The Pope

by Jade Marshall

I hear Luna’s car turn over but it doesn’t start. The second time she tries, there is an unmistakable click that has me and Sparrow running toward her as her car explodes into a ball of flames.

  Chapter Fifteen

  Storm

  Walking into Dusk after the most explosive sex of my life is different. The regulars greet me, but where I always saw friendly smiles, I now only see lecherous looks. The air inside seems stale and for the first time, I realize there isn’t really a way to make a strip club look classy or to keep the stench of desperation from clinging to everything.

  Walking into the back area where all the girls get ready before going on stage, I simply look at them. I don’t get along with most of them and even those I do get along with occasionally look different to me now. Most have plastic breast implants and all of us—including me—wear too much makeup. We are all trying too hard. And for the first time since I started two years ago, I feel uneasy.

  Colin has fucked with my head. I love my job and am damn fucking good at it. With that thought in mind, I take a seat at my station and start to prepare myself.

  About five minutes later, my headspace feels better. I rise from my seat and head to the back of the stage to wait for my song to start. Tonight, I’m wearing my schoolgirl ensemble. Black high heels with thigh-high white stockings, my white set of garters, white lace boy shorts, and my favorite white pushup bra. The skirt I chose is a blue plaid number that’s as short as I could alter it while still wearing a skirt, with a white button-down blouse that is sheer enough to see through. My hair is pulled up into two ponytails and I know what I look like. I look like a tease. I am a tease! I look amazing but I don’t feel amazing.

  But I will not back down, as the bass of my favorite song starts to pulse through the speakers. As I strut out on stage, the level of unease just climbs. I try my best to ignore it and continue. I grab the pole and do a rotation. I have always loved dancing, it lets me feel free. When I’m on stage with the bass assaulting me, the lights shining down on me, I’m the master of my universe. I don’t need anything or anyone and I tend to shut the world out. But tonight, the harder I try, the less that feeling is enveloping me. The first thirty seconds of the song haven’t even passed, and I have already decided to quit once my set is done. I simply can’t do it anymore.

  As I shake my lace-covered ass for the world to see, I slowly start unbuttoning my shirt. But a shout from the left has me freezing.

  “Just take it off already, will you?” The voice is slurred and the person it belongs to is clearly drunk, but that’s my final moment. I snap out of my daze and walk off stage mid-song.

  I hear the crowd boo and the song change as another girl runs past me with a frown to take her place on stage.

  Maurice is standing at my work station, waiting for me. He smiles sadly as he takes my hands that I didn’t realize to this moment were shaking.

  “It’s okay, cher. I knew when you walked in here with that massive hickey on your neck that it would be your last night. A woman like you doesn’t fall in love only to return to a place like this.” He kisses my cheek, winks at me, and walks away.

  I slump down into the chair and take a deep breath before calling Colin. Even over the phone, I can hear the smugness in his voice. When he asks me to hold on for a moment, I start pulling a pair of jeans up my legs while holding my phone between my ear and my shoulder, listening to him talk to Sparrow about the kids.

  I’m waiting for him to tell me he’s on his way as I knew he would be the moment I called him before I hear an explosion in the background and the line goes dead.

  “Colin?”

  There’s only silence on the other end of the line. I know something is massively wrong. I pull on a black t-shirt and grab my sandals, handbag, and phone, dashing out into the front of the club. My gaze scans for Kaiya because I need to borrow her car but instead, I find Mad Dog. As I near him, I realize he has Kaiya caged in against the wall, using his arms.

  “No, Kaiya, you don’t seem to understand. This shit isn’t going to work. You belong to me,” Mad Dog all but growls at her.

  Fire flashes in her eyes and for a split second, I reconsidered interrupting but simply do it.

  “I promise you can chew him out about being a dumbass later, Kaiya,” I interject into their conversation. Both of them train their gazes on me. “But at the moment, I need him to take me to Pope.”

  The last part comes out on a sob and both have their attention focused on me.

