Lady Guardians: Ride For Free

by Hadley Raydeen

  Lady Guardians

  Ride for Free

  Hadley Raydeen

  Contents

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Epilogue

  Worth the Ride

  Prologue

  Kyanne

  Ten years ago

  “What the hell are we gonna do with these young girls?”

  “Yeah, this ain’t right, Bear.”

  “Just shut up and wait for Luther to tell us what to do next. He’ll know.”

  “I’m not going down for this; I’ll tell you that right now.”

  I watched as men in various shades and sizes milled around the dark room wearing leather and vests. Their skin was heavily tattooed. They smoked cigarettes and cigars while arguing about what to do next. I sat on the cold cement floor alongside my cousin, Starla and our friend, Tangie. The three of us were bound at our hands and feet and gagged at the mouth.

  We were taken while on our way home from school. I wasn’t sure who the men were, but I had a good idea. These men were the enemy. Bad people, my family warned us to stay clear of. But, my stubborn ass cousin decided we should take a shortcut home today, and now here we sat.

  I might be three years younger than her, only fifteen years old, but we both know good and well our family didn’t raise no fools. They taught all three of us to be smart especially if we ever found ourselves in a messed up situation like this.

  Our family is badasses and bosses in a local motorcycle club. I didn’t know any other way to be and no other life I knew to live but the League of Guardians and the Lady Guardians. They are my family. But this… I looked around at the men, and the garage, filled with loud ass hogs, stainless steel and large rubber wheels; a scene that looked familiar, but they were by no means my family. These were the Hellhounds or ‘The Dirty Dogs’ as my dad called them. They had us captured.

  I continued looking around the room and my eyes grew wide when I caught sight of more girls tied up on the opposite wall. A few looked the same age as me, some older. One thing we had in common; we all had the same look, the same fear captured in our eyes and fear we couldn't shake.

  I looked over at Starla. She glanced at me and I saw fear in her eyes, but there was something else there, too.

  Defiance.

  Yes, I felt it, too.

  Taking me and my girls was the wrong thing to do.

  Starla’s mom and my mom are sisters; both members of the Arlington Lady Guardians, a branch of a national motorcycle club. These women loved to ride while doing good work in our community. They had no problem handling a bike and getting dirty or shedding their boots to put on their high heels while kicking ass with their biker men, too.

  They’d earn rank one of these days. My mama, Stella, would be President of the Lady Guardians someday.

  My pops, Freeland “Free” Trent, is a member of the Arlington League of Guardians. He taught me everything I knew about bikes and I’d be a Lady Guardian one of these days too.

  It’s in my blood.

  Tangie leaned to her right, nudging me in the shoulder, grabbing my attention to the men looking at us.

  What the hell are they looking at?

  Tangie’s dad, Big Pete, founded the Arlington Chapter of the League and Lady Guardians. He’d been a Hellhound prospect for a while but didn’t care for the illegal crap these guys were up to. That's why Pops called this crew nothing but a bunch of dirty dogs.

  Big Pete ruffled a few feathers when he met the President of the National Chapter of the Guardians and decided to set up shop in this area. He’d taken a few of the Dog prospects with him when he started this chapter; my dad, Free, was one of them. My mom and Aunt Stephanie followed him and joined the Lady Guardians.

  One of the men turned and started walking toward us; a large monster of a guy with a bald head and a mass of hair on his face that hung to the middle of his chest. He scowled and his gold-plated front teeth showed through his bushy beard. A large scar, resembling a claw of some sort, ran from just above his eyebrow down his face, disappearing behind the beard. When he reached us, he loomed over Tangie cutting a glance at me and Star.

  Sounds around me were loud and I couldn't hear anything else besides motorcycles revving and the girls across the garage sobbing. The man spoke directly to Tangie, grabbing her by the arm and pulling her from the ground.

  “Get up, you little bitch,” he snarled at her. “Luther has plans for you.” He looked Tangie in the eyes and I saw the same fear in every other girl in the garage in hers.

  I struggled against my hand ties. I didn’t know what I could possibly do. This man was much bigger than Tangie and a hell of a lot bigger than me. Star nudged me and I glanced at her. She shook her head, ‘no’. The look in her eyes hadn’t changed. There was still defiance there, but also a pleading.

  “I know your daddy, girl.” Another man, not as large as the first, with a full head of dark hair and a well-trimmed goatee, appeared and continued talking to Tangie. I looked back at him. “He’s trying to break up what we have going on here. He is going to be pissed as shit you're here, but he should have never turned on us.”

  Shit… Shit, this was about Big Pete? What the hell were they gonna do to Tangie?

  “You’re coming with me.” He pulled Tangie along with him and she struggled. I yelled out, but the gag around my mouth muffled my words. “The rest of you ride out!” he yelled to the men still in the garage. “I’m sure the Guardians would like to know we don’t need them butting in our business. We aren’t playing their stupid games anymore!”

