Chapter Eleven
Riley
I think I’ve made a terrible mistake coming back. But, at the same time, I don’t regret my decision. If Chuck ever finds out that they helped me, he would rain hell down on their heads. He’d give up looking for something and just lie his ass off to get them thrown in prison.
Frankly, I’m surprised he hasn’t done that already.
“I said, stand the fuck up,” Chuck yells, his voice seething with rage. “What kind of worthless woman are you?”
I flinch but keep my eyes on the floor, biting my lip to stop myself from crying. “I’m sorry, Chuck,” I say, trying to steady my voice, my hands shaking. “I cooked the chicken the way you like it.”
“No, you didn’t,” he snaps, his voice rising. “Now, get your fat ass up and clean up this mess. Casandra’s on her way, and we need to make plans.”
I hesitate, my heart pounding. I can’t do this anymore.
“You’re not taking my son,” I say, my voice trembling but firm. I feel the defiance rise in me, a small spark of courage.
Chuck freezes for a moment before his expression hardens into something darker. “What did you say to me?”
It’s only then I realize how badly I’ve pushed him.
“You heard me,” I say, trying to stay as calm as possible, though my hands are clammy and my stomach twists. “I’m not letting you take him. I know you plan to leave me and raise my son with someone else. I won’t let you do that. He’s MY SON.”
The words feel like a weight lifted from my chest, but I immediately regret speaking them. His face contorts into a look of pure fury, eyes flashing with an intensity I’ve seen before, but never this close to the surface.
“You really think you have a say in this?” His voice is low, deadly calm. “You’re lucky I don’t throw your ass right back out the door. You’re nothing but a fucking burden, Riley.”
I take a step back, but Chuck is faster. He grabs me by the wrist, his grip like iron, yanking me toward him. The force causes my breath to hitch, the pain in my arm flaring up.
“You’re MY property,” he growls, his words dripping with venom. “And you think you can stop me? You think you can stand in my way and have any fucking say in what happens to MY son?”
My pulse races, fear clawing at me, but I refuse to back down. I struggle to hold my ground. “I’m his mother, Chuck,” I spit, my voice shaking with both fear and anger. “I don’t care what you think you own. I won’t let you tear him from me.”
His eyes narrow, and before I can react, he shoves me hard against the kitchen counter. My head slams into the edge, and a sharp, sickening pain shoots through my skull. The world spins for a moment, but I push through, trying to focus.
Chuck looms over me, his chest heaving with rage. “You think you’re going to stop me?” he growls again. “You’re pathetic.”
Before I can react, he slaps me across the face, the impact ringing in my ears. My cheek burns, and my eyes fill with tears, but I bite my lip and refuse to let them fall.
The slap is nothing compared to what I’ve endured over the years, but this time, something feels different. This time, it hurts more.
“You’re nothing without me, Riley,” Chuck sneers, stepping closer, towering over me. “No one will ever want you. You’ll always be my problem to deal with. You’ll always be mine.”
A sob rises in my throat, but I force it back down. I’m done being afraid. I refuse to be scared of him anymore.
“I’ll fight you,” I whisper, my voice broken but steady. “I’ll fight for him.”
Chuck laughs darkly, the sound mocking. “You’re a fool, Riley. You really think you can take me on? Do you think anyone will believe you?”
I open my mouth to respond, but before I can get the words out, he grabs me again, this time by the throat. His fingers dig into my skin, cutting off my breath.
“You’re nothing,” he repeats, his voice cold and final. “I’m done with you.”
The world around me starts to blur, the pressure on my neck making it harder and harder to breathe. My vision fades, and just as everything goes black, the last thing I hear is his voice, filled with anger, ringing in my ears.
“Nothing,” he says before everything goes silent.
***Spike***
“PREZ.”
Skip’s shout cuts through the night like a gunshot, stopping me dead in my tracks.
I turn, my muscles coiled tight, already knowing I’m about to hear something I don’t want to.
Skip comes to a stop a few feet away, his eyes lock onto mine, and I see something I don’t like. Hesitation. Like he’s trying to figure out how to say whatever the fuck he’s about to say without setting me off.
“Just got confirmation on Riley,” he says after a few seconds, his voice clipped. “She’s in the hospital. She was attacked. The report says she was mugged.”
