Chapter 34
Jordan
My head ached fiercely, but I kept it to myself. My family was sitting around my bedside talking with Butcher and Toxic, and I didn’t want it to stop.
Laughing made my head throb, but I was now convinced you couldn’t do anything else with these two around.
The rest of the guys were moving in between Gwen’s and my rooms. Having them there made me feel so much better, but I wasn’t going to relax until Ricochet got back.
My insides were twisted up with nerves over what might happen when they confronted Trent.
“How you feeling, Pumpkin?” Dad asked.
Glancing over, I realized he’d been watching me while I’d watched everyone else. “I’m okay,” I told him with a weak smile.
“You’re hurting.”
“A bit,” I admitted. I knew it wasn’t nearly as bad as poor Gwen, so I didn’t want to complain.
“We’re so proud of you,” Mom interjected, her eyes filling with tears. “You saved them.”
I let out a small laugh. “I only distracted him, if I’m being honest. Ricochet and these guys showing up is what scared him off.”
“Well, we’re so glad you and Gwen and the kids are all okay. And we’re grateful to all of you for watching over them,” Dad said, turning his eyes to Butcher and Toxic.
“It’s what we do for family,” Butcher said with a shrug.
“Family…” Mom replied, looking over at me with a hopeful smile.
“Yeah, once Jordan became Ricochet’s old lady-” he paused when he caught my expression, then glanced at my mother.
Her hands were clasped together and she was tearing up again. “Oh, when do we get to meet him? It’s been too long since you’ve had a boyfriend. I was getting worried that you’d end up alone out in that big house.”
Toxic bit the insides of his lips, giving me an apologetic look as he tried to smother his laughter.
“I’m twenty-five, Mom,” I told her with a laugh. “Hardly a dried up old spinster.”
“Yeah,” Mallory said, “besides I’m twenty-five and still ringless. Just because you have a guy doesn’t mean anything.” She gave Noah a look of mock disdain.
We all laughed at that, especially because my family knew Noah had something special planned for Mallory coming up soon. My brother grimaced, his eyes pleading with us not to spill the beans.
“True,” Mom said, sounding a bit strangled because it ruined her perfectly good speech to have to admit such a thing.
“Don’t worry, Mom,” I said, patting her hand. “At least you have Haze as a grandchild.”
She scowled at me. “Don’t even joke,” she muttered.
“Haze?” Toxic asked.
Grabbing my phone, I pulled up a picture and showed him.
“That’s a fucking bird,” he said with a laugh. “What the hell are you doing with a hawk?”
That started a conversation that both me and the rest of my family could talk on for hours. The other guys joined us, listening in about how we hunt with our hawks.
Word must have spread because Kit, Seek, Sloane, Jenny, and the other old ladies showed up. They were taking turns holding Grace and snuggling her close, while Sean talked with Riptide about something to do with technology.
The air in the room was relaxed as my family and Ricochet’s all sat speaking together.
“Who’s throwing a party?”
We all looked up as Smokehouse and Hellfire came into the room. I searched behind them, looking for Ricochet, wondering where he was.
“He’s checking in on Gwen for a moment,” Hell told me, as he came over and sat down near me and Jenna.
Jenna’s eyes widened as she took in the huge man with all his tattoos, beard, and leather cut. Her eyes darted over to me and I had to bite back a laugh because I knew my fourteen-year-old sister was already half in love. At least she hadn’t picked Smokehouse.
“Hi,” Jenna said, fluttering her lashes dramatically.
Hell didn’t notice a thing. “Hey, Kid.”
Cocking my head, I watched as his gaze tracked the room, landing on Kit. Jenna was chatting with him and he was holding up his end of the conversation, but his eyes always ended up back on my friend. One side of my mouth kicked up into a smile.
Suddenly people started making excuses about leaving my room and once the crowd parted, I saw why. Ricochet was making his way inside.
“Is it taken care of?” Lockout asked him. At Ricochet’s nod, Lockout slapped him between the shoulder blades and left, taking his bikers with him.
It happened so quickly my head swam, or maybe that was the concussion, but soon it was just my family in here with my boyfriend.
I glanced over at my mom and sighed. I could already hear her making to-do lists for the wedding.
There were practically hearts in her eyes.
It wasn’t just me. She’d been harping at Noah to lock down his girl for years now.
She just wanted more sons and daughters through marriage and she was practically dying to get her hands on some grandbabies.
Not that any of us were ready for that step. Remembering what Ricochet had said about kids made my cheeks heat, and I tried to shove that memory out of my mind. This wasn’t the time to be thinking about it. “Everyone, this is Ricochet. He’s my…boyfriend.”
