Page 59 of Blood Revealed

“You got my name, takin’ my cock and carrying my kid, so you wanna tell me why you strutted that fine ass, the one that clearly means something to me, into the fuckingHorde clubhouse?” That last he ends on a shout.

“I—” she starts to defend herself.

“Don’t.” Hero holds up his hand. “I don’t fuckin’ want to hear it.”

Scotch turns on Frankie with his eyes narrowed. “Woman, get home. Now. We’ve got some talking to do.” He punctuates his point by grinding his teeth and I’m pretty sure he’s going to need to see a dentist to take care of the damage he’s caused himself.

There are times when you don’t mind an audience and times when you do. This isn’t one of those times. “Sorry, girls,” Frankie whispers as she turns to head toward her and Scotch’s place.

Brinley moves slowly toward her trailer. I stay to make sure she’s okay. Hero places a hand to both her cheeks, giving her a onceover, then he kisses her, even if he still looks pissed as hell. I should’ve known Hero would never hurt my sister. She walks on freaking water in his eyes.

That leaves me and Raif in an epic stare down. We don’t have a place of our own in which to hash this out without an audience. We really need a place of our own.

“We had to,” I say, deciding to cut to the chase. “He doesn’t have anyone to look after him.”

“You know what those men would’ve done to you if they found out that you’re Lords? Old ladies mean nothing to the Horde. Not a fucking bit.”

“How’d you find out?” I ask.

“Vlad had the good sense to call Scotch.”

“Then we mean something to some of the Horde, don’t we?”

“Goddammit, Hannah. I can’t believe you’d be so fucking stupid,” he yells.

“Don’t call me names. I wasn’t being stupid.” I put a hand to my hip, more than ready to defend our actions. “I did what needed to be done. He’s a friend. He needed help. Sometimes you have to forgo what’s safe to do what’s right. We did what was right.”

“Fucking hell, what am I gonna do with you, woman?” he asks an obvious rhetorical question.

I choose to answer anyway. “Love me, Raif. If I weren’t the kind of woman who would put herself out there for a friend in need, would you even want me? In case you’ve forgotten, Lords old ladies aren’t typical women. We’re strong because we have to be. We’re strong because that’s the only type of woman who can make it for the long haul standing next to you and your brothers.”

“Fuck,” he grumbles. It’s not over. I’m not naïve enough to think it is, but as he sighs and walks over to me, wrapping those strong arms around me, I know he at least gets me.

“Wait till you see the punishment I got planned for you,” he whispers in my ear.

Oh boy.

12.

Raif

We have trucks lining up halfway down the mountain waiting to get onto the compound. It’s a goddamn revolving door of trucks dropping off food and alcohol into the clubhouse. There’s a tent set up for the overflow of men we’re expecting. The porta-johns just arrived. We’re expecting the large space heaters to heat the tents. They must be caught up somewhere in that mess.

Club allies and other chapters jumped in to help us without hesitation or asking questions. We needed them, they showed. We suffered a great deal of loss. This is our way of paying back. Thornbriar’s used to bikes rumbling through town, but the people won’t know what’s about to hit them.

The men have put the word out to any pieces who want to show up they’re welcome and to bring a friend. Then, set up next to the first tent, the brothers with carpentry skills are busy building a stage with a portable pole. Elise and Hannah have talked some of the dancers down at the club, the ones who’re off tonight, into dancing for extra cash for the men coming in.

Who doesn’t like a good party?

We all need it.

I’m like a fucking traffic cop directing trucks and delivery drivers every which way. That goes to the kitchen. That goes to the big tent. All I want to do is spend the day lost in my wife. But even if I could find a moment to get away, she couldn’t. She, Brinley, and Caity, along with the caterers, yes, we even hired fucking caterers for this shindig, are busy cooking. There are things that the men love that only the women here know how to make. And frankly, between Hannah, Brinley, and Caitlin, not to mention the other women, the men’ll eat good tonight.

Hours go by. The tents finally get their heaters, which makes a better working environment for the brothers, like Hero, building the stage. Slowly, the trucks leave without new ones following to replace them and the compound goes back to a somewhat state of normalcy.

That is until the first sounds of engines come rumbling up the mountain. The last truck leaves right as the first group of men descends on us. Some have brought their old ladies. The women will like that.

Missouri led by Hammer with his woman, Kath, on the back of his bike ride through the gate. I walk over to clasp his hand and pull him in for a side hug, patting his back. I haven’t seen him since we took off after Hannah’s rescue. Kath gives me a cheek kiss.

---