by Lane Hart
“Yeah, I know,” I reply, familiar with that same ache that tells you shit’s about to go sideways.
“Torin was pacing, stressed when Kennedy came in. She stayed and ate a biscuit or whatever with him, while I shot some pool. Then, she left…” He pauses a moment and then says, “We could hear the gun shots even through the soundproofing. When we all got upstairs and out to the parking lot, Kennedy was on the ground, bleeding from two bullet wounds, one in her chest and one in her fucking stomach like…”
“Like they meant to take the baby’s life too,” I finish for him through gritted teeth.
War nods. “We called an ambulance and tried to put pressure on her to stop the bleeding. The paramedics got there within four or five minutes and rushed her here.”
“So you think she was the intended target?” I ask.
“Hell yes. There was no one else around. If the assholes wanted to hurt us, they would’ve waited until night when the bar and parking lot was full, then sprayed us with bullets,” War explains. “This was intentional. It was a message.”
“Fucking Hector Cruz,” I mutter.
“Why, though? Because of those guys of his that you took out? Why would he fucking do this shit to Kennedy and not you or your girl?”
My jaw nearly breaks as I think about how it could’ve easily been Sasha lying cold in that bed.
“Torin owes Hector money,” I confide in War.
“Bullshit,” he replies without delay.
“He does. Blackmail money. Torin admitted it to me the other day, but he didn’t want to bring it to the table.”
“Holy shit,” War curses under his breath. “You should’ve come to me and told me, Chase! It’s my fucking job to keep Torin alive!”
“I know,” I admit. “I should have, but he told me he was handling it. I never thought it would get this bad.”
“Jesus Christ,” he mutters. “And now we’re going to war.”
“No doubt,” I agree.
The two of us sit there in silence as we both consider the ramifications of what happened today, what this means for the future.
There will be bloodshed. More death. It’s inevitable. No one kills the fucking old lady of an MC president and gets away with it. Torin’s gonna want to take out Hector’s entire organization, and all of his brothers will be right there by his side, pulling the triggers.
After nearly an hour has passed, I get to my feet and tell War, “We need to get him out of here.”
I know my brother, and if I had to guess, it won’t be long before his grief turns into anger. I don’t want him to be in the middle of the fucking hospital when he starts destroying shit.
“You’re right. Let’s get him to the clubhouse,” War agrees when he stands up too. “He doesn’t need to be alone. I’ll put both of the prospects on him and keep an eye on him myself tonight.”
“Good idea,” I agree.
He pulls out his phone to notify the boys, and I push open the door to the room.
Inside, Torin is sitting in one of the chairs, holding his son.
Without looking up at me, Torin says, “He didn’t deserve this.”
“No, he didn’t,” I agree.
“They were completely innocent, and he took them just to hurt me.” His words are said through his clenched jaw. The anger is rising, just like I expected.
“I know you don’t want to, but it’s time to say goodbye,” I tell him.
With a nod, Torin squeezes his eyes shut before he leans down and kisses the forehead of his son. Then, he stands up and places the forever sleeping baby back into his bed.
“I wanna hit Hector tonight,” he says when he’s in front of me.
“No.”
“Who the fuck do you think you are? I make the calls, and I’m telling you, we’re hitting him tonight,” he growls.
“The table has to vote on it, and they won’t today,” I assure him. “Your head isn’t right, and fuck, it shouldn’t be after this. The guys get that, and they aren’t gonna let you go on a suicide mission out of rage and grief.”
“I have to do something!” he exclaims.
“And we will. But now’s not the time, and deep down you know that. You just want something to do to avoid dealing with the fact that you just lost your old lady and your boy. I’m sorry, man, but getting the rest of us killed isn’t the way to do that.”
“This is all your fucking fault,” he says as he presses his index finger into my chest.
