by M. N. Forgy
“Why don’t you tell them, Locks?” Augustus says, looking at our brother. We all turn and stare at Locks who’s standing a few feet behind me.
“What the hell is he talking about?” Bull reiterates.
“You might as well tell them,” Augustus smiles.
Locks looks at Augustus then back to Bull.
“You lost your priorities when you let your family into the club. You threw caution to the wind when your daughter came back,” Locks spits, pointing at Bull. “Dani was a threat to the club, and she should have had a bullet put in her head.” He looks at me, speculating it should have been me to kill her. “When Babs told me about her niece, I told her no, and that should have been the end of it. But because you were fucking her, she thought she could do whatever she wanted to.” Bull flinches at his words.
“You never deserved Babs,” Bull seethes, his words calm and collected. His face drawn tight, his eyes hooded with hatred.
“Eh, that’s up for debate,” Locks snarls. “I knew Augustus would be out for blood, so I bought my time. When my bike was blown up, I knew it was Augustus and I knew it was just the beginning of a war.
“How’d you know it was Augustus?” Bobby questions.
“I met the guy Babs’ niece was dating once, I knew he was one of Augustus’s boys by the green bandana,” Locks replies.
If he knew who the boyfriend was, and that Babs wasn’t going to let the situation go of the guy hitting her niece, then Locks set Babs up. My fingers twitch with urge to throttle my betraying brother.
“Anyway, I came to Augustus with a deal, and in return I would be protected from his retaliation,” he finishes, his tone calm and casual like this should all make sense.
“What deal?” Bull growls.
“He gave me the location of every one of your girls,” Augustus says, stirring the pot of betrayal. “In fact, if Lover Boy hadn’t shown up, your daughter might have died in that night club.” He looks right at me and then to his left. I follow his line of sight and see the guy who was giving Dani a hard time that night at the club a while back.
“But Lover Boy was a blessing in disguise. If I had killed your daughter, I wouldn’t have been able to make this deal, now would I?” Augustus smirks.
“You betrayed me,” Bull states through gritted teeth at Locks.
“You did it to yourself. You let club business come second when your daughter showed up, throwing everyone in jeopardy,” Locks responds, his lips curled with anger.
“Either way, he has to be dealt with,” Augustus prompts, pulling a pistol from his suit jacket.
He aims it at Locks, who stands right behind me. Locks’ eyes go wide when he notices the gun is pointing at him and grabs me by the shoulders, using me as a shield. The gun fires, pointing directly at me, and I blink, waiting for the bullet to plow into me. Just as I think I’m about to be shot, I’m knocked to the ground.
The wind is knocked from me when my body hits the gritty warehouse floor, making me gasp. I hear a disgruntled cough beside me and glancing next to me, I notice Bobby lying on his back on the ground. Blood is spilling from his side as his legs kick to try to stand up.
I crawl over to him and pick his head up, laying it on my lap to asses where he’s been shot. Right in the gut, shit.
“What the fuck were you thinking, man?” I frantically question him, noticing Bobby’s face paling quickly.
“Saving your ass,” Bobby replies, coughing. He clenches his eyes and moans in pain.
“I called an ambulance. They’ll be here soon, son; hang in there,” Bull says, squatting down beside me.
“You called an ambulance?” Augustus cries with disbelief. “Get what you can hidden, boys!” He points at some crates in the building.
“Think I’m pretty fucked-up,” Bobby says, his blue eyes looking right at me for the truth.
“Nah, it’s just a flesh wound,” I lie.
“Liar,” Bobby whispers. I notice blood crawling out from underneath him.
“You can’t die,” I mutter. I feel my eyes prick with tears, and I let them fall. I can’t take the idea of losing my brother.
“You take care of Firefly and that baby,” Bobby stutters as his eyes start to take a distant look.
“You’re going to be fine. You’re just going to regret trying to save my ass tomorrow,” I tell him, trying to be optimistic, but the look in Bobby’s eyes have me second-guessing my confidence.
