Chapter 21
CHAPTER
TWENTY-ONE
Riley
We finally make it out of Flyboy’s room to find the men he mentioned, as well as Pretty Boy sitting around, waiting on us. My anxiety starts to claw its way up my chest until I notice all of the ladies there as well. Slowly but surely, I make my way into the room full of leather clad men. I look them each in the face as we approach, reminding myself that I know and have spent time with all of these men, except Smith and Wesson.
Lil’ Red smiles wide, pulling me into a tight hug. “I’m so damn glad that you decided to stay with us. It’s going to be so much fun.”
“To be completely honest, I never thought I would be here,” I say, making sure to look all the men in the face as I say what I need to. “You men will never know what it means to me to have your club backing me and helping me with this problem.”
“It’s what we do for family, and you, girly, are family. So, let’s go get your stuff so that we all know you’re safe and so Flyboy might be able to rein in some of his overbearing assholeishness,” Torch booms in his commanding tone as he drops his arm across Vixen’s shoulders.
Everyone agrees before we all turn, making our way outside. Parked right in front of us is a van and a truck. All the brothers make their way over to their bikes, besides Duck, Lil Red, and Coin.
“I’ll follow you guys,” Duck informs us as he helps Lil’ Red into the truck.
“Fucker isn’t going to let her sneeze without losing it. It’s going to be a long nine months,” Coin groans, walking over to the van.
“Oh, yay, she told him.” I can’t help the smile that stretches across my face. She deserves this happiness after everything she’s been through.
“Wait, wait! I’m coming too,” Candy yells as she comes rushing out of the clubhouse.
Coin rolls his eyes, catching me off guard. Up until this point, he and Pretty Boy have always been super close, and are always there taking care of Candy.
“You’re going to have to ride in the van with Riley, Flyboy, and Coin!” Torch yells over to her.
I watch as anger flashes in her eyes before she slaps on her trademark attitude of acting quiet and fearful. “Pretty Boy told me he was going with everyone, so I thought I’d ride with him,” she whispers.
Wesson bursts out laughing, climbing onto his bike, saying, “Shows what you know. That fucker flew out of here like the devil himself was chasing after him.”
Candy picks her head up slightly, glaring in his direction. “Are you kidding?”
“No, not kidding. He left here about twenty minutes ago,” Smith informs her, pulling on his helmet and kicking his bike over.
She stands there looking at everyone. The ire on her face would send us all to hell. “If I’d known that, I’d have stayed in my damn room,” she mumbles, moving toward the van.
Coin stands there glaring at Candy. I don’t know what’s going on with the guys and Candy, but this behavior isn’t exactly normal. Turning, I pull the back door of the van open and climb in, taking the seat furthest from the door. I watch Candy and Coin as they have a silent argument.
“If you’re fucking coming, get your ass in the van,” he tells her as he turns, heading into the clubhouse and returning not long afterward with Noah, the longest running prospect due to his inability to keep his opinions to himself, in tow.
Candy’s feet unstick, and she finally makes her way toward the van, climbing in. The prospect closes the back door before getting in the driver’s seat. Flyboy finally climbs in after a brief conversation with Coin. Whatever Coin tells him causes a look of disgust to cross his face before he can wipe it away and hide it from us.
“We’ll be behind Duck, who will be driving behind Torch, Razor, and the rest of the boys will line up behind us,” Flyboy informs Noah.
Noah just nods his head, not saying a word. Turning to look out the window, I do everything in my power to tamp the anxiety starting to rise at the thought of being off the club's property.
Holy shit, I feel safe at the clubhouse. I’m in such shock that on my next inhale, I start coughing. I never once would’ve believed after my mother died that I could ever feel safe in another clubhouse.
“Are you okay?” Candy muses, watching me in a way that causes my “shit ain’t right” radar to go off.
I just nod. Any words I’d usually say, feel like they’re clogged in my throat. The closer we get to my street, the harder it becomes to pull oxygen into my lungs. My head starts spinning and my vision begins to narrow into a black tunnel. I lean forward trying to get Flyboy’s attention. Turning my head, I find Candy watching me once again, with odd interest. I’m finally able to get my arm to respond, so I tap Flyboy on the shoulder. The movement causes Noah and Flyboy to both turn and look at me.
“Fuck, She’s having a panic attack,” Noah declares, pulling the van to the side of the road.
Flyboy throws his door open, just as Noah pulls my door open. I hear Flyboy giving Noah commands. He slowly eases me out of my seat and helps settle me between Flyboy’s thighs, who to my surprise, doesn’t wrap me in a tight hug. Instead, he starts handing me random shit just like Lil’ Red did that day in the hospital. Slowly, I come out of my fog, sagging into Flyboy with tears running down my face.
“That’s it, Sunshine! You’re safe and cared for. It’s all going to be just fine,” Flyboy mumbles to me repeatedly.
“If she’s doing better, we really need to get moving, and off the street,” I hear Smith express tensely.
Flyboy cups my face, asking, “You good until we get to your place? It’s only another two minutes.”
