The Last Riders - First Four Votes (29 page)

“Ton!” Winter screamed, watching in horror as Lily fought frantically to get away from the biker who was determined to thrust his tongue down her throat. Beth started screaming and so did Winter, trying to find help.

Ton, realizing what was happening, hurried to Beth, trying to get her away from the men, but another guy that had been standing behind Sam blocked his path. Ton tried to hit him, but the biker punched him hard in the stomach and Ton dropped to his knees. The biker that had Lily grabbed her ass, lifting her against him until her feet were off the ground, carrying her in the same direction as the two men were taking Beth.

“Stop! Sam, you have to make them stop,” Winter pleaded to the woman watching impassively.

“I don’t have to do a fucking thing other than to go in that diner and get me a hamburger. We were minding our own business.” Sam shrugged. “These guys aren’t pussies like The Last Riders.” She walked to Winter, taking the handlebars of the wheelchair, and tried to give it a shove to send it careening, but this time Winter was prepared, grabbing the wheels to hold the chair steady.

Sam, angry she had been unsuccessful, tried to tip the chair over and almost threw Winter out, but was thrust away by Viper, who sent her tumbling to the pavement. People were finally coming out of the dinner, yet no one made a move to help.

“You bitch! I will kill you if you touch her again,” Viper promised.

“I am not afraid of you, Viper. This time I have somebody to back me up that isn’t afraid of your pussy club.”

Viper moved to go to Lily and Beth. This time the two remaining bikers blocked his path.

“What are you going to do, Viper. Take them all on?” Sam jeered.

Viper answered by hitting one in the face. The sound of crunching bone made Winter nauseous. The man staggered backwards as the other one came forward and the fighting turned ugly. Winter watched as Viper took on one and then the other man as he fought to help his buddy. It was useless; the two were ineffective against Viper’s assault.

The sound of motors racing down the street did not stop the fighting or the men who had Beth and Lily. The last Riders pulled into the lot and surrounded the fighters. Razer gunned his bike towards Beth and Lily, startling the men into letting Beth go, however the one that had Lily tightened his grip around her waist, turning her to face the group of angry bikers.

A released Beth ran to Razer as he climbed off his bike. He pulled her close for a second then told her to go stand next to Winter. Winter could tell she wanted to argue, but she didn’t, coming to stand next to her, using the chair to steady her weak knees.

Viper was still fighting the men. One took a step towards him and was met by Viper’s fist then the ground. Razer and Knox threw themselves at the ones who had touched Beth. The four fought dirty, and Winter couldn’t bear to watch. Her eyes caught on Lily who stood in frozen terror as the biker held her in a tight grip around the waist with her pretty dress torn off one shoulder.

Winter then saw Shade and Rider get off their bikes. Rider moved forward, but Shade gave a hand signal and Rider backed off. Shade did not rush the man as Razer had his victim. Instead, he took off his sunglasses and jacket, leaving him in his long sleeve black t-shirt. You would think that the man holding Lily would let her go since they were outnumbered, but no, now he held onto her for dear life. His life.

Winter was scared of Shade when he was in a good mood, even more when he was steadily maneuvering himself closer towards a target, the man holding Lily hostage.

“Let her go.” Shade’s voice was deadly.

One of the men Viper was holding yelled out, “Slot, let her go.”

The man ignored his biker buddy; smart enough, at least, not to take his eyes off Shade.

“Let me get on my bike and get out of here, then I will let her go. She your bitch?”

“She is no man’s bitch.”

“She’s yours. Just let me go. No trouble.”

“You had trouble the second you looked at her.” Shade motioned to Rider, who was sneaking forward to move back. Slot looked at him, but Shade did not take advantage of the man’s lack of attention; instead, drawing his attention back towards him, which wasn’t easy.

“Have you heard of The Last Riders?”

“Yeah, but I ain’t afraid of you. You guys fuck more than you fight.”

Almost casually, Shade replied, “That’s because the other motorcycle clubs have learned not to mess with us, which gives us more time to fuck. Did they tell you how we got our name?”

“No.” The conversation was making the man more nervous; you could practically see him shaking. Winter couldn’t blame him. Shade was dressed in black. What skin you could see, he had covered in tattoos except his face, which was filled with menace and determination.

