Ryder (Knights Corruption MC Series Book 5)

by S. Nelson

  “Braylen. Wake up.”

  My eyes flew open and I clutched my chest, my lungs on fire due to lack of oxygen. Apparently I’d been holding my breath while locked in my dream. No, my nightmare. My vision blurred as I tried to adjust my sight. The first person I saw was Nash, confusion wrapping its ugly arms around me and squeezing the remnants of sleep from me.

  “We’re here,” he announced, cocking his head before shifting back into the driver seat.

  “Where?”

  “Home. Well, not home exactly, but close enough, I suppose.” He was facing front now, fiddling with his phone while I tried to come to grips with my new reality. I still hadn’t talked to Ryder, my conversation with Jagger cut short during the only phone call I’d received.

  Looking out the window, I saw the sun shining brightly, although the tint on the vehicle helped to dull the effect. As I glanced around, however, I became confused. Nothing looked familiar.

  “Where are we?”

  Without answering me, Nash opened his door and disappeared outside. I turned my head to the side and noticed I was all alone.

  Where are Kena and Reece? Where is Cass?

  Where the hell are we?

  Slowly opening my door, I tentatively stepped outside the SUV, closing the door behind me when I realized I wasn’t in any sort of danger. Up ahead I saw Kena talking to Jagger, her hands frantically signing before he crushed her to him. Only when I shuffled my feet across the dirt separating us did they look in my direction. Jagger released my sister and she ran toward me, drawing me into a tight hug before stepping back. Jagger was slow to approach, the sight of him causing me to tremble. He looked like he’d been through hell, but from what I could tell he wasn’t physically injured, other than a scrape on the side of his neck.

  “Hi,” he greeted, squeezing my hand briefly before releasing it. “Sorry my phone went dead, but I had other things I had to deal with.” He kept his eyes on me, his stare starting to freak me out. Before I lost it, though, he lifted his chin toward the building behind him, flashing me a tight smile. “Let’s go. Someone wants to see you.”

  I reached for his arm to stop his retreat. “Wait.” A deep inhalation of air coated my lungs. “He’s alive?”

  “Yeah, and he’s waiting to see you.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me that as soon as you came up to me?” All of my fear morphed into anger, everything hitting me like a goddamn freight train. “I thought he was dead,” I screamed, hitting his chest. “Do you have any idea what I’ve been through?” I raised my hands to strike him again but Jagger caught them and pulled me close.

  “I’m sorry.” Looking a little guilty, he said, “So much shit happened. I’m still trying to deal with everything.” We stared at each other while I calmed down, his hold lessening until he finally released me. “Now let’s go.” He grabbed Kena’s hand and pulled her behind him as he walked away.

  Once inside the building, still unaware as to where exactly we were, I followed Jagger and my sister as he led us through two empty rooms, down a short flight of steps and down a narrowed hallway. When Jagger pushed open a door and I saw what was inside, I knew we’d reached our destination.

  To my left, there were two bodies lying on the ground with leather vests covering their faces. Their clothes were soaked with blood, the image of who that could be instantly causing a rush of panic. Then I remembered that Ryder was alive and my heart slowed to its normal beat. Barely.

  Taking one more glance at the dead bodies, I couldn’t help but wonder who they’d lost.

  “Braylen,” Jagger called. “Let’s go.” He pulled me away from the carnage, knowing I was about to lose it even though my man was still alive, although I had no idea what condition I’d find him in.

  Walking farther into the large space, I saw Tripp leaning over a table talking to someone, their voices hushed. It wasn’t until he moved to the side that I recognized the man laying down.

  Ryder.

  I rushed forward, shoving Tripp to the side and launching myself into Ryder’s arms, my body partly covering his.

  “Uhhh,” he groaned. “Careful, baby,” he warned, a pained look telling me he was injured. Before I could pull back, his lips found mine and he poured everything into our brief kiss. Our joined fear and uncertainty disappeared as our breaths mingled, a piece of our souls joining and relishing in the moment. “I love you so much,” he whispered, breaking the kiss to look into my eyes.

