Ratchet clenched his fist at his side. No f.u.c.king way was he going to let that happen. He wasn't going to allow her to stay behind where he wasn't the one who'd be protecting her. Yeah, that wasn't going to f.u.c.king happen. He would make sure she was willing to come with him. His father hadn't only taught him how to make a man talk he'd also taught him how to protect what he held dear and Ratchet wasn't going to let anything happen to his woman.

"Hurry up, I'm hungry." Mia complained when he stood near the bike she'd already climbed on. Laughing he climbed on and cranked the motor. She wrapped her arms around his waist lying her hands on his stomach.

"You're a bit impatient tonight. You tackled me the minute I arrived at the house and now you're demanding that I rush to get you food. Bossy woman." Ratchet teased.

She pinched his stomach, growling, "I didn't attack you! That went the other way around. Why are you wearing a shirt anyway?"

"Well, somebody attacked let's not get picky about who attacked who," He said with a chuckle. "And it's starting to get cold again. Over the next month we'll be in for some cold weather and I wear clothes in the winter. I already told you that a few weeks ago. Christmas is only three weeks away." Then he headed to the restaurant with his girl clinging to him as he flew across the miles between his woman and her dinner.

Chapter 15.

Ratchet walked into Bone's office the next day to find Duck, Dog, Trick and Bone sitting at the desk. Bone was shaking his head and looked like he'd been pulling at his hair in frustration again. The men turned when he entered.

"Good. You're here. I wanted to talk to you. We need your expertise. There's a man over in a cellar near Tammy's diner that I need you to break." Bone told him with a dour look.

"Again. I just worked on that Jackal we found last week. Is this about the Juice run they are planning?" Ratchet felt his eye starting to twitch.

"This is a weasel who beat the f.u.c.k out of Monica. He cut her tongue out before he brutalized her for over three hours. She's at Doc's and even if he can heal her she might not want to live." Bone told him. f.u.c.k, Ratchet thought Monica was only sixteen.

"He's hinted that he had information that would lead us to their new lab. If he does have that information we need it. He was talking until he overheard two idiot prospects talking in the hallway about us f.u.c.king him up after we got the information. Now he isn't talking and Tank's been working him for almost two days. You are the best we have." Bone told him his expression bleak.

Ratchet knew that Bone knew how much it cost him every time he had to work a man until he broke. Breaking a person wasn't pretty. Sometimes it was simple. Others it wasn't. He only got them when it wasn't. He didn't like to think of the things he'd done to men to break them. The grim fact of the matter was that with them headed into a war he was going to be doing this much more often than he'd like.

This one would be easier knowing how he'd brutalized a child, but it would still take a tiny piece of his soul. It always did. It was why he tried so hard to enjoy life. He nodded, his expression harsh. He'd do what needed to be done, but first he needed to talk to Mia. He'd not had time last night to ask her to head back to the farm with him when he left. He'd planned on leaving today if she'd go with him.

Bone's request would mean they didn't leave for a few days which might be better. He'd ask her today and then give her time to consider going with him. While he worked hard to convince her that she should. He thought, grinning. This idea had merit, he thought smugly.

"I need to take care of something first, but I'll head back over this afternoon to start." Ratchet told the men.

"Sounds good." Bone nodded, standing near him by the door. "I know things have been tense between us since the Mia debacle but I hope you know that I appreciate you." The other man told him. Ratchet smirked at him.

Since Molly had become his old lady Bone had gotten down right communicative. It was funny as h.e.l.l when he pulled this feelings s.h.i.t out of his a.s.s. Not that they really minded knowing that they were important to the club. It was just funny that a man who would shoot you as soon as look at you was saying things like I appreciate you. And good job. Ratchet batted his eye lashes at the man and said in a sickeningly sweet voice.

"Really Bone. Does this mean we're going steady now?"

"d.i.c.k. Just be aware." Bone sneered, glowering at him.

"We're good." He said seriously. Bone nodded and he headed out the door, climbing on his hog to go to Bear's to see Mia.

Mia was standing in the living room when Ratchet walked in. She'd just been asked by Lisa, Racheal, and Molly to meet them at the diner in town in an hour. She was thinking about how her life had changed over the last few weeks here with the Red Devils. She had a boyfriend. At least she thought he was her boyfriend. With Ratchet it was hard to tell. She could just be his f.u.c.k buddy, she thought sadly.

He was rarely serious, unless it was about her safety. He became a little scary sometimes about that and he was bossy about it too. It was the only time they really argued. He also seemed to always be joking about something. Although, there was a darker edge to him that always seemed to lurk behind the happy go lucky facade. It was why she wasn't really sure what they were. She didn't really understand what she was dealing with when it came to him. He was a mystery.

