by LeAnn Ashers
Ryan goes to her next, running his hand down her hair. “Bye, baby girl,” his deep voice rumbles.
I may die from all of this.
Ryan turns his focus to Kyle. “Watch her.”
Kyle finishes the sentence before Ryan can finish, “With my life.”
I love the brotherhood all of these men have. They are rough and dangerous men without a doubt, but they share such a deep bond and they love wholeheartedly.
Ryan tugs on my hand, leading me out of the house straight to his bike parked in front of his house. “You ever rode on a bike before?” he asks.
I shake my head. “No, always wanted to though.”
He smirks like the idea of me having never been on a bike before makes him happy. “Never had a woman on the back of my bike either.”
Well that makes me feel way good. I’m the only girl who has ever been on the back of his bike.
He throws his massive thigh over the bike and lifts a hand out for me to take to steady myself as I slide in behind him.
I can’t help but admire him. His cut makes him so much hotter. He turns his hat around and looks back at me slightly. “Ready?” He smiles, showing his teeth.
I scoot closer to him and wrap my arms around his middle, “Yes, sir.”
I feel him jolt at me calling him sir—maybe I don’t want to play fair anymore. I scoot even closer and plaster myself against his back, loving feeling his heat against me.
He rides through town and everyone stops and stares at him as he drives past. Some people wave, some people glare, but Ryan doesn’t give any of them a second look.
He stops outside a restaurant. It’s one of the newer ones in town and I pass it every day going to work.
This really is a date-date. He takes my hand, helping me off of the bike, and he follows me.
“Is this place fine?”
I smile, looking up at him. “The place doesn’t matter, the company does.”
He smiles, looking down at the ground. I can tell my statement made him happy. He doesn’t let go of my hand but intertwines our fingers together instead. I love that.
We walk inside and we’re seated swiftly. I scoot across the booth and Ryan slides in beside me.
I like that he wants to be close to me. Since I moved in it’s pretty much been torture because he walks around shirtless in a pair of sweats. It should be a crime, especially since I can’t touch him.
Just as the waitress comes up, she looks out of the window behind me. Her eyes widen and then she takes off running.
What the fuck?
I look out of the window just as a black SUV pulls up next to the window where I’m seated. I see the vest on the passenger’s chest as a huge-ass gun pops out of the window.
I lock eyes with the guy with a gun and he smiles. Oh fuck. Fear is lodged deep into my chest. It’s so deep, piercing, I know in this second that this is the end of me. I grab Ryan’s leg and pray.
“Fuck!” Ryan roars loudly, scaring me and multiple people in the restaurant. He wraps his arm around my middle, jerking me out of the seat with him and he runs with me just as bullets pierce everything behind me.
People are screaming, glass shattering, bullets hitting everything in their path behind us.
I can’t breathe, I can’t move, I’m paralyzed as Ryan carries me through the restaurant away from the armed man.
We reach the back of the building and Ryan opens a storage closet and pushes me inside. “Stay here. I’ll be back.” He closes the door before I can even tell him fuck no and he better not leave me.
But here I am, shoved in the pitch black room, surrounded by cleaning supplies, but the thing that’s haunting me isn’t the dark, it’s the sound of people screaming, crying.
My stomach turns and I try not to puke. I sit down on the floor and cover my ears.
I can’t allow the guilt or fear to overpower me. I can’t allow those emotions to take over in this moment, not when it comes to life or death.
Ryan
My heart stopped in my chest when I saw the gun pointed at her through the window. I didn’t think, I just had to get her out of here, especially since I saw the shooter was Satan’s Rejects.
They’ve found her.
I make my way into one of the offices in the back where the MC should have cameras. This restaurant is one the MC just opened in town.
I look at the cameras and see that we’re pretty much fucking surrounded. Fuck me.
I text Kyle and tell him that shit has hit the fan and we need backup. Now for my sake, but I won’t allow Myra to get hurt.
I care about her. That shit is something I didn’t want to admit, but the second I saw her come into a room full of dangerous men and face us all to protect her daughter, I knew she was meant to be in my life.
I see one of the Rejects walk in the front door. Fuck.
I take my gun out of the back of my jeans and step around the corner, staying close to Myra but out of sight so I don’t draw attention to where I stashed her.
“Come on, fucker,” I whisper under my breath, waiting for one of them to show up.
They’re pathetic, attacking a woman in the middle of a restaurant and hurting god knows how many innocent bystanders in the process.
All because she was defending herself and her baby.
These men don’t deserve to breathe.
Footsteps sound from around the corner and I prepare. His gun is pointed towards the ground and I wait until he steps slightly past me before I wrap my arms around his neck, choking him until he passes out.
I shove him in the kitchen under the counter, out of sight. I peer back to the closet where Myra is sitting in.
I hear banging on the door from the outside. Fuck. I run over to the closet and pull her out. “Come on,” I urge and she runs with me.
I hear the sound of the door breaking down and push her against the wall. I put my finger against my lips, wanting her to be quiet as I listen for footsteps.
She’s gripping the front of my shirt, her eyes wide with fear, her skin paling by the second.
