Page 30 of Wild Ride (Vicious Reapers MC #1)

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

DAKOTA

Briana looks around the bedroom as I close and lock the door behind me. I need a shower and to brush my hair and teeth properly, too. Although I’m not sure if I’ll be able to brush my teeth since I have no toothbrush here, then I decide I’ll just use Bishop’s. His mouth and mine have been everywhere a mouth can be on one another’s bodies.

“I’m going to take a shower, then we can talk,” I promise.

Briana is focused on something. I’m not sure what. Although in this mess of a room, it could be a number of things. She hums and lifts her hand to motion me away. I walk into the bathroom, close the door behind me, and debate locking it, but I decide against it.

After starting the water in the shower, I take a moment to study my reflection in the mirror.

My.

God.

No wonder Briana freaked the hell out. My face is pale, not just a little pale but sickly pale. There are purple half circles beneath my eyes that look like I’ve been punched in each eye. Then there is my hair. My normally, at the minimum, combed hair appears to be a whole nest of tangles.

I know I wasn’t gone long enough to have deteriorated this much, but no wonder she panicked at the sight of me. I would have, too. I stare at myself long enough for the mirror to become hazy with the steam that fills the room.

The water is hot enough.

I step into the shower and let the hot water tingle against my skin. I take my time. I use Bishop’s soap and an all-in-one shampoo and conditioner. Normally, I would balk at it, but being clean feels so good that I don’t care if I’m going to have tangles.

There was a time in my life when my mother used herbs to clean my hair. She’s used eggs, honey, you name it, she’s tried it, so all-in-one shampoo is not the strangest thing I’ve put in my hair.

Once I’m clean, every single ounce of me, I turn the water off. After drying off, I wrap a towel around my body, then use another one for my hair. It takes me a little while to comb all the knots out, but when I do, I take another moment to look at my reflection in the mirror. The purple circles beneath my eyes won’t go away unless I get some sleep, same with the paleness of my face. I also need food, but the rest of me at least appears healthier. Hopefully, Briana will feel better about this once she sees me.

When I open the door to the bedroom, I am frozen solid at the sight in front of me.

It’s that woman, Exorcist, and she’s standing in front of Briana. She turns to look at me, and her lips curve up into a grin. She doesn’t say anything to me. She doesn’t have to. My stomach sinks, then flips at the sight of her.

I watch as she slips out of the room and closes the door behind her. Only when the door is closed does Briana turn to me. Her face is as pale as mine, and I can only imagine what that creature said to her.

“We really need to talk,” she says, but her voice comes out as a hushed whisper.

Actually, Briana appears completely and totally horrified. I have no idea what that woman said to her, but I know that no matter what I try to say, it’s not going to sink in. That woman has planted seeds. She knows what she’s doing. I have to give her that much, at least. She is a master manipulator, probably how she’s stayed here as long as she has and why she surrounds herself with men.

Turning toward the dresser, I search through Bishop’s drawers for boxers and a T-shirt. I’m really going to need shoes soon. There is no way I can continue running around barefoot. I’m going to need a pedicure or something, too, at this rate.

After I’m dressed, I toss the wet towels in the bathroom and use Bishop’s comb to continue combing my hair. I know that all the knots are gone, but I need to keep moving. I need something to keep my hands busy.

I have a feeling that Briana is going to have some harsh words for me, and I can’t deny that I might have the same for her if the situation were switched.

“What in the hell are you doing, Dakota?” she asks. “Seriously, look around this place. You’re surrounding yourself with these… these… men . Criminals are what they are. I looked up that little name they call themselves, and it’s bad.”

I don’t ask her what bad things they’ve done, mainly because just today, I heard them kill one person with a gun, and then I watched a building go up in flames, no doubt filled with people. Maybe I’m living in a whole world of delusions, but it doesn’t bother me.

“Is Willamette Haven a front for a sex trafficking ring?” I ask.

I watch as she winces in front of me. That is the answer I need, and I don’t even have to ask the next question, but I do anyway. “And you were one of them?”

“That’s not what we’re talking about,” she exhales.

