I nod, letting out a sigh. I don’t want him to leave, but I know there are things he needs to see to. Easton wraps his hand around my finger and squeezes. Leaning my head against the side of the car seat, I finally, for the first time in days, breathe deeply and easily.
Lucifer is dead, Samuel Jones is gone, Jack is gone, and now Zachary along with the rest of the men who were part of this sick group, are gone—maybe, just maybe, I’m finally safe now. I must drift off to sleep because the sound of slamming doors startles me awake.
My eyes pop open and I look to see Snake in the driver’s seat, and Ward in the passenger, right in front of me. Ward turns around, dirt smeared on his face, but he gives me an almost evil grin.
“Go ahead, baby, watch that fucker burn.”
Turning my head, I gasp as I watch the house that held me hostage ignited in flames. I should maybe be sad or feel bad that there are bodies in that house, and that they’re dead and gone, soon to be ash, but I don’t.
I feel relief.
“What about all the children, not just Zachary’s, but all of the children?” I ask as Snake shifts the truck into drive.
I expect Ward to answer, but he doesn’t, Snake does instead. “The children were loaded up first in the vans, women in another. We’re taking them all to shelters in Calgary. We don’t have the resources to help them. Hopefully, they’ll be able to help them, all of them,” he explains.
“What about Whitley?” I ask, thinking of the poor young girl.
Ward chuckles. “Free is holding her hostage in his truck. She’s coming back with us,” Ward says, turning around to wink.
“What do you know about her? Will she be a plausible threat?” Snake asks.
His tone is serious, and I don’t blame him for it, he knows the gravity of the situation. He knows that priority number one is keeping his family and the club safe.
“Her father was one of them, her mother was the daughter of a Notorious Devils’ president in South Dakota. That’s all I know about her,” I divulge.
Snake doesn’t say anything else, and neither does Ward. We drive by the small log cabins which are now all engulfed in flames and when we go by Jack’s, I flip it off. It’s childish, but I don’t care. Fuck him.
Once we’re completely out of the compound, I let out a breath, happy to finally be free of the confines of that horrible place. “Is someone going to make sure the flames don’t start a big fire?” I ask, thinking about the little town that surrounds the compound.
“Motorhead is the last out of the gate and he’s calling it in right now.”
“What will happen when they find the bodies? They’re going to know it was a massacre in there and they’ll be looking for the killers,” I say.
Snake snorts. “Don’t worry, babe.”
Ward turns around, his lips turned up in a grin. “We already talked to Mounties in this district. They’re in on the whole fucking thing, no investigation, baby.”
My mouth drops open, my eyes rounding like saucers at his words. It was that easy, so fucking easy, and it’s frightening—downright terrifying.
Some other group could do the same thing, and next time it could be us being killed and burnt to the ground. I shake my head, hating everything about this, and yet, glad that nothing will happen to us—to Ward.
My eyes start to droop as the truck moves down the road, then I feel Easton’s grip on my finger loosen as he falls asleep, and I join him seconds later. I’m exhausted, mentally and physically. I need to sleep for about a year to help my body recover from everything that happened.
CROONER
I can hear Hayden’s heavy and even breathing in the backseat, along with Easton’s and I let out a sigh of relief that they’re resting. I have a feeling they both fucking need it. Snake glances in the rearview mirror before he turns the radio up a bit.
“Thank fuck this district had a different mounted patrol in charge and we didn’t have to try and deal with those fucks from that greasy diner that cornered us last time we made our way up here,” I grumble. I chuckle, lifting my hand and rub the back of my neck.
“Think we can trust that girl?” Snake asks, changing the subject and speaking of Free’s new charge.
I glance back at Hayden again before I lean against the door, moving my gaze toward Snake. “I don’t know. Hayden seemed pretty confident we could,” I explain.
“Hayden’s only known her a few days,” he states.
I nod, agreeing with him on that fact. “We didn’t know Hayden when she came to us, when she was plopped down on our doorstep.”
Snake grunts. “This is a little different. She was living with the leader, caring for his fucking kids.”
