by T. O. Smith
I instantly went defensive. Tristan and I had our differences, but I knew he still cared about me in his own sick, twisted way, just as Joey did.
“Tristan fucking cares about me, River -”
“Not in the way he fucking should, Adelaide.” River cut me off, his voice remaining calm, though I knew if had he been arguing with anyone else, he would have lost his shit already. “You’re a woman that deserves to be treasured.” I swallowed hard at his words. “I know you’re not the easiest woman to please and that sometimes being with you can be like handling the most fragile piece of glass – one wrong move, and it could all go to shit. I know that you’ve got a temper, and ninety-nine percent of the time, you speak without thinking first.” My breath hitched in my throat. He knew me so fucking well. My heart swelled in my chest as tears burned at the backs of my eyes.
He looked at me, letting his blue eyes meet mine. “You’re an independent woman, Adelaide, and you don’t like feeling like someone is controlling you. You require a certain kind of care and love, and Tristan doesn’t give a shit enough to understand that. He never will. As long as he’s happy, not a fucking thing else matters to him.”
I opened my mouth to speak, but he cut me off before I could. “Adelaide, I love you.” He admitted, making my breath hitch in my throat again as those tears I’d been holding back spilled over onto my cheeks. “I love that you’re not easy to please. I love that I have to handle you with extra care. I love that you’ve got a fiery ass temper and that you’re not afraid to speak what you feel. I don’t mind that you’re an independent kind of woman, Adelaide. I don’t want a woman I have to control all of the time. I want and need a woman who is capable of making her own decisions and capable of taking care of her family if the time ever comes for it.”
He gently set down a sleeping Axel on the bed and reached over and cradled my face in his hands as my tears streamed down my cheeks. “Tristan and Joey never understood you, Adelaide – they never tried to. I think Joey understood to an extent, but both of those men just wanted to keep you on a tight leash, and it made them lose you multiple times.” My bottom lip trembled as a quiet sob fell from my lips. “Darlin’, you require a special kind of love and care, and I’m prepared to give that to you. You don’t need to be controlled; you just need some freedom, Adelaide, and I know that as long as I give you everything you need, you’ll be here right beside me where you belong – where I need you to be. And that’s something no other man will never understand about you.”
“Fuck, River.” I choked out as I threw my arms around his neck and pressed my lips to his. He instantly kissed me back as I straddled his lap, wrapping my legs around his hips. “I love you, too.”
He peppered gentle kisses all over my face. “Promise me you’ll never try to make excuses for Tristan or Joey ever again.” He begged me. “Because if I can figure you out, then they could have, too. Joey is trying now; I know that. But when you were his, he still didn’t get it.”
I nodded, realizing he was right. I had never once felt trapped with River as I had with Tristan and Joey. With River, I felt independent. I could be myself without having to worry about any backlash. I could snap at him without fear of him getting angry at me and trying to dominate me, trying to pull that leash tight around my neck.
I reached over and picked Axel up, holding him in my arms as River leaned back against the headboard, his arms wrapped around me as I leaned my head on his chest, Axel cradled against my belly.
I was home.
■ ■ ■
RIVER
I woke up to someone lightly knocking on my room door. It was times like these that I hated being the president. All I wanted to do was cuddle with my woman and our son.
Was that too much to fucking ask for?
With a soft sigh, I gently moved Adelaide off of my lap and laid her on the bed, placing Axel next to her as they both continued to sleep peacefully, neither of them making a single sound.
Must be nice. But I knew Adelaide needed the rest. Between nurturing a baby inside of her and taking care of Axel, as well as being my old lady and the queen of the club, I knew it was exhausting for her.
I slowly slid off of the bed and walked to the door, opening it just enough for me to slip through before I closed it back, looking at Sam.
“What’s up?” I asked him as I stretched out my muscles, wincing when my back popped.
Fuck, I was already getting old.
“Come on.” He grumbled, his shoulders tense, his fists clenching and unclenching at his sides.
This wasn’t good. Sam didn’t get on the edge of losing his shit for anything. He was cool and collected. It was why he was my VP. He was my voice of reasoning.
I followed him to the room that I had given Reina. He pushed open the door, and my eyes instantly fell on Joey who was holding Reina on his lap, whispering soft words to her as she sobbed. She was wrapped in a sheet, her face beaten and discolored, dried blood all over her exposed skin. Hand-shaped bruises were wrapped around her neck and upper arms.
I barely resisted the urge to put my fucking fist through a wall.
“What the fuck happened?” I snarled, looking to Joey, knowing he would know the most.
“She won’t talk,” Joey told me. I growled. “I went outside this morning to smoke and check up on my club, and she was sprawled out on the back porch – unconscious.” He clenched his jaw. “I know you don’t want to wake Adelaide up, but she may be able to help with this.”
