Chapter 24
Anika
Things have changed over the last week. The guys have been getting ready to take on the Bad Ryders.
Patch finally told me what Alan had said.
I couldn’t believe it. He was behind all of this.
I would have never thought. I wouldn’t picture Alan as that vindictive or sick in the head.
It makes me wonder if he knew exactly what they had planned. The thought causes me to shiver.
“You cold?” Patch asks, noticing the chill that ran over me.
“No. Just thinking.”
“Stop thinkin’, or I’ll fuck it out of you,” he says.
“Is that a promise?” I ask. He winks at me, and everything else just seems to fade away.
The pain is still there. What they did to us is still raw and real, but I think this is us moving past that. This is us moving forward.
“You know I’d fuck you anytime you ask,” he tells me. I know he would. And he has. Over the last week, we’ve had more sex than we did before this shit happened. It’s been amazing.
“If you can stop fuckin’ each other long enough to listen, we have an issue,” Kal announces as we all sit around in the main room. I don’t like the sound of that either.
“What’s the issue?” Ban asks.
“Alan is missin’. He hasn’t been home or at his parents'. We’ve had people watchin’ for him.”
“Where the hell could that little piss ant go?” Jimmy chimes in, making me smile.
“I was wonderin’ if Anika had any insight on that,” Kal says, looking to me.
“I honestly don’t know. He would always run home to his mom when we’d fight,” I tell them.
“We can always assume he’s with the Ryders.”
“That’s what we’re thinkin’ too. I think now’s the time to move. When they’re all in one place,” Kal says.
“I want them alive,” Patch chimes in. His hand grips mine harder.
“I know you do, but there are bound to be casualties.”
“But I want the majority of them alive,” Patch reminds them. Kal nods his head, agreeing with what he said.
“Are you sure about this?” I ask Patch. His fingers stay gripping mine as he turns to face me.
“I’m sure about this. I won’t let it go. Not until I know they can never hurt anyone again,” he tells me.
“Okay.”
“Okay? You’re not gonna give me shit about it?”
“He raped me.”
“And he’ll die for that,” he says, surely.
“He’s done this before,” I tell him. There’s no way he hasn’t, and the fact that Patch said they were involved in trafficking just makes it worse.
“They have.”
“Then I’m okay with it,” I tell him, although the thought still turns my stomach. I don’t know how anyone could ever be okay with killing another, but I’ve come to understand his reasoning. Patch leans over and kisses me quickly before looking back at Kal.
“When are we movin’?”
“Tonight. I’ve got eyes on their clubhouse now. We’re assumin’ Alan is in there, but if not we don’t mind a good hunt,” Storm says with a sick grin. I’ve heard all about him, and the things I’ve heard were not good.
“Let’s do it then. Wrap shit up here and let’s start gettin’ ready,” Kal tells the room. The guys all agree, and the girls all stand and begin to move around again.
“I thought we weren’t allowed to know these things?” I ask Patch.
“I’m not really sure why Kal didn’t call church for this.
Maybe he just wanted you to know,” he says before standing and pulling his hand from mine.
I stand next to him and watch as bags are brought into the room.
The guys set them on the tables and unzip them.
I’m almost shocked when I see the number of guns inside each bag.
Patch moves toward one as the others do the same.
They pull them out, check them over, and then start shoving them into holsters or the back of their jeans.
“Is that safe? To just stuff it in there?” I ask when Patch does the same. He chuckles and nods his head.
“The safety is on, darlin’. I’m not gonna blow my cock off.”
“It just seems unsafe,” I repeat as he pulls another gun from the bag. I watch him check it over before sliding it into the back of his jeans this time.
“We’re safe,” he says.
“What if something goes wrong?” I ask him. He turns to fully face me now, his hand coming to cup my cheek.
“Nothin’ is gonna happen to me. And if it does, know that I’ll end this shit first.” Tears burn the back of my eyes at his words.
“I can’t lose you,” I tell him as they fall down my cheeks.
“I’m makin’ sure you’re safe. I’m makin’ sure those motherfuckers will never get near you again.
If that means I’m layin’ my life on the line, then so be it.
You mean more to me than my life, Anika.
Understand that.” The tears flow freely now as I watch him go back to the guns.
What if something does happen to him? Then what? What will I do?
“He’s gonna be fine.” I turn my head to look at Binker as he stands next to me.
“How can you be so sure?”
“He has somethin’ to come home to now,” he says.
“Me.”
“Yeah. You. He’ll come back,” he tells me once more. I nod my head, hoping to hell that he’s right. I don’t know what I’d do without Patch. I don’t know how I’d get through each day.
When he’s got his guns situated, he grabs my hand and pulls me back toward the rooms. Before I know it, we’re inside his with the door closed behind us.
“No second thoughts, Anika. You did this once,” he says, running his finger along the scar on my wrist. “You tried to leave me forever. You’ll never do that again. You hear me?”
“What if-” I begin, but he cuts me off.
“There are no what-ifs. This,” he says, holding my arm up in front of me. “Will never happen again.” His words stern, his tone lethal. I know he isn’t playing.
“It won’t happen again,” I repeat.
“Even if somethin’ happens to me, Anika. You don’t get a free pass just because I’m not here,” he tells me. My eyes still water with tears as I nod my head.
“I won’t do it again,” I tell him truthfully. I can’t lie to him. I wouldn’t want to.
“Good girl.”
“It’s been a long time since you called me that.”
“A good girl?”
“Yeah.”
“You like it?” I nod my head.
“Good. I’m gonna keep sayin’ it. You’re my little train wreck, yeah?” A laugh rips from my lips, and a smile crosses his face. It’s not often that I see Patch smile, but when I do, it takes my breath away.
“Your little train wreck,” I repeat. He pulls me into his arms and presses his lips to the top of my head.
“I know anything can happen. I know that I might not make it back here,” he tells me.
“Don’t say that.”
“Just listen to me,” he sighs. “I know what I’m walkin’ into, Anika.
But what I need you to know is that you were the best thing that happened to me.
My life has been crazy and dark for a long time.
I just need you to know that you brought some light back into it.
” Now the tears really fall. They cascade down my cheeks, wetting his shirt as he holds me.
“Thank you,” I whisper into his chest.
“There’s nothin’ to thank me for.”
“There’s everything to thank you for. Thank you for being who you are. For taking care of me. For taking care of my brother.”
“Those were things I wanted to do, Anika.”
“You did?”
“I’m pretty sure after that first night I knew there’d be more of us.”
“I’m scared, Patch.” He pulls back and grabs my hand, resting it over my chest.
“I’m always here, baby. Always.”