by Jade Kuzma
“I know that. They tried to kill him. Why wouldn’t he?”
“It’s not just that. Word on the street is the Spades are trying to get at him just the same. Apparently, they do have beef with him. It seems like it’s only a matter of time before they settle it.”
I clenched my jaw. I was already worried enough about Blake but hearing my brother confirm it only made the feeling in my stomach worse.
“And you refuse to do anything to help him—”
“It’s not our business,” Jordan interrupted me. “You said it yourself, he told you to stay here because being with him would only put you in danger. I might not like the Reapers but I have to agree with him.”
“You’re just going to let it happen? A bunch of skinheads going to war with another club in Ivory and you’re not going to do anything about it?”
“That’s not my responsibility.”
“No. Of course not. You’d rather sit back and do nothing while they fight each other like animals.”
“My concern is the safety of my club and my sister. I don’t know if you noticed, Kat, but I’m doing everything I can to protect you. Getting involved would only put you in danger. And that wouldn’t be any good to me or him.”
I leaned back in my seat and looked away from my brother. The frustration I felt was boiling inside of me.
I tried to see things from his perspective. I knew Jordan cared about me. But I had feelings for Blake. Regardless of whether or not they were real, I was getting sick of having to deal with them.
“Just keep your head down,” Jordan said. “Things will eventually blow over and sort themselves out.”
“Yeah,” I sighed.
“I’m only doing what’s best for you—”
“I know. You don’t have to keep reminding me.”
I’d had enough of this conversation. There was no way I would be able to push Blake to the back of my mind. Not after what Jordan just said to me.
I leaned forward and put my forehead back in my palm.
“Kat? Kat, are you all right?”
“I’m fine,” I said, putting my other hand up. “I just need to go home and lie down.”
I pushed myself up to my feet. My brother gave me a hug before saying goodbye.
As I drove back to my apartment, the feeling I had at the bar had only gotten stronger.
“Damn, it’s hot…”
I rolled down a window. The sun was out but it felt hotter than usual.
I kept waiting for the feeling to go away but it didn’t. My stomach hurt. Sweat dripped from my forehead. I had suddenly become so nauseous I had trouble keeping my eyes on the road.
“What’s going on?” I sighed.
I couldn’t shake the feeling.
I wasn’t even halfway to my apartment. I started to think that I wouldn’t make it. I had to do something. Now.
I grew up in Ivory all my life. I knew where everything was. Including the hospital I knew was just around the corner.
Chapter 18
BLAKE
I never liked going to the hospital. Being in a club meant you ended up in one more often than you wanted. It wasn’t just dealing with the fucking pain, because you wouldn’t be in a hospital if something wasn’t wrong with you. But it was all the fucking questions, too. In my line of work, you wanted to give them as little details as possible.
Thankfully I was only here for a visit.
I sat alone in the waiting room with nothing but a television to keep me company. I didn’t know how long I had been there when Ghost walked through the doors.
“She’s looking better,” he said as he took a seat next to me.
“She was always gonna get better. You know Michelle. It’ll take more than a car accident to keep her down.”
“That’s the truth. She and Garnet have been through a lot. This is just another bump in the road.”
“How’s he doing?”
“Finally smiling again.”
“Smiling? I figured he’d be in a good mood but I didn’t think he’d be smiling.”
“Shit, it’s been a tough few weeks. You can’t blame the guy.”
“Suppose I can’t…”
I sighed a deep breath as I stared the television.
“He’s thinking straight now,” Ghost said.
“What do you mean?”
“You know what I mean. After Michelle got hit, Garnet was going berserk. He wanted to find out who was responsible and he would do anything for payback. Or do you not remember abducting Harris’s sister?”
“What does any of that matter?”
“It means Garnet is starting to see reason now. With the Cobras’ van getting stolen and you getting attacked at the cabin… He’s finally putting the pieces together. He’s looking beyond his hate for the Snakes. He’s on-board.”
“We’re all in agreement then. It’s the Spades responsible for all of this shit.”
Ghost and I had been working the past two weeks to uncover as many details as we could about them. They were an unpredictable group. A bunch of skinheads in Ivory who did whatever the fuck they wanted to with no rhyme or reason. Even the clubs didn’t want to mess with them because of how volatile they were. There was no loyalty or honor. Their only allegiance was to the color of their own skin.
We found out where they spent most of their time, out in the backwoods on the outskirts of Ivory. The Sheriff’s Department wanted little to do with them. Cops in this town were pussies, just as expected.
“We can go after them now then,” I said. “Together.”
“And what do you want to do?” Ghost said. “Kick in the door and go in guns blazing? That’s not how we’re gonna get any answers.”
“So, what do you suggest? Wave the white flag and extend an olive branch? The Spades are psychos. There’s no reasoning with them.”
“There has to be another way.”
“And what way is that?”
I stared at Ghost, my eyebrows raised and waited for an answer I knew wasn’t coming. I shook my head.
