by Alexis Angel
Of course there are no guarantees in this life but what I can offer her is my best attempt to stay safe.
The ride clears my head enough to get past Zeva and to reflect on wars past.
She has a right to be concerned given that her dad, the toughest son-of-a-bitch I have ever known went down in flames. It seems like a tragedy. A vain kind of death.
I know she's sensitive to this life now that that's happened but she also grew up in it and she must know how hard it is to leave.
Rays of the sun peek through the rain clouds and the sky is painted in the most incredible colors of orange and pink.
It's a sunset I'd like to show Zeva and I hope that somewhere she is seeing it too.
What the fuck is happening to me?
That’s when I realize.
That’s fucking love.
I’ve said it before, I told her I loved her as I looked into her eyes…but only now does it become real.
Just then another rider comes up behind me. He revs his engine in aggression and then swerves past me. I see him take off but not before I catch sight of the emblem on his bike.
I know that sign.
He's a member of the fucking Iron Legion.
It's starting.
I can almost feel the air shift to one permeable tension. If there's one, there's many.
I decide to follow him to get a sightline of where he might be going, where's he's staying, maybe even find more of his gang.
I follow discreetly at a slow pace. He probably knows I'm there behind him but if he does he doesn't let on.
He pulls up the diner, one of our favorite haunts and I pull up right beside him. He waits for me there on the sidewalk. We stare each other down.
"What are you doing man? Following me?" he asks with venom in his voice.
"Well, I spotted your little tag there,” I say. “Kind of hard to miss. You're one of them."
"I don't know what you're talking about." He tries to slide past me.
"Not so fast." I push him back. And then I grab his collar and slam him up against the brick. "What the fuck are you doing here? Tell me now."
"Nothing man. It's none of your business alright? Leave me the fuck alone."
He runs into my torso but it's all rock solid abs under there so I think he hurts himself more than he hurts me.
I grab his neck and put him in a headlock.
The time for games is over. I need answers.
“Tell me who you are and what you are doing here. Where's the rest of them?"
I'm choking him out and he finally answers. "Alright, I'm with The Iron Legion okay?"
I squeeze harder.
"I already know that now tell me the rest."
"Okay," he says through choked breath. "I'm their scout. I'm just checking things out that's all."
"So you're one of them?" I ask.
"Yes," he croaks this last word before he pushes into me with all of his weight. I fall to the ground and we're wrestling. I get a nice position on top and take the liberty of smashing his face into the pavement. He's bloodied and bruised but I don't give a fuck. He's lucky that I stopped before I killed him.
"Now go back to your buddies and show them what I have to your face and you can tell them that that is what they have coming if any one of them steps foot inside of our territory,” I command. I don’t hide the danger in my voice. “Got it?"
His bloody face looks like a warning. I want them to see what I have done to their so-called scout. I've been against the war but the adrenalin is pumping through my veins and just seeing one gang member enter our turf gets my blood boiling. I recognize the threat. I see what might go down.
If they're scouting the area then they are definitely not passing through.
They are on a mission to pulverize and we have to stop them at all costs. I'm possessive about two things, Zeva and my territory.
Both of these things must stay safe.
And no matter how hard I want to avoid war…
War doesn’t want to avoid me.
Zeva
I’m at home and night has fallen.
I took a nice, soothing bath the minute I got home. Thoughts of Wade, Alex, and Jason however, have not ceased to torture my mind.
Today was an inescapable choice. How was I supposed to choose between them? I never could and I'm so happy they will have me this way.
I want more.
The remembrance of the last war dawns in my mind. It was the same with my dad and my brother. They were both really strict about keeping me safe. I knew their business was serious and I never would've defied them for anything.
Maybe the guys deserve the same amount of respect from me? I owe them that.
They have my respect but maybe I haven’t shown it to them enough and that makes me feel bad, like I owe them more. Maybe I need to trust their views on war, I don’t know.
I want to see it from their side and as I do I realize that they are ultimately fighting for me, to save me from distress and harm.
I set the table for just me and prepare to sit down and eat. I pull some lemonade from the fridge and think that maybe I made a mistake trying to defer them so much from war. They are intricately involved in this and they know the real danger like I never could. Bikers are a rough bunch and there’s no way to tell what they'll do.
As my mind is struggling to grasp what might happen, I hear the dogs start to bark wildly. Maybe it's one of the guys coming over to check on me. No one else visits the farmhouse this late. I hear tires screeching though and guys yelling and I realize I have it all wrong. That is not Wade or anybody I can trust.
The dogs continue barking. Thank God they're inside. I run to find baby Gamut and I'm heading for the porch. As I get to the living room though I see the headlights through the window.
Then I hear shots start firing off at the house, at the window, and at me.
I jump to floor, fear clenching my chest.
Fuck. They have me closed in unless I can somehow fight back.
I crawl on my stomach to the window and pull up on the frame. Shots are firing over my head.
It’s hell.
I manage to throw some back. Baby Gamut doesn't disappoint and neither does my aim. They turn the truck around and with my bullets trailing after them.
My heart is racing for fear of my life. I try to slow my breathing and think about what my next move should be. Before I can consider my options though, I hear another car come down the drive. Shit, they're back for round two.
