Facing Fear

by Harley Turner

  Jake smiled at Troy’s reaction. He reached into the back waistband of his jeans and pulled out his gun. He pointed it at his brother.

  Troy froze when he heard the gun cock. He knew it was coming, but when the moment finally arrived, he was terrified. He couldn’t protect Maya. He couldn’t even protect himself.

  Troy turned away from his brother and gazed up at the tower. “I love you Maya,” he called up to her. “I’m sorry.”

  He was answered with nothing but a loud bang roaring through the sky. His world went dark as he hit the ground.

  ~***~

  Jeremy slammed his phone down on the bar so hard he knew he had completely shattered the screen. Several of the patrons stared at him, but he didn’t care.

  “What’s wrong?” Stacie asked, her eyes wide in alarm.

  “The guys were caught in a storm,” he said. “They didn’t make it out here. Tom, Troy, and my old man are alone out there.”

  Stacie glanced at the clock. 12:05. There might still be time.

  “Go,” she told him.

  “But.” Jeremy held out his hands to indicate that he was ordered to stay there. He was supposed to protect the girls and Mason.

  “Go!” she shouted at him. “I can handle things here,” she insisted. She pointed to the general direction of the tower.

  Jeremy didn’t need any more motivation. He jumped over the bar and headed for the door. He grabbed Chloe by the arm as he ran by her.

  “You’re leaving?”

  “I’ll be back,” he promised. “There are a few things I want to talk to you about when I get back.”

  “Wh-“

  Chloe couldn’t finish the word when Jeremy put a hand on each side of her face and crushed his lips to hers before he took off running out the door.

  Jeremy honestly didn’t know what got into him, but he couldn’t leave without a kiss from Chloe. He barely knew her, but he hated the thought of returning home and being away from her.

  He also hated that he was so excited to be rushing off toward the tower and possibly his own death.

  He had been thrilled when his old man had given him the order to stay back and protect the girls. Of course that had been when they thought they had backup. Now they were alone out there.

  The crew had made it as far as Rapid City before they had no choice but to wait out the storm. A simple rain shower alone could be treacherous on a bike on the interstate, but the weather was calling for hail and possible tornadoes. It could quickly turn deadly.

  It had started to pour as he raced through the deserted streets in the direction Stacie had pointed. He didn’t know where he was going. He hoped that he would find them. He hoped he wouldn’t be too late.

  Jeremy slowed down as he reached the trail to the tower. He moved as fast but as silently as he could.

  There was no sign of Tom or Duke along the trail as he followed the sound of Troy and Jake shouting at each other.

  When they finally came into view, Jake had his gun pointed at Troy.

  “I love you Maya!” Troy shouted at the tower before turning back to his brother.

  Jeremy had to act fast. He crouched down and pulled out his gun. He waited until he heard Jake cock his weapon before he fired.

  Jake and Troy both hit the ground. He heard a scream from the tower.

  Everything was silent. Even the thunder seemed to stop. No one dared to move. Jeremy was scared to even breathe.

  Eventually, Troy started to stir. He looked up and saw his brother slumped on the ground in front of him in a pile of blood.

  Where had the shot come from if it wasn’t from Jake’s gun? Troy looked around as he slowly made his way to his feet.

  Jeremy couldn’t move. He had never shot anyone before. Until he saw Troy on his feet, he had been afraid that he had hit them both.

  With Jake down, his henchmen took off running. When they were alone, Troy pushed his brother to his side.

  The bullet had entered Jake’s chest, right where his heart would be. It was instantly fatal. Even so, Troy kicked the gun away from Jake and put it in the pocket of his hoodie before racing to the tower.

  Troy almost collided with Tom at the entrance. Duke and Maya were just behind him. He pushed passed the men to pull Maya into his arms.

  He kissed her lips. He kissed her forehead. He nearly crushed her with his strength as he pulled her as close to him as physically possible.

  “Are you okay?” he asked between kisses. “I’m sorry.” Kiss. “Nothing like this will ever happen again.” Kiss. “I promise.” Kiss.