“Right back where we fucking started,” I sighed. “The guys who did this to Michelle… The guys who shot at me… We know who they are but we can’t do shit about it.”
“We’ll get our opportunity. We just have to be patient about it.”
“The longer we wait, the longer everybody is in danger. It’s clear they’ve got some kind of beef with the Reapers. I’ve been sitting on my fucking hands long enough—”
“Needle.”
Ghost looked at me like some stern parent. He wasn’t even that much older than me, lousy bastard.
He pointed his index finger as he leaned forward and whispered.
“Doing something stupid only puts everybody else at risk. We wait for our opportunity to deal with the Spades. Not a moment sooner.”
“And what did Garnet say about all of this? He’s just gonna sit there with his thumb up his ass while the motherfucker who hit Michelle is out there?”
“Garnet’s smiling but he’s still pissed. Maybe more than you. But he knows he’s got a lot to lose if he does anything stupid. He’s not about to throw any of it away because his anger got to him.”
I exhaled a deep breath of frustration. My jaw clenched as I realized how restless I was becoming.
“Two weeks,” I sighed. “Two fucking weeks and we haven’t done shit.”
“Patience, Needle…”
“What did Michelle say? Does she remember anything about the accident?”
“Not really,” Ghost said, shaking his head. “They blindsided her. She barely remembers getting hit. Next thing she knew, she was in the hospital with Garnet looking down at her just now.”
“Figures…”
“Look. Why don’t you take a break? You’ve been looking into the Spades for two weeks now. They’ve probably caught wind of it. They’ve got their eye on you.”
“I killed four of their men. No shit they’ve got their eye on me. They would have done something already
if it weren’t for the feds and Sheriff’s Department in town. They won’t try anything in Ivory.”
“They won’t try anything in Ivory but that doesn’t mean they won’t try to lure you out of town to get you where they want. Considering they just put Michelle in the hospital, I’d say every Reaper has a target on his back.”
“Not a bad guess.”
“Take a break, Needle. We’ll get to the bottom of this eventually.”
Before I could vent my frustration any further, Sullivan walked through the door. The younger patched took the seat next to me and leaned forward.
“What’s going on, fellas?” he said.
I looked over at Ghost and he smirked back at me.
“Don’t bullshit me,” Sullivan said. “I know what’s going on.”
“You do?” I said, an eyebrow raised.
“A bunch of Spades shot at you. Garnet is talking about the Spades being the ones responsible for trying to take out Michelle. I know what you two have been up to these past few weeks.”
“How do you figure, Sullivan?”
“Because I got fucking ears. I can hear you two talking about this shit at the clubhouse all the time.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. Ghost and I were the only ones looking into the Spades but it wasn’t exactly the biggest secret in the world.
“I want in,” Sullivan said.
“What?” I said.
“I want in. I know you guys are going after these assholes. I want in.”
I looked over at Ghost. He just shrugged at me and shook his head.
“I’m a patched in member,” Sullivan said to me. “Don’t treat me like some child. I knew what I was getting into when I pledged.”
Sullivan may have been younger than the rest of us but I knew I could trust him.
“All right,” I said with a nod. “Just keep your head down and we’ll let you know when something comes up.”
“I’ll be ready. Say… You know that girl you abducted? The Harris girl?”
“What about her?”
“I think I saw her here.”
“What? You saw Katrina… here?”
“Yeah, I think she was talking to one of the nurses and—”
I jumped up out of my seat and started roaming the halls. I questioned every nurse that passed by me but they didn’t have a clue who I was talking about. I got to the front counter and finally got the attention of one of the nurses.
“Katrina,” I said. “Katrina Harris. Is she here?”
“Give me a second…”
The nurse looked through her computer monitor before looking back at me.
“…She’s in examination room C.”
“Right.”
I made my way down the hall as she spoke behind me.
“Sir? Sir, you’re not allowed to be in there!”
I kept walking forward, ignoring everybody that was next to me until I found the room. I pushed the door open and saw Katrina sitting on the examination table with a doctor in front of her.
“Blake?”
She looked at me with confusion. The doctor raised an eyebrow at me.
“Can I help you, sir?” the doctor said. “You’re not supposed to—”
“It’s all right,” Katrina interrupted him. “I… I know him.”
“Right,” the doctor said, turning back to her. “We’re just about finished up here anyway. Get some rest, Katrina.”
“Thank you, doctor. Can I… have a moment with him?”
“Of course.”
The doctor eyeballed me as he left the room but I wasn’t paying much attention to him. The door closed and I was alone with Katrina again.
Even in the sterile environment of an examination room, Katrina looked just as beautiful as she always did. I took a step closer and noticed the fatigue on her face. Despite how worn out she might have been, she still put that damn feeling in my stomach I couldn’t shake. It was like my heart was beating harder than it usually did.
“Are you all right?” I asked.
“I’m fine.”
“People aren’t usually fine when they come to the hospital.”
