by Amy Cecil
We land without a hitch and Rebel, Ryder, Doc and I gather our things and proceed to deplane. I haven’t heard back from Declan, so I’m not sure where we’re supposed to pick up our loaner bikes. Once I get inside the private airport terminal that belongs to Hayden Exports, I’ll give him a call. We deplane directly on the airstrip in which we landed and have to walk a ways to the small building ahead, which I assume is their terminal.
I look over at the boys and notice something about Rebel as we walk. His air and confidence have changed. Rebel has always been rock solid, even when he found out about his parents, but now that we’ve landed in Ireland he appears fearful and unsure. I can’t have him fearful, not with what he plans for us to do here. I need him to be the rock-solid brother that he was the day we killed Ace’s killers. I need my Rebel Irishman. When we get settled, I’ll fix him.
We get to the building that has a large sign on the side that says Hayden Exports. Upon entering, to my surprise we find Declan and some of his boys waiting in the lobby for us.
“Declan! What the fuck, man? How did you know we’d be flying in here?”
He laughs. “I called Hawk yesterday and asked him where you were flying into. I wanted to greet you Irish style! And I have the bikes here for you boys, as well.”
“Shit, man, you didn’t have to do that. I can’t believe you drove all the way down here to meet us. Thank you!”
“I couldn’t let MC royalty arrive in my country and not have him treated appropriately. That would make me a bad host, and I can’t allow that.”
There’s a door on the other end of the building, opposite the airstrip that we just walked down. Looking outside through that door, I can see eight Harleys and a van. We walk out and Declan says, “These beauties are for you and your boys. My boys rode them here, but they’ll be going back in the van.”
“This is fantastic, Declan. Thank you so much,” I say.
“My pleasure, Ice. Are ya all ready to head north?”
We all mount our bikes and Declan heads out first. His boys allow us to follow Declan and they bring up the tail in the van. We’re on our way to Belfast.
Declan takes us straight to the Knights’ clubhouse. It’s smaller than ours—well, before it blew up. It’s really not in the best neighborhood either, but Belfast is nothing like Edinboro. Edinboro is a small, neatly kept town with a population of roughly 6,ooo. Belfast is an industrial city with old architecture and a population of 600,000.
Pulling around to the back of the building, we park our bikes and follow him inside. “MC royalty here, boys!” he calls out. Turning to the bar, he says, “Aideen, get these boys whatever they want, on the house.” We follow him further into the clubhouse and into a room that has a couple of pool tables, a few couches, and a TV.
Declan turns back toward me and says, “Make yourselves at home. I know it was a long flight and I know that you want to get down to business, but take a few minutes here, grab a drink, and settle in. We’ll get you over to your family in an hour or two.” I nod and turn back toward Rebel to make sure he’s cool with this. He nods too, but he still looks uneasy. Perhaps a drink will do him good. I’m really bothered by this change in him and am still trying to figure out what the fuck is going on with him. Something about being home is throwing him off-kilter.
“Declan, I need to make a phone call. Is there someplace I can go for some privacy?” I ask.
“Absolutely, you can use my office. It’s right through here.” He guides me through a door off to the side of the pool tables. “Take all the time you need,” he says as he closes the door behind him.
I pull out my cell and call Hawk.
He answers on the second ring, saying, “Have you turned into a leprechaun yet?”
Fucking smart-ass. “No, not yet, but my hands are beginning to turn green,” I reply.
“You better watch out,” he says, “once the hands go, they say the cock is next.”
I laugh. “You’re a sick fuck!”
“Yeah, I know, but you love me,” Hawk replies.
“Ok, lover boy … can we talk business now?” I ask.
He quickly becomes serious and says, “What’s up?”
“Well, as you have surmised, we’re in Belfast. We’re gonna be spending some time with the club and then we’re gonna head over to see the family. Everything ok at home?”
“Yeah, all good here. I told you, you don’t need to worry. I’ve got your girl and your club and I won’t let anything happen to either of them,” he says.
“I know. It just sucks being so far away. I feel so out of touch already and I haven’t even been gone 24 hours.”
“Just stop worrying. The less worrying you do, the more focused you will be on what needs to be done there so you can get your ass home.” He pauses and then adds, “… to the ones you love.”
“Yeah, whatever. Well, I wanted to let you know we made it. I’ll check in again once I get more intel on what’s going on here.”
“Sounds good, man. Talk to you soon.”
“Ok, sounds good.”
Just as I’m about to hang up the phone, I hear him say, “Ice …”
“What?”
“Don’t worry. I know I joke around with you, but you know you can trust me. I got this,” he says reassuringly.
“I know, brother. You always do.”
After I finish speaking to Hawk I start to dial Emma, but I have second thoughts and quickly disconnect the line. As much as I want to talk to her, I don’t want it to be rushed. I’ll call her later when I have more time to talk.
I quickly text Hawk:
He replies
I leave Declan’s office and head back over to the pool tables, where my boys are sitting at the bar. A drink sounds good right now, so I walk over to join them. When I get up to the bar, Aideen the barmaid asks me what I’d like. A couple of seconds later, she’s pouring me a cold Guinness.
