“If you keep this paranoia up, it’s going to cause me to go down to Vegas. You know that, right?”
“You’ll do whatever you feel is best,” he mutters out. “It doesn’t really matter if you leave. Zane will get my gavel in a couple of years and Hawk has been itching to come back up here. I can’t just let him come up and leave Damon and Amara with one less man.”
I close my eyes and shake my head in disbelief. My love for Ivy is causing my dad to push me away. Never did I think I’d see the day. “What would mom say if she saw you now?” I ask him, and he knows I’m not talking about my biological mother. I’m talkin’ about the woman who raised Zane and I like we were her own, his wife.
“Don’t you bring your mother into this shit,” he warns, But why? ‘Cause he knows she’d be pissed at him.
“I don’t even need to say anything more. You know what you’re doing is wrong. Fuck, for the life of me I can’t understand how the most caring man on the planet is putting up a wall when it comes to her.” I rub my hand over my forehead, trying to fathom his actions.
“I have told you time and time again, I don’t trust her. There is nothing to say that all of that wasn’t an elaborate scheme to set us up, to bait us into being the good people we are and come to her rescue. She could be here on her father’s orders to get as much information as possible and take down the entire club. I see that you think I’m insane. Just remember, I’ve been around a lot longer than you have, boy. Remember that, and while you’re at it, recognize that I only ever do what is best for the club. So, if I’m stayin’ leery of her, I have a damn good reason to.”
I look over my bright kitchen, the one that my mom last decorated when we were kids, and try to remember the good memories. I’m afraid the only thing I will remember while standing here is how my father has relentlessly tried to justify hating Ivy. “You don’t have a good reason. You’re allowing your fear to rule over you while paranoia seeps in.” I turn on my heel, walking into the living room and head toward the front door, exiting the house.
Bull comes jogging up, moving quicker than usual. “Tex and Dracus just spotted Grizzly in town. They’re layin’ low but are following him. Said they saw Connor too but chose to stick together instead of splitting up.”
“It’s good they didn’t split up. . . but . . . fuck, Ivy! She’s at the bar.”
Bull and I share a concerned look and before either of us can say a word, Saffron comes running out the clubhouse doors. “Kade! Kade!” she yells over and over again.
I dart down to the clubhouse with Bull hot on my tail. “What’s going on?” I ask her.
“There are reports of gunfire in town, someone said it’s at Barrels & Bourbon.” My heart sinks down to my stomach.
“What? When?” I question her, needing answers.
Saffron hands me her phone, “Look,” scrolling through, I see our local newspaper has already published an article that multiple people have reported gunshots at the bar. I hand the phone back to her and run inside the club, needing more heat. I run back into my bedroom and grab another Glock and load it quickly.
“Yo, Kade!” Bull hollers, causing me to head back in his direction. When I reach the clubhouse doors, I see a few brothers outside with guns trained on a Mazda. With one look, I can see Raven and that bartender who is obviously keeping a secret. I approach the car and with each step, my heart pumps even heavier in my chest, but as I see Ivy, I’m relieved more than anyone can understand.
“Are you alright?” I ask her, tearing the door open. “I heard there was a shooting in town. What the fuck happened?” I’m lookin’ at Ivy, but I’m really asking anyone who will listen.
Ivy’s bottom lip is trembling, and Raven doesn’t look much better. “He came into the b-bar and was t-taunting me. He r-raised his gun and M-Marty. Oh my god . . . Marty!” It looks like Ivy’s been crying for a little bit, but now her tears grow to be so much worse.
“What about Marty?” I ask.
Raven coughs, “Marty jumped in the way so we could get out. When we were in the back parking lot we heard a gunshot, and then a minute later he was shooting at us.” Raven looks back to her car, “I think he got the bumper, but nothing came through.”
I go around the back and look at the car, yanking out my phone and turn my flashlight on. I spot a bullet hole on the left bottom part of the glass. It looks like it would’ve hit if someone was sitting on the left side. “What side were you sitting on?” I ask Ivy, going around to the front of the car.