“No regret in life, no fear in love, brother,” he whispers as his eyes begin to close. I can feel the life slipping from him as his body goes limp, the fiery depths of Hell taking my best friend.
“Bobby, hang in there,” I say, giving him a shake.
His eyes snap open, and he begins to cough.
“Man, it hurts so much,” he whispers, his hands trembling.
“You can do this, brother,” Old Guy whispers to Bobby.
Bull leans forward and presses his hand to Bobby’s gut, trying to stop the bleeding, but it just gushes between his fingers.
“I stopped it some, but it’s not going to help for long,” Bull states, applying both his hands to the wound.
I look down at Bobby and notice his eyes are closed.
“No, Bobby!” I yell, my voice angry and forced. Trying to wake him, I give him a shove, but he doesn’t open his eyes.
“No. No. No!” I roar.
This can’t be happening. My brother, the one person I considered my own family before I was accepted by anyone, has left me to thrive in this callous world solo.
I lay Bobby’s head down on the concrete floor and stand, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand and smearing Bobby’s blood across my face in the process. I pull the gun I had hidden from my waistband and point it at Augustus. Instantly, weapons from behind Augustus and on the balcony above him are pulled and aimed at me.
“You killed my family,” I grit, my finger heavy on the trigger.
“He jumped in front of my bullet meant for a traitor,” Augustus replies casually, my gun pointing at his head not affecting him at all. “He killed your brother.” Augustus points behind me. I turn my line of sight to follow his gesture and see Locks.
He’s right. This is all Locks’ fault. He went rogue, went against the club, and got Babs killed and almost killed Dani and my baby, all because he wanted to prove a point. I swing the gun around and point it at Locks, who opens his mouth to speak, but before he can say any last words, I pull the trigger. I watch as the slug slams into his chest, making him fall to his knees. His eyebrows furrow as he looks down at his chest where the blood begins to pool from the bullet wound, seeping down his grey shirt. I promised Dani I would kill him for hurting her, and I’m keeping my word. I aim my gun at Locks, ready to take the last shot, when Bull steps up next to me and pulls a gun from his waistband.
“This is for Babs,” Bull whispers as he pulls the trigger, slamming a bullet right into Locks’ throat. Locks falls to the ground, landing on his back. Blood splutters from the bullet hole in his throat, followed by gurgling and gasping. He’s drowning in his own blood.
“Now that’s over, are we done here?” Augustus says, hearing sirens near.
“Not quite,” I snarl. I point my gun toward the guy who ran over Babs and beat Dani with a bat, following through on my last promise to take down the person who hurt Dani. The guy reaches for his gun in the front of his jeans as I pull the trigger. The bullet jams right into his skull, spraying brain matter all along the wall behind him as he falls down the staircase like a bag of dirty clothes.
I turn and wait for the return fire from Augustus and his crew. Augustus holds up a hand, holding off his boys from firing at me, looks at the guy I just shot and shrugs. “I was going to get rid of him anyway; he can’t follow orders. Call it insurance for our new business transaction,” Augustus says with a shrug.
“I’ll call you with the details, Bull,” he hollers, walking out of the building with his thugs in tow.
“We should have killed h
im,” I say, clenching my teeth as Augustus walks away.
“If we touch him, his men would kill every one of us, and everyone we know,” Bull replies, looking down at Locks’ dead body.
“Lust like a saint, trust like a sinner,” he mutters. I look at Bull and notice his brows pinched together as he looks at Locks with disbelief. Locks betraying the club is going to hit Bull’s wall of trust hard. Locks was the ideal club member, and I never saw him turning on the club for a second.
“I’ll deal with the police,” Bull says, pulling his gaze from Locks.
I look down at Bobby with disbelief. An ambulance comes and collects him in a rush, putting him on the stretcher and running back towards an ambulance. I watch the EMT lift the gurney to place Bobby inside and I step up right behind them.
“Sir, are you family?” a blonde EMT asks.
“Yes.”
She looks at me with a cocked head.
“I’m sorry, but immediate family only. You can follow in your own vehicle if you want,” she says with a dull tone, like it would be pointless. I step back and run my hands through my hair, trying to get a hold of myself.