The boys need this; the last two days have been a mad rush to get everything in order for our departure. We kick back for a couple of minutes and enjoy our drinks. I look over at Rebel, who’s sitting the farthest away from me, to see if his mood has shifted any. Fuck, I’m still seeing the same uneasiness that I noticed when we landed.
“Reb,” I call over to him, “get your ass over here for a minute.”
He dutifully gets up from his bar stool and walks over to me. “What’s up?”
“You ok?” I ask.
“Yeah. Why would you think something is up? I’m fine,” he says defensively.
“’Cause ever since we’ve landed, something has been bothering you. Are you having second thoughts about all this?”
“No.”
“No? Just no? You’ve got to give me more than that. Something’s going on.”
“Fuck, I don’t want to get into this with you right now.”
“Well, I’m not giving you a fucking choice. You either tell me now or we are getting back on a fucking airplane and going home.”
“You’re serious? You would really just leave?”
“Damn straight, I’m serious. You know me well enough to know that I will not take any shit from anyone, not even you. We are walking into unfamiliar territory here. I need you to be rock solid and I need to know everything. So tell me what the fuck is going on.”
“I never told you this—and before you ask, Ari knows—but my ex-fiancée lives here in Belfast.”
Well shit, that was the last thing I expected to hear. “Fiancée?”
“EX-fiancée,” he reiterates.
“Ok, so you have an ex-fiancée. What’s the problem?” I ask, confused.
“Ok, before I go any further, just promise me you won’t go ape-shit crazy on me before you have heard everything.”
What the fuck? “Ape-shit crazy?” I ask. “Why do I have a feeling that I’m not going to like what you’re about to say? And why do I have the feeling that this has something to do with my sister?” So help me, if he is fucking around on my sister …
“Before I left for the States, I had a girlfriend and we were supposed to get married. When my parents decided that they wanted me out of Ireland, they offered to allow her to come with me. She refused saying that her life was in Ireland. I took her refusal to mean that her life in Ireland was more important than a life with me, so we called off the wedding. As you know, I have not been back to Ireland since.”
“Ok, that doesn’t sound so bad.”
“That’s not the bad part, that’s just the backstory. Over the last several months, Ciara—that’s her name—started texting me. She has been telling me that she wants to come to the States. She says she still loves me and wants us to get married. I’ve told her several times that I’ve moved on, that I’m in love with someone else, but she seems to be having a problem taking ‘no’ for an answer. I’m just worried about what she might try now that I am here.”
“I really don’t see the problem. Just tell her no.”
“You don’t know her. She’s conniving and vindictive. I don’t trust her and I don’t trust what she might do.”
“What could she do?”
He shrugs. “Just about anything. She’s conniving. If she finds out I’m dating someone, even if that person is thousands of miles away, she will find a way to sabotage the relationship. I care too much about Ari to put her at risk from a woman like Ciara.”
“What the fuck kind of psycho were you dating, Rebel?”
“She seemed normal when we were younger, but I can tell from her texts and the few phone conversations that I have had with her that she is desperate. She’s even threatened to kill herself because I won’t take her back.”
“You know, I have enough shit to worry about because of you, and now I have to worry about my sister as well. I’m telling you, Reb, if this touches Ari in any way, you’re answering for it. So I suggest that you straighten this shit out with psycho ex-girlfriend before it becomes a problem.”
“I will,” he says, defeated. “You have my word on it.” He hesitates for a minute and then adds, “There is something else that I haven’t told you.”
Oh fucking hell, what now? I look over at him and give him a look that says, You better fucking spill everything now.
He continues, “I don’t get along very well with my brothers.”
“Ok, and is this gonna be a problem for us?”
“Well, it’s not that we don’t get along exactly, it’s more that they still think I’m still a kid and have no respect for me at all. They disregard everything I say and every idea I have. Because of this, I think they’re gonna have an issue going along with our plan. They need to be in charge of every situation; I don’t think they’re gonna like us coming in and taking over.”
“That’s an easy fix. I didn’t fly across the fucking pond to sit back and let someone else get the job done. It’s not in my nature. They called us in to help and if they can’t do things our way, then fuck them. This situation is too serious for petty bullshit and I won’t have it.”
He smiles. “Somehow, I knew you were gonna say something like that.”
“It is what it is.”
“Well, now you know everything.”
“It’s about fucking time!” I put my arm around his shoulders and give him the biker man hug. “It’s all good now.”
After my conversation with Rebel, I can see that he is getting back to the Rebel Irishman I need. As I’m sitting at the bar, working on my drink, I think about the events of the day. What the hell else is gonna get thrown my way?
My plate is quickly becoming full and I’m starting to feel a huge fucking weight on my shoulders. First, I have Emma and our kid to worry about. The last thing I wanted to do was leave her, especially after everything that we’ve been through over the last few months. Then there’s my club, the deal with the Satans, and moving into a new clubhouse. And we can’t forget Ari, Rebel, and his psycho ex-girlfriend. Oh, and let me just add more shit to the pile: the fucking IRA, my aunt and uncle, and Rebel’s relationship with his brothers!
I finish my drink and walk back over to where my boys are sitting. “We need to go. Rebel, you know where we’re going, right?”
