by Ryan Michele
I do a full-out scan of the area. We are at an old church that looks like it hasn’t been used in years. Gravestones line everywhere. A fucking cemetery.
I move everyone to a small out-building, not knowing if the other two assholes are on their own or have more.
Regg leans his head against the concrete wall, pain on his face. The normally stoic man looks like his spirit is as broken as his body. He is bloodied and bruised everywhere. He needs a doctor and fast.
“Cooper, how did they know?” Bristyl asks.
“Buzz. He’s a technology guy. The tracking devices detect sudden changes in heartrate and body temperature. He gets alerted when it’s off. Since he knew I was down here, he probably kept a close eye on it.”
“Holy shit.”
Motorcycles sound off in the distance, and my attention goes to them. Seeing Pops, I let out a silent breath. Bristyl’s safe. We’re all safe. Family came. They always do.
27
Bristyl
My mind is muffled in confusion, each thought taking so much energy. They all just tangle and mingle, not making a damn bit of sense. Voices above me are soft.
Nick has a whip.
The thought startles me awake. I pop up and look around the room, my breaths rushed.
“Calm.” Copper’s voice comes from behind me, and he wraps his arms around me.
Looking around the space, I see we are in a hospital room, and my father is lying in the bed, not looking happy. My brothers are standing at the windows, eyes on me.
“What’s going on?” I ask, quickly piecing the puzzle together. The room. The hurt. The blood …
“You’re fine, beautiful. Safe.”
I turn toward Cooper, whose body is black and blue. I’m not even sure how the hell he’s standing. His gorgeous face is marred with so many cuts, bruises, and swollen that he barely looks like himself.
“Oh, my God.” My hand goes to my mouth.
“I’m fine. Doctor’s stitched me up.”
Not thinking, I burrow my head in his chest. He gives a small grunt, but before I can pull away, his arms are around me.
“I got you. No one will touch you again. I swear it.”
“Damn right,” my father growls. “Stupid motherfuckers.”
I turn back toward my father. “How are you?”
“Busted kneecaps. All the rest will heal.” His expression is dark, fierce, and determined. “Motherfuckers.”
“Do you need surgery?”
“Yeah, due to go in tomorrow. My blood pressure, or what the hell ever, was bad, so they had to get it under control. Gonna be in fuckin’ leg braces,” he growls.
I know what that means. No riding his bike. Damn. But at least he’s alive.
My head whips back to Cooper. “Poe and Len. Leah!”
“Breathe, beautiful. She’s alive and here in this hospital. Green is with her and hasn’t left her side. She’s beat up and has a few broken bones, but the doctors said she’ll heal.” This gives me a little reassurance, but I want to see her.
“And the others?”
“Gone,” Stone says from the wall.
“What?”
“Gone. You’ll never see them again, Bristyl. I promise you that.”
“I don’t wanna know.”
“You’re not going to know. Just know you’re safe,” Cooper says.
Tears fall from my eyes. I can’t stop them, no matter what I do. Everything comes out as I fall into Cooper. It’s selfish as hell to have him wrapped around me, but I need him. I need him more than I’ve ever needed anything. My strength.
“We’ve gotta get you outta here,” he tells me.
My head pops up. “I can’t leave my dad. I need to see Leah. I can’t leave.”
“Beautiful, you have cuts they stitched up.”
I reach up and feel my face. “How did I not know this?”
“You were pretty out of it, and then they gave you a sedative. Said that if we kept an eye on you here by our father, you could stay in here,” Racer says.
“Damn.”
“It’s gonna be okay, I promise. Everyone is good,” Cooper reassures. “You need to rest, though, or they’re gonna admit you. Let’s go to the hotel and get you rested.”
I look at my father. “You’re gonna be okay?”
“Of course. Takes more than a bat to get me down.”
It’s horrible of me, but I laugh. He’s right. So damn right.
“Yeah, Daddy.”
