Chapter 30
GHOST
“Where is she?” I ask Henry. His name is Arthur, but if that’s what he goes by now, then good for him. He looks so much older than the last time I saw him. His face is worn and wrinkled, but his eyes are still the same cold ones I remember so well.
He’s a few inches shorter than I am. The man I once thought was so big and terrifying is nothing but a pathetic waste of space. Maybe even he knew that, which is why he tried to make everyone around him feel even smaller than he is.
“Where’s the money?” he fires back, smirking.
He has about eight members of Insanity MC surrounding him. I’m guessing hired muscle.
I don’t care how many live or die today, but the man in front of me? He’s not going to ever come near my woman again.
I’m on edge right now. I want to beat the shit out of him, but I’m trying to stay in control.
“She’s not here, is she?” Prez scowls, looking at the van behind them. “We should have known better than to trust the word of Insanity MC.”
They pull out their guns, but we draw ours faster. “I guess we’re at an impasse,” Henry says, shifting on his feet. “But if you kill me, I’ve told the men who have your old lady to do whatever they want with her.”
“Ghost,” Bones suddenly mutters, and I turn my head to him. He moves closer to me, and says in a low tone, “She’s safe.”
That’s all I needed to hear. “Get down!” I yell as I press the trigger on my gun, shooting Henry right in the head.
He drops to the floor like the sack of shit he is, and then I start shooting at all the members of this fucked-up motorcycle club that seem to keep coming back like goddamn cockroaches.
They shoot back, or at least they try. Bullets go flying, but they aren’t as fast as my brothers and me.
“Fuck, Bones is shot,” Skull calls out. “Someone tell Scorp we’re on our way.”
“I’ll tell Patch to bring the truck and bring someone to ride his bike back,” War says, pulling out his phone.
“It’s just in the arm. I’m fine,” Bones replies, covering his arm with his hand. “It’s just… a lot of blood. Fuck.”
“I’ll call for a cleanup,” Prez mutters, looking over all the dead bodies.
I don’t look at Henry again. I don’t need to. He’s been dead to me for a while, but now it’s just official.
“I need my woman right fucking now,” I growl. Patch arrives with the truck, and we help Bones in while Curse jumps out and gets onto Bones’ bike.
I ride like hell is chasing me.
Not long later, I pull up to the clubhouse, and Romeo opens the gates.
“Where is she!” I roar the second I step into the clubhouse.
Why isn’t she out here waiting for me?
Is she hurt?
Does she blame me?
Fuck, what if she doesn’t want to be with me anymore?
Her being kidnapped is my fault. I promised her I’d protect her, and I failed. My father’s voice echoes in the back of my head, telling me how unworthy I am. I shake my head, trying to get rid of it.
He’s dead now.
He has no power here, not anymore.
When I step into the bar, everyone goes silent. “Where the fuck is my woman?” I seethe. After keeping myself calm since I lost her, my temper refuses to be contained any longer.
If Xanthe is hurt in any way, I’m not going to handle it well.
And if she doesn’t want anything to do with me now? I’m going to fucking disappear.
Just the thought of losing her has me seeing red.
Scorp steps forward, hands in the air, steps slow and easy. “Ghost—”
“Did she leave here?” I snap, losing control and picking up one of the bottles of alcohol on the bar. I throw it against the wall, then pick up one of the stools and throw that too.
And then suddenly she’s there, standing in the door, rubbing her eyes. “Ghost? Is everything okay?” she asks.
I take a few deep gulps of air, my whole body relaxing when she runs up to me and jumps into my arms.
“You’re here,” I say, burying my face in her neck. “You’re here, and you’re okay.”
She nods against me. “Of course I am. Where else would I be? I fell asleep in your bed waiting for you. Are you okay?”
“Sunshine, you were the one who was kidnapped.”
“Yeah, but, honey, you were breaking shit. I had to call your name twice before you even looked at me.”
“I thought you’d left,” I admit.
“I’m not going anywhere. You’re the one who had to face your father.”
