by Dex, Trace
Zella watched in helpless desperation.
I watched as Rocket handed Rainer a folded black bandana. Rainer dangled it in front of the girls face, holding it at the tip as it slowly unraveled. At the end, a ring lands on her lap followed by some dust that quickly filled the air. Rainer shook the rest of the dust off the bandana right in front of her until she started coughing, then he placed the bandana on top of her head, allowing it to slide down her face until it landed on the floor.
Once the dust settled, only then did she realize the ring on her lap. She stared at it for a moment, and soon after, the ring was covered in her tears as she sobbed.
“Ta-da! Magic!” said Rainer. “Did you like my trick, Candace?”
I covered my mouth and took a step back the moment I finally realized what the dust was.
“Honestly, that’s all that would fit,” said Rainer, lifting the ring from the girls lap. He wiped the tears away from the ring against her sleeve and lifted it toward the light inside the closet. “We had to wash the rest of his ashes into the gutter.”
I knew what they did to him, but knowing what happened didn’t make it any less shocking.
Zella was crying harder now, while trying to talk at the same time. The guys mocked her pleas like she was an incoherent parrot. She managed to get words out that made sense. “Please let me go,” she said. “I didn’t mean to get your people killed, I swear. It was a mistake.”
“A mistake?” Rainer yelled back, throwing the ring hard across the room. The expression on his face looked like he was ready to kill her, but instead he stooped down in front of her. His intense glare focused on Zella’s watering eyes. “The night your ma and pa conceived you, now that was a mistake.”
My heart raced faster the longer he stared into her eyes. I was intimidated and he wasn’t even looking at me. I bit my lip, “Does she have to die, too?” I asked, although from the looks of everyone in the room, I already knew the answer to my own question.
Rainer switched his gaze towards mine, his piercing hazel eyes made me nervous. “Oh yes,” he said. “She doesn’t deserve a lot of things, but death is definitely one of them. A thousand times over.”
I stood still as Rainer made his way next to me. He cleared the ash from his almost-finished cigarette, allowing it to land on top of the girl as he continued to glare at her. Rainer’s expression was different now. He looked more serious, like a different person. A scary person.
The tension was too much for me to handle. It was quiet, a little too quiet, and it looked like the rest of them wanted her dead just as much as Rainer. I gulped and asked the only question I could think of, “How come she’s still alive?”
“Ah, now you’re asking the right questions,” said Rainer. The girl looked right at me and my eyes widened. I couldn’t look at her so I watched Rainer as he moved towards a nearby table. “If you’d like to do something about that, Candace, be my guest.” My heart sank as I heard the clicks from a firearm being readied. Rainer moved slowly towards me, a gun in his hand and a grin on his face. He lifted the gun in front of me and let it dangle like they were keys. Of course I didn’t want to do anything about it, this was their problem, not mine. I couldn’t help but wonder if this was this a test?
“Rainer… don’t do it,” said Rocket.
“Easy, guys,” he assured them. “Let’s see what she’s got.”
I felt the sweat form across my forehead. What did he want me to do? Shoot her? Was this a joke? I watched as the gun glimmered in the light, ready for me to take hold. How did he know I wouldn’t just shoot him instead?
I lifted my hand, uncertain of anything but afraid that if I didn’t, they’d kill me too.
Sid finally stood from his chair and aimed his gun at me, “What the fuck are you fucking crazy? Don’t give it to her!”
Rainer continued his deep gaze into my eyes like some sort of trance. I was overwhelmed by it all. “Put it away, Sid,” he said slowly without looking at him. I watched Sid put his gun down, his eyes filled with rage as he glared back at me. Rainer wiggled the gun again, his eyes still fixed on mine.
I looked at all the blank expressions in the room, hoping for some kind of solution, but it was dead silent. I took a deep breath of the smoke filled air and reached for the gun, trembling as I aimed it at the floor and placed my finger softly on the trigger.
“This isn’t your first time shooting a gun, is it?” said Rainer.
I didn’t respond to him but the answer was no, it wasn’t my first time. I shot a gun once before at a shooting range with Mandy. The one thing I wish she didn’t drag me to so that I’d at least have an excuse.
“Go ahead, Candace, show us what you’ve got.”
I turned to the girl tied to the chair. Zella struggled to break free but there was nowhere for her to go. She began to beg while furiously shaking her head no. “Please,” was the only word she repeated. Over and over. Her eyes were bloodshot and full of tears. I took a small step toward her and she froze, staring me in the eyes as the tears rushed down her face. “Please,” she sobbed, her expression desperate and difficult to look at.
