Chapter 17
GAUGE
The following morning, tension crackled between me and Riley, filling The Pit with a charged energy that had mechanics quickly finding reasons to give us plenty of space.
Riley stood stubbornly near her workstation, her eyes flashing with irritation as she argued about what tasks she could safely handle now that we knew she was pregnant.
The protective instinct in me had gone into overdrive, making it almost impossible to agree to anything that involved her bending, lifting, or standing for extended periods.
Not to mention the fumes. I would have preferred for her to take off the entire time she was pregnant, but I wasn’t stupid enough to suggest it.
Riley wasn’t about to let me dictate her every move, and her fiery determination made for one hell of an argument.
She planted her hands on her hips and glared at me as though daring me to keep it up.
“I am pregnant, Ryot, not made of fucking glass. I can still work on bikes and cars without hurting myself or the baby. You’re overreacting. ”
“Don’t give a fuck if I’m overreacting,” I shot back, folding my arms across my chest and doing my best to keep my voice steady, even though every protective instinct inside me was screaming to lock her away somewhere safe.
“You’re not lifting engines, moving heavy parts, or breathing in fumes while you’re carrying our baby. Period.”
“I know my limits. I’m not an idiot.”
“No, you’re not.” I scrubbed my hands over my face. “But you’re stubborn as hell, woman. I’m not gonna apologize for making sure you’re safe. Get used to it, baby—because this is just the beginning.”
Before she could fire back another argument, Kane strode into the garage, a subtle flicker of amusement in his gaze as he watched us. Riley turned her glare toward him, clearly not appreciating the entertainment he seemed to find in our disagreement.
“Oh, don’t even start, Kane,” she grumbled irritably, arching a brow as she stared him down. “You were just as bad with Savannah. She told me how overbearing you were. Treating her like she was made of porcelain.”
Kane shrugged, completely unapologetic. “Savannah is my responsibility, same as you’re Gauge’s. Comes with the territory. You’ll get used to it.”
Riley huffed, tossing her hands in the air in clear frustration. “Unbelievable. You’re all impossible.”
Kane’s mouth curved slightly at the corners as he shifted his gaze back toward me. “I need to talk to you for a minute. Club business.”
She shot me one last pointed glare, stomping toward the door before turning around again and fixing me with narrowed eyes. “This isn’t over.”
My lips twitched into a smile despite myself, because even annoyed, she was fucking adorable. But I wasn’t dumb enough to tell her that. “Damn right it isn’t. Until then, be good.”
She muttered something under her breath as she stalked out, and I couldn’t help the grin that spread across my face watching her leave.
Kane shook his head, his expression more openly amused now that Riley had cleared the room. “You’re brave as hell, Gauge. That’s one badass woman. Probably best not to piss her off too much if you want more kids.”
“I’ll take my chances.” I grinned as I turned my attention fully toward my prez.
The humor faded from his expression quickly, his demeanor shifting back into the serious, authoritative man I was used to dealing with. He jerked his head toward my office and we went inside, shutting the door behind us.
“We need to talk about how we’re handling this situation with the gambling financiers.
I know you’d prefer we just eliminate the problem and move on, but it’s not that simple.
This isn’t just Shawn we’re dealing with.
It’s a bigger organization. We need to strike a deal, make them understand Riley is completely off limits.
Our priority is Riley’s safety and clearing her name as fast as possible. ”
I tensed, frustration and impatience surging through me at the idea of leaving any part of this unresolved.
My gut wanted a more immediate solution, something final and definitive, but I understood Kane’s logic.
Taking down a group of dangerous players would require careful planning, and we didn’t have time to arrange something of that scale without leaving Riley vulnerable for too long.
She’d be forced to either go into hiding or surrender to the warrant until her name was cleared.
Fuck.
Kane was right. The priority had to be making sure Riley was safe, secure, and completely cleared of any wrongdoing.
“Fine,” I finally agreed. “We’ll handle it your way. Strike a deal.”
Kane nodded, satisfied with my response. “Good. I’ll arrange the meeting for tomorrow. Until then, keep an eye on her. And try not to make her too angry in the process.”
I exhaled, shaking my head as Kane left, leaving me alone to deal with the restless frustration that tightened in my chest. Riley was carrying my child and sharing my home.
Nothing mattered more than protecting her trust, even if it meant handling this situation differently than my instincts preferred.
I’d do absolutely anything to ensure she stayed exactly where she belonged. Safe, secure, and completely mine.
The next day, Kane, Edge, and I led our bikes out of town, flanked closely by Century and the rest of the club’s enforcers—Jax, Raze, Piston, Fury, and Wrench.
We’d chosen a neutral spot, an empty parking lot several miles out from Crossbend’s main roads.
It was far enough away from prying eyes and local cops that we could handle business without interruption if things turned sideways.
