Chapter Six
Spike
“The shipment made it through border patrol and is on its way to the warehouse,” Maverick reports. It’s six in the morning, and I didn’t get any sleep last night. Deciding not to go home in case Riley needed me, I pretty much sat at my desk all night and watched her.
“Thanks, brother,” I reply, taking a long gulp of my coffee.
Maverick’s not technically a member of the Iron Shadows. He’s what they call an Outlaw. He plays by his own rules and answers to no one. But he likes us well enough to stick around every once in a while. I’ve asked him more times than I can count to patch in, but every time, he turns me down.
“Not the type to be tied down,” he always says.
Fine by me. Patch or no patch, he’s still one of us whether the stubborn bastard admits it or not.
“What’s up with the little lass in your office?” Maverick asks, his voice cutting through my thoughts.
I glance around the room, a sigh slipping out before I answer. The Iron Shadows run four chapters in Palm Springs. The main compound, where most of the club and the officers are based, and where we’re currently at. Then we’ve got three satellite chapters scattered across our territory. Each one answers to me and follows my officers’ orders, but still, they each keep their own corner of things. In all, there are roughly a hundred members. Give or take a few.
Currently, I’m here with all of my officers and Maverick.
Tank, our Vice President.
Crusher, Sergent-at-arms.
Skip, Treasurer, and the craziest fucker you’ll ever meet.
Knuckles, our Road Captain.
Bones, Enforcer. One scary-ass bastard right there.
Max, Prospect Leader.
And our very own outlaw, Maverick.
Maverick’s question has the entire room at attention. I stare at him for a moment, trying to gauge his tone. The guy has always been the kind to go off on his own, never sticking around too long in one place, and yet he’s standing here, asking about her like he’s actually concerned.
“The little lass in my office?” I repeat, lifting an eyebrow. My voice is rougher than I mean it to be. “She’s not your concern, Maverick.”
He doesn’t back down, though. The Outlaw never does. His gaze stays steady, and he leans back in his chair with that lazy half-smirk he’s perfected over the years. “I wasn’t asking to get in your business, Spike. Just curious why you’re keeping her under lock and key in your office. She seems a little... lost.”
I can feel my jaw tighten, my grip on the coffee cup tightening with it. I remind myself that I trust the Outlaw with my life. “She’s fine. She needed a place to rest, and she’s got a kid with her. That’s all you need to know for now. When she’s awake, we’ll sit her down and see what she’s running from.”
I take a deep drink of my coffee, hoping the silence will push him to drop the damn subject. But of course, Maverick’s the type who doesn’t let things go, especially when they pique his interest.
He leans in, elbows on the table, his voice low but sharp. “Something’s off, Spike. I can see it. You’re not the type to just take in some random woman, no matter what the story is. What’s really going on with her?”
Fuck, I can’t explain it. I don’t even understand it myself. But something about her... it triggers something deep inside me, something primal, protective. I don’t like the feeling, but I can’t push it away either. And to hell if I’m gonna let Maverick know how much I’m already tangled up in this shit.
“She just needed a place to fucking sleep, Maverick. Would you have me turn her away, knowing a newborn is attached to her chest? Now, if you don’t mind, I’d like to drop the subject.”
Maverick doesn’t say anything more, but I can tell by the look in his eyes that he isn’t convinced. He’s too damn sharp for his own good, and he knows when there’s more to a story. But I’m not about to let him dig into it.
I stand up and walk over to the window, letting my gaze drift over the compound. There are fifteen houses built inside the compound walls, with the clubhouse being the center. My plan years ago was for members to live here with their families so we can keep them safe. But most of the men with families decided to live outside of the compound. Seven of the houses are being used by myself and my officers. Who knows where the hell Maverick lives. The other houses will be available to members as they earn them.
“What’s next on the agenda?” I ask, trying to shift the focus. The club’s operations don’t stop, even with all the chaos swirling around Riley and her kid.
