by E. C. Land
I only hope it’s the right thing to do and I don’t get burned by the fire.
Chapter Twelve
Ryder
Yesterday when I’d gotten in the room ready to lay eyes on my woman after dealing with the bullshit to put her and our boys in the clear, I was already pissed. Only to become infuriated when I’d seen all her shit missing from our room.
Finding her in the boys’ room I’d carted her ass back into ours, ready to lay into her. I didn’t expect her to lay into me, calling me out on the shit I’d been doing. Then again, I was trying to focus on dealing with Titus and the rest of them.
Fury and I figured a plan out and brought it to the rest of the club. My nephews all agreed immediately, with the rest of the club following right behind them. It’s not going to be easy to accomplish but it means not having to deal with any of them ever a–fuckin’–gain.
Holding Brielle to me, I savor this moment as she sleeps in my arms. I hadn’t allowed her this for the past week as I made plans. Not that I didn’t want to but when it comes to my woman, she takes up a shit ton of head space and I couldn’t afford it.
Should have talked to her rather than hurting her feelings the way I did. I didn’t and I got to make it up to her. Doesn’t mean that make up sex with my woman isn’t fuckin’ hot. Brielle fired up and letting out her frustrations is a sight to be seen. Got to say though the best part about last night was hearing her curse as much as she did. When feisty, she definitely has a mouth on her. Too bad she keeps it in check so much, but I respect she doesn’t.
“Ryder,” Brielle calls my name sleepily as she wraps her arms tighter around me.
“Yeah, mon bijou, I’m right here,” I murmur, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
“Hmmm,” she sighs contently her body relaxes completely again as she drifts back to sleep.
Glance down, I study my woman’s features.
I hadn’t told her what my plans were for the day but only because I didn’t want to freak her the hell out. She doesn’t need to know, and I intend to keep it that way. For once the evil that is Titus won’t be coming near here.
Ela told Fury to relay the message to me and I let my brother’s words replay in my head once again. You know Ela and the way she is. The gift she has, she’s seen a lot of shit and a lot of it scary as fuck but always speaks in riddles when warning those around her. Told me to tell you, to not let your guard down and watch for the shadows. The night is not done and expect it to come sooner rather than later. Only you can keep them safe from the dangers ahead. The gator will meet the snake, but it will take more than strength to end this one.
Well tonight it will be done. I put word out I wanted a meet with Louis, Henry and that fucker Titus. We’re having that meet later and I’ll have my brothers at my back. Does this mean a war to start? Maybe.
The club was lucky enough to not have gone to war against the Toxic Warriors after what happened with Nora. This time around it could go completely opposite.
Lifting my gaze to the nightstand, I take in the time. Time to get things started.
Gently, I move from under Brielle’s body and slide out of the bed. I quickly dress in a pair of jeans, black tee, hoodie with the club’s insignia on it and slip on my boots. Grabbing my holster from the top of the dresser I put it in place over my shoulders and pull my guns out of the drawer they stay in when I’m at the clubhouse. Don’t need the boys to get ahold of them. Slipping them in place I slide my cut on.
Ready to go, I look back to the bed to take my woman in. Needing to touch her one more time, I move to the side of the bed and lean down to brush my lips against her forehead. “Love you, mon bijou. This ends for you today. You’ll finally be free to enjoy the rush of life,” I whisper to her sleeping form.
Pulling away, I leave the room without making a sound. In the hallway, I move to my boys’ room and step inside to find them both still passed out, as well. A grin slides into place at seeing how there lying in bed. Both in the same position in their own beds. Arms under the pillow knees up in the fetal position.
I step to Micah’s bed first and run my hand through his hair then do the same with Marcus. “After today boys you can rest easy,” I murmur as they continue to sleep before leaving them just as silently as I’d left their mom.
Once in the hallway, I make quick work of getting to the main room to find all of my brothers waiting for me. Chains steps forward as he stares at me. “Let’s do this,” he commands firmly like the Prez I taught him to be.
