Page 79 of One Night with the Biker

“You’re lying,” Missile said.

Ainsley pointed toward a door on the opposite side of the room. A light was blinking.

“Roman will understand your anger and outrage. He hates me, too.” Another sniffle escaped her. “But he agreed to Boom Boom’s plan, so he doesn’t want me dead. He will fucking hunt you for the rest of your miserable lives, especially since he considered you his brothersandhis friends. Kite and Wizard must’ve paid you three a lot to betray him.”

“Fuck!” Visor yelled.

“It doesn’t matter if you shoot the camera or kill me. He’s already seen enough to know who you are.”

“I told you to get Boom Boom in on this, Proctor!” Missile screamed.

“He tipped off that Royal Bastard to Roman’s location, then didn’t ice him when those motherfuckers let him live,” Proctor snapped.

Missile scowled. “Maybe he should’ve ridden out to Roman’s location himself instead of loud talking in a goddamn store so that motherfucker could hear. Personally, I would’ve shot that Bastard and then fucked up Roman if he interfered with me and my bitch.”

“You wanted my brother dead?”

What the fuck was she fucking on, goddamn it? They’d broken into her house and backstabbed her brother in the process. Clearly, they weren’t loyal.

“Just put the gun down,” she insisted. “You wanting Roman dead isn’t important. He’ll overlook that.”

Had the baby affected her fucking brain? They wantedherdead.

Proctor was the first to drop his gun, stuff it in his cut, and back away. “Fuck no we don’t want him dead, Ainsley. Roman Mac’s a good motherfucker. But we ain’t interfering in Boom Boom’s business.”

The moment he nodded and Missile secured his gun at his side, Ainsley ducked away from Visor’s piece and launched herself at Missile. If I hadn’t opened fire with both guns blazing, Visor would’ve shot the fuck out of her.

Ignoring her screams, I pulled her into my arms, lifted her over the dead motherfuckers and carried her to a place where I could hold her tightly.

Before tonight, only three other times had my connection to the Bloody Scorpions affected me so profoundly and remindedme of the danger and darkness: my parents’ deaths, Roman’s capture and loss of his hands, and Boom Boom’s violence toward Nova and me. I’d always mourn my parents, but I believed I’d managed to go on with my life with my brother’s help. Maybe, if the Roman and Boom Boom situations hadn’t happened just weeks ago, I wouldn’t have been so devastated now.

I knew who Roman was. He’d made Trinity disappear and the woman who’d punched me when I was a child. Death surrounded us, stalked us, and caught up to us. It just never sank in the way it had when Proctor, Missile, and Visor broke into Roman’s house and planned to kill me.

When I insisted they drop their guns, I hadn’t had a plan of escape. I was playing it by ear and trying to find a solution to save myself and the baby. It was a longshot, but it was the only one I had.

I never got the chance to see if my plan worked. Reese shot them all, then carried me away from the carnage and enveloped me in his arms, whispering sweet words as I clung to him.

The sound of motorcycles seeped into my brain and I began to cry, knowing we had no chance of escape. Even when Reese tightened his hold on me and rushed toward Roman’s bedroom, I didn’t think we’d survive. My emotions were a never ending loop of fear, anger, shock, resignation, and hysteria. He shoved me into the room and closed my fingers around one of his guns.

“Stay here,” he ordered, hovering in the doorway.

I latched onto his wrist. “No, don’t go!”

Irritation crossed his face. “Stay strong, Ainsley. Don’t turn into a woman and fall into hysterics right now. And, for fuck’s sake, stay in this fucking room or escape through that window. Don’t risk yourself and the baby.”

Before I pulled myself together, he jerked from my hold and hurried away. As much as I wanted to follow him, I couldn’t. Not for me, but for our child. Locking the door, I slid to the floorand drew in deep breaths, forcing myself to remember what Roman taught me. He expected me to use my brain and assess my surroundings. It wouldn’t make sense to climb out of the window and right into the hands of the Bloody Scorpions.

Disbelief and fear buzzed through my veins, and I wondered if there was any way out for us. Tears slid down my cheeks. Neither could I believe how emotional I’d been. I cried at the drop of a hat nowadays. Crawling to Roman’s bed, I slid under the covers and laid my head on his pillow.

The faint scent of his cologne both comforted me and reminded me I needed to change his bed before he returned home. A little sob escaped me. No, he wouldn’t want me to do that.

“Ainsley, open the door,” Reese ordered. He sounded fine, but I wasn’t sure if I should trust that. The Bloody Scorpions might’ve forced him to call me. “Sweetheart, it’s fine. Bolt and Razor…several of my brothers are here.”

Shuddering, I closed my eyes, the warmth of my tears burning my cheeks.

“It’s fine, Ainsley,” Mom whispered. “It’s just Wizard and several of your Dad’s brothers with some of their acquaintances.”

She reached her hand around the seat and my fingers touched her palm. Gunfire erupted and I flew forward.

---