Page 21 of Raven (Sinners Revenge MC- Rapid City, SD #6)
Sydney
T he ride was exhilarating, and I couldn’t keep the smile off my face.
Caleb led the Sinners on a three-hour ride away from Rapid City and back and the entire time, I kept my arms wrapped around him.
We stopped a few times to rest, stretch our legs and take in the scenery.
South Dakota was so different from Oregon, and I was swiveling my head the entire time, afraid I would miss something beautiful.
As we pulled back up to the Sin Den, I saw prospects setting up tables and tents in the parking lot, and there was a sign at the road that said the Sin Den was closed for the night.
Caleb pulled his bike past the tents and turned so he could walk the bike into a parking space.
One by one, the others did the same until everyone was parked and the noise died down.
Caleb swung his leg over the bike and watched as Jigsaw and Willow turned into the parking lot. Only then did he hold out his hand and help me down from the bike. My legs were shaky from being on the bike for so long, so he held onto me until I could stand without wobbling.
The smile on his face as he stood beside me was brilliant, and another piece of me fell in love with him. The feeling of contentment was so strong that I looked up at him and simply said, “Thank you.”
Pulling me closer, he wrapped his arms around me and asked with a curious look on his face, “For what, darlin’?”
Pressing up so we were eye to eye, I stated, “For loving me. For letting me be part of your family.” I paused as a lump pushed into my throat then added, “For everything.”
I wasn’t usually so emotional, but after spending the day with the Sinners Revenge, seeing the world through their eyes, experiencing the beauty of South Dakota in the Fall wrapped around the only man I’d ever loved, I couldn’t not say the words.
“I love you.”
He pressed his lips against mine, keeping the heavy emotions under wraps as he whispered, “And I love you. With every fiber in my being.”
A throat clearing beside us drew Caleb’s attention, and I looked to see Jigsaw and Willow standing there. She had a huge smile on her face, and he had a shit eating grin. I smiled and released my grasp around Caleb’s neck before turning to face them.
“What’s up?” Caleb asked, turning and tucking his hand into my back pocket, drawing me to his side.
“I was going to take the side-by-side over to the ranch and get Charlie and the pups. I didn’t know if you wanted to ride with me.” Willow asked and smirked, before adding, “That’s if you can tear yourself away from Raven for a few minutes.”
I liked Willow. She was outspoken, tough as nails, and rode a sweet ass bike. I wasn’t bold enough to drive alone, but after today, I realized I loved being on the back of Caleb’s bike. Looking up at him, I raised my eyebrows, and he shrugged.
“I’ll ride over.” I remarked, “I’ve been dying to meet the famous Charlie and Jack.”
Jigsaw chuckled and remarked, “You’re getting Jack after Jill. He’s super chill since he got his ol’ lady.” Shaking his head, he added, “But before her? He was a little dickhead who loved to piss on Animal’s tires.”
“No,” I exclaimed and heard Animal laugh as he walked up with Paige.
“He’s telling the truth. Jack was an asshole who loved to terrorize the whole club, but since Paige and Jill became a part of our lives, he’s mellowed so much,” Animal explained as Paige tucked up against him.
“The love of a good woman will do that,” I heard someone say behind me and I turned to see Comet and Claire walking up to join the conversation.
I had gotten their story this afternoon during one of the scheduled stops and I nearly swooned at first loves reconnecting. It was a fairytale, complete with the bad guy who was vanquished.
Caleb looked at me and the love showing in his eyes was enough to make me swoon over my own fairytale, but I wasn’t girly like that. At least I didn’t think I was.
“We’ll be back in a bit,” Willow remarked to the group.
“Thanks for grabbing them. I’ve got to get the grills started and don’t want Charlie to miss seeing everyone before she heads back to her place,” Animal said to her.
Willow reached her hand out and offered it to me.
I linked my hand with hers and we swung our arms as we walked away from the group.
The conversation continued as we walked away, and I heard the group laugh as she and I turned the corner to the back of the building.
The side-by-side was parked near a road and as she got behind the wheel and cranked the motor, I hooked my seatbelt.
“This goes from the ranch house to the clubhouse, so we don’t have to worry about vehicles being on it.
We’ll bring back one of the SUV’s so Charlies and the pups are comfortable, and a farmhand will bring this back later,” Willow explained as we bumped down the dirt path cutting across the green fields.
Looking around at the rolling land and large boulders jutting out of the terrain, I remarked, “It’s so beautiful here.”
She glanced at me before turning back to the road as she asked, “Are you planning on staying in South Dakota?”
I nodded and replied, “There was never anything in Oregon for me. Uncle Billy is lost somewhere in Mexico, probably drinking his retirement money away.” I shook my head with a smile. “And Caleb’s here so I have no reason to leave.”
She smiled and remarked. “It’s nice seeing Raven so happy.”
Her statement made me smile and as we topped a small incline which revealed the ranch house and barns, I couldn’t help but think of how far I’d come in such a short amount of time.
Taking a quick look at Willow, I asked, “How long were you and Jigsaw together before he claimed you and you got married?”
I had been getting bits and pieces of how everyone met their partner, and the one thing that seemed to recur was the duration of their relationships. Most, if not all, had been claimed quickly and I started to wonder if and when it would happen for me.
Not that I was angling for anything, but I couldn’t wait to start my life with Caleb. Even though I had only met his older sister, I wasn’t worried about his family. Even if things stayed the same as they were now, I would still be happy forever.
As Willow pulled the vehicle up alongside the house, she turned off the engine and started to laugh. I felt like I was missing something.