“Yeah, it is,” I agree, taking responsibility. I’d rather Torin put all the guilt on me rather than take it on his own shoulders. I’ve been there, and it’s a fucking awful place to be. “And I’m so goddamn sorry that it came to this. If I had known…”
“Get the hell away from me,” Torin says as he pushes past me and storms out into the hallway.
Before I leave, I go over and say goodbye to Kennedy, leaving a kiss on her forehead. “I’m so sorry, sweetheart,” I tell her. “I’ll watch over Torin and won’t let him do anything stupid,” I promise. Then, on the way out, I lay a hand over my nephew’s head and assure him the same thing.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Sasha
The Savage Asylum is quiet when everyone returns from the hospital. It’s hard to forget what happened here with the pieces of crime scene tape still up.
“Jade,” Chase says when we walk in and find the auburn-haired woman sitting at the bar in her tan sheriff uniform…and a baby bump that just reminds me of what Torin lost.
“Hey,” Jade says as she climbs off the stool with the help of the young, muscular man beside her.
Chase and Jade embrace, then she asks, “How’s Torin?”
“Fucking devastated,” he tells her. “He’s outside, talking to our dad and your mom.” Looking down at her belly, he says, “Sorry, but you’re probably the last person he wants to see right now.”
“God, I know. That’s why I didn’t come to the hospital. I feel awful,” she says. Turning to the guy I now realize is with her, she asks, “Could you go get my coat out of the car, hon? I can try to cover my bump with it.”
“Sure,” he agrees before giving her a kiss on her cheek.
“This is my husband Knox, by the way,” Jade says in introduction. “We had a small, quick ceremony in a church garden a few weeks back.”
My eyes widen in surprise since the guy seems tough, like a bad boy from the wrong side of the tracks rather than the husband of a sheriff.
“Don’t look so surprised, Sasha,” she says to me. “You and Chase don’t exactly look like a perfect match either.”
“Sorry, I just wasn’t expecting that,” I tell her. Giving her a hug, I say, “It’s good to see you again, Jade. You had braces the last time I saw you.”
“Ugh, don’t remind me,” she says when she pulls away. “I was such a dork in high school.”
“I need to see pictures of this,” her husband says.
“Her mom has them all, I’m sure. Ask her to see them sometime,” Chase says to him.
“I definitely will, thanks,” Knox tells him on the way out.
Pulling me close to him, Chase asks his stepsister, “So, what have you found out?”
“Not much,” she replies with a sigh. “I know that’s not what you want to hear. And if I had to guess, I bet you guys already have a better lead than I do.”
“Anyone see the driver?” I ask.
“No. There weren’t any witnesses. All we know is that they didn’t waste any bullets. They fired just the two shots that didn’t miss, nine-millimeter slugs.”
The three of us are silent a moment before Jade says, “Chase, please don’t do anything stupid. Or let Torin.”
“I won’t,” he agrees. “He needs some time to heal and cool off before he goes out packing heat. I’ll find his guns and lock them up.”
“That’s a start,” Jade agrees. “But what happens in a few days or a few weeks? I’m not stupid, Chase. I know you guys are gonna go after whoever is respon
sible. And I get that. Part of me wants to be right there with you,” she says. “But at the same time, bloodshed only leads to more bloodshed. Then it’s an endless cycle, and everyone keeps losing. Give me the names. Let me do what I do and help pin this on the person responsible so that no one else has to die.”
“You know we can’t do that, Jade. That’s not who we are,” Chase tells her.
Looking to me, Jade says, “Try to talk some sense into my stubborn stepbrother, will you?”
I nod, even though we both know that there’s not a damn thing anyone could do to stop the Savage Kings from going after Hector.
“Let me know if you find out anything else,” Chase tells her. “We’ve got three guys on Torin to make sure he stays put, and it’s been a helluva day. I don’t think I can take much more.”
“I get it,” Jade says. With one last hug for him and me, she says goodbye. Chase grabs my hand and pulls me downstairs to his room where we both undress and then curl up together under the sheets in his bed.
