by Chiah Wilder
Raptor rubbed his chin, looked out the window, and nodded. “I own it, but you gotta own that your allegiance to the club shifted to your woman.”
“Yeah, I know.”
“Did you tell her what’s going on?”
Tank jerked back. “No—I’m not fucked in the head.”
A smile ghosted the president’s lips. “No, you’re not.”
“I couldn’t let Cougar hurt her. It was a matter of time before he did. And the whole protection bullshit—it’s what you hated the most when your old man was president and the thing you fought the hardest to abolish.”
“Yeah. Love makes all this shit a whole lot more complicated.”
Tank sucked in a deep breath and let it out. “Am I out of the club?”
“No. I was pissed and so were some of the members, especially the old timers, but the vote, for the most part, was to keep you in.”
“What did you vote, or you aren’t saying?”
“To keep you in. How could I vote any other way? I chose my son over the club. Like I said, love blurs the lines.” Raptor jerked his head in the direction of the patio. “You gonna make her your old lady?”
“We’re not there yet.” I don’t even know if she wants anything to do with me after I’m back on my feet.
“She’s a keeper. The way she fought for you, well, most women would’ve run away or stay in the background cowering. Trisha would never have done that.”
“I know.”
“Did you come here to tell me my ass almost got kicked out?”
“No. I came to tell you the coup is over. After what happened to you, all hell broke loose at the club. The end result was that Hammer, Cougar, Rubble, Fire, and Demon got their colors taken from them and their asses thrown out. What happened with Flannigan was fuckin’ bullshit.”
“Yeah. Do we have any hope with working with him again?”
“We do now. Flannigan knows we kicked those fuckers out. Cougar was the one who killed one of Flannigan’s men, and Demon offed the other one. Now that they don’t have the club’s protection, they’ve got a target on their back that Flannigan’s gonna hit.”
“And Hammer?”
“He’s a dead man. He’s the one who ordered the hits.”
Tank nodded. “I figured as much. But damn, I would’ve loved to have been there to smash the motherfucker’s face.”
Raptor chuckled. “Yeah, we missed you. In the end, all but four members sided with Hammer. The ones who were with him in the beginning, abandoned him.”
Pride surged through him. “I knew when push came to shove, the brothers would stand as one. So who’s VP now?”
“Reaper. Axle is sergeant at arms, and Snake is president.”
“And you’re good with it? I know you said you were cool with an interim president, but it sounds like Reaper’s permanent.”
“Yeah. Fester came to see me after the fight. He said you were going to come by. Anyway, we got to talking, and after thinking about everything he said and what you’d said to me, I came to the decision to step down. Nick is the most important thing in my life—all my kids are, but he’s sick so he needs even more care and attention. My loyalty is divided, so how can I run the club?”
Tank reached out and grasped his friend’s arm. “It takes a man who loves the brotherhood to make that kind of a decision.”
“I do love it, and I know you do too. You went nomad because of your mom. You knew you couldn’t give the time and attention equally to her and the club. It just took me a longer to figure that out.”
Lost in their thoughts, they sat in silence; their love for the brotherhood bonded them for life.
After several minutes, Raptor rose to his feet. “I gotta get back.”
“How’s Nick?”
A weak smile ghosted his lips. “Better.”
“What are his chances of getting a donor for the transplant?”
“One of his brothers or sisters may be able to. The doctors are arranging the tests. They’re actually pretty hopeful.”
“That’s good. Keep me in the loop.”
Tank walked Raptor to the door, and the two men bumped fists. When he went back into the kitchen, Lena was back at the sink.
“Thanks for giving us some space,” he said.
“No problem. You’re looking kind of shaky. You should get some fresh air.”
Lena helped him into the sun room then went back to finish cleaning the dishes. It killed him to be so weak on his feet, and he hated she had to see him like that. Though he didn’t mind her soft body pressed close to his, with the scent of her perfume swirling around him.
“Here you go.” She set a glass of iced tea on the small wicker table next to his chair.
“I’d rather have a beer.”
“The doctor said absolutely no alcohol until you’re off all medication, especially the antibiotics.”
“That sucks.”
She cocked her head to the side. “Life’s a bitch. You have to stay here and get pampered while looking out at the ocean. How are you ever going to survive this?”
“The sea air has made you even sassier.” He teased.
Sinking down on the chair next to his, she stared out at the ocean. “I love how quiet it is here. I could get used to this.” She turned to him. “This is the longest I’ve gone without working in years. I mean, physically working in the bistro. Cooking, baking, loading and unloading trucks—all of that. I’m in contact with Adalyn and Sarah, and I’ve made business calls, but it seems strange not to be in the bistro. Yet, I have to admit, I love the peacefulness here.”
“This is a great place to kick back and just let your mind wander.” He didn’t add that the atmosphere was usually charged and tense, because it was used for hiding out from rival clubs, the badges, gangsters, and a whole slew of other dangerous scenarios. But she didn’t need to know that.
“Do you come here often?” she asked.
“No. I’ve only been here one time, and that was years ago.”
