Page 44 of Wild Side (Vicious Reapers MC #3)

LIGHTNING

Sucking in a deep breath, I open my eyes and let out a groan at the absolute fucking pain that slices through my stomach.

Fuck. I forgot about this stupid fucking incision.

When my gaze meets Bullet’s, I can’t hide my surprise.

Looking around the room, I try to find Briana, but Bullet is the only other person here.

“She and Dakota went to get something to eat. I don’t think she’s slept or eaten since she left Cleveland two days ago,” Bullet murmurs, answering my unasked question.

Before I can respond, he clears his throat and then sinks down in Briana’s abandoned chair. His eyes find mine, searching my own, and for a moment, I think he’s going to kick me out of the Reapers or something, because he looks goddamn distraught.

“We haven’t caught the guy yet,” he states.

I almost laugh, the tension leaving my body in a single whoosh. “Does Cid know who it was?” I ask.

Bullet doesn’t answer me immediately. Instead, he clears his throat again and shifts in his seat. Which means she does know who it is, and he doesn’t want to admit that they know who did it and can’t find him.

“She started dating some guy in Raleigh. Businessman, or so she thought. Turns out he was involved in some shady shit and was using her to get to us. Well, using her to get involved with us and get a foot in the door.”

“And when she figured it out and dumped him, that’s when he decided to shoot her?” I ask.

“Essentially, unfortunately for Cidney, he had let her inside his operation as a way to entice her to get him a meeting with the Reapers.”

“So he was trying to kill her because he told her too much. What a whole fucking piece of shit.”

“Essentially,” Bullet states.

“What do we do now?” I ask. “She know his name?”

“She does. She’s given it to us, but I’m pretty sure he’s underground or it’s a fake name, because we can’t find him anywhere.”

Fucking wonderful.

“One thing we have that he likely wasn’t banking on, though,” Bullet continues. “Piggy outfitted Lainey’s bakery with a whole fucking security system just in case anyone tried any fly shit in an effort to get to him.”

My lips slowly curve up into a grin at that announcement. “I get released today,” I say.

“You don’t do shit for the club until you’re completely healed and cleared. We do this for you, Lightning. You take care of yourself and let Briana take care of you, too.”

I open my mouth, ready to tell him that I’ll do whatever the fuck I want, which means find this sonofabitch who shot me twice, but before I can say a single word, he continues speaking.

“Let Briana take care of you, Grant. Figure out what you want from her. I don’t care who you fuck or how you do it. But Briana is important to Dakota, and she wants her to stay here. See if you can find it in your heart to make that happen.”

“Or in my pants?” I ask.

Bullet snorts. “Something like that.”

brIANA

“Are you moving back here for sure, then?” Dakota asks.

She’s got an ice cream in front of her and pushes mine closer to me. I haven’t touched it yet. I’m not sure I can stomach it, to be honest. I can’t remember the last time I ate. One, maybe three days ago.

I hear the sound of a rustling bag, then I watch as a container of fries is slid across the table. I can never, not even on my most calorie-deficient diet day, refuse fries. Especially the ones staring back at me… steak fries.

Reaching for a fry, I bring it to my lips and take a bite, only to see Dakota smile. Which makes me smile. Whatever tension I had disappears, and I let out a sigh. Releasing the rest of it that’s been curled in my belly for I don’t know how long.

“I don’t know if I’m moving here,” I confess.

“Your stuff is all in your car,” she points out.

Taking another bite of my fry, I chew it slowly in an effort to buy myself some time. “I was already packed and preparing to head west when you called me.”

“Will you just tell me what’s going on?” she asks.

I can hear the pleading in her voice. She wants me to tell her, and I know it’s because she only wants me to help. I want help too. I’ve always been the one to do the helping, and the fact that I’m sitting in front of her silently begging for her help is foreign to me.

“I was feeling too much for Lightning. We weren’t really together, but I felt like I wasn’t ever going to move on if I stayed.

But the problem is that I didn’t want to move on, and he was never going to want to be with just me.

I’m not sure I could always and forever be an option. So I decided to leave.”

“And?” Dakota asks.

I’m not usually someone who opens up about my thoughts and feelings much. I didn’t tell her why I left Thunder Rock or why I was leaving Cleveland, and she hasn’t asked until now. But she does know that I’m a runner.

Always have been.

“I went out on a couple dates with this guy, and he started unabashedly watching me. Like standing outside my apartment building all hours of the night. Appearing in the grocery stores. He didn’t say anything, but he was watching.

Always watching, and so I was going to leave. But then you called me.”

“Do you want Bishop to look into him?” Dakota asks, lowering her voice slightly.

Shaking my head, I clear my throat. “No. I’m here now. And I’m not going anywhere until Light is well again.”

“You’re not going anywhere ever. You’re going to be his old lady and then his wife, and then the mother to his children.”

I love how she’s so positive and certain. It’s sweet, really. I wish that it could be all that simple and lovely. I know that it was for her, but I am not her. My life has never been anywhere near what hers is. I love that she can be this positive, that her world is so rosy and beautiful.