by Ivy Black
Nick’s eyes widened. “CJ! Watch out!”
Though Luther was nowhere near me, I heeded the warning and ducked, shuffling to the side as I did so. What just narrowly missed my head was a large, wide machete blade. The wind of it brushed through my hair as I dodged to the side, and when I finally got my bearings, I looked up into Taylor’s cold, unrelenting eyes.
“Oh, looks like you’ve made friends all over the place,” Luther said with a laugh. “Maybe I’ll save this one, and we can kill you together. Just let me finish things off here first.”
Luther started to turn back toward Nick while Taylor advanced on me. I perched myself into a crouch and waited for Taylor’s next swing. His blade caught the edge of my shirt and managed to slice through some of the skin underneath, but I got out from under him. I tackled Nick backward under his meeting table and used a boot to kick it over so that it shielded us from the fray. Looking to my left and right, Avery and Bernard were holding their own, and a couple of the Unchained Dogs were already down. The Steel Knights had the upper hand, but between Luther and Taylor, there was more than enough to tip the balance.
I reached over the table and fired, narrowly missing Luther, who immediately fired back. When I ducked back down next to Nick, he laughed. “You’re well-liked.”
“Yeah, I like to leave an impression.” Once again, I lifted my head up, but that time, Taylor had advanced and swung, nearly getting me. “Shit. Your son is batshit.”
“Yeah, I’m learning that. Crawl.”
Following Nick’s orders, I crawled forward, and he pulled the table, keeping it blocking us like a shield. “Thank God I invested in the strongest wood.” The table collided with the wall, creating a sort of nook in which we were positioned against the wall, leaving us less exposed due to the tabletop blocking the majority of the fighting. “CJ, why are you here? I gave you twenty-four hours so that you could run.”
“We saw them coming and had to come back,” I replied.
“We?”
“Yeah. Tess is outside, putting in work.”
“You guys gotta get out of here,” Nick said. “Grab Tess and go.”
“We’ll see this through to the end.”
Nick shook his head. “As long as Taylor is here, neither of you will be safe. You gave us the edge we needed by showing up and surprising ’em, but now you gotta go.” He put a hand on my shoulder. “Trust me. Get out of here. Take care of my girl.”
I nodded. “I will. I promise.”
Nick pulled his gun out, and I held mine up, and at the same time, we crawled out of the sides of the table and jumped into the insanity. Nick went for Luther, and because Luther had his eyes on me, Nick was able to get the jump on him. They wrestled around a bit, both of their guns knocking free, and though Nick was older, it wasn’t long before he got the edge over Luther and had beat him down to the ground. Bullet, Avery, Bernard, and even the prospects were holding their own. Nick was right. They had what it was going to take to defend themselves. It was what I was hoping for all along. With Nick’s blessing, we could go in peace.
That is, we would if I could escape.
Suddenly, someone backed into me, and I went flying across the room. I was prepared to turn and fight, but I looked up, and Paulie was ducking away from an angry Taylor.
“Pay attention, rookie!” Paulie yelled.
Little did he know, but he saved me from Taylor. With his huge machete held high over his head and bloodlust in his eyes, my next course of action was going to be somehow dodging Taylor. He’d never let us out without a fight. The warehouse was awash with the Dogs and Knights, along with the debris of several broken items scattered around. Some of the crates in the corner that held some of the bar’s cooking items had tipped, and a few bags of flour were spilled on the ground. It was a long shot, but I turned and ran straight for the crates, jumping into them and using my feet to kick up the flour.
The more mess I could make with the flour, the better. The flour created a hazy shroud around me. I could barely see any way out, but I was pretty well oriented and was hopeful that I could get to the back door. Taylor was advancing, trying to see through the haze, and when his blade swung down, slicing into another bag of flour, I slipped to the right. Every time there was a burst of noise, I moved behind an adjacent stack of flour, and relief covered me when I noticed Taylor turn in the other direction and start fighting his way through the mess I’d created.
