Page 61 of Ryder

Once inside the building, still unaware as to where exactly we were, I followed Jagger and my sister as he led us through two empty rooms, down a short flight of steps and down a narrowed hallway. When Jagger pushed open a door and I saw what was inside, I knew we’d reached our destination.

To my left, there were two bodies lying on the ground with leather vests covering their faces. Their clothes were soaked with blood, the image of who that could be instantly causing a rush of panic. Then I remembered that Ryder was alive and my heart slowed to its normal beat. Barely.

Taking one more glance at the dead bodies, I couldn’t help but wonder who they’d lost.

“Braylen,” Jagger called. “Let’s go.” He pulled me away from the carnage, knowing I was about to lose it even though my man was still alive, although I had no idea what condition I’d find him in.

Walking farther into the large space, I saw Tripp leaning over a table talking to someone, their voices hushed. It wasn’t until he moved to the side that I recognized the man laying down.

Ryder.

I rushed forward, shoving Tripp to the side and launching myself into Ryder’s arms, my body partly covering his.

“Uhhh,” he groaned. “Careful, baby,” he warned, a pained look telling me he was injured. Before I could pull back, his lips found mine and he poured everything into our brief kiss. Our joined fear and uncertainty disappeared as our breaths mingled, a piece of our souls joining and relishing in the moment. “I love you so much,” he whispered, breaking the kiss to look into my eyes.

“I love you,” I replied, giving him another quick kiss before standing up to look at him. His shirt was ripped and bloody, but it was his left leg that was bandaged—his thigh, to be more exact. When my eyes found his to ask what happened, I saw the distress. Whatever happened had rocked him, and I vowed right then and there to do whatever I needed—whatheneeded—to help him through it.

Gingerly touching his leg, careful not to put any pressure on the bandage, I asked, “What happened?” Tears fell down my cheeks before I could stop them, my body finally releasing the shock I’d been trapped in and starting to tremble.

Instead of answering me, Ryder clutched my hand in his and pulled me close. He tried to sit up, and when Tripp saw him struggling, he rushed over and helped him. Swinging his legs over the edge of the table, Ryder spread them and tugged me between them, my chest hitting his as he took my face in his hands.

“I got shot.” Before I started to break down even more, he said, “Don’t.” He wiped my tears as they continued to fall. “I’m fine. Nothing that won’t heal. Trust me.” His mouth covered mine, the kiss soft and light, his lips lingering without urgency. I savored his comfort even though I was the one who should’ve been soothing him.

After several minutes, I sat next to him on top of the metal table, our fingers linked and resting in my lap. “Can you tell me what happened?” Reservation painted his rugged face, his fingers squeezing mine tighter before he shook his head. “I have a right to know,” I whispered, not wanting to upset him but still trying to urge him to fill me in on what had transpired.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t really get into it. One day maybe, but not now.” He grimaced when he shifted his weight, his free hand gently moving his injured leg.

“Can I at least ask who died?” The breath in my lungs froze while I waited to see if he’d answer. I swore time stood still while I witnessed a plethora of emotions contorting his expression.

“Breck and Smiley.”

Ryder

I refused to relive the brief moment in time when I believed that my prez and VP were dead. So instead of delaying my answer to Braylen’s simple yet devastating question, I answered. Her face fell because she knew what a blow to all of us Breck’s death had been.

Smiley, on the other hand, while upsetting that he’d died during the fight because he was a Knight, wasn’t as devastating to me. Not only because we didn’t really know the guy, but because I harbored a lot of anger toward him, even in his death. It was because of him and his phone that our initial plan of action had been ripped apart in the first place. Although, when I found out he’d jumped in front of Breck to try and save him being shot, a feat which ultimately hadn’t worked, my anger subsided a little.

We all knew the risks, each of us signing up to defend our club against all costs. Unfortunately, two members of Knights Corruption wouldn’t make it back to see their loved ones. Tripp called Cutter to tell him that his son had died, and he promised to bring his body back home for a proper burial. The nomad had filled me in on their phone call, although it’d been brief. Cutter hadn’t said much, but that wasn’t uncommon. He was a man of few words, but we all knew he loved his son and was undoubtedly shredded by the news.

“Are you ready to go?” Jagger asked, helping me to stand before I even uttered a reply. “We gotta get back and take care of everything.” He mumbled something else before propping me up with his shoulder under my arm, moving slowly toward the edge of the room we’d been staying in for the past two days. Braylen shrouded my other side, ready to assist me if I needed her help as well. Kena followed behind all of us.

As we walked, I was able to finally lay eyes on the rest of the guys. Stone was leaning against the wall, fiddling with the bandage wrapped around his ear. Adelaide was beside him, slapping his hand away and yelling at him not to touch it. A few feet to the left, I saw Marek lying on a steel table, much like the one I’d been resting on. As I hobbled along, I saw Sully hunching over him and crying.

“Are we sure he’s gonna be okay?” I asked Jagger, pointing toward Marek.

“Yeah. The doc Rabid, or whoever he is, brought in said he’s gonna need some time to heal but he’ll pull through.”

Still walking slowly, we rounded the corner and down a hallway too narrow for the three of us to walk side by side, so Braylen stayed close behind, walking with her sister. A short flight of steps and two empty rooms later, we finally hit the outdoors, the California sun doing its best to offer some warmth.

“Where the fuck are we?”

“A twenty-minute ride from where all hell broke loose. Rabid had us load everyone up and come here. I don’t know whose it is or what the place is used for, but it did the job, so I’m not complaining.”

The guy who’d essentially saved our lives had taken off shortly after he’d revealed who he was, sort of. He never said another word to any of us before he disappeared. Months later, we’d come to find out that Michael Chase, aka Rabid, was an undercover NSA agent assigned to dismantle what was later referred to as one of the biggest cases the organization had ever been involved in.

Hey, what can I say? They had their informants and we had ours.

Up ahead, Tripp and Reece were leaning inside one of the other vehicles. As we passed by, I saw they were keeping watch over Riley and Kaden. No doubt Reece had volunteered for the job, and I knew there was no way Tripp would leave her side, not after everything that had happened. When he backed out, holding a crying Riley in his arms, he saw me and shrugged. Sully and Adelaide were still in the basement of the building, but they wouldn’t leave their children for long, so I had no doubt they’d be appearing soon enough. Until then, Reece tried to soothe Kaden, who had also started to fuss.

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