A shiver goes down my spine. “Won’t have to face him ever again. You’re safe now. Bones got shot, though.” I look toward Scorp.
I was meant to tell him that, and instead I came in here raging.
Not wanting to put Xanthe down, I keep her in my arms.
“No one else was injured?” he asks me, and I shake my head.
“Just Bones. Did Haze and the others return?”
“You’re the first back. They’re doing the cleanup,” Lore says, coming up to me and glancing over Xanthe. “Are you okay?”
She nods. “I’m fine. They didn’t hurt me,” she pauses, and then adds, “well, aside from cuffing me and grabbing me by my throat.”
I want to kill him all over again, but slower this time.
That fucking bastard.
No one hurts my woman.
No one.
Tightening my hold on her, I carry her upstairs, needing to be alone with her. “I’m so fucking sorry, little one. He took you because of me. I said I’d protect you and would never let anything happen to you.” I lay her down and then join her.
“It wasn’t your fault,” she soothes, cupping my face. “I feel bad Bones got hurt coming to save me, though.”
“He’ll be fine,” I promise. “Suit and Haze got you out?”
She nods. “Yeah, and I’m glad they did because Henry was going to give me to the Isle of Insanity MC to be one of their club girls.”
A low rumble comes from my chest.
That motherfucker.
Her lips meet mine, distracting me. “He said you killed Daisy.”
My entire body stills, my throat working as I swallow. “And what did you say to that?”
She sighs and starts playing with my beard.
“I’m not stupid, I know that you all have your own brand of justice.
” She pauses, and then adds, “You love me, you’re good to me, and you’re my soul mate, Ghost. You don’t tell me club business, and I’m not going to ask unless it involves my friends or me. ”
Did she just tell me she kind of knows what goes on in the club, or that she knows what I do for the club?
Either way, it’s more than I ever hoped I’d get from her. “I love you. I’m building us a house on the property here. You can choose how it looks. You can have anything you want.”
“I love you too. And I love that idea. I can help pay for it. I have some money.”
“No, sunshine, you aren’t paying for anything. Keep your money. You’re mine, which means so is everything I have.
I can’t imagine teachers get paid that much. Either way, it doesn’t matter. I have her covered for life. She can work or not. It’s all up to her.
“Ghost, I think it’s time I admitted something to you.”
“What?” I ask, my brow furrowing. “They didn’t hurt you or do anything else to you, did they?”
I roll onto my back and scrub a hand down my face.
“No, no, it’s nothing to do with that. You know that book you read? The biker one.”
I nod, wondering where the hell she’s going with this. “Yeah? How did you know? Is it because I did that exact scene when we were in bed?”
“I saw it on your phone,” she admits, smirking.
“I wrote that book. I’m an author, I just haven’t told anyone.
You’re the first person. I saw Ora reading my book, and I didn’t even say anything.
I know I write about bikers, but it’s all fiction.
There’s nothing real in there that could give anything away about the Serpents. ”
My eyes widen. “You wrote all that filthy sex?”
She nods, shrugging. “I have a big imagination.”
My lip twitches. “Xanthe, that book was amazing. I read it all, and I usually don’t read romance. You’re so talented.” This is not what I thought she was going to say. “I’m going to read them all and make those hot scenes a reality. No more living in your head. I’m going to give you everything.”
She smiles, and I smile back.
“I can’t believe you’ve been writing best-selling novels and not telling anyone. How did Blade not pick that up? He usually runs background checks on everyone.”
She shrugs and tilts her head to the side. A curious look appears on her beautiful face. “I’m not sure, but I do use a pen name. You’ll have to ask him, but I’m glad that it’s all out now. It did kind of feel like I’ve been living a double life.”
“I want you to read a scene out to me while I do everything you say,” I rasp, and her eyes turn hooded.
Yeah, she likes that.
And fuck, my old lady is smart, sexy, and loving.
Just like I thought, the seasons changed.
And now all I have is sunshine.