It was as clear a window as I was going to get. I slunk along the wall, passing unnoticed behind a few of the fights happening near the back door, and took my time to press the button on the door carefully so that it didn’t make much noise.
When I was out in the setting sun, I raced around to the front and saw Tess sitting in the car with Lockjaw. The keys were still in the ignition, so I started up the car and moved at a slow, quiet pace as I pulled back out onto the road, where I picked up the pace and left Hoppa’s behind.
“What happened?” Tess asked. “What about my dad?”
“Your dad’s fine, and the Knights are gonna be fine, but Taylor…” I shook my head. “He tried to kill me.”
“He just doesn’t know how to leave it well enough alone. We came back. What more does he want?”
“My head,” I responded. I kept looking into the rearview mirror, afraid that Luther or Taylor may catch on and follow me, but after about ten minutes, I still saw no one coming. The pounding in my heart finally started to slow, and I immediately felt dizzy.
“Colin?”
The car veered as I steered, and I knew I wouldn’t hang on much longer. I quickly pulled us over onto the shoulder and pulled the car to a stop. My eyes were starting to cross, and it felt like I might throw up or pass out at any second. I opened the door of the car and stumbled out, hoping that maybe a bit of fresh air would help. It was difficult keeping my feet straight as I walked around the car to the safety of the embankment, but as soon as I was out of the street, I collapsed. My lungs were burning like they were going to give out, and it was only then that I noticed the searing pain in my side.
“Colin!”
Tess ran over just as I was rolling over onto my back, and my head was barely able to focus on the beautiful sight in front of me.
“Fuck, he got you.” Tess’ hand was on my stomach then, lifting my shirt and causing my side to scream out in pain. “It’s not too deep, but you lost a lot of blood. Do you have extra tape?”
I nodded. “In my bag.”
Tess rushed over to the car and threw herself into the back. My vision was waning. Though I wanted to open my mouth to say something else, the strength in my body was quickly falling away. I lifted a hand and peered at the sight of Tess through splayed fingers. I imagined Caid in Germany. He sounded so great. I would have given anything to see him in his new, healthy state.
Each time I blinked, my eyes threatened not to open again.
The last thing I saw was Tess turning around and running back toward me, with the blurry image of an approaching motorcycle wavering behind her as I blacked out.
“Colin!”
Chapter Twenty-Three
Tess
“Shit. No, no, no, no.”
My hands were shaking as I tried to work some of the bandages that I got from Colin’s bag around his side. He was heavy, so getting the wrap under his back was a trial on his own. The blood from his side soaked through the first few layers of the bandages, but by the time I was giving him a fourth wrap, not as much was getting through. I did my best to keep my breathing under control, knowing that he likely just passed out from the sudden blood shortage. If he could have a few minutes of rest, he’d be okay.
Then Lockjaw started to bark.
I looked over my back, and my heart dropped into my stomach like a lead weight. A bike I’d come to fear and dread was pulling off the road onto the shoulder, with Taylor sitting on top of it with his machete resting on his shoulder like some sort of desert devil. He left it on his shoulder as he climbed off h
is bike.
Lockjaw, who was still in the car, was standing up on the backseat, barking and snarling. If I let him out, he’d protect me, but he’d also probably get sliced in half by Taylor. Looking back at Taylor, I saw that he was taking slow steps toward me, and I knew that this vision of him would probably haunt my nightmares for years.
Next to me, a gun discharged and made me jump. A bullet went flying from just behind me toward Taylor. Looking back, Colin had come to, but he was still looking worse for wear. If he tried to fight now, he would probably die. If Taylor wanted a fight, he was going to have to take me on. I wasn’t going to let him control me anymore.
With a deep breath, I got to my feet. I pulled my brass knuckles out of my pocket and slid them on my hand. The dried blood of the Unchained Dogs I’d beaten was still caked and dried on the front, and though I promised that I would never use any weapons against my own family, Taylor wasn’t a man I knew anymore. It’d been a long time since he was.
He chuckled. “What are you doing?”
“I’m not gonna let you hurt my family, Taylor,” I said.
