Page 168 of Dirty Salvation

Since the Russians were beginning to make noise, he needed to rule out aggravation from the law so he could deal with those annoying Bratva shits trying to worm their way in.

Things were steadily getting back to an orderly routine way of life.

Thank fuck.Murder was all well and good but give Rider a minute to breathe and love on his woman and he was happy.

He noticed Lawless had his head stuck in one of his books kicked back on a couch, one of his latest stray kittens he'd taken in wrapped around the back of his neck like it was the only place the cat wanted to sleep. Rider rolled his eyes then shifted his gaze over to Preacher chewing the fat with Jed. His road captain was heading out of town later tonight down to Lincoln Nebraska to scout out the problems there for him, maybe not the best idea but he had his orders to keep his shit together where Red Light was concerned, just as well Red Light was a nomad nowadays, those two had history that needed sorting if he ever wanted Red Light to rest his boots in the club on a permanent basis, he needed more good brothers patched in around his table.

"Prez, some of us are headed down toOtis'to drink the place dry, you and Z-girl coming? We’re gonna sit and watch Preacher strike out with the hot bartender." Called out Grinder as he swung into his coat.

"Nah, brother, another time." Rider gave a second's thought to breaking his tracker's legs when Grinder sent a saucy wink Zara's way. His damn men were gonna mess with him forever about his old lady.

“Rider?”

“Yeah, baby?” she moved against him, fingers inched up his chest, her taste still colored his tongue. He’d woken at the crack of dawn that morning, even before the light had crept in through the curtains with her climbing on top of him, before his eyes were fully open she was seating the hell down on his dick in a long impale making them both groan together. If he didn’t know Icy was perfect for him before that he did, then.

He made room for her to burrow into his ribs, an arm around her shoulder, her head on his chest and her dainty little fingers inching up the hem of his shirt to touch skin.

"I think I want to call my parents today." her inhale expanded against his own chest wall. Turning to face her Rider dropped a kiss to her forehead, tracked down to her lips.

His girl taking steps. Fuckingproudas hell.

"Yeah? you thinking we should take a trip?"

"You'd come with me?"

"Not gonna let you go alone, Icy. They need to meet your man. Know you're safe, even if you don't tell them anything that happened, they're gonna want to know you're good with the man you're with."

"Maybe. I’ll see how a call goes first." she chewed on her lip. He kissed her again.

"However, you want it to go down."

"It feels like a good day; you know...fresh start."

He understood. The MC life was always gonna be club life, sometimes dangerous, oftentimes turbulent, never dull, it was how he thrived. Outlaws walked a fine line and one percenter's didn't care about any lines at all, Rider was somewhere in between that. He had a feeling in the coming weeks the irritating Russians were gonna make him question those lines. Whatever the outcome, it would be in his club's best interest. The cold country mafia with fingers in pies in most every state were going to learn that lesson the hard way if need be.

For today he was about his old lady and his club, everything else could take a back seat.

Makingsureshe was good.

Fear and failure had never crossed his mind before yesterday, but both had hit him in the face, never wanted to go there again.

"You want to go do that phone call now?" she stiffened beside him. He skated a hand to her hip, kissed the side of her neck coaxing her down from the obvious anxiety. "I’m right here with you, Icy, not gonna let you go through it alone, no matter what."

******

Four years ago

"Mom. I'm going to be seeing you at Christmas." Alice Freeze wasn't known for her hysterics, always calm in a crisis and could whip up a mean eight layered salad with only half a minute’s notice, but on the rare occasion when she let rip the whole world knew about it. Zara hugged her tighter, the bustle of the airport loud around them. Her dad stood in the usual three-piece suit, with his spine stiff not saying a word.

"I'm just going to miss you is all. It's been nice having you home for spring break. You'll call as soon as you get there?"

"Of course, I always do." she took her backpack from her father's grasp. "See you soon, dad."

"Don't forget you have the intern interview in a few months, Zara, you must be ready for it. I stuck my neck out for you to even get on the list." Zara inwardly sighed, she hadn't really thought this all through when she'd gone to law school, that at the end of her schooling she'd have to become a practicing corporate lawyer, her place already fixed in place within her father's prestigious Boston firm with two of his stuffy friends she didn't like at all. Not to mention the arranged marriage hook-up she knew he was trying to wrangle with one of those partner's equally stuffy sons. Now she was in her graduating year before she’d have to take the bar exam, and all those life decisions were careening towards her full tilt.

The truth was she didn't want to be a lawyer, she found it boring as hell, now she was fucking committing the rest of her life to something that didn’t interest her. She'd simply never had the courage to fight her parents on what they told her was best for her. What was best for her was living her own lifeherway, whatever that may be, maybe she could meet a tall filthy guy and bang his brains out,you never know, it could happen. In any case, she was going to enjoy her last year of school before she took the law bar exam, she’d color outside her box, she might even let Morgana talk her into some risky shit like staying up past nine pm.

"Iknow, dad. I will be. Look, I have to go, they're boarding soon."