Chapter 10 Trooper
Chapter ten
Trooper
“What about this one?” I prompted.
I swept my thumb over the tattooed moon on Shea’s hip. After getting cleaned up, we took dinner to bed and curled under the sheets. We barely touched our food before we were wrapped up in each other again, skin to skin.
Shea traced the tattoo on my inner arm, following the motorcycle’s bold lines and the airy wings of the dragonfly. She gestured to the moths on her other hip.
“The moths and the moon are a matching pair,” she said. “They represent embracing the darkest part of the night. Spreading your wings when others seek shelter.”
“And these?” I asked, brushing my knuckles over the lotus blossoms on her breasts.
“Blooming in the mud. Beating the odds to thrive anyway.”
“I’m sensing a theme here,” I said.
She shrugged, wiggling impossibly closer to throw her leg over mine.
"When Dad left, it hit me hard," she admitted. “So, I had to find a way to remind myself that it wasn’t the end of the world. I could succeed, I could have a future that was brighter than the past that I had left behind.”
A pang of sympathy hit me in the chest. I twisted a lock of her hair around my finger, kissing the top of her head.
“What about the dragonflies on your back?” I said.
"I've always been obsessed with them," she said. "A dragonfly perched on my sketchbook after school one day, and I couldn’t believe how vibrant it was. I’d never seen a shade of blue like that. It was so…magical."
I smiled, listening to Shea gush about colors. She wasn’t usually the type of person who gushed about anything. But that must have been a sign she was lowering those walls she’d built to protect herself, letting me see the real Shea underneath.
“And the ivy?” I said, trailing my fingertips along the leaves that graced her neck.
“Resiliency. Ivy grows like a weed and it’s tough. It reminds me that I can grow anywhere I want to, as long as I put my mind to it.” Shea adjusted her position, tapping a tattooed compass on my ribs. I flinched, ticklish. “Your turn. What does this one mean?”
“To follow my gut instinct, wherever that might take me,” I replied.
Shea’s nimble fingers skimmed across my chest, down my torso to my hip where a little tree frog sat.
“And this one?”
I hesitated for a moment, idly combing my fingers through Shea’s hair.
“It’s stupid. You’ll laugh. And for good reason.”
“No, I won’t,” she protested, lifting her head to look at me. Then she poked me in the chest. “If you don’t tell me, I’ll call your brother and make him spit it out.”
I groaned and caught her hand, kissing her knuckles.
“You’re a pain in my ass, you know that?”
She laughed quietly, brushing a light kiss to my jawline.
“Tell me,” she murmured.
I sighed.
“Fine. The truth is…I was twenty-one and drunk, doing dumb shit with a bunch of friends. I don’t know who came up with the brilliant idea to get tattooed when we were so sloshed, but we spun the roulette wheel and got…this.”
Shea’s eyes sparkled and she bit her lower lip, clearly fighting to contain her amusement.
“I knew you would laugh,” I said.
“It’s cute!”
I groaned and rolled my eyes.
“Now you’re just mocking me.”
Shea hummed with amusement, snuggling against my side. She stifled a yawn, her body slowly growing slack with exhaustion at the late hour.
Interlacing our fingers together, I smoothed my thumb over her knuckles. After setting our plates on the nightstand, I turned off the light, plunging us into darkness. When I gathered her into my arms, she gave a contented sigh.
Shea drifted off to sleep long before I did.
One hour slowly dragged by after another while I stared at the ceiling.
Part of me feared that she would change her mind and disappear in the middle of the night.
Another part of me worried that this wasn’t even real to begin with and she would be gone when I woke up in the morning.
Now I knew why Tarzan called me so many times in the middle of the night, fretting about fatherhood. The thoughts wouldn’t stop spinning in endless circles…
Maybe I could call him. Maybe Ethan was right and Tarzan had some wisdom he could share about becoming a married man someday.
Just as I decided to grab my phone, a faint noise echoed somewhere in my house.
I froze, my heart hammering against my sternum.
My club brothers knew better than to sneak up on each other without warning. Bruiser was supposed to be on watch, but I gave him the night off, since I was with Shea. And I didn’t have any pets. There was no reason for any surprise noises in my home at two o’clock in the morning.
