by Naomi West
“Dakota,” said Hazel, getting up and taking my hands. “Please, do something!”
At that moment, Bonnie came back into the bar.
“Sorry to interrupt,” she said. “But I’ve been trying to call Suntree and he won’t answer.”
“Shit,” I hissed, taking out my phone.
I pulled up Suntree’s number and called.
“Yo, Dakota!” he said.
Relief washed over me.
“What’s going on?” I asked. “Where are you?”
“We’re in position,” he said. “Jay Jay’s still on his way?”
“Still on his way,” I confirmed. “But Suntree—you need to hold off on the attack. Something serious has come up.”
“What?” he asked. “What the hell are you talking about?”
“Just … wait there,” I said. “Don’t make a move without me.”
“I don’t know what’s gotten into you, kid,” said Suntree. “But you’re not the one in charge here.”
He was right—I was in an advisory position, but I wasn’t anywhere near being able to make calls like this. The only option I had was to play the hand I’d been dealt.
“I’ve got someone here with me. His daughter.”
“His what?”
“You heard me,” I said. “And I think I might be able to talk him out of fighting.”
“Whatever, kid. You want to try to play peacemaker, don’t let me stop you. But if Jay Jay shows up and we’re ready, we’re gonna make our move.”
Then he hung up.
“Fuck,” I said.
I turned to Hazel and Bonnie.
“We need to move. Right fucking now.”
24
Hazel
Fear raced through me as I held onto Dakota. Only his presence kept me calm, my arms around his body as he drove filling me with a sense of safety that I desperately needed at that moment. Bonnie followed close behind in her car, and together we made our way to the ambush site.
I wanted to talk to Dakota, to have him say something that would reassure me. But his eyes were fixed on the road, the wind whipping his ink-dark hair. I told myself that he assuredly had thoughts of his own, and I didn’t want to distract him.
But I knew this was it—we were going to have the showdown that would determine the fate of my family. My dad, Dakota, and my baby—all of their destinies hung in the balance of what was going to happen over the next few hours.
“Almost there!” shouted Dakota as we pulled onto the highway.
We kept on driving further and further away from the city. No cars could be seen down either side of the road, and the sun began to set through the tall trees around us.
Then I spotted them. Up ahead about a mile, one crew led by Suntree was on one side of the road, Jay Jay’s crew on the other. Dakota gunned the engine and closed the distance between us and the fight as quickly as possible, soon coming to a screeching halt when he was close enough.
This is it, I told myself again.
Dakota climbed off the bike and I hurried to his side. The eyes of the dozens of bikers there locked on him and me. I glanced back over my shoulder to see Bonnie pulling her car over onto the side of the road.
I had a feeling this was going to get very ugly.
Silence hung in the air, everyone there trying to figure out what to make of the new arrivals to the scene.
Finally, Jay Jay spoke.
“Hazel!” he called out. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Dad!” I called back.
It was so freaking weird to say the word “Dad” that it felt like something out of a dream. But it was real life—the man standing before me, clad in leather and denim, tattoos all over his arms and neck, was my father.
“Dad?” said Suntree, totally confused.
Bonnie stopped just a bit behind us.
“Bonnie!” said Suntree. “Get back in that car and get out of here!”
“No way,” she said. “Not until this fight’s stopped.”
“Fight’s not going to stop,” said Suntree. “We’re here to finish this shit.”
“Finish what shit?” asked Jay Jay, er, Dad. “Finish the job of you stabbing me in the back and taking my gang from me?”
Suntree smirked.
“Wasn’t planning on stabbing you in the back,” he said. “More like shooting you in the head.”
“Fuck you!” shouted Jay Jay, pure venom in his voice.
There was tension in the air, so thick I could hardly breathe.
Then Dad pointed to me.
“You’re still with this punk?” he asked. “I thought I told you to stay the hell away from him?”
Suntree let out a bark of a laugh.
“We’re really gonna do this family drama shit right here and right now?” he asked. “How about this—you show me your neck and let me put you out of your misery and you won’t have to worry about any of that crap ever again.”
I didn’t know what to say. The dozens of bikers, every one of the Names, looked ready to fight to the death. There wasn’t a thing I could do to stop any of it.
“This needs to end now!” demanded Dakota.
“What the fuck did you just say?” asked Suntree. “You still think you’re in a position to give orders, kiddo?”
“I’m not giving orders,” said Dakota. “I’m telling you both that ending this fight now is the only way to stop the Names from getting wiped out.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” asked Dad.
Dakota held up his hand to me, instructing me to stay put. Then he started towards the two men.
“All of our rivals, all of the other gangs in this city who’ve been eyeing up like vultures what we’ve built—they’ve all been waiting for this day. You two think the tension between the old-timers and the young blood has been some kind of fucking secret?”
Neither Dad nor Suntree spoke.
Dakota went on.
“You two fight and you’re going to lose a shitload of good men. And once the rest of the gangs in this town hear about it, they’re not going to waste any time in cleaning up whoever’s left.”