“I am your family.” He fanned his arms out, his machete extending his wingspan on the right side by a couple of feet. “This is your flesh and blood.”
“I don’t know you,” I growled back. “I never wanted to have to face you this way, but it’s clear that you don’t plan on changing any time soon.”
I had to free myself and those I loved from Taylor. I was willing to give up love when he killed my first boyfriend, but I’d only been a scared girl back then. Maybe no one else was willing to give me credit for it, but I’d been training just as much as anyone else. Never was I going to be someone’s poor helpless woman, but I let Taylor control me like I was. It was time to end that by ending Taylor.
My hands balled into fists. “I’m done with you.”
To my surprise, Taylor tossed his machete to the side. “Fine. I’ll drag you back to Hoppa unconscious. My family is just that—mine. You won’t be going anywhere with him. I’m gonna bury him in this desert. Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he gets the dog.”
With my blood boiling, I advanced on Taylor. My mind went back to all of those days I spent demanding that my dad treat me with the same respect he gave Taylor. For years I had to chase acceptance, all until I rode into Rumble and stole Lockjaw. That was the first time my dad truly accepted that I had the strength to be part of the club, and I’d hoped that I’d have more moments like that with the members or even Taylor, but it wasn’t meant to be. Colin was the only one willing to see that I had strength. When he needed help, he came to me.
I wouldn’t let him die out in this desert for the risk that he took.
When I got to Taylor, I swung out my right fist, but he ducked out of the way. He tossed a left jab back, but I ducked it and shuffled forward with alternating punches, landing one across his jaw. He tried to throw a right jab after that, but I twisted out of the way and sent another round of successful punches right into his face. Even without the brass, the hits would be doing damage, but his face was quickly bruising underneath the force of the knuckles.
Confidence was flooding into me as I turned and landed a hard hit right into Taylor’s side. He doubled over, and I kicked out my right leg, but he grabbed it and lunged, sending me crashing to the ground. Lockjaw’s barks were getting louder and more aggressive from the car, and a quick glance over let me see that the window was cracking. I wanted to shout for him to stay, but Taylor stood over me, pulled his right fist high above his head, and sent it down toward my face. I was able to turn out of the way so that I didn’t take it straight in the face, but it still slammed against my cheek. It stung, and I could immediately taste metallic blood in my mouth, but now wasn’t the time to get squeamish.
I tucked my legs against my stomach and threw them out at the same time, making hard contact with Taylor’s stomach. He flew backward and crashed into the sand of the desert. We were evenly timed in getting to our feet, but I was faster getting to Taylor, and he was just stabilizing when I threw a haymaker that crashed into his face, then I uppercut with my left hand and sent him flying off of his feet and back to the ground.
Pulling the back of my hand across my mouth, I wiped away a bit of the blood that was pooling there and spit some of it out on the ground. I watched Taylor writhe around on the ground, and I was starting to feel confident that I’d win the fight when the sound of shattering glass erupted behind me. I looked over my shoulder, and Lockjaw had broken free of the car and was racing across the desert.
“Lockjaw! No!” He didn’t listen. He crashed into Taylor and locked down on Taylor’s leg, using all of his strength to quite literally drag Taylor around. Taylor was screaming, and I ran over and started to clap in Lockjaw’s face. “Let go! Let him go!”
But Lockjaw wasn’t listening. Taylor fumbled around, trying to get at his waistband, and the inevitable was quickly approaching. My gun was burning against my back, and tears filled my eyes as my hands instinctively went for it. Whereas I’d been hoping to just put Taylor out and call my dad to come and collect him, that option was no longer existent.
Taylor dragged his gun out just as I got mine out, and the second he pointed it at Lockjaw, I fired. The bullet flew forward and pierced Taylor’s arm, but he didn’t drop the gun. He started to lift his arm again, which should not have been possible, but that time, he was aiming just past me in Colin’s direction.
The resolve was painful to watch. Taylor would never stop.
