Ryder's Last Run (Dueling Dragons MC Series)

by Rose Dewallvin

  I don’t trust the motherfucker as far as I can throw him. I’m sitting here worried something is about to go wrong. I can feel it in my bones. I hope Rogue has taken Ryder out by now and made his escape. I need him with me soon.

  I hear the truck pulling up out back. I’m relieved he finally got his ass in gear. I hear the engine cut off and then footsteps down the hall. I am nervous as shit.

  I look up and see Deacon walk in the office. He’s irritated. I know he’s still pissed at me for fucking Rogue, but at this point, I don’t care. I just want to get the fuck out of here.

  Deacon walks over to Prez’s body and hands me some paper towels and cleaner. “Clean the fucking blood up off the floor. I’m gonna haul his ass out the truck so we can get the fuck outta here.”

  As he hauls Prez up over his shoulder, he walks out to hallway and hollers back at me, “Hurry the fuck up so we can get the fuck out of here.”

  He walks out to the truck. I bend down and start to clean the chair and then I hear it. I hear the roar of motorcycles coming into the compound. My car is parked out front. What fuck am I going to do now? Rogue warned me not fuck this up or I was on my own. I go into full-blown panic. I am fucked.

  Deacon comes running back into the office and stares at me. He knows we’re fucked. The guys are back earlier than we’d anticipated. I pray to God above that Rogue is with them. I need protection. If not, I am a dead woman.

  Deacon can’t move. He’s frozen where he stands as he hears boots on the floor coming down the hall. I’m holding the evidence of Prez’s demise in my own hands. When they say caught red handed, this is what they must mean. As I look over at Deacon and then to the door, my heart sinks into my stomach. I think fast. I have to get myself out of this situation.

  I start to cry. I mean really cry hard. Life as I know it is over. I love my kid even though I know I am not the best mom in the world. I fear for him and who will raise him after I’m dead. I can’t stop the tears and I fall to the ground sobbing with the bloody paper towels in my hands.

  Deacon is pacing, “Shut the fuck up, Bambi!” he yells at me. Just as he yells at me, Flem and Fat Boy enter the office. My brother looks down at me and then up at Deacon. He’s confused, but he notices the bloody paper towels in my hands. He steps over to Deacon and asks him what the fuck is going on. Deacon has left his gun in the truck, and he knows he’s fucked.

  My brother looks at me. “Bambi, What. The. Fuck. Is. Going. On? Why is there blood all over the paper towels and your hands?”

  I try to answer him between sobs. I look up at Deacon and he gives me a warning look. Rogue told me that Deacon was expendable and he’d be eliminating him soon.

  I look at my brother. “Deacon forced me to help him kill Prez. He threatened to kill Ransom if I didn’t. I was scared to death and had to, Flem. I had to save my son. Ryder’s son. Your nephew.”

  Deacon doesn’t give me away. Perhaps he knows I am saving myself for my son. I don’t know but I can’t think about it now. No guilt. Ever. Deacon swallows and looks over at Flem. He has his eyes on him.

  “Wanna explain what the fuck is going on, brother? Wanna tell me why my sister has blood on her hands and she’s telling me you’ve threatened to kill my nephew? Wanna tell me where the fuck Prez is?”

  Deacon nods and opens the door to office and tells him to follow him out back. Flem and Fat Boy start to follow, but Flem steps back into the office, “Keep your ass in here, Bambi. I mean do not fucking move! Go into the bathroom and wash your hands and your fucking face, too. You have makeup dripping down your face.”

  With those words, he follows Fat Boy and Deacon to the back of the club, to Prez’s truck. I get up, walk to the bathroom off the office, and run the water. I look at myself in the mirror. “No guilt, Bambi, ” I tell myself. As I wash my face, I hear a single gunshot. I know Deacon is dead.

  I suck in my breath and close my eyes. Too many people have died today. I need Rogue. I need to feel his arms around me, and his lips on my body.

  I dry my face, walk back to the office and wait for my brother and his wrath. I know he is going to hate me. I need to play it off as though I had no choice. Rogue will protect me when gets back. I know he will.

  After a few minutes, Flem reappears in Prez’s office. He stands there and stares at me. I look up at him.