“Let’s do this,” I state repeating his words as I nod my head.
Each of us head for our bikes. Spotting Bart in the dim light of the day, I grin. “Be back with some dinner for you, Bart.” I chuckle as he hisses his response.
“Fuckin’ gator,” Chains laughs shakin’ his head. “Steel, Rig, y’all are in the cage,” Chains orders the prospects as we straddle our bikes.
“You got it, Prez,” both prospects mutter.
Out of the three Prospects those two have been around the longest and have earned our trust enough to be a part of this today. They’ll probably gain their patch soon considering they’ve been prospecting going on nearly a year now.
As I start my bike, I rev the engine at the same time my brothers do. It’s something we’ve done since the beginning when we all rode out together. This right here is what it’s all about for the club. The brotherhood it gives us all.
12 hours later
“I don’t have a good feeling about this,” Axel mutters from next to me.
“None of us do, brother,” I state as we enter the warehouse, where we’re meeting with Louis, Henry, Titus and several members of the Péché Mortel.
We arrived at the meeting point an hour early and decided to scope out the place, though we didn’t really need to since this was one of ours under an LLC we use. Only as we did the lights are turned on bright to show the three men I despise the most grinning at all of us.
Louis looks from me to Tyres and Brake as Henry looks to Breaker. “It’s a family reunion,” he chuckles, and I can nearly sense my nephews’ tense.
“Fuck you, this ain’t no reunion,” Tyres snarls.
“Ahh but it is, son. Have you met your cousin Titus yet?” Louis points at the fucker smirking at me. “See family reunion.”
“Where’s ma vilaine?” Titus demands.
It takes everything in me to keep from lunging at the fucker.
“Ferme ta gueule. We’ll get to the putain in a minute,” Henry sneers, his lip curling at the corner as he keeps his eyes on Breaker. “Knew she didn’t get rid of your ass like she was supposed to.” Henry’s words confirm exactly what I thought.
“Come again?” Breaker demands, taking a step forward, his temper close to the edge right now.
“You don’t know?” Henry cackles and doesn’t wait for Breaker to answer. “I’m your papa.”
“What the fuck?” my nephew seethes.
“Like I said family reunion,” Louis snickers like the weasel he is. “Now let’s get down to business. What is it you want from us exactly?”
Chains steps forward next to me, “Your minion next to you crossed a line and we want him,” he demands.
“That is not happenin’.” Henry snaps as members of the Péché Mortel step out of the shadows, guns directly on us.
Knowing this was a possibility, I cross my arms over my chest. “You don’t want to hand him over then give me a reason I don’t put a bullet in his head right now,” I demand, not giving away what I have up my sleeve.
“You always were stupid, Ryder,” Louis clucks his tongue.
“Naw, that would be you and your dick of a brother. You think these fuckers surrounding us will stop me from putting a bullet in the three of you?” I smirk, giving my cue.
Here we go.
The first shot fires and I pull my gun aiming it at another one of the goons and pull the trigger.
“Take them out.” I hear Louis order as he and Henry move away.
Titus comes at me as shots are fired around us, “You’re a dead man,” he snarls.
“That would be you fucker for hurting my woman,” I mutter, as I block the fist coming my way and throw my own making contact with his face.
“That putain belongs to me,” Titus sneers.
“Wrong, she’s mine,” I remark taunting him.
The fight between us begins and I barely feel the blade as he sinks it into my right side. Done with his bullshit, I grip the blade he stabbed me with and launch myself at the fucker. The tip slides like butter into his chest.
“Enjoy hell,” I mutter twisting the steel and gut Titus from his heart to his kidneys. His blood drenching my hands as I do this. Releasing the handle, I step away from Titus and let him fall to his knees. By the time he hit his stomach, Titus was dead.
“Fuck, Uncle Ryder,” Victoria mutters from behind me. “Remind me to never piss you off.” Turning to her, I find her grinning at me.