I don’t wait for details.
I’m already moving.
My boots slam against the pavement as I stalk toward my bike, my heart a violent rhythm in my chest. The air around me turns razor-sharp, my vision narrowing to one singular purpose… Getting to Riley.
“We have to go about this rationally,” Skip says, keeping pace beside me, his voice lower now, more controlled. “If we’re gonna get her and Asher away from Chuck, it’s best if he doesn’t catch wind of us being there.”
Rational.
I don’t feel fucking rational.
I feel like putting my fist through the first wall I see. I feel like hunting that bastard down and making him wish he’d never laid a hand on her. But I grit my teeth because Skip’s right. I can’t go in guns blazing, no matter how bad I want to.
I don’t just want Riley back. I need her back. I need them both more than my next breath, and that confuses the fuck out of me.
“I have an idea,” Maverick calls from the clubhouse doorway, arms crossed, eyes unreadable. “But I’m gonna need you to trust me.”
I exhale sharply, clenching my jaw so hard it aches.
I don’t like trusting shit I don’t control.
But right now, I don’t have time to argue.
I nod.
“Lose the cut,” he orders. “Meet me outside the gate in thirty minutes. Bring Bones with you in case shit goes sideways.”
Then, without another word, he swings his leg over his bike, revs the engine, and speeds off towards the gate.
I stand there, fists clenched, staring after him. My mind is a storm, my pulse hammering in my ears.
Riley is in the hospital.
Hurt.
Probably scared.
Where’s Asher?
And if Chuck had anything to do with this, I will burn his fucking world to the ground.
Turning on my heel, I stalk toward the clubhouse, already yanking off my cut.
Time to get my girl back.
Twenty-five minutes later, I’m outside the gate with Bones, both of us in civilian clothes. The night air is thick, heavy, like it knows shit’s about to go sideways. Bones leans against the gate, arms crossed, one boot propped up against the metal. He looks calm and collected, but I know better. His mind is a million miles away.
“What’s up?” I ask, my voice steady, even though my insides are anything but.
Bones doesn’t answer right away. Just exhales slowly through his nose, his gaze locked on something in the distance. Then, without looking at me, he says, “Maybe you should stay here. I’ll collect them both and bring them back.”
My whole body goes tight. “Not fucking happening, Bones.”
“Don’t trust me?” he asks, finally looking my way, one brow arched.
“You know that’s not true,” I glare, my patience already razor-thin. “What the fuck is up with you?”
He shifts, dropping his boot and standing up straight. “Just a bad feeling,” he admits. “My gut keeps telling me to keep you the fuck away from the Commissioner.”
I let out a dry chuckle, shaking my head. “Don’t you ever just ignore it?”
Bones gives me a look, the kind that says I should know better. “You’d be dead a dozen times over if I had.”
He’s right.
Bones isn’t just my enforcer. He’s my shield. The one who steps between me and the bullets I don’t see coming. Which is exactly why Maverick wanted him here. I’ve got a list of enemies a mile long.
And after tonight?
Chuck Landry is gonna be at the top of it.
“I have to go, Bones,” I sigh, running a hand down my face. “I can’t explain it, but there’s something inside me, something clawing at my fucking chest, telling me I need to get to her and that baby. I need them inside the compound walls where they’re safe.”
Bones watches me for a second, his face unreadable, then nods. “I know.” His voice is steady, but there’s something behind it. Something that tells me he gets it, even if I don’t fully understand it myself. “We’ll make it happen.”
A set of headlights cuts through the dark as a gray car pulls up the short driveway and rolls to a stop several feet away. My body tenses instantly, my hand twitching toward the gun at my back.
Seconds later, Maverick steps out of the driver’s side, and my eyes immediately snap to the passenger door as another man, one in uniform, climbs out.
My blood runs cold.
“What the fuck, Maverick?” My voice is low, dangerous.
Maverick just smirks. “Trust me?”
Fuck.
I clench my jaw, then give him a single nod.
“This is my friend, Alex,” Maverick says. “He’s safe. I give you my word he’s trustworthy.”
I don’t like it. I don’t trust cops, and for damn good reason. But I trust Maverick.
The so-called friend, Alex, steps closer. His hands rest casually on his belt, but he doesn’t radiate the usual smugness I associate with most cops. He’s watching me closely, but not like I’m the enemy. More like he’s weighing his words.