“Yep, sure do.”
“Finish your drinks, shit needs to get done.” I look around the room for Declan and find him over by the pool table talking to one of his club members.
I walk over to him and say, “Declan, man, thanks for everything, but we really need to get going.”
“Hey, no problem, Ice. Let me get someone to escort you all to Rebel’s family.”
“Naw, that won’t be necessary, Rebel said he knows the way,” I reply. “You gonna be around the next few days?”
“Yeah, no runs planned until next month.”
“Good. I’ll be in touch. I need to talk with the family first and assess the situation. I’m afraid that once we get more details, I’m gonna need you.”
“Like I said before, whatever you need.”
“Thanks again,” I say as I man-hug him. I walk over to the boys and say, “Let’s go.”
Chapter 10
Emma
Honey and I get back to the house with Dbag and Spike. The note I received earlier had gotten me riled, but after talking to Hawk and Honey about it and being away from the house for a bit, I had begun to relax. That is, until now. Being back at the house reminds me of the feelings I had when I discovered the note. I was so sure that someone was in the trees watching me.
We all walk into the house and once the door is closed and locked, I turn to Spike and say, “Spike, I know this might sound a bit paranoid, but I think it is important for you to know that when I discovered the note on my car I was sure that someone was in the trees watching and listening.”
“You sure? You don’t think that maybe you were just freaked out by the note?” he asks.
“At first, I did think that, but then a feeling came over me. You know, that one where your stomach falls to the grounds and your skin begins to prickle? I would bet money that someone was there.”
“Ok, darl’n. Dbag and I will go check it out.”
“Thank you.” They pull out their guns and hold them at their sides as they walk out the door.
A few minutes later the guys return. Spike says, “Well, Miss Emma, I don’t want to scare you more than you already are, but I think you’re right. There is a pile of cigarette butts behind the tree over by the driveway. If any of our guys were out here, they wouldn’t be hiding in the trees and wouldn’t need to hide their cigarette butts.” He starts walking through the house and making sure that all the windows and doors in the house are locked. “You ladies don’t go outside for anything. Not even the mail. You hear me?” Honey and I both nod.
Just then my phone starts to ring. I walk over to my bag and pull it out. Checking the caller ID, I’m delighted to see that it’s Caden. “Hey, handsome!” I say into the phone as I walk into the other room for some privacy.
“Hey, beautiful! How’s my best girl?” I want to tell him everything about what has happened today, but then I remember Hawk’s words. Hawk was right, Cade has a lot on his plate right now and until we know more about this, it is best to not say anything.
“Emma?” he says again, pulling me from my thoughts.
“I’m sorry, babe. I’m doing good. Honey and I have tried to keep busy so we don’t miss you too much.”
“You can miss me. It’s ok,” he says with a chuckle. “Actually, I would prefer it if you missed me.”
“I didn’t say I didn’t miss you, I said I was just trying to keep busy so your absence was more bearable to take. Better?” I tease.
“Better.”
“So, how was your flight? Are you in Dublin? Or have you already made it to Belfast?” I know I’m spouting off questions, but I want to know everything.
“Easy babe, one at a time. Our flight was good. Spent a lot of time on the plane doing some research into the IRA. And, to my surprise, I was also able to get some sleep.”
“Oh, good. Did you find out anything helpful in your research?” I ask.
“I did.”
“Tell me.”
“Babe, I think it is better that we don’t get into that. I don’t have too much time to talk. Right now, I just want to hear your voice.”
“Oh, ok. Are you in Belfast?”
“Yes, we got to the house about an hour ago.”
“And have you met your family yet?”
“Yeah, some of them, but I’ve been told that there are a lot more I haven’t met yet. But with all that needs to be done, I doubt that I will.”
“Are you ok?” I’m worried about him. He’s got so much to deal with and he is always so strong for everyone. It’s a lot to take in: being in a strange country and meeting a family that he never knew.
“Yeah, babe, I’m good.” He pauses for a moment and then says, “I hate to cut this short, but I gotta go, babe.”
“Ok,” I reply sadly.
“Emma, darl’n, I don’t know when I’m gonna get the chance to call you again. If I don’t get back to you tomorrow, please remember that I love you and I’ll be home soon.”
“I love you too, Cade. Be safe,” I reply. And then, he’s gone.
I hate this! I am hormonal and I want him home. And now I have to deal with the mess of this note without him. Hopefully Hawk is right and this is nothing more than someone trying to mess with us. Maybe Skid, like we thought. I’m sure Cade stepping in with Brianne hurt his pride a bit, not to mention that Grayson was his friend.
I walk back into the kitchen area where everyone else is hanging out. “Was that Ice?” Spike asks.
“Yes. They made it to Belfast.”
“Good.” He walks over to me and puts his arm around me, giving me a slight squeeze. “He’ll be home before you and that baby know it.” I like Spike. If I could pick one of the club members as my big brother, I’d pick him or Rebel.
“Thanks, sweetie. Hopefully you’re right.” I pause and then add, “This whole note thing has got me worried. Hawk says not to bother Caden with it, but all my instincts are shouting at me to tell him.”
