by April Lust
“No, you can express your complaints here. We’ll do our best to give you the best service possible, sir,” Tom said politely, but there was an edge of anxiety to his voice, like he was starting to understand how dangerous Gary really was.
“Outside,” Gary said, turning on his heel and marching back out in front of the bar.
For a moment, Tom just turned to look at Jessica, wordlessly asking her what he should do. Jessica shook her head back and forth, trying to tell him not to take the bait and just stay inside the bar, where she knew it was safe. But Tom’s pride must have gotten the better of him, as he straightened his shoulders and followed Gary outside.
Jessica rushed after him, breaking through the front door of the bar to see a half-dozen familiar-looking Nightwalkers huddled around Gary, who stood there sucking on a cigarette with a smile on his face. That motherfucker, Jessica thought as she looked at each of the MC members, who all smirked at her like she’d done something to deserve this. They were all Gary’s little sycophants, doing whatever he wanted, whenever he wanted. They probably couldn’t understand how anyone would want to leave him, even if Gary had cheated on her constantly and called her names when he got mad.
“What seems to be the problem here, fellas?” Tom asked. At the very least his voice didn’t betray any fear he might have been feeling as a result of the Nightwalkers’ obvious show of dominance. But his eyes kept returning to Jessica, like somehow, he knew this was all her fault for bringing these men here. Jessica felt a crushing sense of guilt hit her right in the chest, feeling responsible for bringing the MC over to this side of town.
I should have never come here, she thought. I should have gotten out of town or stayed with the MC or anything. I shouldn’t have gotten innocent people involved.
Gary stared at Tom for a long moment before he pulled the cigarette out of his mouth and offered it forward for Tom to take. “I don’t smoke,” Tom said, shaking his head. Gary just shrugged and resumed smoking for a second before he finally spoke.
“So, I realized I was pretty rude for not introducing myself to you earlier. I’m Gary McHugh. I run the Nightwalkers,” he said grandly, his eyes twinkling with self-satisfaction as he continued to puff away at his cigarette.
“Okay,” Tom said, confusion apparent in his voice. “Thanks for that, I guess. So…. Do you want to come back in and pay for your drink?”
Gary shook his head and grinned. “Nah, see, you’re not getting it. Don’t worry, I’ll repeat myself, just for you. I’m the head of the MC around here. I don’t pay for my drinks.”
“Well, somebody’s going to pay for your fucking drink,” Tom said, stepping a little closer to Gary, obviously feeling his confidence return along with his indignation. “So, who’s it going to be, guys?” he said, addressing the mini-crowd of Nightwalkers around Gary.
“They don’t pay for drinks, either,” Gary said casually, his stupidly bright smile persistently staying on his face even as Tom got visibly angrier in front of him.
“Like fuck they don’t,” Tom said. “There are no free drinks here, guys. You either pay for your fucking drinks or you find another bar to get fucked-up. End of story.”
Gary flicked his cigarette on the ground, stepping on it to ground it under his foot before stepping closer to Tom, getting up in his face. “See, I’m going to say this again, just so you understand it. I’m the head of the Nightwalkers. We run this town. You want to be successful, big guy? Then you’ll listen to us. Otherwise…” He trailed off, letting his silence stand in for whatever threat he was about to say instead.
But Tom stood his ground. “Fuck off. You ‘run this town?’ I’ve never even fucking heard of your little club before. Get out of here before I call the police.”
Gary and the other Nightwalkers sputtered into laughter, turning to slap each other on the shoulders like they’d just heard the most hilarious joke ever. “That’s funny. That’s really cute,” Gary said, but the smile finally slipped off his face, replaced by a stony, hard look that Jessica recognized from her years living with him. He wasn’t fucking around now. This was serious. “Listen, buddy, why don’t I give you just a little bit of friendly advice? There’s more than one MC around these parts. Sooner or later, the others will come sniffing around here, trying to get into your business. You become friends with me, and I’ll leave you alone. Hell, I’ll even offer a little bit of protection to make sure that other clubs don’t come around here and interfere with your shit. If you don’t…you might regret it.”