I’m too tired to fight to stay. My mind is in a fog. I hurt not physically, but emotionally. Nothing like this has ever touched me before. I don’t need to know what happened to Poe and Len. I simply find my comfort in Cooper, just how it’s supposed to be.
“Go on. The boys here’ll keep you updated. Doctors say I’ll be fine.” The look on his face is one of anger mixed with pain. Damn, this sucks. Royally sucks.
“Okay.”
Moving over to my brothers, I hug each of them then walk with Cooper out of the room. I stop mid-step when the Ravage MC men’s eyes come to us. They immediately stand.
“What’s going on?”
Cooper wraps his arm around me. “They’re gonna make sure we get to the hotel. They’ll stay outside the damn door and protect their family.”
A fresh wave of tears hit as Cooper leads us out and to a new hotel room.
“Will you stop babying me?” my father all but snarls.
One week, and he’s already a bear. I hate to see what he’ll be like in another week.
“Your new nurse will be here soon. You can’t look a mess.”
“Bristyl, I don’t give a fuck what I look like. I can’t fuckin’ walk right now, and I have bigger fish to fry besides my damn nurse.”
Cooper has been wonderful, agreeing to stay until the hospital and Dad’s insurance figured out an in-home nurse for him. One thing I have to say about Sinister Sons is they have damn good insurance. Especially to pay a nurse to move in for twenty-four-hour care. My brothers have been dealing with Sinisters, which leaves little time for them to take care of Dad.
Cooper and I have been staying at my old place, so I’ve been close to take care of Dad. Meanwhile, my stubborn-ass dad now wants me to get on with my life and live it. Can’t say I’m not happy to get as far away from this town as possible.
The replays of what happened that day continue to run in my head. I now understand how Cooper feels when he has his dreams. They take a hold and don’t want to let go. Hopefully, once I’m away, they will disappear. I have to be optimistic.
A knock comes to the door, and Cooper goes to answer it. He comes back chuckling.
As I’m about to ask him what’s so funny, a woman walks in.
Holy hell. This can’t be my father’s nurse. She’s about my height, dark hair, impeccably green eyes, and a body to kill for. She looks to be in her thirties, maybe. Doesn’t she have a family to take care of or something?
“Hi, I’m Bristyl. Are you sure you’re supposed to be here?”
She smiles wide, and my father coughs.
“Yes, ma’am. I’ll just need a little help bringing in my bags, and we’re good to go.”
Cooper full-out laughs as I look over at my father who has a shit-eating grin on his face. Guess this is going to work out well, after all.
28
Cooper
My brother and sister are the first to run up to us. I didn’t expect any differently. They’ve been blowing up my phone, wanting to meet Bristyl. We just needed time together and that’s what we did. We needed to heal, and luckily, that is getting better. It’s now time to branch out into the family, ready or not.
Nox is pretty much a younger version of me, scary but fucking true. He has a little bit of a darker tone to his light brown hair than me, but his features—no one would mistake him being my brother.
My sister on the other hand, she took after our mother in more ways than looks. Her hair is dark brown, on the verge of black. She’s growing up too damn
fast, and judging by the skirt she has on, I’m surprised my father let her out of the house.
“Hi! I’m Austyn,” my sister says to Bristyl.
In the three weeks we’ve been MIA, her bruises have turned more yellow, which you can’t see with her makeup, even as light as it is. She had nightmares for a while and would wake up in cold sweats. I know those all too well. Once I had Bristyl in my arms, though, mine disappeared. I feared they would return after the ordeal, but I’ve been lucky. My woman, not so much. They have gotten better, though, and are coming more rarely. With time, I hope hers disappear as well.
“And I’m Nox,” my brother adds, and my sister elbows him in the chest. “What the hell?”
“You didn’t even let her talk before jumping in with who you are, dumb-dumb.”
“Introductions, Austyn. Hello!”