Easing out of bed, I grabbed my jeans and yanked them on.
Shea stirred in bed and propped herself up on one elbow.
“Theo?”
I knelt on the mattress, placing a finger to her lips to quiet her. Cupping the back of Shea’s head, I leaned in close.
“Stay here.”
“What’s wrong?” she whispered, tight with concern.
“I don’t know. I heard a noise. Could be a branch hitting the house, knocked loose from that storm earlier. I’ll take a look.”
Shea squeezed my hand and reluctantly released me.
Taking the baseball bat I kept in my closet for protection, I emerged from the bedroom.
There was no moon tonight, overcast by clouds.
I knew my way through every room by memory alone, but the darkness played tricks on my mind, making me question if someone might be lurking in shadowy corners.
So I flicked on lights as I went, illuminating the house, banishing those shadows.
I searched everywhere, but I found nothing unusual.
When I turned back to the bedroom, Shea stood on the threshold, wearing my T-shirt with her arms wrapped around her middle.
“Is everything okay?”
It pained me to see her so worried. I wished I could take that burden from her.
“Coast is clear,” I said, kissing her forehead. “Let’s go back to bed.”
The tension in her shoulders released. She looped her arm through mine and rested her cheek against my shoulder, closing her eyes with relief.
As we stepped into the bedroom, a noise from the direction of the garage caught our attention. Like the metallic clang of something getting knocked over.
Shea glanced up at me with wide eyes. I gestured for her to wait there while I tightened my grip on the baseball bat. Approaching the door that led to the garage, I braced myself and yanked it open.
Ethan, Bulldog, and Casper stood in my garage, wearing full tactical gear as they surrounded Ritter, pinned to the floor by Ethan’s knee.
“We’ve been hunting down this little freak ever since you told us about him,” Ethan said.
“Get your hands off me!” Ritter protested, struggling to free himself.
“He tailed you from Hotline today,” Bulldog added. “We figured he was probably making his move tonight. Looks like we were right.”
He searched Ritter and found a boxcutter and zipties in his pocket. My blood ran cold.
“What were you planning to do?” I asked Ritter. I didn’t recognize my own voice, dangerously low and dark.
Ritter pressed his lips together, suddenly silent. Casper yanked him up to his feet.
“My friend asked you a question,” he said. “Don’t be rude. Answer him.”
Ritter snarled, nostrils flared and hatred in his eyes.
“Gut you like a pig,” he said. “For putting your filthy fucking hands on Shea. For ruining her and taking her away from me.”
“She was never yours to begin with,” I growled through clenched teeth.
Ritter’s gaze flicked past me. I turned around to see Shea in the doorway. She came forward, clasping my hand with a crushing grip.
“He won’t make you happy,” Ritter spat, fighting against Casper’s hold. “He doesn’t give a shit about you as long as you open your legs—”
Bulldog shoved him in the chest, silencing him.
“That’s enough. Your mama would be ashamed of you, talking to a woman that way.”
Shea stepped closer, squaring her shoulders as she looked Ritter in the eye.
"Did you leave that butterfly on my windshield?"
"I like pretty things," he replied. "I like displaying them to look at and admire. It reminded me of you."
She shook her head with a frown.
"That's what all this was about? I'm just a pretty little trinket for you to collect?"
"You don't get it," Ritter said, exasperated. "You're successful and attractive and you always acted like you were too good for me. I had to make you see me somehow. I had to teach you a lesson so you would learn we were meant for each other."
I clenched my teeth, resisting the urge to strangle him with my bare hands. Shea didn’t flinch or shy away, holding Ritter’s gaze for several seconds.
“You’re right,” she said, her voice quiet but steely. “You did teach me a lesson. I learned that the man I love will stop at nothing to keep me safe from fuckers like you.”
Pride swelled in my chest. I pulled Shea into my arms, directing a look of victory over her shoulder at Ritter.
“That’s my girl.”
An hour later, Shea sat on the couch, fully dressed, while I stood next to her, one hand resting on her shoulder for reassurance. I called Hillbilly and Tarzan to let them know Ritter was caught. The next thing I knew, the entire club was awake and streaming through my door, filling my living room.
