Page 24 of Wire
“I’m falling in love with you too. I feel the connection between you and me is there, and I do want to see where this journey will take us as I think it could be amazing. A once-in-a-lifetime chance at a special kind of love that you only read about in romance books. However, that being said, you’re right. Leaving my home and brothers is scary. Especially now, I’m only just starting to rebuild my relationship with my brothers. I don’t feel now is the right time for me to leave. It breaks my heart to say to you that I can’t go with you.” She breaks into a sob.
I pull her into my arms and hold her as tight as possible. Trying to get her as close to me as I can. I’m not willing to give up. She means too much to me to just walk away now without even trying. I’m committed to making this work and not giving up without a fight.
“Lu, please, darlin’, don’t cry. We’ll make this work. I promise we’ll find a way. Yes, I need to go home, and you need to stay here. But that doesn’t mean we can’t still be together. I have a lot of work and making up to do when I get back to Pine Ridge. We can talk every day on the phone, plus facetime and text messages. We can even visit each other on weekends. Madison is not that far away, a few hours ride. Darlin’, you’re worth the drive,” I try to reassure her.
“I want to be there to support you. You will need someone in your corner, someone you can lean on.” Her tears have stopped now, her eyes red and puffy. She looks adorable with her little pout.
“And you will be there to support me. Doesn’t need to be in person to feel you have my back.”
She takes a few minutes to right herself, and her breathing finally evens out. Looking down, I notice she has fallen asleep in my arms. I lift her and head inside to the bedroom. She wakes enough as I’m placing her on the bed to undress while I strip down to my boxers. Climbing into bed together, I cuddle her. Relishing the feel of how she fits perfectly into my body. Like she is my missing piece. This just convinces me more that she is my missing piece.
The next morning is hell. Pure hell! I’m all packed, and my bike is ready to go. Tyler found an old helmet for me to use as my old one is not useable after the accident. Standing outside the ranch, I say goodbye to the Davis brothers.
“Promise me you’ll look after her while I’m gone. Trust me, I will know if you don’t. I will be back to crack some skulls,” I warn Carter. As the eldest, It’s his job to keep the family going.
“Don’t worry, man. She’s in safe hands now. Thank you for what you have done for our family. Go get yours back, and we will look after sis until you’re ready to come back, or she is ready to come to you.”
With a nod, I shake his hand. Turning to look at my beautiful Tallulah. Every time I look at her, she takes my breath away. What she has done for me in a short space of time is a miracle. I step toward her and take her in my arms.
“This is not goodbye. Never goodbye between us. Only a see you soon. I’m coming back for you, Tallulah Davis. We have an amazing future to look forward to together.” I kiss her, pouring all of my emotions, feelings, and dreams into the kiss. We pull away from each other as if we continue. I know I won’t leave.
“You’ll do amazing things, Tanner. I have all the faith in the world that you will rebuild the fences with your family and get the support to overcome your demons. I’ll be here every step of the way, supporting you from afar. Don’t forget me.”
“I could never forget you, darlin’. You’re my other half, my missing piece.” I kiss her forehead as I know if I kiss her again, I really will never leave.
Pulling away from her and watching her stand on the porch in my mirror as I ride away is the hardest thing I will ever do. Harder than the appointment with Dr. Reid I’ve made for when I get back home. Dr. Reid is a specialist in PTSD who was recommended by the doctor that Tinhead was seeing. Dr. Reid is based in Pine Ridge.
I’m not going straight to the clubhouse, and I’ve told no one I’m coming home either. I want to get a few appointments under my belt before I try to mend my relationship with the club. I’m still not sure if the club is still my future. Meeting Tallulah has made me question my place in life. After the way Joker treated me, I’m not sure that relationship is salvageable or if I even want to salvage it. Is the club still my place?
CHAPTERELEVEN
Joker
Wire thinks I don’t know he’s been back in town for the last two weeks. But I do. He has been staying at a local Motel. Not sure why he hasn’t let anyone know he’s back, but the second he checked in, the guy who runs the motel called to let me know one of my own had checked in.
He thought it was strange that he wasn’t at the compound, so he wanted to check he wasn’t up to no good. I reassured him it was all good. Wire has been away for a few months now. The compound has changed in that time and is now like its own small town. All the brothers, including myself, have a house built within the fence line. We have a main street with smaller streets coming off it, creating our own safe environment for all our families.
The kids can run wild and free. Going between houses and the small play area with swings, slides, and a kickass climbing frame. I have Beau and my beautiful princess Polly. When we went for the scan and found out we were having a girl, I nearly passed the fuck out. How the hell was I going to cope with raising a girl? The first stop on the way back from the doctors was the gun range to stock up on guns and ammo. Carrie laughed the entire time, thinking my panic was hilarious.
The brothers weren’t much help either, thinking it too was the funniest thing they had ever heard. Tank is the worst as Pandora and he has a boy named Ryder Jason Evans. I was honored that he gave his son my name. Carrie cried as usual. God, my woman, loves deeply, and for Tank, someone she feels close to, giving his son the name of the man, she loves meant everything to her.
The kid is too much like his father already at just a week old. Tank, as per usual, gave us so much entertainment when Pandora went into labor. We were at the clubhouse, and she was at the new house on the compound. Nesting is what Carrie called it. So, Pandora comes walking into the clubhouse carrying her hospital bag, calm as if nothing was happening. Throws her bag at Tank and says, ‘Get the car. My water broke’.
He freezes like a statue for a minute before he starts absolutely freaking out, screaming that she’s in labor, the babies coming, runs for the door, does even try to open it, just runs smack into the door, knocking his stupid ass out. Pandora still calm as anything, rolls her eyes, picks up her hospital bag, steps over a passed out Tank, and tells me, ‘Sort his ass out, and I’ll meet you at the hospital’ as she leaves, driving herself to the hospital.
He made it in time to be present when his son came screaming into the world. Let’s hope he has his mother’s brains. Because I swear, my brother makes me question his intelligence at times.
I’m now sitting in the dark in Wire’s motel room, waiting for him to get back from wherever he has been going for the last two weeks. I have given him enough time to let me know he’s back and come talk to me. Carrie had been so angry with me over the way I treated Wire that she had me sleeping on the fucking couch. But once I heard from Axe that he had made it to the Reapers, I could then explain my reasoning to her.
I’m finally back in bed with my woman. She understands why it had to be this way, even if she doesn’t agree with it. I understand she feels there could have been a better way to do things with the same result. But as I explained to her, I have known Wire longer, and I know deep down that this was the only way to help him. Even if it pained me to do it.
I hear his bike pull into the parking lot and shut off. A few moments later, he unlocks the door and enters without turning the light on. Rookie mistake that Wire should know better than to make. Clearly, he feels safe and secure here. He’s let his guard down.
“You think I don’t know that you’re here?” he says, finally turning a light on.
Okay, maybe he hadn’t let his guard down. I lean forward in my chair and take a good look at my brother. He looks like he’s lost a little weight, and he has dark circles under his eyes. He also looks emotionally wrung out. His appearance is causing me to worry.
“You’ve been in town two weeks, Wire. Thought you would have contacted someone by now, even if it wasn’t me,” I tell him.