She didn’t have to say the words to answer me. I now know without a doubt that she was one of them. My heart breaks at that thought. Reaching out, I wrap my fingers around hers and squeeze. I don’t know what to say, knowing that anything I do say will never be enough.

“I’m sorry that happened to you,” I whisper.

She jerks her chin in the air, her eyes on me, and gives me a small smile. “You did not do it. Dakota, I know that this man is saying all of these things you want to hear. He’s going to go after the Haven. He’s going to right that wrong, and he’s going to marry you, but you don’t know him.”

“You’re right,” I say. “He hated me on sight. Hated everything I stood for, but only because he loved my father so much, he couldn’t imagine everything my father loved going to a stranger. Even if that stranger was related by blood.”

Briana shakes her head, squeezing my fingers with hers. “Listen to yourself, Dakota. You admit that man hated you. And now, just what, a week later, you’re going to marry him?”

A week.

Wow.

A lot has happened in a week.

I discovered my dad always wanted me. I met a man who hated me, fell in love with said hateful man, got kidnapped, and then engaged to the man who claimed he hated me. A whole lifetime happened in just days. Not to mention having an estate to deal with.

“I fell in love with him.”

She rolls her eyes to the ceiling, then brings them to meet mine. “You are naive. You have no idea what is going on. That man wants you because he thinks you hold some sort of power in this place. Having the princess means having everything.”

“I know that’s what it looks like. It’s what I thought it could be, too, but it’s not. You just need to get to know him. I think you would really like him, like these men and this place.”

Briana shakes her head, her eyes narrow before she speaks again, and I can hear the conviction in her voice with each word she says.

“I am not going to like this place or these men. I’ll help them take the Haven down, but beyond that, I honestly don’t ever want to see them again. And if you choose to stay, I can’t say that I want to see you, either. I can’t watch you throw your life away for trash.”

“What did she say to you?” I ask.

“She?”

I squeeze her hand then release it and take a step backward so that I can really look into her eyes. “What did she say to you, Briana?”

“That her purpose here is to have sex. She’s a whore, Dakota. A body for those men. And I have to tell you that it makes me think of my own past and it makes me feel sick to my stomach. Downright violently ill. I don’t want this life for you, but if you’re insistent, I can’t stand by and watch you live it, either.”

Her words sting because she’s all I have. She’s all I’ve had for years, and now she’s standing in front of me saying, Choose this new life and lose me or come back to your old one . And I understand that she’s concerned about how quickly this is moving and the lifestyle and all of the above.

I have my own reservations, but none of them outweigh my feelings for Bishop.

Because those feelings for him are stronger than anything else I’ve ever had in my life, and I can’t walk away from them. As much as I know that I probably should, I just can’t. I know without a doubt that my regrets for leaving will overcome anything that could happen to me.

“And just in case you were curious, not that I think it’s going to matter to you at this point, but that woman wants to be here. She’s not forced to do anything. She hates me because she wants Bishop for herself. She attacked me, but if you want to believe her manipulations, then go for it.”

Briana doesn’t respond. She’s already made her decision. Her mind has been made up, and there is nothing I can do to change that.

“Maybe that’s the case. She seemed like a real bitch, but that doesn’t negate the fact that she’s here to sell her body for something. A place to live, food, whatever it is, doesn’t matter. She spreads her legs and does what they want. I know what that life is like. So, even if she’s a bitch, I can’t be around anyone who thinks that’s okay. Ever. For my own sanity and sake.”

I can understand that, and I hate that I can.

“I love him,” I whisper.

Her lips press into a thin line, and then she relaxes them. “I can tell. I see it in your eyes, and I want to be happy for you. I really do. I just can’t.”

I walk toward her but don’t say a single word. I wrap my arms around her and just hold her.

“I’m sorry they hurt you,” I whisper.

She stands for a moment, her muscles rigid. Then, after a moment of just hugging her, she lifts her arms and hugs me back. We stay like that for a while until it gets slightly awkward, but not enough that I want to step away from her.

This might be my last hug from the woman who saved my life.

My heart squeezes at the thought. I love her. She’s my sister, my best friend, and more of a mother than I’ve ever had in my life. The idea that she wouldn’t want to be in my world any longer makes my whole body ache.

