by Levine, Nina
“We’re done, Devil!”
Devil put me down and stepped forward to meet Aaron, his shoulders tense.
Aaron’s eyes met mine. “Go inside, Hailee. This is between us.”
I straightened. “No, anything you’ve got to say to Devil, you say to me, too.”
He shook his head and swore under his breath before turning back to face Devil. “I’ve just chased up that number plate from today. Those guys are tied to Marx.” His voice hardened as he added, “They’re the kind of guys who don’t fucking mess around, Devil. They’ll be back.”
“And when they come, we’ll be ready for them.” Devil’s tone was just as hard.
“Exactly how do you see that playing out? Because from where I stand, I see my sister being put right in the middle of danger here.” He jabbed his finger in the air at Devil. “And that is the reason why I told you to walk away.”
I frowned. “Wait. You two know each other?” A vague memory of the day we met in the back of Aaron’s car drifted into my mind, and I realised that they must have known each other back then. I wasn’t sure why I hadn’t connected the dots.
“Yeah,” Aaron said, “we do.”
My mind was a jumbled mess of thoughts. I looked at Devil. “Why is he running plates for you?”
Devil scrubbed a hand over his face. “Fuck, it’s complicated, Hailee.”
My eyes widened, and I turned to Aaron. “You’re running plates to give Storm information, aren’t you?” The sinking feeling I had in my stomach made me feel ill.
“Yes,” Aaron admitted, and everything I knew about my brother was suddenly muddy.
He’s a dirty cop.
“How long have you been dirty?” I demanded, as I wondered what else I didn’t know about him.
“That’s not important. What is important is that you stay away from Storm.”
He reached for me, but I pulled my arm away. “I don’t need to stay away from anyone, Aaron. All I need, right now, is for you to answer my question. How long?”
“Hailee—”
“No!” I yelled, not wanting to hear his excuses. “You stood there the other day and judged bikers as if you were better than them. I have no issues with bikers. What I have an issue with is someone pretending to be something they’re not, and then lording that over others.” I took a step away. “I need a moment to get my thoughts together.”
With that, I left them to it and stalked inside. I needed a quiet space to think. I was so damn disappointed in Aaron. I loved him unconditionally, but sometimes he managed to do shit I really didn’t agree with or understand. I hated that he’d treated Devil so badly, acting as if he were the better man because he was a cop. I believed everyone was equal and found it hard to fathom people who didn’t think the same way. I also found it really fucking difficult to like people who discriminated against others.
Damn you, Aaron.
I raked my fingers through my hair as I worked hard to reconcile my feelings towards my brother.
“Hailee,” Gran said, a frown on her face as she found me sitting alone in the lounge room. “What’s wrong?”
“I just need a moment, Gran, and then I’ll tell you.” I had to get my thoughts under control, otherwise I’d be shooting my mouth off and potentially say things I’d later regret. “Can you please go and make sure Aaron and Devil aren’t trying to kill each other out the front?” They’d been projecting that vibe when I left them. I hoped they could both be man enough not to act on it.
She nodded and did as I asked, leaving me alone again. I’d been sitting there for a good five minutes or so when I heard shouting from the front yard.
Aaron’s voice.
I made my way out there again, horrified to find them fighting. Punches were flying thick and fast. Both of them seemed determined to inflict as much pain on the other as possible. My own anger flared while I watched them. Why couldn’t the two men in my life find a way to get along? “Gran! Why are you just standing there doing nothing?”
She grabbed my arm as I tried to push past her to go to them. “Leave them be, baby girl.”
I spun around to face her, just as horrified at her response. “Really? You want us to just stand here and watch as they try to kill each other?” My heart rate sped up at that thought. I couldn’t do it. I wouldn’t.
“You’re being dramatic, child. This is what men do. I don’t understand it either, but it seems to work for them. Maybe after they get it out of their systems, they’ll be able to move forward and leave each other alone.”
