“Kolton,” Asher says, sticking his hand out in a sign of respect, waiting for a shake. My dad reciprocates the gesture holding his out as well. They trade pleasantries quickly before my dad gives me a ‘get on with it’ look. I gesture toward Rogue as he’s this club’s president and they haven’t been properly introduced.
My dad looks over at Rogue, nods and then shifts his focus back to me, leaving me puzzled. My expression must showcase my bewilderment, because my father announces, “We’ve met. Many years ago, but I do know Rogue and who he is.”
Pyro’s loose arm laid around the back of my shoulder stiffens as we simultaneously look at Rogue. He doesn’t say a word, just motions for us to continue, so we do so. “Oh,” I answer, still puzzled as to what this could mean. “So, how have things been in California?”
“No, no, no,” Pyro states emphatically as he stands up, drawing the attention from the room. “Shara, I love you more than my own life, but I will not let you sit here and further beat around this bush. Kolton, Shara’s been having what I believed to be dreams for some time now where she calls out for some man named Kajo.” He pauses to look at me, and I can tell it’s taking all his might not to give me a disapproving look, but he refrains. “Well, last night…” He pauses again and I look up at him unable to hold back the smirk developing on my face as I rest my chin on top of my loosely balled up fist. Oh, this should be interesting. Watching my old man fidget and squirm as he thinks of just the right way to word what it was exactly that triggered what we believe to be memories.
“No, no, no, dear,” I begin, proudly wearing my smirk as Asher looks down at me through slitted eyelids, “you’re right. No stalling. Let’s just get straight to the point, remember?”
He leans down into my ear and whispers, “You, me, later.”
Raising back up to a straight posture, he squares his shoulders off and blows out a deep breath. “So, Shara had some sort of episode last night. Either memories, or something her subconscious has made up. Point being we’re unsure and that’s what we need you for. They seem to be so real, to her at least that I had to call in the club’s doctor to give her medicine to subdue her.”
But before he can finish, my father swiftly cuts off anymore of his explanation, “What in the actual fuck happened that caused you to be in such a state that you had to be drugged?” He lifts his unpleased expression up toward Pyro as he stands. My father is not a small man. Standing at six-foot-four and a husky frame, he is an overall equal match to both Pyro and Rogue. “What in the world were you doing to my daughter to bring on such an intense reaction?”
Rogue stands, but says nothing. I know this is just their way of being ready but it doesn’t give me the warm and fuzzies seeing as this is my father here. Pyro’s jaw drops as he demonstrates a look of confusion. “Oh, don’t you dare try to pin this on me, old man.” I can feel my own jaw drop at those words and I, too, take a stand in between the two of them. But, Pyro continues his tirade regardless, “You’re the one harboring some sort of sick and twisted secrets regarding my woman’s past and I want fucking answers!” he roars out so loud, I clench my eyes shut.
Expecting an all-out brawl to ensue, I brace myself. Only that’s not even close to what happens. My father takes pause, turns toward Rogue, glances back at Pyro, then down at me. He reaches out and takes my hand into his. “Baby girl, I always hoped and prayed this day would never come, but knew in the back of my mind it was a possibility. I think we should all sit back down, please, before continuing this conversation,” he tells me as he sits, pulling me down with him. My heart’s racing now and all I want is the truth, whether it fucking kills me or not. I watch Rogue take his seat back from my peripheral but can feel Pyro still standing behind me.
“I’m good right where I’m at,” he states. He’s close by, but at the same time feels so far away. Glancing back over my shoulder at him, he winks at me and nods his head ensuring me that he’s here and he’s got me… no matter what.
“Daddy, no matter what it is, I will always love you and have your back the way you’ve always had mine. You can tell me anything, please, I need to know.” I want to assure him that no matter who this Kajo person is, or the memories that have been seeping into my subconscious mind, that he’ll always be my dad.
10
Shara
“The man you’ve been dreaming about, Kajo, he’s my brother. My blood brother and a deceased brother to my club.”
“So, what I’m remembering is a situation with my uncle then?” I ask him, scrunching my eyebrows up in confusion because that doesn’t feel right in my heart. He feels more than that to me, and if so, if he is my uncle, why did I call his wife mom in my memories?
“No, baby girl, he was so much more than your uncle. That role is mine to hold in your life. Or at least that’s the way things would’ve been in a perfect world,” Daddy states; his shoulders are slumped and he’s sitting there with saddened eyes that are watering. I reach over and clasp his hand in mine. I have a deep-seated feeling that I’m gonna need his support to make it through the rest of this conversation.
“Explain,” Pyro demands from behind us. The gruffness in his voice causes shivers to wrack my entire being. It’s his ‘take no prisoners’ tone. I’ve heard him use it before, but normally it’s only used when we’re taking out the trash.
“Kajo was his road name. He was the president of the Steel Empire MC. I was his VP, my road name’s Goliath.”
“Wait a fucking minute,” Rogue interrupts, “are you telling me that she’s the missing, considered dead, daughter of Daniel and Rebecca? You’re Kolton-fucking-Steel?”
