Ryker (The Ride #4) (21 page)

Saul laughed, the sound deep and sinister. “You took from us, we’re taking from you. We warned you to step aside. You fucking Knights and your goddamn bleeding hearts are going to pay for standing in our way.”

Raw terror shot through me at the thought of what else might be happening to those I loved at that very moment. Where was Ryker? Was he okay?

“Let me just kill her—this isn’t worth the fucking trouble,” the scarred one commented with a bored expression.

I heard Ettie yell just before my captor grunted as she jumped on his back, her hand pushing his forearm from my neck. Shots blasted through the air as chaos erupted.

I slipped out from the man’s grasp and joined Ettie in trying to wrestle him to the ground as Mack engaged the other men.

My captor still wielded the knife, slashing it out as Roxie and Tank joined our fray, biting wherever their teeth found purchase and making him howl in pain.

His knife slashed across my arm, but I barely felt the pain as I threw back my fist, slamming it into his face with everything I had, feeling as though I’d broken my hand in the process.

Strong arms wrapped around me from behind, pulling me up off the ground. I struggled.

“Pipe, it’s me, baby.” Ryker’s voice offered sweet relief and I went limp in his arms, utterly spent.

Mack was pulling Ettie to him, reprimanding her in a gentle tone for being so brazen.

I looked down at the man I’d been pummeling, shocked at the damage Ettie and I had been able to cause. He was nearly unconscious.

I was rational enough to know that my roving eyes should stop there if I wanted to keep my wits about me.

Ry lifted me up in his arms, looking over at Mack, who was doing the same with Ettie. “We gotta go,” he told him, his voice a low growl.

Mack nodded, his dark eyes promising violence.

Ryker strode out of the store with purpose, depositing me gently into the back of Mack’s SUV.

“The dogs,” I murmured, as the adrenaline faded and the pain began to register.

Holy shit, my face and arm
hurt
.

“I’ll get them,” Ry assured me, as Mack deposited Ettie on the other side and went to help Ryker inside the store.

They returned in moments, hoisting the dogs into the back, and then we shot from the curb with alarming speed.

“Holy shit, Piper, your arm is bleeding like crazy!” Ettie gasped.

“Fuck!” Ryker roared, his hand pounding on the steering wheel.

“I’m okay,” I assured him woodenly, as Ettie tore off her sweatshirt, tying it above the gash to stem the bleeding. “What’s happening?”

“Things turned bloody. A few of those fuckers slipped ahead, trying to stir shit up here. Don’t know all the details yet. Need to get you and Ettie someplace safe, get you checked out, and then Mack and I can sort this out.”

I wanted to beg him not to leave me. I only felt safe with him, but I couldn’t put that on his shoulders. I knew he wouldn’t leave me unless he had to, so I kept my mouth shut and squeezed Ettie’s fingers when she placed her hand in mine.

Mack’s phone rang. “Yeah,” he barked into it. “How many? Where? Fuck. We have Piper and Ettie. Three of them attacked them at Dixie’s. No. Pipe’s hurt.”

I tried to follow the one-sided conversation, but my face and arm were pounding.

“They attacked the club,” he told Ryker, his tone a quiet rage. “Sal and Blue were there. Blue’s dead, man, and Sal’s hit.”

I sucked in a harsh breath as my eyes filled with tears. I hadn’t known Blue well, but he was always kind to me. And Sal… I couldn’t imagine what Kat was going through.

“Safe house?” Mack asked, his tone harsh.

Ry nodded once, his jaw clenched.

“The bleeding any better?” Ry asked, his gaze shooting to me in the rearview mirror. He was all business and I knew he had to be in order to hold it together.

“Yeah,” I replied automatically. In all honesty, I wasn’t sure if it was, but I’d do just about anything to alleviate some of his stress if I could.

Ry and Mack continued to take calls and texts referencing the same “safe house.” I had no idea where that was, only that we were headed away from town.

I watched as Ry hung up from his latest phone call. “They tried to torch Cal’s place,” he reported to Mack, as though Ettie and I couldn’t hear from the backseat. “Cal took them out before they could get the job done.”

“Good,” Mack grunted. “Fuckers.”

When we pulled onto a very familiar dirt road and shortly thereafter stopped at our destination, I had to do a double take to make sure I wasn’t hallucinating.

Ryker and Axel’s childhood home—where their mother still lived—was the safe house?

