Page 1 of Dark Savior

1

Rachel

Three years was a long fucking time to go without seeing my family, though it was by choice. It’d been three years since I stepped through these clubhouse gates. Three years since I saw my brother and his wife, Brittany through something besides a phone screen. Three years since I saw my parents. I had a niece I didn’t even truly know. Wasn’t even sure she’d recognize me in person.

The club had been dragging me down when I decided to leave this place. When I left, I was failing school and on the verge of dropping out. My senior year had been about to go to complete shit. My life was on a catastrophic, downward spiral because I couldn’t stop finding myself in trouble.

When my grandfather found out, he put his foot down and told my parents he was taking me away from the club. Away from the shit that always circled this family. Away from all the darkness and bullshit that had been dragging me down.

I graduated five months later. I even did two years of community college after that.

And then, my family’s shit found me.

I knew it would only be a matter of time, but fuck, I hadn’t expected them to come down on me so hard. Two men, one who had a patch over his right eye, from a rival club wearing cuts that named them members of the Souls of Grim MC had tried to snatch me right outside of the grocery store in broad damn daylight. If that old lady who happened to be nearby hadn’t smacked one upside the head with her huge purse, I would no doubt either be kidnapped, searching for a way out of whatever situation I’d ended up in, or dead and buried in a shallow grave somewhere, never to be found or heard from again.

When I’d called my grandfather, telling him what happened, he told me to go home to the club. Immediately. Fuck my shit. Fuck my first year of university about to start.

His order had been to go home straight home. He wouldn’t even let me come say goodbye.

I knew right then that something was going on, and it had to do with my grandfather—the one who started the Royal Saints MC. And whatever this rival club wanted with him, they found out I was his precious granddaughter, one he’d do anything for.

Just fuckin’ lovely.

The gravel crunched under my combat boots as I made my way to the clubhouse doors. The place was quiet, which meant everyone was probably asleep or out doing their own thing. Which usually meant things were quiet for the club for the time being.

Wasn’t going to last long now that I was home though. If there was one thing I knew about clubs like the Souls of Grim MC, it was that they stopped at nothing to get what they wanted. And for some reason, they wanted me.

The Souls of Grim knew who I was now, and if they were trying to use me to get something out of my grandfather, they wouldn’t be forgetting about me anytime soon.

“Hey, can you—” Brittany’s words died in her throat as she stared at me with wide eyes when I stepped through the clubhouse doors. She dropped the glass she’d been holding, and it shattered at her feet. My niece, Emma—who I only knew through a phone screen—squeaked in alarm, looking around for the cause of the loud noise.

I lifted a hand and waved at Brittany, my other hand hanging limply at my side. “Hi.”

“Holy shit,” she breathed. Quickly, she moved around the counter and swept me into her arms. I quickly hugged her back, my chest growing tight. How long had it been since I’d been wrapped in my sister-in-law’s loving, safe arms? “I can’t believe you’re home.” She leaned back and gripped my upper arms, running her eyes over me. “No one mentioned you were coming.”

I shrugged carelessly. “No one knew.”

Hell, I hadn’t even known until a few hours ago.

“Babe, what the fuck—Rachel?” Carter breathed, staring at me as he came out of the back hallway. He rubbed his eyes with the pads of his fingers before blinking at me again. “Holy shit. It is you.” Quickly, he moved forward, sweeping me into a hug. I sank into his embrace, my eyes closing of their own volition. There was nothing better in the world than a brother’s hug. I’d missed the hell out of him. “Fuck, what are you doing home?”

I shrugged for the umpteenth time as he released me, leaning down to sweep his daughter off the floor. She looked so much different in real life than she had through a phone screen. Fire red curls flopped all over her head, too short to do anything with yet and just long enough to be unruly. Her dark eyes were an exact replica of my brother’s.

And her smile was literally everything. So full of innocence and joy. I hoped this club and this family never stole that from her like it had me.

I didn’t want this life to touch her and ruin her in the same way it had me.

“Needed a change in scenery,” I lied. “Thought I could come home for a little while.”

Carter frowned at me. “But aren’t you set to start uni in the fall?”

I waved him off. “I’ll be back with granddad before then.” I hoped.

Carter grinned at me. “Well, it’s good to have you back, even if it’s just for a little while, sis.” He jerked his head toward the hallway. “Come on. I’ll get you set up in a room. Doubt you wanna stay with Mom and Dad.” I grimaced at the idea, making him laugh. My parents and I clashed heads more often than not. Even while living with Granddad, anytime I had to talk to them, we ended up fighting. I was too loud-mouthed and opinionated, and they were too controlling.

Emma squealed and smacked her hands to Carter’s cheeks. He blew a raspberry at her as he led me down the hall. “Yeah, didn’t think you did.” He glanced at my empty hands. “No bags?”

I snorted. “You know me—fly by the seat of my pants. So nope. No bags.”