Page 13 of Nomad
“And this is Ian MacAlister, but we call him Hannibal.” J.D. motioned to the tall, handsome man standing beside Caesar with fire-red hair.
“Wow!” Junior looked up at the towering man in awe. “That’s a cool name.”
“Thanks, little man.” Hannibal gave Junior a fist bump. “My ma loved the movieSilence of the Lambs. Go figure.”
“That’s, umm, very interesting.” I shook Hannibal’s hand. “I’m Jade.”
“Nice to meet you, Jade,” Hannibal responded, dipping his head.
“Well, I’d like to thank you all for honoring my late husband. Aaron wasn’t one for attention, but he would have loved this. I’ve never seen so many motorcycles.”
“Every chapter of our club, from Florida to Maine, owes your husband and all vets a debt of gratitude,” J.D. said. “So, every chapter has sent representatives to support your organization and to say thank you for your family and your husband’s service.”
The support they showed despite never having had the chance to meet Aaron amazed me. To help homeless veterans left me speechless.
“Now that everyone knows one another,” the mayor said, clapping her hands, “let’s get this show on the road.”
“Has Senator Allen arrived yet, Mayor?” I asked, knowing very well she wouldn’t show up. The senator hated me. She didn’t believe me or Miles were good enough for Samuel, so I tried to keep my distance from her.
“No. Her assistant called this morning and canceled.” The mayor rolled her eyes. “Anyway, we got money to raise. Gentlemen, it would be my honor if you would join Jade, Junior, and myself on stage.”
They looked at J.D.
“Sure thing, mayor,” J.D. responded. “If that’s what you want.”
The mayor nodded and led us all on stage. We stood a few feet behind her as she walked to the podium. She quieted the crowd before giving her speech on supporting our veterans while deployed and when they came home. As she spoke, I gazed at the crowd, still amazed at the amount of support the organization and veterans had received from the local community and Demons United.
There were hundreds of bikers, families from Charlotte, and surrounding communities as well as college students that had come out in support. Most had gathered in front of the stage, listening intently to the mayor as she praised the work of my organization and Demons United’s charity ride, not only in honor of Aaron but all vets especially, those who’d made the ultimate sacrifice.
While I got lost in the sea of faces, my eyes widened, and I gasped when they landed on a familiar one. A face I hadn’t laid eyes on in five years. He watched me intently, no emotion covering his chiseled features. Although his face was expressionless, affection glowed in his dark eyes. That was one thing I’d learned about William over the years. His eyes told everything you needed to know, like now.
His eyes softened as we stared at one another, stuck in a trance.
I love him so much.
Emotions from years ago stirred to life. The love I’d denied for so long rushed through my system, sending my heart pounding against my chest. It took everything in me to hold back the tears welling in my eyes. I wrapped my arm around Junior’s shoulder to keep me grounded. He kept me from running off stage and making a fool of myself.
He left us, I reminded myself. I never doubted our importance to William, but he hadn’t stuck around.
Should he have?
The thought struck a nerve. Could I blame him for leaving? Maybe if I’d put two and two together earlier, things might have been different. Instead of staring at one another like lovesick puppies, we’d be together right now in each other’s arms, like a family. But there was no point dwelling on what-ifs. He’d probably moved on without us, and so had I with Sam.
Cheers echoed, then the enormous crowd dispersed.
I looked around as the mayor and the members of Demons United exited the stage. I’d been so lost in my thoughts, I’d missed the mayor’s entire speech. I gazed back at the crowd, hoping to have time to speak to William before the ride started, but he was nowhere to be found.
Disappointment replaced the euphoria from seeing him again. I wished he’d waited around to speak to us, or at least speak to Junior.
“Come on, Ma.” Junior grabbed my arm, pulling me towards the stage steps. “They’re getting ready to start.”
I gazed out one final time at the dispersing crowd before following Junior down the steps to where the motorcycles had lined up.
There he was.
Breathlessly, I stood there motionless, watching as he laughed and talked with J.D. and the other men I’d met earlier.
I remembered his chiseled arms wrapping me in his embrace as he comforted me through my grief. The warmth of his breath against my skin while he’d consoled me, breakdown after breakdown. Years ago, I hadn’t ever drooled over William. Most of Aaron’s military friends were very good-looking, and the uniform only added to it. But today, I saw William differently. The way his jeans laid against his muscled thighs, and how his shirt stretched across the planes of his chest, he was a work of art.