  Mad dog takes my hand to get my attention. “Doll, what’s wrong? Tell me and I can help you.” Worry envelopes his face.

  “Nothing is wrong with me. I was on the phone with Pope when there was an explosion and the line went dead. He’s at Sparrow’s with Luna and the boys. Please, I can feel it in my bones. something is very, very wrong.” The tears roll down my face as I plead with him to take me there.

  “Truck’s outside. Let’s go.” Mad Dog looks toward Kaiya but doesn’t get a chance to say anything.

  “I’m coming with you.” She hands her apron to the bartender and we all leave.

  ****

  The drive to Sparrow’s house is pure hell. I keep staring at my phone, waiting for Colin to send me a message. I have sent tons but he isn’t replying.

  17:51 Storm: Colin call me!

  17:54 Storm: Are you okay?

  17:58 Storm: WTF! CALL ME!!!

  I only lift my eyes from the screen when I feel the truck accelerate beneath me. Looking into the distance, I see the black smoke rising from the area that Sparrow and Luna live in. And then I hear the sirens.

  The last half-mile feels like it takes hours. But as we pull up, I feel relief and at the same moment, my world falls apart. On the front lawn, Pope is working his best to pull Sparrow away from the wreck that used to be Luna’s car. And in the doorway to Sparrow’s home, a home that will never be the same after this tragedy, is Brogan sitting on the top step, cradling Gage to his larger body, tears streaming down both of their faces.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Pope

  The spires of the local church loom above me and although I am far from a religious man, I always find it beautiful. The silence surrounds me and brings me the first semblance of peace I have felt in this entire bitch of a week.

  After the explosion, everything fell to complete and utter chaos. Sparrow had to be sedated by Doc. When the shock wore off, he was hell-bent on burning Gypsy Falls to the ground, trying to find the person responsible for Luna’s death. We’ve had to keep a close eye on him as his need for vengeance is currently overshadowing his grief. Gage is lost in his father’s need to avenge Luna and is currently staying with us.

  Every time I see Gage and Brogan together, the sadness claws at my heart, threatening to consume me. No child should lose their mother at such a young age, especially not to such unnecessary violence. Add into the mix my own son, who is still grieving for the loss of his mother, and the situation is unbearable. Having two boys living with us in Storm’s apartment should be loud and boisterous and full of shenanigans, but instead, it is filled with sadness, heartache, and silence.

  Brogan has taken Gage as his surrogate little brother and is constantly within the younger boy’s reach. The first night Gage was with us, he had a nightmare. Poor kid woke up screaming with tears pouring down his face. Storm and I had been prepared for this to happen but didn’t expect to find Brogan cradling the younger boy to his chest. When Storm tried to intervene, to offer comfort, Brogan only shook his head.

  “I know what he’s going through. I’ve got this.”

  At that moment, time stood still, and I realized again how much my young son had been through before I even met him for the first time.

  I have no answers. I don’t know who planted the bomb that ended Luna’s life while she was still in her prime. I don’t know how to help my brother process his grief or how to help him get his vengeance. And I sure a shit have no clue what to say to Gage when he asks where his dad is. What I do
know is that after today, I will need to find answers, and Luna will be avenged. No one hurts someone I love and walks away from it.

  Taking a deep drag from my first cigarette in three years only serves to piss me off further. But today isn’t about revenge or anger. Today is about bidding farewell to a woman we all loved.

  As the rumble of motorcycles nears the church, I grind the last of my cigarette into the ground with the toe of my boot. Proceeding to the front of the church, I watch the procession make their way closer.

  More than fifty motorcycles lead the procession, driving two abreast. Behind them is the hearse carrying the coffin that contains the little of Luna’s remains that could be found after the fire was put out. Vehicles follow behind, no less than fifteen, and I’m glad that so many showed up to pay their last respects to one of the best women I have ever known.

