Authors: Michelle Woods
Ratchet walked into the clubhouse with Tick both of them stopping at the table where a prospect waited to take their guns. He’d talked with Tick about Mia. Tick had been concerned when he hadn’t returned to the Dixon farm in three weeks. He’d explained that he was staying because Mia didn’t want to leave yet. They were staying with Pearl and Bear in the guestroom. Although, Bear was getting a little grouchy with him in his space but the man would have to deal with it he wasn’t leaving until Mia did.
They moved away from the table headed into church. Taking their seats waiting for Bone who was absent to start. Tank leaned forward looking at him, grinning.
“Your girls a feisty one isn’t she?” The man asked.
“Yeah, she is.” Ratchet told him his own grin felt like the dopey ones he’d seen on other men’s faces and made fun of. Only he didn’t give a shit. His woman was fine, and he loved her feisty nature.
Bone entered slamming the door. Shit, that wasn’t a good sign, Ratchet thought grimly. They all watched wearily as Bone paced back and forth. Fuck, this really wasn’t good at all. When Bone was this agitated it was never a good sign.
“I just discovered from Tiny who went out yesterday on a fact finding mission that those fucking Jackal’s are running that shit though our territory. How the fuck they are doing it is a damned mystery. I can’t fucking deal with this bullshit. I think we need to discuss eliminating the Jackal’s completely.” Bone’s voice echoed off the walls, and the silence in the room was almost deafening.
They all knew what this would mean. War with the Jackal’s. The possibility of them losing men, and family. None of them would make this choice lightly. All of them wanted to find a peaceful solution to this problem, but they weren’t going to get a choice. The Jackal’s weren’t going to be allowed to run drugs through their territory. It wasn’t going to happen. They’d put up with a lot this past three years from the Jackal’s and every time they knocked them back the bastards came at them harder.
They’d all known where this was leading over a year ago when they’d been attacked in Titusville. Only none of them wanted to think about the way it was ten years ago when they were engaged in battle with them before. They’d lost a lot of good men. It would happen again. They’d lose people, and that would not sit well with any of them. Tank’s brother’s had been lost in the last war, so Ratchet knew that for him it would be hard to choose to go into combat again.
Ratchet looked at Tick, and knew the man was on the same page. War wasn’t what they wanted but it was the only way to protect what they had. It was fight or lose more than just a few men. Because every club trying to make a name would be after them and their family if they continued to allow the Jackal’s to edge into their territory.
“They’ve been getting bolder every year. We can’t letting it keep happening.” Bear spoke up from the wall where he leaned. Earning nods from a lot of the older men who sat stood near him.
“We have tried the high road. Only handling what they throw at us, but it’s getting worse not better.” Rock spoke up his voice grim.
“I know that Annie’s mother will supply what we’d need.” Tank’s voice was firm though his jaw was clenched.
“There has to be another option.” Bull muttered. It wasn’t surprising that he was speaking against fighting. He’d lost everything in the last war. His two sons and his old lady had been killed. He’d almost died too. Not that Ratchet was sure he didn’t wish he had. He couldn’t imagine losing so much.
“There’s not. Bull, I know what you lost in the last battle and I get why you’re arguing for peace. But you know as well as we all do sometimes peace isn’t an option.” Tank spoke again.
Many of the men in the room nodded. Ratchet knew that almost everyone was going to vote to go to war with the Jackal’s. They were tired of playing nice. If the Jackal’s wanted a fight they were going to get it. The Red Devils weren’t allowing them or any other fucked up group to take what they had built. They’d fought for what they had and knew the value of it. They wouldn’t lose it because some jackass thought he could come in and take it.
“We need to step back and think about this. It could mean some of the woman and possibly children dying.” Bull’s heated voice fell into the silent room.
“Bull, do you think any of us want this?” Pretty Boy asked, glaring at him. “We all knew for the last three years this was coming. It’s not a surprise to any of us. Even you. We knew that dealing only with the smacks they’ve tried to give us wouldn’t last. Hell, we took out half their fucking club in the last three years alone and still we’re getting shit from them. None of us want this.” He slammed his fist down on the table.
“It’s true. We’ve tried like they said to take the high road, and where has it gotten us other than pissed on. They just keep coming back for more. If we take them out completely then we stop fucking around and get to breathe for a while before some other fucked up club decides to come at us. It’s going to happen. We all know it.” Trick growled.
Ratchet leaned forward adding his voice to the mix. “Bull you already know that they’re right. I get it. Losing what you did you think there has to be a better way, but you know there’s not.”