I glanced back at Rainer who was leaning against a table, smoking a newly lit cigarette with a huge smile on his face. Then I glanced at the others who looked tense with their own guns to their sides, closely watching my every move.
I placed my other hand on the gun and cleared my throat. My shaky hands clung to the grip as I lifted it in front of me. My face felt warm as I stood before her with my finger on the trigger and the gun pointed directly at her forehead. As I stared at my target, I felt the sweat trickle down my chin, landing above my tense body.
My focus began to blur the girl at the other end, but the gun was clear as day. I could even make out the small hairs on my trembling hands.
I always wanted to be powerful, but this feeling wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. I blinked a few times, hoping maybe this was all just a nightmare that I could force myself to wake up from, but all I caught were horrific fleeting glimpses of the girl at the other end.
I took a deep breath, and tears began to fill my eyes. I didn’t want to blink anymore, not if I had to see her over and over again. The silence in the room grew louder with every passing second.
“It’s alright, darling,” said Rainer. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to—“
Less than a second is all it took. A second that felt like hours. My eyes shot open as I watched the wisp of smoke leave the barrel of the gun. It was in that moment that I realized what had happened. The echo moved across the room in one loud crack, leaving a sharp ringing in my ears. I kept my arms positioned in front of me but my body felt numb and my grip weakened, causing the gun to dangle from my fingers. I stood still as I tried to make sense of it all.
And that’s when I saw her.
Clear as ever, completely still. Silent. Her head tilted back with blood spattered against the wall. Her body was limp and alone as she sat there covered in dirt, sweat, and the ashes of what used to be her husband. Her lifeless body still tied to the chair.
A high pitch sound rang through my ears as the scent of something burning filled the room. I felt chills rushing up and down my spine. I could hear people yelling, but nothing seemed to register.
I looked around to see faces in shock, every one of their mouths opened. I blinked and Sid, Rocket, and Lanvin all had their guns pointed directly at me.
“Holy fuck,” was the first thing I heard. I don’t know who said it but from the looks on everyone’s faces, it seemed like they all had the same thought.
Lanvin put his gun down and began to dry heave. Rocket kept his gun pointed at me while looking back and fourth to the girl and me. Sid didn’t break his gaze from my eyes.
I felt a warmth brush under my arm, sliding past my elbows, up to my forearm, stopping directly underneath my hands. It was Rainer. He took the gun from my hands and placed it above Zella’s lifeless body as he looked into my eyes the entire time.
“Candace?” said Rainer. “Candace, can you hear me?” he asked while waving his hand in front of my face.
My eyes were filled with tears, unable to escape the horror that I caused. I tried to respond but my mouth stayed open with only air flowing in and out. I watched as Rainer motioned the others to put their guns away, to which they hesitated at first, but eventually put away. I was shocked even though I knew what I just did. Did I really just do that?
“Candace?” Rainer said once again. I managed to give him a nod.
The front door flew open and other people with leather vests rushed inside.
“What the fuck happened in here?” one of them said. “Who is that?” said another. Their eyes moving back and fourth from me to the girl in the chair. Their hands close to their waists like they were ready to pull their guns out at any moment.
I notice my gaze blur and the room started spinning. That’s when I realize Rainer was shaking me, trying to snap me out of the daze I’d fallen into.
Rainer clapped his hands in front of my face twice, “Candace?” he said, then whistled. “Candace, can you hear me?”
All I could do was nod. The room was silent and everyone was looking at the Zella’s dead body on the chair, but I couldn’t bring myself to look at her.
Instead, I lifted my hands to my face and noticed a bunch of tiny red dots. I could see Zella from the corner of my eyes. Suddenly, it was dark and I felt something rubbing against my face.
I flinched, only to realize it was Rainer holding a bandana. “Candace? Relax,” he said as he continued to wipe my face. I knew it was probably her blood that he was wiping but I still couldn’t believe it. “It’s me, let’s get you cleaned up.” He gently pressed the bandana against my face a few times then quickly hid it in his pocket as if he wanted to hide the small dabs of blood so that I wouldn’t see it, but I saw how red it was.
He whistled to two of the random guys at the door and motioned his gun towards the dead girl. “Prospect 1, Prospect 2: clean this shit up. Save a hand for me.”
Rainer ran his fingers through his hair as he paced back and fourth. Everyone waited in silence for his command. “Okay,” he paused. “Brother, Sid, Lanvy — Let’s go.”
No one moved. They stood silent as though they were as shocked as I was. Rainer looked around the room with an angry expression on his face, “NOW!”
Everyone began to scuffle. The people by the door opened the garage door with a loud bang and ran outside.
