Page 8 of Blade's Runaway Bride
The ride to the clubhouse takes longer than usual. I take a circuitous route, doubling back several times to ensure we're not being followed. Kelly says nothing, just holds on, her body relaxing against mine as exhaustion overtakes fear.
By the time we pull into the lot behind the Outlaw Order clubhouse, it's nearly 3 AM. The building is dark except for the security lights, but I know someone will be awake. We never leave the place unguarded, especially not with the Vultures MC trying to move in on our territory.
As expected, the door opens as soon as I cut the engine. Ace steps out, rifle in hand, eyes narrowing when he sees I'm not alone.
"The fuck, Blade?" he calls, keeping his distance until he can identify my passenger.
"Need to talk to Reaper," I reply, dismounting. "Got something he'll want to see."
Kelly slides off the bike, standing awkwardly beside me. In my oversized cut, with her blonde hair tangled and her face smudged with dirt, she looks nothing like the scared bride I found by the roadside.
Ace's eyes widen slightly as he takes in her wedding dress beneath my cut. "Jesus Christ, man. You kidnapped a fucking bride?"
"She was running from the Vultures MC," I say flatly. "Found her on Route 16."
That changes things. Ace's stance relaxes slightly. "Vultures MC, huh? Reaper's gonna want to hear this. He's inside with Ghost."
I nod, then turn to Kelly. "Stay close to me. Don't speak unless spoken to."
Chapter 4 - Kelly
"Stay close to me. Don't speak unless spoken to."
Blade's command should piss me off. I'm not a child or a dog to be ordered around. But right now, wrapped in his oversized leather cut that smells like cigarettes, gasoline, and something distinctly male, I can only nod.
My earlier bravado is fading fast, reality crashing down as we stand in front of this dark building with yet another dangerous-looking man staring at me like I'm a bomb that might detonate.
Holy shit. I just helped dispose of a car in a pond.
I actually drove a vehicle into water, watching through the windshield as murky darkness swallowed the hood, feeling the car rock beneath me as I scrambled out the door before it sank too deep. The weight of what I've done, what I've been a witness to tonight, hits me all at once. Four men are dead. I watched Blade kill them, and I didn't try to stop him. I said it was *good*.
What the fuck is wrong with me?
My legs suddenly feel like they might give out. I've been running on pure adrenaline for hours, maybe days. When was the last time I actually slept? Before the "rehearsal dinner" where I realized what my "wedding night" would truly entail. Before I decided to run rather than become Mike's property.
Blade's hand on my lower back steadies me, guiding me forward. It's not gentle, but it's solid, grounding. I focus on that touch as we approach the building.
The younger biker—Ace, Blade called him—holds the door open, watching me with an eyebrow raised. He can't be much older than me, with sharp features and wary eyes that miss nothing.
"Nice dress," he says as I pass, the corner of his mouth quirking up.
I don't respond, remembering Blade's instructions. Don't speak unless spoken to. The old, obedient Kelly would have followed such a command without question. The Kelly who survived the Vultures MC wants to tell this guy to go fuck himself. But the exhausted, confused Kelly who just helped hide evidence of multiple murders? She just wants to stay alive until morning.
The inside of the clubhouse is dimly lit and smells like beer, leather and gunpowder. It's a large open space with a bar along one wall, pool tables, and mismatched furniture grouped around a big-screen TV. Motorcycle parts and tools are scattered on tables, and the walls are covered with flags, road signs, and framed photographs of men in leather cuts similar to the one I'm wearing.
Two men sit at the bar, their conversation stopping abruptly as we enter. One is massive, broad-shouldered with a thick white beard. The other is leaner, with haunted eyes, dark beard and a quieter presence that somehow seems more dangerous than the bigger man's obvious strength.
"The fuck is this?" the white bearded one demands, standing up. His voice is deep, authoritative. This must be Reaper, the one Blade mentioned.
"Found her on Route 16," Blade says, his hand still on my back. "Running from Vultures MC. Wearing a wedding dress."
The other man's eyes narrow as he looks me over. "And you brought her here why?"
"She was supposed to marry one of Charles's men today. Ran instead."
That gets both men's attention. They exchange a look I can't interpret.
"She told you that?"
