Page 17 of Raven (Sinners Revenge MC- Rapid City, SD #6)

“That crazy horse?” Comet said and stood, shaking his head while his hand inadvertently went to his ass cheek as began to rub the long-healed bite mark. “Watch your ass. That horse tried to take a chunk out of me a few months ago, and I was doing was trying to help Jagger install a new gate.”

I chuckled, remembering Comet bitching about the horse one night when he was tending bar.

Laughing out loud, I saw Warhol give the first smile I’d seen on his face in almost a year.

“You said she was trying to get the sugar snacks from your pants pocket and you nearly stripped your jeans off when you ran away.”

Everyone was laughing as Comet shook his head harder. “That horse is a menace.”

“Not as much of a menace as Jack,” Jigsaw added, causing the laughter to build again.

“Who’s Jack?” Sydney asked with a confused smile on her face.

“Jack is Animal’s little yappy dog who has the attitude of a polar bear,” I explained. “But he’s mellowed since Paige and her dog, Jill, came into their lives.”

“The dogs’ names are Jack and Jill?” Sydney asked, and Willow nodded.

“They are so cute. Jack protects her like these guys protect the ol’ ladies,” Willow said.

Slipping my hand into Sydney’s, I pulled her closer, letting her know the ol’ ladies’ protection extended to her, now that she was mine.

And before you think the ring and cut I was planning on giving her was too much, too soon, my parents met on the third night of the Rally and were married before the week was over.

They were celebrating their thirty-ninth anniversary this year and still love each other fiercely.

Fast love. True love. Established love. Forever love.

They were all ways to describe the feeling when you’d met the other person meant to share their life with you. It didn’t take years to know, but we allowed fear and others’ perception dictate constraints like time, proximity, and duration of what was considered reasonable.

I always knew when I found my one, I wouldn’t waste one minute getting to the good stuff, and now, I just had to convince Sydney.

“What time are you going out to the farm?” I asked the group.

“They said we could come over about three-thirty, when Jackie and Jagger get back from Pierre,” Willow answered.

Looking at Sydney, I asked, “What do you say, darlin’? How about a nice ride, then we’ll go see a crazy horse?”

She looked at Willow and Claire, who both seemed eager to have us join them, and she nodded, replying, “Sounds like fun.”

“Then we’ll leave you to it,” Warhol said, standing and joining Comet.

The rest of them stood, and Sydney and I joined them as Comet began packing up his laptop and Jigsaw gathered the empty coffee cups before putting them into the dishwasher. Sydney seemed confused, so Clarie explained, “When the brothers visit another’s house, they help pick up any mess they made.”

She looked at me, and I smiled as I explained, “Nitro, our former president, used to tell all of us when we were prospects—and understand, we rode under another name but the rules of the club have remained the same today—you never overstay your welcome, and you always fix anything you disturb.”

“Why?” she asked.

Warhol answered, “Nitro took on all of us when we were young, wild, and reckless. We were prospects, but he treated us like his sons. No different than Roughstock. He saw some of the younger brothers thinking the clubhouse, and by extension, the farmhouse were their personal dumping ground, so he made changes. Things were getting destroyed. Some of them didn’t know how to use a napkin when they ate, and some didn’t have basic understanding of how to wash a load of laundry, how to cook a meal with directions, or even how to clean a toilet.

” He shook his head and added, “I was one of them, and he made sure to teach us not only about being brothers in an MC but being good men and productive members of society.”

“We’re by no means choir boys,” I interjected, “but Nitro wanted everyone to have a job or a skilled trade. Everyone contributes to the club in some way, and we always help each other out.”

“It’s what made fitting in with the Sinners Revenge so seamless. Dog and Lori believe in the same things Nitro did. They’re both old school,” Comet said.

“I’m sorry I never got to meet him. Everyone speaks so highly of him,” Sydney said as we all walked out of the kitchen and through the open garage door.

“He was the best,” Warhol replied, throwing a hand into the air before walking down the driveway and getting onto his bike.

Claire hugged Sydney then Willow before she spoke. “I’ll see you at the ranch this afternoon.”

Comet took her hand and kissed the back as he walked them to their bike. Jigsaw And Willow were standing beside us when Willow shoulder-bumped Sydney and said, “Don’t back out on us.”

Sydney glanced at me, and I raised my eyebrows. She looked back and replied, “I’ll see you later.”

Jigsaw bumped fists with me before he and Willow turned and walked down the driveway.

Warhol was pulling away from the curb, and I shook my head, wishing I knew where he’d been the last few weeks.

He ran a private investigator office in Rapid City and was usually busy.

Lately, he’d been almost missing, and I needed to remember to speak with him about whatever kept him away from the clubhouse so often.

Sydney slipped her hand into mine and I looked down at her. She smiled and turned to face me, wrapping her arms around my waist. I pulled her closer to me as she spoke. “Do you think they lied to me?”

I kissed her forehead and replied, “I don’t know, baby, but Warhol will figure out what’s going on. And if he doesn’t, Roughstock’s cousin in Tennessee is friends with someone who can find out anything about anyone.”

“Who?” she asked.

I stepped back and took her by the hand, shaking my head as we walked through the garage. I pressed the button to close the door as we walked into the kitchen. I finally responded. “He’s not someone you want to make angry, but he’s a friend and someone we can trust.”

“Do you think it will come to that?” she inquired, worry seeming into her words.

I didn’t like seeing her worry, and I didn’t want to run through a hundred ‘what if’s. Deciding that part of our day was over, I stepped back and leaned over, placing my shoulder into Sydney’s stomach before lifting her up and standing.

“Caleb,” she shrieked as I walked through the living room and straight back to the bedroom.

I told her I needed time to do what I wanted to do to her, and now, we had time. Tossing her onto the bed, I smiled down at her, seeing the realization filled her face.

For the next few hours, we got lost in each other moving through positions like we’d been together for years, instead of days. When we were both wrung out, she collapsed against my chest as I absently rubbed her back.

We had another few hours before going to the ranch, and as I felt her grow heavy against my chest as sleep drug us both under, I said a silent thanks to the universe.

I always wanted what my parents had, and thought it wasn’t in the cards for me.

Being here, sharing everything with Sydney, showed me that I just had to be patient.

Now if I can get her agree to put my ring on her finger and my cut on her back, then I could die a happy man.