Chapter 15 #2
We walk out to find Vincent and his men in handcuffs, sitting on the ground. Vincent is bleeding from what appears to be a gunshot wound to his shoulder. He’s pressing a wad of cloth against it, grimacing.
A second patrol car is parked in the driveway, with its lights still flashing.
Vincent and his men look shell-shocked, like this is the last thing they expected to happen.
I just wish I could go over and beat Vincent with my shoe or something for all the trouble he’s caused Lila.
Vincent and my stepdad turned her world upside down for no reason other than to get their hands on me. That blows my mind.
Thankfully, there is an ambulance with the door standing open.
Patch strolls forward and lays Lila on the gurney.
Two paramedics swarm her. They elevate her head and tape the tube at her nose into place so it can’t slip as she moves around.
Patch updates them on her medical history and her condition.
Seeing my sister alive, talking, and getting proper medical care seems like a dream come true, considering we were totally at Vincent’s mercy just a little while ago.
While the paramedics take a few minutes to assess Lila, Detective Jenkins comes over to question me and Patch’s club brothers. He jots down the information we give and has us sign it, making it clear that they might need to ask us more questions as the investigation progresses.
We jump into the ambulance, and the two paramedics ride in the front. It seems bizarre to me, but it’s probably because Patch is a doctor. Patch keeps one hand on Lila’s wrist and the other on a rail to brace himself. He keeps his eyes on her breathing, like he’s counting her respirations.
“She’s doing well, no need to take her to the ER. Her oxygen sats are almost back to baseline,” he says with a smile.
Lila’s eyes find mine. “You were right. He came for us.”
“I told you he would. And you were a trooper through all this,” I tell her. “I’m so proud of you, Lila.”
We reach her care facility, and it seems like all the medical professionals are gathered to greet her. A night nurse holds the door open, and a second nurse stands ready with gloves and a mask. The gurney rolls straight through the lobby and into their version of an emergency clinic.
The night nurse tells Lila, “Girl, we’ve been missing you around here. It’s way too boring without you.”
Lila perks up, clearly liking this nurse a lot. “Yeah, I know, Barbara. I have some really good stories to tell too. You’re gonna love them.”
“I’m sure I will. Nobody around here loves a good Lila story better than me. And you sound like you’ve had a thrilling adventure.”
“You don’t know the half of it,” Lila says with a happy sigh.
I can kind of see why she loves this facility. The people are nice and genuinely interested in the residents’ lives. Their heart seems to be in the job they do.
Patch gives a verbal report, the same way he did with the paramedics. He hands over the oxygen and recommends a plan of care for the next two hours. The attending on call accepts it with a nod.
I stand back, happily watching my sister get the care she deserves.
When everything is taken care of and Lila is placed in a holding bed overnight in their special acute care wing, Patch walks over to me.
“Come on, let them do their work,” he says.
“Lila wasn’t the only one who’s been through hell today.
You need a break from all this to focus on yourself. ”
I happily comply. We walk out to the parking lot, where his whole club is waiting patiently. One of his club brothers even brought his bike.
Siege asks, “Is everything okay with Lila?”
Patch responds in a relieved voice, “Yeah, thank God she keeps a rescue inhaler with her at all times. If not, this whole situation might have had a very different outcome.”
I chime in, “My sister is smart and resourceful. I don’t know if I could have rationed that inhaler the way she did. It was hard to watch her struggling to breathe.”
We talk for a few minutes, and his club brothers take off.
“You think you’re up for a ride?” Patch asks.
“Always,” I reply.
I swing a leg over Patch’s bike and settle into place. Patch gets on in front and I wrap my arms around his waist. The engine roars to life, sounding louder than usual. When he glances back at me with a relieved smile, I instinctively tighten my hold around his waist.
We roll slowly out of the parking lot, but he picks up speed once we’re on the road and even more when we hit the highway.
It’s the two of us enjoying the open road.
I remember when riding on the back of his bike was nothing but a daydream, a secret wish that I never told anyone about.
Yet, somehow, here we are, riding together like we were meant to. Everything feels so right with Patch.
