I watch as two bikers help Chaos to his feet. He's bleeding from his forehead, his lip, probably his ribs too. But he's alive. He's standing. His eyes find mine across the room, and the relief I see there mirrors my own.
"Ruby," he says, limping toward me.
I meet him halfway, Liam still in my arms. Chaos wraps us both in his embrace, and I feel the tension finally drain from my body. We're safe. We're actually safe.
"I'm sorry," he murmurs against my hair. "I should've protected you better. Should've kept them from grabbing you—"
"You did protect us." I pull back enough to look at him. "You held them off until help arrived. You saved us."
"What do you want us to do with these assholes?" Tank asks, his hand still gripping Marcus's throat.
Chaos looks at me, leaving the decision in my hands.
I stare at Marcus. The man who abandoned me, who told me to abort our child, who just tried to kidnap my son and hurt the first person who's shown me kindness in years.
"I want them to leave," I say, my voice steady despite my shaking hands. "And I want Marcus to sign away his parental rights. Legally. Today."
Marcus's eyes widen. "You can't—"
"I can," I cut him off. "You just broke into my home with weapons. You attempted kidnapping. You assaulted someone. I have witnesses now." I gesture to the room full of bikers. "Plenty of witnesses. So, you have two choices: sign the papers giving up all rights to Liam, or I press charges and you go to prison. Your choice."
Marcus looks around wildly, but there's no escape. His friends are all being held by bikers who look ready to break bones at the slightest provocation.
"Fine," he spits. "I'll sign your fucking papers. The kid was a mistake anyway."
The words should hurt. Maybe they would have yesterday. But looking at Liam, at his ginger hair and hazel eyes, at the way he's calmed down now that he's in my arms, I know the truth.
Liam was never a mistake. He was the best thing that ever happened to me.
"Get them out of here," King orders. "Take them somewhere to get the paperwork done. Make sure they understand that if they ever come near Ruby or her son again, we won't be so merciful."
The bikers haul Marcus and his friends to their feet, dragging them toward the door. Marcus looks back at me one last time, and I see the hatred there. But I also see fear.
Good. He should be afraid.
When they're gone, the tension in the room finally breaks. Luna immediately starts fussing over Chaos's injuries while other bikers assess the damage to my house.
A younger guy, probably around Chaos's age, approaches me with a shy smile.
"I'm Rookie," he says. "Another prospect. Sorry we didn't get here sooner."
"You got here exactly when we needed you," I tell him sincerely.
Chaos extracts himself from Luna's medical attention and comes back to me. His face is a mess. Blood still dripping from his forehead, his eye already swelling shut.
"You need a hospital," I tell him.
"I'm fine." He touches my cheek gently. "Are you really okay? Did they hurt you?"
"Just scared me. But I'm okay now." I look around at all the bikers in my destroyed living room. "Thank you. All of you. I don't know how to repay—"
"You're family now," King interrupts, his cold eyes warming slightly as he looks at me. "Chaos claimed you. That makes you one of ours. We protect our own."
"Besides," a woman with brown hair and a kind smile adds, stepping forward. "We've all been where you are. Running, scared, desperate. The club saved us. Now we're saving you."
"This is Amelia," Chaos tells me. "Tank's girlfriend."
Amelia nods. "I now have a whole family who has my back. Same thing for you, Ruby. You're not alone anymore."