The quick discussion we’d had before he’d left my hospital room gave me hope that the fight we’d gotten in hadn’t ruined the relationship.
I sure hoped it hadn’t. With everything that had happened over the last few days, I now realized that Ricochet wasn’t Dan.
He wasn’t going to ever make the kind of mistakes that Dan had.
“Why don’t we give these two a chance to talk?” Dad suggested, and I gave him a grateful look as he steered my mother out of the room.
She was still talking to Ricochet. “You’ll come over for dinner,” she declared.
Ricochet laughed. “I’d love to, Mrs.-”
“Call me Carol,” she insisted. “Or better yet, Mom.”
I groaned in embarrassment, but deep down I loved how accepting she and my dad were. They’re going to love him as much as I do.
That thought made me freeze as he walked over. When had that happened? Oh yeah, probably when he was saving my life. But in all reality, I’d been falling for him longer than that. The man had ruthlessly pursued me. It was hard not to give in when he made me his sole focus like that.
He sat next to me and grabbed my hand. “How are you feeling, Sunshine?”
“I’m okay. How’s Gwen?”
“Awake and trying to eat some of the hospital food,” he said with a grin.
Wincing, I motioned to where the plate of food was sitting down on the ground, untouched. “Not even Butcher or Toxic wanted to eat it.”
“I’ll get you something delicious on the way home,” he promised.
“What happened with Trent?” I really wanted to know, but I was also nervous to talk about the elephant in the room.
Ricochet walked me through his talk with the DA. “There’s no way he’s going to be able to slip out of any kind of punishment. The DA is overseeing the arrest personally.”
“Strung out on coke, that explains the erratic behavior.” I shook my head. “He was acting bat shit crazy. Crazier every time.”
Ricochet chuckled. “That’s the truth.”
Sighing, I pulled on my big girl panties, metaphorically of course, and met his gaze. “I’m so sorry for how I acted the other night. It wasn’t fair to leave you standing there like that.”
“I get it, Sunshine. You were scared. You have every right to be. I’m known for my temper and not controlling it very well.”
“You did, though,” I insisted. “I don’t know very many people who would have lasted as long without getting pissed at Trent. He deserved the beating you gave him.”
“What happened, with you I mean. Why did you run off?”
“It was sort of like I was right back in that bar with Dan taunting those guys and then Dad getting hurt. I know it sounds stupid, but I was terrified that you were going to get injured and then I just sort of freaked out.” I gave him a wan smile. “It was stupid.”
“No,” he said, shaking his head. “I actually understand exactly what you mean. That happens to me a lot thanks to my PTSD.”
“Really?”
Irritation swept over his features. “Yeah, I swear I’ve relived that night in Afghanistan more times than I can count.
Though it’s happening a little less frequently now.
” He squeezed my hand. “I’ll try to be better about controlling my temper, but I’m never going to let some asshole threaten you, or speak badly to you without there being some kind of consequence. ”
“I think I can learn to live with that. Who knows maybe I’ll end up some bad biker bitch and will beat up some woman for trying to take you from me.” Giving him a wide grin, I laughed at that idea. It was ridiculous.
“My money would be on you, Sunshine,” he said, lifting his hand to brush his thumb over the bruise on my jaw. He was careful not to touch the split in the skin, or hurt me in any way. “You just proved you know how to handle yourself.”
Scoffing at that idea, I shook my head. “If I never have to be in a fight again, I’ll be happy. That was crazy. I was honestly just trying to survive.”
“And you did. And you saved my sister and my nephew and niece. I’ll never be able to repay you for that.” He lowered his forehead to mine. “I’ll never be able to thank you enough for what you do for me each day.”
“What I do for you?” I asked in confusion.
“You make this life worth living,” he confessed.
The breath caught in my throat as he lifted his head and searched my gaze. “I love you, Ricochet.” My eyes widened as I realized that those words had just popped, unbidden, out of my mouth.
He was just watching me, possessiveness and heat creeping into his eyes. “Can’t take it back now,” he teased, his voice rough. “I love you too, Sunshine.”
His mouth slanted over mine and I sank into the kiss.
This was where I belonged, with him. He made me so happy and looking back on it, I’d only been existing for the last few years.
Maybe I’d just been waiting for him. Either way, we were together now and I wasn’t going to let my stupid hang ups ruin what we had.
That didn’t mean I wouldn’t mess up again.
I probably would. He definitely would, but we’d work through it together.
I sighed in contentment as he crawled onto the bed next to me and held me until I fell asleep.