Ryder

by Blair Grey

  I was sure she was with my father. She was either at the house, or she was somewhere nearby. He hadn’t let me look around the house. Not much, anyway. He had told me more than once I was allowed only where he was and only when he was there.

  “You might be my daughter, but you’re now part of the MC in your own way, too. I’m not going to let anyone from the MC just wander around the place like they own it. This is my house, and I’m the president,” he had told me.

  I knew there had to be something strange going on for him to say it, but I hadn’t argued with him at the time. There wasn’t anything to argue about, really. I had to just go along with it for the pure and simple fact it was all part of the plan.

  I had to keep up that front.

  But now, now I was sure there was something he was hiding in the house itself. And that something had to be my mother. And I wasn’t going to just sit in this house and pace back and forth all night, wondering what was going to happen. I had to be part of the action.

  It was in my blood.

  My mother had married my father, and they were both involved in the MC. She might not have been a patch member, but before my father lost his mind, I knew she was right there with him. There was no denying the fact my father was a ruthless club member.

  His blood pulsed through my veins, and though I was a much better person than he was, that didn’t mean I didn’t have the instinct there. I could stand up for myself, and I wasn’t going to let anyone tell me otherwise.

  Hell, I’d stood up to my father himself more times than once, I could do it again. I would stand up to Jett and Ryder in the process, too. They could tell me they had it handled, and they could try to tell me to stay out of it, but nothing was going to stop me now.

  I’d made up my mind I was going to fight, and I was sticking with that, even if it was the last thing I did. I had spent too much of my life already hiding and living in fear of my father. I wasn’t going to do that anymore. It was time for me to take a stand, and if that meant I would be facing death itself, then so be it.

  Jett was leading his MC into the thick of the fight, and I was going to do the same. I didn’t need his permission to go or stay. I wasn’t part of his MC. He wasn’t my president, and Ryder? Well, he wasn’t in charge of me either. Hell, not even my own father could tell me what to do.

  I was more than capable of making my own decisions, and that’s what I was going to do. I looked around my apartment, grabbing my gun from the box I’d kept it in next to my bed. My father had given it to me after I told him I was serious about joining the club, but I knew he never thought I would be using it in a fight against him.

  After I had it by my side, I headed to the driveway. There, my own bike stood proud. He had given it to me as another gift, and though I hadn’t wanted to accept, I had. After all, I was representing the MC just by being his daughter. It only made sense that I should also have a Harley of my own.

  Since I didn’t have a vehicle, I had been grateful for the transportation, and now, I was even happier with it.

  I sped in the direction of my father’s house, guessing that’s where the MC would be. I wasn’t sure if I was going to come upon the fight or just the house standing dark in the night. But, either way, I was going to be there. Hell, I might even be the one to break in and free my mother myself.

  I didn’t want to think my father would pull a trigger on me, but I was willing to face him, gun in hand, if need be. He wasn’t going to keep my mother prisoner any longer, and if I had to drag out her location from him myself, then that’s what I was going to do.

  I wasn’t even close to the house before I heard the gunshots. Clearly, the fight had already begun, and whatever was going on, there was a lot of gunfire taking place.

  I gripped the handles of the bike harder as I pushed it faster along the dark road. I knew I had to be careful. I couldn’t wreck on my way to the fight. I had to make it. I had to be part of the action. I was going to stand up for my mother – no one was going to get in my way.

  I came upon the fight with my engine blaring, and almost at once, Ryder spotted me. He shouted my name, and I nearly ignored him, trying to get to the house. But, he ran over to me, grabbing me by the arm and whirling me around to face him.

  “What are you doing?” he snapped. “What are you doing here?”

  “I told you I was going to come for this!” I shouted above the din.

  “You need to get out of here! We told you, it’s too dangerous!” he shouted back.

  “I don’t care!” I shouted. “I’m going after my mother, and I’m not going to let anyone get in my way!”

  “No!” Ryder tried to stop me, but I continued on, pushing past him and flying into the house. There were more gunshots cutting through the air, but I was on a mission. I stayed focused, not caring about the danger I was in. I had to find my mom, and I wasn’t going to stop until I knew she was safe.

  “Taylor!” a shout cut through the air, but more gunfire interrupted.

  I wasn’t sure how to shoot like the men in the house. I’d shot the gun before, sure, but I’d never shot anyone. I knew I had to be smart if I was going to make it out of here. I already was in too deep. I was far too committed to the situation to back out of it now, and I refused to let myself lose my head.

  I aimed and squeezed the trigger, then aimed again, squeezing the trigger as I continued to try to fight my way into the house. Suddenly, a bullet whizzed past my head, shattering the vase nearby. I stifled a scream, shooting even faster and harder than before.

  There was a frenzy building inside me, and I didn’t know what to do. I had to fight my way out of this, I had to push all the way through if I was going to survive, but I wasn’t sure how to make that happen. I wasn’t sure how I was going to get through this without getting myself killed.