“Maverick told me what’s going on,” Alex says. “And I’m not the least bit surprised the Commissioner is involved in this. The guy is shady as fuck, and I’m not the only officer who doesn’t trust him.”
I narrow my eyes, crossing my arms. “So why are you here?”
Maverick answers before Alex can. “Alex pulled some strings and got assigned to Riley’s case.”
“What the fuck for?” My patience is wearing thin.
“She told the doctor she was mugged,” Alex explains. “The hospital is required to report cases like this, so we were called in. If she’s stable, I can pull her from the hospital and take her in for questioning.”
“Not. Fucking. Happening.” The words come out as a growl, my body practically vibrating with anger.
Alex doesn’t even flinch. “Or,” he continues, “I can have her discharged and escorted to a safe location. I’ll bring her to the car where you will be waiting. But no matter what, I still have to ask her a few questions.”
“She’ll just lie,” Bones says, speaking up for the first time. His voice is sharp, edged with something dark. “She won’t say shit about Chuck.”
Alex tilts his head. “You think she’s protecting him?”
Bones scoffs. “No. I think she’s protecting everyone else.” His voice lowers, and the weight of his words sinks into my chest. “That bastard holds a lot of power and can destroy a lot of lives. Riley knows that.”
I clench my fists, my teeth grinding together so hard I swear I taste blood.
Riley went back to hell to protect us. It’s not her job to protect me. It’s my fucking job to protect her. And I’m doing a shit poor job of it.
I’m about to burn the whole fucking city down to bring her home.
“I’m gonna need you in control if we want this plan to work without any complications,” Alex continues. “Any markings to indicate your club need to be taken off or hidden. If, for some reason, you need to enter the hospital, leave your guns in the car. They will be detected if you bring them through the doors.”
I don’t like this. Not one fucking bit.
Walking into a hospital, unarmed, with Chuck’s men probably watching? It’s a recipe for disaster. But if this is the only way to get Riley out of there, I don’t have a choice.
My jaw flexes. “Fine. But the second something feels off, I’m going in, and I don’t give a fuck who sees me.”
Alex, looking down at his phone, nods. “Alright, we need to go. I want to get her out of there before the Commissioner shows up.”
Bones and I jump in the back of the car, and Maverick pulls out of the driveway.
“Her medical report just came through,” Alex says reluctantly.
“What does it say?” I demand.
“Is he stable?” he asks Maverick.
“I’m very close to not being,” I warn. “What the fuck does it say?”
Alex exhales sharply, “It’s bad,” he admits. “Worse than I expected.”
The air in the car shifts, thickening with tension. Every muscle in my body locks up, my fingers flexing like they’re itching for someone’s throat.
“She’s got a concussion,” Alex continues, his voice tight. “Doctors noted dizziness, confusion, and sensitivity to light. There’s also a deep laceration on her scalp. Likely from hitting something sharp. They had to stitch it up.”
I grind my teeth, my jaw aching from the pressure.
“That’s not all,” Alex adds grimly. “Her cheekbone is bruised and swollen. Badly. And in her left eye, there’s a burst blood vessel. The report says it’s consistent with blunt force trauma.”
Maverick mutters a curse under his breath. Bones clenches his fists, his knuckles turning white.
“There’s more,” Alex says reluctantly. “She’s got bruising around her throat. Finger marks.”
The world tilts for a second.
“He choked her,” I say, my voice deadly quiet.
Alex nods. “Doctor noted signs of strangulation. She’s hoarse, likely from pressure on her vocal cords. They also note she’s having trouble swallowing.”
My vision goes red.
That son of a bitch put his hands around her throat.
Tried to squeeze the life out of her.
Tried to silence her.
“She say anything about Chuck?” I manage, my voice dangerously low.
Alex shakes his head. “No. She’s sticking to the mugging story.”
“Of course she is,” I grind out, barely able to contain my rage. “Because she knows if she points the finger at him, he’ll make sure she disappears.”
“It does say that Chuck is the one who brought her in,” he says. “He told the doctor that he found her a few blocks from their home. Dropped her off with the excuse that he had to go out and find the person who did it.”
My hands curl into fists against my thighs.
