“I don’t know,” Colt said with a chuckle. “I’m just glad I’m gonna get some time with my sister. See you at lunch time?”
“See you then.”
I watched as Colt left the house, his leather jacket slung over his shoulder. I was beginning to get nervous. New prospect? Why was he so excited about me meeting a new prospect? I didn’t have a good feeling about this, but I knew if I went back to the bar there was a slim chance I could spot Rider again. He had my number and everything, but men were always shit at calling women. It was always better to see them again, and sooner rather than later.
I could run across Rider, maybe slip him a sly look or two, and meet up with him again after I had lunch with my brother.
I felt excited butterflies multiplying in my gut as I bounded up the stairs. I needed to take a shower and make sure I didn’t have any marks to cover up. I still couldn’t shake the nervous energy in my bones. The looming voice in the back of my mind. The little whisper telling me this was all about to go very wrong.
What were the chances that Rider was Colt’s new potential prospect?
Slim. But this was my life, and it always had a funny way of fucking me over when I least expected it.
I scrubbed my body down as I relived the memories of last night. The way Rider’s cock felt as he filled my body with his. The way his lips felt on the nape of my neck. The way his skin electrified mine as we writhed together in the bathroom of the bar.
Colt would be so pissed if he knew I’d been kicked out of it for shit like that.
I felt my pelvis heating with lust as I thought about Rider’s tongue between my legs. There were so many things I still wanted him to do to me. So many positions I wanted that man to have me in. I wanted to ride his cock until he groaned my name. I wanted him to fuck me against the wall again and pin me with his chest. I wanted to suck his cock in the shower as water rushed down my back.
I even wanted him to tie me down and explore my body any way he desired.
My hand slipped over my soapy breasts and traveled towards my pussy folds. The thought of him was too much, and I would never be able to focus on lunch if I didn’t relieve the aching want I had for that man. My fingers found my clit as I slid my ass to the floor, the hot water beating down on my flushed body.
I felt the ghost of his lips against my neck as my fingers circled my clit. I felt his hands pressing into the swell of my tits as I bucked into my own palm. I felt my juices pouring out, seeking the warmth of his tongue as they pooled on the shower floor. I opened my eyes and watched it all swirl down the drain as I rose to my climax, my fingers plunging into my depths as I thought about Rider’s cock.
His thick, pulsing, leaking cock.
I pressed my head into the shower wall and climaxed with his name falling from my lips. My legs shook and my back arched. My tits bounced with every jolt of electricity that ricocheted through my body. I closed my eyes, and I could see him. I could see his rippling body and I could feel his scars of war. I could see the sly grin on his cheeks, and I could feel his cock pumping me full of his hot, juicy come.
I wanted to be close to Rider again.
I needed to be in his presence.
I sat there, my hand limp between my legs as I sighed. I was in a lot of trouble. If Rider was someone that frequented the club’s bar, then he was associated with them somehow. I didn’t know how, and I wasn’t sure if I would ever figure it out, but there was something about him I couldn’t place. And my inability to place it was going to get me into trouble before I could sidestep the issue.
Now, I had to go to Milo’s. If only to solve the mystery of Rider and why he seemed so damn familiar.
The only way I would sidestep trouble with my brother was if I could answer that question.
The question of why his eyes rushed me with such comfort that seemed so natural and customary.
But first, I had to catch my breath. Because even the simple idea of him rendered me breathless.
Chapter 9
Rider
I walked into Milo’s and started scanning for Colt. I didn’t see him at first, so I got myself a table and ordered a beer. My mind was racing with all the things they could ask of me. Questions Doc might have and stories I might have to tell him. He might quiz me on my knowledge of combat or ask for war stories to prove I would be an asset to their club.
I was dreading that part of the conversation if it came to fruition.
“Rider!” Colt said as he slapped my back. “Didn’t think you’d beat us here.”
“Everyone beats us here when you’re involved, Colt,” Doc said.
I grinned as I turned towards the man and shook his head.
“Rider. Nice to see you again,” Doc said.
“You too, sir.”
“Don’t do that ‘sir’ shit. You’re not in the military anymore. Doc’s just fine,” he said.
“Told you he’d try to be polite about this shit,” Colt said.
“Blame it on my military training,” I said with a grin.
“I see you got yourself a beer already. Hope you came hungry. I’m starving,” Doc said.
I eyed Colt, and he grinned at me before Doc started firing off some questions.
“Colt here tells me you’re good at some things.”
“Sure am. Again, blame it on the military,” I said.
“Can you fight?” Doc asked.
“Yep.”
“You know your guns?”
“Sure do.”
“Colt here tells me you’ve got this fun little knack for reading people.”
I eyed Colt carefully as the conversation took a turn.
“Been awhile since I’ve put it to use, but yes,” I said.
“Take your shot with me,” Doc said.
“With you.”
“Yep. Tell me what you can gather just from looking at me,” he said.
It had been a few years since I’d had to employ this tactic and I knew I’d be rusty. My eyes scanned Doc’s body… or at least what I could of him. I figured my fighting skills and my ability to shoot with deadly accuracy would be more useful than something like this. But if that was what Doc wanted to see, then it was better than recounting shitty war stories.
I took a few seconds to look him up and down before I cleared my throat.
“You’ve had a rough morning,” I said.
“With Colt, it’s always rough,” Doc said.
“Not what I meant. You didn’t get much sleep last night, and you ran into something this morning. The scuff on your jeans as well as your slight limp tells me that. You live in your own home and do your own yard work, judging by the mud and the grass seeds caked onto her boots. It’s probably therapeutic for you, though you don’t want to admit that because who the fuck admits they like gardening?”
A chuckle rose from Colt as Doc’s eyes held my stare.
“You don’t actually like the beer at this place, but you tolerate it because they give it to you for free. I can tell by the way you drink it. You bite back a grimace, and it takes you longer to swallow it sometimes. That usually indicates a nice person. Someone who is willing to make themselves uncomfortable for the sake of others. I’d venture to say that’s what got you elected President.”
“Anything else?” Doc asked.
“Do you want me to keep going?” I asked.
“Out of curiosity, yes.”
“You have a fading bruise on your neck, but you’re trying to cover it up. Means you’ve been in an altercation. Lately you don’t want anyone knowing about. Even though you smashed your shin against something, you’re favoring your other side. I’d venture to say you’ve got at least a bruised rib you’re trying to nurse. But with your size and attention, it means someone got the jump on you. Either in the dark, since you’re squinting at me to try and see me through the shadows, or it was someone you knew, so you didn’t brace for it.”
“Doc, is he serious?” Colt asked.
“We can talk about it later,” Doc said.
“No, if someone’s attacked you-”
“I said, later,” Doc said.
His eyes turned back to mine as I let out a deep sigh.
“Hell of a talent you got there.”
“Most people aren’t a fan of it,” I said.
“We got plenty of fighters and shooters, but we don’t have anyone who can read people like that. You’ve been hanging around here for the last couple of months, but you’ve been working in that mechanic shop for a while. Doing good work, by what Colt’s told me.”
“Glad I can make someone proud. I enjoy having a purpose,” I said.
“How would you like to shift that purpose? You know, putting your focuses on becoming a prospect?”
I brought my beer up to my lips to conceal the goofy grin I could feel spreading across my cheeks.
“I think I’d like that,” I said.
“Good. Colt, hand it to him.”
I looked over at Colt as he held out a leather cut he had slung over his chair. It was my size and tailored to me, and it had The Fallen Reapers logo on the back of it with a prospect patch on the bottom.
Holy shit.
I had my own leather cut.
I couldn’t help the smile that crossed my cheeks. I slipped my old leather jacket off so I could slip on my new one. Doc was grinning at Colt, and I was leaned back in my chair, and I was smiling like a fucking idiot.
“Looks good on ya,” Doc said.
“Feels good, too,” I said.
“Being a prospect lasts about a year. You’ll do all the shit the club does. Trips, jobs, security detail. The whole nine. We don’t do any hazing shit like some clubs do. It’s pointless, and we got too much work to do to make someone’s life hell for the fun of it. Plus, with you being ex-military, it’s about time you had a break.”
“Is it over?” Bruiser asked.
“Can we come out now?” Grave asked.
I watched as the rest of the guys came out from the pool shooting room and gathered around the table.
“I’d say it’s official,” Doc said.
“Oh shit! This is gonna be great,” Jax said.
