by Evan Grace
He didn’t treat me the way Wilder did, which was why I decided to hang out with him whenever he was at the club. Duke and I finally got to move out and get our own apartment, and now, at twenty-one, he even let me have a job to pay for bills and food. I didn’t go to college and enjoyed working at a local grocery store. It was a shit job, but it helped me get my mind off Wilder.
Four years was a long time. I grew up. Became an adult and made up my own mind. Duke didn’t have a say anymore. I could do whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. Even if it meant letting the devil himself close to me to mess with my heart.
It was Friday night, and Wilder had been released from prison. He served too many years for something he hadn’t done, and everyone at the club was excited to see him again. They went to pick him up this afternoon and should be back any minute.
“You think he’s gonna be mad when he finds out you’re with Crow now?” Rosalie was the only one I talked to lately. As the youngest old lady in the club, she understood the problems I went through. She was my age, twenty-one, and the only one who stuck with me when I moved on and let Crow approach me. All the other old ladies took a step back, showing me just how much they didn’t agree with me pushing Wilder aside and getting the next best dick in this club.
I sighed, taking off the lid of a bowl filled with salad. We were in the club’s kitchen, preparing everything for his arrival. “He’s not gonna be happy about it. That’s for sure,” I mumbled. There was no way Texas hadn’t told him about Crow and me. They were brothers by blood, and Texas visited him at least four times a month.
Chapter Two
Wilder
“HE’S BACK!” I was barely out of the van Boone picked me up with, and everyone was already standing outside the clubhouse, holding a beer and chanting my name. Iron patted my back, grinning from ear to ear. “You’re home,” he told me. I couldn’t even take one more step away from the vehicle before my older brother Texas pulled me into a hug.
Without hesitating, I hugged him back, closing my eyes to keep the tears from rolling down my face. I was happy to be back, but I was not going to cry in front of the whole fucking club.
“Happy you’re back, little brother. The club’s gone to shit without you.” I knew. Texas came to visit me a lot. He told me everything that was happening at the club. Every little detail, and every little thing that went down.
He also told me about Kiplyn and Crow. I should’ve been mad. Furious, even. But instead of hate, I felt nothing. Absolutely fucking nothing.
I didn’t know why she never came to visit me. Texas never mentioned her until he told me the news about her and Crow. Crow was a piece of shit. Not because he took away my Kiplyn, but because he managed to crawl his way up everyone’s asses, including Texas’s, to then come out at the second-highest rank as VP. He had my patch, and I was going to get it back.
A talk with Texas was already on my schedule. Crow was the last one who deserved that patch. And yes, we were supposed to support each other. Care for our brothers and push them to be the greatest version of themselves. But Crow didn’t have good intentions. I’d heard bad things about him in prison. Things I couldn’t tell Texas while I was still stuck in there. Didn’t want to cause more shit.
“Missed you, man,” I told Tex and moved back to look at him. He was grinning and reached up to rub his knuckles on my shaved head. I decided to shave it again before getting out.
“You look badass. Come on, let’s get inside and get you a beer.”
The others were watching us, and after hugging some of the guys, I looked through the crowd of brothers, sweet butts, and old ladies to hopefully see her face again.
“Is she here?” I asked Texas, and he knew who I was talking about.
“Inside, preparing food. I know you two got a lot of shit to talk about…but I don’t think tonight’s the right time for that.”
I nodded slowly, always listening to my brother’s advice. “Do you have my vest?” I changed the subject.
“It’s hanging on your seat in church. No one has sat in that seat in four years.”
That was exactly what I needed to hear. My spot in this MC had not changed, no matter how long I was gone. And no matter if Crow thought he would keep that patch.
Chapter Three
Kiplyn
I watched Wilder out of the corner of my eyes, standing outside, leaning against his bike, and smoking his second cigarette. He’d been standing there for over thirty minutes now, and I was unsure if I should go out there and talk to him.
“Just go!” Rosalie nudged. She was sitting next to me in the booth right at the window, and she knew I was contemplating whether to go out there or not.
“It’s not like he won’t talk to you. Go,” she said again, and this time, she pushed against my arm, so I had to get up.
“Okay, okay.” I sighed, looking outside the window into his direction. “Wish me luck,” I mumbled then made my way to the exit. I glanced over to the booth Crow was at with two other guys and one sweet butt. It was almost midnight, and most of the others had left the club already.
As I stepped outside, I stopped a few feet in front of him, crossing my arms and meeting his gaze for the first time. His eyes looked sad, and he didn’t move the second he noticed me coming out of the clubhouse.
We stood there in silence for a while, both staring at each other. That felt like torture, and I had to make the first step.
“Hey,” I said quietly, suddenly being overcome by emotions.
He still didn’t speak. “Are you going to talk to me?” I asked, hoping that he would.
But there were still no words coming out of his mouth. “That’s not fair, you know.” My voice cracked, and I tried my best not to start crying. But then, finally, he spoke.
