Page 94 of The Riders’ Reign

He leans in and kisses me. “I’m very happy to hear that.”

It takes a few hours, but finally things quiet down at the compound. It is a shame everything was ruined—the Jackals’ leaving party and Rook’s announcement—but even worse is that Bear is in the hospital and Phoenix is behind bars.

We’ve gotten word that Bear is going to pull through, which is a relief, but we won’t know much with regard to Phoenix’s situation for a couple of days. Megan has gone to join Shelley at the hospital. I imagine there will be a conversation to be had there as well. I wonder if Shelley will keep quiet about what she did, or if she’ll try to speak up on Phoenix’s behalf.

Either way, I’m exhausted.

We don’t even need to discuss it; we all head back to my house. Ace was right when he said we need a place of our own. This house is too small for all five of us, and though Jack’s place is the biggest, it would be weird if we moved there, especially for the guys. They’d forever feel like they were guests in the prez’s house, rather than it being equally ours.

Sensing he needs the comfort, I take Rook into bed with me. Ace, never wanting to be left out, curls up on the opposite side, so I’m sandwiched between them. Ghost crashes on the couch, and Jack remembers he’s left his pain meds at his place and says he’ll see us in the morning. Even though Jack seems fully invested in this setup, I get the feeling he likes his alone time, too, and always will. Besides, after everything that’s happened tonight, I expect he’s got some shit to deal with that he doesn’t want to bother us with.

It can’t be easy being the leader of the Verona Falls Riders.

43

CAMILE

A couple of days pass, and we’ve returned to the airstrip, as it’s the closest one for my family to land. I’m anxious about being back here, but also excited to see my mom and brother again. We already suspected the owners here are open to a backhander or two, so it’s only taken some cash to make sure they turn a blind eye to my family landing here.

They had a risky journey to get to an airstrip in Mexico, and I was worried they’d be attacked by any remnants of Hector’s organization, but in the end, they called to say they were ready and would be on a plane within hours. They have no money, and it’s strange knowing that the damn Vipers are the ones who organized this for them. I guess I owe them now, though Vani insists I take it as an apology for how she behaved. I think we both had our badly behaved moments, though.

As we’d expected, Phoenix didn’t make bail, and his case will be going to trial. Jack’s forked out for the best lawyers in New York State, so hopefully he’ll get Phoenix’s sentence greatly reduced. In the meantime, though, he’s stuck in jail, and I’ve heard the conditions are not good at all. Even though I don’t know him well, I worry for him. I think it’s weighing on Jack some, too, as they’re close friends.

Bear is doing well, and though Shelley originally said she was going to tell the truth about what happened, both Bear and Megan managed to talk her out of it. Apparently, she spoke with Phoenix, too, who told her this was his decision and he stood by it.

I spot the small plane as a dot between the mountains, and it drags my thoughts from my worries as, the next moment, I hear the engine. My heart flutters and my stomach knots, and I find myself giving a little nervous stretch. These are my family, and I shouldn’t be anxious about seeing them, but I am.

Jack is at my side, ready to greet them, while Ace and Rook hang back a little. Ghost declined coming. He didn’t want to be back here, which is completely understandable after what he went through at this place.

I shoot Jack an excited smile, and he grins back at me. We’ve already agreed we’re not going to launch into an explanation of our relationship status just yet. That I’m now hanging out with an MC rather than being at college is going to be hard enough for them to stomach.

The plane descends, growing bigger and more defined in the sky. The roar of the engines fills my ears, becoming almost impossibly loud the closer they get. With a rush of speed and powerful brakes, the plane touches down and taxis across the runway until it eventually comes to a stop.

I wait for a moment, assuming they’re gathering their belongings, then the door opens. An unfamiliar face exits first, descending the small set of stairs—one of the pilots, I assume—and is followed by my mother.

I hop up and down and let out a squeal, before running up to her. “Mom!”

She looks thinner than the last time I saw her, her hair streaked with gray, but there’s also a softness to her smile and eyes, and I wonder how much that has to do with the fact she no longer has my father looming over her.

“Camile!” She pulls me in for a hug, and I squeeze her tight.

My brother, Leo, exits the plane, moving with more caution. He eyes the bikers waiting on the ground. Though he knows I’ve brought them with me, he’s still clearly untrusting. I guess that’s understandable after so many people have wanted him dead.

I hug him, too. “I’m so happy you’re both okay,” I tell him.

“Yeah, we’re all okay,” he replies. “I guess we have you and your friends to thank for that.”

I throw a grin back at the others.

“You look happy,” my mom says, pinching my cheek.

“I am. I really am. Mom, this is Jack. He’s the president of the MC who killed Hector Sanchez.”

My brother shakes Jack’s hand. “Thank you for your help. I don’t know where we, or my little sister, would be without it.”

I don’t even want to think about that. I’d most likely be Ledger’s wife by now, and while I’ve always wanted to be married and have a big family one day, I’d never wanted it to be a forced marriage.

Glancing back at my men, I can’t help smiling, my heart filling with joy. I’d never imagined this future for myself either, with four men who love me deeply, and living on an MC compound, no less. But now my future is here, I can’t imagine being anywhere else. I’ve found my home, no matter how unconventional it might be.