Bull looked defeated as he slumped into his chair. “Fuck, I know. I know. I just don’t want any of you to suffer what I did.” The gruff man had tears in his eyes. Damn, Ratchet thought he hadn’t meant to break the man.
“Life doesn’t come with any guarantees. Even if we didn’t go to war we’d lose people. Vivi proved that. Life isn’t going to give us any breaks, and sometimes we have to fight.” Tick spoke from beside him, and Ratchet felt pride in his friend fill him.
He’d suffered a great loss when Vivi had died and yet he’d fought his way back into the world for his son. He’d been given a second chance with Charity and he wasn’t against going to war because he knew the truth. Not choosing to engage didn’t mean they’d all walk away. It just meant that they wouldn’t go down fighting.
Bone’s voice rang out over the room, “We need a majority vote. I don’t think we have a choice anymore. It will look like weakness if we don’t act now.”
Ratchet stood a few minutes later walking from the room beside Tick. He looked at his best friend his face grim. “To war then. What are you going to do to protect the farm?”
“What I’ve always done, my friend. Take my brother home with me to plan.” Tick said meeting his eyes. Ratchet nodded, yeah it was about time he headed home. Now if he could just convince his woman to go with him.
Ratchet walked into Bear and Pearl’s house to find Mia in their room. She’d just taken a shower and was sitting on the edge of the bed drying her hair. Ratchet felt his guts clench in need. Fuck, she was sexy. Even like this with her hair wet, and her causal jeans and t-shirt. He watched her from the doorway a soft smile on his face. This was why he’d voted to end this standoff they were in with the Jackal’s. Her. She was the reason he’d fight till he died. To protect her and whatever made her happy.
She seemed to sense his stare, looking up. She smiled brightly and he was taken aback by her utter beauty. He shut the door moving into the room he leaned down to kiss her. His lips found hers when she lifted her head to accept his kiss. She smelled like vanilla and woman, and he’d never smelled a sexier scent. His hands pulled at the wet strands of her hair, and he deepened the kiss. She was moaning her hands lifting to pull at his cut. He let her pull him onto the bed on top of her as she lay back.
Moaning, she pulled back. “We can’t,” she moaned “I told Pearl we’d go to dinner with them.”
“Humm… when.” Ratchet asked kissing her neck his mouth nipping at her skin his hands sliding under her t-shirt to encounter her warm breasts which were still bare.
“In half an hour, so we don’t have time.” She groaned as he found a particularly sensitive spot. He rubbed his thumbs across her nipples.
“Plenty of time.” He managed to growl before he lifted her shirt taking her breast into his mouth. She arched off the bed a mewling cry tearing from her lips.
It was about forty minutes later that they stumbled into the living room to find Bear and Pearl sitting on the couch. Pearl was in Bear’s lap and the man growled roughly.
“’Bout time you let that girl out of her bed.”
“Stop, Bear. You’re embarrassing Mia.” Pearl said, smacking him in the head as she stood. “It’s fine we were young once too. Well I was at least.” Pearl jeered earning a smack on the ass from Bear.
“Are you two ready to go?” Pearl asked.
“Yes, we’re ready.” Mia said, a light blush staining her cheeks as Pearl looped an arm through hers. The two of them walked outside.
“You ask her yet.” Bear asked staring at him.
“Ask her what?” Ratchet asked watching the other man.
“A few things come to mind, boy. But in this case I was referring to the fact that you need to head back to the farm.” Bear asked as they turned out the lights and locked the door.
He shouldn’t be surprised that the man already knew about him returning home. But he was. It made sense that he’d guess with what the club had decided today. They were all on edge.
“Not yet.” Ratchet told him as they walked towards the women who stood next to the bikes.
As they neared Bear considered him for a moment then nodded. “Just don’t fuck it up, boy. She can stay here if she wants to. ”
Ratchet clenched his fist at his side. No fucking way was he going to let that happen. He wasn’t going to allow her to stay behind where he wasn’t the one who’d be protecting her. Yeah, that wasn’t going to fucking happen. He would make sure she was willing to come with him. His father hadn’t only taught him how to make a man talk he’d also taught him how to protect what he held dear and Ratchet wasn’t going to let anything happen to his woman.
“Hurry up, I’m hungry.” Mia complained when he stood near the bike she’d already climbed on. Laughing he climbed on and cranked the motor. She wrapped her arms around his waist lying her hands on his stomach.
