by K E Osborn
The aftermath of that war was good, letting our hair down and reveling in the win. You have to count your blessings.
Our families were released from lockdown, which means Ethan and Lou went home. Honestly, I think Ethan couldn’t wait to get out of here. He knew if the cops were called, and he was found here, he’d be in a world of hurt. I need to check in with him. Make sure he’s doing okay. He killed someone, and it wasn’t in the line of duty. That shit haunts you the first time you do it. But for now, he needs to be with his family, and that is Lou. So, I will give him that.
Needless to say, we put in a rush bulk order for new bikes. Having our rides demolished like that ate at the very soul of this club. They’ll be arriving soon, but in the meantime, Zero arranged to rent some Harleys.
I sit back, enjoying the quiet of the clubhouse. With the number of people we had here over the past forty-eight hours, it’s no wonder everyone is keeping to themselves. Having so many people here was good, but sitting and drinking a beer in peace, there’s no feeling quite like it.
Zero, Cherry, Wraith, and Prinie sit at the table next to me, seriousness written all over their faces.
I try to block out their conversation, but they’re talking loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Honestly, Prinie, this should be discussed with Koda here,” Zero urges.
Prinie huffs. “The thing is, Zero… Koda wants one thing, to be part of this club. He just got shot in the leg and nearly bled out all over the goddamn asphalt. I love him, Zero. I care about him too much to lose him to the next war that comes this way.”
“So, you think sending him halfway across the country is the answer?”
Prinie shrugs. “His grades have improved since coming back to Houston. Wraith and I were talking to his principal at school. He’s already applied for the scholarship at Stonewall in Albany. He may not even get in, but I want us to know the option is there if he gets approved.”
Zero glances at Cherry, his stance softening a little. “What do you think?”
“Honestly? Koda is young, he’s impressionable. He’s trying so hard to be like the rest of you, and it’s going to get him killed. If he goes off to college, tries to work out who he is, finds his own footing, I think then maybe if he wants to come back to the club and join, then that’s his choice… but, my opinion is that he should go. Grow up a little. Have a life away from the club. Be a teenager before trying to be a man.”
Zero scrubs at his face. “This family has spent so long apart. I hate the fact he won’t be here under my protection.”
“It’s a plane ride away. He’ll come home for the holidays. We can talk on the phone. Zero, he needs to be with kids his own age,” Prinie urges.
Wraith shrugs. “This isn’t my place, brother, but I have to agree. He’s trying too hard to be like us. Without the training, without the instincts, he’s not. His leg is going to take time to heal. That should be enough to convince you he’s not ready for the club. Not yet.”
“But New York? Why so far away?”
“It’s an elite school. He’ll get the best education. Meet the right people. He could be someone, make something of himself,” Prinie relays.
“Look, we have to see if he gets in first. Maybe we table this until he gets the call?” Cherry suggests.
“No,” a voice murmurs from the bottom of the stairs. “I want to go.”
We all turn as Koda hobbles in on his crutches.
Zero sits taller. “Are you sure?”
“Zero, I love it here, I love being with my family, with everyone. But Prinie is right, I see that now. I need to be with kids my own age. I want to experience life. I don’t want to leave the club, but being shot proved to me I’m in over my head.”
Prinie’s eyes flood with tears.
Koda groans, she stands, pulling him into a tight embrace. “Don’t cry.”
“I’m sorry, it’s the hormones.”
“I’m gonna miss y’all. More than you know.”
Prinie lets out a sob, making everyone chuckle.
Wraith pulls her away from Koda and to him. He tries to comfort the overly emotional pregnant woman.
Zero cocks his head to the side, reaching into his pocket. “I’ve been holding onto this, waiting for the right time to give it to you… I think maybe now is that right time.” He steps forward, his closed fist held out to Koda as Prinie sobs quietly, obviously knowing what this is about.
Koda puffs out his chest then places his palm forward to receive the gift. Zero drops the item into Koda’s hand, and Koda lets the string of chain drop from his fingers as he assesses the item with a ‘W’ pendant dangling from the bottom. The W is engraved with skulls, and immediately I recognize it as one that Zero and his father, Frenzy, have both worn before him.
