He sped up pulling alongside the porch, he smiled with the relief that filled him at the sight. Thank God, she was okay. She was okay, kept repeating over and over in his head.
“You’re a little late you know.” His woman complained as he vaulted out of the boat to the porch grabbing her in his arms with a crow of joy. Kissing her face with boyish glee.
Bone jumped over taking Molly into his own arms kissing her too. Tiny looked down at his woman and his heart finally quit squeezing in pain. She looked a little bedraggled with her hair hanging in clumps of dried tangles, and she was pale with dark circles under her eyes, but she was alive and that was all that mattered to Tiny.
Racheal felt overwhelming relief fill her as she was cradled against Tiny. He was here and she was finally safe again. She wanted desperately to tell him that she loved him, but she heard Bone ask the question she’d been dreading.
“Where’s Vivi?” Bone asked Molly, and Tiny saw Racheal’s face crumble.
Racheal buried her face in Tiny’s chest her heart crying out at her inability to go back and save her friend. She didn’t want to think about what had happened or that adorable little boy who didn’t have a mother now.
“She didn’t make it. We tried Bone, w-we really tried to save her.” Molly broke into tears, and Bone shushed her and pressed her face into his chest. Racheal just burrowed her face into his shirt again. Tiny’s heart squeezed a little for his woman’s pain and for Tick, who’d be devastated by this news.
“Of course you did, baby. If you were able you would have saved her, it wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t your fault.” Bone whispered soothingly into her hair, meeting Tiny’s eyes over Molly’s head.
They shared a sad look. Knowing that Tick was going to be crushed. They heard a motor coming closer and waited holding their women to them.
“I’m so sorry, Bone,” Molly whispered drawing his attention back to her tearful face. “I left your guns in the truck, too.”
“Baby, do you think I care?” Bone asked, unable to believe that she thought he’d care that she’d left the guns in the truck when it meant she was safe in his arms.
“I know you love your guns, Bone.” Molly replied to which he let out a snort.
“Baby, I can replace the guns, but I can’t replace you. You’re my whole world.” Tiny could see that Bone was looking at her as if she’d lost her mind.
How could Molly think for even a second guns would be more important to the man than his own wife? This must be that insane woman who’d raised her fault. That woman was a nightmare according to Bone. She’d made Molly’s life a living hell for over twenty years.
Dog and Tick came into view and Tick crowed in glee causing Tiny to grimace. The man thought that Vivi would be with them and they were going to have to tell him she was gone. Racheal flinched and buried her face further into his chest.
Tick climbed over the railing looking around. “Where’s Vivi?” He asked.
Racheal felt her heart break a little more at that question which was so hopeful. She almost couldn’t bear to tell him the truth and she was grateful when she heard Molly talking.
“Oh Tick, I’m so sorry. She was…w-was caught in the water. We,” Molly let out hiccup before she continued. “We tried to hold on to her…but she…she…”
Tick reared back. “No, No, Vivi can’t be dead! She isn’t dead. NO!” He roared. “Don’t say it! She might be alive. You don’t know for sure.”
“Tick, I’m sure. She went under after she was knocked out by something that hit her, it’s why we lost her. I’m sure.” Racheal’s tears were running down her cheeks as she watched the man who bellowed at her. She was breaking apart inside as each calm word she uttered. Surprised by her tone Tiny looked down at her realizing she wasn’t calm on the inside by the devastated look in her eyes.
“You’re wrong! She’s not dead. You’ll see, we’ll find her. Let’s go Dog. We have to find her.” Tick got back into the boat with Dog to look for her. Dog looked at Bone and Tiny with a look of dismay.
They all knew that when they finally found Vivi she wasn’t going to be alive, but the man wouldn’t believe it until he saw her body. Nodding in understanding Dog set out in the boat. After a few more hugs and kisses they bundled Molly and Racheal into the boat and took them to the trucks. Where they found Bear and Pearl waiting for them.