  “I’m okay,” Maya giggled as she wrapped her arms around Troy. “Who shot him?”

  “Did your crew finally get here?” Tom asked Duke.

  Duke shook his head and shrugged as he squinted into the brush. There wasn’t even the slightest sign of movement.

  “Whoever it was, they saved my life,” Troy said.

  “Saved all of us,” Tom added.

  Jeremy slowly made his way to his feet. He glanced back at the path the two men had just fled down. “Shouldn’t we stop them?” he called to the men.

  “Jeremy?” Duke was overcome with pride for his some, but at the same time, he was irritated. It wasn’t like Jeremy to disobey an order. “Shouldn’t you be with the girls?”

  Jeremy shrugged as he walked up to his father. “The crew was stuck in a storm,” he explained. “I couldn’t leave you guys out here alone.”

  “We’re stuck out here in a storm,” Troy pointed out. He held Maya closer to him when he felt her shiver. He couldn’t blame her. It was warm enough outside, but the rain felt like ice and they were completely soaked.

  “What do we do about him?” Maya asked as she glanced back at Jake. The rain had already washed away most of the blood, but there was still a dead body that couldn’t just wash away.

  “I’ll take care of it,” Duke volunteered. “You guys can head back. Dry off. I’ll be there soon enough.”

  “I can help,” Jeremy offered.

  “Definitely not,” Duke insisted. “You have done enough. Go enjoy being a hero.”

  Maya and Troy didn’t need any encouragement to get out of there. They tried to walk down the path still wrapped in each other’s arms, but it was awkward and slow and they kept slipping in the mud. Maya let out a squeal when Troy bent down to pick her up and carry her out of there. She didn’t put up a fight. She just wrapped her arms around his neck and rested her head on his shoulder.

  Jeremy and Tom jogged to catch up with the couple while Duke hung back to clean up the mess. Despite having reason to celebrate, they were quiet on the walk back downtown.

  The storm was getting worse. Hail started to fall just before they reached the restaurant. Many of the shops on Main Street had already closed because of the weather.

  When they walked into the bar, everyone froze. Tom turned off the “open” sign. Chloe dropped the bottle of liquor she had in her hand and took off running into Jeremy’s arms. Stacie greeted her father with a hug. Cody and Maya stared at each other awkwardly as she pulled herself from Troy’s arms to stand on her own two feet.

  “Bar’s closed,” Tom announced to the few customers that were still there. “Maya, call home and let them know you are riding out the storm here,” he instructed. “You too Cody.” He walked behind the bar and pulled out a bottle of whiskey. “I think we have all earned a private party.”

  “You two should talk,” Troy whispered to Maya as he nodded at Cody.

  “Why are you here?” she asked when she approached her former best friend. She immediately blushed. She hadn’t meant to sound rude. She really was glad to see him, but she wasn’t in the mood to fight.

  Cody didn’t even try to fight the tears as he threw his arms around Maya. “I saw them take you. I didn’t know what was going on. I thought I was too late to tell you I’m sorry.”

  Maya hesitantly returned the hug as she glanced back at Troy. He leaned down to kiss her forehead.

  “You need to
talk,” he repeated. “I’m going to get some dry clothes. I’ll be back,” he said as he walked away, leaving his love in the arms of another man. He disappeared upstairs to change.

  “I’m sorry about what I said at the theater,” Cody said, drawing Maya’s attention away from Troy. “I was mad. I didn’t mean it. I really need you in my life Maya.”

  “I’ve only ever thought of you as a friend,” she told him. “More like a brother.”

  Cody nodded. “I’ll take what I can get.”

  “You said you wouldn’t be able to handle me with someone else,” she reminded him. “I’m with Troy. That’s not going to change.”

  “What I can’t handle is us not being friends. This week has been a nightmare. When your brother told me you had a boyfriend, I realized I still need you in my life,” he said.

  “Troy really is a good guy.”

  Cody shrugged. “As long as he makes you happy, it’s good enough for me.” He knew he would never like the man, but if he had to tolerate him to be around Maya, he would do what he had to.

