Page 17 of Blade

Ten

The Invasion of the Pride

Blade

Never have I had a problem getting out of bed in the morning, until Emmy. Even after a night of fun with other women, I still wanted to get the hell up and out and back to the garage. Leaving my woman in bed was painful, but I needed to get to work so I could be back for when Dan and Steve get to Emryn’s house, because I don’t want her there alone when they arrive. I’m sure the message we gave them is incentive enough to behave around Emryn, but why take chances?

I’m deep into an engine issue when War taps on the hood to get my attention. “Time to go, man,” he rumbles. I glance up at the wall clock. It’s not even eleven, and we’re not expecting Dan and Steve for a couple of hours.

“What’s up?” I ask, grabbing the rag off my tool bench to wipe the grease off my hands.

“Guard wants to see you,” is the answer I get, and by the expression on War’s face, that’s all I’m going to get. I waste no time because when Guard summons, you get your ass in gear.

As I walk around back toward the compound, I see Guard’s waiting for me on the back patio. “Walk with me,” he says. We head down the path into the tree line that surrounds the club property. There’s a chill in the air this morning; winter is on its way. I stuff my hands into my jacket pockets.

Guard is quiet for too long. It’s unnerving, and I get a sense that I’m not going to like what he has to say. I can’t take the silence any longer. “Something wrong, Prez?”

“Not yet. But I’m afraid, brother, that you’re going to come across a rough time.”

“The club?—”

“Not the club,” he says. A wave of relief washes over me. Satan’s Pride has had its fair share of trouble, and personally, I can use a break.

I raise my brows. “My family?”

“Nope.”

Shit! What’s left? I ask myself. Then it dawns on me. “Emryn?”

“She’s a good woman, Blade. Good down to her bones, but the hurt runs deep. So deep that she doesn’t even see it herself. You’ve always followed your gut. That’s good. Up to now, though, the only person you had to consider was yourself. Even though your father hasn’t completely come around yet, you never doubted he would, and he will. With Emryn, it’ll be different. You’ll need to dig deep to decide whether you can weather the storm that’ll hit her and whether you can ride it out to the other side,” he tells me.

“Emryn is one of the most levelheaded women I’ve ever met. She’s got a plan, and like you said, she’s good to the core.”

“She is.” He nods.

“Then what am I preparing for? I don’t understand.”

“Can’t say what it is, only that it’ll happen. She’ll push you away or try to. What you do is your decision,” Guard says with a sigh. “Just remember, her heart is pure and maybe that’ll quench the fire in your gut when shit hits the fan.”

My stomach roils, and I feel sick. “What can I do?”

“My advice is to ride the wave. It’s part of your story, so no matter the ending, it’ll make you stronger,” he replies. Guard puts a hand on my shoulder. “You’ve got your brothers. You’re not alone. I wish I could tell you how this is going to end, but my gut says her family’s done a number on her. Not all bruises are visible.”

“Thanks.” I drop my gaze to my boots, going over all he’s said.

“Enjoy each day,” he adds. “We can only deal with what we’re given. You got good and beautiful right now, so let it seep into your soul. We’ll deal with the tomorrows that come as a club.”

I’d like to say his words are comforting, but they aren’t. In a short time, Emryn’s become very important to me. I think I’m falling in love with her. We’re good together, and when I’m not with her, I’m thinking about her.

“I hear Ava and the others are going to your woman’s house early. You may want to meet them there so they don’t scare her off.” Guard chuckles.

“I have a car up on the lift. Almost done, though.”

“Get it finished and go,” he orders with a smile. Guard knows me too well. My passion for cars and working on them is a big part of who I am. I like taking on a car with a problem that no one can figure out and listening to the engine purr when I’m done. Guard’s working on a present for Ava’s birthday. It’s a vintage convertible that he wants restored, and he’s trusting me with it.

Every spare moment I’ve had up to now has been spent in the garage off-site. I’ve taken the engine apart and have been ordering parts as I’ve needed them. Guard is researching where to find the original parts, which isn’t an easy feat, but the guy loves his wife, and nothing is going to stop him from giving her this automobile.

“See you there later?” I ask.

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