HEARTLESS

by Storm, Franca

  Calling on every ounce of strength I got left in me, I body-slam him hard, tackling him across the waist and driving him into the side of the bar.

  He tries to go for my wounded arm again, like the pussy he is, but I knock his hand away.

  “You sick fuck!” I roar, grabbing the back of his head and slamming his fucking face down on the bar top. He gurgles out a cry, his nose shattering, blood spewing all over.

  His foot slams into my gut, kicking me back. Has me choking, cuz a couple of my ribs are hurt bad from his earlier beating.

  As he turns ˈround to face me, his face a bloodied mess, I snatch a big bottle of Jack off the bar and smash it across his head. Glass and booze explodes between us. He screams as shards bite into his pretty-boy face. I ignore the ones biting into my skin. Least of my problems. I watch him waver on his feet, the blow to the head taking a lot outta him.

  Now’s my shot.

  Time to end this.

  He doubles over.

  But then his eyes flash at me in sadistic pleasure.

  I find out why in the next second, as it’s made clear he was faking me out with his doubling over move, when he pulls a piece from an ankle holster.

  He’s cocking it in the next second, aiming at my head.

  A loud thud over by the entrance has him jolting, his shoulder dropping.

  His eyes go real wide with terror.

  Before I can even turn to see what’s got that reaction from him, a shot rings out.

  A bullet plunges into his skull, blood and shit spraying over me, as his lights go out and his body drops in front of me.

  Dead.

  I jerk my head over to the entrance.

  Marco Russo’s standing there, his gun still in firing position.

  As he lowers it, we lock eyes, and he lifts his chin at me. Finally got him.

  There’s a shitload of commotion then as Ax barrels through the door with a bunch of the boys with him, Thorns and Slayers. They all rush into the room, but my attention’s only geared to one thing. I go to search her out, but she’s on me quick, throwing her arms ˈround me.

  “Oh my God,” she cries. “I thought he was going to—I thought you were—”

  “It’s all okay, sweetheart. It’s over.”

  “Here,” she says, easing me over to one of the armchairs. She’s got me slumping onto it before I know it. Good thing, cuz a wave of dizziness hits me. I pinch the bridge of my nose, tryinˈ to will it away.

  She’s pulled from me then and I look up dazedly to see Ax in front of me. He’s got a first aid kit out on a table next to the chair. Next thing I know, I’m clenching my teeth, as he starts treating my arm, alcohol burning into my wound.

  “I gotta stitch this now, brother,” he tells me. “You’re losing too much blood.”

  “What about a hospital?” Halle suggests. “We can just tell them he hurt it some other way, so we don’t invite any trouble.”

  “They’re gonna know a stab wound when they see it,” he tells her, being gentle with the way he talks to her. He gets that she’s freaked out, gets that she’s my woman.

  “Thanks,” I tell him.

  “You thanking me?” He cocks an eyebrow. “This happened, cuz you tried to fucking well save me, Smiter. Didn’t want me making that kill.” He shakes his head. “Stubborn fucker. Hell-bent on protecting everybody, no matter what. Above and beyond, brother.”

  I smile and my eyes stray back to my woman’s. Reaching out with my good arm, I pull her closer, needing to feel her, needing the contact to make sure she’s really okay, that we really made it through this and I ain’t just hallucinating, or some shit.

  With the state of me and all the commotion, I didn’t notice the state of her right away. Her cheek’s cut and bruising.

  “Ax,” I rasp, gesturing at her.

  He presses something to my arm and tells me, “Put pressure on the wound.”

  “I’m fine,” Halle says, as Ax goes to her. He knows I ain’t okay with getting sorted out first when my woman needs medical help too.

  “He ain’t gonna let me sort him, ˈtil you’re taken care of,” Ax tells her, as he starts tending to her.

  Halle rolls her eyes at me. “He’s right, Smiter. You really are stubborn.”

  “Turns you on,” I say, choking out a laugh.

  “You all right?”

  The raspy voice has me squinting through my lightheaded state to see who’s just walked up to us. Takes me a couple of seconds to register Wells eyeing me with concern. Russo’s beside him.

