Into the Sunset

WRENCH

I looked up from returning the nozzle to the gas pump, and I froze. Adam was standing in the store with Sadie.

Without thinking, I took off running. As I approached them, I could see the fear in her eyes. His hand was on her arm, and his fingers were digging into her skin.

I pulled her back and behind me, ripping his hand away.

“What in the hell do you think you’re doing?” I yelled.

“If it isn’t the lover boy biker here to save the day,” Adam said in a mocking tone.

Sadie was pressed against my back, and I could feel her trembling.

“I was just trying to have a chat with my lovely wife here.”

He tried to look around me, to make eye contact with Sadie, but I blocked his view of her.

“Sadie, you need to come home with me now. Everyone in town already thinks you’re a cheating whore. Maybe you can save some of your reputation if you come crawling back to me.” He chuckled, and I wanted to throw up.

Sadie grabbed my biceps as she leaned to the side to face Adam. “There is no way I am ever going back to you. Why would you tell Garrett that I was cheating on you? What could you possibly gain from telling him something like that? How can he be okay with you cheating on me but hating me if I do it?”

“You really are stupid, aren’t you?” Adam laughed. “Garrett will believe anything I tell him. I give him everything he wants, and as long as I keep filling his head with bad things about you, he’ll never like you.”

He took a step forward, and I balled my hands into fists, waiting for him to make a move so I could knock him out.

“Just give up and come back,” he cajoled. “This guy will get tired of you. It’s inevitable. And he’ll drop you faster than I did. At least with me, you won’t have the town gossiping about how you’re slumming it.”

I was seething by this point. “Watch your fucking mouth,” I said through clenched teeth. “You don’t look at her, think about her, or breathe the same air as her ever again. You got that? If you do, I will make sure it’s the last thing you ever do.”

I wanted nothing more than to beat him until there was nothing left but a puddle full of bones. He thought he could continue to berate and threaten Sadie, and she would just come running back to him. She deserved so much more than him.

I could feel her take a deep breath behind me, and I knew she was gaining the courage to fight back. I wanted to respect her decision and give her encouragement, but I also didn’t want her thinking she had to do it all alone. The club would be there every step of the way. I would be there every step of the way.

Adam raised his hands as if to say Okay, I’ll back off. But everything in me was telling me nothing was over. He would keep coming back again and again, if only to try to make Sadie’s life a living hell. How had he ever gained her trust to make her love him?

“I’ll leave it for now. But Sadie, you will come home if you want to see your son again. I’ll make sure that if you don’t, he’ll never want anything to do with you ever again. I will make your life a living hell, and there will be nothing you can do about it.” He gave us a wicked smile and left.

I turned and looked at Sadie and was surprised to see that she looked more confident than I had thought. Definitely more confident than I had seen so far. The fear was still there, but something was more upfront in her gaze—anger.

“Are you okay?” I asked as I took her hands in mine. I wanted to see if she was shaking.

“No, but I’m not as terrified as I thought I was going to be. I’m more angry than anything. I can’t believe he’s doing all this. What was I thinking when I married him? How am I ever going to get through this? He’s doing everything he can to take everything from me.”

I squeezed her hands in mine, offering her my support. “You’re going to get through this one day at a time. Stand up for yourself and know that you have done nothing wrong. In just one day, you’ve already changed so much of your life. You are strong enough to do this. Just remember you’re not alone. I’ll be here with you all the way.”

I looked her over, checking for obvious signs of distress, but I didn’t see any. There was a determined look to her face, like she was ready to conquer the world.

With a final squeeze to her hands, I led her to the counter to pay for the waters, and then we got back in the car. I made sure Sadie was seated before I scanned the parking lot. I wanted to make sure Adam hadn’t stuck around.

The coast looked clear, but I was very aware of every car on the road as we made our way to the apartment.

The ride was far from silent as Sadie asked questions about the apartment and how she could repay the club for all their help. I reassured her that she didn’t need to repay anything, but I could see in her the desire to pay us back. She was used to doing everything on her own and didn’t know how to accept the help we were offering.

I knew it would take time, but I hoped she would eventually learn that we were here to support her in any way we could.

“What’s Reaper’s sister like?” she asked, changing the topic of conversation.

“Chelsea. She’s amazing. I think you’ll really like her. I mean, I love her to death. She’s super smart and loves to help people. She’ll make sure that everything goes well for you. Chelsea will fight for you to have everything you need from the divorce,” I said, smiling.

Chelsea was a great woman, and I could see Sadie and her becoming friends. It would be good for Sadie to have friends—to build her network of support. And I had a feeling that she and Chelsea would get along great.

“She sounds lovely,” Sadie said and gave me a small smile.

I pulled into the parking lot of the apartment and saw that some of the guys from the club were unloading things from trucks and carrying them inside. The two of us got out of the car, and Sadie walked around the car to stand next to me. She watched the guys, a confused look on her face.

“I didn’t buy all of this stuff. Is someone else moving in today?” she asked.

“No. You’re it. And before you ask, Ellie got some things together for you,” I told her.

“She didn’t need to do that,” Sadie whispered. I turned to her and took her hands in mine.

“Sadie, you’ve been doing everything on your own for a long time. You were working, writing, being a maid and a mother all at once. I know it seems weird that people are willing to help you. I know we’re basically strangers to you, but we want to help. Nothing we are doing is putting us out or causing problems. We are just trying to be good people who help when we see someone in need. Trust me.”

“I’m trying. I really am. But it’s been just me for so long, and trusting someone after everything I’ve been through is hard.”

She looked at the men unloading a couch. Her thumbs caressed the backs of my hands. I didn’t know if she was aware she was doing it, but I didn’t want to bring attention to it and cause her to stop.

“I want to trust you, I do,” she said, a small smile on her face as she looked at me once again. “Just maybe don’t give up on me. It’s like I’m learning to live a completely different life in the span of two days.”

“I’m never giving up on you. Now, let’s go see your new home,” I said and pulled her into the building.

The smile on Sadie’s face was enough fuel to make me feel like the king of the world. She went from room to room, taking in all the little details of the place. We directed the guys where to put everything, and Sadie looked like she had been given the greatest gift in the world.

“It’s big enough for me to even have a small office area,” she said. She turned suddenly, and her arms wrapped around me in a hug.

I was shocked at her open affection. But more than that, I was shocked at how right it felt—like coming home.

Her scent and the feeling of her in my arms were what I had been looking for in my life—a place to call home.

I just needed her to believe that.

My phone buzzed, alerting me to a new message. The last thing I wanted to do was let go of her, but Sadie pulled away to direct one of the guys to where she wanted the box in his arms.

I pulled the phone from my pocket and saw the message from Reaper.

“They’re just pulling into the parking lot now. You’re going to get to meet Chelsea.”