All I do is nod, not even wanting to try and speak right now. Flyboy kisses my forehead, nose, and then lips. I step back, my heart squeezing when I see the wall of men keeping us safe on all sides. I’ve never felt safer in my entire life. This right here, in this very moment, is what it means to be looked after and protected. To have people at your back.
As I make my way back into the van, I glance over at Candy, taken off guard by the malice I see in her face. This is not the woman that I’ve always known. The woman I knew was quiet, always seemed scared and watchful. This woman always seems to be acting as if she’s scared, now, it seems like it’s all been for show. Taking my seat in the car, we get on the road heading to my place.
Candy leans over to me, speaking quietly, “How did you do it?”
Confused, I ask her, “Do what, exactly?”
She just raises an eyebrow like she's talking to an idiot. “Get these assholes to protect and care for you the way they do? I’ve been here for months, and still, they show nothing but indifference.”
“Candy, I haven’t done anything but be kind, understanding, and hangout with the Ol’ ladies.” I don’t know what she’s talking about or why she would think this.
Her laughter is harsh and grating. “That’s complete bullshit. We both know there's more than that to get these men to do what they are. Just tell me what it took. I’ve tried coming onto them. I’ve tried being the scared and broken woman. All any of that shit got me was dismissed and forgotten.”
I can’t help but be shocked by her words. “Candy, you can’t be serious. You’ve got a bedroom at the club and they don’t ask anything of you. I’ve seen the way Pretty Boy looks after you.”
“If you only knew half the truth,” she grumbles, crossing her arms over her chest and looking out her window.
As we pull down my street, I’m shocked to see that nothing has changed. Over the last twenty-four hours, I feel like everything in my life has been turned upside down, and set to rights, exactly how it’s always supposed to have been. The men in front of us pull past the driveway, right in front of the house, parking on the street while Duck backs the truck up my driveway, leaving us to pull in tight in front of it. The guys behind us line their bikes up next to everyone else, effectively letting anyone and everyone know that we’re here together. I grab Flyboy’s crutches and step out of the van as Coin and Smith make it up the driveway to us. Flyboy takes the crutches, glaring at them. I embody the bravery that I’m feeling and step into his bubble.
I lay a soft kiss on his lips. “You’ll be off these before long. Just keep doing the work.”
Flyboy’s boyish grin, that I haven’t seen in so long, slowly slides across his face. “If I get sweet kisses like that all the time, maybe the crutches aren’t that bad.”
Warmth blossoms in my chest at his words. A woman sure can get used to this feeling. Flyboy kisses my forehead and I step back, holding tight to the feeling in my chest. As I’m guided up the driveway and down the walkway, that seems to run for miles, and up to my front door, I’m drawn to a stop, pausing when I see scratches embedded on the handle and deadbolt. The momentary pause must be long enough to get everyone's attention.
“We good there, Riles?” Vixen’s voice right behind me causes me to shudder.
“Yeah, sorry! Just got a feeling that something isn’t right,” I clamor, reaching into my pocket to pull my keys out. I unlock first the deadbolt and then the door knob. A feeling of foreboding is so thick through the air, that if I was a betting woman, I’d put money on being able to taste it.
The door swings open, knocking every ounce of oxygen from my lungs. Nothing in my line of sight is left undamaged. I hear white noise all around me, people start going around me, gently moving me to the side. All the men but Duck, Noah, and Coin enter, going from room to room yelling, “Clear” as they move about, leaving Flyboy standing just inside the door.
“Why are you all standing outside?” Candy marvels from behind us.
I turn to look at her, still unable to get my brain to form words.
“Her place has been trashed, we're waiting for them to clear the house before going in,” Coin advises her like she’s a complete idiot.
His tone, once again, doesn’t make sense to me. I start to turn away from them and back to my house when the glint of something shiny catches my attention as I hear the revving of a motorcycle in the background. Noah must have caught it too, because faster than my brain can register it, I’m on the ground under a hard body. At the same time I hear him yell, “GUN!”
The blasting of gunfire vibrates through my eardrums and sounds as if it’s coming from everywhere. The screams from the women, and angered commands from the men is overwhelming to my fraying nerves. I don’t think about trying to fight the weight on top of me. Hell, I don’t even attempt to move. I just lay there and pray that everyone is safe and no one gets hurt because of me. The gunfire stops just as fast as it started. The only thing left in its wake, is the sound of revving motorcycles.
Noah slowly starts to stand, pulling me up with him. “Are you injured in anyway?”
Like a bobble head, I just shake my head.
“Your man needs words. Are you injured in any way?” Noah firmly states, looking me over once again.
“Noah, you better tell me not a hair on her head is harmed.” I hear Flyboy plead, but to my shock, the voice comes from the front yard instead of from the house.
“I’m good, Flyboy. Just a little rattled,” I reassure him.
“Good, because I fucking need you,” he calls back, sounding like the doctor he was training to be.
I rush down the stairs of my house and come across Coin and Candy, both laying on my sidewalk, bleeding. Flyboy is frantically working on Coin, trying to stop the bleeding from the bullet holes in his body. When I make it to Candy, her eyes are wide and lifeless. I choke back the sob threatening to tear its way from my throat. Reaching over, I close her eyes and double check for a pulse. I don’t find one, and just like every time someone doesn’t make it, I say a small prayer for them before locking it away in a box and sliding it on the shelf to deal with at a later time.