BULLET

“Ralph is dead,” I announce. “The Richmond Bloodhound clubhouse is burnt to the ground, and everyone inside of it went down as well. That being said, Viking has been working on getting our shit straight from suppliers and cutting out the middleman. It’s going to take our brothers in Wilmington to help us, but we’re here to build on a legacy, and I’m going to do everything in my goddamn power to ensure that happens.”

The collective silence in the room would worry me if I thought this wasn’t a good thing. I know it is, so it doesn’t. Piggy stands, placing his palms on the center of the table as his eyes meet mine. I’m not sure what he’s going to say, but his expression is serious as fuck, so I wait.

“That is probably the best thing we can do. There is no reason to have any more liabilities than we already have in this business. I never understood why we had Ralph, and obviously, he did us zero favors and had no loyalty at all.”

“None,” I grunt. “Not a goddamn ounce.”

I take this moment to enlighten them on the cartel and the fact that this fuck was washing money for them. I would like to say that anyone in this room is surprised, but they aren’t.

“What does this mean for us?” Ivy asks. “Because that’s one group that I don’t want to go to war with. Sure, I don’t want to go to war with anyone, but we can handle the Bloodhounds. The cartel is a beast I’m not sure I want to go against, ever.”

With a snort, I jerk my chin toward him because I agree wholeheartedly. That is a beast I know, without a doubt, I want no part of.

“What about the sister?” Piggy asks.

“She’s still got a nomad looking after her. I’m going to leave it up to a vote on what you want to do about that. I assume she’s innocent, especially since she doesn’t live here and Ralph is no longer breathing, so our deal with him is no longer valid,” I say.

I’m surprised when Viking is the one who speaks first. “I vote that it’s up to the nomad’s discretion. If he thinks she’s safe, then he can walk away. If he thinks she needs protection and whatever that looks like, then he can make the call.”

“I second Viking’s suggestion,” Piggy says before I can even think of a response. Before the words even settle.

We vote, and it’s unanimous, because after I can comprehend what he said, I agree as well. I don’t want to leave some innocent girl out there to be nabbed by the fucking cartel. That is that. We are taking care of shit today.

“What about Oregon?” Shocker asks.

He’s been ready to ride since he heard about the Willamette Haven and their sick and twisted shit. I have to admit, it’s been put on the back burner, but only because the other shit that’s happened hasn’t been able to be put off for even a fucking minute, let alone the few weeks it would take to get to Oregon and handle the cult.

“I’m ready to tackle that. Now that Dakota’s friend is here, it’s the perfect opportunity to escort her home and take care of business. I am going to put the team together on the East Coast and get a timeline. I want to leave in five days.”

Shocker jerks his chin, his eyes finding mine, and I see something akin to respect in his gaze. Not that he doesn’t respect me or hasn’t respected me, but I’m under no illusion that although I’m forty-two years old, he sees me as a punk- ass eighteen-year-old prospect still. Because when I look at Maverick and Goose, who are in their late twenties, I see them the same way.

When I end the meeting with our shit somewhat figured out, I ask Viking to get me an outline of what we’re doing next so we can contact clients with new or different delivery dates. I figure he’s already working on that, and I’m correct when he confirms he is.

Shocker doesn’t leave the room. His gaze continues to focus on me, and I would feel uneasy beneath his scrutiny, but I don’t because I know he wants what’s best for every fucking person involved.

Instead of feeling defensive or uneasy, I arch my brow and drop my chin slightly to urge him to continue. Thankfully, he does because it’s clear he’s got words for me on the tip of his tongue.

“That girl visiting is going to be a problem,” Shocker mutters. “She doesn’t want Dakota to stay.”

Yeah, I fucking clocked that shit immediately.

“Dakota knows what she wants,” I say, hoping to fucking God that she does and that she feels strongly enough about me, about us, and about the men in this club that she can tell the bitch to kick rocks.

“Hate to see a woman not make it out of a cult standoff,” Shocker mutters.

And as sick and fucking twisted as that is, I can’t deny that I was thinking the same fucking thing. If the bitch has to go, the bitch has fucking got to go . I hope she doesn’t, for no other reason than it would upset Dakota, but if she’s going to be a complication, she is not fucking wanted, nor is she needed.