“I wish I could wake up tomorrow and find out this was just a nightmare,” he says into my hair as we lay on our sides facing each other.
“Me too,” I agree. “I never thought something so awful could happen to someone so good.”
“Torin won’t recover from this. How could he?” Chase asks.
“I dunno,” I reply. “Tomorrow we’ll have to start making funeral arrangements.”
“Fuck,” Chase groans as he pulls me to him tighter. “The punches won’t stop coming, neither will these goddamn tears.”
“It’s okay,” I tell him as I rub my hands up and down his bare back, over his tattoo that’s identical to the MC’s patch.
“I don’t want you to think that I’m less of a man now that you’ve seen me cry,” he says softly.
“I don’t think that,” I assure him as I close my eyes and breathe him in, the way he smells, the way his warmth feels in my arms. I’m so damn happy that I’m here with him. “In fact, it makes me think you’re more of a man because you care so much. It’s okay to be upset, to cry, to love and to grieve.”
“Thanks, sweetheart,” he says. “I don’t know what I would do without you.”
“Me either,” I agree. “I just hate that we had to find each other again right when there’s a tragedy.”
“Torin blames me.”
“What?” I exclaim. “He’s just upset, sad and angry. You don’t believe that, do you?” I ask with concern.
“Well, it is my fault,” he says simply. Pulling back enough to look at me, he says, “I set everything into motion, pushing over that first domino when I beat the shit out of one of the Aces. They called Hector, his men pulled Abe and me over, and then from there, it’s all on me.”
“No, it’s not,” I disagree. Holding his face in my hands, I tell him, “Your brother doesn’t want to admit it, but he’s the one responsible. He shouldn’t have gotten into the mess with Hector.”
“You’re right,” he agrees. “But the other day, after I killed one of his men, Hector told Torin to hand me over. When he didn’t, I guess he decided to take out Kennedy instead to hurt Torin for not giving me up. She died because of me.”
“No, baby, don’t say that,” I tell him as I brush my lips over his and wrap my arms around his neck to hug him. “Hector’s responsible. You and Torin may have added fuel to the fire, but he crossed a terrible line.”
“I don’t know what’s gonna happen now,” Chase says.
Placing a kiss over my name on his chest, I tell him, “I do. We’re gonna get through this together. And when we come out on the other side, we’ll probably be a little banged up, but we’ll make it because we have each other.”
“I love you,” he says when he reaches for me and brings my lips to his.
“I love you too,” I tell him. Kissing him again, I say, “And that’s all we need to know right now.”
…
Chase falls asleep pretty fast after we stop talking. He didn’t get much sleep last night, and after everything today, he was emotionally exhausted.
For some reason, I can’t seem to sleep. I feel all out of sorts, like I need to be doing something for the guys.
I know Chase and I didn’t eat any dinner. I bet the other guys haven’t either, too stunned and worried about their president to remember to eat.
Slipping out of Chase’s arms, I get up and get dressed again.
I’m pretty sure there’s a kitchen upstairs back behind the bar. I wonder if they keep any food stocked in it for the brothers.
That’s where I head now. The music of the bar sounds muted until I open the door at the top of the stairs. Unlike most nights, the room is pretty quiet; the jukebox turned down lower as if they’re afraid the sounds will be offensive to Torin.
Speaking of… “Where’s Torin?” I ask Abe, who’s nursing a beer at the bar while staring off into the distance.
“He’s out back with War and the prospects, shooting at targets.”
“Oh,” I mutter. That doesn’t sound like the best thing for him to be doing.
“They’re using silencers,” Abe adds, like that makes it all better.
“Okay,” I say as I look around the room that’s mostly filled with club sluts that are chewing their nails and looking uncomfortable.
“Where are the rest of the guys?” I ask Abe.
“Group ride up the coast,” he says.
“You sure they won’t try to go south after Hector?” I ask.