I heard the familiar popping noises from before as Lanvin, Rocky, and Sid all started their motorcycles.
Rainer came from behind me and placed a towel over my shoulders then he handed me a helmet. He looked me in the eyes and locked his fingers with mine, “Hop on, you’re riding with me.”
* * *
CHAPTER FOUR
Rainer
Did she really just fucking do that?
I knew it was risk to give her that gun, but she looked harmless. I didn’t think she’d actually go through with it.
The wind raced through my hair and the setting sun blared down on us. The skies were a shade of red and yellow and there were only a few cars on the road. They all moved to the side when they saw us in their rear view mirrors as usual. There were ten people behind me, including Sid, Lanvin, and Rocket. A necessary precaution just in case ambush were to happen. We always rolled in groups regardless; it’s just how things worked.
I should be happy right now. That bitch Zella is dead, but now I’ve got another problem: Candace.
I’m still adjusting to this newfound position that I was forced into after my father was killed. Uncle took over as President but he’s away on business and I got bumped up to Vice President, taking over everyone until he gets back. I wasn’t even supposed to have this rank for another few years — decades, even.
Part of me is fucking pissed because I wanted to be the one that killed her, but then again I don’t think it would have mattered. Hell, it’s even more of an insult to Wrath Motorcycle Club to know that some random girl killed the Presidents daughter with my gun instead of me. It just goes to show how much I don’t care about that bitch Zella’s life at all. But how will my uncle take all this? I can’t imagine him being happy about it, but maybe I can work something out. After all, this was partially my fault; I gave Candace the gun.
I sighed as she squeezed tighter. I could feel her head lying against my back. I wasn’t going that fast but maybe she was scared of riding in the back. I could barely breathe with the grip she had around my waist, but I didn’t mind. Honestly, it was actually kind of nice having someone back there. I couldn’t tell if it was the ground shaking or if she was shivering.
It’s weird, I don’t even know this girl and I already let her on my bike. Nobody rides my bike but me, so why did I let her sit behind me? Then again, this was my problem to deal with. Or maybe Sid was right, maybe I am getting soft.
Nah, fuck that. The situation just got messy. I’ll just have to figure out what to do with her soon.
I waved my arm in the air to signal the others to move out and head back to home base. They all followed my commands, everyone except Rocket, Lanvin, and Sid, of course. I shouldn’t be mad, they’re just watching out for me. This is what brotherhood is all about after all, but fuck, sometimes it can get annoying. They know damn well I could handle this shit on my own; I don’t need them there at all times. Plus, I needed to figure out what to do with Candace and I don’t have the patience to stand around listening to them argue over what to do with her. It’s not like she’ll kill me too, at least I don’t think she will. Not with my gun at least.
Is she okay back there?
Those fucking prospects better not get rid of Zella’s whole body or I’m going to kick their asses. Good thing we have inside connections with some of the crooked cops in this town. If we want someone to disappear, it’s as simple as making a phone call. Candace must be going nuts back there about how she killed someone; I know I would be if I were her. Poor girl.
The war was officially on now. Not that it wasn’t before; it started after that bitch set us up. But if they weren’t taking this seriously, they will be now. Especially since his daughter and son-in-law are dead. Now the Painsley family will know true pain. Not that fake stuff they call a motorcycle club with their cheap bikes parading around our territory. Zella was just first on the list; we’re going after each and every one of their members. I guess her husband counts too, but I think most of their club still believes he’s just missing, hell even Zella didn’t know until she saw his ring. They’re all a bunch of fucking idiots, that’s why. None of my brothers would allow me to go missing for that long, nor would I let that happen with any of them.
I felt Candace’s warm embrace as she hugged tighter. What am I supposed to do with her? What are the guys thinking about all this? I can’t blame them if they disagree with me, I fucked up and I fucked up big time. I wonder what she’s thinking. I can’t help but feel bad for her, she wasn’t supposed to be part of any of this, and now she has a murder on her hands. Why she would want to join us still baffles me, who the fuck wants to live a life like this. It’s too dangerous, and she seems so innocent. I guess I should give her a little credit, I don’t know too many people who’d do what she just did.
The road was clear for miles so I continued driving. This calmed me and gave me time to think. Should I just kill her and take her out of the picture? It wouldn’t be hard, it’s not like I haven’t killed before. But each person I’ve ever killed deserved it. Does Candace deserve to die? It really shouldn’t be this complicated.
But it is.
For some fucking reason, it is. Maybe I feel guilty. But then again, what would killing her do? It won’t solve anything. She doesn’t have to die, it’s not like she killed one of my men, and she actually killed the person that I wanted dead.