  The man stopped talking when a younger guy, around Starla’s age, strode into the garage. He looked at the older man with a scowl on his face. He continued surveying the room, not saying anything. His eyes grew wide when he spotted me and Starla sitting on the floor. He didn’t seem too surprised about the other girls on the opposite side of the room but something about Starla and me caused him alarm.

  “What the hell are they doing here, Dad?” he asked, pointing at us.

  Dad?

  Well, now that I think about it, the boy did look like a younger version of the man.

  “Don’t question me, boy. You stay here with them. I’m gonna go handle this one.” He winked at Tangie.

  The boy cringed. “Dad, don’t… You can’t keep doing this.”

  The man turned on the boy, yanking Tangie in the process. His hand came across the boy’s face hard, drawing blood.

  “You heard what the fuck I said!” the man roared. “Learn your place, Elias!”

  The boy backed away, and the man chuckled with a sinister sneer that went all through me.

  This wasn’t good. Not for Tangie, not for the boy and not for us.

  “Come on, little lady. I have plans for you,” the man said throwing Tangie over his shoulder so she couldn’t resist walking.

  The loud roar of motorcycles filled the room as the Hellhounds left the garage. When I looked back, the two men and Tangie were gone.

  The boy, Elias, stood in the middle of the garage visibly shaken, his lip bleeding. He waited only a second before he seemed to snap out of his trance. He looked in our direction again and immediately came to Star taking the gag out of her mouth. Then he turned to me and did the same.

>   “Eli!” Star gasped. “What the hell? Why would Luther take us?”

  “Not now, Starla. You two need to get the hell out of here before he comes back and realizes you are gone.”

  “Wait, you two know each other?” I asked, looking at Star as Elias whipped a rather sharp looking blade from his pocket. He cut at the ties that bound us.

  “Stop asking questions! You need to get out of here,” he snapped at me.

  “What about Tangie? What is he gonna do to her?” Star asked anyway, rubbing at her wrists where the rope had rubbed her skin raw.

  Elias worked at my ties next. “He’s not doing anything good with these girls. I can’t let him do that to you; not to you, Star.” He looked at my cousin, and I saw something pass between the two of them.

  My cousin had some explaining to do.

  “You two can make goo-goo eyes at each other later,” I said, pulling at Star. “We need to go get Big Pete and the Guardians.” I stopped, turning back to Elias. “Wait a minute. This is a trap, isn’t it? Your dad wanted you to let us go so we could go back and lead the Guardians right into an ambush.”

  “Kyanne, stop. Eli isn’t like that.” Star pulled at my arm.

  “I don’t know how he is. I don’t know him.” I stared the boy up and down. “What is your father going to do to Tangie? Tell me,” I growled at him.

  “You don’t have time for questions. Shut up and let me help you get out of here,” Eli countered.

  “Make me shut up! You are no older than us.” I stood my ground. “What are you going to do?”

  He backed me up against the wall. “We all grew up much faster than we should have, didn’t we? Regardless of our physical age, mentally and emotionally, we have some grown-up shit to deal with. Now, you better be glad I love your cousin, or I’d just leave your big mouth here and let him have at you.”

  “Eli.” Starla’s soft voice cut through the tension. She laid a hand on his arm. The boy closed his eyes and when he opened them again, his expression was softer when he turned to look at her.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered to her. Then he looked back at me. “Let’s go.”

  Chapter 1

  Kyanne

  Present day

  “What the hell do you mean he’s gone? Who did this!” I looked from face to face at my mother, Aunt Stephanie and Zachary Foster, the Guardian's Tail Gunner, and my closest friend. The expressions on their faces were the same.

  Distraught, forlorn, speechless.

  “What the hell!” I paced away from them and back again.

  Zach reached for me. “Ky…”

  “No, Z! Don’t… just don’t! I want answers. Mom? Aunt Steph?” The two women who’d been my rock and taught me how to be a strong, independent woman, stood in front of me with a look in their eyes I’ve never seen.

  What in the everloving hell is going on?

  I looked at Zachary, the best friend a girl could ask for. I’d met him when I was about eighteen and he was twenty-one; he’d been a prospect for the Guardians then. My dad had taken him under his wing to show him the ropes. Zach sure as shit wasn’t raised on this side of the tracks. He was from the rich part of town. I thought him joining the club was to stick it to his snooty mom and richie rich pops. But he didn’t act like he had a silver spoon up his ass, and we’d hit it off quick. Didn’t hurt things that he was easy on the eyes and any teenage girl’s fantasy. He wasn’t too bad to look at now that I’m twenty-five and he’s twenty-eight either.

  I looked him over, but this time, not distracted by his good looks. I needed answers and since my mother and Aunt Steph seemed to be mute all of a sudden, those answers were gonna come from Zachary.

  “Z?” I felt my resolve slipping like someone was ripping my heart out. My world. My father. My number one fan.

  Dead.

  It didn’t even sound right to think, let alone say it aloud.

  Zach collected me in his arms and hugged me to him. He ran a hand up and down my back as he whispered in my ear words of comfort. “I’m so sorry, Ky. So damn sorry,” he said over and over. I unloaded a storm of tears into the black and white patch on his leather vest. I opened my eyes against his beating heart. I narrowed my eyes at the logo.