“She shouldn’t be in that fucking hospital alone,” I snap. “That bastard could walk back in at any second and finish the fucking job.”
“Then let’s make sure that doesn’t happen,” Maverick says, pulling into the hospital parking lot.
“Does it say anything about her son?” Bones asks.
“No mention of a child,” he answers. “But there’s an attached picture.”
Leaning forward, I get my first look at Riley. She’s hardly recognizable. She’s bruised and swollen, and one of her eyes is completely red.
I can’t take it anymore.
I shove open the door before Maverick can even find a spot to park.
No more waiting.
I’m getting Riley out of here, and I dare anyone to try and stop me.
“Weapon,” Alex hisses sharply. “Leave it in the fucking car.”
Without breaking stride, I yank my gun from its holster and toss it back at a waiting Bones.
“Fuck,” Alex mutters under his breath. “Don’t say a damn word, or both of our asses will end up behind bars.”
As we step through the hospital’s sliding doors, I force myself to dial it back. My body is vibrating with the need to move, to get to her, but I know walking in like a raging bull isn’t gonna help.
Alex takes the lead, flashing his badge at the receptionist. “Officer Alex Cooper. This is my associate, Ethan Turner. We’re here to see Riley Hayes.”
How the fuck does he know my real name? I’m gonna have to kill Maverick. What else has he told this fucking cop?
The receptionist nods, barely glancing up. “I’ve been expecting you. She’s in room two-nineteen. Elevators down the hall on the right, second floor.”
“Appreciate it, ma’am,” Alex says smoothly.
I force myself to move at his pace, even though every instinct in me is screaming to shove past him and run.
Less than five minutes later, I’m stepping through her door.
And the second I see her, every bit of control I have left fucking snaps. Her eyes widen as she looks our way, but it only enhances her injuries.
“Don’t lose it now, Spike,” Alex whispers. “She needs you in control.”
Taking a deep breath, I take in every bit of Riley and commit her injuries to memory.
Riley, who has a body full of beautiful curves… who should look soft and strong… looks small. Too fucking small, swallowed by the sterile white sheets and surrounded by beeping machines.
One side of her face is so swollen it distorts her features, her cheekbone a mess of deep purple, sickly yellow already forming around the edges. Her right eye is bloodshot, the whites flooded with red from the burst vessel. The sight of it makes something deep in my chest crack open.
And then I see the bruises.
Dark, angry fingerprints wrapped around her throat like a fucking noose.
I’ve seen bruises like that before. I know what it takes to leave a mark that deep. I know how long, how fucking hard, someone has to squeeze for them to form. That son of a bitch tried to choke the life out of her.
A bandage wraps around her head, strands of her auburn hair peeking out from the edges. I don’t know how bad that injury is, but she must’ve hit something hard. Hard enough to cause a concussion.
Her lips part slightly like she wants to say something, but when she tries, nothing comes out. Just a raw, strained sound.
Her throat is too fucked up to speak.
Fuck.
My fists clench so tight my knuckles crack.
“Spike.”
Alex’s voice barely registers. I can’t look away from her. I did this.
No, I didn’t throw the punches. But I let her go back to him.
I was so fucking cruel, so brutal with my words, that I sent her running straight into the arms of a monster.
And now? She’s lying in a hospital bed, looking too fucking small, too fucking broken.
I step forward slowly, swallowing back the rage that’s threatening to tear me apart. I don’t want her to flinch. I don’t want her to be afraid of me.
Carefully, I reach for her hand.
She fucking flinches.
It’s barely noticeable, just a slight twitch of her fingers, but I see it. I feel it.
And I, it fucking wrecks me.
I pull back immediately, my stomach twisting in ways I don’t fucking understand. She doesn’t trust that I won’t hurt her.
And maybe she’s right.
Because right now, I want to hurt someone. I want to find Chuck Landry and end him. I want to make him feel every ounce of pain he’s inflicted on her a hundred times over.
But first, I need to get her out of here.
Because if I don’t do it now, I might never get the chance.
“Baby,” I say around the knot in my throat. “I’m so fucking sorry. Please, let me take you back home.”
Tears fall down her eyes, but she doesn’t make a noise.
“Please, baby girl,” I beg. “Please, let me hide you away.”
“Asher,” she whispers.