Confusion crashed all around me.
Was she right?
Would this actually fix anything?
In the end, I realised one thing—me trying to get in the middle of them would be a waste of time. They were both hell-bent on seeing this fight to the very end. So, I stood with my grandmother and watched in horror as they beat each other up. I struggled to take it all in, and often had to turn away. By the time they were finished, they both lay on the front lawn battered and bloodied, and I wasn’t sure either could be called the victor.
Devil
I sat outside Bronze’s house on my bike early the next morning, contemplating exactly what I would say to him. I’d woken when Hailee did for her meditation, and had gotten ready for the day, intent on getting to Bronze’s before he left for the day. Hailee had decided to skip her meditation and had asked me to drop her home on my way out. She knew where I was headed, and seemed concerned that we’d get into it again, but I assured her we wouldn’t.
We needed to fix this shit between us. Our fight the day before had been brutal. I’d been left with swollen eyes I had trouble seeing through, cuts, and bruises. I didn’t think anything was broken, but my body hurt like a motherfucker. Bronze had fared about the same. We couldn’t keep doing this, and I suspected we would if we didn’t get our shit together soon. Either that or he would make good on his threat to walk from the club. That was something I needed to stop from happening.
But what the fuck could I say that he would listen to? He hadn’t taken in anything I’d said up to this point, and I really wasn’t sure he would at all. Bronze was a stubborn asshole.
“Fuck,” I muttered as I closed the distance between my bike and his front door.
I knocked on the door a few times, but he didn’t answer. Figuring he could still be asleep, I pulled out my phone and called him. His phone rang, but it sounded like the noise came from just on the other side of the door. If that was the case, why the fuck wasn’t he answering it?
“Bronze!” I called out, banging harder on his door this time.
My gut churned with concern when he still didn’t answer, so I headed around the back to see if he had any windows open. The unease I felt turned out to be justified when I discovered the back door kicked in. A few moments later, I found him tied up and gagged in his bedroom.
“Jesus fuck,” I said as I pulled the gag from his mouth. “What the fuck happened?”
“Three guys happened. They were all wearing balaclavas, though, so I don’t know who they were.” He grunted while I worked the rope off his hands and feet.
His face was a bloody mess where they’d beaten him, and when he moved from the chair, hunched over, I knew they’d taken to his body, too.
“Fucking assholes will pay for this when I find out who it was,” he said.
I followed him down the hallway into the kitchen where he pulled ice from his freezer. “You got some enemies at work who’d do this?” I asked.
Scowling at me, he wrapped the ice and held it to his face. “Clearly I do.”
“Don’t be a motherfucker. I’m trying to help you here.”
“Yeah, well, I don’t want your fucking help, Devil.”
Ignoring that, I said, “I don’t get it. They came here and roughed you up, and that was it? Did they threaten you?”
He hissed as he repositioned the ice on his cheek. “All they said was that I’d screwed them over and I’d pay. They said they’d be back
when it was done. Fucked if I know what that meant.”
Ice slid down my spine. “Fuck, Bronze.” I yanked my phone out of my jeans and dialed Hailee. “Do you think they would have gone after Hailee?”
His jaw clenched, but before he replied, Hailee picked up.
“Hey, you,” she said, and I could tell by her voice that she was smiling.
Relief coursed through me. Letting out a long breath, I said, “Thank fuck.”
“What’s wrong? You sound stressed.”
“Darlin’, I need you to do something for me, and I need you to do it as fast as possible, okay?”
“Devil, you’re scaring me.” Her fear bled through the phone, and I cursed silently that she had to go through this.
“Get Jean in the car and drive to the clubhouse. I’ll text you the address, and I’ll let the boys know you’re on the way in case I’m not there by the time you arrive. I’ll tell you everything when I get there.”
“Shit.” Silence, and then—“Okay.” Her voice was shaky, but determined. That’s my girl.
I’m going to hang up now so you can go.”