But instead of a truck packed with guys pulling up I see its none other than the sheriff, Wade's brother, Cole.
I'm actually glad to see him and I feel relief coming over my body. I have escaped, narrowly.
But I’ve escaped nonetheless. The cops are not such a bad thing especially when they rescue you from monsters like that.
I wonder if Wade knows that Cole is here? And I wonder if him coming to my aide will make a shred of difference in mending their relationship?
I look around the aftermath of the brief attack.
My house is all shot up and the dogs are really going crazy now, thinking the intruders are back. But it's just Cole.
I stay inside and wait for him, not brave enough to leave the confines of my home. I‘m shaken up, but at least I was somewhat prepared and have my weapon. Otherwise Cole might have been too late and this all could have been over. I might be dead right now if it wasn't for baby Gamut.
I sink into the kitchen chair and my hands are shaking. I've always been kept out of the war. Never has it hit so close to home, much less on my doorstep.
I'm so thankful that Cole is here. He must have had an eye on me. Maybe he knew I might become a target of The Iron Legion? How else could have known to come to my aid so quickly. I live in thick of the country and there are only dirt roads out here. No one ever comes by that’s not expected. I think about Cole and how much I owe him.
I wait for him to come out of his cop car.
I�
�m so still – stuck to my seat at the dining table. Considering what just happened and how close I came to losing my life, I think I'm holding up pretty well. He raps on the screen door.
"Come in," I say without emotion as though I’m a ghost. The reality of it all, this war, is finally sinking in. The Iron Legion is after me.
They tried to kill me.
Look at my house. Everything is a testament to the fact that I'm under attack. I start to shiver at the realization and I'm so thankful Cole is here.
The dogs go crazy and I realize even a sheriff won't enter until I contain them. They can't protect me under a siege of bullets though and I'm just so glad they also appear to fine.
"Come you guys, out!" I plead.
I shoo them out the back door so that they don't kill Cole. They’d probably attack him considering the scene we've just been through.
"It's okay Cole, come on in. I'm sorry I didn't get up earlier. I'm just so overcome by what just happened."
"Are you okay?" He is genuinely concerned and he's at my side checking me over, making sure I didn't get wounded in the crossfire.
"I am fine, I think. That was so intense. I'm upset but I did not get hit. I'm sure." There's no blood and he seems relieved to see that I'm in one piece. "Did you see what happened?"
"I did. I saw you deliver a few rounds back. You're a pretty good aim. I thought you were gonna knock that tire out for sure. But then they would have gotten out and approached you so I'm glad that didn't happen. Things got really bad."
"Cole, I've never been in a shoot out before." I'm shaking from trauma and he gets a blanket from the couch, shakes the glass off it and wraps it around my shoulders.
"Thanks," I say. Cole seems like a nice guy. I wonder why he and Wade can't just get past whatever their issue is. "Hey Cole, what are you doing here anyway?" I don't mean to be ungrateful but I'm genuinely curious.
"I thought you might be a target so I've had a watch on your house."
"Why would I be a target for them? I don't understand."
"You really don't know?" He looks astonished. "It's because of how Wade and the other guys feel about you."
"You mean you know about us?" I ask, my eyes widening.
"Um, yeah. I think everyone does,” he says with a smirk.
I am truly surprised. I thought our thing was a secret.
"But Cole, we only just got together. Why would anyone assume we have such a deep relationship?” I press. “They’re all very flippant with girls. I guess you could even call them players."
"Is that what you think?” he asks me, almost incredulous. “Please, my brother's had feelings for you forever, for years. He's not gonna play you."
"He has?" Now I’m shocked.
"You really didn't know?" he continues.
"I didn't." I say, shaking my head.
"Well, he has, but could do better, you know,” he answers.
I rush to Wade's defense. "No Cole, he's a really good guy. Like you are. I don't understand why you guys can't hash out your differences. I mean, you are family. Family is all that matters."
"Yeah well, unfortunately, you can't choose your blood,” he says with finality.
"I know,” I say slowly but continue undeterred. “And that's exactly why you guys need to sort this out and come to depend on each other. Cole, trust me, you don't want to wait until it's too late."
I wonder if he knows that I'm remembering how I lost my dad. Whether he does or not he ignores my point.
Instead, he starts looking around to survey the damage. "Look what they've done here."
Everything on the lower floor is damaged. There's glass everywhere. I'm sure the siding is all shot up too. Thank God for the old farmhouse providing me shelter from the onslaught of bullets.
"Yeah, everything's damaged,” I say, “It's all ruined."
"You can't stay here Zeva. I think you should come with me. I’ll take you to the Honeypot."
"Thanks, Cole,” I say with a wan smile. “I think you're right. Lemme just grab some stuff from upstairs."
"Okay,” he says and sighs. “I’ll wait.”
I pack a bag with all my essentials and come back downstairs. I make sure there's plenty of food and water for the dogs until I can make it back to check on them.
"You know Cole, what you're doing and the way you showed up here, it's all really nice,” I offer with smile.
He shrugs. "Well apparently, The Iron Legion knows you're here and just how important you are like I suspected."