“Want me to start the food and round of beers?” Fender asked.
“Hell yeah. It’s celebration time. We got ourselves a new prospect with a fun skill set we don’t have yet. We got the advantage with this one,” Doc said.
“Glad I can help,” I said.
“Set the table for one more guys,” Colt said. “I’m expecting a guest.”
“Who the hell you got comin’ around here now?” Bruiser asked.
The doors to the place slammed open, and we all looked over to see who it was. Colt’s smile was broad on his face as my stomach hit the floor. It was Zoey, in all of her beautiful glory, walking towards the table as the guys as the guys stilled around me.
Oh shit.
This wasn’t happening.
Holy. Fuck.
“Guys, I want you to meet someone you haven’t seen in years. She looks a bit different now, but you’ve met her before. This is my little sister Zoey. And she’s back from college.”
“Holy shit. That’s Zoey?” Fender asked.
“He’s joking. That’s not Little Zoe,” Bruiser asked.
“That’s your lanky little sister? Where’s her black eyeliner?” Jax asked.
“Traded it in for some bombshell lipstick and my natural red hair. You guys like it?” Zoey asked.
“Holy shit, girl. Get over here and give me a hug,” Doc said.
Zoey threw her arms around Doc as I tried to avert my gaze as much as possible.
“And this, Zoey, is Rider. He’s our newest prospect for the club. You met him a couple of times. He’s the friend of mine that enlisted in the military,” Colt said.
“Wait,” Zoey said. “You mean the one with the shaggy hair? The thin one that everyone teased about getting broken in basic?”
I swallowed my shock as her eyes widened and turned back towards me.
“You’re that Rider?” Zoey asked.
“Looks different now, doesn’t he? Didn’t think you’d recognize him after all these years,” Colt said.
The guys all rallied around her to give her a massive hug as they doted on how different she looked. And they were right. She looked dramatically different. I had a hard time recognizing her even now. But she was just now beginning to process who I was as her eyes raked up and down my form.
Her eyes were begging me. Silencing me with their nervousness before she finally turned her gaze to everyone else. She looked genuinely happy to see everyone. They were hugging her close and scanning her body. I could see Bruiser and Fender allowing their hands to linger just a little too long on her body. Colt smacked their hands away and gave them a predatory stare, but it didn’t stop the jealousy from ricocheting throughout my body.
And still, Zoey was begging.
Every time her eyes caught mine, she pleaded with me to keep my mouth shut. But she didn’t have to worry. I’d just been made a prospect with the club I’d considered family for a while now. I wasn’t going to do anything to ruin that for myself. But I couldn’t deny that I wanted her. I couldn’t deny that I felt like she was mine. The way our bodies had connected and the way things seemed to natural between the two of us.
It pissed me off that all the guys were hugging on her.
I was struggling. Pulled between two worlds I now wanted. The leather cut I was wearing felt good against my skin. It reminded me of the family I had found when I thought I was alone. But then there was Zoey. With her jaw-dropping curves and her sassy attitude. She took no shit from anyone, and she stood her ground. Independent and fiery, just like I remembered her. She was the kind of woman I wanted in my life. She was the kind of woman I wanted standing at my side.
But she was Colt’s little sister. My best friend’s fucking sister.
And she was now off limits.
Chapter 10
Zoey
As the guys hugged my neck and kept talking about how different I looked, I begged Rider to keep quiet. To keep his mouth shut and try to act natural. The last thing we needed was my brother finding out about us. About what we did the night before in the bar his club owned. The guys kept hugging me and picking me up off my feet, and I could tell it was pissing Rider off. I could see the way he gripped his beer as he sat there silently and watched everything unfold.
Then I saw the leather cut on his back.
It wasn’t the leather jacket I’d slid off his shoulders that night. It wasn’t the leather jacket he had been wearing in the bathroom when he took me against the wall. This was shiny and new… and it had The Fallen Reapers logo cut onto the back of it.
Shit. My worst nightmare had just come true.
Rider was the club’s new prospect.
“I cannot believe it’s you, Zoey,” Fender said. “You look fucking phenomenal.”
“Hey, that’s my damn sister you’re talking about,” Colt said.
“We’re not sticking our dicks in her. Just complimenting her on how she’s blossomed into a beautiful woman,” Bruiser said.
“Don’t you fucking use that kind of language around her. You hear me?” Colt asked.
I rolled my eyes as Colt quickly because distracted by the other guys.
I slid through the bickering crowd and made my way over to Rider. He was sitting at the table, silently nursing his beer. He was white-knuckling the glass as I slid into the chair Doc had been occupying, trying to make things look as innocent as I could for the sake of my brother. The arguing was getting loud, and Doc was trying to get into the middle of it all. I was pissed off with how all of this was already going down. Colt didn’t have any fucking reason to be this pissed off with how absent he’d been in my life
But I knew sleeping with Rider had consequences for him and the pledge he’d just taken.
“Why the fuck didn’t you tell me you were coming to this thing?” Rider asked.
“Because I didn’t know I was. And why the hell didn’t you tell me you were that Rider?” I asked.
“Figured if I was important enough to remember, you would’ve,” he said.
“Oh, don’t give me that shit. You really mean to tell me you recognized me a last night in the damn bar and slept with me anyway?”
Rider fell silent as the guys continued to argue over stupid shit. Sometimes I really hated the opposite sex and how petty they could get with stuff.
I looked out over the bar and noticed a couple of guys eyeing me closely. Grave and Jax were staring me down, and I was beginning to grow nervous. Their eyes kept darting between Rider and I, and I could see they were slowly putting the pieces together. I knew they would recognize me from that night. Especially since I’d fucking sat down with them at the bar. The rest of the guys were too busy arguing over the fact that someone said ‘dick’ in front of me, but Grave and Jax had their sights trained on us.
And I could tell by the way Rider straightened up that he saw it, too.
“You think they know?” he asked.
“Yep. I think they’re putting the pieces together,” I said.
“This could ruin everything.”
“No shit, Sherlock. It’s why I’m trying to keep it under wraps for you.”
“When the hell did you figure out you were coming to this thing?” he asked.
“This morning, when my brother invited me. I went home just in time to see Mom rushing off to her morning shift, and Colt was just… in the house. Like he didn’t fucking do anything wrong.”
“Wrong? What does that mean?” he asked.
“Nothing. I just get upset when I see Colt like this. He acts like the protective brother and shit, but the truth is this morning was the first time I’d seen him since I graduated. And before that, I hadn’t seen him for two years.”
“Two years?”
“Yep. I got angry with him as a kid for him never wanting me to hang out with you guys. It’s why I didn’t recognize you. I’d only met you twice, and you sure as hell didn’t look like this all those years ago.”
“No. No, I didn’t,” he said.
“He was trying to keep me safe. Away from all this shit. But I thought he didn’t want me around. Was embarrassed about me or something. We fought a lot over it, and it put a lot of distance between us. We fought the night before I left for college and I didn’t speak to him again until my junior year.”
“What did you guys fight about?”
“Stupid shit. I wanted to go hang out with him and the guys here that night. Have one last hurrah before I left for college. And he told me I was stupid for wanting to do that. He accused me of wanting to sleep with one of them and get free drinks and how I’d end up getting myself into trouble he’d have to bail me out of again. Like he’d ever bailed me out of anything in his life.”
“That’s a pretty shitty fight,” he said.
“It was. It still is. Every time I think about it, it pisses me off. And now I see him going at Bruiser because he said ‘dick’ in my presence and it’s all so fucking fake.”
“He does care about you. That’s how Colt is. He might not always be there, but when you need him, he is,” Rider said.
“Oh really? Then where the hell was he the night I called my freshman year? When I’d had sex for the first time ever and didn’t know what the hell had just happened?”
“What?” he asked.
“Yeah. Went on a date, got caught up in some shit, gave my virginity away, and wasn’t sure how I felt about it. I called my brother three times that night to try and talk with him. Left a voice message and everything. Never heard back from him.”
“I’m sure there’s an explanation for it.”
“Or the beginning of my sophomore year. When there was a fucking fire in my building That shit was all over the news. I was sleeping in my dorm when all of the sudden I was jolted awake by a fire alarm. Smoke was pouring down the hallway the firemen had to break my window to get me out. And where was Colt? Where was he when I was calling because some I’d just been pulled out of a fucking fire?”
“Zoey… I’m so sorry,” he said. The arguing behind me continued, and I just couldn’t take it anymore.