“She’s just a kid herself, brother. Let’s not string her up just yet. We’ll all keep an eye on her, see how this goes, but Hayden trusted her, trusted her enough to hand Easton over to her when all that shit went down. I think it’ll be okay.”
Snake doesn’t say anything else. I can tell he’s lost in thought and I don’t fucking blame him. The whole thing is a giant fucking cluster, and I honestly don’t think there is a right or wrong way for him to handle it.
The girl is a fucking wildcard. But for whatever reason, I want to give her the benefit of the doubt. Maybe because Hayden seems to trust her, maybe because she had a chance to turn on us, to hurt Easton, and she didn’t.
“If he wants her to stay, Free will be responsible for her,” Snake mutters, almost as if he’s talking to himself.
I run my hand down my beard, tugging on the end. “Sure, he won’t have a problem with that. He scooped her up and practically fireman carried her out the back door.”
“We’ll see,” Snake hums, a small smile playing on his lips.
The fucker is plotting, and I have a feeling he’s hoping that pushing this girl and Free together, by making Free responsible for her, that he’ll fall for her. That maybe, she can be the one to break him of his self-hatred and loathing from something he couldn’t have stopped, something that is so far in the past it’s fucking ancient.
We don’t speak again the rest of the ride to the clubhouse. Snake is probably lost in thoughts of Free and his new girl, me? I’m lost in thoughts of my own woman and what happens now. I don’t know if she was harmed while she was gone, and fuck, I don’t want to know, but I have to ask her. I have to ensure that she’s okay, mind, body, and fucking soul—she’s my woman.
I’m surprised when Snake’s truck pulls up in front of our house instead of the clubhouse. “Pres?” I ask.
He tilts his head to the side, looking over at me. “Take care of your woman and kid tonight. Tomorrow, come to the clubhouse, bring them with you. We’ll debrief and handle everything then. We’re all so fucking worn out and tired, we ain’t doing shit tonight but drinking, sucking, fucking, and sleeping.”
“See you tomorrow, then,” I say, climbing down from the front seat.
I open up the back to see Hayden yawn as she slowly opens her eyes. “Where are we?” she asks.
“Home, baby. Get Easton and hand him to me, yeah?”
She blinks, her eyes soft and sexy as she tiredly looks over at me. I watch as she turns back to East and unbuckles him, then hands him to me. She doesn’t immediately slide out of the truck though. She reaches forward and wraps her hand around Snake’s shoulder.
He turns around and I can barely hear her words when she speaks to him. “Thank you, Snake. Thank you for everything.”
She doesn’t wait for him to respond, quickly slipping from the truck to my side. Slinging my arm around her shoulder, we walk side-by-side toward our house. When we arrive at the front door, I pause.
“You gonna be able to go inside, baby?” I ask, suddenly aware that she could have some issues going back to the house she was taken from.
“Is Jack dead?” she asks, looking up at me.
I grin. “They’re all dead, baby.”
“Then I’ll be just fine,” she says.
She walks into the
house first, and I slowly make my way in after her, locking the door when I do. She turns around from her spot in the living room and her wet eyes meet mine.
“Don’t leave us again, please, Ward don’t,” she whimpers.
I close the distance between us and fuck me if I could make that promise to her, I goddamn would. I place my palm on her tattoo where my mark is.
“I can’t promise that, babe. You know I can’t,” I rasp. Wet tears begin to fall from her yes and I fucking hate it. “I’m always right here though, fucking always. And I will always, always come back to you, no matter where you are—both of you.”
She nods. “Can Easton sleep with us tonight?”
Normally, my answer would not only be no, but it would be fuck no. I do not want a toddler fucking up my sleep, or my chances of getting laid, however, this is different, and a special circumstance. Shifting my hand from her chest, I move it to around her throat, running my thumb up and down the column. “Yeah, baby, he can sleep with us tonight,” I murmur.
She exhales, a small smile coming through her teary face. “Thank you, Ward.”
