The President's Wife (Snakes Henchmen MC 0.5)

aughter from the hell that man would have brought her.

I did a good thing. In my mind, at least. I’m not weak, and I won’t let what happened to make me vulnerable. If anything this has made me stronger.

Yeah, I’ve cried, I just killed someone, but I won’t let it define me. Shepard taught me for years not to let the things that don’t matter, eat away at me. He showed me even before Jose left me alone with a baby not to let him ruin the strength I had inside. Even when my father abused me as a child, it couldn’t tear away that strength. Whatever happens after today, I won’t let the shadow of Jose Martinez define me.

After combing my wet hair and slipping on clean panties, sans bra, because my breasts are bruised and painful from where Jose grabbed me so hard, I grab one of Shepard’s long t-shirts and slip it on. I bring the hem to my nose, breathing in the scent of my husband. For a moment there in the woods, I thought I’d never see him again.

I notice the gash across my stomach has stopped bleeding. Jose didn’t cut me deep, but it will scar, that I do know. I grab a medical pad from Shepard’s dresser. He keeps them there for these kinds of things. He’s been hurt more than once in the past, and I’ve often needed to change his bandages and such. I place it against the cut and tape it down.

I need to call Shepard and let him know that I’m home. I need him right now, so fucking badly I can hardly breathe. I’ll dress in something else in a moment; I just want to wear his shirt until I’ve called him.

I open the bedroom door, and I hear voices coming from the kitchen. Male voices, deep, husky voices, panicked and tired. My husband and BlackJack. They’re talking about where to go now, what to do to find me. Something about the kids being asleep – thank God – Willow being upset, Jett still out looking for me, and Shepard coming back here to get the keys to his truck. He needs to drive further into the city just in case.

My heart is pounding forcefully. My head feels a little tight. This whole day has been so long that it honestly feels like a year since I threw up this morning. I subconsciously rub my tender stomach wondering if I’ve lost the gift inside of me. How could I not after what happened today?

How do I even know that there’s a gift inside of me? I’ve already had three children, and I know my own body. I guess I just pushed it out of my mind because I didn’t think I was ready for this, not again. Plus, my best friend dropped the bomb on me that she’d lost her baby and can never have another. How would I be able to tell her that I’m pregnant yet again without it hurting her after what she’s been through?

“What’s that smell?”

“What smell? Shepard, what are you talkin’ about?”

“Flowers. It’s Lynette.” He can smell me even from this distance? He’s like a wolf with a sensitive nose where I’m concerned.

I smile with tears in my eyes as he comes rushing out of the kitchen like a bull in a China shop. My big, strong, muscle-clad Adonis of a husband. “Vincent!” I yell his name before he spots me. Once he does, he’s frozen to the spot, eyes wide and filled with tears, one hand on his mouth like he can’t believe I’m here.

I don’t wait for him to say anything before running down the stairs and jumping into his arms. His come around me so tightly, squeezing me against his massive body. I stroke the back of his head and crush my lips against his.

His hand comes to my face, stroking my cheek and looking at me in wonder. “Are you okay? How did you get here?”

“I’m fine. I ran. Vince, I killed him!”

“No, baby,” He kisses my head. “You hurt him pretty fuckin’ bad, but I killed him. He can never hurt you again.”

“You found him.” It isn’t a question. I should’ve known Shepard would find Jose. I guess deep inside I hoped it would be the MC that found him and not a passerby.

“I know what he did to you,” He swallows hard, and I’m a little confused, does he think...

“Oh, baby, he didn’t touch me like that. I mean, he tried, but I fought him off. You may have noticed, I stabbed the son-of-a-bitch for even thinking about it.” Shepard's eyes are darting from side to side across my face. His eyes tell me he doesn't quite believe me. “I swear to you; he did not rape me.” I cup his cheek, my eyes widening, refusing to let him look anywhere but at me. “I promise. No one in this world will ever touch me the way you do. I stabbed the bastard twice with a damn tree branch.”

Deep laughter reminds me that BlackJack is here with us. My eyes meet his. BlackJack such a fantastic friend, he’s going through something awful with Taylor, yet he went straight out to look for me. Taylor is in deep internal pain, yet she has all of our kids, apart from Jett, taking care of them, making them see that their mother will be home soon. I wish more than anything I could hold them all right now, but I need to be with my husband just a little longer before I get them. Just a couple of hours and it will be morning. Jack can tell Willow that I’m okay, that if she grabs a couple hours of sleep, I’ll go get her.