I narrowed my eyes at him. Adelaide was dealing with enough shit as it was. I didn’t want to burden her with this shit, too. “How is my woman supposed to help this situation?” I demanded to know.
Joey clenched his jaw, working it around before he forced himself to relax. “She’s a rape victim, River.” Joey spit, the word rape coming off of his tongue like acid. “Vin got his hands on her a few years ago, and she managed to escape him.” He drew in a deep, calming breath as guilt flashed in his eyes. “I didn’t protect her enough. She may be able to coax the truth out of Reina.”
“Please, no.” Reina whimpered as she squeezed her eyes shut, her body beginning to tremble.
“Easy, sweetheart.” Joey soothed as he looked down at her. “We’ll take care of this; I promise. This won’t happen to you again.”
I looked over at Sam. His expression was murderous, but his eyes wouldn’t leave Reina. There was something there between them, but obviously, Sam hadn’t acted on it yet. Probably never would, to be honest. He wasn’t an open kind of man.
“Not a single other fucking person comes in here, you got me?” I snarled.
He looked at me and nodded. I stormed off towards my room and slid inside, changing into a pair of jeans and one of my red flannel shirts, throwing my cut on over it before I tugged on my steel-toed boots. I was fucking furious, and as soon as I found out who did this to Reina, I would fucking shove their dick down their goddamn throat.
I gently shook Adelaide awake. She blinked up at me tiredly. Fuck, I hated having to wake her up for this shit, but I needed her help. I only hoped that it didn’t fuck with her, too. I knew she’d been raped before Joey had even told me, but I didn’t want her having to deal with this.
But I didn’t know what other option I had to get Reina to talk.
“Hey.” She said quietly, her voice still husky from sleep.
“I need your help,” I told her softly. “Get dressed.”
Questions sparked in her gaze, but instead of voicing them, she nodded and got out of bed, slipping on a pair of leggings with a tank top, shrugging on a hoodie over it against the slight chill in the air. “I’ve got Axel,” I told her, scooping up the sleeping baby. “Follow me.”
When we got to Reina’s room, Adelaide gasped. I didn’t even have to tell her what happened, and it broke my goddamn heart that this shit had happened to my woman so many times that she picked up the signs in someone else so quickly.
“Oh, not you. This didn’t happen to you.” A
delaide whispered in horror as she instantly rushed forward, taking Joey’s place as he quickly vacated it.
Joey pressed his lips to the top of Adelaide’s head. “Help her, pretty girl.” He begged her.
She looked up at him – at the guilt in his eyes. She reached up and trailed her fingers down his cheek. “I’ll help her.” She promised.
Adelaide looked up at me, and I nodded at her, understanding what she needed without her having to voice it.
“Let’s give them some privacy,” I ordered as I strode out of the room, knowing Sam and Joey were following me.
“Sam, stand guard outside of this door,” I commanded, knowing he wasn’t going far from this room for a while anyway. He may try to hide it, but I’d known Sam for years – grew up with him. I knew him better than he thought I did. “I’m going to change Axel and get him a bottle. If they finish talking before I finish taking care of him, come find me. Until then, do not move from this door.” I commanded.
“Got it, Prez.” He told me.
Please, Darlin’, find out what happened to that poor girl.
Because I was ready to spill fucking blood.
This shit didn’t happen in my club, and I was about to make that message very fucking clear.
TWENTY-TWO
ADELAIDE
I was seeing fucking red, and I was ready to slit someone’s fucking throat.
That someone being River’s Sergeant at Arms – Gregory.
After finally getting Reina calm enough to talk to me, she spilled everything as she cried while I hugged her, not letting her go. She told me about how Gregory had caught her as she was taking the trash out for the night and that he hadn’t taken no for an answer when he had come on to her.
He’d violently beat her and raped her behind the dumpster, using her shirt as a gag to keep her quiet as she screamed for help.
After leaving Reina in her room to try to catch some sleep, I stormed down the hall to mine and River’s room, grabbing one of his guns and slipping it into my leggings. I stormed out into the bar room, finding Gregory sitting at the bar, sipping a cup of coffee as if he hadn’t just violently taken an innocent woman against her will last night.
I walked calmly around the bar and when I was finally standing in front of him, I grabbed his steaming hot cup of coffee and threw it in his face.
“Fuck!” He roared as he quickly jumped off of his bar stool, making it clatter to the floor as he wiped at his face, hissing out a breath of pain. “What the absolute fuck, Adelaide?!” He shouted at me, his eyes murderous as he glared at me.
I pulled my gun out, pointing it at him. Absolute hatred and disgust ran through my veins. I was on a fucking murder spree. He eyed the gun in my hand warily. “You better choose your last words fucking carefully.” I snarled at him.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?!” He shouted at me, but he didn’t rip his gaze from the gun in my hands, which gave away his true fear.
He knew that I knew what he did to Reina last night.
