by Hart, Eve R.
I should have known she wouldn’t listen to me. She was on my damn heels as I walked out the door.
“Woman,” I lightly scolded. “You have nothing on under that shirt.”
“Yes, that is correct,” she said like I’d somehow asked a damn question.
“Let me make something clear to you,” I said as I turned to face her, stopping her from walking out of the room. “You are mine. Which means that body is mine. And I don’t want anyone seein’ you like this. Got me?”
Her lips thinned and though I didn’t have time for this, I should have seen it comin’.
“Got it,” she said with a tiny, evil upturn of her lips.
She slyly slid around me, ignoring every single fucking thing I’d just said.
I let out a frustrated breath and with a shake of my head, followed behind her.
“Petra,” Mason greeted, keeping his eyes on hers because he fuckin’ knew better.
“Mason,” she greeted back with a hard stare. One that I knew wasn’t meant to be disrespectful.
“Most everyone is here,” he said, swinging his gaze to mine. “Fill me in.”
All I’d told him last night was that I was going to get shit handled and that I needed him to let everyone know to be here in the morning. I hadn’t gone into details because I hadn’t talked to Abigail yet. I should have called him back and explained everything, but I didn’t. I was pretty sure he understood.
“Need some shit filled in here, Petra,” I said after I was done.
“I’m not sure I know much more than you. When I called Garen, Midori was breaking down in the bathroom.”
“The bodies?” I asked.
“He said he’d have it taken care of by morning. As you know, I haven’t been in contact to find out if he has done so. But Garen is a man of his word, so I shouldn’t have to check in with him.”
I nodded, figuring that was good enough for now.
“I’ll head down and make some coffee,” Mason said with a chin jerk.
“Find her some damn clothes, please,” I called out as he turned and headed for the door.
“I’m fine the way I am,” Petra stated like she just didn’t fuckin’ get it.
Mason raised a brow at me. With a sigh, I let it go.
“I’ll be right down,” I told him and then he headed out.
Petra turned and headed for the bathroom.
“Kiss, Pet. Please, I need it right now,” I said softly. I let a small smile tip up my lips when I heard her feet pause and turn back to me.
Standing at my side, she leaned over and pressed her lips against mine. She lingered but it didn’t get heated.
Then she carried on her way to the bathroom.
I let her get ready and then slipped in to piss and brush my teeth.
When I came back out, she was still wearing my damn shirt with nothing under it. I guess it wasn’t really much shorter than some of the dresses she wore, but that wasn’t the point. Hanging on the end of her outstretched finger, was the bandanna that I’d taken off last night.
“This is why you were meant for me,” I said, placing a light kiss on her lips. I slipped the bandanna from her finger and made quick work of retying it around my head.
The trip down the stairs seemed like the longest ever, my booted steps sounding loud as they landed on each step.
Like a woman made for this, Petra stood at my side as I delivered the blowing news to the entire club.
Emotions ran high after I’d explained what happened. Some were mad. Some were sad. Some were wanting blood though there was none left to give. A few looked to Petra with a deep kind of respect in their eyes. And maybe a little bit of honor.
The crowd scattered after I was done.
Abigail came in a little while later and headed for the kitchen. I went to stop her, but Petra put her hand on my shoulder and shook her head.
“If she wants to, let her. Keeping routine might help her,” she whispered so no one else would hear.
I nodded and wrapped my arm around her shoulders.
We all stayed and ate the breakfast that Abigail had made. I watched from the far table that butted up against the wall, Petra and Mason at my sides. Abigail moved around like she was on autopilot. I was going to keep an eye on her and if she didn’t snap out of it in a few days, I would step in.
I realized that everyone dealt with grief in their own way and that it wasn’t something that could be rushed. To get over it, you had to accept it. And it was clear that Abigail wasn’t there yet. Neither was I, to be honest.
“Laurel,” Bridget said as she leaned forward so she could talk to B-ry’s woman.
“Yeah?” Laurel replied back.
“Let’s go do something and get Abigail out for a while.”
With sad eyes, Laurel nodded.
“Is that okay, Iron?” Bridget asked me, her attention now turned my way.
“I think that’s a good idea. Thanks, darlin’.” I looked over to Abigail. She was standing at the sink, absentmindedly washing dishes. “Take one of the brothers with you.”
There wasn’t a threat against us, but I wanted someone there in case Abigail freaked out or broke down. I was anticipating at least one of those things to happen at some point. And I would do everything in my power to make sure she had all the comfort and support that she would allow.
“I don’t have a shift today, I’ll go,” Charming said as he got to his feet, picking up his plate. Just like most everyone else, it looked like he’d only eaten a few bites. Food was the last thing on our minds.
“Alright,” I said with a nod.
I watched with a hawk’s eye gaze as he walked over to the sink and softly said something to Abigail. When she turned her head to respond, I could see the wet streaks running down her cheeks. She gave a sad nod, her eyes going to the floor. Charm wrapped his arm around her, giving her a brief squeeze, then stepped away and put a noticeable amount of distance between them.
