by Dark Angel
"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.
Chapter 19
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 a
nd 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.
We pull up and I enter the code to the gate. I drive in and breathe a sigh of relief at getting Zeva inside these walls.
"Baby, come here, let me make you a drink. It will calm your nerves."
"Okay,” she answers with hesitation.
I pour her some tequila and she takes it gratefully. I pour myself a shot and we hear a buzz at the gate.
"It's Jason, let me in."
I open it and he drives in. As he does I get a call from Alex who I've been waiting to hear from. I step aside but I see Jason come in and grab Zeva. He kisses her all over making sure every inch of her is all right.
Alex delivers the worst news. "The Honey Pot man. It's been hit. They've taken the damn Honeypot."
The war has started. This is too much. I have to go down there and make sure everyone's all right.
"Fuck!" I scream to no one. "I have to go. It's the Honeypot. The fucking gang of assholes has hit our home."
Jason starts to come with me but I tell him to stay. The best place for him now is with Zeva. She needs personal protection and there's no one better to do that than him. He's got the brawn to take out anyone that might dare to come close.
I give her a quick kiss goodbye and hurry to leave.
Chapter 20
Alex
“Alex, they’re leaving,” Tammi yells out to me from the bar.
“Ok, thanks,” I say, stepping out of the back office.
I head up to the front in a quick jog to give my personal comforts to Zeva before she’s rushed off. It's not the moment for me to be sappy; I’ll make sure to take her out for drinks myself later. I step back in and survey the club. It’s a moderately busy evening that I can be satisfied with. There’s a little more business to handle in the back though. We have a delivery heading out for the club, and this one is big.
“You doin alright?” I say to Tammi.
She smirks at me, her eyes crinkling with wizened wrinkles. I didn’t really need to ask. She’s been handling the Honeypot for more years than I’ve been with the Order myself. I have more trust in her than most people I’ve met.
I take one more moment to enjoy the scenery of dancers in various states of undress, people enjoying themselves with drinks in hand, and impressive décor before stepping back into the office. I close the door behind me and the music dulls, just enough to concentrate. I stare at the table in front of me, recounting the boxes hiding various drugs in various ways. Stuffed bears, clothing, and other various innocuous measures we’ve come up with to create a very strange looking display. I shrug and begin to package up the boxes, making various nondescript marks on my paperwork as I do.
I let my thoughts drift back to Zeva during the monotonous work. I never thought I’d be okay with sharing a girl, but I've never had such a brotherly bond with Wade and Jason before. And there’s something about Zeva that just quells something inside us. We each have a beast within us; that’s for sure. She has faced down our beasts in many ways and seems excited to do so again. There’s no fazing her is there?
I hear a few bikes outside over the music. It must be a few of the guys who had a little too much to drink and are getting a little rowdy on their bikes. Normally I’d let them have their fun but we’ve been getting a few too many complaints to handle under the table so I head out to the front to see exactly what all the commotion is about.
As I step past the bar a customer I’d seen inside minutes ago comes through the door clutching his arm. I see blood running through his fingers and instinctively reach for the gun on my side. My first assumption is that Cole sent a few of his new boys and they got a little big for their britches, but that thought is dashed immediately as bullets suddenly rain through the front door behind the guy. A few clip him in the back and he falls to the ground.
“GET DOWN!” I yell to the entire bar and everyone begins screaming. “Stone! Get the girls in the back! Tammi, get the Stick!”
We were low on security today; one of the guys called out sick and Wade and Jason are with Zeva. Stone and Johnny are the only two guys besides me. I duck behind the bar next to Tammi.
“You okay?” I yell over the shots pummeling the front of the building.
“Yeah. What the fuck is happening?” Tammi yells back.
I barely muster a shrug before I hear the front door get kicked open. I peek over the counter and immediately fire shots at the doorway, but whoever kicked it through was still around the corner. Tammi and I wait carefully, our guns pointed at the door. My heart is beating in my ears as I draw all my focus.
Johnny creeps slowly toward the door. I try to signal to him but he’s only paying attention to the unknown assailants. A small black metal sphere rolls in. Johnny sees it and his eyes grow wide. He dives backwards behind an overturned table, just barely making cover before the grenade explodes. Shrapnel flies all over the restaurant, peppering the walls, tables, and bar with hot metal.