“The right,” she spits out quickly, and I breathe a sigh of relief.
I grab her and start looking around, moving her shirt out of the way and notice a tear. I know how much she hates to have her skin exposed since the incident, so I slip off my cut and take my shirt off, putting my shirt over her. I slide my cut back on and determine that she’s fine.
I have an eerie feeling though, something deep in my gut telling me that something is wrong.
“Raven!” Ivy calls out, and as I turn my head, the girl drops to the ground.
“Someone get Blackjack!” I yell, hoping that our in-house medic isn’t too far away. I drop to the ground and look to see where she’s been wounded, blood coming from the left side of her body. It seems to be her shoulder, but I’m not a doctor.
“Is she going to be okay?” Ivy looks at me with worried eyes.
I want to tell her that her friend will be just fine, but I can’t bear to lie to her. “I’m not sure, babe. But I sure hope so.”
5
You have to find what sparks a light you so that you, in your own way, can illuminate the world.
~Unknown
Ivy
I stand in the middle of the clubhouse shaking in my shoes. I’m a bottle of nerves, terrified, and worrying for Raven with every minute that passes. She’s passed out and they’ve moved her on top of the pool table. It’s covered with some sort of plastic, the kind of stuff you would’ve seen used on the tv show Dexter. I look around the room and still don’t see Blackjack, who’s Ashley’s husband. He’s also the go-to medical guy. Apparently, he’s a veteran and was a medic in the war from what I understand.
“Will Blackjack be here soon?” I ask Kade, looking down at Raven with nothing but worry. I can’t believe we didn’t know she was shot. Shit, she didn’t even move when it happened. Maybe it was shock though. I mean, I guess it’s possible.
Bull comes over to my side, putting his hand on my shoulder. “He will, he’s only a couple minutes away. Want to sit down with me and have a drink? You look like you could use it.”
I appreciate Bull trying to distract me from what’s going on, however, I can’t bear to be away from her. Shaking my head, I respond, “No, I’m okay here. Thank you, though.” I offer a half-smile, showing him that I am thankful for the kindness he’s showing me.
The door to the club comes busting open and in comes Blackjack and Ashley. Ashley has her hair up in some messy bun, but she’s the type of chick that always looks pretty. She could have rolled out of bed looking like this for all I know, and that makes me envy her. Some chicks just don’t have to try. Me on the other hand, I need a hot shower and a hell of a lot of hairspray to keep my mane trained.
I notice the small black bag in Blackjack’s hands, which he’s already starting to open as he approaches the pool table. “How long has she been out like this?”
“About ten minutes.” I’m quick to respond.
Furrowing his brows together, he pulls out a bottle of Iodine, gauze, some sort of metal forceps, and has a packaged syringe with some sort of small vile of liquid. He’s a medic, not a doctor . . . so how does he have all of this? Right now, I’m growing even more nervous that Blackjack is the one who will be working on her.
“Is he qualified to be using that?” I ask Kade lowly, looking from the bag to him. I’m sure that my nervousness is evident in every sense of the word.
He nods once. “Yes, Blackjack was trained when he was with the army and our club doc h
as used him on multiple occasions. She’s old as fuck, and quite honestly, is a grumpy old witch so trust me when I say, we’d rather have Blackjack handling it. The old hag is only needed when it comes to the worst case scenarios.”
“How is this not a worst case scenario?” My mind is blown.
“He’s right. We’ll leave the doc be and Blackjack can handle this. I’ve seen him handle much worse in even more horrible situations.” While Bull is trying to make me feel better, it doesn’t exactly do anything to make me feel at ease.
“Someone needs to tell me what happened, quickly,” Blackjack speaks up, looking between the three of us. Frank is sitting on the couch, rocking himself back and forth. This entire experience has weighed heavily on all of us, some more so than others.