“He’ll look out for her,” Petra said in a low voice, her body slightly leaning into me. There was no tenderness in her tone, it was almost as if she was stating a fact.
“He feels guilty,” I said back, keeping my voice down.
“Why?” she asked and her head tipped to the side as she studied Charming across the room. Her eyes narrowed in on him like a cat stalking its prey as she tried to figure it out for herself.
I didn’t have it in me to explain it to her right now, so I let the silence linger. I knew how he felt because it was written all over his face. And it was the same thing I was feeling.
“There was nothing he could have done to change the outcome,” she said after a long moment slipped by. “I don’t mean to be harsh in saying this, but it happened. No one is to blame but the man that pulled the trigger. And he has received his punishment for that. An eye for an eye and all.”
“It’s not that simple, babe,” I said as I leaned in and kissed her temple. I hadn’t missed the fact that she’d almost apologized for what she’d said. Well, as close to ‘I’m sorry to say this’ as Petra would ever get. But it showed me she knew her words were going to be blunt and probably necessary. That they weren’t going to be easy to hear but she was the one that had the balls to speak them. Maybe it was something we all needed to hear.
“Your man died with pride,” she said. Her eyes stared into mine showing me how much she believed those words. “He protected you and the honor that he felt from that was written all over his face.”
There was a sharp gasp and I looked over to see Abigail standing at the end of the table. Her watery gaze was on Petra.
I was about to jump up and go over to her when she opened her mouth and directed her words at Petra.
“Thank you,” she said softly. She was shaking but there was a hint of relief in her tone. “That was hard to hear but it also makes it a little easier.” She shook her head and walked off. Bridget and Laurel got up and followed behind her as she left the kitchen.
Petra wasn’t
the gentlest of people, not even close. It was clear by the silence around that her statement hit us all hard. Especially me. Did it lessen the blow and the hard reality that Dade wasn’t here anymore? No. But it did make me aware of something I hadn’t seen, or at least not been conscious to.
This club was his life, that much I already knew. But what I didn’t see before was that Dade thought that giving his life for one of us was a sacrifice to be proud of.
The bravest heroes are the ones that don’t set out to be one.
Dade was a brother.
He was an unexpected hero.
And for damn sure, he’d never be forgotten.
CHAPTER NINETEEN
Iron
A few days went by. The mood of the club was still heavy.
Petra had gone back to her place, and after checking for herself, let me know that everything had been cleaned up. I didn’t have to question if there was any evidence left behind because I knew Petra.
Connor stayed good on his word and Dade’s death went down as an accidental death. The story they’d come up with no less gruesome than what had really happened. And as I shared the false cover story with my brothers so we were all on the same page, I didn’t feel any better about it.
Dade had been out for a ride and lost control of his bike. His front tire hit the curb, launching him over the front handlebars, where he was then impaled by a tree branch.
I understood the reason behind it but it was still horrible.
It would do well enough to explain the hole in his chest to anyone that didn’t know what they were looking at, had they looked.
Mullins either hadn’t gotten word about Dade’s death or believed the story enough to not go looking.
That was good enough for me.
We were laying Dade to rest today and I knew after that there would be nothing that connected him to what happened.
There was a casket that carried his body for now. Later, after everything was over, he would be cremated. This was simply a show for Abigail since she had started shaking and freaking out when we told her that was the plan. She didn’t want his body burned up because she wasn’t ready to let him go. I would have never gone against her wishes and I hated that there would be this huge lie there, but it had been Dade’s request. One he made while he was lying in that hospital bed right after he lost his leg. He told me that if anything ever happened, he wanted me to do what I had to do in order to save the club.
I’d been torn on the decision, but remembering those words made it clear in my mind. The club was everything to him and I would give him this last wish to set him free.
That was what I told myself anyway. Choosing to believe that this was what he wanted while I was doing it to cover all our asses.
It was a heavy burden to carry but I had to.
Dade and Abigail’s parents flew in last night. This was the first time I’d ever seen them. And truth be told, I hadn’t heard much about them before either. I felt a slight flicker of guilt that I was meeting them for the first time at their son’s funeral. Then again, since they pretty much ignored me, I supposed I hadn’t really met them yet. I knew that Dade didn’t have much to do with them and Abigail didn’t seem like she wanted to move back home once she was here.
Watching them sitting next to Abigail and the way she seemed stiff made something kick in my gut.
The preacher went on talking some shit that didn’t really have anything to do with Dade. It wasn’t like the man knew Dade. But once his parents found out we were handling the funeral, they somehow finagled this part into it. I’d overheard Abigail on the phone arguing with them about it but it looked like she had given up the fight.
My hand went to my beard as I watched them.
A moment later, Petra’s fingers were tugging at mine until my hand was resting on my thigh. Her hand covered mine to prevent me from thinking again. I cut my eyes over to her and she gave me a look that told me she knew what I saw and now was not the time.
She was right.
So I sat there with the warmth of her hand soothing me as I listened to the preacher man go on.