She'd made several friends and found some of the family she'd lost a year ago. She'd missed Pearl and Racheal who'd been a part of her life since she was sixteen. Her life here was fuller, but she still felt at odds because she had nothing to do.

She turned when he opened the door and felt unsure about the serious expression on his face. It didn't bode well for a quick romp in bed before she met the girls. She sighed that really was too bad. When she'd heard his bike pull up she'd thought that at least she knew what to do to pa.s.s the time now. Only it didn't look like she was going to get lucky now.

"h.e.l.lo, beauty." Ratchet moved into the room taking in Mia who wore one of the long skirts she tended to favor and a light b.u.t.ton up blouse that had five b.u.t.tons undone at the top revealing the top slopes of her b.r.e.a.s.t.s. His marks were visible making him feel satisfaction that anyone who saw them would know that she was his. Her hair was down and it flowed around her reminding him of her in bed this morning.

"Hey." She whispered back. Her face clouding slightly as she watched him. He must look grim, he realized. He'd been thinking of what he was about to do once he left here and it wasn't sitting well with him. It always felt wrong even when he was doing it to protect his family. And the sick f.u.c.k who'd attacked a child wasn't worth feeling upset about. Yet, he did. He didn't like what he did to men when he handled this problem for the club.

Lightening his face with a smile, he moved towards her. She grinned back at him. Her face lighting up as he lowered his lips to hers. She was so sweet. He kissed her gently, his lips attached to hers in a soft caress. It was a greeting more than a kiss, he thought as he pulled back cupping her face.

"I need to ask you something, Mia." He said gazing into her eyes. His own were likely boring into hers. He couldn't help it, he wasn't feeling soft right now with what he knew his afternoon would be consumed with. He wanted to bask in her sweetness before the dark consumed him. He almost laughed at his own dramatic thoughts.

"Okay." She nodded.

"Will you come home with me when I leave in three days?" Ratchet blurted out.

"Home?" She questioned. Wasn't this his home? She wondered, confused.

"I have a cabin over at the Dixon farm. It's small only three bedrooms, but it's mine. I have to go back and I want you to come with me." He told her his hands still holding her face.

"Oh, I don't know. How far away is the farm?" Mia asked unsure what to say. She hadn't realized that this wasn't where he lived. Part of her wanted to stay with him, but she didn't want to be totally dependent on him either. She knew that here she was living with Pearl who was like her Aunt. She was okay with living with her because she was practically family. Staying with Ratchet would be different. He wasn't her family. It would make her feel a bit cheap to move in with him when she wasn't even sure they were a couple.

"About two hours. Too far for me to travel back and forth every day. Besides Tick needs my help there. I've be putting off going home because I don't want to be separated from you Mia." He told her not elaborating on why Tick needed him there. It was to secure the farm so that their families would be safe while they fought with the Jackal's. She didn't need to know that. It would make her question her safety with him and he didn't want that. Mia should feel safe in her home and he'd die to make her feel that way if he had to.

"I don't know Ratchet. It's a big step, and we haven't even talked about what this is. I just want to know what we have before we just jump past the dating stage to the living together stage." Mia stared at him with a worried expression on her face. It caused a wrinkle to form between her eyes. It was cute, so he kissed it.

She let out a breathy moan when he did. It made him chuckle a bit. "Please we can talk about what we are tonight. I'd like to think we're already together. So to me moving in together isn't a huge step." Ratchet told her.

"It is though. We barely know each other Ratchet." Mia told him quietly. He knew that was true in some ways, but wrong in others. They already knew they were compatible s.e.xually. They also knew each other's moods, having learned them over the last few weeks. He knew she didn't look happy until she'd had her coffee, and she knew he didn't like wearing a shirt because it made him feel a bit confined.

"I know you, Mia. You're cranky without your coffee and you like it when I pinch your nipples lightly. And you love when I suck them." Ratchet would have continued but Mia stopped him.

"That's my point Ratchet. You know about my s.e.xual preferences and I know yours, but you don't know who I am as a person without the s.e.x stuff. And I don't really know you. We skipped that part because the pa.s.sion between us is so amazing." Mia told him that tiny wrinkle appeared again and he wanted to tell her she was wrong, but instead he told her the truth.

"I want to learn Mia. And if you stay here I can't, but if you come with me I can." He kissed her nose, his hands moving into her hair.

"Okay, we can try it, but I need a way to contact Pearl if I want to come back here." Mia finally agreed against her better judgment. She wanted to learn about who he was too, and she didn't want to lose him so soon after finding him.

"Thank you, Mia. You won't ever regret this, beauty." Ratchet informed her.

"I hope not, but I want a sat phone so that I can contact Pearl if I don't want to stay with you anymore." Ratchet didn't like her stipulation but he wasn't going to disagree. He'd learned that when Mia became determined she wasn't easily dissuaded.

Chapter 16.