“They were at the bar working and Connor went over to stir some shit up. An altercation happened and these three were able to get out. He fired at the car and it went through the back windshield and hit her. She didn’t show any signs of being hit until they got here. My guess is that from the adrenaline rush, she didn’t have a clue.”
Blackjack looks down at Raven, “You’re probably right. When tensions are running high, the body produces adrenaline and sometimes, we don’t realize what’s happened. Our instincts tell us to keep moving until we’re in a safe place, and in these circumstances, she was safe when she got here. Thank fuck for that.”
The door opens again, so I turn back to look who is coming in. Much to my surprise, I see that it’s Fist. He does a great job at avoiding me, so the fact that he’s in a room with me is shocking. “Heard Grizzly and Connor were spotted around town. From the looks of things, someone stirred up some shit.”
Fist makes sure to look right at me as he says it, almost like he’s insinuating I had some part in this. I understand why he’s so leery of me. It can’t be easy being a man in his position, wondering if I’m here to somehow fuck shit up. I’m not though, and I’ll do whatever I can to prove I’m not what he thinks I am.
I turn my head back in the direction of Raven and she starts moving her head around, blinking her eyes quickly and speaks. “What h-happened? Where am I?”
“You’re in the club, darlin’. We’re just fixing you up right quick. I just need you to lean up so I can get a good look at you,” Blackjack tells her in a soothing voice. She reaches her hand out and I grab it, helping her lean forward. She lets out an agonizing groan as she does so.
He’s quick to pull back her shirt and moves his head around to the front. “How are you feeling?”
“Not the greatest,” she admits.
“I would assume not. Listen, you were shot. I can see where the bullet entered the top part of your shoulder, but what I can’t find is an exit wound. This means that the bullet is still inside you and I’ll be honest, I don’t have the equipment to search for it. If I go in, it’ll have to be blind, but I have painkillers to make it a little more pleasant for you. Or, we can take you to a local hospital to get in handled.”
Raven shakes her head fearlessly. “No, I don’t want any painkillers and . . . fuck. I don’t have any health care insurance. If I go to the emergency room, I won’t have any way to pay for it. I work at the bar and it barely covers my rent. I eat noodles in a cup most of the time because it’s cheap and I can’t afford anything else. Please, just do it here and don’t give me painkillers. They’ve destroyed everyone I know and I won’t let them do the same to me.”
Blackjack listens to her and looks at me, almost as if he’s giving me a plea for help. I can’t imagine how painful this will be on her, but if she’s adamant on not taking painkillers . . . I can’t force her to change her mind. “Raven, are you sure you don’t want any? If he has to go in . . . I think he’ll have to dig until he finds it, right?” I look over to Blackjack, who’s sure to nod.
“No, I will not have any painkillers. Put a piece of leather in my mouth, have five men hold me down if you need to, but I will not take any drugs. Do you understand?” She glares at Blackjack, “I know I’ll hurt, that I’ll be in more pain than I ever have before . . . but don’t make me take pills or inject me.”
“Alright.” He sighs, shaking his head. “I hate to do shit like this, but I will if I have to. Fist, Kade, Bull, Zane, get your asses over here, ‘cause I’ll need your help. Ivy, it’s probably best if you take a seat over there with your friend.”
“No. I want to stay here. She needs me.” I’m determined in my tone of voice, making sure that everyone knows they won’t be pushing me around.
“Let her stay. Just do me a favor and don’t get squeamish or throw up on me.” Raven laughs, showing me that even in the most difficult situations, she can find the humor in things.
Blackjack lays her down on the opposite shoulder, having Fist hold her feet down, while Bull is on the opposite side at her shoulders, keeping her in position. Kade and Zane are in between both of them, with strong grips on Raven. I stand next to Bull, holding Raven’s hand through the process.
Blackjack squirts iodine on her wound and the instruments he plans on using after he takes them out of a medically sterile bag. “Do you want a warning before I start?”
