Page 53 of Forever Zara

The woman he’d fucked on the day they’d put his whole family in the ground. The day she’d laid rest to her husband.

“Give me strength, Holy Mother Magdalene,” he muttered to himself.

Tense like a caged lion.

He was going to need it.

Like a kicked dog who was still loyal to its master, he took many fortifying breaths that day and headed toward the danger.

Shit was never gonna be the same after this.

EIGHTEEN

“The contrasting levels to a Prez.” - Rider

He’d watched the girl walking toward him grow from a sad little teen into a bright young woman who he considered family. Rider didn’t know when he’d become a pseudo-father figure to Angela, probably around the same time Zara claimed the girl into their lives.

But that’s what he was, and he took the hug she offered when she got close.

“Hey, kiddo. Having fun?”

“I’ve eaten so much Greek food. I might burst open at the seams.”

That was Zara’s doing. She’d chosen a blend of Texas steak and ribs and Greek dishes.

When she pulled back, Angela was still smiling, a little shyer as she looked up at him. “I’m so happy for you and Zara. You’ve both been amazing with me, taking me into your family. I’m glad you’ve found each other. She’s the best, Rider.”

“That she is,” he agreed, watching as his first son headed toward them at full speed in his little shirt and pants. His boys were dressed identically to Rider. Instead of going to his old man, he lifted his arms to Angela. “Up, Anga.” He demanded with a toothy smile. The girl laughed and picked him up, and he immediately grabbed onto the silver cat charm necklace she’d worn for years. “Don’t you look so handsome, Knox? Shall we get you some food, huh?”

“Yeahhhhhh. I want soda.” His son declared.

Noting where Angela was glancing, Rider cut his gaze to the group of his boys and their old ladies around a table. Snake was holding up his phone. Lawless might not have been able to join them today in person, but he got on a video feed for most of the ceremony.

“Why don’t you go say hello,” Rider suggested. She immediately snapped her gaze back, blushing before her eyes flattened. “Nah, it’s okay.”

“Angie, don’t be stubborn.”

“It’s not stubbornness. Lawless doesn’t want to see me, Rider. That was more than clear with his letter. He was my best friend and didn’t tell me what happened. You all go to visit him, but I’m not allowed to. I get it. It is what it is. He took pity on a stupid kid. I’m not going to whine about him shaking me loose.”

Behind the brick wall of self-preservation she’d had in place since day one, he saw slithers of hurt behind it. Of the entire club, she’d been closest to Lawless. She’d relied on him like a junkie would a dealer. Since he got locked away, Rider had seen her struggling with his absence yet pretending she was fine.

There was a lot of shit Angela didn’t know of why Lawless did the stuff he did.

He reached out and cupped the back of her head, he bent in toward her ear. “One day, you’ll know it all, Angie. And you’ll see it’s not as bad as you’re imagining.”

She didn’t question him. He could guess she dealt with her sadness in her way.

He had something to do, or he might have pushed her into going to talk to the enforcer before his video call ended. Instead, he watched her take Knox over to the food, though her dark eyes strayed to the table of his boys.

No shit was ever black and white, that much Rider knew.

Except for what he intended to do next.

Cutting eyes toward Hawk, he gave a slight nod to let his VP know it was time. And then he went to sweep up his woman. In front of everyone, he yelled over the crowd. “Entertain yourselves for an hour. I need to spend some private time with my wife.”

She blushed.

Everyone cheered as he escorted her out of the hall. She stopped him from advancing into the hotel room once they were on the tenth floor with a hand on his arm.

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