  “I love you,” I replied, giving him another quick kiss before standing up to look at him. His shirt was ripped and bloody, but it was his left leg that was bandaged—his thigh, to be more exact. When my eyes found his to ask what happened, I saw the distress. Whatever happened had rocked him, and I vowed right then and there to do whatever I needed—what he needed—to help him through it.

  Gingerly touching his leg, careful not to put any pressure on the bandage, I asked, “What happened?” Tears fell down my cheeks before I could stop them, my body finally releasing the shock I’d been trapped in and starting to tremble.

  Instead of answering me, Ryder clutched my hand in his and pulled me close. He tried to sit up, and when Tripp saw him struggling, he rushed over and helped him. Swinging his legs over the edge of the table, Ryder spread them and tugged me between them, my chest hitting his as he took my face in his hands.

  “I got shot.” Before I started to break down even more, he said, “Don’t.” He wiped my tears as they continued to fall. “I’m fine. Nothing that won’t heal. Trust me.” His mouth covered mine, the kiss soft and light, his lips lingering without urgency. I savored his comfort even though I was the one who should’ve been soothing him.

  After several minutes, I sat next to him on top of the metal table, our fingers linked and resting in my lap. “Can you tell me what happened?” Reservation painted his rugged face, his fingers squeezing mine tighter before he shook his head. “I have a right to know,” I whispered, not wanting to upset him but still trying to urge him to fill me in on what had transpired.

  “I’m sorry, but I can’t really get into it. One day maybe, but not now.” He grimaced when he shifted his weight, his free hand gently moving his injured leg.

  “Can I at least ask who died?” The breath in my lungs froze while I waited to see if he’d answer. I swore time stood still while I witnessed a plethora of emotions contorting his expression.

  “Breck and Smiley.”

  Ryder

  I refused to relive the brief moment in time when I believed that my prez and VP were dead. So instead of delaying my answer to Braylen’s simple yet devastating question, I answered. Her face fell because she knew what a blow to all of us Breck’s death had been.

  Smiley, on the other hand, while upsetting that he’d died during the fight because he was a Knight, wasn’t as devastating to me. Not only because we didn’t really know the guy, but because I harbored a lot of anger toward him, even in his death. It was because of him and his phone that our initial plan of action had been ripped apart in the first place. Although, when I found out he’d jumped in front of Breck to try and save him being shot, a feat which ultimately hadn’t worked, my anger subsided a little.

  We all knew the risks, each of us signing up to defend our club against all costs. Unfortunately, two members of Knights Corruption wouldn’t make it back to see their loved ones. Tripp called Cutter to tell him that his son had died, and he promised to bring his body back home for a proper burial. The nomad had filled me in on their phone call, although it’d been brief. Cutter hadn’t said much, but that wasn’t uncommon. He was a man of few words, but we all knew he loved his son and was undoubtedly shredded by the news.

  “Are you ready to go?” Jagger asked, helping me to stand before I even uttered a reply. “We gotta get back and take care of everything.” He mumbled something else before propping me up with his shoulder under my arm, moving slowly toward the edge of the room we’d been staying in for the past two days. Braylen shrouded my other side, ready t
o assist me if I needed her help as well. Kena followed behind all of us.

  As we walked, I was able to finally lay eyes on the rest of the guys. Stone was leaning against the wall, fiddling with the bandage wrapped around his ear. Adelaide was beside him, slapping his hand away and yelling at him not to touch it. A few feet to the left, I saw Marek lying on a steel table, much like the one I’d been resting on. As I hobbled along, I saw Sully hunching over him and crying.

  “Are we sure he’s gonna be okay?” I asked Jagger, pointing toward Marek.

  “Yeah. The doc Rabid, or whoever he is, brought in said he’s gonna need some time to heal but he’ll pull through.”

