Liberated

by Dez Burke

  Jesse clapped him on the back. “Yes sir, little brother. Glad to have you back. Now go take care of the doc.”

  Flint took one last look at each of the bodies on the ground before heading back to Kendra. He was glad to see she hadn’t moved. “Are you still doing okay?” he asked.

  She tried bravely to smile. “I’m a little shook up, but otherwise I’m fine. Are they all dead?”

  Flint looked away, unable to meet her eyes. “Yes.”

  “Did you know any of them?”

  “You mean personally?” he asked, then shook his head. “No, not anyone in this group. Wouldn’t recognize them if I met them on the street. I knew plenty about them though.”

  Kendra started to say something, then stopped. She chewed on her bottom lip a moment before working up the courage to ask the question that had been bothering her. “Did I kill anyone? You need to tell me the truth.”

  Flint grabbed her hand and linked his fingers through hers. “Kendra, look at me. You didn’t kill anyone. I promise. With the exception of the driver that you hit in the leg, I’m not sure you even shot anybody else. There were a lot of shots fired, and most of them came either from my gun or from the crew. Don’t start worrying about this. I can see it’s already messing with your head. You need to put those thoughts out of your mind right now. But just to be on the safe side, you need to give me your shotgun.”

  Kendra looked confused. “Why?”

  “I think it would be best if it didn’t stay in your possession. At least for now. Is it registered to you?”

  Kendra shook her head. “I don’t think so.”

  “Where did you get it? Think back because this is important.”

  Kendra thought for a moment then shrugged. “My uncle gave it to me several years ago. He owns a sporting goods store on the outside of town. It may have even been my Grandpa’s. I really don’t know.”

  “Okay. It really doesn’t matter as long as it is not registered or traceable in any way back to you.”

  Kendra looked up at him with her big brown eyes. “I’m in big trouble, aren’t I?”

  “No,” Flint replied firmly. “You didn’t do anything wrong. You’re not going to be in any trouble and if you ever were, I would protect you. You acted in self-defense. They drew their weapons first. You said so yourself.”

  “I assume we’re not calling the police?”

  He shook his head. “You know why we can’t. That’s all the more reason why you should get out of here as fast as you can. I don’t want someone spotting your truck. If anyone asks you what happened to your side mirror, tell them you slid off the road and hit a mailbox. Do you want me to drive you home or can you make it by yourself?”

  “I can do it,” she replied “I’m sure Jesse needs you more here.”

  “Okay, let me get the crew over here to push you out and get you on your way. Go very slow, and if you get stuck on an icy spot, just wait for us. We’ll be down the mountain real soon right behind you. Hand me the gun and all of the shells that go with it.”

  Kendra dutifully handed the gun to him along with the extra box of shells.

  Flint propped the gun up on the side of the truck. “I’m so sorry,” he whispered. “Come here.” He slid his arm behind her and pulled her close one last time. “I promise everything is going to be okay,” he whispered in her ear. He touched his lips to hers for one brief moment before letting her go and waving the crew over.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Kendra didn’t waste any time once she reached the bottom of the mountain road. She turned the truck toward Bardsville and headed to the wildlife clinic rather than going straight home. She needed to be around animals and her staff members, not sitting at home by herself fretting over things that couldn’t be changed.

  The decision to shoot had been easy.

  Kill or be killed.

  Protecting Flint had been her main focus so she hadn’t hesitated when it came time to pull the trigger. Unfortunately, the aftermath was proving to be a little more difficult to deal with. She found it ironic how the movies never accurately portrayed the horrifying thud of bullets tearing through flesh and bone or the gaping wounds the bullets left behind. Or how a person gasped for breath when their lungs filled with blood, causing them to technically drown in their own fluids.

  Kendra knew it would be a long time before she could forget those things.

  If ever.

  She was known around town as a savior of animals, and now she wondered if she would also be known as a killer of people. Oh sure, Flint had tried to make her feel better about things, trying to reassure her that the bullets from her gun hadn’t killed anyone. But how did he know for certain? How would she ever know for sure that she hadn’t murdered another human being? Would the doubts in her mind circle around and around until they eventually drove her crazy?

  The MC would destroy all of the evidence. Of that much she was certain. Jesse and the crew were already loading the dead bodies into the back of their truck by the time she had left the scene. She hated to think about what would happen next. Would they bury the bodies? Burn them? Would the men’s family members ever know what happened? Or would the women who loved them wait at home forever for their man to return?

  She wished she knew exactly where all of her shots had landed. But in the end, she wondered if it would it really make a difference. The final result would remain the same. There had been a gun battle between two rival motorcycle clubs, and four men died.

  Rather than hiding in the truck and waiting for it all to be over, she had instead chosen to be a willing participant. It had been her choice and hers alone to grab the gun. Nobody forced her to pull the trigger. Not once, but several times.

  On the other hand, Flint was safe and alive. At least for now. She had protected her man when he needed her to. Of course he wouldn’t have asked her to do it or even wanted her to. But Flint would live to see another sunrise because of her. And that’s all that really mattered when it came right down to it.

