Page 34 of Ryder's War

“How the hell am I supposed to know? Babies cry. It’s just what they do,” Abby said with a callous shrug of her knobby shoulders.

Shooting a glance at the baby being quietly burped on Tiffany’s shoulder, Darkness spoke woodenly. “You never muled drugs or anything like that, did you?”

“Let’s just say Devil’s a little too possessive to put me in harm’s way. He went along with my baby idea. Said I was finally using my brain and earning my keep. Ratchet came up with the insurance idea and figured out how to monetize the little one,” she said with a smirk. “It’s a shame, too, ‘cause I was just starting to get attached to her.”

Jerking his chin to Ryder, Darkness gestured toward the door. “Get her downstairs. Double lock the damn door and put a guard inside and outside of it.”

“You can’t do that to me,” Abby protested.

Tilting his head slightly, Darkness stared at the crazy woman. If looks could kill, she’d be very dead. “I’m going to think over Ratchet’s very generous offer,” he spoke low and slow. “If I take him up on it, it’ll be in a public place, and you’ll not only be signing over custody rights, but you’ll be signing divorce papers as well.”

Rather than being angry, Abby seemed thrilled. “You’ll take good care of our girl, right, Darkness?”

“Like you give a flying fuck.” Shooting Ryder an exasperated look, Darkness reached for his daughter. “Get her out of here, before I lose the last of my patience.”

Ryder was up and out of his chair in an instant, and he snatched Abby out of hers with the same care to her well-being she’d shown her kid—none. As he was leading Abby down the stairs, Ryder could hear Tiffany asking, “Why in God’s name didn’t you divorce that crazy woman already?”

Darkness chuckled. “Honestly, I forgot we were married. It was one of those drunk in Vegas things…”

Abby stumbled, but Ryder jerked her back into line. “Don’t try anything stupid. You are getting a much better deal with my boss than you’d be getting with me.”

“I hope he gets this sorted soon,” she said as if he hadn’t just threatened her. “I don’t want to be stuck in a cell for days.”

“I imagine he’ll be pretty eager to get rid of a nasty piece of work like you,” Ryder snarled, wishing he could knock that smug look off her face.

Snorting a laugh, she retorted, “That’s assuming he can afford to divorce me.”

Shoving her into the cell and slamming the door shut, Ryder locked it and grabbed a thick chain off a nearby wall and double locked the door. “Unlike the Seven Devils, the Blind Jacks are flush with cash. You definitely chose the wrong man. Guess wallowing in squalor while those little punks chase nickel and dime jobs must be your thing.”

Ace’s voice came from the doorway. “Want me to take first watch?”

“Thanks, brother,” Ryder said, sparing a look over his shoulder. “I appreciate it.”

Limping over, Ace pulled out his gun and laid it on the floor in front of the only chair. “Ain’t much I can do besides babysit, with this lame leg.”

Ryder clapped him on the shoulder. “Wear that injury proudly. You know what it earned you.” Brotherhood wasn't just about patches and promises. Sometimes, it grew from shared bullets and borrowed blood. The road from enemies to brothers wasn't straight, but they'd found their way.

Jerking his chin toward the door, Ace grinned. “Be sure to thank your old lady for me. If she hadn’t come to the rescue, I might not have made it to a doctor at all, much less had a run-in with the pretty one.”

Grinning at his friend, Ryder’s eyes sparkled with mischief. “Will do, brother.” Turning serious, he jerked his chin toward Abby. “Don’t trust this one for a damned second.”

“If the bitch so much as opens her mouth, she’s getting the hose.”

Slapping his friend on the shoulder, Ryder laughed, knowing Ace would never do anything like that to a wounded woman. “We have some new and interesting nozzles. If it comes down to it, you should try one of them. I hear it makes the water stream strong enough to blow a person down.”

The threat was empty—they both knew it—but sometimes the suggestion of violence worked better than the real thing. Especially with people who dealtin manipulation rather than straight fighting.

“I cannot wait.” Ace winked, settling into guard duty.

Walking away, Ryder couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the opening move in a much larger game. The Devils might have sent Abby with a simple shakedown plan, but something about it felt wrong.

Some schemes were like trip wires—you didn't see the real trap until you were already falling.

~ Tiffany ~

Sitting in the space they’d made for Darkness and his little one, Rose held the baby out between the two of them. The scene felt surreal—a teenager and a nurse playing makeshiftfamily with an outlaw's secret daughter. But somehow it worked, like pieces of a puzzle no one knew needed solving.

The contented little girl stared innocently up at them. Her dark eyes and a thick dusting of black hair were obvious gifts from her father’s native heritage, but her smooth, pale skin was Abby through and through. Rose pressed a baby rattler into her tiny palm, and they watched her shake it. An adorable smile lit up her little face.

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