RIDING DIRTY (Steel Titans MC Book 4) by Franca Storm (best books for students to read txt) 📗

They needn’t have fucking well worried, because my head started swimming, my body growing weak, all too soon.

Lights out.

21

~Slade~

CAUGHT IN THE UNDERTOW.

That feeling had been happening over and over. I’d lost count of how many times now.

I was stuck in dark, deep waters, fighting to swim to the surface, only to keep getting pulled back down, far away from the surface by the merciless undertow.

It started loosening its hold again, probably just to fucking well taunt me.

I could see the surface.

It was getting closer.

Finally, it happened.

I reached out and it didn’t slip away.

My eyes snapped open and I quickly took in my surroundings.

Once again, I was holed up in bed in my room at the clubhouse.

I gritted my teeth as the memory of what had gone down came back to me.

My own boys taking me down, forcing me to rest and recover.

They didn’t fucking get it. Other things mattered more than my goddamn wellbeing.

Willa was still trapped with that maniac. Fuck knew how long it had been now. The club was at risk the longer the situation with Freeman and Nolan went on unchecked.

And all the while I was just stuck here fucking well sleeping? Seriously? Jesus fucking Christ!

With a growl, I tossed the covers off, and climbed out of bed.

As soon as I stood up, I noticed the difference.

My head wasn’t swimming. I didn’t feel anywhere close to as weak as I had that first time I’d woken up.

So, yeah, resting had made me feel better. But still. Benching me like that was a whole other level. How long had I even been out?

I scanned the room, looking for my cell phone.

No sign of it.

It was my only source of figuring out the time. The only clocks we had in the clubhouse were in my office and in the lounge.

I glanced down at myself, relieved to find I was already in a pair of black sweatpants. No shirt. Barefoot. That didn’t matter. I was good to go as was to head downstairs and figure out what was going on.

I threw open the door, noticing that the arm I’d dislocated only burned slightly as I exerted it. Much better.

I was even able to stride down the corridor, not having to worry too much about taking it easy. No small, slow-ass steps needed.

Before I knew it, I’d made it down the stairs, and I was storming down the corridor.

Voices coming from the security room pulled me up short.

There they were!

I stopped outside, hearing a load of chatter.

Cole: “You think he’s walking for her?”

Liam: “Nah, Cole. That’s not Slade. He’s letting himself have her, because he’s walking.”

Mason: “More of his fucking secrets.”

Liam: “He did this for us.”

Mason: “Yeah, how’s that?”

Liam: “He could’ve just announced it and said his goodbyes in the next moment. Instead, he embarked on this mission to take out anybody who might come at us when he’s gone. He’s going out of his way to protect us and the club as a whole.”

Tank: “Yeah. Fuck, he almost died for us.”

Mason: “All right, I hear you. But we still gotta watch it with him, because he’s not thinking clearly anymore. He’s not the Prez we know, not with this woman in the picture. His head is too full of her. It’s clouding his judgment and making him reckless and desperate.”

Cole: “Who out of all of us hasn’t fallen victim to that, Mason?”

Van: “Fuck, we’re all guilty of it.”

Tank: “Not me.”

Cole: “You just wait, brother. You’ll see. It takes you over in one fell swoop and consumes you before you can even hope to defend against it. There really isn’t any defense at all.”

Mason: “Be that as it may, my warning still stands. We need to protect him and the club. You got this, Liam?”

Liam: “You’re asking me if I’ve got the stones to overrule him?”

Mason: “Fucking right. We have to know where we stand before he’s conscious again and all hell tries to break loose.”

Liam: “I already put him down, didn’t I? You don’t need to worry. I’ve got this. I just need to make sure we’re all on the same page. You all with me here?”

Mason: “Of course.”

Van: “Yeah.”

Tank: “All right.”

Liam: “Cole?”

Cole: “What?”

Liam: “I know this is hard for you. You’ve been his most loyal soldier all these years. He’s like a father to you. I get that. But you must be able to see that this is what’s best for him and the club. He needs us to do this. He’d do the same for any of us. Shit, he did with me, not that many months ago. He played hardball to protect me from myself. Now it’s just time to return the favor.”

Cole: “Fuck, fine. But to protect him, not just the club. And also to help this woman of his.”

Mason: “A woman he didn’t tell us he was even seeing. We all thought she was a former club asset that he’d discarded long ago.”

Liam: “All right, Mason, but we also know the reasoning behind Slade’s secrets. I think we’re past it. Even if you can’t get over it right now, he’s out soon anyway. Let’s do him this solid for all the times he’s done the same for us.”

Mason: “I have to make security a priority though, so keep that in mind. If I don’t and the club falls, we’re all shit out of luck, including Slade.”

Liam: “We’ll work it the right way. Now, let’s get back to it and just hope we’ve actually got something concrete before he wakes up.”

I threw open the door and barked, “Too late for that, brothers.”

My voice came out as a rough rasp, my throat so damned dry, it had me choking for a good few seconds. Fucking great.

I took in my boys all gathered around the room, eyeing me warily.

“How long have I been out?”

There was a delay, all of them tensing, all worried about my reaction.

Liam stepped up to me. “You’ve been in and out for a few days.”

My eyes