“Dean and I had a one-night stand over ten years ago and bumped into each other during the Rally. We got married a week later,” Willow explained as she got out of the open side of the vehicle.
My eyes grew wide, and I didn’t know how to respond. Finally, I asked, “A week?”
I began to get out as she walked around the front.
Nodding with a gorgeous smile she pointed to the front stairs and added, “Right there is where I said I do.” Walking beside her, she continued as we started walking to the front stairs, “When it comes to love, time is an illusion. You know deep down inside what the right thing to do it, and I promise you this, no one would judge you and Raven if you got hitched tomorrow.”
We climbed the stairs as an older woman walked up to the closed screen door. She smiled and opened the door as she spoke. “She’s right. No one gives a damn about how long you’ve been with someone. Hi, I’m Charlie. You must be the famous Sydney.”
I gave Willow a confused look and she remarked, “You’re one hell of a mechanic and around here, bikers gossip about mechanics like ol’ ladies gossip about, well, everything.”
Charlie laughed and looked over her shoulder. “Let’s go you two.”
Looking into the foyer, I saw two tiny, furry dogs trotting from the other room. One had little bows in her hair and the cutest jacket I’d ever seen on a dog, and the other was attentive to her, watching and sniffing her as she pranced next to Charlie.
Kneeling, I offered my hand as I spoke, “You must be Jack and Jill.”
Jill with the sweater pranced over to me and sniffed my hand before he pushed up onto her back legs and put her paws on my knee so I could scratch her.
Jack immediately came over, circling me and sniffing around my butt and feet as I loved on his lady.
Eventually, he came over and sat next to Jill.
I carefully reached over and scratched his head, worried he might bite me, and when he wagged his tail and licked my hand, I smiled up at Charlie and Willow.
“Son of a bitch,” Willow remarked. “He doesn’t let new people touch his lady.”
Gently, I set Jill onto her feet and stood brushing off my knees as Charlies winked at me and remarked, “That’s because most new people can’t be trusted until they earn trust. Sydney is good people, and they know that. They’re a good judge of character.”
I wasn’t sure what just happened, but Willow gave a single nod and asked, “Do we need to grab anything besides the pups?”
Charlie answered, “They have a bag just inside the kitchen with food and toys if one of you could grab it for me.”
I stepped inside as Willow assisted Charlie down the stairs and into the SUV.
The dogs watched from the porch until Charlie was settled into the front seat before they ran down the stairs and hopped inside.
I pulled the door closed behind me and walked down the stairs with the dog’s bag over my shoulder.
We drove the paved road to the clubhouse and the entire time, Jack and Jill poked their heads out of the window, allowing the cool breeze to blow across their faces. I smiled, realizing this was just another thing that will be a part of my life going forward.
If Caleb decides to make me his ol’ lady.
THE SUN HAD SET, AND a few fires were burning around the parking lot as groups of brothers gathered around them, enjoying the evening.
There were so many Sinners here tonight, and I was glad they had on their cuts so I could keep track of everyone.
No club girls or outsiders were at the gathering, and that gave me some peace.
I had nothing against club girls, but I’d seen the damage they could do to a relationship, so I wasn’t a fan of them.
“It’s getting chilly out here,” Cheyenne remarked to the table.
The ol’ ladies had a table set up and a prospect assigned to make sure we wanted for nothing. He stood off to the side but was attentive. Caleb and a few of the brothers were inside the clubhouse playing pool. The front doors were open, allowing the cool night air to filter in.
I looked at Cheyenne, feeling a chill on my exposed arms and nodded. “It is getting cold. Is the wind always like this?”
“You mean unpredictable?” Claire asked, and I nodded. “Unfortunately, yes. The winds are random, strong, cold, and can take you off your feet.”
Another cold burst came through, and I saw the brothers around the fires step closer to the flames. I looked at the group. “I’m going to go inside for a bit and warm up.”
“I’ll join you,” Paige said and stood.
“Me too,” Cheyenne replied and joined us as we walked up the steps and into the building.
There was a large table off to the side and I followed them to take a seat.
Caleb looked over from across the room and smiled at me before he leaned down and took his shot.
A few minutes later, Claire and Willow joined us at the table, and I saw the prospect step inside and off to the side behind us.
Paige’s phone dinged and she looked down before explaining. “Charlie’s home safe.”
“I like her,” I remarked, feeling the rum and coke I’d had relaxing me. “She’s spunky.”
“Spunky? I like that,” Cheyenne reasoned and raised a glass. I lifted my water into the air, as she exclaimed, “To spunky.”
“To spunky,” the table said and toasted each other.
We began laughing and I looked at the ladies sitting around the table.
I’d never fit in with other women, and my entire life, I’d felt out of place around females.
They weren’t like any woman I’d ever met, and not one time did I feel like I wasn’t part of the group.
They explained things if I wasn’t clued into what was being discussed, asked my opinions, and listened to what I thought, never cut someone down when they walked away, and their smiles were real.
It felt foreign, but suddenly it dawned on me. I wasn’t used to family because, for the most part, I never had one. Uncle Billy was great, but he wasn’t a parental figure. He was someone who took his responsibilities seriously. And that’s what I was to him.
This group of people sitting in South Dakota, in the middle of the great nowhere in our country, had quickly become my family, accepting me and making me feel welcome, and I owed it all to the man currently looking at me from across the room.
His kind, loving eyes promised so much, and for once, I was going to trust that whatever being was responsible for the universe, had a plan.
And it started and ended with Caleb.