  “What? I had no choice in this shit. Deacon’s been helping me out for the past few years financially and visiting me at my house a few times a month. He knew about Ransom. He convinced me to come back to town and he sprang this crazy fucking plan on me and used Ransom as leverage. I had no choice.”

  I start to cry again. He walks over and hugs me. I certainly wasn’t expecting that. I expected his anger. Maybe there is a little guilt there, but I put it back where it belongs. Far away from my cold heart.

  “Sis, how was Rogue involved in all this shit?” Flem narrows his eyes at me. “ He’s dead, Bambi. What the hell was his involvement with Prez’s death?”

  “I… I didn’t know he was involved in this. I was with Deacon the entire time at his disgusting house. I left Ransom with Micah and Kellie for his own safety. Honest Flem, I don’t know much. Deacon only told me what he was going to do to Prez. He said Prez had betrayed him and it was time for him to pay. I don’t know anything else.”

  Flem seems to ponder what I’ve told him. “Bam, you need to get the hell out of here because we have church meeting soon and the less you’re involved from here on out the better. We have Ryder back and he is physically fucked up right now. Rogue drugged him and kicked the shit out of him. He’s in his room and Chaz and Marko are with him right now.”

  “Take me to him. I’ll care for him while you guys hold church. I won’t let anything happen to him. He’s Ransom’s daddy. He may not know about his son, but its time I tell him when he’s awake and ready to hear it. Ransom needs his father. Is Ryder going to be patched in as the new Prez now?”

  Maybe it’s time to get Ryder back in my life. I know he’s next in line for the club President Seat at the table as he’s currently the VP.

  Flem takes me to Ryder’s room. I am taken aback by the condition of his swollen face and the bruising. I tell Marko that we need ice packs for him. Flem sends Chaz out to get some ice and Ziploc bags. I know the ice will help with the swelling.

  Chaz returns a few minutes later with the ice packs and I apply them to Ryder’s face. I nod my head to Flem.

  “It’s okay. I’ll be here with him. Go hold church and get this situation under control. He’s in good hands. I won’t let anything happen to him.”

  He hesitates as if he wants to say something, but just shakes his head and walks out of Ryder’s room. He takes Chaz and Marko with him. Its just Ryder and me. Just like old times.

  After an hour or so sitting next to him on his bed and holding the ice pack to his face and moving it every ten minutes, Ryder starts to move around. I sit there watching him as he tries to open his eyes. He manages to get one open and then the other. He looks around the room, not noticing me next to him. He moves his head a little bit and groans in pain.

  “It’s okay, Ryder. You’re safe. You’re back at the club, baby, in your own room.”

  He closes his eyes. I think he’s going back to sleep. “Faith? Is that you?”

  What the hell? Faith? He’s calling out for his fucking old lady? Where the fuck’s she been through all this? He’s been missing for some time now and she couldn’t bring her ass to Arizona to be with his brothers? Now he’s calling out for her?

  “Ryder, baby. It’s me. Bambi. I am here with you now. I am going to help you get to feeling better. I have ice packs for your swelling and when you’re able, I have some pain pills here to help your pain.”

  He jerks a little and opens his eyes again. He slowly turns his head toward me. “Bambi? What the fuck?” he groans out in a labored breath. I know he’s in pain.

  I smile at him. “Hi Ry, baby. I was here when they brought you in after the fight. Flem
will explain everything to you when he finishes up the church meeting.” I lean down and kiss his forehead.

  He tries to sit up, but he’s in too much pain, yells out in pain, and lies back down. “What in the hell are you doing here? With me? Where’s Faith? How the fuck did I get here?”

  I run my hand up and down his arm and try to relax him a little. “Ry, I have no idea where your Faith is. I do know she’s not here and hasn’t been here since you disappeared. I’m here, Ryder. I am here helping you. I still love you. I never stopped thinking about you all these years. Ryder, I have some important news that you need to hear. I know you’re gonna be pissed at me for never telling you, but you left me all alone back then.”

  I start to cry. I’m praying my tears still work to soften the blow. He used to hate when I cried. He couldn’t take seeing me in pain.