“I’ve just been feeling a little bit under the weather, that’s all. I might be overworking myself and I need to take a break. It’s not a big deal.”
I looked into her eyes but she shifted her gaze away from me. She was trying her best not to look back at me. After the last time I saw her, I couldn’t blame her if she were upset. But I couldn’t get her involved. Not when things with the Spades were about to reach their boiling point.
“How have you been?” I asked.
“Okay,” she said with a shrug. “How about you, Blake? Are you doing all right?”
There was a slight smile on her lips. It was enough to make me smile back at her.
“Damn,” I sighed.
“Damn?”
“I spent the last two weeks at The Grindhouse and you know what? I haven’t seen a single woman that’s as beautiful as you.”
She put her head down as her cheeks started to redden with embarrassment. I didn’t give a shit about making her blush. Katrina was fucking gorgeous and I had to tell her.
She giggled softly before she responded.
“It’s good to see you, too, Blake. Listen…”
She got up from the exam table and walked up to me. As she neared me, I could smell her. That same feminine scent that intoxicated me. A brunette enchantress that had me hypnotized like nothing else in the world mattered.
“…I know you’re busy,” she said. “I know you have things to deal with. You should probably get to it.”
I came crashing back to reality. I had to deal with the Spades, not for me, but for her. I would’ve spent the rest of my life with Katrina in this room but we both knew that couldn’t happen.
“Where are you going?” I asked. “Can I give you a ride?”
“A ride? I’d… I’d love to ride your bike but I drove.”
“Right… Maybe I can give you an escort at least. Make sure you get back to wherever it is you’re going—”
“I’m going home. You heard the doctor. He said I need rest.”
“Then let me accompany you home. I… I just wanna ride next to you. That’s it.”
She gave me a half-smile and nodded.
“I’d like that,” she said.
Her voice was angelic. It was the little bit of relief I had in my life at this point.
“Okay,” I sighed a deep breath. “Let me take you home.”
Chapter 19
KATRINA
Blake accompanied me on my drive back to my apartment. The hospital wasn’t very far from where I lived but that didn’t stop me from enjoying his company, even if he weren’t in my car with me.
He looked as stunning as he always did as he rode. Comfortable in his seat, with the wind blowing through his slick blond hair. He was the picture of a biker so many women in Ivory pined for.
He moved right next to me and winked through the window. Thank goodness the streets were empty otherwise I would have hit something because of his distraction.
I got back to my apartment quicker than I wanted to. When I pulled up to the parking lot, Blake and two other Reapers followed closely behind me. I got out of my car and noticed the other men.
One of them was a shaggy brown-haired man who looked a little bit older than Blake. He was still just as muscular and tattooed. He had a quiet dignity about him as he sat on his bike.
The other man was significantly younger. He looked like he was barely old enough to drink. His dark blond hair was patted down on his head and his face was clean-shaven, giving him a youthful appearance you didn’t see very often in club members.
I didn’t pay much attention to them though. How could I with Blake being as distracting as he was?
Blake walked up to me with his hands in his pockets, feigning a sheepishness I’d never seen in him before.
“So…” he started.
“So… This is
my apartment.”
“That’s your apartment, all right…” he sighed.
He looked into my eyes and gave me a knowing smirk. I remembered the last time he was here. How could I forget? Seeing the look on his face, he was probably remembering it just the same as me.
But I knew that it was the last time we’d be together like that. And I didn’t take much joy in it.
I had to say goodbye but before I did, I had to get something off of my chest.
“Listen,” I said. “I know.”
“You… know?” he said, raising an eyebrow.
“It’s a small town. It’s tough to keep secrets here. My brother told me what’s been going on with you. How you’re insisting on going after the Spades.”
He looked away from me, confirming the truth to the rumors.
“I know you have to do something,” I sighed. “They put an innocent woman in a hospital. They tried to kill you.”
“Then you understand?”
“Just promise me something…”
“Anything.”
I took his hands in mine. I traced my fingers along them. They were so rough and calloused. I remembered all of the times he held me in his grip. All the times I didn’t want him to let me go.
“Just promise me you’ll keep yourself safe,” I said. “I know it comes with the territory. I know you’re always putting your neck out there. Just promise me that you won’t let anything happen to you. I can’t…”
I looked up into his eyes. My mouth half-open, the words got stuck in my throat.
Tell him…
I wanted to tell him but I couldn’t. I could see it in his eyes. Eyes as blue as the ocean but even deeper. There was a burden inside of him, in his soul. The last thing I needed to do was weigh him down any more.
“What is it?” he asked.
I closed my eyes and sighed, shaking my head to clear my thoughts.
“Be careful,” I said as I looked at him. “Just… be careful. Promise me you’ll be careful.”
“I promise.”
His eyes locked on mine, Blake raised my hands and kissed them. We let our fingers linger in one another’s before I finally let him go. The fatigue I had was beginning to get to me.
I turned around to let him be on his way when I heard something behind me. I’d been in Ivory long enough to recognize it the moment I heard it.