Chapter Nine
Rebel
The phone ringing jolted me awake. I reached for it, my heart pounding. The caller ID showed Atilla’s name, and I knew better than to ignore a call from the President of the Savage Raptors MC.
“Rebel,” Atilla’s gruff voice came through the line, “get your ass to my office. Now.”
“Sure thing, Pres,” I replied, my pulse quickening at the urgency in Atilla’s tone. I hung up, glancing over at Isy, who was still sound asleep. Her long hair cascaded over the pillow, and her body lay tangled in the sheets, tempting me with every curve.
“Shit,” I muttered under my breath. I didn’t want to leave her alone, not with that sick fuck still out there stalking her. But Atilla’s summons couldn’t be ignored. Grabbing a pen and paper from the nightstand, I scrawled a note: I had to go see Atilla about club business. I’ll be back as soon as I can. Stay here and stay safe.
I hesitated, my hand hovering over the paper, before adding I love you.
Leaving the note on the pillow next to her, I stood up and pulled on my jeans, buckling my belt, then pulling on my boots. My mind raced with possibilities -- what could be so urgent that Atilla needed me right now? Was it about Isy? Had they found out something new about her stalker?
“Focus, man,” I told myself as I grabbed my cut from the chair where I’d tossed it the night before. I shrugged into the familiar weight of the leather, knowing my brothers would have my back no matter what was going on.
“Isy,” I whispered, leaning down to brush a soft kiss against her forehead. “I’ll be back for you, baby. Sweet dreams.”
With one last look at the woman who had stolen my heart, I left the room, striding through the house and out to my bike. Then I headed to the clubhouse with determination. Whatever Atilla wanted, I’d face it head-on. No one would hurt Isy -- not while I still drew breath. I hoped like hell Atilla had found the fucker who was after my woman.
I strode through the front door and toward Atilla’s office. He must have heard me coming his way because he called out my name.
“Get your ass in here!” he said.
I didn’t hesitate, entering Atilla’s private sanctum. The air inside was thick with tension, and I could practically feel the weight of the situation hanging over us like a storm cloud.
“Close the door,” Atilla ordered, not even bothering to look up from the papers spread out across his desk.
I did as he asked, my gut twisting into tight knots as I tried to read the expression on his face. “All right, Atilla,” I said, trying to keep my voice steady. “What’s going on?”
He finally looked up, his gaze meeting mine, and I saw the concern etched into every line on his face. “We’ve got a problem, Rebel. And it involves Isy.”
“Fuck.” I clenched my fists at my sides. “What happened? Did they find her stalker?”
“We’re working on it. Sit down,” Atilla said grimly. “We need to talk strategy.”
My heart raced as I sank into the chair opposite him, my mind a whirlwind of one concern after another. No one was going to touch Isy -- not on my watch. The Savage Raptors were my family, and now, so was she. Whatever it took, I’d make damn sure she was protected.
“Tell me everything,” I demanded, my voice low and dangerous. “And then tell me how we’re going to handle this son of a bitch.” I knew the Pres might knock me on my ass for my tone, but I wasn’t going to hold back right now. Not when it came to Isy.
The dim light from the desk lamp cast deep shadows across Atilla’s face, making him look even more imposing than usual. My hands clenched into fists, my nails digging into my palms as I waited for him to break the silence that hung heavy between us.
“Rebel,” Atilla said gruffly, his voice raw and gravelly. “I reached out to Savior -- the President of the Dixie Reapers MC. He needed to know about Isy’s situation.”
“Shit,” I muttered under my breath, knowing that if things had escalated to the point where we were involving other clubs, it couldn’t be good. But I also knew that we could use all the help we could get. But why did it have to be that club? “What did he say?”
Atilla leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping a restless rhythm on the worn leather armrests. “Savior’s sending reinforcements. Royal, Viking, and Warden will be here soon to help us with this stalker bullshit.”
“Good.” I felt a surge of relief mixed with apprehension. The reinforcements would be invaluable, but I couldn’t shake the nagging thought in the back of my mind that bringing in the Dixie Reapers might lead to unforeseen complications. Still, if it meant keeping Isy safe, I’d take that risk. Even if it meant her father showed up on our doorstep and wanted to kick my ass.
“Rebel,” Atilla said, his tone serious and unyielding. “It’s important that you understand something. We’re doing everything we can to protect Isy, but this situation is unpredictable. It’s going to get messy, and it’s going to get violent. Are you prepared for that?”
“Fuck yes, I am,” I replied without hesitation. “No one touches her. Not while I’m still breathing.”
“Good man.” Atilla nodded, a hint of pride flickering in his eyes. “Now let’s get to work. We need a solid plan, and we need it fast.”
“Right,” I agreed, my mind already racing with possible strategies and contingencies. As the conversation continued, the room seemed to grow colder, the shadows deeper, and the tension between us even more palpable. And as I listened to Atilla lay out our options, one thing became crystal clear: things were about to get a lot more complicated -- and dangerous. While we still didn’t know the motivation behind the stalker, at least we were learning more about him, even though it still wasn’t enough.
Outside the office, the clubhouse started to get noisy. Music started pumping through the speakers. It was Ace’s birthday, and it sounded like the celebration was already starting. I sat across from Atilla, hoping there was a way to keep my woman safe.
“Rebel, you sure about this?” Atilla asked, his eyes locking onto mine, searching for any sign of doubt.
“Fuck yeah, I am,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. “But Bull… Isy’s dad… What if he decides to get involved? He won’t take kindly to us handling his daughter’s shit. For that matter, he’s probably going to kick my ass for touching his precious girl.”