Tiny grimaced a bit when he saw Pearl standing there with her hands on her hips glaring. As they pulled the boat up and helped the women out she tapped her foot. As soon as Racheal had cleared the boat Pearl grabbed her in a bear hug crying and laughing. Then releasing her she grabbed Molly in a similar hug. Bear stood back watching them. Racheal leaned into Tiny knowing that he needed to help find Vivi’s body. Clutching him she whispered “Be safe.”
“Always, babe.”
Then he kissed her forehead and headed to where Bone who’d already given a tearful Molly several kisses was standing by the boat. They got in and took off in the direction they knew that the water had headed. Racheal watched them go wanting to cry again over the day’s events. Feeling someone watching her she turned to find Bear standing nearby watching.
“It wasn’t your fault girl.” He gruffly muttered watching her in a way she’d seldom seen anyone, but Tiny look at her.
That was when it clicked why her mother liked this man so much. He knew her, and she’d bet money he saw through her mother’s tricks which would be a first for Pearl. Even Traven had never truly known the true Pearl.
“It was, I should have saved her.”
“Sometimes, people just aren’t meant to be saved.” Bear moved as her mother came over shuffling Molly along with her.
“Come on honey, let’s get you girls back to the cabins and cleaned up. Then we can get some food in your stomachs. This one’s growling tummy clued me into the fact that neither of you had dinner.” Pearl had them bundled into Bear’s beat up Chevy Tahoe in seconds.
It was seven hours later that they found her, and Vivi was dead as everyone, but Tick had known she would be. And that was more him being unable to accept it without seeing it with his own eyes than truly thinking she was okay. Tiny told Racheal later that Tick had fallen apart and cried holding her body with tears openly streaming down his face when they’d found her.
As it was when they returned to camp, Molly and Racheal both looked destroyed seeing the woman’s dead body. They had tried so desperately to save their friend. Tick had carried her in his arms to the bed of the truck, climbing in with her body and ridden back to camp, and now he was waiting there not saying a word to anyone.
Tick was holding her close, with tears rolling down his face in silence, ripping everyone who watched apart. Racheal felt a fierce need to go back and change what had happened to Vivi, who everyone in the club had loved, if she’d only been able to hold her for another moment she thought desperately. Vivi had been so full of life, and now she was just an empty shell. Tears rolled down her own cheeks as she huddled in Tiny’s arms waiting for Tick to get out. No one could convince Tick that he should bring her inside and put her body down
They all stood there waiting for over two hours before a man roared up on a Harley, He was raven haired and rather tall with a slender build, walked over to Tick in the bed of the truck climbing in with him.
“Hey, brother.” The man, who she later learned was Ratchet, spoke with a gruff voice.
“Hey.” Tick mumbled through numb lips staring down at a pale lifeless Vivi.
“You okay?”
“No, I’ll never be okay again.” Came Tick’s heartbreaking reply.
“I know, but you can’t just sit here with her.”
“I know.” His voice cracked as he said it with tears on his cheeks.
“Well,” Ratchet waited sitting with him for another twenty minutes before he finally reached out taking Vivi carefully into his own arms. Tick didn’t protest, although he did begin to sob as Vivi was taken from him.
Ratchet got out of the truck
with Vivi and Tick followed. Racheal followed moved to follow them, she had to know what her inadequacy had caused, Tiny tried to stop her but she shook him off. Ratchet carried Vivi to the room that Doc already had set up for her body and set her down on the bed. Then Ratchet turned to Tick again.
“Let her rest now.” He uttered resting his hand on Tick’s shoulder. Tick fell into his arms allowing Ratchet to hold him up as he lost what little control he had and wept.
“WHY? Why? Why, my Vivi?” He demanded.
“I don’t know brother, but you need to rest.”
“I can’t rest! I can’t! She’s gone! She’s gone!” He roared standing up and running his hands through his hair in agitation. He roared again and knocked everything on the counter beside the bed off, roaring again in pain. He began to punch the wall. Then he was pounding on it, while he yelled why over and over again breaking Racheal’s heart a little more with every hit.