  Still walking slowly, we rounded the corner and down a hallway too narrow for the three of us to walk side by side, so Braylen stayed close behind, walking with her sister. A short flight of steps and two empty rooms later, we finally hit the outdoors, the California sun doing its best to offer some warmth.

  “Where the fuck are we?”

  “A twenty-minute ride from where all hell broke loose. Rabid had us load everyone up and come here. I don’t know whose it is or what the place is used for, but it did the job, so I’m not complaining.”

  The guy who’d essentially saved our lives had taken off shortly after he’d revealed who he was, sort of. He never said another word to any of us before he disappeared. Months later, we’d come to find out that Michael Chase, aka Rabid, was an undercover NSA agent assigned to dismantle what was later referred to as one of the biggest cases the organization had ever been involved in.

  Hey, what can I say? They had their informants and we had ours.

  Up ahead, Tripp and Reece were leaning inside one of the other vehicles. As we passed by, I saw they were keeping watch over Riley and Kaden. No doubt Reece had volunteered for the job, and I knew there was no way Tripp would leave her side, not after everything that had happened. When he backed out, holding a crying Riley in his arms, he saw me and shrugged. Sully and Adelaide were still in the basement of the building, but they wouldn’t leave their children for long, so I had no doubt they’d be appearing soon enough. Until then, Reece tried to soothe Kaden, who had also started to fuss.

  When we finally made it to the SUV I’d be traveling back home in, Kena opened the back door while Jagger propped me against the side of it. Braylen took over and helped to brace me so I wouldn’t fall. I put all of my weight on my good leg because I had no doubt my woman wouldn’t be able to hold me up otherwise. I’d crush her.

  As I was trying to carefully situate myself in the back seat, I saw Salzar, Etch, and Stone carrying Marek the best they could. Sully was right behind them being comforted by Adelaide. That poor woman had been through enough, we all had, and I prayed this was the end of the fuckin’ danger surrounding all of us. After the men had laid Marek across the back seat of another SUV, Sully said something to Miles before walking toward Tripp and Reece.

  Once Kaden was placed in Sully’s arms, he calmed, and she seemed to do the same. Miles had apparently been asked to grab one of the car seats and transfer it to the truck that her husband had been placed in. And because Stone refused to leave his best friend’s side, Miles made another trip back to grab the other car seat for Riley, Adelaide refusing to leave her fiancé’s side.

  Nash and Cass, two of Salzar’s other men, the ones who had driven Braylen, Kena, and Reece to us, helped carry Breck’s and Smiley’s bodies. Even though the men were dead, they made sure to treat them both with the utmost respect as they carefully laid them in the back of the vehicle they’d be riding in. It was their job to transport the fallen Knights back with us.

  Everyone was en route back to our clubhouse, which thankfully wasn’t too far away. Our Laredo brothers would only be staying with us until the morning, making sure to get the rest they needed before making the long drive back to Texas, transporting Smiley back with them and taking care of his burial.

  Cutter had been the first one in the lot as we all pulled in. As I managed to climb out of our truck, I watched everything unfold as Nash opened the back of the SUV where Breck’s body was lain, stepping aside to allow Cutter the space he needed to see his son. Trigger and Hawke exited the building and gathered around Cutter, offering him solace as they helped him carry Breck toward a patch of land behind the clubhouse, the same place where we ended up burying Zip. Cutter had already arranged for a coffin while he waited for us to return, and he laid his son to rest that evening. Whoever was well enough to attend, which was everyone except Marek, paid their respects before Cutter put him in the ground.

  Over the course of the following week, Adelaide checked on Marek, who had been set up in the room designated for him whenever he had to stay at the club. She watched over him to ensure he was healing properly and staving off any sort of infection. And because his woman was keeping close watch over the Knights’ leader, Stone set up in his room, caring for Riley whenever Adelaide’s attentions were otherwise diverted.

  I’d chosen to stay with my brothers, not completely convinced we were out of harm’s way. But after countless nights passed without retaliation or the police knocking down our gates, I’d made the decision to recoup back at my house with my woman.