“Colt! Fucking knock it off!” I said.
Everything came to a halt as all the guys looked at me.
“I’m sorry,” I said as I looked at Rider. “I didn’t realize it would be this big of a deal for me to just come have lunch with my brother.”
Rider shook his head as the entire room stared at us.
“Bruiser said ‘dick.’ So what? I’ve had dick before. Plenty of it. I’m not about to hop on Bruiser’s, but this fighting you do whenever you think someone has slighted me is getting old. I can take care of myself. Get off your high horse,” I said.
“No one should fucking talk like that to you. And what the hell do you mean ‘you’ve had plenty of dick’?”
“I’m a woman, Colt. With a job and a car and health insurance and sass. I have needs, and I make sure they’re tended to. Don’t start this shit with me today. I came to have lunch with my brother and hug the necks of men I haven’t seen in years because you were the one that kept me away from them. That kept me separate and pushed into the shadows because of whatever bullshit reasons you tell yourself at night. Stop getting so damn defensive. If I need you, I’ll call you.”
“You’re my fucking sister, Zoey.”
“Then start acting like a damn brother when it’s important,” I said. “Not just when you need to save face.”
I whipped my eyes over to Grave and Jax and gave them a disgusting glance. They looked away from me, bowing their heads towards their feet. They were going to keep their mouths shut on this if it was the last thing I did with myself. Suddenly, I wasn’t in the mood for food. I didn’t want to each lunch or sit in this fucking bar and play family when my blood was boiling.
I looked over at Rider as he cast me a worried glance.
“Congratulations on that leather cut. Make us proud,” I said.
Then I slid from my seat, walked over to the bar, and ordered myself a beer.
I could feel everyone’s eyes on me as I walked away from the group. The place I had wanted to be a part of all my life now seemed tainted somehow. I could feel the tension growing in the room as I hopped up onto a barstool, my mind coming to a screeching halt as tears sprang to my eyes.
“Can I sit down?” Colt asked.
“Free fucking world,” I said.
The bartender slid a beer my way, and I caught it in my hands. Colt watched my every move, analyzing me the way he did others he didn’t know. That was the icing on the cake. The fact that my brother had to read me in a way he did strangers. We had spent so much time apart that we’d both grown into people neither of us recognized.
And I hated that fact.
“Caught that beer pretty good,” Colt said.
“Shit happens when you work in a bar,” I said.
“You worked in a bar?”
“Yep. For the last two years of my college career,” I said.
“Did you enjoy it?”
“Hell yeah. Awesome tips, especially if I showed a little cleavage. The tighter my pants, the larger the tips. It paid for the few loans my scholarships wouldn’t cover and gave me enough money to set aside for after college.”
“Sounds like you were good at your job then.”
“I was. I miss the place. It felt the most like home.”
I looked over at my brother and saw him nodding his head. He was trying his best; I knew he was. But I was still angry, and I wasn’t willing to let it go yet. I’d choked it down for years, telling myself it didn’t matter. Telling myself, I could make friends that would become family. Telling myself that when I graduated, Colt would see me differently.
But he didn’t.
He still saw me as that fifteen-year-old girl with thick eyeliner and glitter lip gloss.
“I knew the past few years with us have been rough,” Colt said.
“A way to put it, yes,” I said.
“But you’re always gonna be my little sister. And men can’t talk to you that way.”
“I’d rather have men tell me the truth then feed me lies just to keep me happy,” I said.
“So, you’re okay with someone talking to you like that? With some man saying it’s okay for him to do whatever the hell it is he’s doing because he’s not ‘sticking his dick in you’?”
“If I’m not, I can take care of it myself. I don’t need my absent brother stepping up to the plate because he’s weirdly possessive.”
“I’m just trying to keep you safe.”
“That’s not your job,” I said. “It’s my job to keep me safe. It’s my job to support myself. Your only job is to cheer me on and lift me up whenever I call on you. And I’ve called on you many times over the years. And the only thing I got was your voicemail.”
“I’m sorry, okay? Things were shitty between us and even shittier at home. Mom and Dad fought, and shit was kicking up with the club. You never came home to visit, so what the hell was I supposed to think?”
“That the tension in the house was why I didn’t want to come home,” I said. “But that doesn’t mean you couldn’t return my phone calls. Shit, Colt. I called you when stuff got real for me. When I lost my virginity and when my whole dorm was on fucking fire. When I was at my most fearful and needed my brother’s voice in my ear. And you weren’t there. For any of it.”
I tipped my beer back and guzzled as Colt’s eyes watched my movements.
“I don’t want your apologies,” I said as I slammed my beer bottle down. “I just want you to be better. To hear what I need from you and have you take it to heart. What men say to me don’t matter. I can banter and be crude with the best of them. It’s just how they communicate, and it doesn’t bother me. If you did, this would be different. You know what does bother me?”
“What?” Colt asked.
“You fucking not listening. When I call, you need to pick up. At the very least, your ass needs to call me back. Okay? We can fucking start there.”
“Okay,” he said. “I promise.”
“Now, go get that new prospect of yours some fucking food. Man’s got some muscles. He needs to eat,” I said.
“What were the two of you talking about earlier?” he asked.
“How fucking pathetic you looked yelling at everyone,” I said with a grin. “I still can’t believe that’s Rider Rider.”
“I know, right? Fucking had me in bug eyes when he came home from his first deployment. You wanna come over and have some food?”
“I’m gonna get some fresh air first. Too much testosterone in this place. I can’t breathe.”
“Okay,” he said with a grin. “But get some food and sit with us. Talk with us. Update us on shit. I wanna know what’s going on in your life.”
“Good. Because I’m ready to talk about it.”
Chapter 11
Rider
I had no idea what to do. Zoey was talking with Colt at the bar while the guys kept talking about her behind her back. How she’d ‘filled out nicely’ and how they all ‘wanted a slice of her.’ The conversation made me sick to my stomach, and I knew I needed to get away from it before I said something that would incriminate the both of us. Doc was eyeing me closely as I slipped away from my chair, my legs carrying me outside as my anger bubbled inside of me.
But a few seconds later, someone busted outside as well.
And I knew exactly who it was.
I turned around and laid my eyes on Zoey as she stood in front of me. She was looking up at me with those beautiful green eyes, and I wanted to take her in my arms. I wanted to whisk her back to my place and have my way with her. I wanted to shower her body with kisses and fuck her until she couldn’t remember her own damn name.
I wanted to print her into my life forever.
As much as I wanted to be a part of The Fallen Reapers, I wanted her more. As much as I didn’t want to cause any drama with my best friend, I wanted his sister more. She had struck a chord with me I couldn’t shake. Her actions when we were together drew me into a web I didn’t want to wrangle my way out of. The way she had kissed my scars on her lips. The way she had regarded me as a whole man. The way she never assumed control in bed simply because I had injuries… it was what I wanted. What I needed.
She didn’t see me as someone who was broken. She saw me as a full man.
A whole man.
And I didn’t want to lose that.
I craned my neck to keep her in my view as she closed the distance between our bodies. Her hand rose up to cup my cheek, and I nuzzled into her touch. Our faces grew closer as her breath pulsed against my lips, beckoning for me as I pressed my lips against hers.
I didn’t care who saw us. All I cared about was feeling her again.
I slipped my arm around her waist as her hands tangled in my hair. Our tongues collided in front of the bar, right where everyone could see us. My arms came up and wrapped around her, pulling her closer to me as I picked her up off her feet. I felt her giggle into the kiss, my mouth swallowing her sounds as my body heated for her.
The rumble of motorcycles were heard in the distance as the ground vibrated beneath my feet. I planted Zoey back on the ground, our lips still connected with each other. The rumble was getting louder as my hands explored her body, but as the sound got closer, I forced our lips apart.
“Hell of a kiss,” Zoey said breathlessly.
My military instincts were kicking in. My cock wanted me to ignore the sounds, but my gut couldn’t shake them. The entire club was at Milo’s right now. Ushering me in as a prospect and using it as an excuse to drink and party. Their guard was down, and their stomachs were full of a substance that would soon render them idiotic and weak.
We were exposed, and as the motorcycles grew closer, I felt that tingle trickle up my back.
The tingle I always got when I knew an enemy was watching us.
“Get inside. Now,” I said.
“What? What’s going on?” Zoey asked.
“Get the fuck inside. I’ll explain later,” I said.
