by Chelle Bliss
“Then we do everything we can to protect our families. Keep them close, everyone. Keep the guns loaded and ready. The Sun Devils are some crazy bastards, and they aren’t above killing innocents.”
We walked out, stunned and in complete silence. When I climbed into my car, I sat there for a moment and thought about the possibility of losing someone I loved. I’d never let it happen. There wasn’t one person close to me for whom I wouldn’t jump in front of a bullet to protect. Whatever happened, I knew everyone else felt the same way.
No matter what… we’d protect what was ours.
Something’s Off
Suzy
Ever since Joe came home last night, he’s acted weird. At first, I thought maybe it was because of what happened with Gigi and school, but that couldn’t be it. Maybe spending time at Hedonism wasn’t the best thing for us. I thought we were in a better place.
“Baby, what’s wrong?” I asked, wrapping my hands around his waist as he looked out the sliding glass doors overlooking the backyard.
He patted my hands and gave me the brushoff. “Nothing, sugar. Just thinking about work.”
That shit was a lie. One he used often. I even called Izzy to see if there was something going on at Inked that would have him worried. She said everything was fine on the shop front. When I asked her if James was acting weird, she said not any more than usual.
I buried my face in his back and inhaled his scent, the one I’d loved so much since the first day I met him. “There’s something you’re not telling me, Joe.”
“There’s nothing, Suzy. Stop worrying. Nothing is wrong.”
But even though he said the words, I could tell his voice wasn’t full of conviction but of something else, though what I wasn’t sure.
“I’m meeting Mia for lunch today. Your mom is going to watch the kids so we can hang out.”
He turned in my arms and my cheek rested on his chest. “I don’t think that’s a good idea.”
I stared up at him with confusion on my face. He’d never said no to me. “Why not?”
He wrapped his arms around me and rested his face against my hair. “It’s fine, just be careful.”
“When am I not? It’s not like something is going to happen. It’s just a quick bite to eat at Grillz.” My stomach rumbled at the thought of the food. They offered every type of grilled cheese imaginable, and it had quickly become the go-to spot in the city.
“Fine.” He kissed my head before something caught his eye in the backyard.
“What is it?” I asked, turning quickly to see what he did, but there was nothing.
“Just an animal, sugar.”
I released him. “I’m going to get the girls ready and head out for the day. Need anything?” He was already typing furiously on his phone and not paying any attention to me. “Joseph, I’m talking to you.”
He didn’t look up or make any effort to stop his conversation. “What? Sorry, I didn’t hear you.”
I didn’t even bother to ask him again. What was the point? Whomever he was texting had his attention, not me. After I dressed the girls, we headed to Grandma’s house for their visit and my time with Mia. I needed some girl time…a little time to share my feelings with one person I knew wouldn’t utter a word to anyone.
Something was going on, and I needed another person’s opinion on how to proceed. Mia was one of the smartest, most level-headed people I knew. Maybe I was making something out of nothing, but in my experience with Joe, that wasn’t usually the case.
Reality vs. Imagination
Joe
When Suzy left the house, I headed straight to ALFA. I could’ve sworn I saw something or someone in the woods behind my house, but I couldn’t tell if it was just paranoia creeping in or reality.
Thomas hadn’t given us a full update since we had our meeting last week. Information had come in via text and was limited.
“Hey! Sit.” Thomas shuffled papers around on his messy desk. “I really need to have Angel organize all this shit. It’s out of control.”
“Maybe if you stopped sticking your dick in her during business hours, she’d get more work done.”
He laughed and shrugged. “Sometimes I can’t help myself. You try working with Suzy all day and resisting her.”
“You’re a sicko.”
“No argument here.”
“So what’s going on with the Sun Devils? I swear I saw someone in the woods behind my house this morning.”
His demeanor changed instantly. “Are you sure it was a person?”
“I can’t say for sure, but something was out there. I felt like whatever it was, it was watching us.”
“I spoke with my contacts at the DEA. They lost track of a few of the members.” His fist slammed down on his desk. “They’re good for nothing.”
“Have you noticed anything out of the ordinary? It could’ve been an animal and my mind playing tricks on me. I’m so fucking on edge that I could’ve made the entire thing up.”
“I haven’t noticed anything, but I know exactly how they are. I’m more worried about the people I care about than myself.”
“We need to know more, Thomas. Everyone needs to know what’s going on. You need to get more information as quickly as possible and share it with us.”
“I’ll find out more today and get the guys together for a quick meeting tonight around seven. Good?” He picked up the phone and pressed a button. “James, get Sam and come to my office, please.”
“It’ll have to be. I’ll let the guys know. You just find out the info. We can’t be left in the dark if our lives are in danger.”
Using both of his hands, he rubbed his temples and sighed. “Hopefully, tonight we’ll know enough to get a plan together to keep everyone safe. I refuse to let them rule our lives and hurt anyone we love.”
“Maybe they’ll take Sam as a sacrificial lamb.” I grinned because he’d pissed me off since the day I learned that he and Izzy had a thing.