“Don’t worry sweetheart, you couldn’t piss me off.” I chuckle and look behind her to find her ol’ man along with more members of the Devil’s Riot standing with mine. “Thanks for coming.”
“No problem, I would honestly have been mad if I wasn’t invited to the shitshow,” she states, removing her rifle from behind her back. “The other two got away, unfortunately during the firefight that happened around you and Titus’ deathmatch.”
“They’ll get theirs soon enough Vi,” Tyres sneers, wrapping an arm around his cousin’s shoulders.
“Now this is a family reunion,” Brake announces.
Shaking my head, I run a hand down my side and whince. In the commotion I’d forgotten, Titus stabbed me in the side.
“Let’s get you taken care of, then back to the clubhouse,” Pipe grunts as he pushes forward when I pull my shirt up to see the damage that was done.
“Just bandage it, we’ll stitch it when we get home.” I didn’t want to waste anymore time in getting home.
Home to the rest of my family.
“You got it,” Pipe nods as he goes about doing what I asked him. Talk surrounds me as my brothers and members of the Devil’s Riot MC joke with each other. Who knew in sending Victoria up to Virginia, to escape the future ahead of her, an alliance would be made years later?
Either way they’re now a part of our family as we are theirs.
“All good for now,” Pipe mutters as he backs away from me.
“Good, let’s get this asshole loaded in the cage, Bart will be looking for his treat when we get back,” I announce.
“You and that fuckin’ gator,” Tracker shudders.
“Don’t dis the gator,” I say pointedly with a grin as I head for the exit.
Outside I take a deep breath as I let it sink in. It’s over for Brielle but we still have to take out Louis and Henry before it’s complete for Tyres, Brake, and Breaker.
Chapter Thirteen
Brielle
Waking up alone in bed, I sit up immediately as I look around the room then at the clock on the nightstand.
Crap.
I overslept and Ryder’s gone to do whatever he had planned for the day. The only thing I knew about it was that I wouldn’t see him until tomorrow morning.
Sliding out from under the covers I decide to put on one of his hoodies to feel him with me today just because I’m nervous as hell.
Yep.
Hell.
He’s gone off to do whatever it is, and I’m scared he’ll either get hurt or worse killed because it’s for me that he’s doing it.
Slipping on a pair of leggings to go with Ryder’s hoodie, I leave the room in search of Marcus and Micah. As I step in the kitchen where I normally find them if they’re up before me, I stop at the sight of all the women in there. But it’s not the women that causes my body to freeze but the one holding a little girl that resembles the baby girl from the website.
“Brie,” Nora calls my name softly.
“I’m sorry,” I blurt, my eyes glued to the little girl.
“Why are you sorry?” the woman asks.
“Because, I didn’t do anything to help her,” I whisper.
“But you did what you could. I don’t blame you nor do I hate you. You left, as Nerd explained to me, a backdoor that someone was able to access and find her. In my opinion that’s helping my daughter.” Tears well in my eyes as she moves toward me. “My names Rachel and this is Corinne.”
“Brielle,” I murmur my name.
“Well that’s a lot of the heavy and since the boys are all gone . . .”
“Hey, we’re still here,” Marcus pipes in interrupting Tiny.
“Sorry buddy let me rephrase, since the boys over twelve are out let’s have some fun while we wait for them to get back,” Tiny exclaimed.
“Considering Blaze took away my fun, what do you have in mind?” a dark-haired woman who looks a lot like Ela pouts.
Took away her fun?
“You’ll be okay, Raven. It’s not like you’d be able to do anything anyway. You’re pregnant and have one who needs you right now, more than you need to go join them,” Rachel states.
“Umm, am I missing something?” I ask
“We’re here because the guys from our club came down to help out,” Raven huffs and turns her attention to Rachel. “And yes, I know I’m pregnant, but Blaze didn’t have to suck the fun out of my trip home.”
