Page 2 of Demo

“Any last words?”

Demo’s head snapped up at Steel’s words. His face was emotionless, giving meaning to his moniker. His eyes and face were ‘hard as steel’.

Whether from nerves or the cold, Cheryl’s body trembled as she shook her head.

Steel raised his handgun. The silver gleamed in the moonlight. The muzzle of the silencer was aimed at her brain stem. Despite what he was about to do, Steel was not a cruel man. He had no desire to have Cheryl suffer needlessly. Had she been a man and did what she did, Demo had no doubt that her life would be ending far differently. Steel was not the sort of man to treat a woman so heartlessly regardless of transgressions. Aiming the bullet for her brain stem would be an instant and painless death.

Demo saw Steel’s finger start to squeeze on the trigger when Cheryl suddenly shouted, “Wait!” and spun around. Steel lowered the gun without firing. On her hands and knees in the snow, she looked up at Pumpkin with tear-filled eyes. “His name. Just…please… I want to know his name.”

Pumpkin didn’t owe her anything. He could also have lied to her, but this was practically her dying request. Almost like a last cigarette.

Still, there was enough hesitation where Demo wondered if Pumpkin was going to answer or not. Then he said, “Seth. I’m giving him my name and will call him ‘Junior’ or ‘SJ’.”

Cheryl’s chin trembled. “Seth,” she muttered softly. “Please…” She wiped at her wet cheeks. “When he’s old enough, tell him I’m sorry that I couldn’t be there for him. And… And that I don’t blame you.” Her eyes never wavered from Pumpkin’s, making Demo believe she meant him specifically and not the club as a whole.

After another moment of hesitation, Cheryl nodded to Steel. “I’m ready.” Her chin wobbled as she turned back around.

She tipped her chin up towards the moon. Steel once more raised the muzzle of his gun.

When Demo had been shot, it had been a reflex. Jasmine had been in danger and he’d placed himself between that danger and her. He would have done so for any of the ol’ ladies, the club kids, and even his brothers. Demo had been in many firefights, though his time in the military was generally spent disarming or building various demolitions. Due to the lack of fingers on his left dominant hand, he’d had to work through years of therapy to force his right hand to become his new dominant hand. His aim was just as true now as it had been prior to his injury.

Even bleeding out with two bullets in him, Demo had fought to protect Jasmine. His returning fire had taken out the tire of the van. The possibility of death had occurred to him, but his primary emotion had been concern for Jasmine. He’d failed to protect her from being kidnapped.

One had to wonder what went through someone’s mind as they were being executed. When Demo had been shot and thought he was going to die, he realized he had regrets. One of the first things he’d done upon waking up after surgery was to call his dad. Even though it had just turned into another one of their disjointed conversations, he’d made the effort. With Christmas coming up, Demo planned to fly out to see him. He did not want his relationship with his father to be a regret at the end of either of their lives.

His other regret was harder to explain. He didn’t see a specific woman, merely the silhouette of one. Demo had no idea who she was and thought perhaps it was merely the absence of a woman in his life. Unlike Bulldog, he wasn’t secretly pining for a lost love or like Jumper, fearful he wasn’t worthy of love. There literally was no woman who had ever caught his eye as the ol’ ladies had with his club brothers.

It made him wonder if perhaps he was destined to be alone. The lack of kids didn’t bother him, but the lack of a woman made him feel like he was missing a limb. Even now, it was like there was a faceless phantom standing behind him.

In the silence of the night, Steel pulled the trigger. The sharpthwickof the bullet was followed immediately by thethudof Cheryl’s body crumpling in the snow. No one moved for several long minutes. Crimson stained the white blanketing the frozen ground beneath their boots.

Finally Bear moved forward. Squatting down, he verified Cheryl’s death with a single nod up to Steel.

Demo took several steps forward. He didn’t touch or say anything to Pumpkin. The two men were nearly the same height at six feet. Though Demo was a few years younger, the two had become fast friends upon Pumpkin joining the club. He’d been one of their first prospects, serving only six months instead of the required year.

Others eventually left. The prospects took the body. And still Pumpkin stared at the stained ground.

Demo’s shoulder throbbed from the cold, but he didn’t want to leave his friend. He wasn’t sure what Pumpkin was thinking or feeling. Steel remained behind too. Demo knew there was no animosity between the two. Pumpkin would never blame Steel for doing what he had to do.

“I don’t feel bad about her,” Pumpkin finally said. His voice held little emotion. “I’m worried about my son who is now motherless. What if he turns into some sort of psycho serial killer because he didn’t grow up with a mother’s love?”

Demo gave his friend a sidelong glance. “I think he’s more likely to grow up to become an asshole with you as his dad.”

Pumpkin snorted.

“He might not have a mother,” Steel said quietly from behind them, “but he’ll have family. You think the ol’ ladies are going to allow him to grow up not knowing how to treat a woman with respect or to protect those weaker than him? He’ll have plenty of maternal input in his life.”

“Plus,” Demo added, “I hear that DILFs are totally in right now.”

Pumpkin chuckled. He ran a hand down his tired face. “You know, those fuckers who told us in Sex Ed that abstinence is the best form of birth control lied. Having a baby is. I don’t think my dick’s worked right since Bear told me the baby was mine.”

Demo wanted to laugh at his friend’s joke, but a sharp pain in his shoulder distracted him. He flinched, his right hand going automatically to his left shoulder.

“SJ’s going to be just fine,” Steel said. He stepped up beside them. Though his words were for Pumpkin, his sharp eyes that seemed to miss nothing were on Demo. “He’sVia Daemonia. There’s more to his legacy than having you for his father or who his mother was.”

Slowly, Pumpkin nodded. He turned his back on the crimson snow. “My kid’s hours old and I’m already worried about so much. Like, his first date and explaining girls to him. What if he has an allergy? What do I do if he gets sick?”

Steel let out a very rare chuckle and clasped Pumpkin on his shoulder. “Welcome to fatherhood, brother. And just a word of warning, those fears will never go away—no matter how old your son gets.”

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