I wrap my arm around her, pulling her to my chest, and she wraps herself around me as tightly as she can.
I peer out to see if anyone is coming. “Come on, I’m going to sneak us outside,” I whisper. She takes ahold of my arm and we sneak along the wall, ignoring the rampage that seems to be going on out in front.
“Where is she!” a man yells, and then a gunshot goes off. Myra jumps in shock at the sound.
I turn the corner to walk out the door they just broke down when I come face to face with a Reject.
I push Myra behind me and lift my gun, aiming before he can think, and shoot him in the neck.
He takes a step back, dropping his gun and clutching his neck with both hands. “There’s action at the back!” someone yells from the front of the building.
“Oh god, Ryan,” Myra whisper-yells and I close my eyes. “Walk in front of me, angel,” I tell her calmly.
Myra
Walk in front of me, angel. This repeats over and over in my head. What does he mean? I’m not leaving him, that’s for damn sure!
“Walk your ass in front of me,” he says again, his voice devoid of emotion. I hesitate then walk in front of him. I look back to see him standing with his back to me.
“Go on, sweet girl,” he says without looking back at me. That’s when I hear someone coming straight down the hall towards him.
I see three men come around the corner to face Ryan. They lock eyes with me and I sneak out the door even though it absolutely kills me to do so.
I spot the guy that Ryan shot on the ground. I reach down and take his gun. I will not hide in fear, I will not allow this to go on.
I walk back inside, determined not to be afraid anymore. Ryan is fighting all of them at once as they try to run past him to me.
Ryan punches one of them in the face and he falls to the ground instantly and doesn’t move.
I take the safety off of the gun and p
oint it at one of the men who is trying to sneak up on Ryan.
Ryan turns around at the last second, grabbing him by the back of his head and smashes his face into the wall.
Another one joins the fray. I take my shot and shoot him in the leg. He doesn’t make it another foot, falling to the ground in agony.
Ryan turns around to look at me, his eyes lit with fury before someone sneaks past him and grabs my arm, pulling me hard to him.
I gasp in shock and pull hard, trying to dislodge him.
Ryan grabs the arm holding me, ripping his fingers loose freeing me from my captor and pulling me behind him.
My heart sounds so hard, I can feel it up to my ears. Ryan pulls him closer, gripping him by the back of his hair just before dragging the knife across his throat.
He throws the man down to the ground, and I watch in horror as the man’s blood pools around him as he chokes.
Ryan moves in front of me, blocking my view, gripping my jaw. “Get your ass in here.” I shake my head no. He huffs, annoyed, lifting me off the ground, and throws me right back in the closet I was in before. “Apparently I’m going to babysit your ass.” He smirks, smacking my ass, pushing me gently inside before slamming the door shut in my face.
Ryan
She is going to be the death of me. She doesn’t listen. If she would have listened to me, she would be outside and away from all of these stupid fuckers.
Right now I have three on the ground groaning in pain and I hear more of those idiots running around the building trying to find me.
“Where is she?” one more yells, running into the room, and I look at the patch on his vest. I laugh, knowing this is the stupid fucker that she shot.
“What’s it to you?” I taunt.
He stops dead in his tracks, “You dare to insult me?” His nose flares with anger.
“Or what?” I demand, stepping closer. This is the person who put a gun to Mia, who wants to hurt the both of them.
He is not going to die today, or tomorrow for that matter. No, he is going to suffer. He is going to know pain unlike he has known before. He is an open threat to the MC, and let’s not forget he’s threatening what’s mine.
“I will kill you,” he says with the most conviction he can muster, which isn’t shit.
I roll my eyes. “Like that’s going to happen. I’ve been waiting for you.” That’s when I hear the bikes. My brothers are here.
His face changes as the realization hits him. He starts to run, but I grab him by the back of the cut, slamming his face down onto the ground.
“You won’t be needing this anymore.” I take my knife and slit his vest down the back, making sure to drag it along his skin, fucking loving seeing the blood pooling.
“Fuck off!” he screams, trying to get up. I dig my knife right above his spine, daring him to push again so I can slide my knife into his spine like butter.
He freezes and I laugh, relishing the sounds of my brothers entering the building and making this a fair fight, the sound of him meeting his demise.
“Oh please fight some more,” I gloat, but he doesn’t move an inch. A few minutes later Torch walks into the room with Butcher behind him holding his blades.
“Took you fuckers long enough.” I stand up and Torch picks the piece of shit up off the ground. “This is the guy that broke into Myra’s house,” I point out.
“Oh I remember his picture.” Torch grins and smacks him in the face. “Too bad you didn’t mind your own business, wasn’t it? You could have just had one bullet wound. Now you’re going to die a slow, painful death and Daddy won’t be helping you.”
I smile because it’s true. He is going to die and he’s going to face the wrath of every member of the Devil Souls MC.
Myra is mine and he just committed the ultimate sin: he dared to hurt what is mine.
Chapter Five
Myra
I’m still in this damn closet. I can hear voices outside but I can’t get out since Ryan got smart and locked me inside.