“The shipment’s through,” Maverick says, his tone finally shifting back to business. “Should be in the warehouse by noon. We’ll need to move it fast, but we’ve got backup from the other chapters.”
I nod, satisfied with the report. “Good. Let’s keep this clean. No mistakes. Have the eastern chapter grab the payload and get them secure. Crusher, you take point. I want those weapons sanded, polished, and ready for shipment by next week. We’ve got two hundred grand waiting on us after they’re delivered.”
“Got it,” he says.
“Next.”
“As of two hours ago, the gang has packed up and left,” Tank says. “The south chapter had to force the issue, but it wasn’t a big deal.”
“Good,” I sigh. “I’ll have to meet with Runner. He never should have let them make camp to begin with.”
As the conversation shifts to something else, I can’t shake the image of Riley’s tired face from last night. She wasn’t wrong when she said the baby would be up every few hours. It was like clockwork. Luckily, she was awake enough that she didn’t need my help.
I wasn’t disappointed by that. Not even a little bit.
Fucking liar.
“Your cousin left Palm Springs,” Tank says, pulling my focus back. “But I wouldn’t be surprised if he tries to sell under our nose. Might want to warn the other chapters to be on the lookout.”
I let out a long sigh, pulling out my phone to send a quick message to a few of the guys.
If anyone catches Billy or one of his idiot friends selling shit in my territory, I want to know about it immediately.
I pocket my phone without waiting for a response from each chapter.
“I could just kill him, Prez,” Skip offers, grinning like he’s hopeful. “Might even take away that tic in your eye every time his name comes up.”
“Ask me again in a week,” I respond, deadpan. Billy’s pushing his luck, and if he keeps it up, I won’t hesitate to let Skip handle it for me.
Before the conversation can go any further, I hear a soft voice. “Uhm, hi?”
We all turn to see Riley standing just outside the war room door, looking a little out of place.
And still fucking beautiful. She has curves that make my mouth water, not just soft little curves, but enough to make me want to pull her close and feel her against me. I bet she’s soft all over. Those thick thighs would shake as I pound into her.
Fucking delicious.
Her auburn hair is pulled up into a messy bun on top of her head, and her green eyes, wide with apprehension, make me want to hunt down whoever made her look so fearful.
“You look better,” I say, my voice softening. “How do you feel?”
“Much better,” she replies, offering me a small smile. “I just wanted to say thank you before I left.”
Left? Not happening.
“Why don’t you take a seat,” I say. “Tell us what has you so scared.”
“Oh, uhm. It’s nothing,” she smiles. “I just needed sleep.”
“So, you mean to tell me that you feel perfectly safe leaving the security of my compound with your newborn son? And I’ll warn you now. I won’t tolerate a fucking liar.”
Harsh? Yeah. But I’d rather her stay here out of fear, knowing she won’t get hurt, than let her leave and walk straight back into whatever chased her here to begin with.
She gasps, taking a step back.
That’s right, little girl, see who the real monsters are.
“No one is gonna hurt you, Riley,” I sigh, running my hands through my hair. “Listen, I have to take care of some club business, so please, just sit down and talk to us. Let us see if we can help you.”
“I promise not to bite,” Skip smiles. “Too hard.”
“Skip,” I warn.
“Fine,” he sighs dramatically. “Alright, tiny female, tell us who hurt you.”
“I’m anything but tiny,” she says.
And isn’t that fact fucking delicious.
“You okay Prez?” Skip grins. “You need a cold shower? I know I do.”
“Fuck off,” I tell the asshole. “Get up and let her have your seat.”
“Here you go, tiny female,” he stands and gestures…you guessed it…dramatically. “It’s already warm for you.”
“Thank you, strange man,” she says, her voice light but cautious as she carefully settles into the chair. Her little bundle is snug once again in the carrier, cocooned as if the outside world doesn’t exist.
“Jealous, Prez?” Skip grins, throwing a playful glance my way. “She called me strange.”