And that was when Maniac had pissed off one of the Dying Breed’s members by fucking the dude’s old lady. Maniac didn’t have a clue she belonged to another man, let alone a rival club member, but that didn’t matter in the MC world. Maniac had disrespected the dude, and he was out for blood. In the end, the Jagged Outlaws took care of the guy, and due to the constant turf wars, they eventually annihilated the rival club.
“Thanks for helping me out during the fight. I was in a bad way before you stepped in.”
Lena’s face flushed and her face tightened. “I never thought I’d be involved in something like that. I keep wondering if I” —she lowered her voice— “killed anyone. I stabbed one of those guys with a butcher knife. A fucking butcher knife. When they left, they were all standing, except for Cougar. They had to drag him out, but what if the guy bled to death?”
“Demon deserved what he got. An outlaw knows the score.”
“But that doesn’t make me feel better. I don’t… I can’t think that way. I feel horrible about what I did, but there was no choice—I had to do something. I knew I couldn’t call the sheriff’s office because they’re corrupt, but I couldn’t let them kill you.” Her voiced cracked.
Catching her hand in his, he brought it to his lips and kissed it. “I appreciate what you did for me. By you stepping in, you saved my life. And to ease your mind, Raptor said Demon and Rubble survived.” Cursing inaudibly, Tank pivoted in his chair so he faced her. “I’ve missed you a lot. I came in there that night to make sure the BS stopped.”
“I know. You were afraid for me and tried to get me to leave.”
“Cougar was gonna fuck you up. He was mad at me because I beat his ass at the club a few days before.”
“You guys fought then too? Why?”
Tank squeezed her hand. “Because of you. That night I came in to collect the money, I was shocked as shit that it was your restaurant. I volunteered to go along with Cougar because I wanted to get a feel for what the fucker
did when he went into the businesses, as well as to see how the owners reacted. I can’t tell you the reason for that because it’s club business, but just know, my intentions were good. The way he looked at you that night made me want to tear him apart limb by limb. And the things he said to you made my blood boil, but I had to keep my cool for club reasons. However, my anger spilled over at the clubhouse, and I ended up kicking his ass.”
“For me,” she whispered.
“Yeah. I’ll always have your back, and it’s good to know you’ll always have mine.” He fixed his gaze on hers, but she quickly looked away. “What’s going on with you?”
“I’m confused.”
His chest tightened. “About what?”
“Us.”
“Talk to me.”
“I’m still upset that you didn’t tell me you were with an outlaw motorcycle club. I mean, that’s a pretty big thing to leave out. It seemed like we were getting close, and then I find out I really didn’t know you at all. I can’t help wondering what else you’re keeping from me.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw. “I’m not keeping anything from you. I should’ve told you I was a Jagged Outlaw member, but I didn’t want to scare you away. I was planning to tell you, but I wanted to wait until we were really solid. That shit about you thinking Quinn and I were together put us on shaky ground, and even though we were back on track, I thought it was too soon to tell you about the club.”
“You didn’t trust me.”
“That wasn’t it. It was that you flipped over the Quinn thing without even talking to me about it, so I wasn’t sure how you’d react to me being in the club. Citizens get freaked about MCs. I’m also not as involved with it as I used to be. I’ve been a nomad for a few years now.”
“What does that mean?”
“That I’m not involved in the day-to-day club dealings, and I come and go as I please. If they need me, they can call on me, but I’m not tied to all the stuff the club does.”
“Why did you make that decision?”
“First, my mom got sick, and I wanted to be there for her in a way I couldn’t if I was full- time. Second, I was getting antsy. I’m kind of a loner, and I wanted to ride apart from the club.” He shrugged. “I don’t know. It’s hard to explain.”
“Are you ever going to go back to full-time?”
He saw her apprehension.
“It depends.”
“On what?”
“If there’s an us.” Grabbing her chair, he dragged it closer and drew her in. “I know that for us to work, we’ve got to be open with each other. You didn’t tell me about the restaurant. I’m not sure why, but we have to agree to be honest with each other. I’m gonna tell you right now that if you want to be in a relationship with me, there are times when I have to do some club stuff, and I can’t tell you what it’s about. It’s just the way it is. If you can’t deal with that, then we’re gonna have a problem.” Grimacing as he leaned over, he brushed his lips across hers. “If you want to give this a try, I want it to be exclusive. I haven’t been in a relationship since my ex-wife, so I’m not going to lie and say it’s easy for me. Even after all these years, I still have shit to work through.”
“And I have to work through being terrified that someone I love will be taken from me. I carry that baggage since losing my parents.”
A grin spread across his face. “Someone you love?”
With her hands on his thighs, she leaned forward and kissed him. “I love you,” she whispered. “I was so hurt and angry at you when you came in to collect the money. I couldn’t believe the man I’d been spending all my time with was the same one shaking me down. But then you continued to call me, sent all those sweet texts, the flowers, and you were melting my heart. But when you came to protect and defend me, I knew you truly were the man I knew.”
“It was fuckin’ brutal when I thought I’d lost you, because I can’t imagine you not in my life. I love you, darlin’. I’ve never known any woman like you, and I’m going to be damn careful not to fuck up again. I want our lives to stretch into forever.”