When the ambulance leaves without flashing lights or sirens, I watch it bump and hurdle over potholes in the unkempt parking lot and onto the main road. Seconds later, the lights flash and sirens go off as the ambulance bolts towards the highway.
“I should have kept a better eye on him,” I mutter to Bull, standing beside me.
“He saved your life; he knew what he was doing,” Bull replies, patting me on the back. “He’ll never be forgotten,” he promises his voice grim as he climbs on his motorcycle.
Bobby won’t be forgotten. He is the brother I never had.
“I’m Bobby, what are you in here for?” the blonde, yuppie-looking boy asked me. I stare him down, unsure if I should say anything. Nobody has been friendly to me in here since I got here. I have already been in three fights since I arrived yesterday.
“Some bullshit,” I say, shrugging.
“Yeah, I hear ya,” he replies, sliding up behind me with his food tray. He smiles at me, revealing a mouth full of braces.
“Hey, you want to be friends?” the boy asks and I look at him, curious what his angle is. And who just comes out and asks to be friends?
“I’m Robert Zane Whitfield,” he introduces himself, holding his hand out for a shake, his gesture a little geeky. “But everyone calls me Bobby.”
“I’m Adrian Kingsmen,” I respond, shaking his hand.
“Awesome, want to help me steal some corn bread?” he asks causally.
I stare at him, trying to read if he’s serious or playing a joke, but he just looks back at me, nothing giving away it’s a joke.
“How?” I ask, interested. Causing trouble in a place I was sent to for causing trouble? I’m game.
“I’ll distract the cook, you reach over and grab some extra rolls.” He grins with a mouth full of metal.
“Have I mentioned how nice you look today, Mrs. Sangaurd?” Bobby swoons the lunch lady.
I smile. My first real friend I have ever had, and I met him in juvie.
“Let’s ride, Shadow,” Bull calls, breaking my train of thought.
I look at Bull before climbing on my bike, his face long and held with sorrow such as my own. Living in the malicious world, which is the club, we see brothers fall, and we see families break. But I’ve never felt the despair I’m feeling right now. Between Dani and Bobby, they brought me out of my life of desolation, they tolerate my indifferences and embrace the beast I am. It started with Bobby, and it grew with Dani. Losing Bobby and Babs’ death will not be something the club will move on with so easily. They have brought a spirit to the club, which no one has before.
“Let’s ride,” I agree solemnly, starting my bike.
I ride back to the club, and the only person I want to see is Dani. I want to deliver the news to her myself. Bobby died rescuing my ass, so it needs to come from me.
I pull into the courtyard to the club and turn the bike engine off.
I swing my leg over my bike and head toward the club to deliver news which will not come lightly. As I enter the club, I hear the bikes of Bull and the other guys pulling in, but I continue on my path toward Dani. Bull can let the rest of the club know what happened. I open the door to mine and Dani’s room and see her sitting on the bed, reading a pregnancy book. She peers up at me from behind the book and lights up.
“Thank God, you’re alive. I was so worried,” she exclaims, tossing the book to the side. She scurries off the bed and clings to my body. I want to hug her back; I want to feel that connection I need so desperately but, I can’t. I don’t want to give her the false hope that everything is okay—that I’m okay—when in fact everything is far from satisfactory.
She pulls away hesitantly, her arms still wrapped around my waist, and looks up at me. I pull away, the sight of her green eyes making this harder.
“What’s wrong?” she asks warily.
“Sit down, Dani,” I order, pointing to the bed. I squint my eyes, trying to hold back the emotion, so desperate to escape.
“You’re scaring me,” she says, sitting on the bed.
“Shit happened, and things didn’t go as smoothly as we had hoped,” I begin, running my hands through my hair.
“Spit it out, Shadow,” she snaps.
I look at her, furious with her tone, but when I see the glow of her skin, the ivy of her eyes, I can’t hold it against her.
“Bobby…, he, uh…” I stumble on my words, not sure how to deliver the message without the blow. In the end, there is no easy way to say it.