Why would there be another group of motorcycles nearby? The Fallen Reapers occupied this territory fair and square. We defended it. We protected it. We serviced it. This was our town. Our turf. There was no reason to hear that many motorcycles riding through together, especially since all of us were at the bar.
Which meant there could only be one reason as to why.
I shoved Zoey back into the bar as Colt eyed me. He had seen me with her. I could see him fuming with anger until the sound hit his ears as well. I saw guys shuffling Zoey towards the back of the kitchen, getting her out of harm’s way as Colt and Doc rushed out the doors. We all looked towards the sound and saw the group of motorcycles cresting the hill, and all of us clenched our fists.
They were wearing red fucking cuts.
“The Red Horsemen,” Doc said.
“What the fuck are they doing here?” Colt asked.
“Isn’t that the new club that just set themselves up a couple years ago?” I asked.
“What the fuck’s going on out here?” Bruiser asked.
“Oh shit. Is that who I think it is?” Fender asked.
“I think they’re looking for a fight, gentlemen,” Doc said.
“Haven’t they gotten their asses beat enough already?” Colt asked.
The Red Horsemen had a lot of beef with The Fallen Reapers. When they established themselves a couple of years ago, I remembered Colt bitching about them. About how they would come into town, take what they felt was theirs, and the club would have to roll out at all sorts of hours in the morning and the night time to chase them back out of town. One time, Doc and the guys chased them all the way to the fucking California border. Right along the San Andreas fault before they jumped it and disappeared.
The Red Horsemen weren’t just looking for trouble.
They were looking to take over our turf.
“All they wanna do is have another dick measuring contest,” Grave said. “But we all know who’s gonna win that one.”
“That’s fine and all, but I count at least thirty of them,” I said.
“You can see that shit from this far away?” Colt asked.
“I can. Thirty-four, to be exact.”
“Can you read anything else on them?” Doc asked.
“I can see their outlines well. I’m not a fucking eagle,” I said.
“Just wondering, kid. Don’t need to get defensive. You’re in enough hot shit as it is,” Doc said.
“What the hell’s going on!?”
Zoey’s voice caught me off guard as I whipped around and looked at her.
“Why the hell are you out here?” I asked. “You need to get back inside.”
“Not until I know you’re safe,” Zoey said.
“Why the hell would she want to know you’re safe?” Colt asked.
“Shut up, Colt. Who are those guys? Why are there so many of them?” Zoey asked.
The Red Horsemen got closer and closer as the club continued to trickle out of the bar. I already heard guns cocking on our side as my eyes gazed into Zoey’s, pleading with her to go inside. The rumble of the motorcycles drowned out any voices I could hear around me, and I saw guys grabbing her and trying to force her back into the bar.
But I knew she wasn’t budging.
Not until she knew what was going on.
“This is a new gang in town,” I said as my lips pressed against her ear. “The Red Horsemen. They’re ruthless, and they’ve been trying to take our territory for a couple of years now. This is serious, Zoey. You need to get back inside.”
I could feel Colt’s eyes heavy on my back as Zoey wrapped her arm around my neck.
“You need to stay safe, okay? I can’t have you getting your body hurt. It’s too pretty,” she said.
“My only concern right now is your safety. Now get back inside,” I said.
The rumbling of the motorcycles stopped, and I whipped up from Zoey’s grasp. I stared at the throngs of red leather jackets as they leaned against their bikes. I felt Zoey’s hand run down my arm, intertwining our fingers as her hands began to tremble.
She was terrified, and the feeling her trembling against my body infuriated me. They had no right to do this. To roll up into this bar and scare the people we cared about. This club was all talk and no action, but the look in their President’s eyes wasn’t good.
I watched Doc approach them as everyone slowly gathered around Zoey. I pushed her behind me, blocking her with my own body as Colt ran his eyes up and down my form. We encased her in a shield, protecting her from what was about to happen as the other crew snarled and laughed at us.
“What do you want?” Doc asked.
“Our fair due,” the President said.
“Then go find it somewhere else,” Doc said.
That same tingling feeling shot up my back again. I felt Zoey release my hand as she pressed her body into my back. She was leaning heavily on me like she was trying to support the weight of her fear against my back. I saw Colt dart his eyes behind me, worry dripping from his stare as he watched his sister become vulnerable. His eyes met mine, and they heated again, but this time I wasn’t going to let it bother me.
“She’ll be okay. I’m going to make sure of that,” I said.
Then, it happened.
The sound of a gun rang out, and Doc went falling to the ground.
Chapter 12
Zoey
I felt Rider stiffen against me as the sounds of motorcycles revved off in the distance. The crowd crew on both sides as men in red leather cuts rode up on multiple motorcycles. They looked mean. Like they had come for blood that ran the color of their coats. Fallen Reapers were pouring from the bar, surrounding me as Rider pushed me behind him.
I looked around for my brother and found him standing at my side. I looked up at him, seeing the fear running through his eyes he tried to keep stoic. This was bad. I knew it was bad. If my brother feared anything, it was the loss of someone he loved. Someone he cared for he felt the need to protect. And if he was fearful of the men riding up onto his property, then it confirmed my worst fears.
This group was, in fact, out for blood.
Milo’s parking lot was full of people. Black cuts on our side, red cuts on theirs. It was like an old war standoff. Like two countries fighting over a piece of land, they both wanted to claim as theirs. One of the men turned around and exposed the logo on his back. A horse of the apocalypse parting the skies as the man on its back threw red lightning bolts down to the ground.
The Red Horsemen.
I’d heard of them.
There were murmurs about them in the community. How they were new and trying to establish themselves. They’d been around for a couple of years, and in that time they had robbed, pillaged, and even set fire to a few businesses. They thought they way to get what they wanted was through intimidation and fear. They thought they could keep people underneath their thumb by charging them exorbitant rates for their ‘protection.’
Which really only meant The Red Horsemen wouldn’t set fire to their fucking businesses.
They were the modern-day mob. A group of assholes that didn’t bring any benefit to the community. At least The Fallen Reapers were guns for hire. Protecting those that needed it if they were willing to pay the fees. And the protection my brother and his club gave them was top notch. Around the clock surveillance. Private escorts to anywhere in the country. A higher premium if someone wanted to be escorted outside of the country. Their club had people who were trained with sniper rifles and staying up for days on end. People who were good at tracking and people who were good at fighting. If you wanted them to snoop out who was doing what, they could do that. If you wanted one of them to protect someone you loved, then they were up for the job.
That was the benefit they brought to the community.
All The Red Horsemen did was shoot shit up, rob small businesses, and charge them insane amounts of cash just to keep those assholes from burning shit to the ground.
Suddenly, I felt Rider push back into me. The entire group was moving in slow motion. A snail’s pace as The Red Horsemen dismounted their bikes. They were slowly moving back towards the front door as Rider reached back, shoving me further away from him. I grabbed onto his hands, not wanting to be parted from him as my eyes connected with the men over his shoulder.
But then I felt someone’s arms wrap around me as they slowly bled me through the crowd.
The members of the group kept slowly pushing me backward. Reaching for me and maneuvering me back into the bar. Rider kept getting farther and farther away as I reached for him. Clawing for him and trying my best to get back to him. I didn’t care what anyone thought. I didn’t care what my brother saw. All I wanted was to hold his hand and bring him with me.
All I wanted was for him to be safe.
Just as Bruiser grabbed onto me and pulled me towards the front door, gunshots rang out. Bruiser pulled his gun as bullets whizzed by my body, taking out the glass doors of the bar. I saw Doc fall to the ground and then move quickly behind a set of bikes. Rider appeared in an instant, grabbing onto my arm and tossing me behind a bike. I went down with a crash as his body landed on top of mine, his muscles pinning me to the ground as I curled up into a little ball.
Then, I felt his lips on the shell of my ear.
“No matter what happens, don’t you fucking move.”
I felt Rider pull away from me and I reached for him. I didn’t want him to go. I wanted him to be safe with me and not out there with all of those bullets. I watched him dip behind bikes as gunshots ricocheted, darting every which way as he drew the gunfire.
That was what he was doing.
He was drawing the gunfire away from me.
I looked around for my brother and saw him dipped down behind another bike. He pulled a gun from behind his body as his eyes found Rider. He was watching his friend, noticing all of the bullets following him as he perched his gun on the seat of the bike.
I watched my brother pop off a few rounds before his eyes connected with mine.