“Fuck the warning and just do it already,” she snaps out, and within a moment, the metal instrument enters her body as she screams, unlike anything I’ve ever heard before. It reminds me of those movies where someone has been accused of being a spy and gets tortured. The gut-wrenching screams that fill the air, showing us just how much misery the character is going through. That is what Raven reminds me of right now, someone going through the worst pain ever imaginable.
I’m not sure how long this goes on because it blurs together. I tell her it will be over soon and everything will be okay, but I have serious doubts that this is the case. It could go on for ages because we don’t know where the bullet is.
Blackjack suddenly yells, “Got it!” and out comes a small metal round. He puts the bullet down on the plastic and puts more iodine in her wound. “I hate to have to tell you this, but I need to stitch you up before we’re done. Are you sure you don’t want any Tylenol or something?”
“Tylenol?” Raven laughs, sounding so incredibly weak. “No, I’ll be fine. Tylenol won’t do a damn thing.”
“Please tell me you plan on staying here,” I say, knowing she probably wasn’t even thinking of it. I immediately look to Fist, “Connor knows where we work, which probably means he’s done his research and knows where Raven lives. She can’t stay at her apartment, it’s not safe.”
Fist looks aggravated but when his eyes shift to Raven, I see something I’ve never seen from him — sympathy. Honestly, it makes me a bit frustrated that he shows it to a stranger and not me. “She can stay here in the clubhouse for as long as she needs. He can too,” Fist mutters, glancing to Frank before turning away and starting for the door.
Kade speaks up, talking to his father. “I’ll have you know that I want Grizzly’s head for everything that’s happened. Connor’s too. I’m done with this shit, and we’re going to make them suffer.”
The next twenty minutes are spent with Blackjack working on Raven’s stitches. Disinfecting them again after they’re complete and wrapping her wound. He makes her take some Tylenol, informing her that she won’t get addicted to that. I take Frank and Raven back to an empty room with a king-sized bed, knowing they’d rather be together than apart right now. They’re both in a new place and scared. I just hope I can show them they have nothing to fear here.
Kade stands outside the door as I make sure they’re both comfortable, and walks with me back to our bedroom. “I’m so glad nothing happened to you. The fear of god went through me today,” he admits, keeping his hand planted on the right side of my hip.
“It could’ve been much worse,” I whisper lowly, putting the hand on the door to our room. I open it and we both enter, shutting the door behind us slowly. Neither of us bothers putting the light on. After all, it’s been a long day and an incredibly taxing past few hours.
> I reach my arms out behind me, searching for Kade. After today, I just need to be in his arms and feel close to him. I crave it more than anything else in the world.
“Hey,” he murmurs softly, coming into contact with my hand. I turn around so I’m facing him, walking straight into his embrace. He sits his chin on top of my forehead and rubs his hand up and down in my back in a consoling manner.
“I can’t believe all of this,” I admit, hoping I’ll wake up to find out this is all a dream. I know I’m too hopeful, though. This is just how my life always is — chaotic.
“Just don’t, Ivy. Don’t give it another thought. For now, just think about you and me. In this room, nothing else matters, not even if the entire world is blowing up around us. You’re always so worried about what will happen to who, when it’ll happen, and what you can do about it. Worrying doesn’t do us any good, babe. It only causes us more pain.”
I pull my head away from his chest and stand up on my tippy toes, searching for his lips. When I meet them, our connection is something that it’s never felt like before. With every brush of our lips, his strength seeps into me, making me feel like I can continue going on, even if sometimes I don’t feel like I’ll be able to.
There have been many nights when I try to justify staying in a relationship with Kade. It’s not because I don’t love him, but because I worry about how our relationship is wearing on his family bond. It’s nights like this that make me realize no matter the price of us staying together, it’s well worth it.
We’re worth the fight and the people that we might lose in the process.
6
The black sheep is sometimes the only one telling the truth.
Kade Page 4