“I swear on my life that I will get him back,” I tell her fiercely. “I won’t stop until he’s home with us.”
“Do you think he’s in danger with his father?” Alex asks.
Riley shrinks into the bed at seeing the man.
“I hate that fucking man with everything I am,” he says quietly. “I only hope that we can link those prints on your precious throat to the Commissioner so we can finally get his ass off his high horse and tossed in a prison cell for the rest of his life.”
Her eyes widen in panic.
“Mug,” she says.
“Don’t Riley,” I growl. “We know you weren’t fucking mugged. Let’s talk about this later. Come with me and trust me to get your boy back?”
I hold out my hand and hold my breath. If she says no, I don’t trust myself to walk away. I won’t. I’ll carry her ass out of this building kicking and screaming if I have to.
After a few moments, she places her hand in mine.
Sighing in relief, I lean forward and gently kiss her forehead.
“Thank you, baby,” I whisper. “I only hope you can forgive me for saying the shit I did. I won’t give you any excuses. Just know that I’ll never do it again.”
“I’ll go and get a chair and have her paperwork expedited,” Alex says.
I tighten my grip on Riley’s hand, careful not to squeeze too hard. She looks so fucking breakable right now, and I hate it. I hate that I let this happen. That I was the reason she walked back into hell.
Her fingers tremble in mine, but she doesn’t pull away. That’s something.
Alex steps out of the room, leaving us alone, and I take the opportunity to crouch beside her bed, leveling our eyes.
“Riley,” I say softly, but my voice still comes out rough as hell. Raw. “We’re leaving as soon as your paperwork’s done, but I need you to tell me the truth about Asher. Where is he?”
Her breath shudders, and her lips part slightly like she wants to answer, but then she just closes her eyes.
No.
I can’t fucking take that.
“Baby girl,” I beg, my voice dropping lower. “Please. I need to know.”
She swallows hard, her throat working against the bruises, and when she finally opens her eyes, there’s something in them that guts me.
Despair.
Fear.
Hopelessness.
“Cassandra,” she whispers, her voice nearly gone.
Cassandra?
“Who is Cassandra?” I ask, hating that I need her to talk just a little bit more.
More tears, and as much as I want to kiss them away, I’m terrified of hurting her.
“New mommy,” she whispers.
What the fuck?
“Is she the woman you heard Chuck talking to that night?” I ask, remembering her mentioning it.
She nods.
His new mommy.
The words slice through me like a fucking blade.
Riley drops her head, her shoulders trembling, and it takes every ounce of control I have not to put my fist through the nearest wall. Or Chuck’s goddamn face.
That motherfucker didn’t just take her son. He replaced her. He ripped her baby out of her arms and handed him off like she never even fucking mattered.
I suck in a sharp breath, forcing myself to stay calm. She doesn’t need my rage right now. She doesn’t need to see me lose my shit when she’s already barely holding on.
But fuck.
I crouch lower, trying to catch her eyes, but she won’t look at me.
“Riley,” I say, softer now. Controlled. “Look at me, baby.”
She doesn’t.
“Look at me,” I repeat, and after a long, agonizing time, she finally lifts her head.
Her eyes are red and swollen, her lashes clumped together from unshed tears, her bottom lip trembling. And her face, her beautiful fucking face, is drawn down in agony.
I grit my teeth so hard my jaw aches.
“He’s still your son,” I tell her, my voice steady, firm. Unshakable. “And I’m gonna get him back.”
She just stares at me, so fucking broken that it nearly levels me.
“You don’t understand,” she whispers. “Chuck has full custody now.”
My blood runs ice cold.
Full custody?
“What?” The word is a growl, low and deadly.
She nods weakly, blinking away more tears. “He made me sign something before he left. I… I didn’t even know what I was signing.”
A slow, insidious rage creeps into my veins. That conniving son of a bitch.
He beat her senseless. Left her hospitalized. And while she was half out of it, he stole her fucking child.
I tighten my grip on her hand, my knuckles white.
“He doesn’t own him, Riley,” I swear. “I don’t give a fuck what piece of paper he made you sign. That baby is yours.”
Ours, I want to say. But I haven’t earned that right. But I fucking will. And I’ll work my ass off to earn Riley’s heart, too. Because this woman already owns mine. She did the moment I saw her. I was just too fucking stubborn and set in my ways to see that.