“I tell you what, Shepard,” My man turns his head in BlackJack’s direction. “I’ve never been prouder of any President of this club, and there have been a few over the years since this club started. I might not have known them all, might only have been under Apollo before you, but I don’t think any of ‘em ever had a First Lady as fuckin’ brave and strong as yours.”

I blush at his words. First Lady. Vincent’s mother used to go by that when Apollo was president. I know more than anything that I’m more than just proud to be the First Lady of the Snakes Henchmen It doesn’t afford me any real power with the club, but it gives me just as much respect as my husband. I love the club we belong to. They’re my family, the only real family I’ve ever had. Without them, I don’t know that I’d still be here right now. Without their love and guidance would I have been strong enough to fight the monster that tried to kill me? I honestly don’t think I would be.

“BlackJack? Go back to your wife, hold her as close as you can, and you tell her just what she means to you.”

“I intend to, Prez.”

“I’ll be right behind you to get the kids.”

“Naw,” Jack clasps Vince's shoulder and squeezes hard while leaning in and kissing my cheek. “The boys are asleep. I’ll let Willow and Jett know you're okay, and I’ll tell them both to stay away for the night. You two need some time alone.”

“Thanks, brother.” With a simple nod, BlackJack leaves the house. Now we’re alone, just my husband and me.

We sit in the den on the couch talking about everything that happened over the past few hours. I tell Shepard the truth about it all, every gory detail of what happened, what Jose both did and tried to do to me.

My husband listens intently, every now and again his chest heaves in anger, but I know he is in no way angry with me, just at what happened.

I place my hand on Shepard’s chest as soon as I’m done talking. He knows everything now, but I don’t want to dwell on it. I don’t even want to know how he killed Jose, knowing he did it and the man is gone is enough for me. My daughter is safe. Her daddy has made sure of that. Shepard tells me how he made sure no one will find the body or the car, so I have nothing to worry about.

This man whom I love with everything that I am has saved me without even knowing why. He may think he just took out a man that hurt me, but he took out the man, who apart from my father, has haunted me since I was a child. I’m finally free. There is no way to explain what that feels like.

I never thought I could be free with my father still breathing. Of course, I haven’t told Vincent about my hellish childhood. He’s my soulmate, and I still can’t bring myself to tell him the awful truth. It wasn’t until Max was born that Shepard finally snapped and told me to tell him what the hell my nightmares were about. I couldn’t. Not even after a particularly bad dream about my father, one that had me in a full panic attack the moment I woke up.

I know I have to tell him the truth about myself, but how do you tell the man you love something like that and him not see you in a diffe

rent light?

I’m scared that it will be too hard to tell him. Shepard will listen, I know that much, but I also know he’ll kill my father. He’ll find him and make him pay for everything he did to me. Things no man should ever do to his daughter. However, I know my father isn’t worth it. I haven’t seen him in years, and my weak mother is welcome to him for the rest of their days.

Do I honestly believe that my husband won’t go out and find my father and kill him anyway? I don’t know, but I do know that he listens to me. He might be hotheaded, a dangerous man when angry. The President, the man in charge, but I am his wife, and if anyone can get through to him, it’s me. Shepard loves me, and I will never doubt that. I know he’ll never doubt how much I love him. I’m safe in his arms. I’ve always been safe there.

“I love you, Vince.” I breathe against his neck as he holds me, my arm wrapped around his waist.

“I love you, too. You’re my whole world, Lynette. If I’d lost you...” His voice trails off with my finger against his lips.

“You didn’t lose me because I fought the monster who has haunted my thoughts for too long. He’s gone now, baby,” I lift one leg over his lap, straddling him, my hands locked behind his neck, and he looks into my eyes.

Shepard is so handsome, it should be criminal to be so goddamned beautiful. From his long hair that's now graying at the sides, to his big blue eyes, chiseled features, strong jawline, to his washboard abs, he is beautiful.

I stroke the stubble on his jaw and smile. “There’s something I have to tell you, handsome.”

“What is it, beautiful?” His fingers hold my waist tighter, and I have to suppress a groan. The ache in my pussy is growing for the man whose lap I'm sitting in. I want so badly to grind myself against him, but I can’t, not yet at least.

“Today, before all of that stuff happened, for the past few days actually, I’ve been throwing up in the mornings.” His eyes narrow slightly. I place his hand over my stomach, and his eyes widen in realization. “I'm pregnant, Vincent.”