They were terrified. Dripping with adrenaline-laced panic. I’d never seen my brother like this. I’d never seen him so comfortable and yet so blatantly out of place. I peeked up over the bike as another bullet came flying for me, and I dipped down just in time for it to lodge into the brick behind my head.
But when I spotted Rider again, I understood why Colt was panicking.
Rider didn’t have a gun to defend himself.
Gunshots came in every which direction as Rider continued to dart and dash between bikes. Every once in a while he would jump up, waving his hands to get someone to shoot at him. I saw him take down a few people, ringing them around the neck and disarming their guns from their bodies. But never once did he pick up the gun and ammunition himself.
Instead, he kept kicking all of it towards other Reapers.
The sounds of motorcycles struck back up, and a few of the Horsemen rode away. I could tell some of them had been shot, their groans audible and their screams of pain piercing. They were leaving blood trails as they sped off into the distance, dirtying the concrete as Rider continued to sneak up on unsuspecting Horsemen. This was what he did. This was his specialty. He was trained in close-up fighting stances. Taking people down without the need for a weapon. I watched him disarm eleven different people, giving Reapers more guns and ammunition to work with as he filtered his way through the crowd.
I was watching one of the reasons why he had become a prospect.
He made it almost look like a dance. A fluid dance of a military-bred man whose skill set was defined by his need to protect. He choked the air from their necks before kicking their guns away from their hands. He wrestled a couple to the ground and dislocated shoulders, disarming them with pain rather than with lack of oxygen. And every time someone would shoot at him, he would duck behind one of their bikes. Ruining their rides instead of ours.
It was beyond impressive, and I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
The mangled doors of Milo’s crashed open, and the cooks came out with guns. Automatic gunfire sounded, chasing the rest of the Horsemen away. They were covered in grease and sweat as they unloaded into their bikes, chasing them off and running some into a ditch up the road as their tires blew out. I could hear their muted screams of pain and agony as I kept myself crouched behind one of the bikes, hoping this nightmare was over so I could get back to Rider.
Get back to feeling his lips against my body.
The gunshots stopped, and the motorcycles were driving away. I looked over at the cooks standing in the doorway, and they nodded towards me, letting me know it was okay to come out. But when I looked over at my brother to rejoice for him, he was nowhere to be found.
Then, I heard his voice.
“Rider!”
I shot up from the bike and darted my eyes around. I saw Colt barreling down the sideway before he dropped to his knees. My legs took off as fast as they could go, dodging men who were reaching out to me. I could hear Jax and Grave yelling behind me. Telling me to stop as I sprinted down the sidewalk.
There was so much blood. So many small rivers of blood that had soaked into the concrete.
I saw Colt hovering over Rider as he grimaced on the ground. Blood was seeping from his shoulder as he held onto it, his face contorted in pain. I ran around to his head and fell to my knees, gathering his body and placing it on mine. I didn’t care that I was getting his blood on my jeans and I didn’t care that Colt was yelling at me to get back. I swatted at the men grabbing for me as tears rose to my eyes.
Rider had been shot.
Rider wasn’t opening his eyes.
“Just look at me,” I said in a whisper. “Just open your eyes, Rider.”
I brushed my fingertips along Rider’s forehead as I smoothed the dirt and sweat away from his skin. I could feel my body trembling as his blood soaked into my jeans. I started massaging his temples, looking for something to calm his shaking body as Colt peeled off his leather jacket. My brother pressed it into Rider’s shoulder, eliciting a moan of pain from between his lips as tears began to trickle down my face.
I watched one drip onto Rider’s forehead, prompting his eyes to flutter open.
“Zoey,” he said.
“‘Bout damn time you opened your eyes,” I said.
Colt pressed his jacket farther into Rider’s shoulder as he wailed in pain.
“Bullet’s through and through,” Colt said as he began wrapping Rider’s shoulder. “He’s gonna need the doctor.”
“I need you to keep your eyes open for me, okay?” I asked.
“Bit hard to do that,” Rider said.
“You’ve done hard. You keep those fucking eyes open for me, okay? You don’t have a choice.”
“Guess things could be… worse…”
Colt kept applying more and more pressure as the guys began to gather around.
“Will someone call a fucking doctor!?” I asked.
“Jax?” Colt asked.
“Already on it,” Jax said.
I smoothed through Rider’s hair as my other hand massaged his chest. He was trembling so badly, and I was scared he would lock up. I massaged any stiff muscle I could get my hands on as Colt watched me carefully. I could feel the tension growing. I could feel the worry mounting. There was so much blood, and Rider was growing weak, and I was helpless to help the one man that had helped me.
That had helped me tap into a part of myself I refused to acknowledge for years.
“You gotta stop bleeding, Rider,” I said. “You only got so much.”
“Not sure I got control over that,” Rider said. “Sorry.”
His teeth started chattering as my eyes rose to Colt’s. I could see the questions and confusion running through his eyes, but I didn’t have time to answer his questions. There was so much that had to happen in order to save Rider, and I wasn’t sure if whoever Jax was calling would get here in time.
“I can take it from here,” Doc said.
“I’m not leaving him,” I said.
“Zoey, look at me.”
I rose my eyes as my brother’s voice beckoned to me.
“Why the fuck do you think we call him ‘Doc’?” Colt asked. I shrugged my shoulders.
“Doc’s wife is a doctor.”
Chapter 13
Rider
The moment gunshots popped off I was behind a bike with Zoey. I was not going to let her get hurt. I was not going to allow the asshole moves of some bullshit rival gang hurt her in any way. I instinctively reached for a gun on my hip as my body covered hers, growing painfully aware of the fact that I didn’t have anything to defend myself.
But all the gunshots were coming our way, and I had to deflect them elsewhere.
I told Zoey to stay put then did the only thing I could. I hopped from bike to bike, drawing their fire with risky moves. Bullets were bouncing off reflective surfaces and shattering windows. Embedding themselves into bricks as I ambushed as man men as I could. I had their necks in the crook of my arm. I had their faces underneath the heel of my boot. Every man I came into contact with was disarmed and blacked out within the blink of an eye.
I could hear people shouting at me to get back. Yelling at me to get behind something and take cover.
But I wasn’t having it.
No one was going to hurt the only family I’d come to know.
I don’t even know when I got shot. It was sometime between the last man I took out and the time they started taking off like the pussies they were. All of a sudden, there was this searing ache in my shoulder. I could feel a warmth cascading down my arm as well as breaching the back of my shirt.
The bullet had torn through right through my rotator cuff.
Which meant it had torn right through my new leather cut.
I laid there on the ground, the world spinning above me. I could feel the pavement slowly growing warm and wet as I laid there, trying to figure out what to do next. The rumbling of the pavement was fierce as The Red Horsemen drove away, and I heard Colt shouting my name.
The panic in his voice told me it was serious.
Before I knew it, someone was lifting my head. My eyes were heavy, and my body felt like it was floating away. No matter what I did, I couldn’t get them to pry themselves open. And I knew enough from my combat days to know that wasn’t good. I had to stay as alert and as conscious as I could until I could get medical attention.
Could I even go to a hospital when I was part of a crew like this?
“Just look at me,” a voice whispered. “Just open your eyes, Rider.”
The voice was so sweet, yet full of so much despair. I felt the warmth of someone’s body underneath my skull, and it dulled the throbbing pain I was experiencing. I smelled a certain perfume that seemed familiar, and I felt something wet dripping on my forehead.
I managed to open my eyes and found myself face to face with the eyes of an angel. Zoey’s face came into view, her wild red hair fluttering down towards me as tears dripped down her cheeks. Why was she crying? Why did she look so scared? Was she hurt? Was she scared?
If she was hurt, I was going to kill the bastard who hurt her.
The moments that passed by were a blur. People were gathered around me, and something was pressed into my shoulder. I felt a searing pain shoot through my arm and rob me of my breath. I could hear Zoey’s voice penetrating the crowd, pleading with me to do unspeakable things.
Like, stop bleeding?
“Not sure I got control over that,” I said. “Sorry.”
“I can take it from here.”
“I’m not leaving him.”
“Zoey, look at me. Why the fuck do you think we call him ‘Doc’?”
There were so many voices swirling around my head. I felt dizzy. Tired. Nauseous. I knew Colt was talking and I could hear remnants of Zoey’s voice through her sobs. But the voice I heard the most was Doc’s.