Stepping over her, I fall to my knees at Coin's side, and ask Flyboy, “What do you need me to do?”
“Please, tell me you have a medic bag and it’s somewhere these assholes wouldn’t be able to get to it.” Flyboy doesn’t look away from his brother, pulling the shirt over his head to press on Coin’s wounds.
I take a moment to assess the man who’s bleeding out in front of me. I don’t answer him, looking up to see everyone standing there, watching. The men with women are holding them close while every other man is standing like sentries. I close off plain Riley, and channel nurse Riley, the badass that gets shit done.
“Smith, Wesson, and Noah, we need your shirts. Noah, come down here and help him while I go get my med bag and some towels.” I give the orders with no second thought.
Before the commands have left my mouth, the men are moving. Noah is at my side, waiting for further orders as the others toss their shirts to us. I show Noah exactly what I need him to do before I jump up and run for the medic bag in the garage. I don’t bother trying to open the garage door, instead, taking the route through the house while ignoring all of the broken and shattered pieces of my life spread all over my home. Once in the garage, I can’t help being grateful at the fact the assholes seem to have left it untouched.
As I make my way out into the garage, I slap the button on the wall to open the garage door. I rush to the cabinet on the right side of the garage, pulling it open. I first grab my bag and then several other supplies that will come in handy considering I don’t know if we are calling for an ambulance or not. I make it back out to the sidewalk noticing the puddle of blood growing.
“You truly are fucking amazing! Please, for the love of God, tell me someone has called 911!” Flyboy shouts, digging in the bag for what he needs to try and staunch the bleeding.
“They’re three minutes out,” Duck says. His tone is laced with panic, unlike anything I’ve ever heard released from him.
“Fuck, brother. You’ve got to hold on for me. I can’t keep you alive if you don’t do your part of the work,” Flyboy directs, begging the man under his skilled hands to fight.
We work side by side, like we’ve done a hundred times in the E.R., directing Noah where we need him to be. What seems like a lifetime later, I hear the wail of the ambulances, the sirens from the firetrucks, and police cruisers as they come up my street. I sigh in relief at their arrival, until the sound of another motorcycle puts us all on edge. Then men usher all the females inside as Smith, Wesson, and Noah surround them with a sentry position of protection.
The ambulance screams to halt, and the EMTs, and Paramedics jump from both ambulances and firetrucks, calling out commands. They split into two teams, the first set going to Candy, and the second coming to us. Noah and I slowly step away as Flyboy gives everyone the rundown of what has happened, and what we’ve done to try and stabilize Coin.
They proficiently load them both into ambulances and tear off like bats out of hell. I fall to my ass, hanging my head low, letting the adrenaline leave my system, fighting the wave of pure exhaustion that always follows.
“Hey, can we take a look at you?” a voice asks me.
“I’m good, the blood isn’t mine. I was helping Flyboy work on him until you got here,” I tell her.
“Are you sure?” she pushes.
“Yeah, I’m sure. Thank you.” The fire medic gives me a nod before leaving to check on everyone else.
The police come over and I give them vague answers to all their questions knowing that this is club business and cops are a no-no. I know by the looks on their faces that they aren’t happy nor do they believe the stories we’ve given them as they leave. Everyone gathers close inside the garage, not liking the eerie feeling we got from being left out in the openness of the front yard. That’s when I notice for the first time that Pretty Boy is standing there with us.
He appears to be completely devoid of any emotion. The look in his eyes is almost as if I’m looking at a dead man walking. All the men in the group are holding their women close. Unsure why we’re standing around waiting, and not heading for the clubhouse, I decide to take my chances and ask Flyboy.
“Why are we waiting here in the garage? Shouldn’t we go to the hospital, or at least go back to the clubhouse?”
Flyboy looks down at me, trying to hide the pain and trauma of the day behind his grin. “Waiting on the rest of the boys to show up so we can head to the hospital together. There are several that have to ride in the van, so we want to be sure it’s closed in and as protected as we can make it.”
“Aren’t you guys worried that they’ll come back and do it again?” I try to reason.
Flyboy huffs out a humorless laugh, saying, “With the amount of cops now rolling around this neighborhood, they’d have a death wish if they did.”
I nod before dropping my head on his shoulder. I don’t listen closely to anyone around me, just let the hum of their quiet voices coccoon me, making me feel safe. For the first time since seeing the first glint of metal, I let the events of the day come rushing back to me. I allow the waves of sorrow, tragedy, and destruction pull me into their depths. The sound of another sob reverberating across the garage brings my eyes open to land on Lil’ Red who’s wrapped tightly in Duck’s arms.
Leaning up, I kiss Flyboy on the cheek before making my way to her, pulling her from Duck and into my arms so that we can break together, the way only women can. It takes no time for Vixen and Edge to join us. The men say nothing, just lend us quiet support while still allowing us the space to fall apart.