“Nah,” he replies. Taking a swig of beer, he says, “They won’t do anything unless we vote it. Tonight’s just about getting a little peace. No better place than the road to do that.”
Curious, I ask, “Why aren’t you with them?”
He lifts a dark eyebrow as he looks at me, like it’s so obvious he doesn’t know why I would bother asking. “Because Chase is here.”
Placing a hand on his thick arm and squeezing it, I tell him, “You’re a good friend, Abe.”
Shrugging, he tosses back the rest of the beer and then sets it down on the bar. “I think you meant to say brother.”
“Right,” I agree. “Chase is lucky to have you.”
He burps loudly in agreement.
“Now, what are we going to do about them?” I ask as I eye the girls.
“No clue,” Abe replies. “They’ve been swarming around like a hive of restless bees. I told them to go home, but they won’t.”
“I get it,” I say, realizing that they’re feeling that same restless energy as I am. “Girls!” I call out to get their attention. “Group meeting in the kitchen.”
They’re still looking at each other questioningly when I head through the door that leads to the area on the backside of the bar. I was right; it’s an enormous kitchen with brand new appliances that look like they’ve never been used, other than the dishwasher with rows of glasses sitting beside it.
Eventually, two girls trickle in and then three more. Finally, all six are gathered together, arms wrapped around themselves because it’s cold back here and they’re not wearing many clothes.
“Why are you all just sitting around?” I ask, crossing my arms over my chest.
They exchange looks before a brunette says, “We don’t know what to do.”
“Yeah, well, me neither,” I agree with a sigh. “You want to do something though, right?”
“Yes,” most of them agree or nod their heads in agreement.
“We tried to talk to the guys, but none of them wanted us tonight,” a blonde speaks up and says.
“They’re trying to deal with something they’ve probably never experienced before,” I explain. “Something that’s going to send this club into a tailspin before they’re finally able to correct it. Give the guys space. But you did the right thing by sticking around. They’re gonna need you, whether they’ll admit it to you or themselves. Losing someone close makes you want to celebrate life, sometimes in the act that creates it. The men will get there, just be patient,�
�� I assure them. “In the meantime, we need to keep them fed.”
Going over to the large refrigerator, I pull it open and find it stocked full of beer but no food.
“Who wants to run to the grocery store?” I ask. “We can provide some comfort food until the guys want the other type of comfort.”
“I’ll go,” a brunette offers.
“I can help her,” a redhead volunteers.
“Great,” I reply. “I’ll make you a list of some things for sandwiches tonight and then breakfast tomorrow. Now, does anyone know how to cook anything? All I can do is use the microwave.”
A blonde with a bad dye job raises her hand, bless her heart. “I can cook omelettes.”
“Awesome. You’ll be our omelette girl first thing tomorrow morning. Be here by seven to get started.”
She gives an enthusiastic nod of agreement.
“Can anyone make a casserole or lasagna? Something to heat up fast?” I ask.
No one speaks up.
Great, we’re a generation that lives on fast food.
“That’s okay,” I say. “I’ll add some frozen ones to the grocery list, and we’ll heat them in the oven. How about desserts?”
I get a few takers there and tell them all to bring in their dishes by lunchtime tomorrow, since you can never have enough desserts. Even if the guys say they’re not hungry, I bet they’ll eat a slice of apple pie.
When everyone has agreed to help out with something, and I’ve written out the list of everything we’ll need from the store, I tell the women to scatter and go do their good deeds. It’s better than them staying here all night, not getting any sleep. Who knows when the brothers will be back? Besides, I’m guessing they’ll all be like Chase when they do return – just want a bed to pass out in.
Finally feeling like I’m ready for a little sleep myself, I decide to take a peek outside to check on Torin before I go back downstairs.
Pop. Pop. Pop. Pop.
Torin fires his weapon, one quiet shot after another thanks to the silencer, until the slide racks open when his clip empties.