Without waiting for her to say anything else, I ended the call and texted her the address of the clubhouse. I then phoned through to the boys on the gate that she was on her way.
“Thanks.”
I glanced up to find Bronze staring at me in what could only be described as begrudging thanks. Nodding, I said, “Yeah.”
“I’m gonna head out and try to figure out who it is and what they want,” he said.
“Call me if you figure it out. I’ll get the boys onto it as well.”
As he walked back down the hall towards his bathroom, he said, “This doesn’t change anything, Devil.”
I was under no illusions. It’d take a lot more than me helping his family for Bronze to come around.
* * *
I was on my way out of Bronze’s place when King called.
“I heard what happened to Bronze,” he said. “And I know you’re on your way to Hailee at the clubhouse, but I need you on something first.”
“What’s up?”
“I’m supposed to be meeting Dragon with Hyde and Nitro in half an hour. He’s got news for us on Marx. Hyde can’t make it, so I need you with us.”
“Where?”
“That old warehouse on Jezebel.”
I frowned. “Seems like a strange meeting place.”
“Yeah, that’s why I want you and Nitro there. This whole meet feels off. He’s just called it in the last half hour and seemed keen to make it happen straight away.”
“Okay, I’m on my way.”
I hung up and sped off in the direction of the warehouse he’d mentioned. I had that churning in my gut again. Thank fuck Hailee would be safe at the clubhouse soon.
* * *
King and Nitro were waiting when I arrived. They stood at the back of the old warehouse that was eerily quiet that morning. It wasn’t so much the warehouse that was quiet; it was the street. It was like a fucking ghost town, which was unusual because it was generally filled with traffic.
“What time’s Dragon scheduled to be here?” I asked.
King checked the time on his phone. “Now.”
Irritation crawled all over me. It came out of nowhere. All I could put it down to was my frustration with being at the warehouse instead of the clubhouse making sure Hailee was safe. But it manifested as anger towards Hyde. “Where’s Hyde? This seems like something he shouldn’t miss.”
“Yeah, was wondering the same thing,” Nitro said.
“He didn’t give me an explanation except to say it had something to do with his family,” King said.
“His family? I’ve never heard Hyde mention them before,” I said.
“Fuck, Devil,” King muttered. “Can we stop fucking going on about Hyde.” He was jumpy as shit. In an effort not to piss him off further, I nodded my agreement. But I’d make a point of confronting Hyde about his no-show. I was done with letting his crap slide.
“I think we need to up our club security again,” I said. “After what happened yesterday with me and Hyde, it might be a good idea to put more eyes back on our families.” We’d pulled back a little over the last couple of months, but I felt an unease I hadn’t in a long time. With everything being thrown at the club, I felt like we were being closed in on. It also felt like we were slowly losing control. And I’d be damned if Storm went down without a fucking fight.
“I agree,” Nitro said.
King nodded and lifted his chin at Nitro. “Take care of it.”
Ten minutes passed, in which time King grew increasingly more agitated when Dragon didn’t show. After he spent a good chunk of that time pacing and swearing, he called him, but Dragon didn’t answer his phone.
“I don’t know what his fucking game is, but I’m done with waiting,” King snapped. “I’ve gotta take Jen to the doctor. I’ll be back at the clubhouse after that.”
“Jesus, I haven’t seen him this ugly in a long time,” Nitro said as we watched King head to his bike.
“Jen’s really fucked him up.”
“Yeah, betrayal’s a cold bitch.”
My phone rang, and I scrambled to answer it, hoping it was Hailee.
“Hey, you,” she said, making my fucking day. “We made it to the clubhouse okay, but I forgot to bring Gran’s medication with us. Are you able to collect it when you come?”
“Yeah. Where is it?”
“I got it ready to bring, so it’s in a bag on the kitchen counter. I can’t believe I left without it.”
“I’ll head over there now. I should be at the clubhouse in about an hour or so. You okay there?”