I order a pizza while Hayden takes a long bubble bath, and I spend time with Easton. I’m afraid to set him down but when he wiggles in my arms and hits me with a demanding grunt, I relent. He hurries over to the basket of toys in the corner and I watch him drag them across the room, happily pulling them out one by one. I’m unable to take my eyes off of him, afraid if I so much as blink, he’ll disappear, and all of this will be a dream.
The doorbell rings, forcing me to end my staring, and I hurry to answer it, checking the peephole to be sure it’s the pizza delivery person. When the woman hands me my boxes, I give her the money plus a tip before thanking her and closing the door, making sure to flip the deadbolt.
“Dada, hunry,” Easton announces as he waddles toward me.
I scoop him up in my free arm and take him over to his highchair, buckling him in before placing his tray in front of him. Tonight, he’s getting pizza with us, I think Hayden will be okay with the less than healthy meal for once. I debate just handing him the slice of pizza, but I know Hayden would cut it up for him, so I follow suit and do that so it’s easy for him to grab.
“Oh my gosh, that smells so good,” Hayden moans, walking up to the small table.
I hum as her sweet scent makes its way over toward me. Goddamn, I missed her, all of her. “Not as good as you do, baby,” I say, knowing it sounds cheesy as fuck, but it’s true. She smiles, her face turning pink as she reaches for a plate and a slice of pizza. “Missed you,” I admit.
She sits down next to me, wrapping her hand around my forearm. “I missed you so much, Ward. We’re okay, right?”
I nod, removing her hand with my opposite one, and lifting my arm, wrapping my fingers around the back of her neck. “We’re beyond good, baby. Swear to fuck, I wouldn’t survive without you. The thought of never having you right here next to me, again. Fuck, I can’t live life without you and Easton.”
She lifts her hand and wraps it around the back of my neck, threading her fingers through my hair. “We don’t ever have to think about it again. I’m home, Easton’s home, and you’re here, too. We’re together again, and together is how we’ll stay,” she smiles.
“Fuck yeah,” I growl, leaning forward to capture her lips with my own in a gentle kiss.
Easton makes a noise, slapping his hands on his tray, his round blue eyes meeting mine when I turn my head. “Dwink,” he demands.
I chuckle, turning back to Hayden, brushing my lips across hers before I release her neck and stand. “The fucking king of the castle wants a dwink,” I wink.
She rolls her eyes. “Can I have a beer?” she asks.
My smile widens. “Fuck, yeah, baby.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
HAYDEN
My eyes blink slowly as I attempt to wake up. Turning my head, I expect to see both Easton and Ward in bed, but they aren’t, I’m alone. I lie there for a couple of breaths, listening for any sound of life throughout the house. When I don’t hear Ward or Easton, my heart starts to race.
Panic rushes through me and I jump out of bed. My feet carry me quickly toward the living room and I let out a sigh of relief when I see them both sitting on the couch, their gazes pointed directly at the television.
“Morning, babe,” Ward mumbles before he turns his head toward me.
I place my hand against my chest, feeling my heartbeat as it begins to slow down. “I didn’t hear you guys, I got scared,” I admit. I know that my eyes probably look wild, and I don’t even want to imagine what my hair looks like.
Ward frowns, then his lips twitch. “Come sit with us for a minute,” he orders.
My feet automatically shuffle toward his side and I sink down on the small sofa, curling my body against his side. “I have to head to the clubhouse in about an hour, you two are coming with me,” he says, pressing his lips against the top of my head.
“Okay,” I agree with a nod.
I wouldn’t let him leave me alone anyway, not now, and probably not ever. I wasn’t joking when I told him that I didn’t want him to ever leave us. I don’t. I’m not sure if I’ll ever feel comfortable being alone again, or him being out on any kind of run, it’s really too soon to tell.
“After I take care of business at the club, we’ll go grocery shopping and shit,” he suggests.
Lifting my head from his chest, I press my lips to the side of his neck. “Okay,” I breathe.