  Slowly, everyone enters the church. The casket is carried in by Sparrow, myself, Wolf, Beast, Viking, and Mad Dog and placed in front of the podium where the preacher will give his farewell. For a moment, silence reigns as we all rest our hands on the gleaming wood before making our way to the pews. We all fill into in the front row as we wait for the sermon to start.

  ****

  The preacher has given a beautiful sermon and brought tears to many eyes. He spoke of the goodness that was Luna, how she always put others above herself, and never showed any person in need away. He spoke of the love she shared with all those she came upon and that loving each other would be the way to keep her memory alive.

  Everyone exits the church and Luna’s casket is lifted back into the hearse to be taken half a mile to the cemetery where she will be laid to rest for the last time. Watching everyone speak in hushed tones, I wait. Storm and Hadley are across the street with Brogan and Gage, trying to keep them away from the people who want to discuss what happened to Luna. I have no idea what I’m waiting for, but there’s a feeling, call it a sixth sense, that tells me something more is coming.

  My phone rings in my pocket. I remove it, stare at the blocked number for a minute then answer it, and hold it to my ear. I don’t speak, I wait.

  “Pope?”

  The voice on the other side of the line isn’t one I have heard before today. It is pitched low and the speaker seems to be out of breath.

  “Yes?” Wariness is evident in my tone.

  “You need to get everyone out of there. Riot has convinced King that the Iron Disciples need to exact revenge for what you did and take the property that previously belonged to the Mongrols as their own.”

  “Who is this?” I demand.

  “My name is Calum Quince. But people call me Bishop,” he replies sharply. “But that doesn’t matter now. What matters is getting your people away.”

  He ends the call promptly. I turn and scan the throng of people in front of me, looking for Wolf. Even if I don’t know or trust this man, I can’t take the chance that he may be speaking the truth. I need to get to my guys and have them clear everyone out of here as fast as possible.

  Keeping an eye on my surroundings, fearing that the Iron Disciples could strike at any moment, I slowly wander through the people gathered when three things happen almost simultaneously.

  First, an ear-splitting scream is heard from across the street.

  Second, Brogan is running in my direction, calling out to me.

  Third, a hail of bullets sprays from a passing black SUV.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Storm

  The funeral was beautiful. Luna was remembered as she’d lived. With love.

  Standing across the street from the church, I watch Brogan sit beside Gage on a set of swings. Hadley stands beside me, dressed in black and holding her stomach. She keeps moving her hands, and she looks uncomfortable.

  “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine.” But she has tears in her eyes.

  “Hadley, if something is wrong with you or the baby, you need to tell me.” I hold her shoulders and look straight into her eyes as I say this. I know my best friend and she wouldn’t want to draw any attention to herself, especially not today.

  She nods at me as the first tear slips free. “I’m in labor. I have been since I showered this morning when my water broke.” She sobs.

  “Oh, my God, Hadley.” Turning my gaze to the boys, I feel her body shake as she rests her forehead on my shoulder.

  “Brogan, I need you to run across the street as fast as you can and find your dad. Tell him it’s an emergency.”

  Brogan doesn’t speak, he simply takes off running across the grass toward the church as a shriek tears from Hadley. Everything seems to be happening in slow motion as her knees give out and I am barely able to catch her before she hits the ground. Gage is beside me in a second with a panicked look on his little face.

  “Don’t worry, buddy,” I reassure him as I lower Hadley and myself to the grass. “Hadley is going to be fine, but the baby is coming.”

  My explanation seems to soothe some of the worry from his face. He knows about the baby and has been really excited about it since he found out.

  “Can I help?” his little voice asks.

  It seems like Hadley is through the worst of the contraction as she smiles at him. “Yes, Gage. I need you to hold my hand until Wolf gets here. I need you to help me be less scared.”

  Gage smiles at Hadley for the first time in days as he plops down beside her, taking her hand in his and pulling it tightly against his chest. It’s a gesture we all know well because Sparrow would hold Luna’s hand the same way. Emotion crawls its way up my throat and makes it hard to speak.