“Alright you two, enough.” Their bickering has to stop, or I’m going to have to duct tape them to something and cover their mouths. “What the fuck are you wearing?”
Austyn shivers. It’s slight, but it’s there. “It’s fine.” Her eyes dart around. I have no doubt the man they are trying to find.
“Dad see you in that shit?”
Her face turns red in embarrassment. “I’m only wearing it for a little while.”
“Change.”
“You’re not my dad!” she screams, and I chuckle.
“Dad sees you, he’ll tan your ass.”
Bristyl smiles beautifully at them, interrupting, which I’m grateful for. “Hi, I’m Bristyl. Nice to meet you.”
“Wow, you’re pretty. Will you teach me how to do my makeup?” Austyn asks with stars in her eyes. It would probably do her some good to learn to be subtle and not slap red on her lips.
“Uh, sure, if your mom says it’s alright.”
Austyn turns. “Mom!” Then she runs off to no doubt get permission for her face.
I watch as my mother looks at Austyn. She points her finger toward the clubhouse, and Austyn’s head goes down. Told her to change.
“You’re screwed now. She’s not going to leave you alone until you show her everything you know,” Nox says on a snort, looking over at me and shrugging. “Seems nice.” With that, he takes off.
“Well, that was interesting,” Bristyl says as I wrap my arm around her and pull her to me.
“You ain’t seen nothin’ yet.”
My mother rushes up to us. She’s been over several times since we got back and has demanded to teach Bristyl how to fight. I couldn’t agree more. Bristyl needs to learn to defend herself. Truth be told, I haven’t let her out of my sight for long these past weeks, needing to make sure at all times she’s safe.
The whole thing was my fault. If I would’ve gone with her to see her father, I could have prevented it. That eats at me. I vowed it will never ever happen again.
“How are you?” my mother asks Bristyl, and not me, grabbing the sides of her arms softly.
Personally, I’m fine. Had some stiches, but luckily, no broken bones and everything is healing fine.
“I’m good.”
“Don’t lie to me.” My mother’s tone turns serious, and I hear Bristyl exhale.
“Really, the nightmares are getting better. I feel fine. It’s just in my head. Cooper and Buzz put in a security system that I need an instruction manual to figure out, and that helps at night. My dad is healing well with his nurse.” She rolls her eyes.
I have not one single doubt good ol’ Regg is doing great with his hot as fuck nurse.
“It’ll just take time, but I’ve got this. I refuse to let it control me or define who I am. And besides, during the day, Cooper and I are so damn busy with supervising the workers for the storage units that I don’t have time to think. That’s nice. I like keeping busy.”
“Well, once those things are up and going, you and are I sparring. I’m going to teach you how to get out of certain holds and the best combinations to use on an attacker. After I’m done with ya, no one will fuck with you.”
Bristly lets out a giggle. Damn, that’s music to my ears. After not hearing it for a while, I cherish each time she lets it free.
“I’d like that.”
“Alight, let’s go. You’re due in the kitchen.”
My mom reaches out for Bristyl’s hand, but I pull my woman back to me and kiss her hard.
As she walks away with my mother, an anxious feeling sweeps over me. Logically, I know she’s safe with her, but on another level, it scares the shit out of me that she’s out of my sight. Everything is going to take time, and I got all of it in the world.
“Son.” My father comes up to me and wraps me in his arms. I’ve always loved how he doesn’t give a fuck where he is or what he is doing. If he feels like doing something, he does it. I picked up that trait well.
Once he releases me and steps back, his eyes look hurt. I hate it.
“I’m good, Dad. Bristyl’s good. We’ll be just fine.”
“I’m happy those fuckers got what was comin’ to them. Bristyl’s brothers are like three of Rhys on steroids. Not sure if they’re always like that or if it was just because it was their sister caught up in the mix. Dagger said he saw Rhys cringe once, and you know that motherfucker doesn’t cringe at anything.”
“Yeah, they’re gone. That’s all I give a fuck about.”