“Well, yes. Minus the middle name you’ve just assigned me,” Daddy answers Rogue’s question. Which gives me the sudden realization that Rogue knows more about my wayward past than I do.
“You know me?” I look him square in the eye as I ask this.
“I do, only your name wasn’t Shara back then, it was Journee. Now, I didn’t know that you, as the grown woman I now know, were one and the same.” He looks hesitantly at my dad, then glances over at Pyro.
“No, you’re right, Rogue, but her middle name was, is Shara; I didn’t want to confuse her too much when I saved her and ran with her to protect her.” My dad, I mean my uncle… fucking hell I’m confused. Whoever the fuck he is to me says, causing my world to spin on its axis. Even sitting down, I’m beginning to feel dizzy, as my once understood world spirals into a whirlpool of darkness.
“Breathe, baby,” Pyro’s standing over top of me as my eyes look up at him in despair. “That’s it, in through your nose and out your mouth. Count to three and do it again.” He breathes with me as he says this. I pick up on his steady pattern as my body begins to calm down a fraction. We do this for several minutes as my pulse stops beating rapidly and my oxygen level increases while the rhythm of my heart steadies. Once the stars stop dancing around in my vision; I notice that I’m lying on my back with my feet propped in my dad’s lap. He’s rubbing them in a soothing pattern causing my heart to ache for him and all the turmoil this whole thing must’ve been for him.
“Sorry,” I wheeze out to the men. I’m embarrassed that I couldn’t maintain my composure while hearing the beginnings of my life’s tale.
“There’s nothing to apologize for, baby girl. That’s a lot for someone to take in as suddenly as you did.” My dad has sorrow written all over his face as he says this to me. “Is it okay for me to continue? Will you be alright if I do?”
“Yes,” I insist, even though I’m questioning that word as soon as I state it. “Please,” I continue, clearing my throat as I sit back up into an upright position on the couch. “I need to know.”
“Your dad, Daniel and I, met your mother, Rebecca, at an MC rally. Death Destructorz and Steel Empire had an understanding of sorts. We didn’t cross their path and they didn’t cross ours. We didn’t know then that we’d just met their princess. She was nothing like them, she was friendly, loving, carefree and most of all,
she was immediately taken with your dad. The three of us snuck around to hang out with each other; knowing we had to hide it from our families when it was discovered which MC’s we were part of. We all knew we were treading a thin line; but we all had an instantaneous connection. She, your mother, Rebecca, became like a sister to me over those two weeks. For your dad, she became so much more and vice versa. The last night we were there, your dad and mom snuck off and I covered their trail. I knew they needed some alone time before we all had to part ways. I could see the heartbreak all over your mom’s face and the desperation in your dad’s. I couldn’t sit back and watch them not get a chance to have one final moment together as they said goodbye. Because that’s what it had to be. Our families would never approve the union. Your dad and I were born and bred into the Steel Empire MC. Our dad, as well as our grandfather, were the presidents before Daniel was set to take over that role.”
“You see, Shara. You’re MC royalty from both sides of the spectrum,” Rogue interrupts, wanting me to grasp the meaning behind my birth. Holy shit! If my mom was the princess of the Death Destructorz, that means her dad, my grandfather, was their president. No wonder they had to hide their relationship, it meant war between the two clubs for them to break that somewhat precarious truce.
“I see you’re understanding their predicament,” Daddy says, intruding on my wandering thoughts. “It could be deadly for both of them to be caught.”
“I’m seeing that. Then pray tell, how on earth did they end up together?” My hand involuntarily comes up to my mouth and I begin chewing on my cuticles; something I used to do when I was younger and worried about something.
“Hands out of your mouth, baby girl,” my daddy chastises me, and I pull them away from my lips, minding his instruction. “Turns out, that one night together produced you.” Say what now? My eyes widen in surprise, one night of intimacy and their hand becomes forced with my impending arrival. I feel a deep sense of empathy for my parents and the struggle they must’ve gone through in order to be together.
“Wait. Back up some, I’m confused. I thought my dad was the president of the Steel Empire MC, but what you’re saying doesn’t add up timeline wise.”
“I’ll get to that if you give me a chance, baby girl,” Dad tells me. Pyro leans over and places a hand on my shoulder. Silently, he’s telling me without using words, to quickly wrap my head around things as they’re shared and gain some patience. Something I’ve never been particularly fond of or good at, and he should know that about me by now. Lord knows he’s been on the receiving end of my intolerance for stallment a few times.
“Sorry, I’m just trying to understand and put everything in order, Daddy.”