“Yeah, one of the guys introduced me to Kree. She’s lovely. Gran’s talking her ear off.”
Thank fuck.
Some of the tension in my shoulders eased once I knew she was safe. The rest wouldn’t disappear until I saw her for myself.
* * *
The goddam traffic was a bitch all the way to Hailee’s house, and the heat had stripped any patience I had. This all meant I was in a mood by the time I turned into her street.
And then I saw Hailee’s home, and fury vibrated through me. It was the kind of anger I didn’t know what to do with.
Her house was burning to the fucking ground.
I slowed my bike as I approached. A crowd had formed outside as the fire department worked hard to control the flames. From what I could figure, though, the fire was too intense. Hailee’s home and all her belongings would be ash soon.
It fucking killed me that she would have to go through this. And that Jean would have to as well. Hailee had so much on her plate. Adding more shit to deal with would only cause her distress she didn’t deserve.
I found a place to leave my bike and made my way through the crowd so I could talk with the firies. As I surveyed the damage, I clenched my fists. The motherfuckers who did this would fucking pay.
Devil
Hailee burst into tears when I finally arrived at the clubhouse a couple of hours later. After I’d spent some time talking with the firies, I tried to salvage anything I could from her house. In the end, though, nothing had been salvageable. I’d turned up at the clubhouse with nothing but bad news.
Clinging to me, she said, “Who would do this?”
“I don’t know, darlin’. I suspect it’s tied to what happened to your brother this morning.” I’d filled her in on everything while watching the fire destroy the house. I was fucking thankful I’d told her to leave earlier that morning.
Nitro joined us. “Have you heard from King yet? I thought he’d be back by now. Or at least that we would have had a call.”
I shook my head. “No, nothing.”
“What about Hyde?”
“No.” My anger and frustration with him had morphed into concern. With everything that had happened that day, I fucking hoped Hyde was okay.
“Fuck.” He rubbed the back of his neck, and I saw the concern he held,
too. “Okay, I’m gonna take care of upping our security. Let me know the minute you see or hear from King or Hyde, yeah?”
“Will do, brother.”
Hailee stepped out of my embrace after Nitro left. Wiping her face, she said, “Gran’s devastated. All our family photos and things are gone. I don’t care about my stuff, but I hate that she’s lost everything.”
I curled my hand around her neck and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “I’m sorry, baby.” There wasn’t anything else I could say to ease her pain. “Where is Jean?”
“Kree organised for her to lie down in your room. I hope that’s okay. She didn’t think you’d mind.”
“Yeah, that’s good.” I frowned. “Have you heard from Bronze?”
“Bronze?”
“Shit, Aaron.”
“You call him Bronze?”
“Yeah.”
She stared at me in silence, and I couldn’t get a read on her. Not since she’d discovered Bronze was dirty. She’d been quiet after he and I fought the night before, but thank fuck she hadn’t pulled away from me.
Finally, she placed her hand on my chest and said softly, “I feel like the biggest bitch.”
That came out of left field. “Why?”
Tears fell down her cheeks again, and she madly wiped them away. “I was awful to him last night. It’s none of my business what he chooses to do with his life. I mean, that’s what I hate about my mother—the way she thinks she has a right to judge my choices in life.”
I smoothed her hair. “I didn’t think you were judging him so much as trying to come to terms with learning something new about him.”
She swallowed a sob. “What if”—her hand flew to her mouth—“he’d been beaten to death this morning? I wouldn’t have had a chance to tell him I love him always, regardless of what he does.”
I moved one hand around her waist and the other around her back, and pulled her close. “He knows that, baby.”
She buried her face against my chest, nodding while the tears flowed. I heard her sobs. Deep in my fucking bones, I heard them. She might have struggled at first to understand her brother’s choice, but that she’d realised his choice in life wasn’t a reason to withdraw her love was something about her I fucking respected. I fell for Hailee even more than I already had because of the way she loved unconditionally.