  Ryder squeezes his eyes shut. “What? What the fuck could you tell me that would make me give a shit that you’re back here in Arizona and in my fucking bed? Give up on the fake tears; I am immune to them.”

  His cold demeanor startles me. He never used to be like this. He’s so cold and almost hateful. Must be that bitch Faith that’s turned him into this man I don’t recognize.

  “Ry.” I look directly at him and then I get up on my knees so he can see me fully. I want this bomb I drop on him to have full impact. “When you left and took off to drive for your Pops and told me our lives were heading down separate paths and we couldn’t be together anymore, well, I was devastated. You walked away from me.”

  Ryder blows out a breath seeming agitated and annoyed with me. “Christ, Bambi. Get to your fucking point and stop dragging up old news. I know what happened between us. I was there, remember?”

  I blink and swallow hard. “I was pregnant when you walked away from me. I didn’t find out for another eight weeks after you left. I did what I had to do for my son and me. Your son. His name is Ransom Porter and he’s seven years old now. He looks like a miniature version of you. He has your eyes, your hair color, and your sweet disposition.”

  Ryder slowly opens his eyes wide at me. He doesn’t say anything. He sits up on the bed, but he’s still silent. His head is down and he’s looking at the floor. “Why didn’t you tell me I have a son? Why in the fuck did you not get a hold of me or your fucking brother and let one of us know I have a fucking son?” I can hear the anger in his voice. He still won’t look at me. Tears streaming down my face.

  “You walked away from me. You decided that we were over. What was I supposed to do? I told Flem. He decided it would be best for me to leave Arizona for a while until he could find the right time to tell you. I guess, after a while, there just wasn’t a right time.”

  Ryder slowly stands from the bed and turns around; the look on his face is pure hatred. “Where the fuck is my son now? I want to see him. Now!”

  I move toward him, I need to have him put his arms around me. I need reassurance that he doesn’t hate me and can forgive me. “He’s with my cousin Micah and his wife right now. I had to keep him a safe place and away from Deacon.”

  He looks confused. “You let my son around fucking Deacon and you couldn’t tell me about him during the last seven years? What the fuck is wrong with you, you stupid bitch? I am going choke the living fuck out of you!” He lunges forward, grabs me by the throat, and begins to choke me hard. I can’t breathe. I try to fight him off and manage to get a scream out but it’s not very loud. I can feel myself starting to fade right as I hear my brother yelling at Ryder to let go of me.

  ****

  Ryder

  I managed to not kill Bambi over hiding a son from me all these years. I wanted to put that bitch to ground. She’s lucky her brother stopped me because I have never hated a woman that much. I can’t believe she fucking hid the fact that she gave birth to my son and never told me, and Flem… well, that fucker is at the top of my shit list for his part in the whole cover up. I can’t believe my own friend, my own fucking bro would hide something so fucking important from me. Not sure on what the fuck I am going to do to Flem. His ass ain’t off the hook for this betrayal to me.

  Today, I meet Ransom for the first time. I am so afraid. I have no idea how to be a dad. Fuck, my old man wasn’t exactly father of the year; his parenting skills consisted of an ass beating and a verbal dressing down when I fucked up.

  I don’t know if I can do this. I don’t know how Faith is going take the news. I don’t even know if she waited around for me or not. She said she would, but I didn’t give her much to trust me. Time will tell, I guess. I haven’t been able to reach her since I got back from being held by the fucking Russians.

  I look up and see Bambi walk in through the door first, and then I see him. Oh my God. He looks just like me. I can’t breathe. He looks exactly like me.

  How could she have done this to me, to Ransom? She’s deprived me of my son and him of his father. My own flesh and blood now stands before me, and I don’t know what to say to him.

  He looks up as he holds his mother’s hand. His eyes lock on me. He looks as surprised to see me as I am to see him. He backs up and hides behind Bambi’s leg.

  “Come on, Ransom. Get on over there and say hello to your dad. That man there is your daddy. Get on over there, boy, and say hello.” She lets out a frustrated sigh and tries to push him toward me.

  What the hell is she doing? She’s scaring the kid. Typical Bambi, doing shit her way and fucking it up as always. If Ransom wasn’t around, I’d tie the bitch up and gag her and then decide what the fuck to do with her later.