A huge smile danced on her lips, and she giggled. “I never thought I’d find my soulmate.” She gave him a thoughtful look. “But I want us to go slow, which means dating, going on weekend trips, and walks on the beach. Just enjoying being with each other.”
“Anything. I want you by my side. My question to you is, are you going to be able to pull yourself away from working so much?”
“I was a workaholic to fill the hours. I was lonely, so work was my salve, but I’d rather spend my time with you. Of course, I’ll have to work events on the weekends, but I have a great staff, so I’ll learn to delegate. It’s important we take things slow and really get to know each other.”
“Okay. You tell me when you want us to move in together. We’ll go at your pace.” He kissed her deeply when she started to laugh. “I love you, darlin’.”
“And I love you.”
“Listen, I can’t say much, but I want you to know that the protection payment is over.”
“That’s wonderful, because it put me in a real financial crunch. I talked to the California Attorney General’s Office, and they’re opening up a criminal investigation. And don’t worry, I’m not breathing a word about your club’s involvement. The last thing I want is for you to get into trouble, although I’d love to see Cougar in handcuffs.”
“You won’t have to worry about that fucker ever again.”
“Why?” Her hand flew to her mouth. “I forgot—club business. The one I really hope gets locked up is that damn sheriff.”
“He’s a damn pussy. He wouldn’t last one fuckin’ day in the slammer.”
“And, don’t worry, I’m not breathing a word about your club’s involvement. The last thing I want is for you to get into trouble.”
Laughing, Lena wrapped her arms around his shoulders and kissed him again. “When you feel better, the first thing I want to do is make love to you.”
“I feel fuckin’ fantastic. I’ve been craving you too long, woman to wait one second more.”
Lena jumped up from her chair and handed him the cane. “Well, if you’re sure.”
“I’ve never been surer of anything in my life.”
And that was the truth. Lena was his, and he loved her with every corner of his heart. She was the one who brought light to the darkness inside of him.
She was his life, his world, and there was nothing he would ever let come between them again.
Epilogue
Four months later
Lena held the cake box as she followed Tank up the sidewalk to his mother’s house. The first time she’d come to meet his mother, she was as nervous as a cat on hot asphalt, but the minute his mother smiled and told Lena to call her Mary instead of Mrs. Hopkins, she knew they’d become friends.
Tank was happier than hell that she and Mary got along so well. Some afternoons, Lena would stop by with a basket of food and set up a table out in the garden, and she and Mary would have fun talking about everyone and everything.
The major topic of conversation for the past month had been the indictment of Philip Fitzgerald, Roger Ellison—the DA—Sheriff Windsor, and several law enforcement deputies. The slew of charges lodged against each of the defendants were more than a half page long. It was the scandal of the year, maybe even the decade, and it rocked the town to its core.
Quinn Fitzgerald and her mother, Estelle, sold their mansion and flew the coop. When Mason Bourne, Quinn’s fiancé, learned of the scandal involving Quinn’s father, he did what any shallow and mercenary person would do: He dropped her fast and cold.
The State Attorney General commended Lena and all the witnesses who’d come forward, on their cooperation and bravery in putting a corrupt system out of business. If things went the way Assistant State’s Attorney Rhonda Dempsey told Lena they would, many real estate deals that Fitzgerald made fraudulently would be put right. If that happened, he stood to lose millions of dollars, something
Lena wasn’t losing any sleep over.
The biggest surprise for her and all the other tenants who were harassed by Cougar and Rubble, was receiving all the money back from the Jagged Outlaws MC. It appeared that the club had a changing of the guard, which Lena only found out about through her landlord, John Bourne. Of course, Tank never breathed a word about what happened behind the hallowed walls of the clubhouse, and Lena was just fine with that. And because of the club’s generosity to the tenants and the expulsion of the men directly responsible for their weeks of terror, none of the witnesses said one thing about the Jagged Outlaws being involved. Even after Fitzgerald and Sheriff Windsor tried to put the blame on the club, everyone stayed silent.
When Lena had turned in the recordings, she’d initially told the DA that the two men were bikers, but since he was part of the fraud and extortion scheme and a multitude of other crimes, no one believed him.
“Thank you, Lena,” Tank’s mother said when she handed her the small box of tea cookies and put the cake on the table.
“You’re welcome,” she said, bending down to kiss her cheeks.
“Hey, Mom.” Tank hugged his mother then sat down. “The doctor said you’re doing great.”
She smiled. “I feel good. I’m happy you found such a beautiful and wonderful woman.”
“Mom …” he groaned.
Lena laughed at the same routine mother and son engaged in each time they’d go over to visit with Mary.
“I’m just saying. Knowing that you’re settled, I can stop worrying and relax. When are you going to get married?”
“Mom!”
A huge grin cracked Lena’s face. Whenever she saw Tank and his mother interacting, she could see the boy he was when he was young, and she loved that.
“I’m just asking.” Mary turned to Lena. “Do you mind me asking?”
“Not at all,” she replied.
Tank rolled his eyes. “What do you think she’s going to say, Mom?”