“What the fuck is that supposed to mean?” Tom spat, his whole face going red as he stared back at Gary. He hadn’t flinched yet, surprisingly, but Jessica could tell that his resolve was crumbling.
Gary shrugged and gave another face-splitting smile, although at this point it looked more like a snarl. “Figure it out. I’ll be seeing you.” He paused and turned his head to look at Jessica. “And you, too, sweetheart. See you soon.”
The Nightwalkers all turned and crossed the street without even looking at traffic, heading over to where their bikes were parked before roaring off into the distance. Tom stood still, watching as their motorcycles receded into the horizon. “Motherfucker,” he muttered under his breath, but still loud enough for Jessica to hear.
“I’m so sorry,” Jessica whispered, rubbing her own arms to protect herself against the chill of the surrounding air. The guilt pressing down on her shoulders was so heavy, it was all she could do to keep standing still, waiting for Tom to move.
“Are they right?” Tom asked softly.
“What do you mean?” Jessica asked.
“About what they said before they left. About this town. Is it true?”
Jessica considered for a moment. There was some truth to it. The town had been the battleground for at least three or four MCs over the past twenty years, each of them rising to different periods of dominance, one after another after another, while everybody else just tried to keep their heads down amidst the fray.
“He’s not wrong about this town,” Jessica finally said. “But he was lying when he said that he’ll protect you from the other MCs. He wants this bar so he can control it, so he can make money off of it. He doesn’t care about you. Believe me. I know what it’s like to have him lie to me.”
Tom turned to look at her, but he didn’t ask her to elaborate, instead nodding slowly as he turned to walk back inside the bar. Jessica followed him, but not before sending a quick text to both Pax and Macie, asking them to meet her at her apartment later. She needed them to reassure her, to make her feel like the world wasn’t about to end.
But it was also more than just for comfort. Gary had declared war on her new life, and she needed to draw up some battle plans.
Chapter Thirteen
Macie
Macie drove as quickly as she could to Jessica’s apartment complex, taking the back roads where the cops didn’t hang out so she could speed without worrying about anything. The cops usually stayed pretty quiet in the center of town, but over near the Gorge they had a little bit more spine than they usually would. If Macie got a ticket, she’d never hear the end of it from Arnold, who was working hard to save up so they could get married and start a family soon.
She finally parked across the street from Jessica’s apartment and rushed over, pounding on the door until it opened. “Okay, first of all, honey, don’t just send text messages saying ‘emergency 911,’ okay, you just about gave me a heart attack—” Macie cut herself off, realizing that it wasn’t Jessica that opened the door. Instead, it was a tall, broad-shouldered man dressed all in black, staring at her blankly. “Oh. Hello. I don’t know you. I’m Macie.”
“Pax,” the guy said tersely before stepping aside to let Macie into the apartment. Macie felt very awkward, like she’d broken into a stranger’s place instead of visiting her best friend, but then the next second Jessica appeared, holding out a beer bottle for Macie to take.
“Here, drink this,” Jessica said, gesturing for Macie t
o follow her over to the couch against the wall. “Believe me, you’re going to need it.”
“Oh, Jesus, here we go,” Macie said, settling down on the couch and staring expectantly at her best friend, even though through the corner of her eye she was still trying to catch a glimpse of the man who answered the door. So, this was Pax, the guy Jessica was screwing nowadays. The guy Arnold kept pushing Macie to talk about, clearly trying to get information on behalf of Gary. Jesus, how did things get so complicated?
“Gary showed up at the Gorge today, with five or six guys from the MC,” Jessica said before sipping at her drink, cringing a little at the taste.
Macie rolled her eyes. “Fuck, already? What’s he playing at?”
