Page 3 of Rhett Redeemed

Jamie pokes her head in. “Hot biker left this for you.” She hands me a piece of paper with his number on it. “You going to text him? You should. He’s sexy.”

I shake my head, scrunch up the paper and throw it across the room into the trash like it’s a basketball hoop. “Nope.”

She frowns, resting her hand on her hip. “No harm in getting some di—”

“Jamie, get out here!” Max calls, and she rolls her eyes and heads back to work.

I dust the crumbs off my black pants and mentally prepare myself for another four hours of work. I don’t need to be thinking about the sexy biker, I need to be thinking about how I’m going to get out of this rut that I’m in.

I get a text message from Cara.

Cara: You said you wanted to find a new job, right?

When we went out the other night, I told her that I wasn’t loving it here anymore, and that I’d started to look for something new. She must have really listened to what I was saying.

Con: Yes? Why?

Cara: You open to anything? Like working in a custom motorcycle garage?

My fingers pause over the keyboard. I don’t know anything about custom motorcycles, but I’m a fast learner, and I can’t afford to be picky. Any change is a good change right now, I know that my mental health needs it, and this could be a good opportunity for me, the one that I’ve been wanting.

Con: Yes please. Just at work now, I’ll text you later.

I put my phone away and head out to serve more customers, smiling to myself that Cara is looking out for me. It feels so damn good to finally have someone on my side, on my team.

I always wanted a big sister, and although we met late, it looks like I was blessed with a good one.

Chapter Two

Rhett

About a year ago, I had a choice to make. An impossible choice.

Arrow, the Wind Dragons president; Sin, the former president; and Talon, my stepdad, all sat me down to let me know they wanted me to become the next Wind Dragons president when Arrow was ready to retire. While this is something that had been talked about in passing, I never really thought it was real until I heard the words out of Arrow’s mouth.

“You’re next up.”

And I fucking wanted it. The idea that I would become the leader of the fiercest motorcycle club was a dream come true. You know how when you’re little and people ask you what you want to be when you grow up? Truth is I never had an answer other than “provide for my mother.” But once the Wind Dragons came into my life when I was a kid, it was all I ever saw for myself. Wearing a cut, riding a motorcycle. That was the dream.

And having Cara by my side and on the back of my bike. I don’t think either of us saw anything different for ourselves.

Until our best friend, Clover, was threatened and Cara and I had to go hide out or risk being killed.

That changed a lot of things for Cara.

“What does that entail exactly?” I had asked. I mean, I know we see Arrow leading, making decisions and generally handling shit, but what exactly comes with being a president?

“You will lead the MC, you will be responsible for all of the members and the various businesses and you will uphold the legacy of the Wind Dragons,” Arrow had replied. “You will still have us to guide you, but being president will consume you. Your MC will be your life.”

“The MC is my life now,” I’d said.

Sin had shaken his head. “It’s a heavy burden, being responsible for everything. Making all decisions and dealing with the consequences that come with them. You’ll also be responsible for making sure we’re making money with the businesses. Being the president and not just a member is a whole different ball game. People will target you. You need to watch your back at all times. It’s a war out there, Rhett. Do you think you can handle all of that?”

I had nodded, but the conversation with them had me concerned. Why did they sound like they were warning me? They both did it, so I could too, right?

Clover, Cara and I had grown up seeing everything Clover’s mother, Faye, went through as Sin’s old lady, and then watched Anna and Arrow navigate it as well. They each had been put through hell and back, and now that was going to be Cara’s life. That was the life I was giving her.

That was when I knew I loved her too much to ask that of her.

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