  “Bambi, I think it’s best not to push him. Let him chill out.” She gives me a dirty look.

  I walk forward a little and squat down to get on eye level with the kid. “Hey buddy. My name’s Ryder. What’s yours?”

  He peeks around Bambi’s leg a little, just enough to see me, but pops right back behind her. She moves to the side, catching him off guard and he tries to jump back further behind her leg. Bambi seems annoyed, which is starting to piss me the fuck off.

  “Bambi, lay off pushing him to me. He will come over to meet me when he’s ready, you dig?”

  She rolls her eyes, same ones that I once sought solace in and now I see only malice in them. I want some time alone with the kid so he and I can both relax and get to know each other without her influence over him.

  “Bambi, why don’t you go get him a bottle of water and let him sit down over on one of the couches?”

  She grabs his arm and practically drags him over to a couch and tosses him on it. “Sit there and behave. I will be right back with something to drink.” Thank God she walks away.

  I slowly walk over to him, sit next to him, and put out my hand. “Hey, kid.” I smile at him and he looks away. Okay, so much for the direct approach. I come up with a different game plan.

  “So, Ransom, your mom told me that you like to play video games. Did you know that we have an 80 inch TV right over there?” I point over to the TV that Prez had put in a while back along with an Xbox and PS3 or some gaming system like that. He looks a little bit intrigued. “You want to play me? We’ve got lots of games.”

  He smiles and nods. He still hasn’t said a word yet and I have no idea what he sounds like.

  “Come on, buddy. There are a few beanbag chairs we can sit on and play a shoot ‘em up game. Sound fun?”

  I point to the beanbag chairs that Prez added when he put in gaming system. We have a few younger prospects and video games seem to be something that generation lives and breathes. God bless Prez for wanting young blood brought in and trying to keep them off the streets.

  Ransom gets up from the couch, follows me over to the TV area and plops himself down, and grabs a controller. I look through the games and notice all the parental warnings on them. It hits me. I’m a parent. God. I am a parent now. I have to abide by these warnings so the kid’s not exposed to too much too fast in life. Which is funny considering his old man is a biker.

  I decide on an NFL game. That s
hould be safe enough for a seven year old. I really need to invest in some kid games since I plan to have my son around me often. I put the game in and start up the PS3 console. Ransom gets busy and apparently he has played this game from the looks of it.

  “Hey kid, you know this game?” Once again not saying anything, he nods his head yes. I let him start the game so I can learn from him. I was never much of a video game junkie growing up. He starts to relax a little bit. Bambi walks back in the room. I motion for her to take a seat, and I pray she shuts her mouth. I am making a little progress with Ransom.

  She sits and starts to file her nails. I don’t remember her annoying me this bad back when we were together. Just the bitch’s presence angers me deep down inside. I have to remember that she’s the mother of my son, so I have to go easy on the anger in front of him. I won’t be like my old man and belittle his mother in front of him. That shit stays with a man his entire life.

  Ransom starts to giggle as he makes a touchdown in the game and it’s music to my ears to hear his voice, even if it’s just a laugh. I laugh, too.

  He stops and slowly looks up at me. “Why is your face hurt?” He looks so serious as he asks me the question on the condition of my fucked up face.

  I have to be as honest as I can without confusing the kid. “Well, Ransom, as your mommy told you, I am your daddy and I also fight in mixed martial art style fights. Do you know what MMA is?” He nods. This kid and I just may bond pretty well.

  “I like Tito Ortiz. He’s a UFC fighter and my friend Kevin’s dad took him to see him one time. I wanted to go, too, but I don’t have a dad.”

  As his words hit my brain, they also break my heart. “Well, Ran… Can I call you Ran?” He nods. “Well, Ran, you do have a daddy and that’s me. I’ve just been away for a long time, but you and I are going to get to know one another. Is that okay with you?” He nods again, staring at the video game. “Okay, Ran, someday very soon, you and I are going to go see Tito Ortiz fight. Sound like a plan, buddy?”

  He looks up at me, and gives me a huge smile. I notice he’s missing his two front teeth on the top and two on the bottom, too.