Eventually, we had the floor. A bunch of the brothers had plans to speak. One by one, they rose from their seats and went to say a few words.
Petra released my hand after Mason stepped down.
With a deep breath, I got to my feet.
I couldn’t say what I really wanted to with ears that we didn’t trust around and all. I couldn’t tell everyone how brave he’d been. I couldn’t give honor to his death by telling how he’d saved my life. Petra’s life. Midori’s life.
Not that the important people didn’t know all of that already.
“Dade once said to me that you have two choices when a car is comin’ straight for you, you can either run from it or run toward it.” I paused remembering that moment like it was yesterday.
We were sitting on one of the couches in the clubhouse. Both of us enjoying a beer. It was a few months after he’d gotten out of the hospital and he still had bad days when it came to his leg.
“I remember thinking that was a horrible analogy to how you could face life. But lookin’ back, I realize that Dade wasn’t ever afraid. He didn’t run from shit. He went all in no matter the danger or the hardship.”
My head turned, looking at the casket just a few feet away.
“He lived life to the fullest and didn’t hesitate to put others first. He always looked out for the people he loved.”
I stepped to the side. The casket was smooth and cool under my hand. My fingers tightened against the hard surface like I was squeezing his shoulder one final time.
“You might be gone, but you’ll never be forgotten, brother,” I breathed out as a final goodbye.
I took my seat again and watched as Abigail shakily got to her feet. Every step closer to the front seemed to come slower than the one before it. Once she stood in front of everyone, it was like she had to force her head to look up at us.
She was having a hard time getting her words out. I wanted to go to her but I wasn’t sure if I would make it worse.
Maybe she hated me. Maybe she blamed me. Maybe she wished Dade had never stepped foot in the club. I didn’t know because she had kept her emotions to herself, going through the day doing what she usually did. Though it wasn’t the same because her heart wasn’t in it. And any time I tried to tell her to stop, that I’d take care of it, she had waved me off like I was being ridiculous.
Surprisingly, it was Blade that got up and went over to her. His face remained stoic as his hand went to Abigail’s shoulder. She stopped shaking, but the tears still fell. He kept his hand there until she’d finished reading the words she had written down. Then she turned to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Stiffly, he hugged her back, his eyes locked somewhere out in the crowd.
Abigail scurried back to her seat.
We all waited for his parents to get up and say something but they remained stiffly seated. Even the pastor had a brief look of shock.
After all was said and done, everyone scattered. Petra and I rose together once it was clear. Neither of us said anything as we made our way back to my bike. The roar of bikes taking off filled the air.
Raised voices caught my attention and I turned to track where they were coming from.
Abigail and her parents were standing behind a big oak tree at the edge of the cemetery. I hung back for a moment. I wasn’t going to butt in unless I felt that Abigail needed it. I understood that family fought and this was a high emotion time.
“I think it’s past time you came home,” her mother said.
Abigail’s head shook as she looked down. Her expression was hidden by her curtain of hair.
“That club is what got your brother killed. All that careless and reckless behavior. Riding a motorcycle. What was he thinking? Of course he died living in a place like that. Those people don’t care about anything but themselves and having a good time. Do you see what having a good time gets you? Put
in the ground.”
I couldn’t take it one second longer, I had to step in. I was shocked this woman was Abigail’s mother and that she dared to talk to her daughter like that. On the day Abigail buried her brother, no fucking less.
“Abigail,” I said stepping up and making my presence known. “Everything alright, sweetheart?”
Abigail’s head came up the moment my hand touched the top of her back.
“Yes, Iron. Thank you.” She turned her head to look at her mother. “You have it all wrong, Mom. And it’s truly sad that you can’t get your head out of your ass long enough to see it. Dade had a good life here. He had people that loved him and cared about what happened to him. They were here for him when he lost his leg. They stuck by his side through it all. The club was more family to him than the two of you could ever claim to be.”
Proud of Abigail, I couldn’t help but smile.
Her mother gasped and her head reared back like she’d been slapped.
“You ready to go home?” I asked Abigail.
“Yes,” she said with a final nod.
I led her away, shielding her as best as I could from her parents’ disapproving glares.
“You gonna tell me about them one day?” I asked after we were out of earshot.
“I’m not perfect,” she said softly. “And to them, that is unacceptable.” She shrugged and walked off without another word.
Charming held out a helmet for her and waited until she had it buckled on before he climbed onto his bike. She got on behind him, her movements a little awkward letting me know that she didn’t make a habit of getting on a bike. With a jerk of his chin in my direction, Charm took off.
“Ready, babe?” I asked feeling Petra behind me.
“Yes.”
“Comin’ to the clubhouse?”
We were having a party in honor of Dade. I had a good feeling most of the brothers would be plastered by the end of the night and I wasn’t about to give a single one of them shit for it.
“No. Take me home. I know it’s going to be a long night for you and I don’t want you to have to worry about me, too.” There was no bitchiness in her tone. No anger. Not even a hint that she wanted me to beg her to come.