Koda’s eyes widen as his head snaps up to his brother. “This is the Walker family heirloom… I thought—”
“I’d only get this if I joined the club?” Zero interrupts, and Koda nods. “No… you get this handed down to you when you become a man, brother.”
Koda tries to fight his smile, but he can’t. Stepping forward, he pulls his brother in for a tight embrace. “Thank you, Zero. I’ll never take it off.”
“You better fucking not. That thing is a huge deal in our family.”
Prinie sniffles as Koda bobs his head. “I know… thank you,” Koda states with pride while sliding it around his neck.
Zero’s cell phone beeps. He looks down at the screen, then stands, stepping into the middle of the clubhouse. He sends a loud whistle through the space, gaining everyone’s attention. “Brothers, we have incoming.”
I stand, anxiety racing through me, but Zero raises his hands to placate everyone. “Not in the form of another attack, as in I sent Texas and Chains on a mission.”
Everyone moves to the center of the main room, our curiosity piquing.
“What kind of mission, pres?” I ask.
Zero focuses directly on me. “Actually, this might be hard for you, Kevlar. So, I need you to prepare yourself for what you’re about to see.”
“What the fuck does that mean?”
“It means we found out who the dirty cop is who helped make all this fucking shit happen with the Baron and Damir.”
It hits me, this is the little niggling feeling that’s been sitting in my gut. I need to know who the asshole is on the force who’s crooked. My muscles tense when Texas and Chains walk in, holding none other than Tom Hammond. The man who trained me as an officer. The man who made me believe in being a cop on the right side of the law. The man who tried to convince me not to leave the force. The fucking man who was there trying to help get my kids back.
My teeth grind together, my muscles jolting in undeniable rage. I clench my fists together in a tight ball, my body flushing in a fire so hot I’m not sure I can control myself.
“You have got to be fucking kidding me, you sonofabitch!” I race forward, but Neon grabs hold, pulling me back as Texas and Chains drop him to his knees. His hands are bound, his eyebrow swollen and bloody like they’ve hit him over the head.
My pulse races, staring at my mentor in disgust. “How could you?”
Hammond doesn’t even seem surprised he’s here but does appear deflated. “I had no other choice, Liam.”
I shrug out of Neon’s hold, storming right up to him but stop just short. “What did the Baron have on you? Huh?”
Hammond’s eyes shift up to mine, they’re distant. Vacant. Lost. “It’s not on me, it’s on Casey.”
I jerk my head back. “Your daughter?”
“I was trying to protect her. He had dirt on her. She was in deep with this guy. The bastard was bad news. She got into some trouble, I pulled her out and got her into protection. The Baron was threatening to tell her ex where she was, and if he found her, he’d kill her.”
“So, the Baron used your weakness against you and used you as a pawn against us?” Zero concludes.
“I’m sorry… I didn’t want to
help the Baron and Damir get out of prison, but what choice did I have? If it were you, you’d protect your family, too?”
“How? How did you do it?” I grunt.
Hammond frowns. “I know a guard on the inside. Called in a favor. He let them out for me in exchange for the Baron’s estate wiring him one hundred grand and a visa out of the country.”
“So, the guard who let them out?”
Hammond exhales. “Long gone. But you have to understand, I did this for Casey.”
Zero rubs the back of his neck. “I understand where you’re coming from, Hammond. The problem is… we can’t let something like this go unpunished. The crime is too great.”
Hammond’s eyes shoot to mine, pleadingly. I shake my head, even though regret swarms through me. “We’ll protect Casey, Hammond. I swear on my family, I will protect yours.”
“You’re a better man than this, Liam.”
I inhale sharply, guilt wracking through me. “And you’re a better man than doing what you did. But we all do things that don’t sit right with us… take him to the Chamber,” I instruct.
Texas and Chains look to Zero for confirmation, and he gives the nod.
Texas and Chains lift Hammond, as Wraith walks off with them. “What the hell is the Chamber? Liam! Liam, you don’t have to do this. Please! What would your kids think?”