  Maya smiled and threw her arms around Cody again. “I’ve missed you too,” she cried.

  ~***~

  After Troy changed his clothes, he collapsed on his bed. Had it really been only a few hours since he had fallen asleep with Maya in his arms?

  It was only two in the afternoon, but it felt like midnight. He still had to find his bike.

  He still had to walk away from Maya.

  He couldn’t risk anything happening to her again. He couldn’t imagine what would have happened if Jeremy hadn’t gotten there when he did.

  Troy gazed out the window at the storm. Even if he had his bike, he couldn’t leave until the weather cleared up.

  By then he might change his mind.

  By then it would probably be impossible for him to walk away.

  “You’re not leaving.”

  Troy jumped at Tom’s voice. He hadn’t heard the man make his way upstairs. He thought he was alone.

  “I can’t stay,” Troy argued. “The club will retaliate. Ray and Chris saw everything. They will be back for me. As long as I’m around, everyone is in danger.”

  “Maybe. Maybe not.” Tom moved into the room and sat on the bed next to Troy. “You know as well as I do that there are several members that will be thrilled that Jake’s gone.”

  “Not all of them though,” Troy argued.

  “Enough of them. I have men headed over to talk to them as we speak. Jake’s vengeance on you wasn’t a club decision. You know that. He acted on his own, not as president. They can’t hold that against you.”

  “Jake’s not my only enemy,” Troy pointed out. “I was stupid to think I could just get away.”

  “You’re stupid to think you can just walk away from Maya. She needs you. And you need her. We both know that that girl is the best thing that ever happened to you.”

  Troy couldn’t argue the fact that he needed her, but he didn’t agree with the rest of Tom’s statement. She had her family. She had her best friend back. Maya would be fine.

  Tom sighed. He knew he was fighting a losing battle. “Just come back downstairs and celebrate with us. Have a few drinks. Make out with your girl. Something other than sulking up here. We will deal with the consequences tomorrow. If you still want to leave, I won’t stand in your way.”

  “I’m underage,” Troy reminded Tom.

  Tom smiled at him. “The bar’s closed. I’m not selling or serving tonight. This storm isn’t going away any time soon. No one is leaving this building tonight.”

  Troy let Tom’s words sink in. A few drinks definitely sounded good. So did making out with Maya.

  “You really won’t stand in my way if I wait until tomorrow?”

  Tom shook his head, but he attempted to hide his smile. He believed that if he could delay Troy, Maya would be able to convince him to stay.

  “I really can’t stay,” Troy insisted. “She would be better off without me.”

  “You would both be lost without each other,” Troy argued. “You can’t deny that. Just get your butt downstairs and enjoy the rest of the day!”

  ~15~

  C hloe had gone crazy in the two hours Jeremy had been gone. Her heart had stopped when he kissed her before he left and she couldn’t concentrate on anything while he was gone.

  She should have been embarrassed at the way she dropped everything and leapt into his arms when he returned, like a love-struck teenager.

  He had said they would talk when he returned, and although their mouths were definitely busy, they had done very little talking.

  “Be my girlfriend,” Jeremy said when he finally pulled away to catch his breath.

  “What?” He had caught Chloe off guard. She didn’t know what she was expecting to hear, but the words seemed to break the spell he had over her. She began to back away.

  “Chloe, in the day that I’ve known you, I have felt happier, more alive, than I have in years. I’ve laughed more. I’ve opened up more to you in the last twenty four hours than I have to anyone in my entire life. I can’t imagine leaving you to go back home.”

  Chloe shook her head as tears filled her eyes. She had heard that speech before. She had fallen for it before. All it had gotten her was a child to raise on her own and a bitter hatred to all tourists.

  “I can’t,” she said quietly. “You live hundreds of miles away. I have Mason to think about.”

  “I can move here,” he offered. “I can help you with Mason. We can take things as slow as you need to. I just can’t imagine my life without you.”

  “You have a job that you love in Minnesota,” she reminded him. “Your club. Your father.”

