here too, even though the guy was still injured. But nothing was keeping him from getting his brother back today. Viking was beside him. He was tasked with keeping Flame back from the cartel and Klan until it was time to fucking unleash hell.
We made our way to the truck. Adelita stopped when Beauty appeared from the clubhouse. Some men were staying behind in case there was an attack. The other bitches were in the clubhouse too, still on lockdown. Beauty threw her arms around Adelita’s neck and squeezed her tight. “You take care, all right?” Beauty said and kept hold of Adelita. “We wanna see you back here tonight.”
“Si,”Adelita replied and hugged Beauty. I looked to Tank, who was on his bike beside Bull. He nodded, as if assuring me that he had my back. That he would help make sure my woman did return home with us.
“Lita, we need to go,” I said. Adelita stepped away from Beauty. I could tell by her face that she hadn’t expected it. Hadn’t expected Beauty to be so concerned. My heart fucking broke for my bitch all over again. She hadn’t expected it because she’d never had many friends. Never been allowed to get too close to hardly anyone.
When we were in the truck, Adelita took a deep breath, and I saw a new kind of determination in her face. “You good?” I asked, as I pulled out onto the road. The truck was flanked by the Hangmen. Styx, Ky, and our chapter were up front; the other chapters took up the rear.
Adelita was staring out of the window. “I am.” She took hold of my hand. I knew she wanted to say something. I could tell by how she shifted on the seat. I waited her out. Eventually, after a few minutes, she said, “If something happens today . . .” She paused and seemed to think over her words. “If something happens today, I want you to know that I don’t regret a thing.” I gripped her hand tighter, keeping my eye on the road. I wasn’t sure I could look at her right now. I wasn’t sure I could keep my shit together. “Nothing, mi amor.” Adelita kissed my hand. “Meeting you, as hateful as it was in the beginning, has been the single biggest blessing I’ve had in my life.” Adelita stroked her fingers along the back of my hand. “Seeing you fight your demons, challenge the prejudices you were raised with and completely change, was the most amazing transformation to witness.”
“It was you,” I rasped. “It was all because of you.”
Adelita moved until she was right beside me on the seat. She laid her head on my shoulder. “Even though we’ve only had a short time together, Tanner, these past several days . . . they have meant more to me than anything else has in my entire life.” Adelita looked up at me, and this time I met her eyes. “I didn’t know it was possible to love anyone as much as I love you. My father never loved anyone after my mother, so I never had an example of how a couple in love could be.” I kept my eye on the road but found it hard to tear my attention away from Lita. “If anything happens today . . . if for whatever reason something goes wrong . . . at least I have known what it was like to love you. Entirely and with my whole heart.”
“Nothing will go wrong,” I said. Adelita smiled, but it was laced with sadness. I understood then that there was no part of her that thought today would go well. “I love you, princess. You fucking saved me. Not sure if you know it. But you saved me.”
“Tanner—”
“And now I get to save you.”
Adelita stayed close to my side, holding my arm and resting her head against my shoulder. My heart started to beat faster and louder when we turned onto the road that led to the ghost town. My eyes scanned around as much as I could. I could see my brothers up ahead on their bikes doing the same thing. I expected an ambush. I expected them to try to take us out. But because of Wade’s intel, we knew to come into the town from the south. Some of our brothers who had been here overnight stepped out from their hiding place to wave us on through. To assure us that we were