Page 4 of All's Fair in Love & Chaos
“No one.”
I reach over the bar, snag a fresh beer, and leave my brothers to party. My bedroom sits at the back of the building on the second floor, the smallest room at the clubhouse. It was given to me as a teenager, and even though I could take the biggest now that I’m the club’s president, it’s not something I ever wanted. I don’t need much to be comfortable, just a bed to crash in at night, my bike, and the club. I never had much as a kid and learned real quick to be grateful for every little crumb.
I push open the door to my room, the lock turning with a soft click as I close it behind me. It’s quieter in here, but not by much; the walls just barely muffling the bass of the music thumping beneath the floorboards and rattling thewindows.
Exhaustion slips over me as I carefully hang my cut on the hook next to my bed, the leather slapping against the wood with a slight thud. My fingers trace over the thick skull of our colors, the Hell’s Heathens insignia that matches the one tattooed on my chest.
My boots are caked with dust from the road, and I take a seat in the single chair, unlacing them and setting them facing outward next to my bed. Always prepared, always ready to go when needed.
The cap pops off with a hiss, the cold beer flowing down my throat in a welcome caress. The curtains blow forward, the wind rustling through the open window. It’s late August, and fall is quickly approaching. The days are long, and the early morning chill bleeds into scorching afternoons, only for it to cool off again in the evening.
I stand by the window, staring out at the night sky. All’s quiet, but I know that right outside our gates, there’s a world moving faster than I want to keep up with. Our little piece of Washington State is remote, the small town of Amberwood sitting west of the Olympic National Forest, hidden away from the hustle and bustle of Seattle and Tacoma, nestled against the mountains with the coast just a few hours’ ride from us.I live for these open back roads, the small town feel of Amberwood and the surrounding area. I’ve done city life and knew it wasn’t for me. I need space to stretch, to feel the wind and peace it brings.
Laughter and the low rumble of bikes echo into my room as I polish off my beer, dropping the bottle into my trash can before stripping out of my clothes and getting into bed. Tomorrow brings a whole new day, as long as I can survive the demons that come out at night.
Chapter Two
SAIGE
Heavy rain beats down on my shoulders as I stand above one hell of an ugly fucker sprawled out in front of me. I’m no doctor, but I’m pretty sure his femur should be behind the muscle and not protruding out of it and pointing up to the sky. His arm is at an odd angle that can’t be comfortable, and the road rash across his cheek has left a flap of skin hanging off his cheekbone, billowing in the wind as he hollers and wails for help.
Yeah, that won’t be coming.
“You made some mistakes in life, Creep, or should I call you Mark Strivers?” I taunt as I walk closer to him, my boots crunching on the gravel median. We’re on the side of the road, in the middle of nowhere, where Creep here thought he could outrun me on his bike. It didn’t work out too well for him, considering the mangled state his body is currently in. “That’s right, I know your legal name. Let’s see, charged with aggravated rape and sodomy with a deadly weapon, multiple counts, robbery, kidnapping, assault, the list goes on and on.You’re an evil fuck, Creep.” I got to give it to him, even though he’s in critical condition, he still slumps forward and starts to army crawl away from me. Like that would save his life. I’ll be taking it before his injuries do.
“Where ya going, Creep? You get to pay your penance now.”
“Who the fuck are you?” he yells as he stops his meager attempt at an escape and looks up at me. His eyes are near black, red rimmed, and soulless, empty as the night stretching in front of us.
“Don’t you dare look at me!” I yell as I step onto his forearm, grinding my boot down onto him, the crunch of his shattered bones melding with the hoarse scream ripping from his throat. Birds flap from their perches, flying off on the wind, and I’m jealous. I don’t want to be in his presence, either. “Look at me again and I’ll rip out your eyeballs and feed them to you,” I seethe, my voice low, calm, and lethal.
“Fuck! Stop!”
“I bet that’s what those innocent women yelled while you were taking them against their will.” Anger and rage steamroll through my veins as I think about the horror they must have faced at his hands. I’ll never be able to bring them peace or justice, but I can make sure no one else ever meets the same fate at his hand. I kick him hard in the shoulder, forcing him onto his back.
“You don’t deserve to continue to breathe. This was going to be a quick death, but I’ve enjoyed watching you suffer because of your own stupidity.” I don’t waste any more time, pulling my knife from my thigh and squatting down to his side. Creep tries to roll back over, but he’s not fast enough, the sharp blade pressing into his neck with precision, cutting open his throatlike a water balloon. Blood rushes forward through the wound, spreading it wider as crimson liquid mixes with rain and floods the ground beneath him.
I watch as Creep bleeds out, the life draining from his black, cold eyes before returning to my bike for my tools. Even though I’ve completed my task, there’s one more thing I have to do. I pull out the small metal prod that I had custom-made, a delicate willow branch, and I begin to heat it up with my small torch. Once it’s good and ready, the metal glowing bright red in the evening light around us, I squat back down and yank up Creep’s shirt. The front side of his body seems to have taken the brunt of his crash, and I’m surprised he lived as long as he did.
Ignoring the way his ribs are rearranged, I press the metal into his chest, right over his heart. The scent of damp, dank earth, metallic iron, and burning flesh assaults my nose as his skin sizzles and chest hair burns. Once I’m satisfied with my brand, I return to my bike, but no less angry than I was before I found him. It won’t bring back my family, but maybe I’ve saved another from living the life I’ve been given.
The incessant blareof my phone continues to ring while I stare up at the spinning ceiling fan of my bedroom. Shadows dance across the white paint as I try to focus on counting the blades as they whip in a circle. The phone finally stops for a split second before the ringing starts right back up again. I just wanted one slow morning, especially after the night I had, one morning to sleep in and forget the outside world exists. So,naturally, why wouldn’t my phone start going off before I’m ready for it to? The world never sleeps, and apparently, its mission is to make sure I don’t either.
I pull the phone off my bedroom nightstand with force, yanking the cord from the charger port, and bring it to my face, looking down at a familiar name staring back at me. I click connect and bring the phone up to my ear, not saying anything.
“I’ve got what you’ve been waiting for.” His cheerful but serious voice breaks the silence. I sit up fast, the quick change in position making me lightheaded, his words registering, the magnitude that they hold gripping my heart.
“No. Please don’t play with me, Seb. Be sure.”
“Honey, I’m more than sure. I’m looking at his mean mug right now. Damn, he’s a pretty one though, isn’t he?”
“Focus!” I snap at my former colleague, who’s also become my only friend. “Read it to me.”
“Better than that, I just emailed it to you. He’s going to be traveling solo. Not taking a single bodyguard or whatever they call it.”
I throw my legs over the side of my bed, stuffing my phone between my ear and shoulder while I quickly shimmy into a pair of jeans, pulling them up over my butt.
“Where is he now? Give me more, Sebastian!”
