Chapter 26

It"s not over.

Even as I ride back to the clubhouse and find both Gabrielle and April safe in the clubhouse, I still can"t shake the feeling of being a failure. I failed not only myself, but also April and Gabrielle.

No one can understand why I"m not happier than I am right now.

"This was a close one." Wyatt stops me before I can get into my room

"Yeah, it was." I nod, not sure where we are in our relationship. Last time he and I had any time to talk, he told me that the Boys of Djinn wouldn"t be riding with me.

The both of us stare at each other until Wyatt breaks the silence, "Look Bishop, I"ll never understand what the hell is wrong with Liam. He wasn"t raised like this. I don"t know this man. I know what he did to you and those girls is unforgivable. I can"t tell you that I"m going to sit back and watch you put a bullet between his eyes, but I promise you, you"re just as much my brother as he is. We"ll make this right, and until we do, you"re brothers and I will be right beside you."

A new swell of emotions burst through me, I"ve always thought of these guys as my family, and I"m so proud that they see me in the same way.

"So what happens when we get to Liam?"

Wyatt just holds my gaze, "We"ll cross that bridge when we get to it. Right now, let"s just make sure everyone is safe. Liam"s time will come. If it"s by your hands or someone else"s, his time will come."

It"s the best he can give me right now, and I can accept it. What I hope is that Gabrielle will accept it.

He claps me on the back and leaves me on my own. My feet are heavy as I make my way toward Gabrielle"s room. When I open the door, I see her pacing back and forth in the small space.

"I can"t believe you!" She shouts at me the second I"m inside. "You really were going to leave and not say anything to me? What if you didn"t come back? What if Shade took you back there? How would I have found you? You just left me, Bishop." She crosses her arms over her chest and I watch her eyes fill with tears.

"Gabi, I promised you. I told you that I would make sure that everyone who ever hurt you would pay for what they did. I meant it." I reach out for her and pulling her into my arms.

"Bishop, it won"t be worth anything if you"re not here with me. I want them to pay for what they did but I want you with me more." She leans up and caresses my cheek and I leaned down so my forehead rested against hers.

"Beautiful, I feel like I failed you." I whisper.

"No, never."

"I don"t know for sure where Liam is, and based on what Shade said he may be close. I should have done more digging. I should"ve kept Shade alive longer. I should"ve..."

"You"ve done everything you could"ve done, Bishop. Every day you show me how much you care for me. How much you-"

Her words cut off, but I finish them for her, finally getting my shot to tell her how I really feel. "How much I love you?"

"You love me?"

"Yes, Gabrielle. You light my entire soul on fire. I love everything about you. The strong parts, the weak parts, and all the bits in between. I want you to be my old lady, but only if it"s your choice."

She smiles bright and pulls up to kiss me. "I love you too, Bishop. After all the mess that we"ve been through, I never thought I"d come through it with a love like you. You can never fail me, Bishop. Don"t ever feel that way."

I hold her close to my chest, right next to my heart, where she"s already a permanent fixture. "I don"t think killing Liam will bring us any peace, I"ll keep chasing after him, but if you want me to stop, I will. I"m fighting for you. If you want me to just let the authorities handle it from now on, I will. You"re all that matters to me."

"No, Bishop, we"re fighting for each other. As long as we"re by each other"s side, we"re going to be okay." She smiles bright and for the first time since I got here after our time with Liam, Shade and the Faceless, hearing her say that it was going to be okay is enough to make me feel that first bit of satisfaction.