“Don’t be an asshole. You know we need him.” He shook his head and rolled his eyes.
“Maybe you do.”
“He came in handy before. Remember he did take a bullet for us.”
It was my turn to sigh. “Fine. We won’t offer him in exchange for our safety. We’ll figure out another way.”
“What are we exchanging?” Sam said from the doorway.
It was my cue to leave. “I have to get to work. See you tonight at seven,” I told Thomas before turning to face Sam and James. “See you guys tonight.” Pushing past them, I nudged Sam just a little bit.
“Fucker,” he muttered.
“Sit. We have some shit to talk about,” Thomas said before the door closed.
As I walked to my car, I took in my surroundings and looked for anything or anyone that didn’t belong. Nothing seemed out of place. I chalked up this morning to an overactive imagination and fear.
Nothing usually scared me… But the thought of the Sun Devils coming for the people I loved had me on edge. By the time I pulled into Inked, my nerves had calmed and I felt more at ease than I had since I saw movement in the woods.
“Yo!” Mike greeted me at the door. “Where have you been?”
“I ran to ALFA for a bit to talk with Thomas.”
Mike’s face morphed and grew serious. “What’s up?”
I placed my hand on his shoulder, giving it a light squeeze. “I don’t want to talk about it here, but we’re meeting tonight at seven.”
“I’ll be there and I’ll text Anthony to let him know too.”
“Where’s the lazy bastard?”
“With Max at the doctor. It’s her yearly checkup and ataxia evaluation. Dumb fuck,” he said before punching me in the shoulder hard enough that my body rocked backward.
Guilt flooded me. “Shit, I forgot.”
“Way to go, champ. Way to be a douche.”
“Who’s a douche?” Izzy asked as she walked into the front of Inked, wiping her hands with a paper towel.
&nb
sp; Mike thumbed toward me over his shoulder. “Joe.”
“Usually, it’s you being a douche, Mikey. It’s nice to have someone else at the helm for a bit, isn’t it?”
I pushed past Mike, shoving him off-kilter in the process. “Fuck off, Iz. I don’t need your shit today.”
“Someone pissed in your Wheaties this morning, didn’t they?” Izzy laughed, tossing her hair over her shoulder and following me toward the back.
“I just have a lot of shit on my mind.”
“It seems to be the norm around here. If I didn’t know better, I’d think your cycles are in sync.”
“Cycles?” Mike plopped down in Anthony’s chair and started to leaf through the latest issue of Tattoo magazine.
“You’re like a bunch of chicks…all PMS’ing at the same time.”
“That’s sick, little sister.”
“All of you have been grouchy as fuck for a week now. I want to gouge your little eyes out and sew your lips shut.” She closed one eye and pretended to be doing just that from a distance.
“We put up with your cranky ass our entire lives. We’re entitled to a few days out of the year.” I started to prep my station for my first appointment of the day. It was a back piece and would suck up most of my shift, but it was completely worth it to see the finished product.
“I know something’s going on. Even James is acting weird. Suzy called me the other day and asked me a few things that had me curious too. So, what gives? Spit it out, boys.” Her eyes moved between us while she waited without saying a word.
When neither of us replied, she said, “I’m talking to both of you. I want answers.”
“There’s nothing going on, Izzy,” I told her with the straightest face I could because she always seemed to know when we were bullshitting her.
“Michael?”
He cleared his throat and hunkered down below the top of the magazine. “Nothing at all.”
“You bitches are hiding something, and I’m going to figure it out. When I do…you’re going to be sorry.”
I turned my back to her, grinding my teeth together. I hated hiding stuff from her. I hated doing it to anyone in the inner circle. But knowing Izzy like I did, she’d go off half-cocked and get all the ladies riled up and cause more problems than she’d solve.
* * *
When we finally sat down at the conference table at ALFA that night, I heard the words I’d been dreading come from Thomas’s mouth. “They’re in town and they’re looking for us.”
I no longer believed it was an animal in the woods outside my house, but someone watching us—someone lurking in the shadows, waiting to strike.
“Goddamn it,” I growled.
“They’re not getting through us,” Morgan said, slamming his hand down on the conference table.
“We need to come up with a plan to keep everyone safe.” Bear put his hands together and rested them against his lips. “One that requires killing anyone who gets near them.”
“We have to tell the girls,” James groaned and dragged his hands down his face. “They’re gonna flip.”
“Break it gently.” Thomas stood and paced in front of the table. “We need to have protection on the women at all times. From here on out, our lives change until we’re in the clear.”
“You need to stay out of sight, brother,” I said with my jaw clenched tightly.
“I’ll do no such thing.” He shook his head and picked up the pace. “I’m the bait. We have to draw them out. If I stay hidden, this may never be over.”
“You’re right.” I grimaced at the though of dangling him out there as the sacrificial lamb. But he was right, he was the only way to get them to show themselves.
By the time we left ALFA, we had a plan in place. It was time to alert everyone to keep them safe. We spent all night forming a plan to do just that…for us all to get out alive.
