“Bye, Viper.”
I hear her groan. “Bye, Ridge.”
After she hangs up, I call Yak.
“What’s up?”
I can hear the sounds of the mechanic shop he works in behind him.
“I need you to grab a prospect. Whichever one you think would be best on a ride up to Cheyenne with some friends. Is Wolf there today?”
Wolf splits his time between the shop and working with Meek. With his law enforcement background, he is ideal for helping Meek investigate shit. Only Meek doesn’t want him there full-time, hence the shop. Meek is antisocial as fuck when he wants to be.
“No, he is with Meek today,” Yak tells me.
“Great. I’ll give him a call. Meet me at the clubhouse in ten minutes.”
After calling Wolf and telling him to meet me, I make my way toward the clubhouse. When I get there, I see Wolf, Yak, and our newest prospect, Jimmy, hanging around their bikes.
I pull up beside them, turning my bike off, but I don’t get off.
“This is a protection detail for the Devil’s Den. That means that this might get dangerous. If any of you want to back out, now would be the time to do so. Once we are on the streets, there is no turning back. If we run into trouble, your mouth is shut until death. Understood?”
I look at each of them, but really, the speech is for Jimmy. His face looks grim, but he nods.
“Great. Let’s get going then.”
As we pull out of the parking lot, ready to head toward our destination, I get this feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something is going to go wrong. I don’t know how I know, but I do know it.
I won’t let my club down, though. We can handle anything that comes our way. I only hope I didn’t lie to Rain when I told her I would come home safe.
CHAPTER
FIFTEEN
Rain
I just got hometen minutes ago, and already Ridge’s absence is felt. I am so used to him already being here when I get here. I don’t think I have ever truly been alone in this place. It feels weird without him. Empty.
I’ve been here alone without him before and been just fine, so why is today different?
When did I come to rely on his companionship so much?
It’s not only that. Ridge is out doing club business, and while I have lived with this my whole life, I never truly had to experience it like this.
I know I shouldn’t be worried, but I am.
By the time I was old enough to understand what the club life meant, my dad had already given up going on runs and doing the dangerous stuff. The club understood. He had a small child he had to provide for. One that would have nobody should he die. So he stayed close to home when the others would ride away.
I would still see it, though. The fear in the old ladies’ eyes as they watched their men drive away. The anxiousness everytime something would go wrong. The restlessness during every lockdown.
I thought I knew what being with a biker entailed, but it didn’t truly sink in until tonight. Until I was that woman waiting for her man to come home. Waiting for any indication that something went wrong.
I don’t know why I thought I could do this.
Picking up my phone, I dial Aspen.
“Hey, what’s up?” she answers.
