I shrugged as our lips parted. “She’s still not talking tome.”
Buck cracked open a beer. “Family shit is the worst. We all know it far too well aroundhere.”
I grabbed Ryan’s hand. “Can we talk out back for a second?” I just couldn’t wait any longer to tell him the news I’d figured out right when he left thatafternoon.
“Yeah, of course. Is everything all right?” Ryan grabbed my hand as we made our way to the back. His thumb drew circles in the palm of my hand as he smiled down atme.
“Uh huh, I just have some news that I want to tell you privately, that’sall.”
As soon as we were a few steps out of the back door, a few men on bikes started riding down the fence line in the grass. They had bandanas covering their noses andmouths.
“Fuck! Cass!” Ryan yelled, scooping me up into hisarms.
I had no idea what was going on. The sounds of guns firing, guys yelling, and motorcycles revving erupted as Ryan ran with me back into the barn. We fell onto a couch with him on top of me, covering my entire body with his. As I gasped for air, I realized we were both covered in blood. When the gunfire finally stopped, Ryan pulled me to myfeet.
Buck rushed over. “Are either of you hit?” he askedus.
Ryan ignored him, running his hands up and down my body, checking to see if I had been injured. I knew the blood had come from one of us and that I wasfine.
I started trembling as I screamed in Ryan’s face, “Answerhim!”
“Right shoulder, flesh wound. Get me the kit, I can patch it up myself,” he finally told Buck as a few of the guys ran back in with their gunsdrawn.
Ryan continued to check my body as I collapsed into Buck’s arms, sobbing. “I’m not hurt. I’m fine. Buck, just make sure Ryan is okay.” I was a blubberingmess.
“I’m calling Fletch.” Ryan pulled his phone out of his pocket to call my best friend’s husband, and I couldn’t protest. I knew if the club was being hit, I was in danger and couldn’t go home. It was the first time anything like that had happened. Before that moment, Ryan had just been a guy on a motorcycle who had other friends who liked to ride motorcycles too and occasionally shot guns. Now he was an outlaw, I was his old lady, and we were indanger.