If things would have been different, I would have loved to get my hands on those fuckers just for a little while. Regardless, I trust her brothers and mine to make sure they got what was coming to them. Sometimes in life, you have to know your top priorities, and that is Bristyl.
“Glad to have you home, son. Missed the fuck out of you.” While true, we’ve been home for a couple of weeks, I took some time off from coming to the clubhouse.
I look around the space, watching the kids run and holler. “Deke doin’ okay?”
“GT says the withdraws are bad and he’s angrier than a motherfucker, but he’ll get straight. Let’s see if the women are ready for us to eat. I’m hungry as shit.”
Entering the clubhouse, laughter comes from the kitchen. One distinctly is Bristyl’s. Something on my shoulders lifts at hearing that sound.
“Woman! I’m hungry,” my father yells into the back.
My mother throws down a towel and marches up to the bar where we stand. “Good thing it’s ready.” She tilts up, and my father comes down for a kiss. Instead of watching, my focus goes to Bristyl.
Her and Angel are in a conversation that has her smiling from ear-to-ear. Tanner joins in, and that beautiful sound from Bristyl comes again. Yeah, we’re all going to be fucking fantastic.
We eat and enjoy our time together, Bristyl fitting into the fold perfectly. As the sun shines down on us, this day couldn’t be more perfect.
“Son,” Pops says by the fire pit as I stand there, watching the flames move in the sky.
“Yeah?”
“My office.”
Not thinking twice, I follow him and find my dad and Uncle GT already inside, waiting. My first thought is something’s happened to Deke. I mean, why else would Pops pull us in individually?
“Take a seat, everyone,” Pops orders, going around to the other side of his desk and taking his seat.
“What’s this about?” GT asks, his eyes looking utterly exhausted, if not haunted in a way.
“Which one of you is takin’ over the club?” Pops blows this question out like it’s not rocking the entire foundation we stand on.
From the silence, I can tell it catches my father and uncle off guard as well.
“Gettin’ old and need a break. This club is my life, will be my life until my dying breath, but it’s time for the pressure to come off my shoulders and onto one of yours. Coop, you’re young and not ready, but you’re a part of this, and I want you here. GT, you’ve got a shit storm goin’ on.”
“I don’t think I can right now, Pops. Deke is …” He trails off, rubbing his hand over his face, then looks at my dad. “I’ll be your second if you wa
nt me, but right now, with this shit storm, I gotta take care of my kids and wife.”
My dad leans back in his chair, laces his fingers together, and puts them behind his head. “You really want to do this? I mean, ya got more good years in ya than you think.”
Pops nods. “Ma and I have made this club our world and that won’t change. But keeping up with everything and making sure money, product, contacts—everything is on point is getting harder for me. I want to sit back, let you boys run things, and enjoy life. I’m still a member one hundred percent, but I want to be in the background more now.”
The room again goes quiet. This is such a huge decision. Ravage is an entity all on its own, and I can see how it would be overwhelming, even for a strong man like Pops. In Ravage, the rules are clear. If something happens to the president, the vice president automatically takes over. If the president for any reason wants to step down, they have the right to hand the gavel to whomever they want to serve that spot.
If my father says yes, that means he’s the new president after our next church.
“I’m in. GT, you’re at my side. Coop, you’re on the other.”
My startled eyes meet my father’s. “Me?”
“Yep. Treasurer, you’re handling the money. Everything in this club goes in through you and out through you.”
Fuck me. Talk about moving up in the ranks. I know I’m more than capable of doing whatever needs to be done in Ravage.
“Done.”
Pops claps his hands together and rises. “You’re a good team. You’ll do well for the club. I’m proud of you all.”
I rise in stunned shock, not letting it show on the outside. A lot just happened in that little room, and no one outside is the wiser.
Bristyl comes up to me, wrapping her arms around my waist. “Are you okay?”
I look down at my woman. “Never been fucking better.”
Epilogue
Cooper