“To be honest…I was hoping for you to come running into my arms when I stepped out of the van,” he said, his voice raspy and low, just how I remembered it.
A sob escaped me, and this time it was me not speaking.
Another minute went by, and he spoke again. “Come give me a hug, Kiplyn.” It sounded like an order, but I was more than happy to run up to him and wrap my arms around his neck. I had no idea why he wasn’t mad at me. I knew he heard about Crow and me, but he didn’t seem to mind that I had moved on from him so quickly.
As I reached him, he pulled me into his embrace, hugging me tight to his body. He had always been taller than me, towering over me. But that was one thing I loved about him. The protection he offered me with just his body.
“I missed you,” I whispered against his chest.
“I missed you so fucking much,” he replied, kissing the top of my head.
Chapter Four
Wilder
It felt good holding her again. Knowing that Crow was inside, probably watching us from the window. I wouldn’t let him ruin this moment with her. Although I still had that emptiness in my chest, I knew that the VP patch wouldn’t be the only thing I would fight for.
I owed Kiplyn an explanation. Why I just gave in and let them take me to jail. I wasn’t the one who lit that house on fire four years ago, and I was determined to find those bastards who told the police that it was me. They made it look like I was the one who was at fault. I didn’t do shit, and my brothers knew it.
The only thing I wasn’t sure about was why I didn’t plead not guilty. My head was a mess back then, and even if everything seemed right, I had my own demons to fight against. When I arrived in jail, I saw it as an opportunity to clear my head. Think about my past actions and my future. But what I didn’t think through was the fact that the club needed a VP, and I would be replaced for as long as I was gone.
As for Kiplyn, I had no explanations as to why I left her here. That was one thing I had to figure out.
I held her close to my body, with one hand on the back of her head and the other wrapped around her waist. Silent sobs escaped her, and I tried to calm her down by caressing her back.
“Don’t cry, sweetheart
,” I mumbled, kissing the top of her head. “Everything’s okay. I’m back,” I said, hoping that would ease her mind a little.
“You left me,” she whispered, leaning back slightly to look up at me. Her eyes were filled with tears, and her cheeks were bright red. Fuck me.
Instead of reacting to her words, I cupped her face in my hands and carefully eyed her. She hadn’t changed one bit. She did get older, but that didn’t change one single thing about her. “You’re so fucking beautiful,” I whispered.
She sighed, banging her fists against my chest. “Don’t. You left me and didn’t even try to fight for yourself! I hate you!” she sobbed, and I grabbed both her wrists to keep them from hitting me again.
“I know, Kip. I made mistakes. I let you down…but don’t act like I’m the only one who messed up.” She knew exactly where I was going with this.
Her eyes widened, and she tried again to punch my chest. Thankfully, I was stronger than her and kept her from hurting me. “Don’t you dare blame me!” she screamed, trying to shake me off.
“Let her go,” I heard Crow say. He stood a few feet away with a cigarette in his mouth and an annoyed look on his face. I looked down at Kip, who was staring up at me, upset and heartbroken. I slowly let go of her wrists, bracing myself for another punch to my chest. But she didn’t.
“We’re not done talking,” I told her quietly then watched her walk back toward the club. As she was about to pass Crow, he grabbed her arm and pulled her to his side, kissing her in a nasty, sloppy way before sending her off back inside.
“Jesus fucking Christ,” I murmured, shaking my head and lighting my third cigarette, watching him follow her with a stupid grin on his face.
Chapter Five
Wilder
“There’s something I gotta tell you, Tex,” I said, sitting down on my chair in church. I asked to have a word with him alone the next morning.
“I’m listening.”
I always looked up to him. Being ten years older, he knew exactly what he was doing. Growing up, he was my hero. The one I could go to when I needed help, but now, it was him that needed advice.
“There was this guy from the Bandits MC. His name’s Hawk. When you once came to visit me and tell me about Crow switching chapters, he overheard you talking about him. Did Crow ever tell you why he came here?” I asked.
“He said he needed to deal with family who lives here. He was about to become VP in his own chapter, and since you were gone, I thought it was the best thing to do. Pine told me he’s a good guy, and you know the others are not up for that spot.”
I nodded, lighting a cigarette while I listened. I took a drag, making sure the smoke filled my lungs, then blew it all out into the air. “Hawk knows Crow. He’s from the same city, and their clubs never intended on working together for their drugs and guns. Always been rivals. Hawk said that Crow has always talked about taking over the club as National President.”
Texas laughed, looking at me with amusement in his eyes. “And you really think he’s trying to push me off my throne? Fuck, brother. How much did they fuck with your head in there?”
“I’m not fucking around, Tex.” I was serious, and I hoped he soon realized that I would never come up with something like that. I was serious about my club. “I’m just trying to warn you,” I simply said.
He studied me for a moment then leaned back in his seat. “You sure you’re not just mad because he took your girl?”
“For fuck’s sake, Tex!” I couldn’t listen to that anymore. Kiplyn was a whole different story. “This is about me trying to protect you and the club!”