“All right, kid. I’m gonna have to move you, and it’s not gonna be fun. On the count of three.”
That fucker didn’t even get to one before arms hoisted me into the air. I cried out in pain, my voice peeling from my throat and shattering the walls around me. Holy hell, there was no bullet I had taken on the battlefield that sucked as much as this one did. I felt my body being moved. Being whisked away as the smell of the bar wafted back underneath my nose. Chicken grease and stale beer permeated the room as I heard the crashing of glasses and the stumbling of feet.
I heard table legs scraping across the floor before I someone took off my jacket and started tearing at my shirt.
“What happened?”
I screamed out in pain as vodka was poured all over my shoulder.
“Rider. Rider. Open your fucking eyes and look at me.”
I fluttered my eyes open, my teeth biting into my lower lip as tears crested my eyes. I was staring into the eyes of Colt, his body trying to block what Doc was doing as a numbness began to take over my body.
“Talk me through what happened,” Colt said.
“Are you… are you ser-?”
Another shrieking cry left my throat as Doc moved my shoulder around.
“Sorry kid, but it isn’t gonna get better. I got someone comin’ to help, but she’s about ten minutes out still,” Doc said.
“Distract yourself. Tap into that military strength. Tell me what happened out there,” Colt said.
“I-I-I… uh… well… I was out… side. The Zoey was, too. We heard… I heard… the motorcycles were coming. And I knew… it wasn’t our guys. Couldn’t have… have been.”
My teeth were chattering as the pain grew more and more intense. One sensation blurred into another, and I could feel myself being pulled under.
“Snap out of it, Rider. Why could it have not been our guys?” Colt asked.
“Because… we were all here. A-a-and Zoey was there, then you guys came out. Then I pushed her behind me t-t-to… to try and… and… uh…”
“Protect me,” Zoey said.
I felt her hand slip into mine as tears started falling down the sides of my head.
“He was trying to protect me,” Zoey said with a sniffle.
“What the hell was all that bike jumping?” Colt asked.
“Distraction,” I said. “All the guns were… were pointed at… at the… at the… bike. The bike. That Zoey was… was behind. Um. Uh. Th-th-they kept shooting, so I drew…”
“Come on, Rider. Say it,” Zoey said.
“I drew the f-f-fire,” I said.
“All right, kid. I’m not moving you until we get some shit into you that’s gonna help with that pain. We won’t be able to do anything else,” Doc said.
“How far is this fucking asshole?” Colt asked.
I squeezed Zoey’s hand as best as I could, gritting through the pain as I looked over at her. My eyes studied her, taking in the tears barreling down her cheeks. She looked so sad. So desolate. So helpless as she sat there beside me. Zoey brought my hand up to her lips, kissing each of my knuckles as Colt started at us.
I lobbed my head over, watching as my friend’s face morphed from confusion to a blank stare to anger.
“Colt, not now,” Zoey said.
“What the fuck was that?” Colt asked.
“Not. Now,” Zoey said.
“I-I-I… like your… um… she… I’d like to…”
I couldn’t get the sentence out. I wanted to ask Colt’s permission. I wanted to formally ask him to take his sister out on a date. I wanted things to be okay. I wanted to be a part of this crew and be a part of Zoey’s life. I didn’t want to have to choose. I didn’t want to lose my family and the woman that had captured my attention.
“I’m here. I’m here. Where the hell is this guy?” an elder woman’s voice rang out.
“He’s over here,” Doc said. “Get this kid some fucking medication.”
I felt someone unraveling something, and I braced for the pain. The needle going right into my wound was agonizing. My eyes rolled into the back of my head as my legs shook. I wasn’t sure how much more of this I could take. But as the numbing solution kicked in and the lidocaine numbed the skin around the entry and exit wounds, it became easier to breathe.
Easier to speak.
Easier to formulate my thoughts.
“Okay, kid. Here’s what I’m gonna do. I’m gonna stitch you up real good, butcha gotta keep your arm in the sling I’m gonna give ya. I’ll load you up with pain killers and give ya some antibiotics to take, so ya don’t get infected. Take them. I don’t give a rat’s ass if you don’t develop an infection right off the bat. Take them and don’t ask questions. You got me?”
“I hear you,” I said breathlessly.
“Good. I’m gonna be movin’ your arm around a lot, but you shouldn’t feel anything. Pressure, sure. But no pain. If there’s pain, tell me. Imma numb you up good through this.”
“Thanks,” I said through gritted teeth.
Zoey laced her fingers within mine as the doctor started jerking me around. I rolled my head back over to Colt, his eyes darting between myself and his sister. I was ready for anything he threw my way. I was ready for him to strip me of my prospective status or for him to tell me his sister was off limits. I was ready for him to start yelling and screaming and cursing me out for being a complete and utter asshole for fucking around with his younger sister.
But instead, his anger morphed back into a stern look.
“Thank you for protecting my sister,” Colt said. “That better be only a taste of what you’re willing to do to protect her.”
“I would’ve taken that bullet for her had it come even close,” I said.
“And if you hurt her in any way, for any reason… intentional or not… you’ll have to answer to me. And that shit isn’t fun.”
“I promise you; she’s safe with me. Always.”
I held out my good hand to Colt, and he clenched it tightly. He pulled my fist into his chest, tapping it twice against his heart. The Fallen Reapers had a sign. A signal they had adopted when things got tough and one of the brothers needed comfort. Someone would take their fist, curl it up, and then the stronger individual would tap it twice against their chest. It was a sign of mutual respect, a sign of sincerity, and a sign that shit was gonna get better.
Colt was trying to transfer some of his strength to me.
“You shouldn’t feel this, but I’m gonna numb ya up a bit more down here. I’m gettin’ down into the sinew of your arm, and I’d rather be safe than sorry. Grit your teeth just in case.”
Colt and Zoey both gripped tightly against my hands as I clenched my teeth. There was a pinch and a bit of dull pain but is disappeared immediately once the medicine started filling up my tissues. I could feel the man tugging, slowly stitching me closed before he turned me onto my side. A through-and-through bullet was a bitch to sew up, but she seemed to be doing a pretty good job of it.
I’d have shoulder problems for the rest of my life, but at least I still had my arm.
“Zoey?” I asked.
“Yeah, Rider?”
“Would you like to come over to my place tomorrow night and eat take out with me?”
“Are you really asking me that now? When you’re on your side being stitched up?”
“Hell of an ask, if you want my opinion,” Doc said. “That’s a man’s proposal of a date.”
“Figured I could get us some sodas, since I’m probably not drinking beer anytime soon. We could order some Chinese. Or maybe some pizza. Or subs from that place up the… the road. Dinner in and a movie? Whaddaya say?”
“I think you’re crazy and you should focus on being stitched up,” she said.
“I think that rejection was more painful than the gunshot,” I said.
“It’s not a rejection. I just… want you to breathe and focus on one thing at a time.”
“Come on, guys. The man’s almost done here,” Doc said. “Let’s give them their space.”
“A few more stitches and you’re good to go,” Colt said. “I’ll talk to Sheila and make sure I get your antibiotics and pain pills.”
“Okay. Yeah. Thanks,” I said breathlessly.
“Come on, come on, come on. Let the kids breathe,” Doc said.
I felt Colt drop my hand, my body moving with the stitches as the strange woman saving my life pulled the last one through my skin. I felt it a bit, wincing as she tied it off. She wiped me down with iodine and wrapped gauze and shit around my shoulder, then slowly helped me upright so I could think straight. The room was still spinning a bit, and I felt Zoey’s hands on my naked chest. Her eyes were studying me as Doc’s friend put me in a sling, my arm resting on the fabric as it hung uselessly in the air.
But the only thing I could focus on was Zoey’s hands. Her warm touch against my skin. Her fingertips curling into my strength. My eyes locked onto her as the rest of the guys made their way to the bar, ordering a round of strong drinks to drown out the shit that had just taken place.
“So?” I asked. “Whatcha up to tomorrow night?”
Chapter 14
Zoey
I giggled and shook my head as Rider’s insistence. His eyes were red and glossy from the pain medication, but I knew he was all there. My eyes dropped to the wound on his shoulder as I tried not to focus on the nakedness of his chest, and his scars running up his side. My heart was still palpitating with worry. I wanted to know what I could do to help take care of him. To make this recuperation a little easier on him. My hand rose up, hovering just above the blood-soaked gauze as Rider kept his eyes on me.