Almost as if he knew it was happening, too, Lockjaw released Taylor’s leg and lunged at the arm that held the gun. With Taylor’s arm pulled away from his face, there was only one option left. I swallowed hard, pointed my gun at Taylor’s head, and fired. Almost in slow motion, I watched the bullet leave the gun. As Lockjaw pinned down the arm that held the gun, the bullet from my gun pierced through Taylor’s forehead, and his arm fell to the dust, sending the gun in his hand clattering to the side.
His body went limp, but Lockjaw continued to claw at him until a hollow whistle filled the air. “Lockjaw!” Colin bellowed.
Finally, Lockjaw released Taylor’s motionless arm, ran over to me, and looked up. He whimpered and whined, looking almost apologetic. I dropped to my knees and hugged him. “No, it’s okay. You were a good boy.”
Boots shuffling through the desert brought my attention up, but it was just Colin, having gotten to his feet. Though he was limping, he looked okay.
“I didn’t want to kill him,” I said, tears filling my eyes. “He was gonna kill you.”
“I know.” He set a hand on my head. “I know.”
We both looked over at Taylor’s lifeless body, and though I should have been sad, the relief coursing through me was almost sickening. Never again would I have to look over my shoulder. Never again would I have to fear him taking away someone I loved. He was my brother, but he was also my greatest nightmare.
Both were gone now.
“I need to call my dad,” I said. “Can you figure out how to deal with… that?” I pointed at the shattered window on the car.
“Yeah.” Colin tapped his leg, and Lockjaw obeyed the command, following after Colin as they both made their way to the car.
I pulled my phone out of my pocket and dialed my dad’s number. As it was trilling, I walked over to Taylor and kicked the gun further away from his hands. I folded his arms over his chest, which was probably far more than he deserved, and closed both of his eyelids.
“Tess?” my dad answered. “Are you okay?”
“I am,” I responded. “Taylor is not.”
My dad sighed. “CJ killed him.”
“No, Daddy.” I swallowed hard. “I did. I had no choice. He was gonna kill Colin. He was gonna kill Lockjaw.”
“Where are you?” he asked.
For a while, I hesitated. Who knew what my dad’s level of discernment would be without Taylor looming behind him, but regardless of it, I was leaving to start a new life with Colin
in Germany. If the club still wanted Colin’s head, we couldn’t stay, and though I loved my dad, I didn’t want to risk it.
“We left already. If you drive west along Highway 40, about thirty minutes out of Hoppa, you’ll find him. I’m sorry.”
“Val,” my dad said, and there was a crack in his voice that immediately brought tears to my eyes. “I love you.”
“I love you, too, Squared.”
The line went dead immediately after that. I stood staring down at Taylor long enough for the sun to set and the stars to begin peeking out. It was only once Colin came and covered him with a blanket from my trunk that I could drag myself away. He pulled me into a hug and held me in place for a few minutes.
“I’m sorry. We have to go.”
“Yeah,” I replied, sniffling in my emotions. “Are they gonna let us keep a pit bull at our side in the airport.”
“I have no idea,” Colin responded, “but somehow, that seems like a really trivial problem.”
I nodded. “It does, doesn’t it?”
“To Germany?” he asked before kissing my lips.
A smile found my face without my permission. “To Germany.”
Epilogue
Phantom
My fingers pressed into my skull, and my blood started to boil. “No. Po-ta-toes.”
The woman on the other side of the counter furrowed her brow and poked out her lip. A string of words in a language I was still learning hissed back at me, and even if I didn’t know what she was saying, the sting in her voice made it clear that she wasn’t inviting me over for afternoon tea.
“What’d you say?” I barked.
An arm extended out in front of my chest and pushed me backward. Although we were identical twins, Caid and I looked very different these days. I’d chosen to let my facial hair grow out a little bit, due in part to the fact that my fiancée loved it and also because, even after almost a year, I still wanted to distance my image, at least a little bit, from how I looked in the past. Who knew how many people were still trying to find me. I figured it was at least a little bit harder with some longer hair. Caid, however, had a cleanly shaven face, and his body was still lean, even though he was pretty much free of his illness.