Sydney's Battle (Reapers Rejects MC: Second Generation Book 1) Read online

  “Yeah, sorry about that. There’s been some stuff going on at the club,” I say, and I watch the worry flood over her face.

  “Is everything alright?” she questions as she grabs some concealer and puts it under her eyes. I have no idea why she’s even doing it. She looks flawless.

  “Yeah, I guess. Dad and I have been fighting,” I murmur, shrugging my shoulders.

  She stops what she’s doing and looks at me in the reflection of the mirror. “Zane or Inc? Sorry, I can’t remember what you call them.”

  “Zane is Dad, Inc is Inc. I’ll tell anyone he’s my bonus dad, but calling him dad feels . . . weird, I guess?”

  “Say no more. I understand. Alright, so you and Zane have been fighting. Is it about anything specific?”

  “Yeah. You know Gears, the VP of the Corrupt Kings? The one he’s been keeping down in the bottom of the barn?” She narrows her eyes at my question and my nerves rock right through me.

  “Yeah . . .” every bit of her tone is concerning. She’s worried and it’s obvious as hell.

  “I’ll sum it up for you. His Prez was going to shoot him the day they opened fire in the clubhouse. Gears was shot and his Prez was gonna shoot him in the head.”

  “Jesus.” My aunt shakes her head. Both her and I know my dad would never do something like that. When you commit to being in a brotherhood, we leave no man behind.

  “Dad never knew about that. He had me keep an eye on him one night when he needed all the prospects to help him handle something and . . .” I try to explain how this happened, but it’s not as simple as I think.

  “You grew close to him, didn’t you?”

  I nod at her question, grateful for her observation. “Yes, and he’s proving himself to not only me, but the club too. Gears is doing everything he can to prove he’s not a threat and I’m . . . I’m falling for him.”

  My aunt’s smile grows and tears threaten to spill from my eyes. “I’m terrified because I know how much my dad doesn’t like him. This isn’t easy, caring for a man who is hated by the man you love the most in the world. Fuck, he had me burn the tattoo off his back.”

  “Tell me it was a small one,” my aunt begs, but I can’t lie to her.

  I show her with my hands how big it was. “Jesus, that’s disgusting,” she comments, and she isn’t wrong.

  “This is so complicated.”

  “Love always is.”

  Love. She said love. Is that what I feel for him? Do I love him, or am I simply falling in love with him now?

  Out of nowhere my aunt grabs my hand and looks into my eyes. “Have you ever been in love before, Syd?”

  I waste no time shaking my head. “No, not in the slightest.”

  “Would you like me to explain it to you?”

  “Sure.”

  “It’s the most beautiful and terrifying thing. The lengths you will go for him will be admirable, and nothing will stand in your way. It’s like knowing the person you’re with is your ride or die, the person who was made for you. You’ll feel this undeniable pull toward them, and you won’t be able to explain it. Yet, it somehow makes sense to you.”

  Everything she’s describing is how I already feel about him. Still, something hangs over my head. “I’m worried Dad won’t ever accept him, even with the things Gears has already done to prove himself.”

  My aunt inhales deeply through her nose. “Your dad won’t like any person you choose to be with, sweetheart. No one will ever be good enough for his baby girl.”

  I smile, knowing she’s saying something so entirely truthful. No one will ever get his gold stamp of approval and I’m okay with it. The only thing I need is for him to be happy for me. I can only hope eventually he’ll see Gears is a good man, and if I’m lucky enough he’ll be supportive. Until then, all I can do is be patient.

  My aunt and I spend the entire day together. We go out to lunch, walk around town, and even go to a movie. I drive her back to the clubhouse so my uncle can take her home. I, of course, have to give him congratulations in person. They end up telling me the baby the surrogate is pregnant with is a girl and asked if it would be okay to honor my late mother. The fact they want to name the baby Saffron is amazing, and I love it. Why they are even asking me, I have no idea, but I love that my mother’s memory will live on in our family.