Good thing I’m not scared of small spaces or I would have been screwed, “Let me out!” I bang on the door when I hear laughter.
A second later the door is pitched open and I’m faced with Ryan. “Took you long enough!” I hiss and push my way out of the dark room. “I need to go check on the people out in the dining room. They may need my services.”
He takes my hand and stops me from leaving. “I’ll go with you.” He walks with me through the restaurant…or what’s left of it at this point.
“Thank you for saving my life, Ryan,” I whisper once we’re alone in the hallway. I’m thankful because if it wasn’t for him, I don’t know what would have happened to me.
He stops dead in his tracks and turns to look at me, his eyes filled with fire. He doesn’t say a word but his eyes say it all.
His hands go to my face, just before he picks me up off of the ground and presses my back against the wall, kissing me hard.
Devouring me.
I kiss him back just as hard. His hands squeeze my ass and he grinds himself against me, letting me know exactly how he’s feeling about me right now.
Death, mayhem and a million other things are happening all around us, but all of that is gone and it’s just us in this moment.
We have tiptoed around each other, heated looks and small little touches in passing.
He stops kissing me, both of us breathing hard. “Mine,” he tells me, his voice deeper than before he started kissing me.
I smile, my breathing coming out in pants. I cup the side of his face and love feeling his stubble under my hand, the way his strong body is holding me, one hand holding me under my ass, the other buried in my hair.
We have been staring at each other for at least a minute before I speak. “We should probably go check on everyone.”
He sets me down onto the ground gently, taking my hand again and pulling me closer, and we walk into the main part of the restaurant.
Chaos greets us. People are sitting around at the tables as police are walking around asking everyone questions.
I look around trying to find someone who seems to be injured. I just see a few people with minor cuts, but that’s really it.
“Is no one hurt?” I ask Ryan, shocked, and one of the officers look around to me. “Just a few with some cuts and scrapes from broken glass. Shocked me too. It seems whoever this was was too busy worrying about something else.”
I suck in my lips and Ryan tightens his grip on my side. We both stay quiet, not letting on to the fact that I was the target.
We don’t stay. We get on Ryan’s bike and I notice we head straight for the clubhouse. Soon after, Torch and Butcher pull up and ride behind us.
I wave at both of them, smiling. I’m thankful for what they’re doing. They’re putting their life on the line for me.
Butcher doesn’t move, staring straight into my soul without emotion. Torch just nods. I don’t think I’ve ever heard Butcher speak once the few times I’ve been around him.
We pull up in front of the clubhouse and I see Kyle waiting at the front with Techy. Is Mia okay? Ryan turns off the bike. “Is Mia okay?” I ask Kyle.
“She’s currently asleep with Cassandra on the couch,” he reassures me, and I let out a deep breath. The relief is instant.
Ryan takes my hand, holding me steady as I slide off the bike, but he doesn’t let me go far and pulls me straight into his side.
I can tell his protective instincts are still in hyperdrive.
Kyle’s phone goes off and he turns his head to the side, listening to whoever is on the phone. His head snaps up, looking towards the road.
That’s when I see the SUV from earlier stopping dead outside of the gate.
It all happens in slow motion. I yell out Ryan’s name, my stomach burning with fear.
He covers my body with his, throwing us to the ground. He covers my head with his arms, and I jolt with every blast of the gun hitting everything around us. “Please god don’t let
anyone get hurt,” I whisper over and over.
“Shh, baby, it’s okay,” Ryan whispers in my ear.
I don’t say anything, but it’s not going to be okay if someone gets killed because of me.
A sliver of light peeks through when Ryan shifts. I turn around slightly to see everyone returning fire and the SUV still sitting outside of the gates shooting at everyone.
“I need to fucking get her out of here!” Ryan yells and then tightens his grip when another round of bullet fire in our direction hits his bike, the pings radiating all around us as dust flies.
Ryan lifts his body slightly, bringing his arm around my middle, and starts to army crawl, carrying me, which I didn’t think was possible.
Another spray of bullets surrounds us and has him stopping, and right in front of me, a bullet strikes.
This is pure mayhem. Kyle and the guys are returning fire, but we’re stuck and I don’t like feeling helpless.
“It’s okay, sweetheart,” Ryan whispers in my ear again, trying to soothe my fears.
“Ryan, I don’t want you hurt,” I whisper back. I think it would kill me if something happened to him and it would be all my fault.
“Don't fucking worry about me, angel. Just try to stay calm. I will get you out of here.”
I don’t reply. He shifts around me and that’s when I notice that we’re close to Ryan’s truck.
He starts army crawling with me again, dragging me with him. I ignore the pavement dragging my skin as he keeps on going right under the truck to the other side, facing away from the shooters.
The second we’re through, he snatches me up off the ground before I can even react and lifts me onto the seat of the truck. A bullet strikes the window but it doesn’t pierce it.
“Be back, honey.”
He opens the back seat and puts on a bulletproof vest, then grabs an AK 47 and I watch in horror as he walks right out into the gun spray, shooting.
They stop shooting as Ryan stalks over, trying to hide from his bullets, and one by one I watch them drop.