Mia watched as Lisa and Molly desperately tried to suck down their milkshakes to the cheers of the on lookers. She grinned at Racheal who rolled her eyes. This had all started about twenty minutes ago when Lisa had told Molly she was a light weight when it came to eating. Molly had growled that she wasn't and that she'd bet Lisa that she could eat more than she could.

Lisa had laughed making Molly angry, and suddenly Molly was screaming that she could choose her food, and she'd be able to eat her under the table. Mia had laughed thinking it was a joke. Only Racheal had sighed and whispered, "Not again." From beside her in the booth.

Apparently this kind of challenge between the two women happened a lot. They were good friends but both were compet.i.tive and it ended with them having ridiculously childish show downs like the one she was currently witnessing. They had started with burgers and fries, then moved on to onion rings and were now at milkshakes. It was silly. The two women were enjoying it as was she and the other onlookers.

"Come on Molly you can do it!" Racheal said cheering her friend on when she looked like she was slowing down. Lisa already looked a little green around the gills from her side of the table.

"Lisa hurry it up I bet on you." Cried Pretty Boy from the next table. Earning a glare from Terry, Dog's old lady who yelled at him.

"d.a.m.n it, stop talking to her. It makes her slow down!" Mia knew that Terry had bet on Lisa too. No one thought Molly could pack away as much food as she'd so far been able to. Racheal was just about the only one who'd bet on Molly. Racheal leaned forwards catching Molly's eye.

"You're gonna lose, b.i.t.c.h." Racheal barked. At first Mia thought that was a little harsh of her considering they were both likely to get a ice-cream headache from this challenge if they didn't slow down. Not to mention the stomach aches that were a given after eating all that food so fast. Only suddenly new determination entered the woman's eyes and she sucked harder at the straw, her milkshake disappearing much more quickly.

Mia would be surprised if the headache they were going to have wasn't going to be joined by vomiting. This really was a ridiculous challenge, but she couldn't deny that it was funny to watch. The boo's from the onlookers were loud from the Lisa supporters as Molly pulled into the lead.

"What the h.e.l.l is going on in here? s.h.i.t, not again Molly." Bone said trying to contain his laughter from a few feet away the crowd having parted to let him in.

Molly's straw made a slurping sound as she sucked up the last of the milkshake. Earning a whoop from Racheal and groans from everyone else. Molly held her arms up like a prize fighter winning a match.

"I won! Ha, take that bi-otch!" Molly yelled.

"Pay up dumba.s.ses!" Racheal told the Lisa supporters as she stood going around collecting her winnings.

"When are you people going to learn not to bet against my woman? You all know that she never loses." Bone chuckled kissing Molly, hugging her from behind. His arms over her shoulders.

Mia was laughing so hard at the comical expressions of the people who were still shocked that Molly had just won this challenge. She couldn't believe that these people were always so energetic. They really were just a giant family. You could see it at moments like this one. She knew that somehow she'd managed to become a part of that family and it made her smile.

It wouldn't replace the family she'd left in the city, but she was glad that she had them. Mia watched as Racheal sat back down in the booth counting her credits. Pretty Boy shook his head and grumbled about the loss.

"You know better. I've told you that she's never not going to let someone beat her. If she does this it's because she knows she's going to win so quit b.i.t.c.hing." Bone told the man a proud smile on his face. Mia almost felt the love the man felt for his pretty little wife when he looked back at her.

"Well how was I to know that the woman has a hollow leg, d.a.m.n it?" Pretty Boy growled before he stormed from the diner.

Molly wasn't smiling anymore though when Bone looked back at her. She saw Bone sigh before saying, "Stomach ache?"

"Yes." Molly said looking green.

"Poor, baby. Let's get you home and I will take care of you." Bone whispered into her hair lifting her in his arms. The crowd parted letting him by without a word.

Lisa wasn't looking much better where she sat across the booth. Mia tapped Racheal on the shoulder as she scooped the credits back into the bag.

"Huh?" the woman said turning to her.

"I think you should maybe help Lisa get home she doesn't look so good." Mia said indicating the woman who was holding her stomach as she sat beside her.

"Oh. Yeah, I'd better help. Lisa are you going to be able to make it to the car or should I call Slim?" Racheal asked the woman beside her.

"I can make it. I still don't know how she managed to beat me. She really must have a hollow leg. Good thing Travis is with his Aunt today or I'd be unable to take care of him. I know better than to pull dumb s.h.i.t like this challenge." She sighed, before she slid from the booth letting out a moan as her hand went to her stomach. "Ugg...I don't know what I was thinking."

Mia followed the two women out of the diner to Lisa's car. She helped the woman into the car then shut the door stepping back onto the sidewalk. She was waving when she heard a door behind her open and turned. What she saw made her heart almost stop.