I watch as she relaxes slightly, a little tension easing from her shoulders. Skip has a way of disarming people, whether he means to or not. I guess I’ll let him live… for now.
“You ready to talk, baby?” The words are out before I can stop them. Shit. I meant, babe . Not that it’s much better.
“Not really,” she admits softly, hesitating as her fingers graze the edge of the chair. “But I guess I might as well give it a try. I’m warning you now, though, you don’t want to get mixed up in my problems. I just needed somewhere safe to catch my breath, that’s all.”
“Why don’t you tell us what’s going on and let us decide if we want to get mixed up or not,” I say, my tone sharper than I intended. She’s putting me on edge without even trying, and it’s pissing me off.
Her gaze flickers toward mine, and after a moment, she sinks a little deeper into the chair. “I guess that’s fair,” she murmurs. “Alright… a little over nine months ago, I found out I was pregnant. My husband and I were so happy. Or at least, I thought we were.”
“Husband?” I ask, my eyes catching on her hand. No ring.
“Well, he’s not really my husband,” she confesses, her voice low. “That’s just what he tells everyone. Anyway, Chuck wasn’t always… gentle. Especially after a bad shift at work. When things didn’t go well, he came home looking for an outlet for his anger.”
“Did he hit you?” Skip asks, his usual humor gone, his voice steady but cold.
Riley looks up at him and nods, her expression haunted.
Motherfucker.
“After I found out I was pregnant, I did everything I could to keep him calm,” she continues, her voice trembling slightly. “A friend of mine works with him and would call me on his rough days to warn me. Those days, I tried harder. I didn’t want to risk him hitting my stomach.”
The room feels like it’s holding its breath, every man in it silently seething. I clench my fists, imagining the piece of shit’s face under them.
“A few months ago, I found out he was cheating on me,” she continues, her voice quieter now. “Not that I cared. But one night, I overheard him on the phone, saying that once my baby was born, he and whoever he was talking to would raise him together. He was planning to take my son away from me.”
“It’s not easy to take a child from their mother,” Max says, trying to sound reassuring.
“Maybe not for most people,” Riley replies, her arms tightening protectively around her baby as she gently rocks him. The motion seems to soothe her more than the sleeping child. “But it wouldn’t have been hard for him. I have no family, no home, no money. No real way to take care of Asher. They wouldn’t let a homeless mother keep custody over a father with a stable career and a house.”
No one argues because we all know she’s fucking right.
“No family at all?” Maverick asks.
She smiles sadly, shaking her head. “None. I was an only child, and my parents had me late in life. They passed away years ago. If they had any relatives, they never told me about them.”
“What happened next?” I ask, my voice steady, though my blood’s boiling.
She takes a deep breath. “About a week ago, Chuck came home in a rage. Something about a case he was working on falling through. I asked him if he’d like me to bring his dinner to him, thinking it might help him calm down. But apparently, he didn’t like that I spoke.” Her voice cracks slightly, but she keeps going.
“He came at me and grabbed me by the hair. I tried not to scream, but it didn’t matter. He threw me to the ground and kicked me really hard. Right in the stomach.” Her hand moves instinctively to her midsection as she talks, her lips trembling. “I was just a week away from my due date.”
She pauses, swallowing hard. “The doctors were worried at first, but Chuck told them I fell while mopping the floors. They believed him. I ended up having an emergency C-section. Asher’s alright, thank God, but he’s so small.”
Her voice trails off as she looks down at the baby in her arms.
“Two days ago, Asher was born,” she continues, her voice barely above a whisper. Her eyes never leave him. “But I was alone in the hospital. As I nursed my baby for the first time, I realized I couldn’t stay. I had to leave.” Her voice trembles, but she pushes through. “So, I checked myself out, ran home to grab a few things, and I haven’t been back since.”
“What about going to the police?” Bones asks, his tone cautious but firm. “Surely they know of a battered women’s shelter that can help hide you.”
A single tear slips down her cheek, landing on the edge of the carrier. She brushes at it quickly, her hand trembling.