“See that wheelchair over there with the woman sitting in it?” The man was beginning to look more terrified than Lily.

“Yeah.”

“I’m going to give you one just like it. They call us The Last Riders because, if you fuck with us, we fuck you up so bad that you will never be able to ride again. Slot, you have taken your last ride.” Shade finished his sentence between gritted teeth then, before Slot could take another breath, Lily was out of his reach and Shade was beating the shit out of him.

The sheriff and his deputies were now swarming the parking lot. Someone from the restaurant ran across the street to get them. None of The Last Rider members made a move to stop Shade, though. It took two deputies and the sheriff to pull him off the whimpering biker. With a one last kick to the man’s face, Shade let himself finally be pulled away.

As soon as Lily was freed from Slot, Razer had led her immediately to Beth. Winter frowned; through the whole ordeal Lily had stood frozen as a statue. It hadn’t changed with her release, either.

Beth enfolded her into her arms, speaking quietly into her ear. Winter couldn’t hear what she was saying, but she could tell it had no effect.

“Does she need to go to the hospital?” Winter asked, concerned.

“No, I need to get her out of here and go home,” Beth answered.

“The sheriff will give us a ride home and we can come back tomorrow for your car,” Razer said, moving close to Beth and Lily protectively. The whole time, Lily still did not move. The sheriff’s car pulled next to them and the sheriff got out to open the car door for the three of them.

“You all right?” Viper moved to stand next to her.

“Yes.”

“I will be back in a minute to get you and Ton. I am going to go get my car.”

“Okay.” Winter didn’t know what else to say, giving his hand a tight squeeze and a nod to his father who immediately moved to her side as Viper jogged off.

“I’m sorry, Winter. I should have left when Beth tried to get me to,” Ton apologized.

“It would have been wise, but I understand your frustration with Sam. She’s had Viper just as angry, Ton.”

It didn’t take Viper long to return with his car and get Winter as well as Ton settled inside it. They dropped a quiet Ton off before returning to the clubhouse. He was packing her back inside when the other members began returning, yet he never broke his stride to look or even speak to anyone. He merely kept walking into the house and took Winter upstairs to their room where Viper sat her down on the bed.

“Do you need me to get your pain medicine?” Viper asked in concern.

“No, my back doesn’t hurt.”

“I need to go downstairs, you all right?”

“I’m fine. I think I’m going to lie down for a while.”

“I’ll bring our dinner up when it’s ready.”

“Sounds good.”

Winter watched silently as he went into the bathroom and washed his hands and face before going downstairs. She could tell he was still furious. She just hoped the sheriff was smart enough not to release the bikers anytime soon.

Viper went downstairs where the members were waiting for him. The women were sitting in the living room while the men were off in the kitchen.

“Cash?” Viper wanted information.

“The sheriff arrested all the bikers. Sam was let go as you requested. Rider is trailing her. Seems she has taken up with the club across the state line.”

“Blue Horsemen?” Viper asked, surprised. Until now, they had been smart enough to keep a respectful distance.

“Yes.”

“Confirm this then we will make our move.” Cash nodded in agreement.

“Where is Shade?” Viper asked.

“Same place Razer is,” Cash answered.

Viper nodded. “Knox, Train, make sure when this goes down they leave some of them breathing. I want someone left alive to spread the message not to fuck with us.”

“It’s going to take more than me and Train to accomplish that job. We could contain Razer, if we’re lucky, but Shade…” They both shook their head. “You know how he is when he’s pissed and that doesn’t even begin to describe the mood he’s in now.”

Viper nodded his head in agreement. “Cash, when we’re ready to make our move, send for back-up from Ohio. Not enough to make us weak there, but enough that we can take care of the Blue Horsemen while we keep Razer and Shade from wiping out the whole club.”

Viper turned to Train. “Get Evie,” he ordered.

Train left to go into the other room. Moments later, Train returned with Evie by his side.

Viper gave her his instructions. “I need you to take the shopping bags in my car to Beth. Let her pick out her stuff then you can bring the rest back here for Winter. Check on Lily and ask if they need you for anything.”

“I’ll leave now.” Viper tossed her his keys.

As soon as she left the room, Cash asked the question that was going through all the member’s minds. “What about Sam?”