  I have a great day with them, but the only thing I want to do right now is get back to my apartment. So, I’m going up the stairs and I push open my apartment door and walk in. As it shuts behind me, I spot Gears lying on the couch. He’s shirtless and his back still looks awful. Cheyenne’s assured me it’s normal, that he’s going to look bad while the skin heals. She’s given me pointers on what to do for him and how to manage his pain. The pain medication knocks him out, which is good if you ask me. It means he isn’t able to move around too much and, in turn, means he won’t be able to hurt himself.

  I wash my hands under some hot water, grab the latex gloves Cheyenne brought over for me and put on a pair. Heading over to Gears, I grimace at the way his brows are furrowed even while he’s sleeping. It hurts me how he’s in pain, even with the medication. Eyeing the container of petroleum jelly, I take it and open the lid, scoop my fingers into the clear, thick substance and lightly spread it across his back. The last thing I want to do is be rough with him and cause him to wake up, so I take my time.

  After I’m done I close the container, put it back on the small table next to the couch and throw away my used gloves. Taking care of Gears has caused so many feelings to come alive within me and I’ve been spending a lot of time in the studio.

  Right now, the only thing I want to do is write, so I head through the door. After I’m inside the studio, I turn on the lights and sit behind my station. Grabbing my notebook, I look over the lyrics to “RIP” and I’m finally able to add in the second and third verse. I’m going to get this song finished tonight.

  Anyone who’s ever fallen in love, or is falling for, someone who their parents don’t approve of will be able to jam out to this song. My relationship with Gears inspired it and my entire heart is in it. I only hope when I perfect it, he’ll love it as much as I do.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Gears

  Three weeks have gone by in the blink of an eye. It’s what I want to say, but the reality is I was doped up for most of it. Syd didn’t want me bein’ in any pain and I’m damn thankful for everything she did. Cheyenne too. They made sure my wounds didn’t get infected, and Syd was a rockstar when it came to keepin’ my dressings clean. Cheyenne gave her pain meds for me, and I took ‘em whenever my woman put them in my mouth. She did a damn good job, gave me better treatment than I deserve if you ask me.

  The last week I haven’t had any pain meds, so I’ve been helpin’ Sydney move some of her stuff from Zane’s house into her new apartment. She even asked me to do a few handyman jobs. She’s got me weed whippin’ around the barn and even cleanin’ the barn up a bit. Not gonna lie, doin’ shit in the barn felt weird. I didn’t like it one bit, but she said the barn is basically her foyer, so I made the woman happy.

  Now we’re in her car and she’s drivin’ toward the front gate. We’ve only left the property once and we went out of the secret entrance. Why is she suddenly takin’ us out the front? “Where are we goin’, Lemon?” I typically only call her by her nickname when I’m balls deep inside her, but I’ve been usin’ it more often.

  Sydney smiles wildly at me. “I have a surprise for you. You’ll see, just be patient.” she focuses on drivin’ down the lane and stops at the prospect’s guard station.

  “Hey, Syd,” Bama, the prospect with the blond curly hair, says smilin’ at my girl. I’ve seen him around a bit now and while he seems nice, I don’t like anyone lookin’ at Syd and flashin’ their pearly whites. Now, I’m not sure if he’s tryin’ to make a move on her or not, but somethin’ about the dude doesn’t bode well with me. Bama looks past Syd and stares right at me. Shock covers his face. “Oh, hey there, Gears. You two goi
n’ out today?”

  Obviously, asshole.

  “Yeah, we are.” Syd smiles brightly like always and Bama looks nervously from me to her.

  “Listen, I know things are different with Gears and whatnot as far as your dad is concerned . . . but he’s never told me Gears can leave the property. I’m gonna need to call him and get authorization to open the gate, alright?”

  “Pussy ass bitch,” I mutter under my breath.

  “Sorry, what was that?” Bama asks, but it’s obvious he didn’t hear a damn word.

  “Nothin’, just sayin’ how I really am cravin’ a sandwich. Starved, you know?” I fake laugh and Bama nods, obviously understandin’ where I’m comin’ from.

  “Go ahead and call him. I’m sure he’ll be okay with it,” Sydney tells Bama, but I know my girl and she doesn’t sound confident in what she’s just said.