“I can’t,” she says, her voice breaking. “Chuck is the Police Commissioner of Palm Springs.”
No. Fucking. Way.
That bastard hates me.
“And Chuck,” she adds bitterly, a hollow laugh escaping her lips, “happens to despise all of you. He’s been trying to get your entire club disbanded for years.”
She’s not wrong.
Crusher steps forward, his expression hard as steel. “Did you come here to gather intel?” His voice is deadly, the accusation cutting.
“What?” she shouts, her wide eyes snapping to him before darting back to me. “No, I swear. I’m not a spy. Please, believe me.”
I hold up a hand to stop Crusher, my eyes locked on Riley’s. Her fear is palpable, but there’s something else. Determination. She’s terrified, but she hasn’t broken.
“Crusher,” I say, my voice low but firm. “Stand down.”
He hesitates, then backs off, muttering something under his breath. Riley’s shoulders relax a fraction, but her grip on the baby carrier tightens.
I take a few steps forward and look down at her. “Riley, you’ve got to understand where we’re coming from. Chuck’s been gunning for us for years. You showing up here? It’s a huge risk for us. Not one we can take. But I’m not about to throw you out without hearing the whole story.”
She nods slowly, her lips pressed together as if to keep her emotions from spilling out.
“I know it looks bad,” she says. “Coming here. But I didn’t have anywhere else to go. I thought... I thought if anyone could hide me away for just a few short hours, it would be you.” Her voice cracks on the last word, and she looks down, blinking rapidly.
I exchange a glance with Tank, who shrugs like he’s just waiting for my call.
“Why us?” I press. “Out of everyone you could’ve gone to, why a club of dangerous men?”
Her lips quirk into the faintest of smiles. “Because Chuck is scared of you. He talks about you like you’re the monsters of Palm Springs and not him. But I don’t see monsters.” Her eyes flicker up to meet mine, and for a moment, I can’t look away. “I see people who might actually fight for what’s right regardless of the illegal stuff you do. And I was so exhausted. I just needed a place to rest where people weren’t afraid of him. A place he would never expect me to hide.”
The room falls silent, her words hanging heavy in the air.
Tank clears his throat, breaking the tension. “What do you need from us, Riley?”
She hesitates, her fingers trembling as she brushes a strand of hair behind her ear. Her gaze flicks to the baby in her arms before returning to Tank. “You already gave it to me,” she says softly, a small, tired smile tugging at her lips. “I honestly just needed some sleep. Now, I really should get going.”
Her words catch us off guard, and the room goes still.
“I don’t want to bring trouble to your doorstep,” she continues, her voice steady but laced with resignation. “If Chuck finds out I’m here, he’ll use every bit of power at his disposal to get me out of here and have you all thrown in prison. He’d probably spin some lie about the scary biker club kidnapping his wife and baby. And the worst part? People would believe him.”
“Not if we’ve got the truth on our side,” Bones says, his tone sharp.
Riley shakes her head, a sad laugh escaping her lips. “You don’t know Chuck like I do. He doesn’t lose. He’ll twist the truth until it looks like something else entirely. He’s good at it. Too good.”
“Maybe so,” I cut in, my voice low and deliberate, “but we’re good at what we do, too. And we don’t back down from a fight.”
Her eyes widen slightly, searching mine as if looking for any sign of hesitation. Finding none, she exhales shakily.
“But this isn’t your fight.”
“Riley,” Maverick says from across the room, his voice softer than usual. “You came here for a reason. If you didn’t think we could handle this, you wouldn’t have walked through our gate, right?”
She bites her lip, glancing down at Asher. “I guess I just didn’t think anyone would actually want to help. I didn’t think anyone could.”
“Listen,” I say, kneeling in front of her, “Chuck’s a problem. We get that. But problems have solutions. And if he’s stupid enough to come for you here, he’ll find out real quick why we’re feared.”
A flicker of hope crosses her face, but it’s quickly replaced by doubt. “I don’t want anyone getting hurt because of me.”
