“Missed you, man,” I told Tex and moved back to look at him. He was grinning and reached up to rub his knuckles on my shaved head. I decided to shave it again before getting out.
“You look badass. Come on, let’s get inside and get you a beer.”
The others were watching us, and after hugging some of the guys, I looked through the crowd of brothers, sweet butts, and old ladies to hopefully see her face again.
“Is she here?” I asked Texas, and he knew who I was talking about.
“Inside, preparing food. I know you two got a lot of shit to talk about…but I don’t think tonight’s the right time for that.”
I nodded slowly, always listening to my brother’s advice. “Do you have my vest?” I changed the subject.
“It’s hanging on your seat in church. No one has sat in that seat in four years.”
That was exactly what I needed to hear. My spot in this MC had not changed, no matter how long I was gone. And no matter if Crow thought he would keep that patch.
Chapter Three
Kiplyn
I watched Wilder out of the corner of my eyes, standing outside, leaning against his bike, and smoking his second cigarette. He’d been standing there for over thirty minutes now, and I was unsure if I should go out there and talk to him.
“Just go!” Rosalie nudged. She was sitting next to me in the booth right at the window, and she knew I was contemplating whether to go out there or not.
“It’s not like he won’t talk to you. Go,” she said again, and this time, she pushed against my arm, so I had to get up.
“Okay, okay.” I sighed, looking outside the window into his direction. “Wish me luck,” I mumbled then made my way to the exit. I glanced over to the booth Crow was at with two other guys and one sweet butt. It was almost midnight, and most of the others had left the club already.
As I stepped outside, I stopped a few feet in front of him, crossing my arms and meeting his gaze for the first time. His eyes looked sad, and he didn’t move the second he noticed me coming out of the clubhouse.
We stood there in silence for a while, both staring at each other. That felt like torture, and I had to make the first step.
“Hey,” I said quietly, suddenly being overcome by emotions.
He still didn’t speak. “Are you going to talk to me?” I asked, hoping that he would.
But there were still no words coming out of his mouth. “That’s not fair, you know.” My voice cracked, and I tried my best not to start crying. But then, finally, he spoke.
“To be honest…I was hoping for you to come running into my arms when I stepped out of the van,” he said, his voice raspy and low, just how I remembered it.
A sob escaped me, and this time it was me not speaking.
Another minute went by, and he spoke again. “Come give me a hug, Kiplyn.” It sounded like an order, but I was more than happy to run up to him and wrap my arms around his neck. I had no idea why he wasn’t mad at me. I knew he heard about Crow and me, but he didn’t seem to mind that I had moved on from him so quickly.
As I reached him, he pulled me into his embrace, hugging me tight to his body. He had always been taller than me, towering over me. But that was one thing I loved about him. The protection he offered me with just his body.
“I missed you,” I whispered against his chest.
“I missed you so fucking much,” he replied, kissing the top of my head.
Chapter Four
Wilder
It felt good holding her again. Knowing that Crow was inside, probably watching us from the window. I wouldn’t let him ruin this moment with her. Although I still had that emptiness in my chest, I knew that the VP patch wouldn’t be the only thing I would fight for.
I owed Kiplyn an explanation. Why I just gave in and let them take me to jail. I wasn’t the one who lit that house on fire four years ago, and I was determined to find those bastards who told the police that it was me. They made it look like I was the one who was at fault. I didn’t do shit, and my brothers knew it.
The only thing I wasn’t sure about was why I didn’t plead not guilty. My head was a mess back then, and even if everything seemed right, I had my own demons to fight against. When I arrived in jail, I saw it as an opportunity to clear my head. Think about my past actions and my future. But what I didn’t think through was the fact that the club needed a VP, and I would be replaced for as long as I was gone.
As for Kiplyn, I had no explanations as to why I left her here. That was one thing I had to figure out.
I held her close to my body, with one hand on the back of her head and the other wrapped around her waist. Silent sobs escaped her, and I tried to calm her down by caressing her back.
“Don’t cry, sweetheart,” I mumbled, kissing the top of her head. “Everything’s okay. I’m back,” I said, hoping that would ease her mind a little.
“You left me,” she whispered, leaning back slightly to look up at me. Her eyes were filled with tears, and her cheeks were bright red. Fuck me.
Instead of reacting to her words, I cupped her face in my hands and carefully eyed her. She hadn’t changed one bit. She did get older, but that didn’t change one single thing about her. “You’re so fucking beautiful,” I whispered.
She sighed, banging her fists against my chest. “Don’t. You left me and didn’t even try to fight for yourself! I hate you!” she sobbed, and I grabbed both her wrists to keep them from hitting me again.
“I know, Kip. I made mistakes. I let you down…but don’t act like I’m the only one who messed up.” She knew exactly where I was going with this.
Her eyes widened, and she tried again to punch my chest. Thankfully, I was stronger than her and kept her from hurting me. “Don’t you dare blame me!” she screamed, trying to shake me off.
“Let her go,” I heard Crow say. He stood a few feet away with a cigarette in his mouth and an annoyed look on his face. I looked down at Kip, who was staring up at me, upset and heartbroken. I slowly let go of her wrists, bracing myself for another punch to my chest. But she didn’t.
“We’re not done talking,” I told her quietly then watched her walk back toward the club. As she was about to pass Crow, he grabbed her arm and pulled her to his side, kissing her in a nasty, sloppy way before sending her off back inside.
“Jesus fucking Christ,” I murmured, shaking my head and lighting my third cigarette, watching him follow her with a stupid grin on his face.
Chapter Five
Wilder
“There’s something I gotta tell you, Tex,” I said, sitting down on my chair in church. I asked to have a word with him alone the next morning.
“I’m listening.”
I always looked up to him. Being ten years older, he knew exactly what he was doing. Growing up, he was my hero. The one I could go to when I needed help, but now, it was him that needed advice.
“There was this guy from the Bandits MC. His name’s Hawk. When you once came to visit me and tell me about Crow switching chapters, he overheard you talking about him. Did Crow ever tell you why he came here?” I asked.