“Bobby was shot. He didn’t make it, Dani.”
She gasps, the sound making the hair on my arms raise.
“What? What do you mean he didn’t make it?” she cries.
“Exactly what I said: he didn’t make it. He took a bullet for me and didn’t survive the injury,” I yell, I don’t mean to come off unsympathetic, but I can’t help it. I risk a look at Dani, and she has her hands cupped across her mouth and a look of horror on her face.
“I wanted to be the one to tell you,” I whisper. “I’m going to head over to the hospital, see about arrangements and all.” I lean over and give her head a gentle kiss. I want to be there for her, to be the strong one she needs, but I’m barely hanging on myself.
“I’m coming with,” she declares, lifting her chin.
“Dani, I don’t think that’s such a good idea.” The last thing I want is for her final look of Bobby to be one of death. That’s not how I want him to be remembered.
“I’m going, Shadow!” she yells. Knowing I’m not going to win this argument, I nod in agreement. When it comes time, I’ll make sure she leaves the room.
We exit the room and hear loud cries and sobbing coming from the club—Bull must have delivered the news. I grab Dani’s hand and pull her through the club. I don’t want her to break any more than she already has, and sitting around all these people will do just that.
We arrive at the hospital and I park in the usual ‘No Parking’ zone. I grab Dani’s helmet and put it beside mine, the sight of her glassy eyes and my cut on her making me second-guess letting her come in.
“Dani, are you sure you want to do this?” I ask, leaning my head against hers and pushing a stray hair behind her ear. “You’ve already been through a lot today.”
“Absolutely,” she whispers. She looks at the hospital, breaking our contact. “Besides, someone needs to tell Doc.”
I stroll through the sliding glass doors to enter the hospital and hear alarms going off, lights flickering wildly. A rush of nurses in different-colored scrubs along with doctors in white coats come running past us, nearly knocking Dani and me into the doors we just walked through.
“Code blue. We have a code blue,” ignites from the intercom.
“Holy shit,” Dani whispers.
“Seems the reaper is moving swiftly tonight,” I comment to nobody in particular
.
We look down the hall to where all the doctors are running and see a blonde in pink scrubs come flying from the room all the nurses and doctors just entered.
“It’s Doc,” Dani says, taking off toward her.
I run after her, not sure what is going on.
“Oh, my God,” Doc cries, holding her face, distraught.
“What is going on?” Dani asks.
“He’s lost so much blood. I’m not sure if he’s going to make it,” she cries. Her words grabbing my attention, I grab her by the shoulders roughly.
“What the fuck do you mean? Is he alive?” I practically interrogate her. She just sobs louder, the sound irritating me. I shove past her and go into the room to see paddles on Bobby’s chest and tubes down his throat. A flat tone begins to beep, catching everyone’s attention in the room
“We got him back but not for long. We need to get him in the OR, now.” a short, brown-haired lady insists, looking at a screen. In seconds, they pull up the bedrails and rush Bobby’s bed out of the room.
Bobby’s alive—my brother still has a fighting chance. I can’t help the rush of hope that flows through me. I once hated that feeling, not caring for its façade, but I’d be a fucking liar if I said I didn’t hope to the gods that my brother pulls through this.
Dani
I sit in the chair next to Shadow as Doc hands both of us coffee.
“You two should go home. I’ll call you if anything changes,” she urges, sitting in a chair across from us in the waiting room.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Shadow replies, taking a sip of the hot coffee.
“Is he going to be okay?” I ask.
“He’s in a critical condition, the bullet nicked an artery. He died once in the ambulance and once again when he got here. There is no telling if he will make it or not.” She looks down at her coffee and sobs.
“Fuck me,” Shadow whispers.
Doc sniffs and wipes her nose with the back of her hand. “Take Dani home, get some sleep.”
Shadow looks at me, his blue eyes full of hurt, killing me inside. I want to take away the pain he’s feeling, add it to mine, but I can’t. Shadow is living a Hell I can’t imagine. Bobby took a bullet for him, saved his life, and he lost a woman he considered a mother all in one day.