mine . . . at the wedding ring on her fourth finger.

She crawled onto the bed beside me. I winced as I twisted to face her. Bella looked down at the simple gold band. “The most sacred thing I possess,” she said, smiling. “It was the best thing I ever did.”

My heart stuttered. I could see in her eyes that she meant it. Hell, the past few days had shown me how much she really loved me. It was funny as hell to me. Bella credited me with saving her life, when really, she had saved me in every single way possible.

She gave me life when she spoke to me through that stone wall.

She gave me hope when she wanted me despite who I was.

And she fought the Hangmen for me when I should have died.

Over the past ten days she had never left my side. She had showered me with the love I had missed out on growing up. She had told me more than once that she would make up for all the kisses I should have been given as a child, the embraces I was starved of in my youth.

And she meant it. Bella always held my hand. She had held my hand in hers ever since our days in the cell. And here she still was, still holding my fucking hand in bed.

A knock sounded on the door, and Smiler came through, as he did every day. Bella sat up, just as a little blonde girl pushed past Smiler’s legs, taking advantage of the open door.

“Grace!” I heard Lilah call. “I am sorry!” Lilah said as she appeared in the doorway. “The little monster likes to run away.” I smiled as I heard the happiness in her voice.