Page 156 of Dirty Salvation

Loathe to leave her, not when they’d had a moment, she was finally accepting what he felt for her, what they had together, he slid her to the cushions, she muffled like a little sleepy cat making him grin and wish he had more time to assure her. He was in his clothes and pushing feet down into his boots when she woke, blinking owl slow at him. Rider crouched by the couch, stroked a finger down her cheek.

“Head up to bed, Icy, it's late. I gotta go to the club for a while.” before she could ask if something was wrong, he saw the question in her eyes he added. “Not leavin’ you alone, two prospects will be outside if you need anything but I won’t be that long.”

“Is it…?”

“Yes. I’ll tell you more when I get home. You’re safe, Zara. He’s nowhere near here. I’m gonna end this, okay? For us. This shit will end once and for all.” Something detached in Zara’s eyes as he expected, her coping mechanism racing to life, but strong as he knew she could be it disappeared an instant later, she nodded.

He kissed her and wanted to say all kinds of love shit but it would feel too much like a goodbye and he intended to walk back through that door to her very soon.

Once Rider had retrieved his handgun from its lockbox in the safe upstairs he kissed Zara again, she was already dressed in the clothes they’d torn off her earlier, she wasn’t sleeping anytime soon.

“Be safe.” she told him, worry in her eyes.

He cocked her a grin and cupped the back of her neck briefly connecting their foreheads gently. “Always. I’ll see you soon, baby.”

Striding out to his bike there was hard tension on his shoulders, not only to do right for his club but for his girl as well. There was no doubt he wanted Hades dead, that was a given long before he even knew what that maniac had done to Zara.Now, though. The hate was an ulcer festering in his gut. Better yet it was his only fucking focus. Zara would only come back to life fifty percent knowing Hades lurking someone still breathing, and that wasn’t good enough for Rider, he’d tasted her sweetness, he knew she loved him, it was in her every action and stolen glance, the way she cuddled into his spine when she thought he was sleeping and would murmur his name so reverent, but he wanted more, he wanted her tolivefor him, like she was his life now.

Hades was gonna die.

Die hard andpainful.

For his old lady's happiness. For his club.

Dirty shit landed on a president's shoulders all the time. Rider had done a lot of things he probably shouldn't ever be boastful about, but this, he was gonna sing like a goddamn Nightingale just as soon as that bastard was burned to ash. His jaw set, eyes turned flat. Love was a crazy motivator and stabilizer all in one. He felt invincible suddenly.

He revved his bike, braced both boots on the ground as the engine idled, reaching a look down the midnight overcast street while he fastened his helmet under his chin, waited until two of his prospects turned onto his quiet road a minute later he had a quick word with them, basically saying if anything happened to Zara he’d make jelly out of their bones and feed their innards to the junkyard dogs.

They laughed nervously not sure if he meant it.

Where Zara’s safety was concerned, he meanteverydamn word.

Death and love all in the one night. It was new to him but something he welcomed.

With a chin jut to his boys, trusting they’d do as he ordered to watch the house like it was the pentagon, he kicked up the bike’s stand and roared off towards his club and the strategy meeting waiting in church for him.

The agenda; how to kill one motherfucking enemy for good.

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

“What has sixteen holes and says ughhhhh? A dead motherfucker." – Snake

It wasn't the archetypical circumstance for Rider to come into contact with the local law right when he was off to do criminal shit, but there was good old Charlie-boy on the side of the road leaning against his patrol vehicle as if lying in wait for some fuckwit to come by.

Seriously, worse timing ever.

Rider slowed his bike until he stopped where Charlie was parked up on the west side of Armado Springs on the turning out of town.Goddamn nosy fucking cops.

He liked Charlie, he was a good man, just what their town needed, a cop without a bidding price, but fuck it to hell, now was not the time for chats over coffee and donuts.

The engine idled, he rested both boots on the ground, jutted his chin to the lawman, suspiciously staring, his hands resting on his belt that just so happened showed off his weapon.

"You're out late, Rider. Something I should know about?"

Instinct dictated he should tell a lie here. Otherwise what was he supposed to reply;just out to kill a man that I hate, no biggy, sheriff.

"Can't a man go for a ride, Sheriff? not against the law last time I checked." he kept his tone light.

"At five AM? call me skeptical but my spidey sense is itching."