“It’s not going to work like that,” said Suntree, his eyes still fixed on Jay Jay. “Because my boys and I are going to wipe the fucking floor with these old fucks.”
“You think so, huh?” asked Dakota.
He shot his glance over to one of the men.
“Patch,” he said, addressing one of the younger men. “How many brawls you been in?”
“Two,” he said. “Well, one kind of doesn’t count.”
Dakota nodded, then turned his attention to one of the old-timers.
“Guts,” he said. “What about you?”
The burly older bike burst out into barking laughs.
“You fucking kidding me?” he asked. “More than I can count. And I got the fucking scars to prove it.”
“See?” asked Dakota. “You guys might be younger, but Jay Jay’s men have experience. And between those two things, I’d say you both are pretty evenly matched. And an even match between the two of you all is going to mean a lot of dead fucking bodies.”
I glanced out over the men and saw a lot of nervous glances. Dakota was right—they were evenly matched, and not just in numbers. This could be a bloodbath.
“So what the hell are we supposed to do?” asked Suntree. “Just give up?”
“No,” said Dakota. “Because there’s some serious shit here that needs to get sorted out.”
“You’re damn right about that,” called out one of the younger guys.
“Okay, diplomat,” said Dad, his hands on his hips. “What you got in mind?”
“This showdown right here has been brewing for a long-ass time. And Jay Jay, Suntree might be pulling some lowdown shit here, but this is partially on you.”
“The fuck you say?” barked Dad.
“Let’s hear the kid out,” said one of the other old-timers.
Dad said nothing, inste
ad nodding to Dakota to go on.
“There’s been a split between the old-timers and the young bloods, and it’s been getting worse. Jay Jay, no disrespect intended, but the rift’s been getting deeper under your watch.”
Dad grumbled, and I could tell that he knew Dakota was right.
“Maybe so,” he said. “But I’m still the fucking president!”
“Yes, you are,” said Dakota. “But now you’re something else—you’re a dad.”
Silence fell. I wasn’t the only one trying to deal with the revelation of Jay Jay being my dad.
“I am,” he said. “I am.”
“And right now, your daughter needs you in her life more than the gang does.”
“Big words,” said Dad. “Big fucking words.”
I knew what was going to come next, and I braced for it.
“Because,” said Dakota. “Your girl’s carrying your grandkid.”
The color drained out of Dad’s face.
“What?” he growled
“It’s true, Dad!” I said. “I’m … I’m pregnant!”
The knife in Dad’s hand hit the street with a clatter. Seemingly in a daze, he wandered over to a nearby tree trunk and sat down.
“Holy shit,” he said. “Holy shit.”
“Holy shit,” echoed Suntree.
The men murmured among themselves.
“Jay Jay, I know this is big news,” said Dakota. “But we need to figure something out.”
“Figure what out?” he asked. “And … shit—does this mean you’re the fucking dad?”
Oh boy.
“It does,” said Dakota. “I’m the dad.”
Dad pointed a finger in my direction.
“I told you to stay away from this kid!” he barked. “And you go and get knocked up by him!”
Not knowing what else to do, I approached Dakota and took his hand into my own.
“Dakota’s going to be there,” I said. “He’s going to do the right thing.”
Dad shook his head.
“Fucking hell,” he said.
“Kid,” said Suntree. “You might want to actually propose something before I finish this all on my own.”
Dakota nodded.
“Here’s what I’m thinking—Jay Jay, you step down as president. You’re going to be a granddad, and your family’s going to need you. Hazel and I are going to need you.”
“Then what? I just give it all up and hand power over to him?”
“No,” said Dakota. “You step down, and we hold a vote. Whoever the crew wants, that’s who becomes the new president. That way both the young bloods and the old-timers have to agree. That means they’re going to talk, that they have to work together and not act like two different clubs with the same name.”
The young bloods and the old-timers eyed each other up, their hard expressions softening.
“What?” asked Suntree. “You want to have a fucking vote like we’re the model UN or some shit?”
“Now,” said Dakota, stepping over to Dad. “I want to swear to you right now that I’m going to be there for your daughter. And if you want, right here, right now, you can end this fight. Every man here can go home alive. And the Names stay strong.”
Dad appeared to think it over. Finally, after several long moments, he nodded.
“Okay then,” he said. “My girl and my boys matter more to me than fucking power. And I suppose I’ve been on top for too long anyhow.”
Dakota extended his hand.
“You ready to do this … Dad?”
Dad regarded his extended hand for a moment.
Then he took it.
“Let’s do this, son.”
I let out a long breath, relief taking hold.
But before anyone could say or do anything else, Suntree rushed forward.
“No fucking way!” he yelled. “I came here to take charge, and that’s what I’m going to fucking do!”
My eyes shot down to his hand as he ran, spotting something clenched in his fist.
It was a knife.
Bonnie screamed, and I called out.
“Dad! Dakota! Watch out!”
Dakota and Dad’s eyes shot towards Suntree as he closed the distance, his knife raised and ready to strike.
