Viking’s Vow (Ghost Rebels MC: Kilkenny #4)

Chapter 1

ONE

Dempsey

The whirring almost deafened me as I shifted from my spot next to the bar. The bullet had shot right into the wood next to my ear. Ringing in my ears took over as the continuing shots rang out around me.

How the fuck did they find me this time?

I looked around for something I could use to escape. Usually, I had an idea of when they would find me and I would leave a note mocking them, but not this time. I’d been deep in a bottle of Jack that didn’t seem to be helping with my ability to see straight.

Fuck.

Grabbing a bottle from the cabinet at my feet I pulled the top off, ripped some of my shirt off, coated it in the liquid, and stuffed it in the top of the bottle.

Flicking my lighter open, I lit the end and threw it over the top of the bar.

An explosion ripped through the air, and screams erupted.

The firing had stopped and I knew this was the only time I could escape.

I got up on my feet, my head pounding from the close call, and I ran for my life as the bar caught alight.

The sounds of someone else shooting at me made my feet work faster and I got away, running into the street and toward my bike.

I didn’t look back as I gunned it down the road and to safety.

That had been close.

Once I was outside the city limits, I pulled into a parking area and killed the engine on my bike. My head was fucking splitting, and I knew I was about to pass out. I moved over to the bench near my bike, the one that had a cover over it and laid down, closing my eyes.

They could easily find me if they came this way, I wasn’t hidden, but I needed some shut eye. It had been days since I’d slept, and yet I couldn’t slow down. They were hunting me just as thoroughly as they had when I ran from Kilkenny.

That had been a year ago.

I’d said goodbye to my family a fucking year ago, thinking it would all be resolved by now and I could return and beg Shae for forgiveness.

That’s if she hadn’t moved on by now. I wouldn’t have blamed her if she did, even if I wanted to rip the fucker’s head off.

She deserved happiness and if it couldn’t be me giving that to her, I wouldn’t stand in her way if she had it already.

Throwing my arm over my eyes, I tried to block out the brightness of the day and sleep off the drink so I could function, so I could move on and find a way to get back home.

The sound of rustling had me shooting up quickly. I looked around at the unfamiliar sights around me, willing my memory to return so I could figure out just where the fuck I was.

That’s right…the fucking shootout.

I swiped my hand down my face, feeling the scraggly beard that I’d let grow to hide my appearance. I’d chosen a non-MC town to hide in so I could stick around for longer but it seemed like they were really gunning for me now. It was time to face off and make a break for it.

It was the only way I could get past this and stop the crazy chase.

I hadn’t told Shae the reason, I’d just broken her goddamn heart when I told her it was over. I didn’t want her to follow me on the road, to risk her life for me. There was no way I could allow her to get hurt because of me.

No one knew she was mine. I’d been careful to make sure that no one had known how close we’d gotten, because I knew what happened to your women if you broke their rules.

Fuck, I’d broken the rules.

I’d broken them for her and for my brother.

I pulled my iPhone from the pocket of my jeans and looked down at the screen.

I hadn’t heard from him in days. He’d made sure to keep in contact with me over the last year, offering me help when I needed it, but I didn’t want to drag him down with this as well.

He was my little brother, my brother I’d never gotten to know because of his asshole mother.

I’d had a chance now, as did my sister Tierney, but I couldn’t risk their lives either.

Well…I shouldn’t, but I needed to come home.

I needed to be free of this shit and there was only one person who was going to be able to help me.

I needed to put an end to the Broken Reapers and all the other assholes after me. I opened up my messages and pulled up Alex’s name.

DEMPSEY

What’s news, little brother?

I waited, wondering what time it was and breathing out a hard breath when I saw it was almost midnight. Fuck. How long had I been resting? The ding told me he was still awake.

ALEX

Demps. You good? Nothin’ new here, same old. Except for the new addition coming along for Prez.

DEMPSEY

What’s going on with Ace?

ALEX

Sheridan’s pregnant. She’s due in a few weeks so he’s all over the shop. Me and Hawk got him though. Are you good? You need help?

Fuck, do I. I couldn’t ask him though. If Ace was about to be a Dad, then he needed his VP and Sergeant at Arms on hand. I couldn’t ask Alex to drop his shit and come and save his big brother. How pathetic was that?

DEMPSEY

I’m good. Just checking in. How’s Tierney?

ALEX

She’s good. Why don’t you come home and see for yourself?

I let out an exasperated laugh. The little shit.

DEMPSEY

It won’t be long. Tell her that. I’ll be home soon.

I left out the part where it would either be in a pine box or home for good so I didn’t have to run anymore.

I had to admit I enjoyed the open road. It was the reason I’d become an Outlaw in the first place.

The only global MC to allow its members to be on their own.

It had been alluring, especially since I hadn’t wanted to settle into just any MC.

The Ghost Rebels, even though my dad had been a member, was Alex’s.

He was a senior member there, I didn’t want to take that from him.

My mother had tried everything to keep me free of the MC’s, but I was an MC kid through and through.

I was always meant for the life of a biker.

The Outlaws were a nomadic MC, and you didn’t answer to anyone.

There was no hierarchy, it was just a bunch of guys with no place to go.

We were the hired guns for MC’s all over the place, and were loyal to that MC only while we worked with them.

One week we could work for the Reapers and the next I’d be working for the Wolves.

Loyalty only when I was within their walls.

That was why they were after me now. I’d broken that vow.

Outlaws would come for me, knowing I’d broken the only vow I’d made when I became one of them.

The Reapers were after me for betraying them when I protected my brother and his club.

The Wolves were out for me too. I wasn’t safe anywhere.

I’d been on the run for a year, and I was really sick of running.

All I wanted was to be on the road for the love of being there and not out of a need to stay alive.

I needed to put an end to this.

And today.

I moved over to my bike and started the engine, scaring a couple of birds from the trees above as I pulled out of the rest stop and headed down the highway.