She shakes her head, flinching as she tries to swallow. “You don’t get it. Chuck is the law in this city.”
“Not for long,” I promise.
Because now?
Now, it’s fucking war.
***
We pull up to the gate, and I jump out to help Riley out of the car. “Careful, baby,” I warn, steadying her as she almost stumbles, standing up too fast.
Before I say another word, Alex steps forward, looking serious. “I hate to do this, but I really need to ask her some questions. Can I come in for a few?”
I shoot him a hard look. “No offense, brother, but I’m not letting a fucking cop inside my compound,” I say flatly. “Ask her your questions here, and when she’s feeling better, I’ll bring her in if you got more.”
Alex sighs. “Fine. But I’m about to turn my body camera on before I ask any questions. If you don’t want to be recorded, then you need to step away from her.
I wrap my arm around Riley, placing my hand on her hip. I’m going fucking nowhere.
Nodding, Alex turns on his body camera.
“I’ll come back in a few days to get a more thorough statement, Ms. Hayes,” he says, his tone measured but firm. “But, for now, I have to ask at least one question. Did Chuck do this to you?”
I can see it before she even tries to lie, the denial in her eyes. I lean down slightly, my voice low and dangerous. “Don’t fucking lie for him, Riley.”
I watch, seething, as Riley’s eyes flicker with a mix of fear and defiance. For a long, agonizing moment, she doesn’t answer. Then, her voice, barely above a whisper, trembles out.
“Yeah… Chuck did it. He… he hit me.”
Even though I already knew the answer, the admittance still hit me like a punch to the gut. I feel every ounce of anger surge through me, every heartbeat a promise of retribution. I clench my fists so hard that I can barely breathe.
“Fuck,” I growl, my voice raw with rage and regret.
“To clarify,” Alex says, pointing at the body camera. “Police Commissioner Charles Landry is the one who attacked you?”
“Yes,” she answers.
“Alright, Ms. Hayes,” Alex says, handing her a card. “Call me if you need anything. Before I go, would you like to place a restraining order against Charles Landry?”
“Yes,” she whispers.
Nodding, Alex reaches up and turns off his camera.
The air feels thick and suffocating. Riley’s holding onto that damn hospital paperwork like it’s the only thing keeping her upright. Her whole body trembles and I can see the devastation in her eyes. It fucking kills me.
“What about my son?” She whispers, her voice nearly gone. “He made me sign that paper. Will I ever get to see him again?”
“According to the hospital records, you never came in and gave birth,” Alex tells her. “As of right now, Asher doesn’t exist.”
As her knees give out, I shuffle behind her and wrap my arms around her waist, holding her up.
“Riley.” My voice comes out rough, low with a warning. “Baby, I’m gonna get your son back. No matter who I have to kill to do it.”
Alex sighs. “Spike, you can’t say shit like that in front of a cop.”
I turn and glare at him, daring him to push it. “Don’t pretend you don’t agree.”
He presses his lips together, looking torn for half a second before shaking his head. “Look, I get it. I do. But if you want to take Chuck down, you need to be smart about it. No reckless moves.”
“I don’t give a fuck about smart,” I snap. “That bastard took her kid. I’ll handle this the way I see fit.”
The tension crackles like a live wire, and before I can get into it with Alex, Bones steps up, looking more on edge than I’ve seen him in a long time. His voice is firm, leaving no room for argument.
“Conversation’s over,” he says. “We need to get inside the compound. Now.”
I don’t like being told what to do, but I know he’s right. This isn’t the time or place. Chuck’s men could be watching. The longer we stand out here, the worse it gets.
“Thanks for your help today,” I say. “I owe you one.”
“You owe me nothing, Spike. Just keep her safe. Once I release this footage to my boss, Chuck’s name is going to go on blast. She needs to be hidden.”
“She will be,” Bones says.
“Come on, baby,” I murmur, leading her toward the gate.
I feel her fingers tighten around my shirt like she needs something solid to hold onto. I don’t say anything else. There’s nothing left to say.
As we step through the gate, I throw one last glance at Alex. He’s watching us go, jaw tight, arms crossed, but I know he’s not our enemy. He wants Chuck to burn just as badly as I do.
Fine.
But I’ll be the one to light the fucking match.