“Let him come.” Atilla leaned back in his chair. “You’ll have to face him sooner or later.”
I ran a hand through my hair. If Bull showed up, it’d be one hell of a confrontation, but keeping Isy in the dark about her father’s possible arrival would only cause her more pain if he did show. Logically, I knew I couldn’t wrap her in cotton and keep her safe from the entire world. “Should I tell Isy?” I asked. This might involve her, but it was also club business. Which meant I needed the President’s approval to say anything to Isy about this situation.
Atilla looked at me for a long moment before answering, his expression unreadable. “That’s your call, brother. Just remember, our priority is keeping her safe. Don’t let your feelings cloud your judgment. Having said that, I don’t think keeping our women in the dark is always the best way to protect them. Whether it’s from a kidnapper or their parents… if it were my woman, I’d want her to know.”
“I’m not going to treat her like she’s a porcelain doll. But I also didn’t want to say something if you thought I shouldn’t. I may be loyal to my woman, but I’m also loyal to you and this club.”
“I didn’t mean it like that. But you’re closest to her -- you need to decide what’s best for her.”
“All right,” I muttered. “I’ll think about it.”
“Good,” Atilla said, nodding in approval. “Now let’s focus on what we can do to protect her and deal with this stalker son of a bitch. If I get any new information from Wire or Savior, I’ll let you know.”
As I left his office, a curvy body plastered against me. I pried Raven off me, glowering at her. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”
“I can’t say hi? You’ve never complained when I hugged you before.”
“Raven, that wasn’t a hug. It was like a damn octopus had stuck itself to me. And for the record, I’m taken now. Don’t fucking touch me.” I pushed past her and stormed out of the clubhouse. My thoughts were a tangled mess. The decision to tell Isy about her father weighed heavily on me. I knew she worried about him showing up, but I didn’t want her blindsided at the same time. And now I had to worry about Raven trying to start shit.
I’d calmed down a little by the time I got home. The house seemed quiet, and I wondered if Isy was still sleeping. I went to the bedroom and found Isy curled on her side, her hand resting on my pillow. She looked so vulnerable, yet so Goddamn beautiful that it made my heart ache.
“Rebel,” she murmured in her sleep, stirring ever so slightly. “Don’t go…”
“Shh, baby,” I whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. “I’m not going anywhere.”
I stood and backed away from the bed, running a hand through my hair. I glanced back at her one last time before slipping out of the room and headed for the kitchen. After my talk with Atilla, I needed a cold beer. Maybe two.
I had a bad feeling in my gut about this situation, and I prayed to God I wasn’t making a huge fucking mistake. Should I have just come clean with Bull from the very beginning? The moment I’d heard he was Isy’s dad, I should have done something. Instead, I’d catered to her, and I knew in his eyes it would look really fucking bad.
I took a long swig of beer and sighed. I was going to have a lot of explaining to do, and I hoped Isy would still be there when the dust settled. But I couldn’t go back and change it now. No, I had to face the music. And I would, for her. For my woman.
My woman. It made my possessive side rear its ugly head. I wanted to make her mine in every way possible -- collar her as mine and not just in the MC way. Shit, I was delusional. She was a biker’s daughter. For all I knew, she’d never want to get married. It wasn’t like I was a big enough asshole to force it on her. Well, maybe I was.
A knock on the door jolted me from my thoughts, and I knew it was time to tell Isy about the visitors who were on their way. But first, I needed to see who the fuck else needed to speak with me today. It felt like I couldn’t catch a break.
I stood up and finished off my beer before going to open the door. “Yeah?”
“Hey, brother. A word?” Stinger asked, scratching the back of his neck nervously.
“What’s up?” I asked, surprised to see him there. Stinger wasn’t one for small talk, so I had a feeling he’d dropped by for a specific reason.
He glanced over his shoulder, lowering his voice. “From what I’ve heard, the Reapers are almost here. Thought I’d give you a heads up in case you needed to tell Isy. I think they must have left overnight or really damn early this morning.”
Shit. Which meant when I’d spoken with Atilla earlier, they’d not been preparing to leave, but had already been on the road for hours. Fuck my life. Why didn’t anything ever go my way?
“Thanks, Stinger. I’ll go wake Isy up and talk to her.” He nodded and walked off. I shut the door and pressed my forehead to it, closing my eyes and heaving a sigh. I had a feeling things were about to start moving really damn fast.
Time to wake the sleeping princess. When I got to the bedroom, Isy was already out of bed and heading my way.
“Good morning,” she said, giving me a sleepy smile. “Been up long?”
“Got called to Atilla’s office. Listen, there’s something you need to know. The Dixie Reapers have sent three guys to help track down your stalker. Viking, Royal, and Warden. I just got word they’re almost here.”
She pressed her lips together and paled a little. “Was my dad with them?”
“Not that I’ve heard so far. We’ll have to go greet them, so shower and get dressed. I’ll fix some eggs and toast for us so we at least have some food on our stomachs.” I tugged her into my arms and kissed her cheek. “Love you, Isy. We’ll get through this, okay? They’re your family.”
She nodded. “I know. I’m just worried about how they’ll treat you.”
“Let me handle it.” I watched her disappear into the bathroom, then went back to the kitchen to make the breakfast I’d promised her. I’d just plated everything when she came in, freshly scrubbed and wearing jeans with a pink shirt. She looked adorable.
I set her plate in front of her, then poured her a glass of juice. I grabbed a water before taking a seat. We’d barely finished our food when I got a text from Atilla. They’re already here.
Looked like it was show time… I only hoped I didn’t have to fight all three of them before the day was over.