Ratchet had been working Harry over for nearly two hours. He was almost sure the man wasn't going to be easy to break. He was just too quiet. When you were torturing a man and he didn't react to that torture you knew that he was no longer afraid to lose anything. Which made it likely that the only way he was going to get the man to talk was to find the one thing that scared him. He knew that Bone and Tank had already tried the usual stuff.

He needed to think on how to work him over. He was wiping the knife on a cloth to clean it in front of the man's face to let him know what was coming. He didn't even blink and Ratchet almost sighed. Bone had left a few minutes ago and Tank had just moved to the door. He was pushing it open when Ratchet called out to him.

"I'll be at least another two hours. Tell Bone it's unlikely that it will be finished toda..." That was when he saw her. Standing in the middle of the side walk as Tank looked at him from the door he'd already opened. Tank was a large man and his hand rested on the door was near the top allowing Mia a full view into the room. He knew what she saw and he felt his heart pick up, f.u.c.k. Just, f.u.c.k.

What was she doing here at exactly the moment that Tank had opened that door to leave? She wasn't going to go anywhere with him now unless he fixed this now. Right now. He shoved the little knife he'd been cutting Harry with onto the table next to him screaming at Tank. "Grab her."

This seemed to bring Mia out of her stupor. She jumped back from the door turning to run, but not before Tank turned caching her around the waist lifting her struggling form off the ground. Mia screamed clawing at him. Desperate to get away. She needed to run. Now that she'd seen that what would they do to her? Would they strap her to that chair like they had that man strapped to? Would the hands that only hours ago had brought her to completion now wield a knife against her?

Her panicked thoughts didn't register that Tank's hold wasn't hurting her, or that he was saying over and over that he wasn't going to hurt her. Ratchet came up to them his hands had blood on them she saw with dismay. What would he do now?

His hands reached out cupping her face as he'd done earlier. She tried to twist away but he wouldn't let her. He waited as she struggled finally stopping when she met his eyes. The one's she'd stared into for long periods of time while he made love to her. Tears sprang to her eyes and she trembled in Tank's arms. She was shaking all over and her heart was beating so hard she was light headed with the rush.

"Mia, beauty, your safe. Your safe, baby. n.o.body's going to hurt you." Ratchet said. And somehow she knew looking into his eyes that he was telling the truth. He wasn't going to hurt her. Only she didn't understand why he would do that to the man in that room. Because there was no doubt in her mind that he'd been the one to break every one of that man's fingers, and he'd been the one to remove his finger nails, and the one who'd sliced him up so bad he'd looked like every inch of skin was b.l.o.o.d.y.

"Why? Why did you do that? How could you do that?" Mia demanded. She saw his eyes darken and then he was taking her from Tank's arms as he moved away to give them privacy.

"I'll let Bone know about this. Take care of her. This will be here tomorrow." Tank gruffly ordered before he walked away.

"Thanks." Ratchet called after him absently.

"Let me lock up and then I can show you why." Ratchet said grimly.

"I don't know if I want to go anywhere with you Ratchet." Mia informed him. He winced yeah he'd bet she didn't. He just hoped that when he showed her Monica she'd give him a chance. Because the thought that she wouldn't nearly broke him. He wanted her. He already knew that he wasn't letting her go. How could he? She made him happy.

This situation was all kinds of f.u.c.ked up. He swallowed hard, "Stand inside while I get my s.h.i.t and tell Tanner that I will be back in the morning." Ratchet asked.

"I don't want to go in there." Mia told him stepping back.

"I can't let you run, Mia. I need to show you why." He told her his heart aching at what she'd already seen. Her even being near this part of his soul made him furious. He never wanted this part of who he was to touch her. It was unthinkable. She was kind and sweet. She didn't deserve to be shown what he was about to take her to see. She shouldn't have to hold that darkness in her soul. He should always protect her from this, the darkest part of their world. The thing they struggled so hard to protect their women and children from.

"I won't run." Mia desperately told him.

"I can't chance it. Just stand by the door, beauty. You can close your eyes if you need to. I just need to get the keys to the bike. Please, Mia trust me." He begged.

"Okay." She trembled when she said it.

Ratchet opened the door and pulled her into the room. "Stand here I will be right back." He told her leaving her standing there he walked to the back of the room. She couldn't not look at the man strapped into the chair. He looked back at her with cold, dead eyes that scared her for some reason.

"Aren't you a pretty thing." The man in the chair said, blood running off his lips dropping into his lap. It was disgusting. She shivered with fear as he continued. "Help me. They are going to kill me if you don't help me." The man said and for just a second she thought about doing it, but then she remembered Ratchet begging her to trust him. Telling her there was a reason he'd done this.

"Help me, pretty girl." The man said again. Ratchet was walking back towards her and heard the d.i.c.khead speak to Mia. He punched the guy hard in the back of the head.