My ears are ringing as I peek over the side of the bar at Johnny. I can’t hear much, but I can see him clutching his leg. He must've been clipped by the explosion. Fuck… Before I have any time to react two figures follow their explosion through the doorway. I peek from my shadowed position to get a good look at them while motioning to Tammi to stay down.
The man on the left blinks as his eyes adjust. He has a red beard and a bald head, and is wearing a ripped sleeve leather jacket with the Iron Legion insignia on it. He’s wielding a Colt rifle, the weapon that’s been barraging my club. I hold my reflex to find a better opportunity as the other man steps in. The second one has a bandana over his head and long brown hair disguising most of his features, aside from the matching leather jacket to his comrade’s. In his hands is a sawed off shotgun; not something I care to meet the business end of.
As the two men scan the floor for any signs of movement I nod to Tammi, then tilt my head over to the other side of the bar for her to head that direction. I poise myself at the ready for any sign of distraction or opening against them.
“Oi hey! I know not everybody is dead here! Come on out!” the first man shouts, then fires his rifle into the ceiling in front of him. Plaster rains down, met with clicking from his gun. Thankfully he wasted most of his rounds on the outside of the building; his gun is empty. He laughs and pulls out a large pistol.
Assuming safety I see Johnny rush out, firing his gun at the first man. Two bullets connect with the man’s leg and he drops to the ground immediately. The second man whips towards him and catches a full shotgun blast to his stomach. Johnny is down for good.
“Now!” I yell to Tammi, and she fires her own blast from her shotgun, Stick. She hits the second man square on and fells him immediately. I point my gun at the man on the ground, but not before he fires directly into Tammi’s arm. I shoot my full clip into him and drop to the ground with a deep sigh.
“You alright Tammi?” I say. No response. Was it that bad of a hit?
I jump up and rush to her side. She’s in shock. I call an ambulance, then ring up Wade.
War—it has started.
Fuck.
Chapter 21
Zeva
“Listen Zeva,” Jason says, looking at me sternly. “You’re staying here. I know you want to check on things yourself too, but Wade and Alex have a handle on it.”
I sigh and stare out at the door. If I left I know Jason wouldn’t stop me by force, but he does have a point. Who knows who else is there from the Iron Legion? But that’s also part of why I worry. Maybe there was some way I could help. Maybe I could--
My train of thought is suddenly halted by Jason’s lips pressed to my mouth.
I sigh and pull him back in for a deeper kiss. His strong arms wrap around me. I feel warm and safe within his grasp, and slowly the worries melt away. I try to force it all out of my mind, and tell myself everything will be okay, but still there’s a nagging feeling in the back of my mind. Something somebody isn’t telling me. It must show on my face because Jason is still looking at me, worried.
He pulls me toward Wade’s sex chamber. “Wade told me I could always use this whenever I want, and it seems like just the thing to keep your mind off,” he says smirking.
“I thought you said you wouldn’t hurt me?” I say as I stare at the various paddles, whips, and clamps as well as a variety of other sexual implements.
“Well, not unless you ask me nicely,” he says, closing the door behind us and kissing me again.
I kiss him back deeply, intertwining my tongue with his. My mind starts to relax as I run my hands against his chest, feeling his soft leather jacket and the tight muscles underneath. I grip his jacket tight and press him back to the couch behind him, knocking him backwards and straddling his lap. I smirk and start to grind into his lap, using moves more than well practiced in my daily life.
I feel him grind his hips back against me, his cock growing hard just beneath my warm pussy. I press down so he can feel the heat radiating off me, then deftly spin around to rub my ass on his crotch. I spin my hips against him and he slides his hands on me, running them up my sides, across my thighs, down to my hips, and grabs my ass tight. I moan at his touch, placing my hands on his as he caresses me. I grind on his cock more as I slowly slip my shirt off giving him a teasing view of my bare back.
I slowly crawl off his lap and cover my chest as I turn to face him. I smirk as I hide my breasts from his view, but he grabs my wrists and pulls them wide, exposing my full view to him. He smiles and pulls me close and takes one nipple into his mouth, sucking gently on my breast. I moan and wrap my fingers within his hair as he nibbles and sucks on me. He switches breasts and gropes the breast he was sucking on. I moan further and reach down to strip his jacket and shirt off quickly.