  Kendra made the conscious decision right then to put it out of her mind and get the hell over it. She didn’t have time for regrets. She always did what needed to be done, and this time was no different than any other.

  She took a deep breath.

  Whatever happened, there would be no regrets.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  Flint walked into his house and headed straight for the refrigerator. He grabbed a cold beer and unscrewed the top. After taking two long swigs, he pulled out a chair and sat down at the kitchen table. He rubbed his tired eyes then leaned back and closed them for a second.

  He was physically exhausted and mentally whipped. What a fucking nightmare the last few days had turned out to be. The mess with the Liberators was bad enough, but to drag an innocent woman like Kendra into all his shit was unforgivable.

  He still couldn’t fathom how the day’s events had gone downhill so quickly. From making love to an amazing woman in the shower to watching her almost get killed right in front of his eyes. It made him physically ill to remember watching Kendra stepping out of the truck and into the path of the Liberators’ bullets.

  Everything had happened so fast, catching him completely unprepared and off guard. It never should have happened. He was a smart man. Why didn’t he think ahead and at the very least warn Kendra that the Liberators could come up on them at any time? He hadn’t wanted to frighten her and so he downplayed the seriousness of the situation. By trying to protect her, he had instead placed her in incredible danger.

  He’d made a big mistake and hadn’t given Kendra enough credit. She was a tough woman and could’ve handled whatever came their way. She had more than proved that today.

  What if something had happened to her? He couldn’t bear the thought of harm coming to Kendra because of him. Because of his choices. When he had looked into the Liberators’ eyes, his first and only thought had been of Kendra. Of how he could possibly keep her safe. The thought never occurred to him that she was thinking the
same thing about him. His mind still couldn’t wrap around the reasons why.

  He would never forget the overwhelming feeling of horror that engulfed him when he saw her step out of the truck and take aim. Time had stood still and his heart ceased to beat. Unable to stop her in time, he’d watched helplessly as the events unfolded.

  And when he was finally able to make his way to her and push her back into the truck for safety, what did she do? She snatched up more shells and crawled out the other side of the truck! If he could have grabbed her at that moment, he would have cheerfully wrung her neck.

  God! Kendra was exasperating and infuriating. And he wanted her desperately, madly. More than he had ever wanted any other woman before. The feelings he had for other women in the past never came close to this. She was everything he could have ever hoped for in a woman. Even as terrified as he was for her today, he couldn’t have been prouder. He knew deep inside it was so much more than a physical attraction. He burned for Kendra.

  But he couldn’t have her.

  In his heart, he knew that to continue the relationship would be wrong. She deserved so much better than him. Kendra deserved more than to be drawn into a life of firebombs, shootings, and murders. A life of being afraid and always watching over her shoulder.

  Flint didn’t want her to ever feel afraid again. Not like today.

  He wanted her to be able to go out on vet visits with an open, trusting heart like she always had before. Without having to worry if the Liberators might be waiting for her in a secluded barn or even back at her house. Just the mere act of being with him would put her at risk.

  Back at the cabin, Kendra had told him about how hard she had worked to get through college and then vet school. She loved her family, her job, and her life working with the animals. For him to come in and steal some of that joy away because of his involvement with the Steel Infidels wasn’t right. A few days with him and her life had already been turned completely upside down. And now that the war with the Liberators was cranking up full force, it was only going to get worse. He hated to think what the next few days or weeks would bring. None of it would be good.

  He had to end it with Kendra before it went any further, even if it killed him to do it. The thought ripped his heart out. Being with her felt so right. But he knew the longer it went on, the harder it would be to break it off. His feelings would only grow stronger with time.

  With any luck, maybe Kendra had come to the same conclusion. She couldn’t have been thrilled about everything that had happened the last few days. From being pressured into taking care of his gunshot wound to being caught in the middle of a gun battle, she would probably be very relieved for Flint to end it so she wouldn’t have to.

  Flint hoped so. Walking away from a woman like Kendra would be a next to impossible thing to do. Depressed and dreading the task ahead of him, Flint drained his beer and grabbed another one.

  When Jesse came into the kitchen a little while later, Flint was still sitting at the table with his eyes closed.

  “Hey buddy,” Jesse said, clapping him on the shoulder as he walked past him to the refrigerator. “Any beer left for me?”

  “A couple,” Flint answered. “Everything taken care of with the SUV?”

  “For now,” Jesse answered. “We were able to get it over to the chop shop. They’ll have it in a million unidentifiable pieces by the end of the day. Luckily, there weren’t many people out on the roads because of the ice. What about the Liberators? Everything okay on your end?”

  Flint nodded. “The bodies will never be found. Ever. We made sure of that.”

  Jesse studied him for a moment without speaking. He grabbed a beer and joined him at the table. “So, you want to tell me what’s going on with you and the doc?” he asked.

  Flint leaned forward and began peeling the corner of the paper wrapping of the beer bottle. “What do you mean?”

  Jesse raised his eyebrows. “Don’t shit me. I can see something’s going on. You two were as thick as thieves up on the mountain. You like her?”

  Flint let out a tired sigh. “Yeah, I like her. She’s great. Too good for me.”