“Clearly trying to get control of the place before anybody else steps up,” Jessica said.
Pax spoke up, even though he remained standing against the wall opposite the couch. “He just showed up, in broad daylight? Really?”
“Yep,” Jessica said. “Completely unafraid of any of the bouncers there or anything. Threatened Tom without threatening him directly, if you know what I mean. He just told him that they should get in business together if Tom knows what’s good for him, basically.”
Macie sighed loudly and nodded. “Yeah, that sounds like Gary. So, what’s your boss going to do?”
“I have no idea,” Jessica said. “He seems scared as hell, though. Gary kept talking about the other MCs in the area, acting like they’re all about to swarm on the Gorge like locusts.”
“Aren’t they?” Pax asked. “You guys in this town act like the MCs are everything. So, what, is it all just talk?”
Macie felt herself bristle a little bit. As much as Gary annoyed her, Macie had grown up around the Nightwalkers. They were her family, and at the very least, after everything they’d done to protect this town from other clubs in the area, they deserved a little bit of respect. “It’s not just talk,” Macie said, trying to keep any defensiveness she felt out of her voice, if only out of respect for Jessica. “Look, the other MCs are weaker. They always have been, at least for the past few years. But that doesn’t mean Gary isn’t scared. He’s always trying to make the club bigger and stronger than it was yesterday, you know what I mean? And I’m sure he didn’t just show up today to see you, Jessica. He means business.”
“Has he been gathering the troops at Sully’s?” Jessica asked, her eyes wide and scared. “Do you think he’s going to, like, storm the Gorge and try to take it over?”
Macie hesitated before answering. She felt like she was being torn in two directions at once. On one hand, Jessica was her best friend, and she needed her help. But on the other, Macie wasn’t sure how much she should divulge. Being in the inner circle of the Nightwalkers was no joke. They took loyalty very seriously. And besides, it was more than a matter of principle. Arnold was deeply invested in the success of the MC. He couldn’t even walk away from it if he wanted to, but he was as devoted to Gary as anyone else in the club. Macie felt a little sick to her stomach, thinking that she might be plotting against her boyfriend and his best friend.
But still, for now, at least, she could afford to tell the truth. “No, I haven’t noticed anything out of the ordinary. I think Gary is keeping it small right now. If he wanted to take the bar over that way, he probably would have done so already. More likely he wants the owner to hand the keys over to him himself. That way it’d be peaceful and there wouldn’t be as much bad blood in the community.”
Jessica nodded slowly before cupping her head in her hands, shutting her eyes tightly like she was trying to get her thoughts under control. “I don’t know what to do.”
Macie wasn’t sure what to say to comfort her friend, but then Pax broke his silence. “I’ll switch my shifts around to match yours. I’m sure Tom will let me.”
Jessica bit down on her bottom lip. “I’m not sure if that will do any good. Gary and his boys could come riding through at any time. You can’t be at the bar 24/7.”
“Don’t need to be,” Pax said confidently. “From what you’ve told me about this guy, there’s no way he’s not going to wait until you’re there to do his big move. It’s too personal for him. He’ll want you there to see his big triumph.”
Macie smiled despite herself. The guy was smarter than he looked. “He’s right, you know. Gary’s got a huge ego. He won’t be satisfied unless he feels like he really proved something to you. He wants to punish you for moving on. He’s not going to storm in there on a day when you aren’t working.”
“How does he even know my work schedule, though?” Jessica wondered out loud.
Macie felt her body go tense. She didn’t know if she should give voice to her suspicions that Arnold was tailing Jessica. Would she be betraying Arnold if she said that to Jessica and Pax? Or was she already betraying Jessica by not telling her right away? Macie felt like she was stuck in an impossible dilemma. There was no way to protect everybody and honor all of their wishes at the same time.
For now, she just shrugged. “I don’t know. He’s probably got someone watching you to monitor when you come home at night or something like that. Maybe you should keep your lights on all the time so they get thrown off.”