He brought the blade down in a broad arc towards Dad. But before the blade could do its work, Dakota jumped forward and put himself between Dad and Suntree.
Then the blade came down towards Dakota’s neck.
I remember a flash of metal, then a spray of blood, and then a scream from my mouth.
And that was all before I passed out.
25
Dakota
One year later …
“Ow, ow.”
“What’s the matter?”
“You got me in the exact wrong spot.”
“No way. No way it still hurts.”
“I’m not saying it’s the worst pain in the world. But it’s still pretty raw.”
“After a year?”
“Hey, you take a knife to the neck and tell me how much you like it.”
I stretched my legs out under the covers as Hazel’s eyes stayed fixed on my neck.
“At least you got a pretty cool scar out of the whole thing.”
I sat up and glanced at my reflection in the mirror above the dresser across from the bed. About six inches along where Suntree had slashed me was a curving scar, almost a perfect half circle that started below my jawline and went down to the top of my collarbone.
“I guess it is pretty cool,” I said.
“Yeah,” said Hazel with a smile. “Makes you look tough.”
I raised my eyebrows.
“You telling me that I didn’t look tough before?”
“Okay, fine,” she said. “You look tougher.”
“That’s more like it,” I said.
I lay back on the bed and folded my hands behind me at the base of my neck.
“What’s up?” asked Hazel.
She was lying on her side, wearing nothing but a sheer nightie. Underneath I could make out her dark blue bra and panties. Her body had been killer during the entire length of the pregnancy, but now she was getting her shape back. I was so into the girl that nothing more than the curve of her hip was enough to drive me wild.
“Nothing,” I said. “Just thinking about what we’ve got ahead of us.”
“You mean you getting enrolled in college?”
I let out a snort of a laugh.
“Still can’t believe I’m doing that shit,” I said.
“I can,” she said. “Someone as smart as you—it’s totally stupid that you wouldn’t be in school. You were letting that brain of yours go to waste riding with the Names.”
“Sure was a shitload of fun, though,” I said. “Gonna miss those guys.”
“Yeah,” said Hazel. “They were sad to see you go. But Dad sure wasn’t.”
I laughed again.
“No kidding about that,” I said. “I still remember the look on his face when I told him I was quitting the crew and going back to college.”
“Me too,” said Hazel with a smile. “He looked like he was going to cry tears of joy.”
I chuckled.
“Not just that,” I said. “Why the hell are we talking about me when today’s your big day?”
Hazel’s face turned a deep shade of red.
“You’re so freaking cute when you blush,” I said, moving in and planting a kiss on her rosy cheek.
“Aw, shut up,” she said, playfully swatting me away.
“But why are you so embarrassed?” I asked. “Today’s the day you get your diploma!”
“I don’t know,” she said. “This last year’s been so freaking crazy that I’m just glad it’s over. Between Elizabeth and the schoolwork and everything else …”
“Yeah,” I said. “You’re right—it hasn’t exactly been a normal school year. But it’s over, and you kicked butt. Dean’s list and everything. And I bet you can get into whatever g
rad school you want.”
“True,” she said. “But damn, I don’t know what I would’ve done without you, baby.”
“I’m not going to take all the credit,” I said. “Wasn’t just me. It was your mom and dad, too. Hell, even Bonnie’s been a huge help watching Elizabeth when we needed a night off.”
A thoughtful expression formed on Hazel’s features.
“What?” I asked.
“Nothing,” she said. “It’s stupid.”
“If it’s stupid then I definitely want to hear about it.”
“Just thinking about how much time my mom and dad have been spending together. You think …”
I flicked up my eyebrows.
“That they’ve been doing a little more than talking about how cute their granddaughter is?”
“Gross!” shot out Hazel. “Ugh, why do you have to make me think about gross stuff like that?”
“Just busting your balls,” I said. “But really, I have no idea. They have been getting pretty friendly recently. Is that something you’d even want?”
“I don’t know,” she said. “I mean, they broke up for a reason, right?”
“Couldn’t tell you,” I said. “I wasn’t there for that.”
“I know, I know,” she said.
“But I’ll tell you this much—I haven’t seen the old man as happy as he is when he’s with your mom. Actually see a smile on his face every now and then.”
“Maybe that’s just because he doesn’t have a club to look out for,” she said.
“Could be,” I said. “But he sure does look like how I feel when I’m around you.”
Hazel smiled.
“You’re so freaking sappy,” she said.
“You love it,” I said with a grin.
“Kinda sorta,” she said with a smirk of her own.
Silence fell, and I crinkled my brow.
“Listen to that,” I said.
It took Hazel a second, but she got what I was talking about.
“Oh my God,” she said with a look of wonder on her face. “Is that really silence?”
“Yep,” I said. “That means not only did Elizabeth fall right back asleep when I got up, but that she stayed asleep.”
“I was wondering why I felt so refreshed this morning,” she said. “It’s because I actually slept through the night.”