Ethan, Bulldog, and Casper stood in a half circle over Ritter.
“What do you want to do with him?” Ethan asked.
“He’s a slippery little bastard,” Bulldog said. “The cops have let him off the hook numerous times already. There’s a chance that might happen again.”
“We should at least try to follow the law,” Casper pointed out.
“And what happens if the cops don’t follow through?
Again?" Bulldog countered. He tugged on the back of Ritter’s collar, making Ritter’s head wobble.
“This son of a bitch walks free to terrorize another poor woman.
Or worse. When the cops don't show up, sometimes a little good old-fashioned cowboy justice is needed.”
I glanced at Shea. She chewed her lower lip, watching the scene play out, saying nothing. I’d tried to convince her that she didn’t need to hear any of this. We would handle it. But she didn't back down.
“It’s not the first time that we’ve made a problem disappear,” Hillbilly said. “And it won’t be the last. We’ll take him off your hands, gentlemen, and he will never darken another woman's door again.”
Lila emerged from the kitchen, carrying a cup of tea. She sat on the couch next to Shea and passed the tea to her. Shea managed a grateful smile, wrapping her hands around the cup’s warmth.
Ethan, Bulldog, and Casper shook hands with the Reckless Order, sealing the decision, before taking their leave. I walked them to the door.
“Thank you, boys,” I said. “I owe you one.”
“We’re happy to help,” Ethan said, clapping me on the shoulder. Then he nodded in Shea’s direction. “Just remember to invite us to the wedding, yeah?”
“If you don’t show up, I’ll drag each and every one of you to the ceremony myself,” I replied.
“We wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
After sending Ethan, Bulldog, and Casper off, I returned to the living room. Bruiser and Hades were pulling Ritter to his feet, shoving him out the back door. I had a feeling that man was about to meet a shallow grave somewhere in the mountains. Hillbilly shifted his attention to me.
“We’re clearing out,” he said. “So you and Shea can have some peace and quiet. I suggest the two of you take it easy for a few days. The cops might come sniffing around, asking questions.”
I nodded.
“Trust me, that won’t be a problem. I feel like I could sleep for a week straight right now.”
Hillbilly chuckled and gestured for Lila to join him. She briefly hugged Shea, then crossed the room, looping her arm through Hillbilly’s elbow.
“Be good to her,” Lila said, giving me a teasing pinch. “She’s my best friend. If you make her cry, I will bury you. Then I’ll send my daddy after you.”
“Your daddy is my President,” I countered. “That makes us family. Shouldn’t that count for something?”
A faint smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth.
“I know you have your biker code and that means you’re ride-or-die for each other. But I’m Daddy’s little princess. He will always love me more than you.”
She flashed a charming smile with a wink, following Hillbilly out the door.
I waited while the Reckless Order filed into my driveway. The rumble of their motorcycles faded into the night.
Then Tarzan was the only one left. He gestured to Shea, curled up on my couch, looking exhausted.
“When did this happen? I thought you were friends.”
“We were,” I said. “Until…”
“Until it changed,” Tarzan finished for me.
I nodded and blew out a breath.
“Look, you know I never planned to be a husband or a father, so I could really use some advice. And you have experience in that department now. Do you think we could grab a beer and talk soon?”
Tarzan clapped me on the shoulder.
“I’m no expert, Teddy, but I’ll always lend an ear if you need it.”
“You’re just so busy with your wife, and Kenny, and probably another baby on the way—”
“And you’re still my brother. I’ll make time for you.”
He ruffled my hair like he did when we were kids. It used to irritate the shit out of me back then, but now I found some comfort in old, familiar habits.
After Tarzan left, I made my way over to the couch and sat beside Shea. She crawled into my lap, burying her face in my neck with a sigh.
“Is it really over?” she murmured.
“He’s gone, baby,” I whispered, rubbing her back. “Ritter will never bother you again.”
I didn’t know what the Reckless Order planned to do with him, and I didn’t want to find out. I trusted them to take care of him properly, making sure my future wife was safe.