I wasn’t ready to let him out of my sight. Not just yet.
“Sorry to ruin the moment,” Colt said, “but I got some things to tell you.”
“What’s up?” Rider asked.
“Got your medicine and shit,” Colt said as he held up a brown bag. “The orange bottle with the thick pills are your antibiotics. One a day until it’s gone. Take one when you get home. The other bottle with the smaller, round pills is your pain medication. One in the morning, one in the evening.”
“Thanks, Mom,” Rider said with a grin.
“We got another issue, though,” Colt said.
“What’s that?” I asked.
“Rider’s gotta be monitored for the next forty-eight hours. Risk of blood clots and shit. Someone’s gotta be around him to keep his temperature and shit in check. You know, make sure he’s drinking fluids to decrease the risk and all.”
“So… no to the date, then,” Rider said.
“Not necessarily,” I said.
“Figured you’d take the hint on that. You guys have fun. But not too much fun. That’s my sister, asshole,” Colt said.
“Got it,” Rider said with a lazy nod. “Except I don’t know what anyone’s talking about.”
“It’s probably not a good idea for you to come to my place, with my parents and their work schedules,” I said. “But since you need someone watching to make sure you stay okay, I can come to your place. Make sure you take your medication and stuff.”
“So… yes to the date,” Rider said.
“Get off the damn date,” I said with a grin. “Let’s get you better first.”
I hugged my brother before I helped Rider to his feet. The entire club was sitting at the bar, their eyes trying to conceal the fact that they were watching us. Rider was in no shape to drive his bike home, so I slipped my hand into his pocket and pulled out his keys. I jiggled them in front of his face before I turned around, tossing them to Doc as he nodded his head.
“Can you make sure that gets back to Rider’s place?” I asked. “I don’t think he’s in any condition to drive.”
“You got it. But if his bike’s one of the ones that got damaged, I’m takin’ it to the shop first,” Doc said.
“Whatever you need to do. Just wanna make sure he’s not driving,” I said.
I turned back to Rider, and I found him smiling down at me. The numbing medication and the pain shot the doctor gave him were already making him loopy. The kindness in his eyes was intoxicating, and before I could think about it, I was slipping my arms around his naked waist. I leaned my cheek against the swell of his chest, taking in his warmth as his good arm wrapped around me tightly.
“Thank you for saving my life,” I said in a whisper.
“Your life is always protected with me,” Rider said. “Now come on, let’s get out of here. Everyone’s staring, and I need a shirt.”
With my arm around his waist and his body leaning heavily against mine, I led us out of the bar. I piled us in my car and drove us to Rider’s place, relieved when we pulled up. I turned the car off and walked around to help him out, trying to be careful of his arm. He steadied himself on me as we walked up the walkway to his home, but when he went to reach for his keys, he started to laugh.
“I don’t have my keys,” Rider said.
“Hold on. I think I can help with that.”
I felt around in my pockets, trying to find something sharp I could use. I found a few bobby pins in my back pocket, so I pulled out a couple as Rider leaned against his house. It took me a few tries to pick his lock, but when I heard the latch flip, I opened the door for him. He was grinning down at me, shaking his head as I stood underneath his good arm again.
“Come on. Let’s get you sitting down with a glass of water,” I said.
I kicked the door closed behind me as we made our way to the couch. I helped ease Rider down onto the cushions, being careful not to jostle his shoulder. I leaned my forehead against him, taking in the way his breath pulsed against my lips.
Fuck, if this man weren’t so drugged up he would be in so much trouble.
I lifted myself off the couch to head to the kitchen, but a hand came down around my wrist. I whipped my head around and looked, seeing Rider’s hand clamping down on my skin. My eyes scanned his body, taking in the healthy flush of his skin. But when I saw his pants tenting with his rising cock, I shook my head.
“You’re in no condition for something like that right now,” I said. “You need some water so you can take your antibiotic.”
“That can wait,” he said as he tugged at me.
“No, it can’t, Rider. You can’t get an infection. Let me get you some-”
He pulled me harshly to him and our lips collided. The heat of his tongue and the sweet taste of his lips dragged me into his gravitational pull. I felt myself growing weak for him. I felt my body rising to the occasion for him. My tits puckered to painful peaks behind my bra as I straddled Rider’s lap, grinding down on his growing cock.
“You have no idea how beautiful you are to me,” he said.
“And you have no idea how perfect you are to me,” I said breathlessly.
I pulled my shirt over my head and quickly undid my bra. Rider watched as my tits swung free, his face falling forward into them. I wrapped my arms around his head, feeling him kissing and nipping and licking at my skin. His cock was pulsing painfully against his jeans as I grew wet in my panties, and soon I was up and wiggling my way out of the rest of my clothes.
Soon, we were clad in nothing but our own skin. Rider’s dick was thick with need and dripping with want to be inside me. I straddled his lap, feeling his cock jumping at the ready as I grabbed him and seated him at my entrance.
“Are you sure?” I asked.
He answered me with a thrust, impaling me on his cock as I moaned out into his home.
His good around wrapped around my waist, pulling me into him as his hips sent a relentless pace. He was pounding into me, the couch jostling with his movements as I clung to him. I raked my hands down his chiseled chest and felt his rippling thighs working for my pleasure. I placed sloppy kisses against his lips, moaning and gasping as his cock grew thicker and thicker. I could feel my pussy fluttering. I could feel my clit growing. I slid my fingertips between my folds and found that swollen little nub, flicking it and pressing it as my need for Rider grew.
“Shit. You feel so good. I was so scared… so scared you were… you were…”
“I’m not,” Rider said as he captured my lips. “I’m right here, Zoey. With you.”
I dipped my face into the crook of his neck and allowed my tears of pleasure and fear to blend together. It was the truth. I had been petrified of Rider dying. A man I’d really known for a few days and a boy I’d known my entire life, and I thought I was going to watch him bleed out on the cement. I peppered his neck with kisses as I jolted in his lap. I could feel my climax coming as my juices spilled down his balls. I rolled my hips into his, my pussy swallowing his cock deep into my body.
“Fuck, Zoey. So good. So great.”
I pressed my hands into his chest as I came around his girth. I wrapped my arms around his waist, burying my moaning mouth into his neck. I bit down into his skin, clenching my eyes shut as he pressed his hand into the small of my back. I felt him release into me, coating my body with his hot cum as his legs trembled underneath my body.
Our juices were dripping onto the couch as we both panted for air.
Rider’s hand slid up my back and tangled in the red curls of my hair. Soft kisses were pressed into my shoulder as we sank deeper into the couch cushions. It felt so good to have him against me. To feel his heart pumping and his limbs shaking. It felt wonderful to feel his skin against mine and know that he was alive.
I couldn’t let him get away. Not after the fear I experienced when I thought I was going to lose him.
“Rider?”
“Hmm?”
“Can I tell you something?”
“Of course you can,” he said sleepily.
“When you were on that pavement-”
I sighed, my jaw beginning to tremble as tears crested my eyes.
“It’s okay,” he said into my ear. “I’m right here.”
“When you were bleeding,” I said, “I thought I was going to watch you die. Right there, from your shoulder. Just… you wouldn’t open your eyes, and I didn’t know if you could hear me and-”
Rider lifted my face to his and encompassed his lips with mine. I melted into him, my hands pressing into his hewed muscles. His cock slid from my pussy, allowing our intermingled juices to drip from my body as it soaked the couch beneath us. Our tongues collided and electricity shot through my body, raising goosebumps on my skin.
Something no man’s kiss had ever done to me before.
“I’m falling for you,” I said in a whisper.
I felt Rider pull back as our eyes connected.
“What did you say?” he asked.
“I said… that I’m… falling for you. I’m falling for you, Rider.”
I expected him to toss me off his lap. To tell me it was too short of a time and that I was crazy. I expected him to throw me out. To call Colt and have him come over and watch him for the next couple of days. But instead, he rose his good hand and cupped my cheek, allowing his thumb to stroke along my skin.
“I’m falling for you too, Zoey,” he said.
“Seriously?” I asked.
“Yep.”
“You’re not just pulling my leg?”
“Nope.”
“So… you don’t think I’m crazy?”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” he said with a grin.
I playfully swatted at his chest before he wrapped his hand around my wrist. He brought my knuckles to his lips to kiss, his eyes never leaving mine. I blushed underneath his gaze as I laid my head back on his shoulder, his hand holding mine up against his heart.