I felt every ounce of the tension humming beneath my skin as we approached, the constant awareness of Riley’s safety the top priority in my mind.
As we rolled into the parking lot, several men waited for us, clustered together near a pair of parked SUVs.
I scanned them quickly, assessing their positions, stances, and numbers, noting immediately that if things escalated, they’d be seriously outmatched.
Even at a glance, they didn’t look prepared for a fight—at least not against the Redline Kings.
Kane led the way, his expression cold and utterly unreadable as he climbed off his Harley and stepped forward, with Edge and me flanking closely behind him. The three of us approached the two men who had separated themselves from their group, the leaders of this little crew.
The taller of the two men cleared his throat, visibly uneasy beneath Kane’s ruthless stare.
He glanced briefly at me, eyes wary as he shifted his weight, clearly aware of the lethal reputation of the Redline Kings.
The second man, shorter but broader, spoke first, his voice cautious, careful not to provoke more than necessary.
“First off, let’s just get something clear—we had no idea the girl belonged to Gauge.
If we’d known Riley was your woman, we wouldn’t have approached her. ”
I scoffed, crossing my arms over my chest as I fixed the man with an unblinking stare.
“Save the bullshit. It’s obvious Shawn whined about our visit with him.
If you’re gonna start off this meeting by showing us we can’t trust your word, things are gonna get real uncomfortable real fast. Don’t lie to us again. ”
The man opened his mouth as if to argue, then seemed to think better of it, exchanging a tense glance with his partner instead.
Kane shifted slightly, commanding their attention.
He leveled them with a dangerous look, making it clear that this conversation wasn’t open to negotiation.
“That’s the only warning you’re gonna get.
We came here ready to make a deal. If you waste our time or bullshit us again, it’s gonna end badly for you.
Let’s make sure we’re clear about that from the start. ”
Both men swallowed visibly, shifting their gazes to the Kings standing behind us, who watched the exchange without expression.
No threats were spoken, but the implicit message radiated clearly.
Every brother there was fully prepared to back up Kane’s words, and these men knew exactly what would happen if they chose the wrong response.
Tension thickened the air, and silence settled heavily between us as we waited for their next words, each of us fully aware that Riley’s safety rested firmly on the outcome of this meeting.
The two men exchanged quick, wary glances, weighing the severity of the consequences Kane had just spelled out. Neither of them appeared eager to risk retaliation from the Redline Kings, which was exactly the reaction we expected.
Finally, the taller one, took charge and nodded.
Holding his hands up in a gesture of cautious agreement, his tone was still tense but respectful enough not to provoke us further.
“Okay, we hear you loud and clear. Your woman is off limits. Whatever you need to do with the evidence, you go ahead. We’re out. You have our word.”
“Good. You’ll stay far away from Riley and anything to do with the Redline Kings’ territory or our races,” Kane reiterated, making sure every detail was understood clearly.
“If we hear even a whisper about you or your people sniffing around our operations again, there won’t be a second conversation. Do you understand?”
The men nodded, visibly uncomfortable beneath Kane’s ruthless gaze.
“We understand,” the shorter man replied, speaking for the first time. “We’ll steer clear of your territory. You have our assurance that this issue won’t resurface.”
Kane's gaze hardened. “And one more thing, if Shawn decides running is a better option than taking responsibility, you’re gonna give us his location. Immediately. You don’t hide him, you don’t warn him, and you sure as fuck don’t help him disappear. If he runs, he belongs to us.”
They nodded in agreement again.
Kane’s eyes narrowed as he delivered a final warning. “Good. Because if you fuck this up, the next time you see Gauge will be the last time you see anything.”
The threat landed exactly as Kane intended, and the men swallowed hard, their faces fearful.
I watched their reactions carefully, feeling a grim satisfaction in knowing they fully grasped the seriousness of Kane’s promise.
It might not have been the brutal resolution I preferred, but it was enough to secure Riley’s safety and freedom from the threat they’d posed.
The urge to handle this permanently still simmered beneath the surface, but I knew my prez had made the right call.
With a final tense exchange of nods, Kane turned abruptly, signaling the rest of us to follow him out. Our business here was done. The low rumble of engines filled the air as we mounted up then rode out of the empty lot.
When we got back to the clubhouse, Kane gave me a chin lift. “Go take care of your woman, Gauge. Tell Riley it’s over, make sure she knows she’s safe now.”
I nodded gratefully, relief flooding through my chest at the thought of Riley finally being free from the burden she’d carried for so long.
I wanted to give her everything she deserved, including the reassurance that this particular nightmare was finished.
I didn’t hesitate any longer, turning quickly to stride out of the clubhouse and head straight back to where I’d left my woman.
All I could think about was getting her in my arms, feeling her warmth, and letting her finally relax into the safety she’d more than earned. Riley was mine, and nothing would ever threaten her again.