  Jesse didn’t argue with him or try to convince his brother otherwise. He’d had his share of women trouble because of the MC, too. Serious relationships and the motorcycle club rarely went together smoothly.

  “Funny thing,” Jesse said. “I had a chance to take a good long look at the SUV and the bodies before you hauled them away. I’m not an expert by any means, but from what I could tell, there were a whole shitload of bullet holes that couldn’t have come from your pistol. Want to tell me what really happened up there before we arrived?”

  Flint blew out a long breath and shook his head. “I can’t.”

  Jesse stayed quiet for a moment. “You realize the MC can’t protect her if we don’t know the whole story. I’m not an idiot. I saw you take the shotgun away from her and slide it under the seat of my pickup. I assume those extra bullet holes came from her gun?”

  Flint knew Jesse was absolutely right. His brother should know about the sacrifices Kendra had made for the MC. Keeping secrets always seemed to cause more problems later on.

  “We were stuck on an icy patch of road,” Flint began. “I went behind the truck to push while Kendra took the wheel. I had my head down, so when the Liberators came flying around the curve, she spotted them before I did. By the time I saw them and they recognized me, she’d already grabbed the shotgun. When they piled out of the SUV and pointed their guns at me, she started shooting. Long story short, Kendra saved my life.”

  Jesse leaned back in his chair and took another sip of beer. “Fucking unbelievable. Why the hell did she do that?”

  Flint threw up his hands. “I don’t know. She was protecting me, I guess. Act first, think later kind of thing. I doubt she really thought it through. It all happened so fast. If she hadn’t started shooting, there’s no doubt they would have killed us both right then and there.”

  “She got a lot of shots in with her gun. You understand what I’m saying?”

  “She killed one of them?” Flint wasn’t surprised.

  “Maybe more than one,” Jesse answered. “Honestly, how the hell am I supposed to know? A shotgun blows a big ass hole and there were lots of them. Who knows whose bullet did the final deed? It might have been her or any one of us. As long as you took care of the bodies and destroyed the evidence, we’ll never need to know. And more importantly, she’ll never need to know.”

  Flint leaned his elbows on the table and put his head in his hands. “This keeps getting worse by the minute. Does anyone else know this about her?”

  Jesse shook his head. “Nah, I doubt it. When we arrived, the doc was behind the truck. I didn’t see her fire a shot, so my guess is nobody else did either. And you know Rocco and the rest of the crew never pay much attention to details. They probably didn’t even notice it. Nobody mentioned it. We were all too busy cleaning up the damn mess and dumping the evidence to think too much about the doc.”

  “Nobody else can know about this,” Flint said. “Especially not Kendra. She thinks she shot the driver in the leg and that’s it. She can never find out that she might be responsible for any of the fatal shots.”

  “She won’t hear it from me, I promise,” Jesse agreed. “It certainly wouldn’t help the MC, and she might even feel guilty enough to turn herself in and spill everything. That would be a fucking disaster. What are you going to do about her anyway?”

  “End it. Being with me is shit. She needs to get out while she still can.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that,” Jesse said. “You’re right though. It’s probably for the best. I haven’t had the best luck in the world with women either. No matter what you decide, the Steel Infidels still owe her for everything she did to help us out. Make sure to tell her the proceeds from the charity drive will be there for her wildlife clinic in the spring. And tell her thank you from me. For everything.”

  “I will,” Flint said. “That
’s the least we can do.”

  “I’ve called a meeting tonight at the clubhouse and asked everybody to be there. We need to update all of the crew about the Liberators and take a vote whether to go on the offensive or not. Are you absolutely sure this is best for the MC?”

  “It is,” Flint replied firmly. “Unless you have a better idea? They’re going to keep coming at us until we stop them once and for all.”

  “I’m shit out of ideas. I’ve been raring to go full force at them every day since they murdered Tommy. Nothing too bad can happen to them as far as I’m concerned. The only reason I’ve been holding back is because of you and Sam.”

  “I know. I’ve been thinking about this, and we have to be smart this time. Not like in the past. The MC has to go at it a different way. A way that can’t be traced back to us. We’re not a bunch of deadbeat drug addicts who dropped out of high school. We’re on a whole different level than the Liberators, and there should be a way for us to take them out and still keep our hands clean. There’s more than one way to put the Liberators out of business without another big shootout somewhere.”

  “Since you’re the brains of the operation, do you want to head this up?” Jesse asked. “All you have to do is say the word, and I’ll make sure the crew backs you up one hundred percent. It’ll be just like old times. You’re the brains and I’m the muscle. It’s always been that way.”

  Flint laughed. “Yeah, we always made quite a team. I knew no matter what kind of mess I got myself into when I was young that you’d always run over and help me fight my way out. The two of us together were invincible. It’s not us I’m worried about though. What about Sam? We have to protect him. I don’t want him getting hurt or tangled up in this mess.”

  “He’s one of the crew, too,” Jesse reasoned. “Just like us. He’s all grown up now and we can’t treat him differently from the others. He would hate us for it, and the other crew members would disrespect him if we did.”