Chapter Twenty-Two: My Old Lady
Bones
I woke up to the sound of my phone ringing and the shrill noise created a pounding ache at my temples that made me want to go back to sleep for about a year. I had gotten drunk last night, trying to erase the memory of Harper’s hurt face the last time we spoke, but it did no good. She was imprinted at the forefront of my brain and all the drinking did was make me miss her more. It had been three days. Why couldn’t I get over her?
Cracking open one eyelid enough to see my phone in the dark room, I accepted the call from Gunner, but I was still lying in bed and had every intention of going right back to sleep when our conversation was over, whatever it was about.
“Hello?” I answered, my voice a harsh bark from just waking up.
“Bones, we’ve got a problem.”
I groaned. I didn’t want to deal with a problem right now. I just wanted to wallow in self-pity for the rest of the morning at least. “What is it?”
“Exactly what I was worried about. Retaliation. My contacts in Glenam told me that Devil Riders want revenge for the raid on their building. I’m not sure how, but they figured out who called the DEA. So, they’ve paired up with the cartel and are going to Red Stone to cause some trouble.”
Harper.
She could be hurt. I suddenly felt wide awake and sat up in the bed, trying to ignore the headache that I really wished would go away. But instead, it throbbed more, making me feel like my head was in a vice. “When is this happening?”
“I was told around noon today.”
I glanced at the alarm clock on the nightstand and saw that it was almost ten. “Shit, that’s not much time,” I mumbled.
“No, it isn’t.”
I sighed. “Okay, call everyone. I want us all to meet in front of the Red Stone Hotel in an hour. No exceptions. No excuses. Just get everyone there.
“You got it.”
We disconnected the call and I got out of bed, stumbling to the bathroom. I cranked the shower on as hot as it would go and got it running, pausing only long enough to take three Ibuprofen tablets with water from the sink. When I stepped under the spray of water, I let out a groan. It felt so good to have the heat working on loosening up my stiff muscles, but I couldn’t linger in here for long.
My mind remained completely focused on Harper. The men who were coming to cause trouble were violent and I wouldn’t be surprised if the members of the cartel were killers. If anything happened to her, I would lose it.
Realization slammed into me like a ton of bricks.
God, I am such an idiot.
Why in the hell did I push this amazing woman away? Holding on to the hurt of the past and letting it keep me from a happy future was foolish, but wasn’t that exactly what I’d done?
I loved Harper, I knew it now. It took this threat to make me realize it, but she was the woman I wanted to be with forever, not just a casual fling. She was mine, and no matter what, I was going to tell her that today.
I didn’t waste a lot of time getting ready, just in case Gunner’s source was wrong and the Devil Riders showed up early. They weren’t going to waltz into Rebel Saints territory without any resistance.
I thought about telling Harper or her boss about what was going on, but I didn’t want to invite panic. That kind of thing could result in people getting hurt, which was exactly what I was trying to avoid.
When I arrived at the Red Stone Hotel, the rest of the club was already there, even our prospect, Charlie. Gunner had briefed everyone as to what the threat was and they had their game faces on. As a club, we tried not to take part in violent acts any longer, but when push came to shove, we’d do whatever it took to keep our town as safe as possible.
“Alright everybody,” I said, speaking loudly for everyone to hear.
There were plenty of people passing by, walking on the sidewalk, going in or coming out of Red Stone, and doing business with the other establishments on the street. Of course, they were all watching us curiously, and it wasn’t hard to imagine why. A group of thirteen men, in biker clothing, most of us covered in tattoos, gathering on the sidewalk in front of a prominent business in the community… It was enough to pique anyone’s curiosity.
“Gunner told you all why we’re here. The Devil Riders and members of the cartel think that they can come into our territory and cause trouble. They want to hurt this business and probably the people inside. But we’re not going to allow that.”
“Hell no, we aren’t,” Maverick said, and there were murmurs of agreement.
“We’re going to meet them right here on the street. Lined up, ready for a fight.”
They let out a collective cheer, as everyone agreed to the plan.