  Bama turns around and pulls his cell out, then he’s putting it to his ear. Out of nowhere, Sydney throws her car in reverse, steps on the gas and shifts gears like she’s in a Fast and the Furious movie. Her foot’s off the gas for a split second before her tires spin and the next thing I know, her shitty ass Honda is through the gate and we’re on the main road.

  “Holy fuckin’ shit. Did you really just do that?!” I half-yell, half-laugh at her.

  “Duh. I love my dad, but he’s not ruining my surprise. Sometimes I think the prospects forget he’s my father, not my warden,” Sydney declares, leavin’ me to shake my head and I know never to mess with this woman.

  Sydney heads down the interstate and after a while, we’re in town and she’s pullin’ up to the sidewalk. We both exit her car, and she comes up beside me and slides her hand into mine. God, this feels good. The two of us walk about two blocks before we’re in front of a café called Tart.

  “So, this surprise a date or somethin’ like that?” I question her, but she shakes her head. I don’t miss the sparkle in her eyes, though.

  “Kind of, but not really. It’s just a surprise, Gears. Trust me. You’ll love it.” I trust her more than I’ve trusted anyone. Ironic, considerin’ someone breakin’ my trust is how I ended up crossin’ paths with this gorgeous woman.

  We walk inside the café and I about tumble over as my eyes land on her. She’s focusin’ on the countertops, rubbin’ a cloth on it. “Hey, folks. We close in about five minutes, so I’m gonna have to ask you to take your order to-go. Is that alright with—” Tara turns around and the moment her eyes settle on mine, her bottom lip begins to quiver. Little did I realize she had a plate in her hand and it goes crashin’ against the floor.

  Another woman comes out from the back, “Is everything alright?” she asks Tara and Tara nods with tear-filled eyes.

  I let go of Sydney’s hand and walk toward the counter, but Tara rushes around the counter and collides straight into my arms. I hold onto her tight and she does the same to me. Fuck, this feels good. I never knew if I was gonna see her alive again. Even though Zane and I have a rough relationship, I’m grateful to him for gettin’ Tara close enough that his club could watch over her. It’s what I agreed to when I said I’d give him intel.

  I sense a set of eyes on us and see the woman who asked if everythin’ was okay starin’. “Mind if I help you close up tonight, Kelsey?” Sydney asks and walks behind the counter. The Kelsey woman nods, and Sydney helps her do whatever it is she needs to get done.

  Tara pulls back from me slightly and walks me over to a table. She sits down across from me and keeps her hand in mine. We’re stuck here starin’ into each other’s eyes. “Where have you been? I haven’t been able to find you and I . . . I thought you were dead.” Emotion floods her voice and I’m havin’ a damn hard time figurin’ out what to say. I surely can’t tell her where I’ve actually been, so I’ll lie.

  “I’m sorry, baby, I couldn’t get into contact with you. If I did, it would put you in danger and I didn’t wanna do that. I’m so sorry, but I’m alright, and we’re safe now.”

  “Good, ‘cause I can’t bear to have you out of my life like this any longer. You’re the only family I have left and the last thing I want to do is spend more time apart. Daddy, it’s been so hard,” Tara sobs in front of me and I hold onto her hand tightly.

  “Baby, you don’t need to worry about anythin’. I’m here for you. I’m never leavin’ again. I promise.” I make this vow to her and I will never break it.

  Over the course of the next hour, we catch up and her boss, Kelsey, leaves the café. Sydney comes over and asks if we want anythin’, almost actin’ like she’s a waitress. It’s adorable, but we’re fine. Though I took the opportunity to explain to Tara how Sydney helped me get out of my situation and without her, I wouldn’t be here.

  Tara smiled and thanked Sydney and then wrapped her arms around Sydney. It was damn near the best thing I’ve seen in years. I hope they’ll be able to form a close bond at some point. My kid and my woman. It’s every man’s dream . . . then I realize they don’t have much of a difference in age. Shit, I hope that won’t be a big deal.

  I’m sure we’ll touch base on it at some point, but at the end of the day, I’m sure she only wants me to be happy. We have a great visit with Tara, and I walk her out to her car before she goes back to her apartment. We make plans to get together soon, and I watch her drive off before I go stand next to Sydney.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Sydney

  He’s so happy and it’s obvious. The entire time he was with Tara in the café he was smiling, telling jokes and laughing. It’s the happiest I’ve ever seen him so far. I’m gonna have to get some sort of cell for him so he and Tara can chat more often. They have a lot of time to make up for.