“I am done asking for information from her. She is never going to tell the fucking truth. Evie and the women can deal with her.” The other members nodded in agreement.

“When do you want to hit the Blue Horsemen?”

“We don’t go in blind. Let Shade do the recon then we’ll make the decision. I want the brothers from Ohio here a few days before we hit their club. When I give the word, I want to be ready to ride.”

The Last Riders sat grim-faced, each preparing for the battle ahead. The Blue Horsemen club would pay for what just a few had done. By the time they were done with them, they would no longer exist.

M
onday morning dawned
with the members quietly getting ready to work their shifts in the factory. Winter rose early, letting Viper sleep. After she dressed, Winter rolled her wheelchair to the desk and began tending to Viper’s never ending paperwork. The amount was staggering. If she hadn’t been working on the paperwork during her free time, it would have been even worse.

After an hour, she took a break, grabbed a drink from the small refrigerator Viper kept in his room, and opened a granola bar to snack on. Viper lay on his stomach on the bed, the sheet tangled around him, barely covering his firm ass.

He hadn’t come to bed last night until late. He had eaten dinner with her then told her he had to return downstairs, so she had watched television until drifting off to sleep.

He had not touched her since Friday night at the party. Winter couldn’t help questioning if he was still hooking up with the female members. Jealousy tore at her, but she forced those feelings out of her head, refusing to go down that road with Viper again. He had misled her once, so this time she had to be wary while she kept her eyes open and her heart detached.

“What has you looking so gloomy?” Winter had been so lost in her thoughts, she hadn’t been aware that he was awake and staring at her.

“I was wondering how Lily was doing. Have you heard?”

“Yes, Evie said she’s doing better.”

“Good, I was worried about her.”

“You know Beth and Lily well, don’t you?”

Winter was hesitant to answer, but answered truthfully. “As well as they let me. They are pretty tight, never fought or tried to steal each other’s boyfriends the way some sisters do. I don’t know if Beth even dated anyone before Razer. Lily has always been with Charles. Everyone in town knows he has loved her for years.”

Viper nodded, adjusting himself so that he sat up in the bed, leaning back against the headboard. The sheet barely covered his cock, which Winter noticed had a morning erection.

“She return the feeling?”

Winter didn’t know how to answer. She was a hundred percent sure that Razer would get zip out of Beth about Lily. She knew them better than anyone in town and they expected her to maintain their privacy.

“I don’t know.” Winter decided to plead ignorance. Going back to the desk, she returned to his mound of paperwork.

“Why are you being so evasive?”

“Why do you want to know so much about them? You want to know something, ask Razer, or better yet, Beth. She will tell you herself if she wants you to know,” Winter snapped in return.

Viper moved to the side of the bed before standing and stretching lazily. Winter didn’t turn her eyes from the ledgers, trying to keep her eyes off his impressive body. The tattoos on his chest, abdomen and arms—she hated to admit—pushed her buttons. Thankfully, she had never known he had a tattoo when they dated or it would have driven her crazy.

Winter determinedly returned to the paperwork, ignoring the warmth flooding her body. She heard him go into the bathroom then the shower running. Several minutes later, she heard him come out and get dressed. The whole time refusing to even glance in his direction.

“You have a new therapist starting today,” he interrupted her wayward fantasy.

“What happened to Connor?”

“He quit Friday.”

“Before or after the party?”

“Before.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Didn’t want you changing his mind,” he answered, pulling on his shirt. “He needed to concentrate on your recuperation, not getting inside your pussy. You ready for some breakfast?”

“Yes,” she said through gritted teeth.

Viper gave her a sexy grin, picking her up. Minutes later, she was seated at the table with a plate of food in front of her. Winter had just finished when the doorbell rang. Train escorted an older woman into the kitchen.

“Winter, this is Donna; the new physical therapist,” Viper briefly introduced the two women.

Viper carried her downstairs where she changed out of her clothes. She had developed the habit of leaving extra workout gear in the laundry room off the gym. It saved several trips up the stairs for Evie. Donna put her through her paces. Tired, Winter started to roll her chair towards the showers.

“Where are you going?”

“I was going to get a shower?” Winter asked, confused.

“I am not done with you yet.”