“You’re right.” He sighed, running his hand through his hair. “Keep an eye out. I’ll make sure the others know. If you see something’s not right, let me know.”
I laughed. “Crow being the fucking VP is not right.”
Chapter Six
Kiplyn
“We need to talk,” Wilder said from behind me. I was standing in the kitchen, making pancakes for the guys and myself.
“Then talk,” I said, still mad at him because of last night.
I heard the door close, but I didn’t turn around. “Are you gonna look at me?” he asked, but I shook my head and took the pancake out of the pan.
“Jesus,” I heard him whisper. “Turn around and look me in the eyes, Kip.”
One day back from prison, and he already was telling me what to do. I sighed, turning off the stove and turning around to look at him. “What,” I said, crossing my arms over my chest.
“I don’t blame you for what happened. It was my fault that this happened between us. I disappeared, yes. But you dared to get with the next best man, even though you’re clearly not over me yet. Tell me, Kip. Why?”
I frowned, trying not to choke on the words I was about to say. “I’m over you,” I confessed. But that was a big, fat, stupid lie. And he knew.
“Stop denying it. Tell me why you tried to push me away. To get me off your mind.” His eyes were darker than usual, showing me just how upset and angry he was.
“You left, and I had no one to turn to. No one to hold me at night. No one to tell me how pretty I am first thing in the morning. I needed you, and you only cared about yourself. It’s not fair. Don’t think I will run back to you just because you returned after four whole years. You can’t act like nothing ever happened.” I felt the tears roll down my face, and as much as I tried to, my voice didn’t sound as strong as I intended it to be.
He cocked his head, then let out a laugh. “You think I wasn’t heartbroken? You think I did not think about you all those years? You were on my mind the whole time.”
“Then why did you leave?”
It seemed as if that question was too hard for him to answer. He seemed unsure about it and couldn’t get a word out.
“Please, tell me why you left, Wilder,” I begged.
A sigh escaped him, and he let his head down, hiding his eyes from me now. “I needed to get some things off my mind. I wanted to come back and be a better man. Be the VP this club deserves.”
I watched him for a while, then decided that I couldn’t stay away from him any longer. Wilder had always had his moments, but I thought he would get over them. With my help, and not in jail.
I walked over to him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders and hugging him tightly. I didn’t know what to say, but I slowly started to understand his actions.
Chapter Seven
Kiplyn
Waking up in Crow’s bed felt strange lately. We would often go to bed at the same time, but I most times woke up by myself.
Last night, he stripped my clothes off and told me to turn around, kneeling on the bed and sticking my bottom up in the air so he had easy access.
He wasn’t romantic, so the second his cock was hard, he pushed it inside me and started to thrust into me almost recklessly. In the beginning, he made sure I was comfortable while we were having sex, but lately, he didn’t care much about my needs.
It was all about him. The way he grabbed and slapped my ass while he told me how “fucking tight” I was didn’t feel right anymore. When we first started dating, I enjoyed being touched by him. I loved having his hands all over my body, but lately, it all felt like a chore. As soon as he came, he pulled out and crawled under the blanket.
This morning, the sun wasn’t even out yet, but Crow’s voice woke me. I checked the time on my phone, and it was five thirty-two a.m. Crow never got up this early, especially not on a Sunday.
Maybe something’s wrong, I thought.
I sat up in bed, needing a moment to be fully awake. Then I got up and walked over to the door, putting my ear against it to hear what he was rambling on about.
I couldn’t understand what he was saying, though I heard some cursing.
Carefully, I pushed down the door handle and opened the door just a crack, able to hear him clearer now.
“I’m telling you, man. He’s already served time for shit he’s not done, and I’m sure he�
�ll do it again when he’s being charged with murder.”
My brows furrowed, and I tried to understand what his conversation was about. He was clearly talking about Wilder.
“We got away with it the first time. We’ll get away with it a second time. He’s an easy target, and he’s got a record already. I got everything ready and planned. Let me know when you’re in town. I’m fucking ready to take over this club.”
When he hung up, I heard footsteps coming my way. I turned on my heels, quickly getting back into bed and covering myself with the blanket.
I made sure to remember everything Crow said just second before. He was obviously going to try and put Wilder back into jail, but to take over the whole club he would have to become National President.
Shit, I thought. Crow wants to kill Texas.
Chapter Eight
Wilder
Kiplyn was nervously waiting on my front porch when I arrived on my bike. I’ve lived in that house since I was twenty, and Texas was nice enough to keep it clean while I was gone.
I got off my bike, taking my helmet off and putting it on the saddle. I was happy to see her after our talk yesterday, but something seemed to be off.
I walked toward her, pushing my hands into my front pockets. “You okay?” I asked, wondering if she broke things off with Crow. At least that’s what I wished she’d do. Just like in prison, I was lonely.
“There’s something I need to tell you,” she said, sounding scared and impatient. “Can we go inside?”
