Chaos

by Alexis Noelle

  I smile at her. “Well, you look beautiful. You ready to get your dress on and marry that man?”

  She nods with the biggest smile I’ve ever seen on her face. We help Lucy into her dress and I breathe a sigh of relief when it zips up with no problem. Everyone goes out and gets into my car, and we are finally on our way to the church.

  “You know from the moment you walked into the club we all knew that the two of you would be together. That boy was hooked from day one. I have to say though I enjoyed him having to sit around and wait till you were eighteen.” Lucy and I laugh. Jordan used to watch her like a hawk and all the brothers knew she was off limits years before he ever claimed her. “Three years that man waited for you. If that isn’t dedication, I don’t know what is.”

  “Oh yeah?” Nikki looks over at me from the passenger seat. “How long did you keep Torch waiting again?”

  “That’s totally different. I never thought that we would ever get together.”

  “Yeah, sure.” Everyone laughs as we pull up to the church.

  We walk in through the back entrance so that Whip doesn’t see Lucy. Shooter is walking her down the aisle because, just like with me, he is basically like a father to her. We meet him at the front of the church.

  “All of you girls look beautiful.” He gives us all a soft smile that is rare coming from him. He turns to Lucy. “You ready for this, darlin’? If you’re havin’ second thoughts I can drive the getaway car.”

  She nudges his arm. “Shut up.”

  The piano start to play and Nikki steps into the open doorway so she can make her way down the aisle. After a few beats I follow her, my eyes immediately finding Torch standing at the front with Whip. His eyes lock on mine and they follow me the entire way up the aisle.

  The music changes to the wedding march and everyone stands up. When Lucy steps into view, I look over at Whip. His face holds so much love for her and I can’t stop the smile on my face. They have waited so long for this day and to be here and be a part of it makes me so happy.

  Lucy wanted a traditional ceremony so the preacher runs through all of the traditional wedding elements. As they say their vows, Lucy’s voice shakes a few times with emotion, and as much as I don’t want them to my eyes fill with tears.

  When we all hear the preacher say, “I now pronounce you man and wife,” the church erupts in cheers and applause. I meet Torch at the center of the aisle and walk down with him as we exit the church.

  Once we pass the door his arms wrap around me. “You look gorgeous.” His lips are on mine, it’s soft but at the same time so powerful. “I need to run an errand for Shooter. Can you ride over with one of the boys?”

  I nod.

  He kisses me again and I lean into him. He pulls back looking me up and down. “I wish I didn’t have to go. I’ll be quick though.” He gives me another quick kiss before heading down the steps.

  I grab a ride with Nikki and Twisted.

  I can’t wait till he gets back.

  I want to be in his arms.

  Today will be an amazing day.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Torch

  I press the speed limit as I hurry to get back to the clubhouse. I took a detour on the way home from the church for the club. Now I’m late.

  I still can’t believe that Lucy and Jordan got married.

  I remember the first day Lucy came to us, innocent as all hell asking for help.

  Now she’s one of us in every way possible.

  The fact that it took Jordan so long to marry the girl is insane to me, especially since she’ll be popping their kid out in a couple of months. Lily has insisted multiple times that they name the kid Princess, but I don’t think they’ll listen much. She is the damn image of her mom, with just as much attitude. Twisted has his hands full. I really don’t know how the hell he does it.

  Tracie is finally starting to come around. Don’t ask me why she would ever want to date anyone who isn’t a brother. Tracie belongs in this life. None of those regular assholes could ever hold her attention long enough.

  I fought for her for years and the past few days with her have been like heaven. It was worth every time she threw some bitchy comment at me or tried to rub one of those douches in my face.

  The clubhouse comes into sight and I see everyone’s bikes and cars parked. The entire MC is here: brothers, old ladies, kids. Everyone is attending the huge party that is basically like a family day.

  As I pass through the gate, I see Tracie, phone in hand, at the front door.

  She looks up at me, giving me a smile before going back to her conversation.

  Whip and Twisted are out front talking and for some reason it looks pretty heated.

  I shut the bike off, walking over to the building, when a deafening boom sounds. Before I know what’s happening I’m flying through the air, my body slamming onto the gravel.

  “What the fuck?”

  I look up to see my worst nightmare.

  The entire club is engulfed in flames.

  The air is filled with screaming from every direction. People running from the back of the building to the front.

  I stand up in almost disbelief.

  Looking to my left I see Twisted and Whip lying on the ground face down. I rush over to them, and thankfully hear them both groan.

  As they sit up, they look at the scene in front of them. Their expressions I’m sure matching my own.

  The three of us standing there, frozen in time as we see our entire lives engulfed in flames.

  Jordan starts running toward the building. “Lucy!”

  Twisted follows yelling, “Nikki! Lily!”

  I run to help them, hoping to save whoever I possibly can.

  The smoke is black and heavy already and I can barely see. I’m bumping into people, not sure who they are but only concerned with the fact that they aren’t Tracie. She was standing right by the front door but with everything so hazy I can’t even figure out where that might be.