He hopped out, coming along the side to open my door.

“What are we doing here?” I asked in confusion, eyeing the small yellow house warily.

“Ax and I own the house, but it’s under Ma’s maiden name. Riders won’t know about it,” he explained. “It’s been a plan B for a while now. One I hoped not to have to use,” he muttered, as his large hand cupped my face gently. “Christ, baby, your face,” he rasped, his gaze sweeping over the damage. My eye was swelling shut and my neck throbbed.

I gripped his wrist in my hand, as I hopped gingerly out of the SUV. “I’ll be fine.”

The four of us walked up to the back of the house, where we’d parked out of sight from the road.

Ryker’s mother stood in the doorframe, watching with concerned, surprisingly sober eyes as we approached.

“Ma.” Ry gave her a chin lift, as we swept past her and into the small kitchen.

“I’ll get some ice,” she replied, hurrying to the freezer. Obviously, she’d known we were coming.

Ry carried me through to the living room and deposited me with care on the couch. He pulled the bloody sweater away from my arm. “When are Scar and Jill getting here?” he barked to Mack.

As nurses, Scarlet and Jill had helped with the odd injury here and there. Tonight was sure to put them to the test.

“Any minute,” came the swift reply.

He turned back to me, his eyes anguished. “You’re gonna be okay, babe. I’m gonna take care of this. Promise.”

I nodded. “I know.”

Moments later the house erupted with commotion as more club members arrived.

Jill dropped to her knees beside me, as she assessed the damage to my arm. “How’s Sal?” I asked.

“He’s going to be okay. The bullet went straight through his arm. Scarlet’s with him in the kitchen.”

“Kat and the baby?”

“Hank’s bringing them. Now, let’s take a look at this arm,” she murmured, drawing the fabric back. “Ouch.” She winced in sympathy. “The good news is the bleeding is slowing. We’re going to need to clean it and stitch you up. Keep the ice on your face,” she instructed, in full nurse mode. “Ry, please get me some for her hand as well.” He’d been hovering nearby and rushed to do as she asked.

“Where’s Mason?”

“Ettie has all of the kids in the other room watching Elmo.”

I squeezed my eyes shut against the thought of anything happening to them. I wished I’d punched that asshole harder.

Axel came into view and Ry stepped out of earshot to speak to him. I noticed that every man in the room was armed to the teeth and I hoped like the hell the worst was over.

“Where’s Cal?” Jill asked when Ryker stepped back to her side.

“Hunting,” came his grim reply. “Cole and Tag are with him.”

Her brows knit with what looked like worry, as she concentrated on my stitches. She’d numbed it first and I watched the needle move through my flesh with morbid fascination.

“Pipe, eyes on me,” Ryker commanded.

My gaze shot to his.

“You’ve seen enough blood tonight,” he explained, as he kneeled to stroke a knuckle over my cheek.

I nodded. His handsome face was a much more pleasant view. “Are you okay being here?” I asked.

This house had a lot of demons.

“For once, it’s safe.” He nodded.

“Maybe it’s a chance for this place to have some redemption,” I murmured. “For your mom too,” I added, watching as Mrs. Black flitted around the small house seeing where she could help.

“Maybe.” He sighed, scrubbing a hand over his face. “This will all be over soon,” he assured me.

“How?”

He stroked a hand over my hair, helping to hold my ice pack in place. “We’re wiping them out.”

I could guess what that meant and didn’t press for details.

“Will you have to go?” I asked, finally able to voice what I’d been dreading.

He hesitated for a moment. “Not until I know you’re okay.”

“All set,” Jill spoke up. “Lucky it was my left arm that’s broken so I could stitch you up in a straight line,” she added with a gentle smile. “Put this ointment on your neck and keep the ice on for a while longer. I’m going to check on Sal. See if I can help Scar. You got her?” she asked Ry with a raised brow.

He turned to me, his eyes burning with intensity. “Yeah, I’ve got her.”

I’d never trusted anything more and with that, I allowed the pain medicine to take over as my body slid into the healing sleep it craved.

Chapter 21

I
woke to the soft light of dawn creeping through unfamiliar curtains. It took me only a moment to remember where I was before the searing pain in my arm and pounding in my face reminded me.