The hand he has slung around me moves to my hip and then down a little more to grab a handful of my ass. “Go get dressed, babe,” he grunts.
I smile against his skin, shifting off of the sofa to stand. His hand stays on my ass and he squeezes me again. “You’re mine tonight,” he announces.
My breath hitches and my lips quickly turn up into a smile. I search his face. “Please,” I all but whimper.
He releases my ass but smacks his hand against it with a wink. “Go get ready, baby,” he murmurs.
Pressing my lips together, I nod before turning around and heading back into the bedroom. I’m not sure why, suddenly my body is craving him, but it is. Maybe it’s that whole near-death experience thing, I’ve heard it makes people horny, but I didn’t ever really believe it.
I felt like I’d been there before, near death, or maybe I hadn’t, maybe I’d just wanted to die. However, I never got worked up and excited. There is a difference, and now I understand it better, and I want Ward inside of me, I want to feel free and alive again.
Hurrying through my shower, I quickly throw my auburn hair up in a messy bun and decide to forego any makeup. I’m tired, and my body is physically worn-out from everything that’s happened.
I don’t have much to wear here anymore since most of my already small wardrobe went up in flames in that house. I scrounge around and find a pair of jean cut-off shorts and a t-shirt. I slip my feet into the last pair of shoes I have, a black pair of Converse and then I walk back into the living room.
I’m surprised to see that Easton is dressed and ready to go as well. “We should go clothes shopping for him today too before we hit the grocery store,” Ward announces. I bite the corner of my lip and nod.
“I should get a few things too, most of our stuff was in our bags,” I explain.
Ward’s eyes darken just a touch, his jaw ticking before he quickly relaxes. “Whatever you need, babe,” he says, keeping his voice gentle and low.
I don’t ask him what upset him because I already know the answer. I can’t imagine what he must be feeling, or thinking, so I decide to keep my mouth closed. Together we leave the house, locking the front door behind us, then head toward the clubhouse.
Our drive is only a few minutes, and as we enter the gate, I blink twice to make sure I’m seeing things clearly. There are so many bikes, and trucks, and vans in the parking area that its full—almost overflowing. In fact, where he usually parks already has a pickup truck in it. He pulls around to the side, pa
rking next to the back door, throwing his pickup into park.
Without a word, I watch as he steps out of the front seat, then yanks open the door to the back and unbuckles Easton, taking him out and holding him close. In fact, he’s kept him right in his arms since he rescued us yesterday. I’m not complaining, I think it’s sweet, and Ward looks even hotter with a baby tucked into his side.
Walking into the clubhouse, I suck in a deep breath, letting it out as I cross over the threshold. I expect it to be crazy loud with music blaring, but it isn’t. There is noise, but it’s just a low hum of conversation. As we walk farther into the clubhouse, the voices get a little louder, but nothing crazy.
When we make our way into the main room, I’m surprised to see so many men around. There is a long table set up with food lining it, from pancakes to eggs and bacon. Gracie, Lea, and Ginger are standing behind it with serving spoons in their hands, doling out food to hungry men as they walk by.
The room goes scarily silent, and then every person in the room turns toward us. I hold my breath and one person begins to clap. The rest of the room joins in and then there are hoots, hollers, and whistles filling the silence around us.
I know when Gracie sees me, she practically throws her spoon across the table and I watch as she runs toward us. Her arms wrap around me and instantly I feel a warmth fill my entire body. My eyes close and I return her embrace, ecstatic to be home again.
Gracie wraps her hands around my shoulders and takes a step back, her eyes looking directly into mine. “You’re okay,” she breathes, once the room quiets down. It’s a statement, not a question, but I respond by nodding my head anyway. Everybody goes about their business, and I’m glad that the attention is now off of me.
I am okay.
I will be okay.
Gracie glances back at Ward. “I’m taking her over to the girls, drop off Easton when you go in for your meeting.” I’m surprised by her orders and when I chance looking up at Ward myself, I notice that his eyes are soft, and he’s got a grin on his lips.
Chased with Strength_Notorious Devils Page 21