River rushed towards the bar, coming to stop me, but when I opened my mouth again, he stayed where he was, a murderous, deadly expression crossing his features as he took in my words.
“You fucking raped Reina!” I shouted at Gregory. He opened his mouth, but I spoke first. “Don’t you dare fucking deny it!” I barked at him. “It took me almost two fucking hours, but I finally got it out of her.” I snarled. “Want to tell everyone what you fucking did? How you wanted a piece of her, but she told you no, so you took it anyway – beating the fuck out of her before you raped her over and over?” I quietly seethed, lowering my voice so everyone else wouldn’t hear what had happened to her – no one but me, Gregory, and Reina.
Before I could pull the trigger on Gregory like I so badly wanted to, River slammed his fist against Gregory’s face, sending Gregory sprawling across one of the tables next to him, dragging it to the ground with him. River looked at Sam. “Take him out back. No women outside.” He ordered.
“He deserves a bullet through his skull.” I snarled at River, angry that he was stopping me from delivering justice to the sick son of a bitch. If he did it to one woman, he would do it again, and I would not allow another one to fall victim to his shit.
River shook his head at me. “A bullet is a fucking blessing for him.” River informed me. “What I’m about to do to him will be ten times worse, and it sends a message to the other men in my club that this shit will not be tolerated.” He told me.
I narrowed my eyes at him, still seething. “And what are you planning to do?” I demanded to know.
River’s eyes met mine, fury making his eyes darken, but I knew that anger wasn’t directed at me. He had even said so himself that he would never make me face his anger, especially when that anger was meant for someone else.
“I’m cutting his dick off, and I’m shoving it down his fucking throat.” River snapped. He pointed his finger at me. “Stay in this fucking clubhouse, Darlin’.” He ordered. This isn’t something you need to be watching.”
I nodded once, knowing River would do exactly as he said. I watched as he stormed outside where Sam had just dragged Gregory. I heard Axel cry from his pack ‘n’ play, and I rushed over instantly, lifting him into my arms. Blowing out a soft breath, I walked to mine and River’s room and set Axel on his changing table so that I could change him. I was still so angry, but I knew River would take care of this shit.
I heard Gregory scream in pain as I was putting a clean diaper on Axel, and I felt like throwing up at the scream that ripped from the man’s throat.
River was a deadly man when he needed to be.
After changing Axel and trying my damnest to ignore Gregory’s blood-curdling screams of pain, I walked back out of our room to go check on Reina. She was passed out on her bed, thankfully not having any nightmares. I only hoped that this shit didn’t fuck her up inside as it had done me. I didn’t wish my shit on anyone.
I quietly stepped back out of her room, jumping a bit in shock when I felt the fluttering in my belly again. I smiled softly to myself and looked down at Axel. His bright blue eyes were open wide, taking in everything around him.
I looked up as the clubhouse doors open, revealing River and Sam. River strode over to me instantly, his expression softening the slightest as he did so. “Has he been giving you any problems?”
I shook my head. “He’s just being curious.” I shifted Axel to one arm and reached up to rub his stubble-covered jaw. “Everything was taken care of?” I asked him, feeling calmer now that he was standing here in front of me, soothing me.
He nodded. “Kale is taking care of the clean-up.” He informed me quietly. “How’s Reina holding up?” He asked, his eyes flickering to her room door behind me.
I shrugged. “She’s sleeping right now, so it’s hard to tell,” I admitted. I yawned softly, shocking myself at how tired I felt. I had been up way earlier than I usually was, which probably explained it. It also probably didn’t help that I had spent part of the night awake with River.
“I think it’s time for you to get a nap, don’t you think?” River softly asked me as he reached up to cup the side of my neck, brushing his thumb over my jawline.
Without another word, he placed his hand on the small of my back and led me down the hall towards our room. He took Axel from me, and I crawled onto the bed, snuggling into the pillows, almost immediately falling asleep.
■ ■ ■
RIVER
I released a tired groan as I looked at the screen of my phone, swiping across the screen to answer the call. “Yeah?” I asked gruffly when I answered.
“River, I know you probably don’t give two shits,” Jesup started, “but Tristan was just shot, and he’s in a fucking coma.” He told me. He sounded on the verge of fucking losing his mind. “I thought you might want the chance to break the news to Adelaide before she gets wind of it.”
“Fuck.” I grumbled, looking over at Adelaide who was still sleeping peacefully on the b
ed. “What’s the doctor saying?” I quietly asked him.
Jesup drew in a shaky breath, and I instantly knew he was beginning to lose his composure. “I may be burying my best friend, River. It’s fucking bad.”
Fuck, this was about to hit Adelaide hard.
“We’ll be there within a day,” I informed him. I knew that Adelaide would want to go see him, and I wouldn’t keep her from doing that. I knew Adelaide well enough to know that she would pack a bag for her and Axel and hit the road to go see him herself if I even tried denying her.