At some point, Ryker must have moved me into his old bedroom, which while changed, was still eerily familiar. I looked over, finding Connie sound asleep next to me. Ry sat in a chair beside me, his torso half on the bed with his arm draped across my waist. Wes was in a very similar position on the other side of the bed, his hand curled around his wife’s pregnant belly even in sleep.

I moved slightly, my body stiff. Ry immediately sat up, his bloodshot eyes sweeping over my face.

I held a finger to my lips, not wanting to wake Connie, and rose as quietly as I could. Ry helped me to my feet, putting an arm around my waist as we silently left the room.

A quick glance around as we headed for the kitchen found many sleeping bodies, a few on the couch and even more on the floor. It was a small house and had only so many comfortable places to sleep.

Axel was seated at the kitchen table murmuring something to his mother when we walked in.

Ryker turned me to face him, addressing me for the first time. “How are you? Did you sleep okay?”

“I’m okay. Sore, but okay,” I assured him quietly. “Did you sleep?”

He shrugged. “For an hour or so.”

“How’s Sal?”

“He’s okay. We have him in Ax’s old room with Kat and the baby.”

“Good.” I nodded, relieved he had a bed.

“Come sit down,” he coaxed. “I’ll get you some coffee.”

I nodded, gratefully, casting a cautious smile at his mother.

She offered a similar one in return. Our relationship had never been very good over the years. Of course, before she’d never been sober enough to notice.

“Thank you for taking us all in, Mrs. Black,” I offered.

“It was the least I could do, and please call me Eve,” she replied, as Ry set a steaming cup of coffee in front of me and sat down beside me.

I nodded. “Did the rest of the guys make it here okay?” I asked him, worried about Cal, Hank, and Tag.

“They did. Cal had some smoke inhalation, but he’s doing all right. He didn’t stay the night. Went back to his place with Cole, Scar, and Gracie.”

“Is that safe?” I worried, taking a sip of coffee.

“After last night, it’s safe,” Ry assured me. “Speaking of which, now that you’re up we can go home too,” he added.

“Thank God.” I sighed in relief.

“You good?” Ry asked, turning to face his brother.

“We’re fine. Soph’s in Ma’s room with the kids. As soon as they get up, we’ll take off.”

Ry nodded as his mother stood up, looking awkward and unsure of herself. Ryker stepped close to her and for the first time in as long as I could remember, wrapped her in a hug. I could have cried at the sight as his mother gratefully returned the embrace of her youngest son.

“Thanks Ma, you did good,” he murmured, stepping back and returning to my side.

She nodded, too emotional to speak, as I stood up and walked to his side. I slung an arm around his waist, knowing he needed my support just as much as I wanted his.

“Cal wants a meet tonight, but take your woman home and get some rest,” Axel said authoritatively. “Glad you’re okay, Pipe,” he added, turning his eyes on me.

I nodded wearily. Despite just waking up I felt as though I could sleep for a week.

Ry took my hand, nodding to his brother, and with a final chin lift led me out the back door.

The dogs raced around us after a night spent in the unfamiliar backyard. “Tank seem okay? He got kicked pretty hard,” I asked, worried.

“Seems okay,” Ry replied dryly as we watched both dogs jump around like puppies.

We both laughed at their antics and I embraced the levity of the moment like a balm for my sore body. I grinned. “Yeah.”

I’d never been so grateful to be home as Ryker carried me up the stairs to our bedroom. I’d still have to get used to turning right into the master rather than left into my old bedroom.

“We should make a vet appointment to have the dogs checked out,” I murmured, as he laid me gently on the bed and stripped me of my clothes.

“We will.” He nodded, sliding my jeans down my legs.

“Just throw them out.” I wrinkled my nose.

He looked down at my bloody clothes in his hands and nodded.

He left me in my bra and panties, divesting himself of his own clothing before sliding in beside me.

Despite feeling completely exhausted, my mind raced in the silence. “Is it over?” I found the nerve to ask.

“It’s over,” he assured me, his hand reaching over to stroke my cheek.

I sighed in relief. I could hear about the details later—if I ever wanted to. For now, I knew if Ryker said it I could believe it, and that was enough for me.

“I’m so sorry about Blue,” I whispered hoarsely, my chin quivering.

His voice was laced with emotion when he replied. “Me too, baby. Let’s get some sleep. Cal wants us back at the club tonight. I’d say you should stay and rest, but we’re a family and we need each other, now more than ever.”