Ride With Me (Paige and Jace) novel Chapter 310

CHAPTER 174-1

The Iron Vipers clubhouse was quieter than usual that Saturday morning, and even the motorcycles outside seemed to carry a different kind of weight because today was the annual memorial ride.

Every year, the club rode together to honor the members who had died while wearing the Iron Vipers patch.

It wasn’t a celebration, and it wasn’t a funeral because those men had been gone for years, but the club refused to let their names disappear.

I stood beside my motorcycle in the clubhouse parking lot while Jace checked his bike one last time.

“You ready?” He asked and I nodded.

“I think so.” I said.

He looked at me for a second, and then he reached for my hand.

“You don’t have to say anything today.” He said.

“I know.” I said.

“You can just ride.” He said and I squeezed his hand.

“I want to talk about Uncle Will.” I said as Jace gave me a small smile.

“Then you should.” He said.

Around us, the rest of the club was preparing their mótorcycles, and families were gathering near the clubhouse entrance. Some of the older members stood quietly together, while younger members listened as stories were shared about brothers they had never met.

The memorial ride had always been important to the Iron Vipers, but this year felt different to me because Uncle Will was no longer simply someone I remembered privately.

He had become part of the club’s story too.

Jace climbed onto his motorcycle, and I mounted mine beside him.

Engines started one after another, and the deep rumble rolled through the parking lot until the entire group seemed to vibrate with it.

Derek moved toward the front of the formation, while Mason checked that everyone was ready.

When the last rider joined the line, Jace looked over at me.

“Stay close.” Jace said.

“I will.” I said as we pulled onto the road together.

The ride began slowly, and nobody tried to race because this wasn’t about speed. It was about remembering.

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CHAPTER 1tt.

The first few miles were quiet, and I found myself listening to the rhythm of my engine while the road stretched ahead of us.

Families had gathered along the streets as we passed, and some held small American flags while others simply stood with their hands over their hearts.

A few children waved enthusiastically at the motorcycles, and several riders lifted a hand in return.

I had ridden with the Iron Vipers many times, but this felt diffèrent because every person standing beside the road seemed to understand that the motorcycles represented more than noise and chrome.

They represented people who had once ridden those same roads.

People who had laughed with their brothers. People who had gone home to families. People who had never made it home.

We eventually reached the memorial site outside town, where a large stone monument carried the names of fallen Iron Vipers members.

The motorcycles were parked in rows, and everyone gathered near the monument.

Jace stood beside me while the club president stepped forward.

He removed his sunglasses and looked across the crowd.

“Every year, we come here because time doesn’t give us permission to forget.” Jace said as his voice carried across the quiet field.

“We remember the men who stood beside us, protected us, argued with us, laughed with us, and gave everything they had for the people they called family.” He added.

The president began reading the names, and each name was followed by a small bell rung by one of the older members.

I watched faces around me as the names were spoken because grief looked different on everyone.

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