  On the other hand, there was a part of me willing to die tonight. I was willing to put my life on the line – I was willing to lay my life down, in fact – if it meant I was going to free my mother. I wasn’t going to let her spend another night under my father’s control, and I wasn’t about to let him tell me what to do any longer.

  As a bullet whizzed through the air and grazed my arm, I let out another scream. I was so full of adrenaline, it was hard for me to focus, but I was like a wild woman at the same time. Nothing was going to hold me back as I continued to fight my way through the house.

  I might not officially be part of the Steel Wings, but I realized as I fought with them that it wasn’t the MC that I hated, it was the way my father had treated me my entire life. It was the way he had treated my mother. It was the way he ran his MC that made me hate all MCs.

  No, I wasn’t going to fight against the Steel Wings anymore. I could see now that they were all good men, willing to fight the good fight to reach the end. They weren’t going to stop until they had saved my mother, and I would fight alongside them each step of the way.

  We were working together, we had the upper hand, and for a moment, I realized I wasn’t afraid to do this with my life. Sure, I might not want to be in a fight like this ever again, but I was willing to stand by the men on my side. I was willing to fight with them.

  Jett was shoving himself against a door, and without even thinking, I ran to him, doing the same. Together, we pushed through, crashing into the living room with Ryder and Rocco right on our heels.

  More bullets cut through the air, and people fell. I was shouting, screaming, doing my best to fight, but still looking for my mother. I knew we had the upper hand, I saw more men fall on my father’s side than on the Steel Wings.

  But, even then, nothing could prepare me for seeing my father himself fall. It was as though it happened in slow motion – like something out of a movie.

  But, it was real. A bullet tore into him, and as I stood frozen in the middle of the room, he fell to the ground, his face twisted in anger and pain. He didn’t look at me. I wasn’t even sure if he knew I was there, but it didn’t matter. At once, I felt a w
ave of sorrow mixed with relief rushing through me.

  The President of the Death’s Door MC was gone. We had won the fight. But, more than that, my father was gone. The man who had made my life a living Hell for as long as I could remember was dead, and the shouts coming from the other room told me that they’d found my mother, too.

  She was alive. I was alive. The fight was over, and Ryder was okay, too. We had all managed to make it through, and we were all going to be okay. As hard as it was to believe, the nightmare that had been my life was over, and things were going to be okay in the end, after all.

  My mother was alive and well, and I was okay, too.

  It was time we all went home.

  Chapter 24

  Ryder

  It took a few days before the aches and pains started to leave. It wasn’t unusual for me to feel achy after getting into a fight. There were always plenty of fists thrown around along with the guns that were fired, we all ended up with our fair share of cuts and bruises along the way.

  I had been furious with Taylor for showing up to the fight, but after it was over, it was heartwarming to see her in her mother’s arms. She was sobbing, and it was incredible to all of us to see the two women coming together again after being apart for so long.

  Ten years was a long time to not be with each other, and it showed how much the two women missed each other. But, they were together again, and since we had rescued Katherine from being held by Death’s Door, it was time to get out of there.

  We wanted to be free of the scene by the time the cops showed up, and though we were a ways out from the other residences in the area, we knew it was just a matter of time before the reports of gunshots reached the authorities. After all, with the MC fights that took place in town, many of the people who lived in Fallen Hills knew that wars broke out.

  They would let it go on for a while, letting us work out some of our differences before they went to the cops. But, it was inevitable. Sooner or later, the cops would be summoned, and we wanted to get out of there before we were all hit with charges and arrests.

  It was bad enough to be hit with drug charges and assaults. With the men who were dead in the house, we knew we’d be hit with our fair share of homicides if we were still around when they showed up. No, it was better to get out of there while we still could and let them deal with the aftermath.

  Of course, everyone would know that it was a fight that took place between the two MCs. That was evident from the scene itself. But, the cops weren’t going to get too involved. This sort of thing happened often enough, it was best for them to just let us work out our problems among ourselves.

  I let Taylor hang onto her mother for as long as I could, but as the minutes dragged by, I knew it was time to get out of there.

  “Let’s get Katherine to the hospital. Ryder, you get Taylor home and make sure she’s alright,” Jett told me.

  “I want to stay with her,” Taylor said, but Jett shook his head.

  “I can see you’re not the best at listening to me, but you’ve got to trust me on this one. Your mom’s been through a lot, and you’re going to want to give her some space to get herself put back together. We’re going to get her to the hospital where they’ll take a look at her, and then you can come see her when she’s stronger,” he said.

  “But-” Taylor tried, so I put my arm around her.

  “Come on, let’s get you home. You have to think of your mother now. You said you wanted to make sure she’s okay, and you’ve done that. Now, let’s let the professionals take care of her while you take care of yourself, okay?” I coaxed.

  “Okay,” she said reluctantly. I knew she didn’t want to come with me, but she didn’t have another choice. She’d gotten her way by coming to the fight in the first place, and now if she wanted to do what was best for her mother, she was going to have to let us take over.