  Legion of Guardians.

  I sniffed and backed away from him shaking my head. This club used to be my life, my love, my family. But after what happened to Tangie, and seeing two more of my friends taken the same way after that incident, I didn’t want to be a part of something targeted by evil anymore.

  I hadn’t become a Lady Guardian like my parents wanted. I wasn’t about this life anymore. When I graduated, I’d gone on to be a counselor for abused children. I wanted to help kids like those girls I’d seen in that clubhouse that day. I wanted to get far away from this life. My ass hadn’t even been near a bike since the one my dad bought when I graduated high school. He’d hoped I’d change my mind when I’d see the black Ducati. But it was a no go. I rode the thing maybe twice and now the bike was collecting dust in the club’s garage seven years later.

  I’d only come by the club when they said it was important. Like today. But, I sure as shit wasn’t expecting to hear this news. I swear to God if he died for this club… Just like Big Pete, just like Tangie… Ice ran through my veins. “Who did this to him, Z?”

  Zach’s gaze flicked over to my mom and aunt before his deep blue eyes leveled back on me.

  “It appears to be the Hellhounds, Ky. Seems they may be back at it, but we aren’t sure—”

  I turned to my mom and aunt, cutting Zach off mid-talk. “That rival club again? Really? This is the shit I’m talking about. You all,” I turned to Zach, too. “You all are a part of this shit. Yea, you do tons of good for the community, but you also elicit hate from these idiot Dogs. I begged Daddy. I begged him. I asked him not to do this. He went after them to avenge Big Pete, didn’t he?” I screamed. “Now, he’s gone! He’s gone… he’s…” My breath caught on a sob and I choked. Grief took over like I never felt before and my knees gave out. Before I hit the floor, Zach reached out, catching me.

  “No, Kyanne. We didn’t do this. It wasn’t the Guardians. This isn’t on Free. This is on these Dogs and they’ll pay for this.”

  “Get off me, Zach! Leave me alone,” I yelled, clawing at him.

  “I won’t. I won’t ever. I can’t leave you alone, Kyanne. Not like this…” He shook his head. “We will figure this out. Please?” he pleaded.

  “No!” I pushed at him, the tears blinding me. “No, no, no. Fuck! Z, he is gone! He’s gone! And for what? This damn club?”

  I lunged at him again, but I saw the concern etching his face. I hated causing that look on a guy I cared so much about... next to my…dad. Another sob ripped through me as I broke down in tears.

  “Kyanne!” My mom and Aunt Steph grabbed me from grappling with my best friend again. “Zach didn’t do this!” My mom yelled at me. We will figure this out, but it wasn’t the Guardians. It was the Dogs and we will figure out why. We’ll figure it out, and avenge your dad, baby girl; we will.” My mom pulled me in and hugged me tight. “We will. We will,” she kept saying, as I felt her hot tears against my face. “God, they took him. They… they took him. They TOOK HIM!” My mother screamed, fury in her tone, beyond her tears. My Aunt Steph stepped in.

  “Stella…” She tried calming her sister. I looked up as she rubbed my mom’s arm.

  My mom wrenched it away from her. “No, Steph. Not now.”

  I watched as tears fell down my mom’s face in waves, but Aunt Steph cried just as hard.

  “He was…” Steph tried to speak.

  “You shut your mouth, Stephanie. Not now. Not fucking now! Don’t you dare…” My mother held up a finger, and pointed at her sister, without saying anything more.

  My mother, now the president of the Arlington Lady Guardians, walked out of the shop with all the dignity she could muster, though tears stained her otherwise beautiful face.

  I looked at my mother’s
retreating form and then back at my aunt, the Lady G’s Vice. Her face was just as tear wrecked.

  Aunt Steph looked from me and lingered on Zach. So many things were written on his face I couldn’t even read it. I felt like a whole conversation had just passed between the two of them with no words. It was like everyone knew more about this Hellhound situation than they were letting on.

  I turned when I caught sight of Starla, my older first cousin, come into the room. Her face was sullen as she looked from Aunt Steph, her mom, to me. She came over to where the three of us stood.

  “What the hell is going on? I came as soon as I heard something’s up,” she said.

  “Star, it’s Pop,” I sobbed.

  “Uncle Free? What happened?” Star appeared alarmed.

  “He’s…” I tried to say the word, but it wouldn’t escape my mouth. Instead, I choked on it again. It didn’t feel real. It didn’t seem right. I couldn’t do it. Zach’s constant support was at my side, without hesitation. Regardless of how I’d just treated him, he still snaked an arm around my waist and held me against him. When I couldn’t find the strength in myself, Zach would be my support.

  Wiping at the incessant tears streaming down my face, I listened as Zach explained to Star what happened to my father, all the way down to our theory that the Dogs were responsible.

  “Is there a body?” Star asked. Her expression remained even. She hadn’t said much while Zach was talking.

  Steph walked over to her daughter and put her arm around her waist.