“That’s not your call to make,” I say firmly. “You’re here now, and we don’t let anyone mess with what’s ours.”
Her head snaps up, her eyes locking on mine. “What’s yours?”
I nod. “You, Riley. You and Asher are under our protection now. Chuck wants to come knocking? Let him. We’ll be ready.”
For the second time since she sat down, a tear slips down her cheek, but this time, it’s not fear I see in her eyes. It’s relief.
Police Commissioner Chuck.
Double fuck.
“Meet me back here in ten,” I tell the men.
While I may be the president of this club, I respect the opinions of the men in this room. This might not be a decision I make on my own.
“I’m gonna show you to the guest room, Riley,” I say, standing and holding out my hand. “You can rest in there for a bit. Kitchens fully stocked. Eat whatever and whenever you want. Feel free to move about the building. Just know that my men will be in and out throughout the day.”
“That room even has a TV,” Skip says, his body relaxed despite the fire in his eyes.
“Oh, I forgot to tell you about the sp…”
“Tell us later, babe,” I say. “You need more rest, and my men and I need to talk.”
“But it’s...”
“Later,” I say gently.
Taking my hand with a sigh, I help Riley up and lead her to her room.
I nearly buckle as the added weight of fucking Police Commissioner Chuck lands on my shoulders.
***
“This is a bad fucking idea, Prez,” Knuckles says as I step into the room. His face is a storm cloud, his arms crossed tightly over his chest. “The last thing we need is the police sniffing around.”
I think about the newly arrived shipment of guns and ammo stashed in the warehouse and the drugs that my guys will be running across Palm Springs in the coming days. He’s not wrong. Hell, I can’t help but agree.
“I know.”
“The fucking police commissioner,” Crusher growls, pacing the length of the room like a caged lion.
“I know,” I sigh, the weight of it pressing down on me.
“He’s been riding our asses for years,” Skip chimes in, his tone sharp.
“I know,” I say again, the words clipped.
“This could very well be the downfall of the Iron Shadows,” Maverick throws in, ever the voice of cheerful pessimism.
“I know,” I reply, nodding.
“Not just the club,” Max adds. “The tattoo shop, the gym, the fucking bike garage. Everything we’ve built.”
“I fucking know,” I say through gritted teeth, dragging a hand down my face.
“We have to help her,” Bones says quietly, cutting through the tension like a blade.
The room falls silent.
“I know,” several of us admit in unison, the words heavy with inevitability.
This isn’t just about Riley anymore. It’s about who we are. Who we’ve always been. The kind of men who step into the fire, even when it burns. Especially when it burns.
“The best thing we can do right now is to keep her hidden,” I tell the room, my voice firm, brooking no argument. “As long as she stays within the walls of this compound, it shouldn’t be an issue.”
“Maybe,” Tank says, his arms crossed, his tone skeptical. “But we can’t hide her forever.”
“No,” I agree, nodding. “But we can hide her long enough to dig up dirt on Chuck. There’s no way he’s as clean as he wants people to believe.”
“I’ll look into it,” Maverick volunteers, leaning back in his chair, a calculating look in his eyes.
“Good,” I say, my tone hardening. “Bribe who you have to, extort all you want, but don’t get caught. And keep Riley’s name out of it.”
Maverick gives me a dry look, his lips quirking into a faint smirk. “Not stupid, Spike,” he says with a sigh. “I’ll get back to you when I can.”
With that, he stands, his chair scraping against the floor, and strides out of the room, already plotting his next move.
I turn my gaze back to the others. “The rest of you, continue business as usual. No slip-ups, no mistakes. We can’t afford any missteps right now.”
The room hums with tension as my brothers nod, their jaws set and their expressions grim. They know what’s at stake. And they know, just as I do, that this is the calm before the storm.
She didn’t mean to, but Riley just put everything I worked years to build on the line.
The Iron Shadows are about to go to war with the Palm Springs Police force.
Fuck.