by London Casey
“I don’t know, Prez. Her mother is sick. Starting to forget shit. I need to help with that.”
“Goddamn,” Lael said. “I’m sorry to hear that.”
“Well, you know you can call us at any time,” Raven said. “Ace is in love with you, brother. I mean, I think it’s real love.” Raven smiled.
“Thanks for that,” I said.
“It’s pretty obvious your old lady has no idea what this MC is about,” Lael said. “I appreciate ushering her in and out real quick. I’m not a fool, Slade. She didn’t take off. You sent her away. You want to go chase her down. You haven’t been patched in all that long, so I don’t think you’ll have a huge target on your back.”
“Shit, he’s come and gone so many times,” Raven said.
Lael nodded. “Just stay in touch, Slade. Okay?”
“Always, Prez.”
“We’ll have Ace be your proxy,” Raven said. “In case there’s something that goes down.”
I nodded. “I really appreciate this. I hate to take this cut off. I hope you know that. But this woman is the one. Not to get all pussy on you here. But she’s been everything. And now she has my unborn child. The guys she’s with... he think it’s his.”
“You trust her that it’s not?” Raven asked.
“Yeah, I do.”
“Pussy does things to our head,” Lael said. “Don’t get yourself in too deep, Slade.”
“Too late,” I said and took off the leather cut.
I placed it on the table and put my hand to the patch.
Too fucking late... I’ve been in too deep from the second I met Liv.
I hit the open road and wearing my t-shirt, no leather cut. It felt weird at first to not have a leather cut. But the open road comforted me, as it always did.
Riding, I thought about my brothers. My father. Liv. Everything between us. Years and years of shit that had somehow collected into our present and our future. I knew going in her unprotected was a risk. Something inside me wanted to claim and keep her in my life. The look in her eyes told me the same. We had both wanted it. Christ, having her squatting and taking a pregnancy test to prove she wasn’t knocked up was probably a shit move, but I had no choice then.
I never had much of a choice in things in life.
My old man beat us all up and I had no choice but to take it.
There was no fighting back against him. He all but stopped that car on the tracks the night my mother died. Hearing the word suicide really bothered the shit out of me. I knew that’s what she did, but it was calculated murder.
The night she did it, she came into the bedroom to give us all an extra kiss goodnight. Call me pathetic or maybe I was still grabbing hold to the slippery strings of my innocence, but when Ma kissed us all that extra kiss that night I thought maybe things were going to change. I thought maybe she would grab us when he went to work the next day and get us the hell out of the house. But that didn’t happen. She left and never came back.
I throttled my ride harder, demanding the engine to roar louder, demanding the wheels spin faster. I wanted to take the road as far as I could go with it. That had always been my mission in life. It was the only thing that made me feel alive...
Except Liv.
I made it to the long and lonely road that would take me back to Daystron.
In my mind I tried to play out the conversations I was going to have with Owen. The son of a bitch would need to get off his high horse and realize that Liv and I were meant to be together. He could toss my ass in jail on a bogus charge but he’d be hurting the father of his sister’s baby.
Same for Walker. That guy could kiss my ass... after I kicked his. That was the one variable that wouldn’t change. Every fist, every kick, I would repay it to Walker. That’s how respect and revenge worked in the life I lived.
I cruised down the road, trying to lose myself in thought again. Thinking of Liv back then and now. I never thought she could be prettier but time did something amazing to her. I noted her hesitations when I touched her. What she didn’t get was that becoming a woman was the sexiest thing to me. And now I’d watch her become a mother.
A smile was on my face. I had the wind hitting me. The thundering engine between my legs. Two wheels and a road. All in all, life could be worse. I didn’t do the fate thing like Liv did. I did the action thing. I would take action and nobody could stop me.
I went around a wide bend where the illusion of the end of the road seemed to be just feet away. It made me speed up. I loved tempting it all.
When I straightened out again the first thing I saw was a fresh set of skid marks on the road. It took me a few seconds to realize what the hell was right there in front of me.
It was a car, upside-down.
The first thing that went through my head was that it was Liv. That would be my luck. Right?
I slammed the brakes and turned, trying to stop. I was going too fast though and cruised right by the accident scene. The car wasn’t Liv’s car. But that didn’t mean it wasn’t something serious.
When I came to a stop I jumped off my motorcycle and ran toward the car. There was smoke pouring from the undercarriage and the smell of gas was heavy in the air. I dropped to my hands and knees and surveyed the damage. There was only one person in the car.
A woman.
“Hey!” I yelled.
Her eyes popped open and she looked at me. “Are you my angel?”
“What? No. I’m going to get you out of there, okay?”
She nodded.
Me an angel? Not a chance in hell.
I saw that most of the damage was on the passenger side of the car. That was a lucky break for the poor woman. She was a little bit older, not that it mattered, because if she hit right at the driver’s side she would have been a goner.
I saw shards of glass sticking up from the broken window. I put my fist into my shirt and punched at the glass, feeling it jab into my skin. That I didn’t give a damn about though. I’d feel worse if I dragged the woman over broken glass and cut her up bad.