  Finally putting the last piece of the puzzle into place, completing the picture of the future I wanted.

  No . . . the future Braylen deserved.

  Ryder

  One year later

  “Dad, I don’t wanna go,” I heard as I rounded the corner into our guest bedroom. Zoe was standing in the middle of the room, fidgeting with her dress. “Dad . . . ,” she whined, throwing her hands on her hips and entering a stare-down with me.

  “Zoe,” I countered, leaning against the doorframe. “What’s wrong? You look beautiful.”

  “You know I hate dresses.” She continued to fiddle with the white and black polka-dotted material. “And my hair won’t go the right way,” she complained. Oh Lord, I could only imagine how she’d be once she became a teenager the following year. Puberty was gonna be the death of me, I already knew it. And boys . . . I wasn’t gonna do well with boys lurking around my little girl. Zoe was already a looker, and I feared for my sanity as she grew up.

  Now that the threat toward our club had finally been eliminated, Rose and I had agreed on increased visitation with Zoe. While they still lived in Illinois, we both made the effort so that my daughter and I could get to know each other more. I also wanted to test the waters between Braylen and Zoe as well, seeing how well they got along before I revealed that I was thinking about having another kid. Thing was, Braylen had told me she wasn’t ready for a baby, but maybe if I put the thought in her head, she’d come around sooner rather than later.

  “Here, honey, let me help you with that,” Braylen said, bouncing into the room to save the day. “Do you want your hair up or down?” She pulled Zoe’s shoulder-length red hair off her shoulders, then released it, giving my daughter a visual of different hairdos. I honestly had no idea where Zoe inherited the red hair from; both Rose and I have dark brown. I believe my ex mentioned someone on her mother’s side being a redhead, but I couldn’t really remember. Other than the color of her strands, there was no mistaking Zoe was mine, although she was looking more like her mother as the years passed.

  Zoe smiled, looking at Braylen’s reflection in the mirror. “Um . . . how about up?”

  “Up it is.” Braylen described everything she was doing while she set up her tools, Zoe enthralled with the fact that Braylen was a hair stylist. And a very talented one at that. She’d mentioned that one day she wanted to start her own salon, but she just wasn’t ready yet. Little did she know I had a surprise waiting for her, whenever she decided to make the leap.

  Money wasn’t an issue for me. I never had to think about it because I had plenty of it stocked away—mostly from the club’s activities before Marek turned us legit. And because of my smart investments, I was set for ten lifetimes. Braylen knew I was wealthy, but she never asked for a figure. She didn’t care, wa
nted to make her own way, and I respected her more for it, even though I showered her with gifts as often as I could.

  Upgrading her car, for one. The day I’d picked her up in a shiny new Mercedes, her dream car, she’d thrown herself into my arms, accepting the vehicle without an issue. She’d known I’d only force it on her anyway. Besides, she’d given me the best head of my life later that evening as thanks.

  Win-win for the both of us.

  “Sweetheart, you need to get ready yourself or we’re gonna be late,” I urged, pulling Braylen close the second she finished Zoe’s hair.

  Furrowing her brows, she turned my wrist toward her and looked at my watch.

  “But we still have two hours before it starts.”

  Retreating to the other side of the room so Zoe wouldn’t hear me, I leaned in and nipped her lobe before whispering, “But I need some time to fuck you first.”

  A pink flush tickled her skin, and I knew she wanted me almost as much as I wanted her.

  “Gross, Dad,” Zoe admonished.

  There was no way she heard what I just said. “What?” I feigned ignorance.

  “I know you just said something about sex.” She casually toyed with her dress, smiling now that she liked her hair.

  Braylen laughed, but there wasn’t a goddamn thing funny about what Zoe said. I cleared my throat to get her attention. “What do you know about sex?” I probably should’ve corrected her assumption, but I was too caught up with the fact that she knew anything at all about the topic. She was only twelve, for Christ’s sake.