I lay my cheek against his back and relax into the ride, letting all my anxiety finally slide away. I thought he would find us. But even when I told Lila he would, there was always a tiny doubt in the back of my mind. I now know that I shouldn’t have doubted him.
We take the road that leads to the clubhouse. When we walk in, it seems like every brother is there. Everyone is smiling, congratulating us and celebrating our little victory. We make nice, grab some drinks and go out and sit on the back roof because it’s both quiet and beautiful.
Patch searches my face, before speaking. “You’re truly safe now,” he says. “You know that, right? Smoke is gonna make sure those bastards wind up in prison for a nice long time. He’s given me his word.”
“Yes,” I say, nodding. “I’m sure he will. Thanks to you and your club, my sister and I don’t have to spend the rest of our lives looking over our shoulders. I can’t imagine what my life would have become if you hadn’t come for me.”
He kisses me and then rests his forehead against mine. This moment reminds me that our relationship is as real as it gets. When he kisses me again, it’s slow and sensual, just like I love best with him. Having him close and smelling the leather of his cut makes my heart sing with happiness.
When we break away, I’m breathless and happier than I can ever remember being. “I’m glad no one got hurt tonight,” I tell him. “Except Vincent and he deserved it.”
Patch’s expression immediately closes down. “You put yourself in danger when you left to save her. If you had trusted me instead of running off, we could have resolved this much sooner. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to get past that.”
“I’m sorry, Patch. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust you.
My stepfather told me that he would give her to Vincent if I didn’t come, but he swore he would take her back to the care home if I came and swapped places with her.
He was acting all shady, and I didn’t know if I could trust him.
Come to find out, I couldn’t. He double-crossed me and left us both there. ”
“That’s fair enough, I suppose,” he says. “One day, you’re gonna realize that we’re stronger together than either of us could be separately.”
“How did you know where to find us?” I ask.
Patch gives a rueful smile, “Roxy. She came to us after dropping you off. Told us everything, how you’d spun her a line about having had your fill of the club and needing to get away. She thought something was off so decided to follow you.”
I raise my eyebrows in surprise, I guess I misjudged her. “I’ll have to thank her when I next see her.”
We lay back on the roof and stare up at the moonlit sky as a gentle breeze washes over us. I decide this is what real freedom feels like.
Patch turns me around and kneads my tight shoulder muscles until they loosen.
I let my head fall forward and close my eyes.
By the time he’s finished, all I want is a cuddle and some sleep.
Lying there against Patch’s big, warm body, sleep threatens to lull me to sleep on a rooftop.
I wake up to Patch carrying me into an upstairs suite.
My dreams are filled with wild, chaotic nightmares.
My stepfather’s face rises in my mind, and he’s screaming that I’m no good for betraying his trust and not staying with the man he chose for me.
How he’s going to get even with me if it’s the last thing he does.
And Lila will pay for my poor decisions.
When I jolt awake in a panic, Patch is there to hold me, rub my back, and tell me that everything is going to be okay. If not for him, I would probably be spiraling all night long.
The morning comes all too fast, but at least I wake up in bed with my hot biker.
His mouth finds mine, hot and needy. I shamelessly wrap my legs around him and scratch his bare back with my nails, and we tangle tongues.
Something about today is extra passionate.
For whatever reason, we can’t seem to get enough of each other.
When his hand comes down to rip my panties off, I’m there for it.
I help him pull off my clothing and watch with a greedy eye as he pulls off his clothes to reveal a mountain of muscles and fascinating tattoos.
Suddenly, we’re all over each other, kissing, rubbing skin to skin, and his mouth moves from my neck down to my breasts.
When he finally plunges into my wet heat, it feels so good that I can’t help but cry out. He fills me up to the point that I can feel every single inch of him. Patch is everything I’ve ever wanted in a man. He’s smart, hardworking, kind, and a fantastic lover.
He effortlessly tips me over into one of the strongest orgasms of my lifetime.
To my surprise, he doesn’t stop. He keeps right on moving just the way I like, and I come all over his cock a second time.
I never imagined that sex could be so visceral.
With Patch it almost seems like a matter of pride that I come first and several times before he does.