“You’re a bit impatient tonight. You tackled me the minute I arrived at the house and now you’re demanding that I rush to get you food. Bossy woman.” Ratchet teased.
She pinched his stomach, growling, “I didn’t attack you! That went the other way around. Why are you wearing a shirt anyway?”
“Well, somebody attacked let’s not get picky about who attacked who,” He said with a chuckle. ”And it’s starting to get cold again. Over the next month we’ll be in for some cold weather and I wear clothes in the winter. I already told you that a few weeks ago. Christmas is only three weeks away.” Then he headed to the restaurant with his girl clinging to him as he flew across the miles between his woman and her dinner.
Ratchet walked into Bone’s office the next day to find Duck, Dog, Trick and Bone sitting at the desk. Bone was shaking his head and looked like he’d been pulling at his hair in frustration again. The men turned when he entered.
“Good. You’re here. I wanted to talk to you. We need your expertise. There’s a man over in a cellar near Tammy’s diner that I need you to break.” Bone told him with a dour look.
“Again. I just worked on that Jackal we found last week. Is this about the Juice run they are planning?” Ratchet felt his eye starting to twitch.
“This is a weasel who beat the fuck out of Monica. He cut her tongue out before he brutalized her for over three hours. She’s at Doc’s and even if he can heal her she might not want to live.” Bone told him. Fuck, Ratchet thought Monica was only sixteen.
“He’s hinted that he had information that would lead us to their new lab. If he does have that information we need it. He was talking until he overheard two idiot prospects talking in the hallway about us fucking him up after we got the information. Now he isn’t talking and Tank’s been working him for almost two days. You are the best we have.” Bone told him his expression bleak.
Ratchet knew that Bone knew how much it cost him every time he had to work a man until he broke. Breaking a person wasn’t pretty. Sometimes it was simple. Others it wasn’t. He only got them when it wasn’t. He didn’t like to think of the things he’d done to men to break them. The grim fact of the matter was that with them headed into a war he was going to be doing this much more often than he’d like.
This one would be easier knowing how he’d brutalized a child, but it would still take a tiny piece of his soul. It always did. It was why he tried so hard to enjoy life. He nodded, his expression harsh. He’d do what needed to be done, but first he needed to talk to Mia. He’d not had time last night to ask her to head back to the farm with him when he left. He’d planned on leaving today if she’d go with him.
Bone’s request would mean they didn’t leave for a few days which might be better. He’d ask her today and then give her time to consider going with him. While he worked hard to convince her that she should. He thought, grinning. This idea had merit, he thought smugly.
“I need to take care of something first, but I’ll head back over this afternoon to start.” Ratchet told the men.
“Sounds good.” Bone nodded, standing near him by the door. “I know things have been tense between us since the Mia debacle but I hope you know that I appreciate you.” The other man told him. Ratchet smirked at him.
Since Molly had become his old lady Bone had gotten down right communicative. It was funny as hell when he pulled this feelings shit out of his ass. Not that they really minded knowing that they were important to the club. It was just funny that a man who would shoot you as soon as look at you was saying things like I appreciate you. And good job. Ratchet batted his eye lashes at the man and said in a sickeningly sweet voice.
“Really Bone. Does this mean we’re going steady now?”
“Dick. Just be aware.” Bone sneered, glowering at him.
“We’re good.” He said seriously. Bone nodded and he headed out the door, climbing on his hog to go to Bear’s to see Mia.
Mia was standing in the living room when Ratchet walked in. She’d just been asked by Lisa, Racheal, and Molly to meet them at the diner in town in an hour. She was thinking about how her life had changed over the last few weeks here with the Red Devils. She had a boyfriend. At least she thought he was her boyfriend. With Ratchet it was hard to tell. She could just be his fuck buddy, she thought sadly.
He was rarely serious, unless it was about her safety. He became a little scary sometimes about that and he was bossy about it too. It was the only time they really argued. He also seemed to always be joking about something. Although, there was a darker edge to him that always seemed to lurk behind the happy go lucky facade. It was why she wasn’t really sure what they were. She didn’t really understand what she was dealing with when it came to him. He was a mystery.
She’d made several friends and found some of the family she’d lost a year ago. She’d missed Pearl and Racheal who’d been a part of her life since she was sixteen. Her life here was fuller, but she still felt at odds because she had nothing to do.
She turned when he opened the door and felt unsure about the serious expression on his face. It didn’t bode well for a quick romp in bed before she met the girls. She sighed that really was too bad. When she’d heard his bike pull up she’d thought that at least she knew what to do to pass the time now. Only it didn’t look like she was going to get lucky now.