Never a Dull Moment
Suzy
I sat down on the lanai, holding homemade lemonade¸ and put the phone on speaker. “I just don’t understand how you let him lead you around like that.” It was my favorite spot to do some thinking when the house was quiet and I was alone.
“I know you’ve read books about it, Suzy. Come on. You know how it works.”
“Oh, I know exactly how it works. But my question is, how do you do it? I mean, you’re so damn bossy, I can’t imagine you taking any shit from James.” The sound of the animals moving through the woods drew my attention. They were more active tonight than usual.
She laughed. “I top from the bottom all the time.”
“I’m sure you get your ass beat for doing it, too.”
“Ahh. I do. That’s half the fun.”
“But aren’t you embarrassed being led around on a leash? I don’t know if I could do it.”
“I’m not embarrassed. I would be if we walked around the grocery store like that, but at the club, it’s normal. I like being his and letting everyone know it.”
“I don’t know if I’ll ever get that image of you out of my head.”
“Girl, you know I could bring that man to his knees in a heartbeat.”
“Kicking him in the balls doesn’t count.” I chuckled because I knew James loved her, but he was the boss in the household. He was the only man I’d ever seen “handle” Izzy.
She started to laugh. “Fuck, I have to go. Trace’s awake and crying for me.”
“Love you, Iz.”
“Love you too, Suz.” The phone went dead.
I stared off into the darkness, listening to the twigs snapping, and my stomach began to knot. Whatever was creeping in the woods wasn’t small. Maybe it was already gator-mating season, something I had come to learn was really a thing in Florida. They were more active, walking farther to find a mate. It was the only time of year that I’d sometimes check under my car before daring to get inside.
After I finished my lemonade, I went back inside and headed upstairs to check on the kids. Lu and Ro were sound asleep, each in her own crib as stars moved across their ceiling and soft music played. For the first few months of their lives, we kept them in the same crib, not wanting to separate them after being smooshed together in my womb. They had grown fast, in true Gallo style, and could no longer fit comfortably in one. Plus, they were waking each other up, and I couldn’t take any more sleepless nights.
I brushed Ro’s hair back and whispered, “Mommy loves you,” before heading to Lu’s crib and doing the same. I walked backward quietly on tiptoes out the door, before closing it and heading straight for Gigi.
She’d been a trooper. Since the babies arrived, she’d become the best big sister. She loved helping me take care of the babies. She’d often say they were “hers.”
“Mommy,” Gigi said in the cutest little girl groggy voice as I sat down on her bed.
“Go back to sleep, baby girl.” I rubbed her cheek with the back of my fingers. She still hadn’t lost that baby softness to her skin. “I love you, buttercup.”
“Love you too.” She rolled over, facing away from me. Softly, I rubbed her back and hummed her favorite lullaby until she drifted back to sleep.
I couldn’t believe I’d been so lucky. My life was blessed and perfect. When I thought back to the time I met Joe, I’d never imagined my life would turn out this way. I almost didn’t give him a chance. The very thought of not having him or my girls in my life made my heart ache. They were everything to me.
* * *
“Take a seat, sugar.” Joe rubbed the back of his neck, pacing around the living room like a caged animal after he arrived home from a secret meeting at ALFA PI.
“Okay,” I said, my voice drawn out and light. He never acted like this, never talked to me in that tone, unless something was wrong. “What’s wrong, babe?” When my bottom touched the couch, I put my hands in my lap and tried to ready myself for whatever was coming next.
“There’s no easy way to say this.” His eyes were filled with fear as he ran his hands through his hair. �
�But I don’t want you to freak out.”
My belly plummeted. He couldn’t honestly be serious. “I’m already freaked out.”
Every horrible scenario started to go through my mind. Was he having an affair? Maybe he was leaving me.
“You’re in danger.”
I hoped he didn’t want a divorce. I couldn’t imagine being a single mom to three kids.
“We’re all in danger.”
My head snapped back, his words finally making it past my wild imagination. “What?” I looked up at him, confused and caught completely off guard.
He sat down next to me, holding my hands in his as our knees touched. “Thomas has it on very good authority that some of the members of the Sun Devils MC may be looking for him.”
“Oh, God,” I whispered and closed my eyes. “I thought they were in prison.” My eyes fluttered open and I looked at my husband, trying to hide my terror.
“They were, but some of them have recently been released, and they’re looking for Thomas. They’re probably looking for Sam and James too, but Thomas for sure.”
“I can’t believe this.” My voice cracked and the words lodged in my throat. “How is this possible?”
“It’s fucked up.” His thumb stroked the soft skin on top of my hand, rubbing the same spot over and over again.
“Do they know who he is?”
“It seems they do.” He glanced up at the ceiling before his cheeks filled with air, puffing out before he exhaled.
“But how? I thought the government would protect him.”
“Everything can be bought for a price, sugar, even names.”
My eyes began to fill with tears. I never thought we would be in danger. My naïveté over how the government worked had me walking through each day with blinders. “So they’re coming after all of us?”
“I don’t know.” His body reclined into the couch, and I took the opportunity to crawl into his lap.