  I choke on the thick air as I look at the ground and that’s when I see what looks like the dress she was wearing. I stumble the few feet over, there is debris stacked and a part of me knows that Tracie is under there. I start tearing it off. I try to move fast but I can feel my energy draining from my body. The smoke invading me and consuming me. I rip the last piece off and I see her.

  She is lying at an unnatural angle.

  Her body is covered in blood.

  “Tracie!”

  I scream for her but she doesn’t move.

  Bending down I scoop her up and walk away from the building. I can hear the sirens now. I hope they have enough coming.

  She’s limp in my arms as I hold her tight to my chest.

  Please be okay.

  Hold on.

  As I finally get into clearer air the sight in front of me stops me in my tracks. It looks like a war zone. People are lying on the ground. I can still hear others screaming. Everyone is covered in black ash and blood.

  I lay Tracie down. “Trace, open your eyes.” I’m pleading with her. She has to be okay.

  The ambulances pull into the lot and when the EMTs get out they seem to have no idea where to start.

  “Over here!” I shout to one of them. He sees me and makes his way over.

  As he kneels next to her and checks her pulse, I barely move.

  “Her pulse is weak. How close to the fire was she?”

  “I don’t know. We don’t know what happened. There was an explosion.” I feel helpless I can’t give him any information to help. I can’t help Tracie.

  I look back to the clubhouse.

  I need to help whoever I can.

  “Take care of her.”

  I head back toward the building as the medic tries to tell me not to go back in. I need to try and save whoever else I can. I let fire control and destroy my life once before, it won’t happen again.

  The crackle of the flames is almost a warning to turn around but I don’t listen. I push forward into
the building. Everything is burning, falling apart. Walking through what I think might be the main room, I hear a groan coming from my left and I move toward it.

  “Who’s here? Tell me where you are!”

  Nothing sounds except another low groan.

  I can barely see a foot in front of me so the fact that whoever it is can’t call out to me is making this so much more difficult.

  I kick something and when I look down I see that it’s a foot. One of the tables is on top of someone. I work to get it off and am shocked when I see Shooter. His head is flopped back and I can see a huge blood stain against his white shirt. Shit. I have serious doubts that I’ll be able to get him out of here myself.

  “Someone help me out in here!”

  I bend down pulling his one arm around my neck. I try to stand him up with me but he is dead weight and has a good fifty pounds on me. I decide to try something else and hook my arms under his and drag him toward the exit. I need to get him out of here and there is no way in hell that I’ll be able to carry him.

  He doesn’t move or make any sound the entire time I’m dragging him outside. Once we are far enough away from the smoke, I lay him down calling for help, but all of the medics are already treating people. I can hear more sirens in the distance.

  My hands scrub my face as I scan the lot for everyone else, trying to take stock and make sure everyone made it out.

  I hear a loud roar and turn behind me to see Twisted kneeling on the ground with Lily in his hands.

  No.

  His scream rips through us all and the agony on his face cuts me like a knife.

  It can’t be.

  My feet slowly move toward him.

  Nikki is collapsed next to him.

  Covered in ash and blood but seemingly okay for the most part.

  The two of them clutching the little girl in his arms.

  I want to say something to ask him what I think I already know, what I pray can’t be true.

  Today was supposed to be a day filed with happiness and celebration.

  It isn’t. It’s full of

  devastation,

  destruction,

  and chaos.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Torch

  The hospital is hectic as we fill all of its rooms and hallways with victims. The casualties aren’t fully known. We aren’t even sure if everyone made it out yet. I’m moving from room to room, trying to take stock of everyone who is here and how they are. I’m also trying to find Tracie and make sure that she’s okay.

  I haven’t seen Whip and Lucy either and I can’t help but have a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach considering she was pregnant. I’ve had countless people try to stop me so they can examine me, but I refuse to stop moving. I need to find the people I care about. I need to see for myself that everyone is okay.

  I pass a waiting room and catch a glimpse of Whip. He’s pacing and looks like at any minute he might slam his fist through a wall. I walk in, catching his eye.

  “Lucy?”

  His eyes are red rimmed and I say a silent prayer that he isn’t going to tell me that we lost her too. “She’s in surgery. Her and the baby. It’s bad.” His hands scrub his face. “I can’t find my mom. You see her at all?”

  Shit. “No. Everything was so hectic that I’m just now trying to see where everyone is, but I can let you know when I come across her.” He nods at me and the two of us just stand there for a minute. “You hear about Lily?”

  He only looks at me and I can tell he did. The image of Twisted cradling her will haunt me.

  “Let me know when you get news about Lucy. I’m gonna try to track everyone down and see where we stand.” I turn to leave but decide against it embracing my brother first. We aren’t guys who show emotion, ever. Today is the ultimate exception. I know that what happened is going to rip through each of us.

  “Call if you need me, brother.” I walk out of the room, adding Whip’s mom to my list of people that I need to see breathing.

  I stumble and catch myself against the wall, my head feeling like a ton of bricks.

  “Sir, you need to let someone examine you,” a nurse says as she tries to take my arm and guide me to a chair.

  I shake her off trying to regain my composure. “I’m fine.” I keep moving needing to find my girl.