She saw that Ratchet was making a motion to Doc with his hand. Doc handed him a syringe and she knew they were going to sedate him, which made her gasp covering her mouth with her hand, as she sobbed. Tiny pulled her into his arms as Ratchet pushed the plunger and Tick was being carried out of the room by Ratchet a few minutes later. With her chest aching and her tears falling her eyes, she let Tiny guide her to their cabin wanting nothing more than to sleep and forget that this day had ever happened.
Chapter 22
Today was Vivi’s funeral, and Racheal sighed wishing that it was any other day. It had been three days since Vivi died, and she wasn’t feeling any better about her part in Vivi’s death today than she had when it happened. Staring at her reflection in the mirror, seeing her pale solemn face staring back at her, she wanted to cry again.
This was where she’d been a few weeks ago, staring at herself in a mirror wanting to cry. She’d thought those days were over until three days ago when she’d failed to save Vivi. Although this time she knew that she wasn’t going to let this horrible accident break her. Sighing again, she began to twist her blonde hair into a bun. Tiny entered the bathroom and he watched her for several moments before he asked quietly if she was okay. Nodding she met his eyes in the mirror knowing that if she needed him he would be there for her, which warmed her aching heart. Tiny stood there for another moment before turning and walking back into the bedroom.
She looked at her hair which was now in a neat bun and the black dress that fell to her knees feeling sad. Last night at the wake, she’d almost broken down when Max had looked at his father in utter confusion and asked.
“Why won’t mommy wake up daddy?” Her heart had almost shattered at the question, and Tick’s reaction hadn’t helped. He’d calmly explain death to his son and held the boy who cried because his mother wasn’t coming back. Tick had buried his face in his son’s hair and cried with him.
Although logically she knew that she wasn’t to blame, she still felt responsible. If it wasn’t for Tiny who’d scooped her up and taken her home she would have sat on the floor and bawled like a baby. As it was she’d cried for almost an hour once they were home. Giving one last glance to be sure she was ready, she walked out into the bedroom where Tiny waited sitting on the bed.
“I’m ready.” Racheal murmured.
Tiny’s watched her walk towards him with that haunted look that he hated seeing on her face. He’d almost broken last night as he held her while she’d cried and blubbered out the whole story of what had happened when that water had come rushing into the valley. He’d heard the guilt in her voice when she told him that she’d given up on Vivi before she’d ever made it inside.
Although he knew that wasn’t the reason the woman hadn’t made it, she was almost convinced it was. He knew that it wasn’t true, she wasn’t responsible for Vivi’s death. It was just a terrible disaster that she’d tried so hard to prevent. He was just grateful that she and Molly had made it to the rooftop. He wished for both the girl’s sake and Tick’s that they had been able to pull Vivi onto the roof, but it wasn’t meant to be.
His stomach was in knots for them even as he rejoiced at having her alive and well in his bed every night. Yep, he was a selfish bastard that way. He loved Racheal and having her here when he’d thought he might never see her again made him damned happy and he knew that Bone felt the same way about Molly.
Today was a sad day though and his woman needed his strength to get her through it. Ratchet told Bone this morning that he was going to take Tick back to the farm with him. He needed to heal before he went back to his and Vivi’s cabin. He and Max were staying with Ratchet for now. He and Vivi had honeymooned in the cabin they were supposed to use till the water in the valley was gone, so tonight he was staying with Ratchet and in the morning he was going to head out with Max and Ratchet to the Dixon farm.
“Let’s ride then.” Tiny got up from the bed taking her arm to lead her out of the bedroom.
“Wait, we’re taking the bike?” Racheal questioned, looking at Tiny as if he’d lost his mind.
“Yeah, we always ride out when somebody dies.” Tiny replied, tugging on her arm when she stopped.
“I can’t ride a bike in this dress, Tiny!” Racheal exclaimed.
“Babe, it will be fine it’s short enough that it won’t get caught and long enough that it will be modest.” Tiny murmured, as he tugged again pulling her out the door of the bedroom.
“Tiny, I am not wearing this dress on your bike!” Racheal yelled at him, as she tugged against the hold he had on her arm.
