“Always,baby.”
Chapter 7
Ryan
Leaving Cassidy’s bedside was the hardest thing I’d ever had to do, but I was on a mission. After dropping the Bronco off at my house and checking on Mikey, I got my motorcycle out of the garage. I rode to the barn like I had hundreds of times before, but this time was different. I had never felt bloodlust like I did in that moment. The thirst to find the fucker who shot Cass and slice him from ear to ear was all I could think of as I threw my kickstand out and made my way in to meet with the men who were going to help me get myvengeance.
“Are you sure you know where the safe house is?” I asked Buck in the chapel room, sitting at the table with my formerclub.
Bear handed me my old mug with three fingers of whiskey as he took a seat next tome.
Buck nodded over to the guy across from me. “Walsh checked it out and the van is sitting right outfront.”
“We’re all in this with you, man. For Cass!” Ryder held up his shot glass to me before shoting down the amberliquid.
“I knew as soon as that shipment got dropped off at the warehouse that something was going on with the Renegades. I hope they’re ready for this war.” I wanted every one of their damn heads on aspike.
“We’re going to make this right, brother.” Buck tried to reassure me as he handed me a sawed-off shotgun before slamming the gavel down. “Let’s go teach these fuckers that they messed with the wrongoutlaws.”
“How’s Cass?” Bear asked as we walked out of theroom.
“Out of surgery. Doc said she’s going to be fine. The girls are staying withher.”
“Good to hear. Our women are just as close as we are. They’ll take good care of her.” Ryder gave me a quick hug before we began ourpreparations.
We were armed to the teeth, covered in Kevlar, ready for the mission that awaited us. The brotherhood consumed me as each man prepared for battle. I had walked away from them, but within a moment’s notice they were ready to defend my family, withoutquestion.
“I just want to say that whatever happens tonight, I love you all and appreciate what you’re about to do for me.” It was sappy but true and needed to besaid.
“We love you, brother, and we protect our own.” Buck straddled his hog before letting the engine roar tolife.
Ryder and Bear hopped into our extra van, ready to follow us to the house. They waved to me as the lights turnedon.
Right then, I knew I had just pretended to leave the Unacceptables. I hadn’t truly left the family—I still worked with them, still safeguarded their shipments, still treated them like family. It was true: once you’re in, there really is no getting out. I had only given up my spot at the table but not the brotherhood. The tattoos still stained my skin, and the association was still rooted in my heart. It felt right riding with my pack, flying down theroad.
It didn’t take long for us to get to the safehouse.
Walsh walked over to me, leaning against the back of my bike. “From what I could tell, there are at least five guys in there. We’ll cover both the back and front doors, and you get to make the call on who lives and dies once we’rein.”
Buck and Mac were standing next to us and they nodded in agreement. We had fifteen men with us, and I loved when the odds were in ourfavor.
“Give us a thirty count then bust through the back door. Mac, Buck, Ryder, Bear, you’re with me in the front. Let’s let them think we only came to talk for a minute. I wanna fuck with them for as long as Ican.”
“Aye, brother.” Buck slapped me on the back. “It’s good to have you back for thisone.”
“It’s good to beback.”
Kicking in the front door, I fired one shot into the air. “Hello, boys,” I yelled as the five of us strodein.
Guns drawn, one of the Renegades yelled, “What the fuck isthis?”
Bear walked in front of me. “We got word that some of you boys decided to spray down a party we were having over at the Lewis Plantation thisevening.”
Ryder laughed a little. “Now we had our woman there, our family. That’s just bad form,gentlemen.”
Right on cue, the rest of the Unacceptables burst through the backdoor.
“We don’t have any idea what you’re talking about.” Darvey’s hands flew into theair.
