Forever Zara: (novella 9.5) by V. Theia (ebook reader txt) 📕

Hades turns up,” joked Rider with a sour taste in his mouth. “I’ll have plenty of bullets to welcome them.”

“Count me in. I need a decent bloodbath.”

“Prison life getting to you?”

“It was getting to me on day two. I’m way past that now.” Slouched in the chair, Lawless smirked. His eyes as watchful as ever, Rider noted. He knew Lawless wasn’t catching any trouble from anyone. It wouldn’t surprise him if they revered the enforcer simply for existing. Rider knew Lawless had layers no one else had discovered yet. If you were in Lawless’ circle, then you were in, and he was loyal as fuck, but that didn’t mean he let people close to him. He could only imagine what jail time was doing to a psycho used to a much different lifestyle. Rider had done a few stints in his early twenties when Rex made him, and a few other prospects do drug runs. But that was only a few months each time, nothing like the time Lawless was doing.

“We can lean on a few officials if you need out now.”

“Nah, s’all good, Prez. I’m a whiny bitch. It’s not too bad. I have the run of the gym. Got all the food I want, even got a room to myself now my cellie was released. You’d think I was a bad roommate the way he split out of here,” he smirked. “How’s it going at the club, uncle fuckface falling into line?”

“Too easy, it’s almost not fun for me.”

“But it is, right?”

“Yep.” Grinned Rider. He went on to tell Lawless how Rex thought he was now a big-time MMA investor. Getting rid of Rex would not be difficult. Rider could have done it a year ago if not for the need to cripple the old bastard first. Sometimes it wasn’t about a straight death. Taking everything a man had was a worse fate than being buried six feet under. Rex hung importance on materialism, losing investment deals was a bigger hit for him. Rider doubted his uncle even valued his family over cash. Whereas Rider would give up everything and do it easily if it meant he still had Zara and their kids. It wouldn’t even be a decision he had to make. His family came first.

Rex, on the other hand, was proving Rider right. The more the guy lost, the harder he tried to claw back.

“And you’re inviting him to the wedding?”

“He thinks so.” Answered Rider. “He ain’t gonna get the chance to taste the flame-grilled steak dinner.”

Lawless snickered his death-like sound. “I think you’ve taken up my sadistic mantle, Rider.”

“Someone had to fill your boots.”

“True enough.” Simpered the man who was used to sadistic dealings daily and was now on a low-fat diet.

The two-hour visit went by too fast, and the bell sounded for the end. Rider stood, Lawless followed suit, and the pair bumped fists. “You need something, gimme a call.” Rider told his enforcer. “Oh, thought you might wanna know, Angie started staying at your cabin on the weekends. Zara took her groceries the other day. She’s settled in with the ginger cat.”

“Good.” That was all he replied.

Rider watched Lawless stride out of the visiting room.

The club needed the enforcer back, but it would be some time yet before he strode into the compound again.

* * *

After picking her parents up from the airport, she drove to their Airbnb first to drop off the bags, then they all headed home to see the kids. It was still a question of confusion for them why Zara always had one or more of the Renegade Souls boys with her. “If there’s no trouble, why do you have a bodyguard?”

“Because Rider is a big softie.” She’d said, being honest. Zara told them it was Rider’s precaution for his peace of mind.

Maybe it made her a bad person, because she didn’t flinch once when Rider told her what he’d done to make her mental safety a sure thing.

Was she a bad person because she didn’t show an ounce of remorse for their deaths? She’d thought about it a lot, but this life of theirs would never be all roses or all pretty. It had cracks and shadowy sides to it.

Truth be told, she couldn’t pretend something she didn’t feel. Had Rider asked her what she wanted him to do. She was afraid she would have told him to kill those men.

Whichever way she looked at it, she wasn’t plagued by guilt.

She didn’t want to live in fear, and therefore something had to give. Zara wasn’t good with Rider’s methods, nor was she troubled by them either. He kept their family safe, and that would always be her priority.

Without noticing it happening, she’d become a true biker old lady. Understanding their way of life wasn’t all black and white and that some shades of gray were necessary for survival.

Leaving her parents at the house, she’d gotten a call from Rider to meet him at the club compound. The tone of his voice was playful, making Zara believe her biker-man was up to something devious.

“Do you know what he’s up to?” She questioned Pretty-Boy after climbing down from his truck. He smiled, eyes twinkling. Yeah, he knew.

“Haven’t got a clue, Zara.”

“Careful of those flaming lying pants, Mace.” She told him, striding through the club doors, listening to his barked laughter behind her.

Rider wasn’t found in his office.

“You’ll find him around back, Z-girl.” Called out The Butcher, who was smiling like he knew the big secret too.

These boys, she loved them all.

But the smile on her face was for Rider when she saw him standing on the mountains cusp around the back of the compound. It was a football field’s distance away from the clubhouse when she finally reached him.

“If you say we’re going hiking,