Page 29 of Talon (Road Rebels MC 2)
“You want us all to come stay in the lodge,” I said.
“I know it’s not ideal with what you and Gemma just struck up, but it’s how we’re all gonna keep an eye out on each other,” Mac said.
“Syd’s never gonna go for that,” Hawk said.
“She doesn’t have a choice. This is serious. Tell her this is for Emery’s safety. That we’ve got her, no matter what,” Mac said.
“There are enough rooms in the lodge for all of us,” Fox said.
“Can we still have visitors if we want ‘em?” Snake asked.
“Got plans?” I asked, grinning.
“Maybe,” Snake said.
“We gotta all agree because if we do, move-in time is tonight,” Mac said.
“Tonight?” I asked.
“Yep. We gotta get safe, and we gotta do it now,” Mac said.
“I’m in,” Fox said.
“I’ll get Syd to see it my way,” Hawk said.
“I’m honestly already moved in,” Mac said.
“Long as I can have visitors,” Snake said.
“Gemma stays with me. That’s my only requirement,” I said.
I watched Snake bristle again, but he didn’t counter anything I said.
“I don’t care where she sleeps as long as she’s safe. We’re family. All of us move in order to keep safe,” Mac said.
“Got it,” I said.
“Should we be retaliating?” Snake asked.
“No. I don’t wanna go in blind. I want all the intel we can get before we do retaliate,” Mac said.
“Want me to do some hacking?” I asked.
“I was just about to ask that,” Mac said. “I want anything and everything you can get me on them. I want to know their movements, their tracking patterns, their new shipping routes… fucking everything. Can you get me that?”
“Gimme some time and I can,” I said.
“Snake. Fox. I want you guys scopin’ out the routes they already use. Stick to the back roads and see what you can pick up. Keep your nose to the floor and stay out of sight.”
“Got it,” they said.
“I promise you, we’re gonna be prepared this time for whatever shit lands at our doorstep, and no one’s dying that day,” Mac said.
We all fell silent at his promise, but we were all thinking the same thing. Six years ago was about to reprise itself, and the last thing we needed was to watch more of us bleed out in the middle of the road.
“It won’t be us,” Mac said.
And that was all the reassurance I needed.
Epilogue
Gemma
One Month Later
It’d been about a month since we’d all moved into the lodge. Talon came home in a flurry, packing his stuff up and moving it around. It took me forever to drag out of him what was going on, and at first, I was completely against it. I didn’t wanna go live with all of them. I wasn’t a part of this lifestyle. I was finally getting callbacks for job interviews. I had finally obtained the man of my dreams. I didn’t want to uproot everything and live with all of them.
But the look Talon gave me stunned me to my spot, and I knew I had no choice but to listen.
Even after a month, I was still a little scared. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. I actually felt safer with all of them around. All of our families were comfortably living in the lodge, and we had family dinners every evening. My brother didn’t seem too pissed that I was retiring with Talon every night, and if people could hear us having sex they sure as hell didn’t say anything about it.
But then again, if they were all having sex as well, we couldn’t hear a damn thing.
I knew Talon would do anything to keep me safe. He accompanied me wherever I went. He kept telling me that when this was all over, he’d support any career move I made. I fell asleep at night listening to his voice talk about houses we would buy and a life we would live together. Foods we would eat and places we would travel.
It all sounded like such a wonderful fairytale, and I loved listening to every second of it.
But part of me did wish this was over already. I wasn’t sure how much longer this was going to be safe for any of us. I could tell people were starting to get restless, and I was getting to a point where I was starting to worry about my own brother. He traipsed in woman after woman each and every night, no doubt trying to keep his nerves and his fears at bay.
It was a side of my brother I’d never seen before, and I was worried sick about him.
“I just wish everything was over with already,” I said.
“I know you do,” Talon said.
“Something’s going on with my brother, and I’m worried about him,” I said.
“Honestly? This is just a side of Snake you’ve never seen. This is normal for him.”
“A different fucking woman every night is normal for him?” I asked.
“Yep,” he said.
“Well, either way, people are starting to get restless.”
“I know.”
“We can’t live like this for much longer. We’re gonna need space.”
“I know,” he said.
“And eventually, I’ll be too big for this bed,” I said.
At that moment, Talon rolled on top of me and captured my lips with his. The warming comfort of his lips always settled my beating heart, and I felt myself relax underneath the weight of his body. There was something about being covered with him that instantly triggered that type of reaction. Like when he was cloaking me with his body nothing could go wrong.
He kissed down my cheek and licked down my neck. He spent time with my bosom, relishing in the way it was already swelling. He traveled down my stomach and pushed up my shirt, revealing a stomach that would grow to epic proportions over the next several months.
“I’ll do anything to keep the two of you safe,” Talon said into my stomach.
I ran my fingertips through his growing hair while he pressed kiss after kiss on my tummy. I hoped he was right. I hoped he could keep the two of us safe. We found out I was pregnant only a few days ago, and we still had yet to tell anyone. I was petrified something would happen to Talon. I was petrified that this child would grow up without his or her father. The look in Talon’s eyes when I told him I was pregnant
had forever changed the way I saw him.
He was no longer the man I just loved.
He was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.
“Just keep yourself alive,” I said breathlessly.
“We’re working on all of that, I promise,” he said.
I looked down at him and caught his gaze just before he planted another kiss on my stomach.
“I love you, little one,” he said. “And by the time you get here, we’re gonna have so many fun things for you do too.”
I smiled at his words while I settled my head back onto the pillow.
“I’m gonna build you a swing so I can push you on it in our big backyard. You’re gonna have your own room with your own toys and your own bed. We’re gonna go on adventures, and I’ll teach you about computers, and if you want, I’ll take you on your first motorcycle ride.”
“Let’s… talk about that when we get there,” I said, giggling.
I felt Talon press his lips into my skin one last time before he raced up my body.
“I love you, Gemma,” he said as he looked deep into my eyes.
“I love you, too, Talon.”
His lips connected with mine while the sun set below the lodge, and for a split second everything faded to the back. His hands began to stroke my sides while my tits rose to painful peaks, and in an instant, I was able to imagine our life together. A life of green grass and painted walls and a stable home to come to. A life where I could work and be the best mother I knew I could be while Talon indulged in what he wanted to do. I dreamed of a life where Talon could be a part of The Road Rebels without sticking us in danger.
I felt Talon pulling my panties off to the side, and for a moment I allowed myself to forget.
To forget the fact that we were holed up in the lodge waiting for an attack.
To forget the fact that I had an unborn child, we still had to protect.
To forget the fact that we were in absolute, utter danger.
I allowed his body to sweep me away on the plane of my dreams, his lips wrapping around my nipple while he fucked me deep into the mattress.
That was all I had until we could get out of here… and every night I fell asleep praying that we would.
