Page 74 of Raiden

“I’ll take him to the cops. He can have a crisis of conscience and decide to come clean. He tries anything stupid I’ll put a bullet in him myself.”

Gray steps right into Creed’s path, but not because he has anything to say to the man who sired him and betrayed him. “Our club?” Gray grunts, not trusting the bastards around us for a second. Creed might be okay, and he might even mean what he says, but he’s just one man. We don’t know that the men here won’t turn against him.

“We made an alliance. As far as I’m concerned, it stands.” He thumps his chest over the patch that denotes his rank. Road Captain. “I can’t speak for what Axel wants. He’s our chapter’s VP. He never did want to expand our operations outside New Mexico, and honestly, he likely couldn’t even give a fuck about what’s going on up here with some club he’s never heard of until Zale brought it into our attention. A bunch of us just did what our prez said without question because that’s how it goes. As far as the future goes, Axel will be busy securing himself at home before he looks outward. This was Zale’s project and as far as we’re concerned, it’s at an end.”

“I’ll return your men to you then.”

“They can come with us when we roll out. They have my number. I’ll make plans so they can catch up along the way back.”

Creed looks past Gray to Widow, who hasn’t moved from her spot by the open door. She looks like she has all the strength in the world, but I know what’s underneath that front. She’s probably going to collapse the second she gets a moment in private. I want nothing more than to wrap my arms around her, put her on my bike, and drive her back to safety. Back to our home.

Is it her home?

That’s why Creed’s studying her. “You’re welcome back in New Mexico, Widow. You might not be our MC Princess anymore, but you’ll always have a place somewhere with the club if you want it.”

“Thanks,” she mutters.“But if I ever leave here, I’ll be going back to Nevada.”

Creed nods tightly.

He grasps Zale’s bound arms and shoves him along, motioning to his men. “Let’s go. We’re out of here in ten.”

As they make to move out, our club still watches warily, grouped together against anything else that might get thrown our way tonight. We stay tight until Gray gives the signal and then we head for our bikes.

I stay exactly where I am, waiting for Widow to move.

I don’t want to rush to her and pick her up like she can’t stand on her own two feet. I’m not testing her to see if she’ll come to me, but I do want her to have that choice. I want to showher how much I respect and admire her and how she’ll always have the freedom to choose.

I just hope that she might want to give the good shit we’ve been building a shot.

As soon as Gray gives that signal, her eyes shift from watching her father and Creed to find me. She doesn’t put her gun away, but she does lower it and click the safety on. She takes one step and another, but then she abandons the pretense of calm, deadly, and unfeeling, and runs across the parking lot.

She doesn’t throw her arms around me and I don’t extend mine. There’s no grand gesture or air spinning. No sweeping her off her feet and twirling her around. We’re still in the thick of danger and that shit would be nonsensical. There’s time for romance later, on our own terms.

As soon as she stops though, she’s blinking away tears. The dark can’t hide how bright her green eyes shine.

“Raiden,” she breathes. “I had to get to him first. Before he did anything to you or Gray. I wouldn’t do what he wanted, and his next move was going to be to obliterate everything and everyone here. I care about you all way too much to have let him do that. I didn’t mean to put myself in danger. It’s not that I have a death wish. I just had to get to him before he got to you. He said that he set up our happiness and that he could take it away in an instant, just like he took your life away from you before. I couldn’t- I was never…” She trails off, the tears spilling over and tracking down her cheeks. She shakes her head, causing the ones pooling in her eyes to shimmer down her cheeks. “I told him I don’t love you, but that I’d honor my commitment here. But I- I- don’t know that I do loveyou yet, but I know that I want to stay and see if I can. I never saw myself wanting marriage or evenkids, but then you were quite literally thrown in my path as a set of demands and obligations. I’m not much for blind obedience or going quietly, but if I’m glad for one thing that Zale did, it’s that he used me as a tool so that we could meet. I know that’s not romantic, it’s not some big declaration, but it’s my truth and to me, honestly is the most sacred thing a person can offer. I’m sorry if that’s not enough.’

“Are you fucking crazy, El? You just risked your life to save ours and our club. The outcome tonight could have ended with us all bleeding out, but instead, we’re going home. Hart is ours again and we can live here, free and peaceful like before. I can’t think of a declaration of love more honest and fearless than that.”

“It wasn’t fearless. I’m not. Fearless.”

She swipes at her tears in frustration and that’s when I slip my arm around her waist and guide her to my bike.

I don’t have an extra helmet, but I give her mine. I set it gently on her head, doing the strap up under her chin. The face is open, but I duck down anyway so she can hear exactly what I’m saying. ‘Your bikes are probably going to be forfeited to the cops for a while, but we’ll get them back, I promise. If not, I’ll work side by side with you, building and customizing another.” She’s still frowning, her eyes still huge and liquid, but I’m so far from finished. “You think that what you told me wasn’t moving? All I have ever wanted is your truth. Anyone can say they love someone and have it ring hollow. Even a blood oath can be just another string of meaningless words. There’s plenty of time to say I love you. Until you’re ready, I know you mean it and I’m excited to walk beside you as your partner, building up a life in this town for us and for the family I’ve chosen as my own. I’m happy as fuck to share them with you. You’re a warriorthrough and through and I know you can protect yourself, but I’d be honored to be at your side, helping you whenever you might need it, celebrating joy and clinging to each other through the shitty parts of life. You’re brilliant, you’re dangerous, you’re brave from the bottom of your soul.”

Her hands shoot out and grasp my face, holding me like she can’t quite believe in here and that this is more than a dream that’s going to vaporize if she lets it go.

“Can you take me home, Sparkles?”

I grin, noting the vibrant pink and gold nail polish that is still hanging in there. “Yeah, Ella. Not going to call you Widow ever again unless you ask me to.” I mount up in front of her, balancing the bike carefully as she wraps her arms around my waist. When I turn back to her, I can’t help the grin that lights up my face. “Let’s roll out.”

Epilogue

One Year Later

Professor

Iknow. It’s a terrible name, and yet again, I didn’t pick it myself, but it’s one the whole club gave me after I got my PhD, and so this time, I’m fucking in love with it. I’d completed half of my PhD back in Nevada, and luckily, I found a college up here where they were happy to take me on to finish my thesis. Truthfully, I wouldn’t have minded starting afresh as learning is the true joy. But now I can impart that knowledge to others.

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