“You’re not?”

“No,” Donna said firmly. “See this.”

Beth saw her walk to a piece of equipment that was covered up. She had thought the men had purchased a new piece of equipment for themselves. It wasn’t, it was for her; a set off parallel bars for her to start walking longer distances. Winter felt tears of happiness try to break through.

“You ready?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Let’s get started then.” It was the hardest thing Winter had ever done. Before, Conner was just having her take a few steps, now she was walking back and forth along the length of the bars. Donna wouldn’t let her push it and brought it to a stop after a few attempts.

“We’ll work on it again tomorrow,” Donna promised.

The hot tub was heaven on her muscles. She was relaxing against the side of the tub when Viper came into the room.

“How did it go?” Viper asked Donna, but it was Winter who answered.

“Great.” Happiness shone out of her face, removing the sadness that always seemed to cling to her.

“I need to get to my next client. You got her?” Donna asked.

“Yes.”

Donna left, telling Winter she would see her tomorrow.

“I am ready to get out.” Winter moved to stand by the side of the tub, waiting for him to help her out.

“The hot water help your back?’

“Yes, it relaxes the muscles in my back and legs.”

Viper nodded, his eyes tracing a drop of water rolling down the skin between her breasts. Winter felt self-conscious for the first time, standing before him in the tiny bikini.

“Viper?” His dark eyes came back to hers, reluctantly leaving the expanse of exposed flesh.

He lifted her out of the hot water before reaching out and handing her a towel. He waited patiently as she dried off then picked her up and carried her to their room.

“I really like my new therapist. I got to walk again today, Viper.” He had sat her in her chair and was watching as she gathered her clothes to wear. Winter looked back at him before entering the bathroom to get dressed. “I am hoping I will be out of your hair in a couple of weeks.”

Viper nodded, not saying anything. He simply stood, staring out the window. For the first time in his life, he was confused at how to reach a woman. Winter refused to see his interest in her, ignoring the messages he was sending her at every opportunity. She had turned the tables against him. Now he knew how she had felt for those two years, trying to attract his attention while being constantly rebuffed.

He heard the shower stop and the sounds of her getting dressed. She was still fragile and would be for quite a while. She wasn’t strong enough yet to deal with the full force of his desire, but she was healing. When he thought she was capable of dealing with him, then all the restraints he had placed on himself would be removed. He was giving her the time her body needed to heal, but also to repair the mind fuck he had done for those two years.

Viper’s hands clenched into fists, forcing his body to relax, and to get his cock back under control. The sight of her in the bikini had almost sent him over the edge, wanting to grab her, but he had been able to gain control.

He hadn’t fucked anyone since the night she had been attacked and it was beginning to get to him. When she had thought he was faithful to her for those two years, he had fucked anything that crossed his path, working his desire for her out on numerous willing female bodies. Now, when she could care less about him, he found himself unable to bring himself to touch another woman.

Winter had her revenge and she didn’t even know or care.

W
inter was walking by Christmas
. She was slow and hesitant, but gradually becoming stronger.

Without saying anything to Viper, she called the school board and told them she would be able to return to work in the upcoming semester. Thankfully, the school would be closed until the second week of January. She would still need the cane she was using, but she felt more than capable of dealing with the workload. The physical part of her job, she could delegate to her vice-principal while regaining the final stages of her strength.

Christmas was quiet around the house with just a few of The Last Riders remaining. Even Shade had disappeared for the holiday. Beth and Razer had spent the holiday with Lily, who had seemed recovered from the biker grabbing her.

Beth told Winter that she had finally convinced Lily to see a psychologist. The women had never shared with her what demons tormented Lily, and Winter wasn’t sure she wanted to know what had damaged the sweet girl so badly. Some things in life were better left undisturbed.

Christmas dinner had been good with just Viper, Rider, Knox and Evie. This time, Winter had pitched in to cook and was rewarded with the compliments given. Smiling, she shrugged off the compliments and they settled down to a night of watching television.

Two days later, the crew was back and it was Friday; a combination that Winter could tell would lead to a wild night. She hadn’t attended another party and wasn’t about to. She planned on returning to her home at the end of next week, giving herself one more week of therapy, and though she adamantly refused to admit it to herself, a last week with Viper.