“Hello, beauty.” Ratchet moved into the room taking in Mia who wore one of the long skirts she tended to favor and a light button up blouse that had five buttons undone at the top revealing the top slopes of her breasts. His marks were visible making him feel satisfaction that anyone who saw them would know that she was his. Her hair was down and it flowed around her reminding him of her in bed this morning.
“Hey.” She whispered back. Her face clouding slightly as she watched him. He must look grim, he realized. He’d been thinking of what he was about to do once he left here and it wasn’t sitting well with him. It always felt wrong even when he was doing it to protect his family. And the sick fuck who’d attacked a child wasn’t worth feeling upset about. Yet, he did. He didn’t like what he did to men when he handled this problem for the club.
Lightening his face with a smile, he moved towards her. She grinned back at him. Her face lighting up as he lowered his lips to hers. She was so sweet. He kissed her gently, his lips attached to hers in a soft caress. It was a greeting more than a kiss, he thought as he pulled back cupping her face.
“I need to ask you something, Mia.” He said gazing into her eyes. His own were likely boring into hers. He couldn’t help it, he wasn’t feeling soft right now with what he knew his afternoon would be consumed with. He wanted to bask in her sweetness before the dark consumed him. He almost laughed at his own dramatic thoughts.
“Okay.” She nodded.
“Will you come home with me when I leave in three days?” Ratchet blurted out.
“Home?” She questioned. Wasn’t this his home? She wondered, confused.
“I have a cabin over at the Dixon farm. It’s small only three bedrooms, but it’s mine. I have to go back and I want you to come with me.” He told her his hands still holding her face.
“Oh, I don’t know. How far away is the farm?” Mia asked unsure what to say. She hadn’t realized that this wasn’t where he lived. Part of her wanted to stay with him, but she didn’t want to be totally dependent on him either. She knew that here she was living with Pearl who was like her Aunt. She was okay with living with her because she was practically family. Staying with Ratchet would be different. He wasn’t her family. It would make her feel a bit cheap to move in with him when she wasn’t even sure they were a couple.
“About two hours. Too far for me to travel back and forth every day. Besides Tick needs my help there. I’ve be putting off going home because I don’t want to be separated from you Mia.” He told her not elaborating on why Tick needed him there. It was to secure the farm so that their families would be safe while they fought with the Jackal’s. She didn’t need to know that. It would make her question her safety with him and he didn’t want that. Mia should feel safe in her home and he’d die to make her feel that way if he had to.
“I don’t know Ratchet. It’s a big step, and we haven’t even talked about what this is. I just want to know what we have before we just jump past the dating stage to the living together stage.” Mia stared at him with a worried expression on her face. It caused a wrinkle to form between her eyes. It was cute, so he kissed it.
She let out a breathy moan when he did. It made him chuckle a bit. “Please we can talk about what we are tonight. I’d like to think we’re already together. So to me moving in together isn’t a huge step.” Ratchet told her.
“It is though. We barely know each other Ratchet.” Mia told him quietly. He knew that was true in some ways, but wrong in others. They already knew they were compatible sexually. They also knew each other’s moods, having learned them over the last few weeks. He knew she didn’t look happy until she’d had her coffee, and she knew he didn’t like wearing a shirt because it made him feel a bit confined.
“I know you, Mia. You’re cranky without your coffee and you like it when I pinch your nipples lightly. And you love when I suck them.” Ratchet would have continued but Mia stopped him.
“That’s my point Ratchet. You know about my sexual preferences and I know yours, but you don’t know who I am as a person without the sex stuff. And I don’t really know you. We skipped that part because the passion between us is so amazing.” Mia told him that tiny wrinkle appeared again and he wanted to tell her she was wrong, but instead he told her the truth.
“I want to learn Mia. And if you stay here I can’t, but if you come with me I can.” He kissed her nose, his hands moving into her hair.
“Okay, we can try it, but I need a way to contact Pearl if I want to come back here.” Mia finally agreed against her better judgment. She wanted to learn about who he was too, and she didn’t want to lose him so soon after finding him.
“Thank you, Mia. You won’t ever regret this, beauty.” Ratchet informed her.
“I hope not, but I want a sat phone so that I can contact Pearl if I don’t want to stay with you anymore.” Ratchet didn’t like her stipulation but he wasn’t going to disagree. He’d learned that when Mia became determined she wasn’t easily dissuaded.