“I know, baby girl. If you’ll just give me a chance, I’ll get the story told and you can ask your questions later.” I nod my head in a quick succession of acknowledgment, before he picks the story back up where he was, before I interrupted him. “When Rebecca discovered she was pregnant, she managed to slip away and call your dad. They’d, unbeknownst to me, shared phone numbers with each other in case of emergencies. You see, your mom knew that once her father and the club discovered she was pregnant, she’d have a lot to answer for, answers she wasn’t willing to supply them with. She knew, just as we all did, that if she’d given them your father’s name, our father would have no choice but to either go to war against her father, or he’d have to hand his son over to face judgment. Which we all knew would certainly result in Daniel’s death. He came to me after the phone call and we went to our dad. We explained meeting her, how your dad and she fell in love, and that you were expected to arrive in about seven months, give or take a few weeks. When our dad discovered his grandchild was in danger, and would be at the mercy of the Death Destructorz hands, he called a meeting of the club. It was unanimously voted that we’d go get your mom and make her part of our club, as your dad’s old lady. He claimed her right there and then. I knew he’d caught feelings for Rebecca, strong ones, but I never imagined he’d want to claim her as his old lady after two weeks of getting to know her. But he did, with a smile on his face and a renewed pep in his step. That night, Rebecca contacted Daniel again and they came up with a place and time to meet. We knew it was urgent for her to get away, but at the same time she couldn’t draw attention to herself. We had to execute it perfectly. There were too many lives at stake to be sloppy about it. That was the longest week of your dad’s life. Our father, your grandfather, had it planned out to where they’d cause a distraction while your dad and I snuck away with Rebecca. Things didn’t go according to our plans the night we went in to get her. The distraction plan turned into a tragic gun fight, taking out your grandfather and his VP. There were several members who lost their lives on both sides that day. Most of those from us were founding members; we basically had to rebuild the club from the ground up. Your dad became the President as the oldest surviving son and I took my place at his side as his VP. We had several run-ins with the Death Destructorz from time to time, but we let our guard down, thinking they had let your mom go; you know, new club with new blood and all. We figured enough time had passed that should’ve given them time to come to terms with the way everything turned out. Hell, both clubs had been busy rebuilding and restructuring that we never imagined they were biding their time, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike us where it hurt the most.”
“Killing my parents,” I tearfully sob. A feeling of devastation is intruding my body and mind; grieving for parents that I don’t even recall having outside of my dreams.
Pyro
Kolton’s story of my woman's parents and their struggles to be with the one they loved has me feeling choked up. My parents at least had a peaceful union in life before they were viciously taken away from me. Shara’s parents had to fight from day one to secretly love one another and hide their feelings from the outside world. My body is locked in place as I fully take in Kolton’s words. “Something I don’t understand is if they were there to kill the family off, how did Shara escape?”
“They were there to spill Daniel and Rebecca’s blood. They didn’t want Shara dead, they wanted to have her, to claim her as club royalty. Rebecca’s dad issued the order to have her brought to him unharmed,” Kolton answers. “We arrived too soon for them to get her out of the house. Daniel had a chance to send me a 911 message before they made entry. If he hadn’t, they’d have escaped with Shara, and we’d have never seen her again. They would’ve put her into hiding; raised by a couple who’s a club ally until she reached eighteen years of age.”
“How do you know that?” I ask him, needing some clarity.
“I have a mole inside. One we sent to prospect with their club, as a spy for us, right after Daniel and I left the rally. He was worried about her safety, so we asked one of our prospects if he’d be willing to lead a double life for the club. He’s been there ever since, feeding us information as best as he can. Back during the time when Shara’s parents were murdered; he wasn’t in the entrusted circle, so he had no idea what was about to play out. It was played close to the vest, only the officers in their club knew what was fixing to go down.”
“What’s the plan on bringing him out safely?” Rogue interrupts with his inquiry. “I think that man’s earned the right to start living his life again. At least in the club he originally intended to be in, don't ya think?”
“He told us that he refuses to leave until he knows Shara’s life is safe,” Daddy explains.
“Who is this man to Shara?” I ask. “The only way I can see a man giving up his freedom is if she means something to him.”
“I’m sorry, Pyro. But for his safety, I can’t share his identity with anyone. Not even you. I wish I could, so you’d all understand the sacrifice he’s made for her, but his life is hanging in the balance with the more people who know who he is.”
“We’d never share that information with anyone,” Rogue growls. “We aren’t rats, we’re family in this club.” He points his finger at Shara.
“We need to do something! We need to make sure I’m off their radar so this man can come home. It’s not fair that he’s given up his future for me,” Shara angrily and vehemently issues her demand for his freedom from the life he’s been sentenced to. “Enough people have paid the ultimate price and sacrificed for me. It’s time for this lunacy to end.” She looks up at me after she finishes her last sentence and I narrow my eyes at her. I understand that she’s more than ready for this all to end, but I won’t easily allow everything that’s been done to ensure her safety to so abruptly end. She doesn’t seem to understand that yanking out the proverbial rug of a plan that has been in motion for decades could result in one catastrophe after another. In short, the lives that have paid in blood could be in vain if we get hasty and sloppy.
“We won’t ask who he is until it’s time to bring him home,” Rogue answers, interrupting Shara’s tirade. “But this directly affects my club so we will be helping when the time comes. Shara is Twisted Iron family now.”
“I’m grateful, Rogue,” Kolton says with a relieved breath hitched in his tone. “We’ve been ready for a long time to bring him home where he belongs, he’s the one who refuses. He feels she’s not safe from their clutches yet.”
“She will be,” I insist, because I’d give my life to make sure that happens.
Pyro's Final Flame : Twisted Iron MC Page 9