  At the mention of him, Duke entered the bar. Without saying a word, he walked straight over to Jeremy.

  “I’m proud of you son,” he said, putting his hand on Jeremy’s shoulder. “Your first kill saved all of us today.”

  “And my last,” Jeremy told his father. “I want out.”

  The casual conversations around them stopped. Everyone stopped what they were doing and turned to face Duke and Jeremy. Even Troy, who finally left the apartment, stopped and sat on the stairs to watch the father and son.

  The old man sighed. His eyes filled with sadness. He had known the day was coming, but he had selfishly hoped his first kill would pull his son closer to the club. Instead it seemed to have the opposite effect.

  “Is there anything I can do to get you to stay?” he asked Jeremy.

  “You can deny my request,” Jeremy said as he stared his father in the eye. “I want to stay here. I want my own life.”

  “You know I can’t deny that,” Duke said as he pulled his son into a hug. “I’ve always known the club could never be enough for you.”

  Jeremy shook his head. “Being part of the club has been great for me,” he insisted. “I wouldn’t trade my childhood for anything, but it’s time for me to move on. I want a family of my own someday, but I want my children sheltered from that life.”

  Duke looked over at Chloe. She wasn’t even attempting to hide the tears that were spilling over. “Take care of my boy,” he ordered. Chloe only nodded.

  Jeremy’s eyes widened. “Does that mean you will give me a chance?” he asked Chloe. “That you will give us a chance?”

  Chloe chewed her lip and nodded slowly. It was good enough for Jeremy. In less than the blink of an eye, she was back in his harms and his lips were against hers once again.

  Jeremy didn’t have the words to describe how he felt. So many feelings conflicted. He was ecstatic to be with Chloe. He was also terrified that for the first time in his life, he didn’t have the structure of the club. He didn’t have the brotherhood to have his back. His life was truly his own.

  Troy couldn’t help but be jealous of Jeremy’s happiness. He looked around the bar. His eyes feel on Maya.

  She was sitting near the corner of the bar, still talking to Cody. She had been smiling, but her expression changed to worry when
she found Troy staring at her.

  Troy knew he couldn’t even begin to apologize for everything Maya had been through in the last twenty four hours, but she looked genuinely happy. How could she be happy after everything that happened?

  Maya jumped when Tom placed a glass on the bar behind her. She reached for it, not knowing how many she had already had or caring that she had never drank before.

  “He needs you Maya,” Tom said quietly. “He’s lost and blaming himself for everything. I’m worried.”

  Before Maya could ask Tom anything, he turned and walked away, leaving the drink behind. She glanced at Cody and down at the glass before picking it up and chugging the entire thing.

  Whatever it was, it was strong. The alcohol burned Maya’s throat and instantly warmed her insides. Her eyes began to water and she had to blink a few times to bring Cody’s face back into focus.

  It wasn’t the first time that a glass of some mysterious substance had been placed in front of her that night, but she had finished every single one.

  Despite the fact that they would be seniors in a few weeks, they had never actually attended a party before. Cody refused the drinks that were handed to him, but Maya enjoyed the feeling of numbness. She didn’t have to think at all.

  She was able to forget about the horrors she had faced. She was able to forget about everything.

  “Aren’t you going to talk to him?”

  “Huh? Who?”

  Cody sighed. “Your boyfriend. Tom just said he needs you.”

  “Tom needs me? Why? I’m not working.”

  Cody literally slapped his palm to his face. “You’re boyfriend needs you,” he spelled out for her. “Maybe you’ve had enough to drink.”

  “Maybe you need to learn to have some fun!” Maya stood up and spun away from Cody. The room continued to spin even after she had stopped moving. Troy bolted across the room and caught her just before she fell.

  “My hero,” she said. “Always saving me.”

  At least Troy finally knew why Maya looked happy. She was drunk. He glanced over at Cody. “How much has she had?”

  Cody shrugged. “Four or five?” he guessed. He really hadn’t been keeping count. “People keep handing them to her. I’m not even sure what she’s been drinking.”