  I look up and see Brogan running across the street. There isn’t time to scream and warn him as a black SUV hits him, sending his little body flying through the air. My world stops at that moment and everything falls away as I watch him hit the ground. I didn’t recognize it earlier, but as my mind clears, I hear the gunshots being fired.

  “Hadley, keep Gage with you. I will find Wolf and send him here.”

  “No, Storm, you can’t go over there!” She grabs my leg of my pants and tries to stop me from walking away.

  “I have to go.” I shake my leg, dislodging her hand and running toward the anarchy that has broken out in front of the church. I don’t run toward the men, I run toward Brogan. I near him as he lies motionless on the pavement, but he doesn’t move. I kneel beside him and feel for a pulse exactly the way Luna taught me. His pulse is there and I don’t see much blood except for on his forehead. But his arm is bent at such an odd angle that I know with complete certainty it is broken.

  Pulling my cell from my pocket, I dial 911 and look around me. The SUV is no longer in sight, people are on the ground, screams are coming from somewhere near the church, and from the corner of my eye, I watch Wolf run toward Hadley.

  “911, what is your emergency?”

  “My name is Storm Lin and there has been a shooting at St. Angelicas on Broad Street. You need to send ambulances.”

  I try my best to speak clearly and slowly because I don’t want to have to repeat myself.

  “Okay, ma’am. Please remain on the line units have been dispatched to that area.” The operator has a clear voice as she speaks calmly to me. “Have you been hurt?”

  “No. But my nephew…” A sob chokes of the rest of the words.

  “I need you to remain calm. What happened to your nephew?”

  “He was hit by a car. The people who shot at the church hit him with their SUV.” Taking a deep breath, I do my best to compose myself.

  “Is he breathing?” she asks.

  “Yes, he is breathing. He has a pulse too. But there is blood on his forehead and I am sure his arm is broken.”

  “Okay. I need you to not move him. Is he conscious?”

  “No.”

  “All right. When he does regain consciousness, if the paramedics aren’t there yet, you need to keep him calm. We need him to not move. We don’t know the extent of his injuries, and him moving might cause more damage.�
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  In the distance, I can hear the sirens approaching, and I feel a small amount of peace at knowing help will be here soon. I stay on the line with the woman until one of the ambulances stop beside me.

  “Thank you for your help.”

  “It has been my pleasure,” she replies as she hangs up.

  The paramedics assess Brogan before placing him on a backboard and then in the ambulance. I see that Hadley is getting loaded into a separate ambulance with Wolf accompanying her. I haven’t seen Pope through all of the chaos and pray that he is fine as I get into the ambulance and we race off to the hospital.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Pope

  In a moment, the entire world around me exploded. The last thing I saw was Brogan’s body flying through the air as the bullets started flying.

  I wake up in a hospital, tubes and cables connected to me. Panic seizes me. Where are Brogan and Storm? Has anyone else been hurt? How long have I been here?

  Pushing myself upright, I look around the room. In the corner, Beast is slumped uncomfortably, sleeping in a chair that is way too small to hold a body his size. I try to clear my throat, since it’s dry and scratchy, but it doesn’t help. Turning, I try to reach the glass beside the bed. The noise must have woken Beast as he appears beside me.

  “Sit back, Prez. Just take it easy.” He hands me the glass, holding the straw to my lips.

  “Well.” I try to clear my throat again. “Tell me what happened. How long have I been here?”

  Beast takes the seat beside my bed and shakes his head. “You need to stay still and heal.” He sighs. “But if I don’t tell you, you’re just gonna get out of that bed, aren’t you?”

  He watches me closely. I nod.

  “After the shooting, everything was chaos. Storm got a call into 911 so it was fast.”

  “Brogan?” My voice is raspy and it hurts to talk

  “He’s fine. Broke his arm and had a concussion with a couple of cracked ribs, but he is doing great. Got released yesterday.”