If this is what a biker's war looks like then by all means I’m eager to escape it. I don't want any part of this...but of course, there's Jason, and Alex, and Wade. I still can't leave them. I wonder for a moment what their reaction will be when hearing about this. And I'm savoring the fact that Cole just revealed how Wade has had feelings for me all this time. I knew our connection was true.
I no longer have to deny those feelings.
Everything between was real all along. It makes me want to get to his house, fall into his arms forever, and tell him that he can command me whenever he wants. Now that I know his true feelings everything has changed. And I know Alex and Jason are true to me also. I have such a good support system in them.
I kiss the dogs, who have now calmed down enough to accept Cole as non-threatening, and I follow him out to his car. Somehow being in the safety shield of a cop car comforts me given all I've been through. There's no other place I would like to be...except for in the arms of one of my guys at this moment.
Wade
I see her walk into the Honeypot with my brother of all people. My first thought is if she betrayed me or not. Why is she with him? What good could it possibly do her?
I run to her side determined to get her out of his clutches just in case he has her under some authority like maybe he's going to arrest her or something.
"What the fuck are you doing here Cole? You know you're not invited here. And more than that, what are you doing with my girl?"
Zeva steps forward, "It's okay Wade. I promise. He saved me okay?"
I take her face in my hands, urgent to get all the news out of her that I can. "What happened? What does he mean he saved you? From what? What happened?"
She attempts to remove herself from my grasp but there's no way I am letting her out of my control.
"It's okay. Wade, listen to me. Cole saved me. You can trust him."
I fly to Cole and place my hands around his neck. All I see is rage. All I feel is fury. "What did you do? What happened to her?"
I'm flying off the handle but I can't help it. I love her. This one I love. And seeing her with my brother makes me fucking crazy. Zeva is tugging at my waist, trying to pull me away from my brother.
"Please Wade, come on. He didn't do anything. Just let me tell you."
She succeeds. Her insistence is enough to pull me away from him. "Okay, baby, what is it? Tell me."
I release Cole and he holds his neck where I was squeezing him. "God man, take it easy."
"Shut up Cole! You are not my brother."
"Wade! Please."
She is desperate now for my attention. "What is it baby?"
"They shot up my house. Wade, I almost died. These guys came to the house and they fired at me. I shot back at them but it wasn't until Cole arrived that everything seemed okay. He rescued me."
"You did that?" I am all fury and rage but also confused. "Who shot at her Wade?"
"Well if you'll calm down for a minute I can tell you."
"Listen to him, Wade."
"It was probably The Iron Legion. They came up to her house in a truck and fired several rounds but she had a gun and she fired back. I was thinking maybe Zeva would be a target since she started dating you guys. Everyone knows about you. I knew they were in town so I went by her place just to check that everything was cool. I came up as they were speeding off. I didn't do much. This girl of yours handled herself really well. She protected herself and her dogs. The house needs a lot of work
so I thought I'd bring her here. I knew you were her and that she needs you."
I am shocked. How did I not see this coming? How did the Iron legion slip past my defenses and get into town so quick? A part of me is grateful to Cole for handling this but another part feels anger towards myself. I should have been the one to protect her. I wish I had thought to check on her like that. I let my newfound princess get into trouble but it sounds like she's more cowboy than princess with the way she handled herself. I didn't even know that she had a gun.
"Thank you Cole. We owe you our thanks."
He nods his head in my direction but I can tell things haven't cooled off between us. It'll take some time for that to happen.
Just then Jason calls and I answer. I start to tell him everything and he's simultaneously telling me about his encounter with the scout. Fuck. This is too much going on at once.
I notice Cole taking the opportunity to sneak out. I'm distracted and I can tell he wants to deal with me even less than I want to deal with him.
He kisses Zeva on the cheek and then leaves. I'm barking orders to Jason. We are both erupting in anger. We decide that the safest place for Zeva is not at the Honeypot but at my house. I need to take her back to my compound.
"Let's go."
As we walk away from the Honeypot I see someone new drive up and I’m immediately suspicious. His bike is loud and sputtering weirdly, but he’s not wearing any symbols or jacket. I shake my head. He’s young, probably just in it for the symbolism of being on a bike. He bumps into me as he walks past and immediately stares up apologetically. Just a child, I guess.
“Sorry sorry! I’ve heard about you. Wade right? I’m Smoke. That’s my biker name. I’ve heard how badass you guys are and how you hang out here and how you guys do all kinds of awesome shit and I wanted to join and--”
The kid does not stop talking. I shake my head at him and nod over to Stone for him to talk to instead of me. I’m busy.
Zeva follows me out and we take my bike. She hops on the back and I feel her slender arms tighten around my waist. All I care about is that she is safe and we are free. For this moment, during this ride, we are free of war. She clutches me tightly and despite her bravery, I can feel that she's shaken up. There's a slight tremor to her hold. My compound will definitely be the safest place for her. I am destroyed thinking how I almost her. The despair is turning into anger and there's a storm brewing inside of me, a hurricane. As the leader of this gang, I will not stop until every last member of The Iron legion pays for this. That is the only thought that can calm me down now.