  “Yeah,” I tell him.

  Ax finishes up with Halle and comes back to me, starting to stitch me up. “Sure you got this, Prez?”

  He gives me a look. “Think I dunno how to do this shit? With my history? Club for life and my crazy old man?”

  Yeah, he’s seen a load of battle wounds over the years. He just ain’t normally the go-to guy for it. Runner’s the best, outside of our doc, but both of ˈem are back in Reirdon Falls, hours away.

  “Okay,” I murmur, resting my head back against the chair, my eyes finding Hal’s again. “Love you.”

  The boys chuckle, probably cuz I’m slurring now, getting more outta it by the second.

  She smiles sweetly back at me and strokes my face. “I love you, too, baby.”

  My eyes close against my will and I force ˈem back open. But they grow real heavy again quick, sleep pulling on me hard.

  I hear the boys and Hal talking, but it ain’t clear what they’re saying. Just noise now.

  A hand on my shoulder has me straining to open my eyes again, and I look to see Russo tryinˈ to get my attention. Think he’s saying goodbye. He moves away, but I grab his cut.

  “Thanks,” I tell him. He saved our fucking lives.

  “Team effort. All I’ve wanted for years is to put that motherfucker in the ground. Thanks to you holding him off here, I got the chance. Won’t forget it, Smiter.” He smiles. “Brother.”

  He pulls back, breaking my grip on him.

  “You got some balls on you, woman,” I hear Wells tell Halle, as I let my eyes close again.

  “Dangerous shit,” Ax mutters. Yeah, I figured he wouldn’t be happy ˈbout what she did.

  “I know. I’m sorry. I just—”

  “Forget it. I get why you did it, get why Rox did what she did, too. It all worked out.”

  I cringe. He’s saying one thing, but I know him better than all that. He’s keeping things light right now, cuz she’s just gone through a lot. But that ain’t gonna last.

  “We gotta head out,” Wells announces. “Dealer’s here now. Gonna help us out with getting Marco outta sight for a bit. As far as I’m concerned, Ax, our clubs are good going forward. You want for something, we got you.”

  “Same.”

  I hear ˈem walking away.

  “Smiter?” Ax calls to me. “Arm’s done. Just gotta check your ribs ain’t broken, cuz you ain’t breathing too well. All right?”

  I can’t even nod no response now.

  “Smiter?” Hal calls.

  Her sweet voice is the last thing I hear, before I finally pass out.

  EPILOGUE

  ~Halle~

  “I’m looking forward to this partnership with you and Black Thorns.”

  I round my desk and Ax rises to his feet to meet my handshake. “Know we’re gonna work well together,” he says, as we shake. “The boys love this place. Gives ˈem a good outlet. Plus, we make the changes we talked ˈbout and it’s gonna be booming ˈround here again, too. Ain’t doing you no favor. It’s a win-win for Thorns to take it on.”

  Ax had first offered to become my partner at Temptress shortly after I’d helped him with that PR incident a little while ago. But, I’d been hesitant, thinking he was seeing me as a charity case and just offering out of some sort of respect for Smiter, me being his girlfriend, and everything. But, over the last two hours of our meeting, he’s made it clear that wasn’t his intention, or his reasoning. I don’t think people actual
ly realize it, because they just see him as the big, bad President of a motorcycle club, but Ax has a great deal of business savvy. He came along today with a majorly detailed five-point plan on boosting profits. He wants Black Thorns to be actively involved and wouldn’t settle for a silent partnership. I liked his suggestions and the way his mind works, so I agreed to a sixty-forty split. We’re on the same page about everything, so I know we’ll work well together. It’s the right move for my club.

  We make plans for another meeting to outline our next steps and then he grabs his motorcycle helmet and heads for the door.

  “Tell Smiter I said hi,” I call.

  He turns at the door and frowns. “He ain’t up at the clubhouse, Halle.”

  “What?”

  “He’s still on leave. Gave him two weeks to heal up. Thought you knew. You guys been crashing at your condo while he’s been out, ain’t you?”

  We have. I’ve been taking care of him, since he got hurt that awful night of the confrontation with Frank Newman.