Shaking my head, I glance between the two of them and decide not to question any further. My mind right now is wanting not to think about anything more than Ryder and whether or not he’s okay.
“Mon bijou, wake up,” Ryder’s voice draws me from my sleep. Slowly, I open my eyes to find Ryder sitting on the side of the bed, one knee bent as he faces me.
“Your back,” I whisper, my voice filled with sleep.
“Yeah, baby,” he grins.
After meeting all the women in the kitchen from the Devil’s Riot MC we all moved into the main room and spent the rest of the day spending time together talking and laughing. It was an amazing feeling.
At least until, Ela came in the clubhouse, looked at me and said. “Don’t worry sweetheart. In the end it will be over for you and you can finally be at peace.”
I’d started to freak and ended up in a panic attack. Then because I’d worked myself up so much, I ended up rushing out of the room and made it to Ryder’s and my room in just enough time to throw up.
Rachel followed me into my room to check on me and when she did, she handed me something I’d had no need for, for ten years.
A pregnancy test.
“I’d been watching you and notice you seemed to be dazed and you barely ate anything all day,” she murmurs, quietly.
I let her words soak in and realize she’s right. I’d hardly eaten anything all day. Granted that’s normal for me, what isn’t is, I didn’t drink but a few sips of my coffee. I usually down a whole pot by myself. As for being in a daze yeah, it’s because I’m stressed about Ryder and everyone else gone to deal with my problems.
Nodding my head, I took the test from her and when she left the bathroom closing the door behind her, I did my thing. Once finished, I placed the stick on the counter, washed my hands and opened the door to find Rachel waiting for me.
“Well,” she prompts.
“I can’t look,” I say nervously.
“Want me to look?” she offers.
“Please,” I whisper.
“Okay,” she says and steps into the bathroom. Looking down at the test she steps back and says, “Well it looks like another one bites the dust in this clubhouse.”
Oh.
My.
God.
I’m pregnant with Ryder’s baby.
Tears welled in my eyes as I closed them and prayed that he came back to me safe.
“Baby, you okay?” Ryder asks pulling me from my thoughts of the day I’d had waiting to hear about him.
“I’m pregnant,” I blurt without thinking.
“Come aga
in,” Ryder demands.
“Owen, I’m having your baby,” I murmur.
“Fuckin hell,” Ryder mutters as he moves, takin’ me with him tucking me into his side. “Would fuck you right now if I wasn’t so fuckin’ sore.”
Oh my.
“Why are you sore?” I demand, lifting up on my elbow to meet Ryder’s gaze.
“Ended it all tonight mon bijou, like I said I would.” The way he said this so tenderly. I couldn’t help but burst into the tears I’d been holding back all day.
Marcus, Micah and I are safe. Ryder made that happen.
“I love you, Owen,” I whisper say through the tears.
“Love you too, Brielle thank you for making me the happiest man in the world. Now you get to live free and feel the rush only you can get with me.”
Smiling, I can’t help but think of what’s to come.
The thrill of the rush being with Ryder will be the best one and I look forward to feeling it as I live with him as his ol’ lady free of my past.
Epilogue
Brielle
One Year Later
“I don’t want to hear it, Owen. The boys aren’t getting a flipping dirt bike,” I whisper—yell at Ryder as I hold our two-month-old daughter, Lucy Renee Garnier, in my arms. A daughter we didn’t expect but also didn’t prevent from having. She’s Ryder’s little princess as he calls her. Her brothers absolutely adore her. Same with her cousins. Those men are already wrapped around her finger.
Especially Tyres. That man though rough around the edges, has a soft side he shows toward my daughter and the other babies in the clubhouse. I actually caught him sleeping on the couch one day with one of Chains and Tiny’s on his chest. Arm wrapped protectively around the small bundle as the baby laid passed out on him, fist in mouth looking completely somber.
“Mon bijou, it’s what they’ve asked for, for their birthday. So, Marcus and Micah are damn well getting’ one,” Ryder grunts.