  She walked out of the house with me, and the two of us headed toward our bikes.

  “Are you sure she’s going to be okay?” Taylor asked.

  “She’s in good hands now,” I said with a nod. “Jett’s going to get her to the hospital, and I’m going to get you home.”

  “Okay,” Taylor nodded again, but I knew she wasn’t convinced. I couldn’t help but chuckle. I knew she wanted more than anything to be there for her mother through all of this, but she had to listen to me. She had to do what was best, and she didn’t always know what that was. So, though she wanted to stay by her mother’s side, she instead got on the back of her bike and rode along with me back to her place.

  I knew I could get her settled down enough she wasn’t going to worry about her mother. After all, the hard part was over. Her father was dead, her mother was safe, and she could finally relax.

  It was time to let it go.

  Now, I was taking her to the hospital to see her mother. It had been a few days, and I wanted Taylor to have the chance to reconnect. We walked through the hall after the nurse pointed us in the right direction, and then we slipped quietly into her room.

  “Mom?” Taylor said softly as she walked over to the bed. “Are you okay?”

  “Taylor!” Katherine smiled as she held her hands out to her daughter. “You’re so beautiful! Look at you!”

  “Mom!” Taylor’s voice caught in her throat. She threw herself down on top of her mother, sobbing as she pulled her close. The two women held each other, and I stood by silently. I didn’t want to interrupt the moment, happy for Taylor to finally have the chance to talk to her mother like she wanted.

  Katherine had been out of it the night we rescued her, caught up in the heat of the moment and the stress over what she had been through; she hardly said two words when Taylor was holding onto her. But now, things were clearly different.

  Now, she had her strength back, and she was clearly moving past the trauma that she’d been dealing with for so long. She held Taylor in her arms, looking over her daughter’s shoulder at me and mouthing, “Thank you.”

  I gave her a nod, putting my hands on my pockets and letting the two women have the moment together. It felt so good to let Taylor be with her mother after so long. I knew she desperately wanted to be with her over the years, and I knew how desperately her mother wanted to see her, too.

  Katherine often told me how much she missed her daughter and how she just wanted to see Taylor, even for a few minutes. But, we couldn’t let that happen.

  The two of them had to be separate. But now, things were better. Now, they were free to live their lives outside the fear of what might happen next. They were finally free to be together, and I was grateful I could be there to watch them finally connect with each other once again.

  “I’m so sorry, Taylor,” Katherine said. “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to write to you for all this time. I’m sorry that I had to go. I’m so sorry for what you’ve been through.”

  “I’m sorry I wasn’t able to find you sooner,” Taylor said. “I’m sorry that I let so long pass with Dad being in control.”

  “Don’t blame yourself. You were the one who was completely innocent in all this,” Katherine shook her head. “And, I’m proud of the woman you’ve become. I want to start over, you and me. I want the two of us to be able to have a relationship with each other. I want to love you with you here with me. I want to be in your world.”

  “I’m not going anywhere, Mom,” Taylor promised. “I want to be with you, too. I love you, so much.”

  They gave each other another hug, but before they could continue talking, the nurse poked her head in the room.

  “I think it’s best if we let the patient get some sleep now, she’s been through a lot,” the nurse said.

  “I’ll come back and visit you again soon,” Taylor promised her mother. She gave Katherine one final kiss, then she walked over to me. Her eyes were brimming, and I smiled as she reached her hand out and offered it to me.

  “Will you take me home?” she asked. “Please?”

  “Of course,” I said with a smile as I took
her hand in mine. “Let’s go.”

  We walked out of the room hand in hand, and Taylor didn’t pull it away from mine as we walked through the hall, either. In fact, she leaned in closer to me as we made our way through the lobby and into the parking lot. For the first time in our adult lives, I felt as though she truly was letting herself give into her feelings.

  She had been hiding so long, running from what I knew she truly felt, but she was finally letting that guard down, finally letting herself feel what I knew she had always felt.

  I had been right. The day would come when I would make her mine, and I felt that day had arrived. This was the woman I’d waited for, and I knew she finally felt the same for me.

  This was meant to be something. We were meant for each other. Nothing could change that. Nothing could change that. I would make her mine officially as soon as I could, but for now, I was just going to enjoy what the day had to offer. I was going to enjoy what Taylor wanted.

  I would enjoy what she had to give me.

  She was mine, after all. She always had been. I knew that for years, I just had to wait for her to see things from my point of view. And now, after all this time, she was finally coming around to do that very thing.

  And, I knew one thing was for damn sure. After today, I couldn’t wait to get her home. There were so many things I wanted to say to her. So many things I wanted to have her know. But, I couldn’t just tell her, not with words alone. I had to do more than tell her how I felt.

  I had to give her more than just promises. No, I knew what I was going to do – I knew what I wanted to give her. The time was finally coming for me to do it.

  I couldn’t wait to show her just how much she meant to me when I got her there.

  She was about to find out what love really was.

  Chapter 25

  Taylor