“Can you move for me?” I asked.
The woman lifted a weak hand. “Yeah.”
“Do you have feeling everywhere?”
“Fire,” she whispered.
“What?”
“Fire,” she said again and shut her eyes.
She was right. There was a small fire in the car now.
“Dammit,” I growled.
I dove forward and reached for her seatbelt. I fought the damn button and it finally let go. The car was filling up with smoke and heat really quick. All I could think about was the leaking gasoline. As soon as fire touched it, we were going to blow the fuck up.
“I’m going to pull you out,” I said to the woman. “Don’t mind me touching you. I swear, I’m an honorable man.”
The woman smirked and let out a painful cackle.
I wrapped an arm around her and pulled.
It was supposed to be quick and easy. The woman was nothing but skin and bones.
I tugged and she barely moved. She let out a cry.
“My leg,” she said.
I looked and her damn leg was caught in the steering wheel. Hell, the entire dashboard was almost in her lap.
I reached up and grabbed her knee. I pulled and twisted. Her leg moved but she screamed.
Fuck. I was going to have to hurt her to save her.
Sounded like my relationship with Liv, huh?
I reached up with both hands and grabbed her. “I swear, I’m not trying to hurt you. But I need to twist your leg free. It’s just caught, not stuck bad. Stay with me.”
I shut my eyes and twisted, feeling her leg moving in an unnatural position. I heard a pop sound and she let out another cry. But then her leg came free, still in one piece. My arms went around her waist and I slid out of the car to the road.
Smoke instantly billowed out of the car and the flames were flickering high in the air.
I put a hand to her neck to protect her the best
I could. My other hand went to her legs. I stood up, lifting her off the ground. I turned and started to move fast, knowing we were pushing it too close to be near the car.
Three steps in, I heard another pop sound and then some kind of crunching sound. I looked back just in time to see the gasoline catch and the entire inside of the car became engulfed with flames.
“Stay with me,” I said to the woman. “You’re safe now.”
I carried her to my motorcycle and grabbed my bag off the back, using that as a pillow so she wouldn’t have to put her head on the concrete.
Then I heard the wail of a siren and looked up, relieved that real help was here.
That sense of relief was gone within seconds.
It wasn’t help.
It was Owen.
When I saw Owen put a hand to his gun, I stood up and put my arms out. “Are you kidding me right now?”
“Are you?” he yelled.
“This woman flipped her car. I just pulled her out of it. Call for medics. Call for the fire department.”
Owen rushed over and dropped down. “Ah, damn. Betty.” He grabbed the woman’s hand. “Betty, what happened?”
I crouched down again too.
“I was driving,” she said. Her eyes moved back and forth. “I went around the turn. I heard a loud noise. A banging sound. Then I lost control. Next thing I knew, I was rolling upside down.”
Owen looked at me. “Was this you? You driving around here like an asshole and cause this?”
“When I got here, she was upside down.”
“Why should I believe you?” Owen asked.
“No, Owen,” Betty said. “He saved me. He’s my angel.”
“Oh, Betty. This guy is no angel.”
Betty ripped her hand free of Owen and gave it to me. I took it and squeezed.
“No, he is my angel,” Betty said. “Wait a second...” She was staring at me hard now. “You’re one of the Knight boys.”
“Yes, I am,” I said. “But don’t worry. I’m not causing any trouble today.”
Betty laughed and groaned. “It hurts to laugh.”
“She might have internal injuries,” Owen said. He looked at me. “Stay with her.”
I nodded.
Owen stood and started to shout commands into the radio attached to his shoulder. Within minutes there was fire and medics at the scene.
The medics cut in and I stood up, backing away. I watched as they worked on Betty, asking her questions, checking her vitals. All I could picture was what it must have been like when my mother was on those tracks. Nobody had the chance to get there soon enough to help her. And once the train hit the car...
“We need to talk.”
I snapped to reality and saw Owen standing next to me.
“Then let’s talk.”
“Come with me right now.”
I followed Owen to his SUV and stopped at the front of it.
“Going to cuff me?” I asked. “Have someone beat me up? Oh, wait, there’s people looking. You won’t do that.”
“Fuck off, Slade,” Owen snapped. “What the fuck are you doing here?”
“What do you think?”
“Stay away,” Owen said. He put a hand to my chest. “Turn around and go away.”
“I can’t do that,” I said. “We need to have a talk. Take off the badge, Owen. Be a man.”
“A man?” Owen said. He got close to me. “A man? I am a man. You’re a biker piece of shit. You don’t belong anywhere near my sister.”
“She just got back into town, didn’t she?” I asked with a grin.
“Fuck you.”
“Where do you think she was? Where do you think she fucking ran to last night?”
Owen’s eyes went wide. “You know what? Stay in town for a few. I want you down at the station to answer some questions. This accident scene doesn’t make sense.”
“Why not?”
Owen backed away. “I’m going to need to take your statement. I don’t have time right now. Got it?”
As Owen got into the SUV I followed him. “Look, man, I know you believe a lot about me. That’s fine. I don’t give a shit. I also know what it feels like to lose someone important. I’m really sorry about your old man.”