  “No, you don’t understand!” I hear her voice yelling and I freeze. Tracie.

  My feet carry me as fast as they can until I’m standing in her doorway. She’s sitting on the bed with a doctor and a nurse at her side, checking her vitals.

  “I need to get out of this bed and—” Her voice stops once she sees me and her body seems to relax a bit.

  The doctor turns toward me. “Can I help you, sir?”

  “Just here to see my girl.” I walk toward the bed, standing on the opposite side as everyone else. I grab her hand, thankful that I was able to get to her in time.

  Neither of us says anything as they finish checking her out.

  “We will be back soon, Miss Moore. For the time being you need to stay in bed.” The doctor gives me a nod before exiting the room.

  “What happened? How is everyone?” Her eyes plead for answers.

  “I don’t know what happened. There was some sort of explosion.” I avoid the second question because honestly there aren’t any real answers right now.

  Her hand covers her mouth in shock. “An explosion? Jesus Christ. Did everyone make it out okay?” My silence causes her hands to start shaking. “Tell me.”

  I can’t say it.

  “Torch.”

  I close my eyes. “I don’t really know right now. I’m trying to track everyone down. Whip, Twisted, Nikki, I think they’re all fine. Lucy is in surgery; they don’t know how she’ll be yet or the baby.” A pain shoots through my chest. I can hear Twisted’s scream in my head, echoing his pain.

  Her eyes are starting to shed tears. “What aren’t you telling me?”

  “It’s just that…Lily. She-she didn’t make it.” Saying the words almost make my knees buckle.

  Tracie’s body goes rigid. “No.” Sobs wrack her body as she curls into a ball on the bed. All I can do is stand there rubbing her back, trying to comfort her as I bury the pain she is so freely letting out.

  I need to track down everyone else. I need to take stock and see how whole we still are. I also can’t leave her like this. I feel like I’m being pulled in ten different directions and none of them are intersecting. I stand there feeling completely helpless until Tracie’s cries quiet, and her breathing evens out. When I’m sure her cries and misery have exhausted her to the point that she’s passed out, I leave the room in search of more answers.

  I head to the desk needing to find Shooter. I’m not a leader. I never have been. I need him to tell me what to do at this point. Normally I’d go to Twisted, but he is in no shape to make rational decisions. I give them his name and the nurse types a few keys on the computer before I see a look of hesitation come across her face.

  “Are you family, sir?”

  I know how hospitals work and if I say no they won’t tell me a damn thing. “Yes, I’m his son.”

  She nods slowly. “I’m sorry to say this, but he passed in the ambulance. They tried to revive him, but they were unsuccessful.”

  I don’t answer her.

  I can’t.

  She has to be wrong.

  “Sir, do you need to be checked out? Would you like me to call a nurse for you?”

  I turn away from the desk walking back toward the waiting room where I found Whip.

  Our president is gone.

  Our vice president is in no condition to do anything.

  Our club is destroyed.

  When I walk in, Whip immediately stands up. I’m sure the look on my face lets him know that something is up. “What happened? Did you find my mom?”

  I shake my head. “Shooter, he’s dead.”

  I sink into one of the chairs, not able to process everything that’s goi
ng on around me.

  A doctor comes out of the room and Whip almost runs over to him. “We were able to deliver the baby. She was rushed to the NICU but as of now she is stable. You have to understand that being born this early she cannot breathe on her own so she’s on a ventilator. She also has a feeding tube because her body isn’t able to ingest food orally yet.”

  “Oh my God.” His hand runs through his hair. “What about my wife. How is Lucy?”

  “Your wife is still in the OR. She had a lot of internal bleeding and unfortunately she isn’t out of the woods yet. I’ll have one of the nurses come to get you once you can visit your daughter upstairs.” The doctor gives us both a nod before heading back through the doors.

  I want to say something to him, but in this situation what can you say? His baby is barely able to function, his wife is barely holding onto her life on an operating table, and his mom is missing.

  “Mr. Phillips?” We turn toward the door to see a young doctor. “I have some news for you. We found your mother. She was just brought in.” Thank God. “Unfortunately her injuries were so severe that she didn’t pull through. I’m so sorry for your loss.”

  Fuck.

  Whip falls to the floor completely missing the chair behind him. His dad died a while ago and his mom was all he had. The doctor silently leaves giving me an apologetic look. Whip sits unmoving on the floor, his elbows braced on his knees.

  Please let this be the end of it.

  We can’t lose anyone else.

  I let him sit there knowing that he needs me here but that he also needs me to just leave him alone.

  The door opens once again and a nurse is standing there. “Mr. Phillips, would you like to meet your daughter?” She has a smile on her face, and in any other instance we would too.

  Whip stands up and I follow him as we head toward the only good thing to come out of this day so far.

  We take the elevator up silently. As we approach the NICU, the nurse stops us. “Normally you would be allowed to enter the room, but because of the way you all are covered in dirt we can’t take the risk of you being near her. Your daughter’s immune system couldn’t handle any infection right now. There is a window and if you come back after you have washed off and are in clean clothes, we can give you a sanitary gown and let you sit with her.”