Page 52 of His Flawed Ride

“She’s alive?”

“Yeah, just in bad shape.”

JJ moves to sit next to her and asks, “The last I heard, Hopper wanted thirty grand for her, why kick the shit out of her instead?”

“I don’t know,” I tell my VP.

Harper’s mind is racing but not a word leaves her mouth until she stands abruptly and looks down at me.

“Are you going to send her away?”

I make sure to word the next sentence out of my mouth carefully. “I get that she’s your mom and no matter what she’s done to you, she’s never going to deserve the violence that she’s been through, but she brought another club to town that could’ve ended with one of us dead. I can’t take that lightly.”

“Don’t you think she’s paid the price for that?”

“It’s not about that, Harps. She’s not trustworthy. If you tell me you’d trust her with Gunner, then I’ll take your word but that’s not gonna happen, is it?”

She loses the fight in her eyes and sits back down on the lounger.

“So what’s gonna happen to her?”

“She’ll probably stay at Slade’s while she heals, but after that, I want her out of town. Slade offered to send her off and set her up somewhere else, he can do that when she’s able.”

“No, I want her here. I’ll help her heal.”

“Babe, she’d be better off with Slade. I don’t want Gunner seeing her like that.”

“Then you better keep him distracted because she’s staying with us.”

She leaves no room for argument and crosses the lawn, scoops Gunner up onto her hip and heads into the house.

“How bad is Lily?”

“Bad.”

“Great, she’ll be here for weeks.”

“Not if I can help it.”

“Hopper will expect comeback on his attack on her.”

“He can expect all he likes. Lily has fucked up for the last time, as soon as she’s able, she’s gone.”

I’ve warned the brothers that we’re not standing for any danger toward the club, that goes for everyone. I don’t give a shitwho their family is. When it comes to the patch, you’re with us or you’re not.

Softly tapping Roman’s back as I hold him to my chest, I stare out of the window and into the darkness surrounding the club. There is so much uncertainty up in the air, but one thing that needs sorting out is how we deal with Hopper. I couldn’t give a shit about his violence toward Lily. I give a shit about the disrespect and the fact he still has to pay for the trouble with the Southern Chapter. For Ricky.

“He’s been asleep for over half hour.”

I turn and Holly is sat up in bed. “So have you. Enjoy it.”

“I can never sleep properly without you.”

One thing that hasn’t changed is the stability in my marriage and thank fuck for that because I don’t have the energy to deal with anything else snapping at my heels.

“I’ll put him down and join you.”

“Bring him with you.”