  “I… yes.” What’s going on? “When he left this morning, he told me he was heading back to work.”

  “Fuck,” Ax mutters, pulling his cell phone from his pocket. “Thought he was back in line now.”

  That makes two of us. The moment Frank Newman resurfaced, Smiter went from being the steadfast, reliable guy that everyone could count on, to a reckless, unpredictable man on the edge. With Frankie gone now, I thought he’d gone back to his normal self. He’d seemed so much himself again the last couple of weeks. Was it all just an act? A ploy to get Ax off his back? I know Ax laid into him really hard for all the insubordinate actions he took, especially the final one of heading down to Temptress to deal with Frankie without club permission. I got an earful too. Hell, so did Rox, and she’s Ax’s wife. Now, after getting everyone back in line, I don’t blame Ax for being on the verge of a full-on rage, if that’s about to be threatened by something Smiter’s doing.

  I just hope there’s an explanation. I hope he’s not doing anything… insane. I love him. I want him to be safe. I don’t want him having to face Ax’s wrath. I just want him happy.

  I thought he’d finally moved on.

  “He ain’t picking up,” Ax tells me. “See if he takes your call.”

  I nod and snatch my phone off the desk. I’m about to dial when my office door flies open.

  Relief fills me as Smiter strides on in. “You guys done in here yet? It’s been hours.”

  Instantly, Ax is in his face. “Where the fuck you been? Told Halle you were up at the club. Told me you were hanging at her place while we had this meet.”

  Smiter holds up his hands. “Chill.”

  “What’d you say to me?” Ax growls.

  Uh oh.

  “Had an errand to run, all right?” Smiter tells him.

  “Yeah? What?” Ax demands, tossing his helmet onto the small couch in the corner, then folding his arms across his chest, bringing the full-force of his intimidation forth.

  Smiter’s eyes stray to me for a second, before his gaze snaps back to Ax. “It’s personal.”

  “You don’t got that luxury right now. Not after all the shit you pulled lately.”

  “I thought we moved past all that. Made a couple of mistakes, but—”

  “I know ˈbout you and Runner riding out to Slayers territory!”

  Smiter stiffens, his eyes going wide. “You… uh… you knew?”

  Ax nods. “Got eyes everywhere. I let it go, to see how it played out.”

  “Shit.”

  “Yeah,” Ax growls.

  “Look, I’m good now, Ax. Apologized. Thought we were putting it behind us.”

  “Gonna take time.”

  Smiter folds his arms too, meeting Ax’s browbeating stance head-on. “Well, time’s something I’m gonna be giving you.”

  Ax’s eyes narrow. “What’s that mean?”

  Smiter looks my way again. He smiles at me, as he tells Ax, “Gonna need some leave time.”

  “You’re on leave now.”

  “Sick leave, to heal. I’m talking ˈbout a real vacation. Been years since I did that. I’m calling it all in now.”

  “Smiter?” I question.

  Ax is as confused as I am. “What’s going down here?”

  “Jesus, brother, you’re really fucking with my game,” Smiter gripes. As he unzips his leather jacket and reaches into one of his inside pockets, he says, “Know you’re worried ˈbout me being a loose cannon, worried I ain’t settled down after the whole Frankie thing, so maybe this will put your mind at ease. Guess it’s good you’re in on this then. Can see for yourself.”

  He strides over to me and the next thing I know, he’s dropping to one knee.

  Oh. My. God.

  My heart seizes as he opens his hand. There, on his palm, is a diamond ring.

  I swallow hard. “Is that what I think it is?”

  He grins up at me. “Fucking right.”

  “Wow. I… are you sure?”

  He looks really amused by my question. “Am I sure? Think I’d be down on my knee with this thing in my hand, if I weren’t?”

  I don’t know what to say.

  “Question is whether you’re sure, Hal.” He takes my hand, giving it a gentle squeeze, as he gazes up at me imploringly. “I want you to be my wife, my sexy, bad girl. Ain’t nobody else I want by my side.” Grinning, he asks, “You down with that?”

  “Yes,” I breathe, nodding over and over. “I love you.”