“You really need to take your antibiotic,” I said.
“Let me hold you for just a few more minutes. You weren’t the only one who thought you were gonna lose someone today.”
I pressed a kiss onto his shoulder, taking in all of him as we sat there on his couch. It had been a whirlwind of a day, and things weren’t going to get easier, but I knew we would be able to do it. Even though I had only really known Rider a few days, I felt like I had known him my entire life. I nuzzled deeply into him, taking great pains to make sure I didn’t jostle his bad arm. Then the two of us slipped off into a deep slumber as each of us cradled the other.
Yep. Everything was going to be okay.
Even if things weren’t perfect.
Epilogue
Rider
A Year Later
“So, raise your beer for the newest member of The Fallen Reapers!” Colt said.
“Here, here!” the guys said.
“May he shoot more bullets than he takes,” Doc said.
“Here, here!” the guys said.
“May he subdue more men than he kills,” Bruiser said.
“Here, here!” the guys said.
“May he never piss off Colt’s sister, lest we lose him to his ignorance,” Fender said.
“Here, here!” the guys said with chuckles on their lips.
“Well, I think that’s about as official as it gets,” Jax said.
“Welcome to the club, Rider. We sure as hell could use you,” Doc said.
“After I healed from that bullet wound,” I said with a grin.
“We aren’t talking about that,” Zoey said. “That didn’t happen.”
“It’s not official yet. But once you slide this thing on, it will be.”
Colt pulled out a sleek leather cut with the club’s logo embroidered on the back. I’d been walking around for the past year with a shitty leather cut with a patched up bullet hole in it. I had to dry clean that piece of shit four times to get all the blood out of it, and every time I slipped it on it made Zoey cringe. She hated the thing, and so did I. It was a stark reminder of the bullet that almost took my life.
Especially after the infection I developed.
Two weeks after I’d been shot, I had a fever. One hundred and four and soaring as Zoey rushed me to the hospital. We had no choice. The club fucking hated hospitals, but I needed to be treated by a doctor in a sterile facility. The guys couldn’t come visit me because of their own paranoia and jobs and shit, but Zoey was there. Holding my hand the entire time as the rounds of antibiotics got my body back on track.
But for a while there, it was touch and go.
“Want another soda?” I asked Zoey. “I’m gonna go get one for myself.”
“Nah. You’re the guest of honor tonight,” Grave said. “I got you guys. Be right back.”
“I’m actually good for now, Grave. But I could use some water,” Zoey said.
“Pussy shit!” Grave said.
“That’s my fucking sister,” Colt said.
“And that’s the mother of my child. Watch your tongue,” I said.
“The two of you are relentless,” Zoey said as she rolled her eyes.
“You’re pregnant. Expect it,” I said with a grin.
“Speaking of, how’s the mother-to-be feeling?” Doc asked.
“Like a damn whale. I’ve hit a point where I can’t see my toes, my boobs are bigger than any of the bras I have, I’m growing out of my second round of maternity clothes, and I can’t fucking bend over to pick up anything,” she said.
“Sounds fucking terrible. I could never go through that shit,” Grave said as he slid Zoey a glass of water.
“That’s why I’m the woman, and you’re the man,” she said. “I’m stronger than all of you combined.
“No one’s arguing that truth,” Jax said.
I watched Zoey chug her water as beads of sweat gathered on her brow. This pregnancy had been beautiful, but this last trimester was hard on her. When we found out she was pregnant seven months ago, I was insistent that she move in with me. She was living in a dingy old apartment across town, and while my home wasn’t big, it had a room for us to convert into a nursery for the baby. Two bedrooms, two bathrooms, and fourteen hundred square feet of space to fill with things to make our family comfortable.
And a fenced-in backyard for when the little guy started getting older.
“You excited about having a boy?” Colt asked.
“Depends. If he gets his personality from Rider, I’m gonna be up shit creek without a paddle,” Zoey said.
“I’m not that bad,” I said.
“You’re stubborn as hell and huge. If he takes after you, I’m gonna be shoving a two-year-old out of my vagina.”
“That sounds terrible. It’s a shame pregnant women can’t drink. They need it more than we do,” Grave said.
“Fucking right on the nose with that one,” Doc said.
“You ever gonna make an honest woman out of my sister?” Colt asked.
“All right, big brother. Get off it,” Zoey said.
He was right. A lot of things had happened between his sister and I over the past year. We fell in love and fought for my life. She took care of me and kept my head in the game while I was recuperating and unable to help out with jobs. She kept me warm at night and always made sure I had food to eat in the house. She was carrying my child while still trying to look out for me. She had been strong for me in ways I never thought a woman would ever want to do for me. She had given me everything. Her life. Her future. Her body to enjoy and her motherly instincts to raise my child.
I looked over at Zoey, her eyes filling with rage as her and her brother continued to argue.
“What? It’s a fair question,” Colt said. “You’re living together. You’re pregnant. When’s he gonna pop the question? We all know you love one another.”
“Marriage isn’t something you can force onto someone, Colt,” Zoey said. “And I’m not gonna have you intimidating him into doing something like that.”
“So you want to marry him,” Colt said.
“Get off the damn subject. I’m hot, I’m hungry, and I have to piss. Rider? Move.”
I whipped my eyes up to her and could see beads of sweat dripping down her brow. I slid from the booth and helped her stand to her feet, holding onto her hands until her center of gravity was stable. Her hand pressed into her lower back as she waddled off to the bathroom, trying her best to get away from the scenario as I sighed.
Even with her swollen ankles and her rounded stomach, she still tugged at me in a way that was indescribable.
“You shouldn’t have done that,” I said as I looked at Colt.
“Not my fault you’re dragging your feet. You bought that ring two months ago, man. When the hell are you gonna grow the balls?” he asked.
I shoved my hand into my pocket and pulled out the diamond ring. I felt the room grow silent as everyone turned their heads toward me, taking in the canary diamond surrounded by rubies. Zoey’s two favorite colors, all wrapped up in the perfect ring that caught my eye in the jewelry store after one of her doctor’s appointments.
I heard the bathroom door slam open as a smile crossed my cheeks.
“No better time than now, I suppose,” I said with a grin.
I sank to my knee as Zoey rounded the corner. The guys parted a path, connecting my body with hers. I watched the shock roll over her face as tears welled in her eyes, smiles peeling across all the guys’ faces in the bar. She slowly waddled towards me, her thick legs carrying the weight of our child as I smiled up at her.
“Zoey, you have been the single most powerful force in my life for the past year. This club reminded me of what it meant to have a family, but you reminded me what it meant to be loved. To give love unconditionally and to feel equal to a whole person again. You took care of me when I was sick, and you nursed me back to health without so much as a complaint. You’ve turned my world upside down and helped me to see the fullness of life in a way I couldn’t see after I’d lost my leg. You made me a whole man again, Zoey, and I don’t ever want to let that go.”
I watched as tears rumbled down her cheeks.
“I love you, Zoey. And I can’t imagine ever spending my life with anyone else other than you and our child. Will you marry me?”
Zoey reached down for my shirt and fisted it in her grasp. She ripped me off my knee, our lips colliding as our teeth clattered together. The entire bar erupted into applause and cheers as I smiled into her lips, feeling her nodding against my face as her stomach started to bounce against mine.
“Guess our little boy’s happy about it, too,” she said with a grin.
I smoothed my hand over her stomach, feeling our son kick against her body. I dipped back down to my knees, pressing kiss after kiss into her stomach as she plucked the ring from my finger. I looked up and watched her slide it onto her hand, the ring fitting her perfectly even with the swelling that had taken place in her hands.
“I love you,” I said as I stood to my feet.
“I love you, too,” Zoey said as she smiled up at me. “So much.”
“Drinks for everyone!” Doc called out.
“And keep ‘em coming!” Colt exclaimed.
“You wanna get out of here?” I asked.
I saw Zoey’s eyes darken as she sucked her bottom lip between her teeth.
“Do I ever,” she said with a groan.
I took her hand and led her from the bar as the crew continued to celebrate. I gripped her hand tightly as we took off for her car. I helped her into the passenger’s seat as she sat down, the car rocking with her weight as she rolled her eyes.
I dipped down to kiss her lips, my tongue sliding into her warmth as she moaned.
“Just wait until I get you home,” I said in a whisper. “You’re not gonna know what to do with yourself.”
“Then get behind the wheel of the car and drive,” she said.