  “Did you like your surprise?” I ask him, and he wraps an arm around my back and then puts his hand against my neck. Before I know it, his lips are hungrily searching for mine. I moan against his mouth and he relaxes against me.

  I force my tongue into his mouth and he releases a deep-throated growl. We stand here for a few minutes on the sidewalk, simply kissing each other. I break our kiss and smile up at him. “Let’s go home, so we’re not in the middle of the street when I want something else.” I’m sure he understands what I’m saying.

  He snickers and takes my hand, then we walk the two blocks until we’re back at my car. There’s a festival going on, so some of the people from the rural parts surrounding Billings are coming into town to check everything out. It’s a little past eight at night so the traffic hasn’t let up.

  We get to my car and I parked right under a streetlight. Someone is parked behind me and they’re awfully close to the car behind them now. Oy, this is a problem waiting to happen. I get right up under the light when Gears calls me over, so I look where he’s pointing and see a hefty dent. Shit.

  Looking back, the car is still trying to pull out behind us, and they finally make some headway, so I jump in front of them. Whoever’s behind the wheel must’ve hit my car. I don’t care about the bright lights shining in my eyes or the way this fool is honking at me. When I parked, the dent wasn’t there. Sure, I busted through a gate, but if it was the gate, it would be on the front of my car, not the back.

  They keep honking, so I yell, “Did you hit my fucking car?!”

  I spot the window being rolled down and some dude sticks his head out. He looks right over at Gears. “Man, get the leash on your bitch. She’s outta control.”

  Oh no, he didn’t. I run right up to his car and stick my hand inside it, grab this guy by the shirt and he’ll never make this mistake ever again. “Give me your insurance info, asshole! You hit my car and we both know it!”

  “You little twat, I’ll snap you like a fuckin’ twig, now let me go,” the dude snarls in my face and he manages to grab me by the throat and holds on tight.

  “Sydney!” Gears’ voice is filled with concern, but I don’t know why.

  Out of nowhere, I’m hitting the ground and Gears is now where I was. It all happens so fast. Gears yanks his fist back an
d lands a good one to the guy’s cheek and the next thing I know a gunshot rings through the air.

  I don’t have my gun on me, and I know Gears doesn’t have one.

  Denial sinks deep in my gut and Gears turns to me, blood soaking his white t-shirt. Shit!

  The car rolls off into the distance and I yank my cell out from my pocket, calling the only person I know who can help. I rip my shirt off and ball it up, pressing it into his wound. “Please answer, please answer.”

  “Sydney,” my dad’s voice is anything but happy to hear from me. Probably because of the stunt I pulled with the gate.

  “D-dad. G-gears got s-shot,” I stammer out, hiccupping through my words. It’s so hard to breathe right now and I realize what’s happening. I’m hyperventilating.

  “Calm down, baby girl. Where are you?”

  I tell him where I am and he instructs me to call an ambulance, so I do. Even as I wait for him and the ambulance to get here, it’s hard for me to breathe and I hold onto Gears’ hand like my own life is depending on it.

  “I’m gonna be alright,” Gears tells me, but he doesn’t realize how bad he sounds. Anyone would be able to tell the man is in immense pain.

  The exhausts of bikes can be heard for miles as they come rolling up before the ambulance even gets here. My dad, Inc, Bull, Grim, Axel, and even Tex are the men who show up to help.

  “Jesus, what the fuck happened?” Dad asks as I’m kneeling over Gears’ body, trying to stop the bleeding.

  “Your kid has a damn mouth on her, that’s what,” Gears stifles a laugh. I can tell from the disgusted look on my dad’s face he doesn’t know whether to laugh or punch him. The ambulance rolls up and they get Gears on the gurney. They tell me where they’re taking him and I nod, saying I’ll be there soon. By the time I’m done speaking with the EMT, my dad has an old Reapers Reject shirt and he’s holding it out to me.