Jessica shook her head. “I can’t afford that.”
“Fair enough,” Macie said, sighing deeply as she finished her beer and then got to her feet. “I’ve got to be heading back. Arnold might wonder where I am if I don’t show up at home or stop by Sully’s sooner or later. The worst thing right now is to alert Gary that he’s scared you. That’s what he wants. Don’t give him the satisfaction.” Macie bent over to press a kiss on top of her best friend’s head before heading out into the cold again, nodding at Pax before whispering on her way out, “Take care of her.”
When she got home, Arnold was already there, waiting for her with dinner ready. That was odd. Usually Arnold was out at Sully’s or somewhere else, doing club business until the wee hours of the morning at the very least.
“How was your day?” Arnold asked before sliding a plate piled high with mashed potatoes and fried chicken in Macie’s direction.
“Boring,” Macie said. It was a lie, but she figured it was innocuous enough not to hurt him. “How was yours?”
Arnold shrugged a little and began digging into his meal. “Gary’s stressed, you know, which means we all suffer. I’m glad you’re staying out of it, though.”
Macie felt all of the nerve endings on the back of her neck stand up in alarm at his words, her eyes bearing hard into Arnold’s face as he ate, searching for any hidden meaning that could be lurking behind his casual statement.
Maybe he knows I’m not staying out of it, Macie thought as she slowly began to eat. Maybe he doesn’t know, but he suspects that I’m helping Jessica, giving her advice against the MC. Maybe he knows I know about Pax. Maybe he knows everything.
Her stomach churned, the food that she swallowed rolling around painfully inside of her like it was trying to escape. She hated lying to Arnold, or even just being a little bit deceptive. She’d never felt this amount of uncertainty in their relationship before, and it wasn’t even about them. Fucking Gary, getting in the way, ruining everything he touched. Macie burned with anger, feeling it burn her insides even though she was just sitting still and cutting into her chicken. She wished she could just reach across the table, grab Arnold’s hand, and spill everything to him. She wanted him to help her, to help Jessica, to help all of them out of this ridiculous situation. It didn’t have to be this way, but every time she opened her mouth, tempted to let the words fall out, Jessica’s worried face flashed in Macie’s mind, preventing her from speaking the truth. Her friend needed her silence, more than Arnold needed the truth right now. Jessica had to come first, at least for the moment.
“Did you talk to Jessica today?” Arnold asked after another minute of weird, uncomfortable silence between them.
“Yes,” Macie said reflexively, too concerned that a direct lie would be obvious to Arnold’s well-traine
d ears. “Yeah, I chatted with her a little bit after she got off work.”
“How’s she doing?” Arnold asked. For a moment, staring across at Arnold’s normal, relaxed expression, she berated herself internally for thinking that he was trying to spy on Jessica or interfere in her friendship. He was such a good guy, even with all of the MC business that he was involved in. Macie’s insides felt like they were being consumed by guilt, eating themselves alive as a result of the dual pressure of her devotion to both Jessica and Arnold.
“She’s a little stressed out, too,” Macie said, again opting to give a version of the truth rather than lying outright. “You know, she’s got that new job and everything. It can be tough, making a new life for yourself.”
Arnold nodded and smiled sympathetically. “That makes sense. Well, we all miss her, you know. Not just Gary. She was a good person to have around. You should invite her to come back to Sully’s for a drink sometime when she gets some time off. Lots of people would love to see her.”
Macie paused, her fork freezing in midair as she considered Arnold’s words, watching him as he hurriedly shoved more and more food into his mouth. It was like he was trying to give himself an excuse not to talk, and Macie couldn’t help but notice a little wrinkle pop up in between Arnold’s eyebrows. It always showed up when he was under stress or worried about something, or even when he felt guilty. She wondered what was going on now to make it appear, but she felt like she already knew what the answer was.