  He slides the ring onto my finger, then surges up, throwing his arms around me. “I love you.” He lifts me up off the floor and spins me around and around.

  When he finally puts me down, he takes hold of my left hand and shows it to Ax, more excited than I’ve ever seen him before. “Getting married, brother!”

  All traces of Ax’s hard demeanor have evaporated and he’s full-on smiling from ear to ear.

  “The ring. That was your errand.”

  “Yeah,” Smiter confirms. “Wanna take off for a bit, just me and Hal, away from everything and everybody. Just wanna hole up somewhere together.”

  “Talking ˈbout a honeymoon.”

  “Nah. Before we get hitched. Just want time alone together. A break.” He looks to me. “I figured now is the best time, before you and Ax go to work on Temptress.”

  Aww. That’s so incredibly thoughtful of him. “Yes, baby. It’s perfect.”

  “You got it,” Ax announces.

  “Yeah?” Smiter asks.

  Ax nods. “You can head out in a couple of days. Gives me time to put a couple of replacements in place.”

  Smiter goes to him and claps him on the shoulder. “Thanks, brother.”

  “When you come back, you got a clean slate.”

  I smile at that. Thank goodness. I know how much it was bothering Smiter not having Ax’s full trust. He’s been the club’s rock, Ax’s rock. Not being seen as that person anymore was like stripping away part of his deep-rooted identity.

  They move in for a brotherly hug, slapping one another on the back as they pull apart.

  “I’m real happy for you. You deserve this.”

  “Been a long time coming.” Smiter wraps his arm around me. “Right, Hal?”

  I relax into him, gazing at my ring. “It doesn’t matter. We’re here now.”

  ***

  ~Smiter~

  Halle holds on tight to me as we tear down the backroads on my Harley.

  It’s the first time in a while, since all that shit started with Frankie, that I been able to ride without my head going a million miles a fucking minute, first time I been able to feel that peace from riding again. I’ve really fucking missed it.

  Felt like the last few months ain’t been real. Just running on pain and adrenaline. The only thing that broke through all that was Hal. Probably the only thing that kept me sane. Well, sane enough to function anyway.

  Now all that shit’s over.

  Frankie’s gone. For good, this time. Halle’s
safe, the club’s safe. Finally got justice for Mia. Fuck, though, all this time I really thought it’d somehow change things knowing her killer was put to ground, but it ain’t. Ain’t made a lick of difference. Ax was right. It didn’t bring me no peace.

  But I still found it. Got nothing to do with that fucking psycho, though.

  It’s Halle.

  Just like she said. All ˈbout looking forward and no more looking back.

  After almost losing her twice, I couldn’t wait no more to lock it down with her, make things official, and bring her all the way into my life. No more wasted time now.

  It’s gonna be a long-ass time before I’m gonna get that image of Frankie ˈbout to take her life outta my head. It’s burned into my fucking brain. That’s why I been so anxious ˈbout getting away. From Reirdon Falls. From Brockford. From the club. From everything. Gotta take a break from the kinda life we both been living that exposed us to this shit in the first fucking place.

  Just gotta be at peace with her for a bit, recuperate. The way she agreed so quick, I know she’s feeling the same way.

  Hal pulls me outta my thoughts as she leans into me and licks the side of my neck.

  Woman’s had me rock hard since I hauled her on the back and she wrapped her arms ˈround me. So, this? It’s one step too far.

  “It’s time,” I call to her over the roar of the bike.

  “Time for what?”

  I smile to myself, as I pull over.

  Took this route on purpose, knowing these backroads are real deserted.

  I keep the engine running, but lower the kickstand, as I dismount. I grab Halle’s hips when I see her start to follow me off, too. “Uh uh.”

  “Smiter? What’s going on? Runner and Sarah are expecting us in twenty minutes.”

  They’re staying at Ax’s right now, cuz Sarah won’t go back to their home after what went down there with Frankie’s attack. Their brand-new home from Reirdon Construction is gonna be ready in a couple of months, so they’ll be settled again soon enough. We’re heading there to tell ˈem ˈbout our engagement.

  “He’s gonna understand, sweetheart.” I wink at her. “Believe me.”

  “Understand what?”