AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Work?” I ask, raising my brow.
“Pushing himself too hard. I heard from Steady that he’s at the center more too,” Ghost tells me.
“When does he sleep?” Not really expecting an answer, I cross my arms over my chest and focus again on Priest.
“Not sure that he is. He looked like shit this morning. Told him he couldn’t do the run today. He didn’t fight me on it, but here he is, in the gym. He’s trying to work something out of his system.” Ghost’s right, but it’s not a thing, it’s a who.
“It’s a woman.”
Ghost quirks his lip upwards. “You think?”
“I know.” I sigh. “Better question is, why he’s fighting this so much?”
“You know his past. It’s the same fight I had.” Ghost stayed away as long as he did to protect the ones he loves. He became a ghost to keep his brothers and the woman he loved safe, hence his name.
“Not the same,” I say. “This is about paying penance. Not taking the good that’s given because he doesn’t think he’s earned it.”
“That’s bullshit!” Ghost grumbles, low enough so that only I can hear him.
“Agreed.” I look over at Priest punching the bag with all his might, his expression wrecked and savage. “It’s him we’ve got to convince.”
“Me or you?”
“Me. Give him ten more minutes, then tell him I’m looking for him. I’ll be in my office. We’re going for a ride.”
I go to prepare for an afternoon away from the compound, which means I call Ava first to let her know not to wait on dinner. This may take a while. I hate being away from her and the boys. Gavin and Ryder are instinctively curious, which I love, but they can be a handful at times. But Ava always gets it when I make the call. “Do what you gotta do to make him safe, honey. Come home to me as soon as you can,” she says, then blows a kiss through the phone.
Never thought I’d find the right woman. Didn’t even think I wanted that, until she walked right past me, and in an instant, I knew it was her for me. I think back at the club brothers who have good women in their lives, and it only makes them strong. Some are spicy, like Vi or Willow, some soft and sweet like Izzy or Abigail. For me, it’s Ava. She’s strong and independent, but open to embracing all that the Pride throws her way. She’s the perfect old lady. And she’s a leader in her own right for the Lady Pride, as she’s named them. The wives, girlfriends, and significant others of the men in our crew have bonded. Ava and the others make it easier for a new woman to acclimatize to the difficulties of the club, the unwritten rules.
There’s a knock at the door. It’s Priest. I lean back in my chair and call out, “Come in.”
Drops of sweat bead along his hairline, and his T-shirt is drenched. “You wanted to see me?”
“Get cleaned up. We’re going for a ride. Meet you in front.” I don’t want to give away too much. He needs to start sharing what’s in his head, and getting out on the open road has always been the best way for men like us.
“Did I screw up?” he asks. Yeah, that lack-of-confidence shit has got to go. It pisses me off that after all this time, he still asks that question.
“Fuck no!” I stand, brace my hands on the desk, and lean forward. “When you mess up, I’ll tell you. It’ll be direct and to the point. You’re a big boy. You can take it. I treat you like one, so quit fucking asking that.”
“Right. Okay. Be ready in ten.”
“Make it fifteen, and wash behind your ears,” I kid. Miraculously, I manage to get a smirk out of him.
* * *
Priest
Riding with Guard is an honor. He does this every now and then with the other brothers, but never with me, until now. We stop at the edge of a forest, and he gets off his bike, waits for me to do the same, and throws a backpack at me.
“This one’s yours,” he says, then takes another for himself.
“Where are we going?”
“Don’t know. We’ll know when we get there.”
What the fuck does that mean? I’m not asking Guard because the one thing I do know is that he goes where he’s led and you gotta trust his instincts. His ability to figure shit out is unbelievable. It’s that ability that saved my life. It was Guard who knew I was in trouble and Guard who figured out where to find me. It was also Guard who led the attack and massacred the entire gang, while Saint took me to the hospital, keeping me alive until we got there. I thought that was my last day on earth. At the time, my only regret was the pain it was going to cause Camille. She’d been through enough. I didn’t deserve her tears, but she shed them anyway. My sweet little sister nursed me back to health. Steady stood by her side and took over the parental duties to make sure I was looked after. The entire crew pitched in, kept me company, encouraged me.
I strap the backpack on and follow Guard through the trees on the rough path. It’s silent except for the crunching of leaves beneath our feet. We must be an hour into this trek before we hear a screech from a large bird. Guard stops dead in his tracks and looks to the sky. Nothing. We wait some more. Nothing.