“All the women will be wearing dresses too. It’ll be fine. The ride out is a tradition and everyone in the club who comes will be riding. Just stop worrying.” Tiny looked back over his shoulder as he dragged her out to the bike. Realizing that she wasn’t going to win this fight with him and really what did it matter?
“Fine.” Racheal got on the bike behind him, pissed off that he wasn’t listening to her and if she flashed the whole club her knickers it was what he deserved.
Tiny started the bike and headed over to the largest cabin that was serving as the clubhouse for now until the water in the valley receded. She held Tiny’s waist with her head buried in his back, which was covered in his soft leather cut, feeling the freedom of the ride wash away both the anger and some of the sadness that consumed her. When they arrived at the cabin she was surprised to see that Tiny had been right every woman was wearing similar clothing to hers and riding behind their men.
She saw Trick and a brown headed woman she didn’t know on a bike nearby idling as she and Tiny pulled up moving in behind Tank and Bone and Molly. Molly looked at her with a small grim smile that Racheal returned.
It wasn’t long before the line of over two hundred bikes was following the slow moving hearse towards the burial site. Racheal looked back over her shoulder at more than two hundred bikes following the hearse, and the beauty of their support for Tick and Max warmed her heart a bit. She was astounded at the love these people showed toward each other, they really were a family.
Racheal couldn’t believe that these people who were supposed to be broken according to the people inside the wall, were a kind and giving community unlike the one in the city. No the city was a place where people were thrown away on a whim and everyone was concerned only with themselves, Tick and Max would have been alone in their grief with no one to help them if they lived there. But here they would never be alone, Ratchet was a good example. He’d ridden for over three hours to come when his friend had needed him. It almost tore her apart thinking of that scene from the day Vivi died.
When the long ride to the burial site slowly came to a halt Racheal climbed off the bike using Tiny’s shoulders to hold herself steady. She was immediately grabbed by Molly who insisted that they sit together. She nodded and followed Molly towards the site with Bone and Tiny trailing behind. There were chairs set up and she and Molly took a seat bedside Pearl and Aunt Mae. Pearl reached out and pulled Racheal into her arms hugging her, and Racheal leaned into her mother with a small sigh.
Tiny watched Racheal hugging her mother with a worried frown. He wanted to take the sadness that seemed to follow her the last few days and crush it. Only that wasn’t possible. He knew that she was still feeling the guilt from being unable to save Vivi from the flood.
“She okay?” Bone asked quietly from next to him.
“Yeah, just sad and a feeling a little guilty. Molly?” Tiny replied looking at him questioningly
“She’s the same.”
“Well hopefully they’ll move past it soon.”
“I hope so. It’s ripping my guts to shreds.” Bone replied, with a grim look towards Preach who was starting the services. Tiny watched Racheal crying as people from the club got up to talk about Vivi and he felt his own guts clench at the sight. He wanted to run scoop her up and protect her from this and anything else that might upset her.
Racheal listened as person after person got up and talked about Vivi with tears running silently down her face. Then Tick got up to talk and Racheal’s heart broke when he spoke of meeting Vivi and falling for her almost the first moment they met. Of course, he didn’t say that he’d fallen for her, but the way he spoke of her Racheal knew without a doubt that was what he meant. When he talked about the life she’d shared with him and Max she’d cried harder ending up scooped into Tiny’s arms with her face buried in his chest.
Tiny held Rachel to him as she cried, he’d been unable to stand watching her cry so hard when Tick had talked about Vivi in a gruff, almost shaky voice, so he’d picked her up. She clung to him clutching his shoulders. He wanted to wipe away this heart break for her, but there was nothing he could do to fix this for her and it made he want to punch something. He knew it would just take some time.
Racheal felt Tiny’s lips brush her head and sighed. Her tears were finally slowing and she knew that the services where coming to a close when she heard Preach speaking again. She knew that now Vivi would be going into the cold ground and she knew that Tick and Max would always feel her loss and it made her heart heavy.
Claiming Racheal Page 16