Owen put the window down. He took out his gun and put it on his lap. “You say another word about my father and I will pull this trigger. I will write the report that you reached into my vehicle, for my weapon. Your track record would prove me right.”
“That’s how you want it?”
“Yes,” Owen said. “It’s exactly how I want it. You’ll never be in this town, Slade. You’ll never get close to my sister again. She’s pregnant, Slade. And there’s nothing you can fucking do about it.”
With a shit grin on his face, Owen put up the window and drove away.
I stood there, feeling angry and empty.
One of the paramedics walked up to me, hand out. “Hey, Slade, right?”
“Yeah. What?”
“It’s, uh, me. Jimmy. I know it’s been a hundred years.”
I shook his hand. “Yeah, sure. Jimmy.”
“Just wanted to say thanks for what you did there for Betty. She’s lucky.”
“She’s lucky she didn’t land on the driver’s side.”
“She’s lucky you were there,” Jimmy said. “Just so you know, she’s going to be fine. Cut and scrapes. Her leg is a little messed up. Nothing major.”
“I had to twist her leg free. Hope I didn’t hurt her.”
“You did what you had to do. Thanks again.”
Jimmy walked away and I wasn’t sure what the hell to do next.
Then my senses came back to me.
Call Liv. Call Liv right now and tell her what the hell just happened.
I reached into my pocket and grabbed for my phone. I looked down the road, where Owen had been speeding away to.
I hoped I could get to Liv before Owen did.
(OLIVIA)
I rushed to my mother’s house. It was the only place I could feel safe.
I sat at the table with her, staring at her. I couldn’t tell where she really was. I reached and sipped my coffee and grabbed for her hand. When I took it and squeezed, her eyes filled with tears.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
“I feel different.”
My heart sank. “Oh?”
“Olivia, I feel really different. Only sometimes.”
“Okay. Different how, Mom?”
“Like I forget stuff.”
My eyes started to fill with tears. I tried to hold it back but it was impossible. My hormones were out of control. Along with my stress, anxiety, and everything else working through my body.
“You forget stuff,” I said, my bottom lip quivering.
“You noticed,” she said. “I know you noticed. I catch myself a lot but it worries me. I talked to my doctor and I have to get some tests done. I have to get checked...”
“Oh, Mom,” I whispered. I got out of my chair and grabbed for her. “I love you.”
“It’s okay, Olivia,” she said. “It’s going to be okay. For me. You. Owen.”
The tears streamed down my cheeks and something hit me. I pulled away and looked into my mother’s eyes. She had my eyes. Or, wait, I had her eyes.
“Mom, Owen is holding me back. He’s so worried about me. He’s overprotecting me.”
“I know. He’s always been that way. He’s always tried to be your father.”
“Mom, it’s not good. Something... do you want to see a picture of your grandchild?”
Her eyes lit up. “Yes. Please. Yes.”
I took out the ultrasound picture and put it on the table. I crept back to my seat and smiled. “There you go. The proof.”
I felt some of the guilt lift off my shoulders.
Mom picked up the ultrasound and covered her mouth. She started to shake her head. “Oh... my... Olivia...”
“I have to get blood work done and other things. I don’t know
. I’m still...”
Mom stared at me. Her eyes squinted a little. “Wait a second. This says your nine weeks along. Owen said you were pregnant... wait. Do I have things confused again?”
I saw the look in her eyes.
“No, Mom,” I said. “No. It’s nine weeks. Look at me.” She did. Her eyes were confused. “Hey. You’re not confused. What Owen told you before was wrong. Okay? I wasn’t...” I sighed. “Mom, this is real now, okay? I have to tell you something else, too.”
“I don’t understand, Olivia. What’s happening?”
“What’s happening is that you’re going to have a granddaughter or grandson to spoil. That’s what you need to focus on. All the other stuff, that doesn’t matter. Okay? But I want you to know the truth. The real truth.”
I licked my lips. I had my mother’s attention.
The words were right there on the tip of my tongue. If I told her and she accepted it all, then it would make me feel better.
“I’m sure you remember...”
That’s all I was able to get out.
Because that was the exact second Owen came blasting through the front door.
“Outside, now!” he growled at me.
“Owen!” Mom yelled. “Don’t talk to your sister like that!”
“She might be under arrest,” Owen said. “Olivia. Outside.”
I looked at Mom and shook my head. “He’s just grumpy.”
I followed Owen, knowing I was going to catch hell for not being home last night. My brain spun fast, trying to think of something that resembled a believable story.
Owen held the door for me and then shut it with force.
Then unleashed on me.
“What the fuck are you trying to prove?” he growled.
“Listen to me,” I said. “You don’t...”
“No, Olivia. You don’t. You weren’t home last night. And now Slade is in town. What are you doing? I told him you were pregnant. I’m sorry. I had to. If that man is even thinking of touching you... and you’re pregnant...”
I balled my hands into fists. “He’s in town? And you bothered him already?”
“He’s coming to the station to answer questions.”
“About what?” I asked.