“Shut him up,” I yell out, and instantly Wraith slams his fist into the side of Hammond’s head, knocking him out cold. He falls limp in Texas and Chains’ arms, then they drag him through into the Chapel, ready to head down to the Chamber, where Wraith will end his life in the most vicious of ways, and his body will end up incinerated in the oil pit.
“Okay, everyone, business as normal,” Zero calls out, and everyone turns to head off.
I spin, Jovie’s standing back, arms crossed over her chest by the kitchen door, a somber expression on her face. I make my way over, pulling her into a tight hug. She doesn’t hesitate to hold me back.
“Are you okay?” she asks.
“This is the part of the club you haven’t yet seen. We’re good guys, Sunshine, but if you come after us or our families…”
“Then you need to pay the ultimate price. I get it, Kevlar. Lucas and Sadie were here during the attack because of that cop. They were in danger… he needs to pay. I’m fully on board.”
“Do you understand what’s going to happen to him?”
She shrugs. “Not completely, but I can only imagine it’s going to be painful, and I’m good with that.”
I pull her closer to me, leaning in to press my lips to hers.
There’s nothing better she could have said right now.
It was perfect.
She is perfect.
I kiss her, not caring who is watching. My tongue slides into her mouth, kissing her like I damn-well mean it.
JOVIE
It’s been a few crazy days.
After Kevlar and I made out in the middle of the clubhouse, I needed to walk away, or I would have ended up taking him right there on the floor. But if I am being honest, I don’t think the rest of the guys would care if we did. I’m sure they’ve probably seen and done that, but the thing is, I care. I’m not about public displays of whatever that would be.
So, I kissed him goodbye, and now I’m off in search of Savanah. I need some quality girl time. I also have to tell her Kevlar claimed me. It’s not public knowledge yet, though I am sure most of his brothers know by now, but I want to tell her myself. And honestly, I’m not sure how she is going to take it. I just hope it goes well.
Stopping in front of her door, I gently rap on the woodgrain.
“Come in,” she murmurs softly.
I open the door, popping my head through. She’s resting on her bed with one earphone in her ear, peering down at the screen of her camera. A smile lights my face as I walk inside, then shut the door behind me. “You been taking pictures?”
“Mainly of the scenery. The brothers don’t like their pictures being taken.”
“Yeah, I have noticed that.” I make my way over to her bed and sit on the edge. She sits up, placing her camera down and yanking out her earphones.
“You look worried, has something happened?” she asks.
“No, nothing like that… but I do want to talk to you.”
“Me too, actually, but you go first.”
I reach out for her hands. “Sav, you know I love you. You’re my best friend. I never want you to feel like you don’t have a place in my life.” She narrows her eyes on me. “So, I’m sorry if I’ve been the worst friend in the world and not spending enough time with you.”
Savanah lets out a mocking laugh. “Are you kidding? Babe, don’t be ridiculous. I’ve been having a ball here. I fucking love it.” She exhales like there’s sadness running through her. “I’ve adored watching you and the big man grow together. Seeing you get all mommied up and taking on that role…” She smiles. “It suits you. I never thought I would say that, but, girl, you’re supposed to be a mom. I hope you and Kevlar have your own kids one day, too.”
I widen my eyes. Honestly, the thought hadn’t even occurred to me, but now she’s brought it up, I guess it would be amazing to have one of our own, but I have no clue if he is even open to it.
“I see that look, now you’re overthinking. Don’t let it. If you want to have a kid with him, talk it over. Don’t mull on it until it becomes an issue, okay? You guys are perfect for each other, don’t do anything to ruin that.”
I grip her hands tighter. “That’s what I wanted to talk to you about.”
“Go on…”
“Kevlar claimed me as his Old Lady.”
“What! And you didn’t tell me.” She slaps my shoulder, shoving me backward with a laugh.
I love her excitement. “There was just so much happening… I needed to find some quiet time to talk to you personally because you mean everything to me. I wanted to make sure you knew you’re still my person. Just because I’m practically tied down doesn’t mean I won’t have time for you.”
Savanah’s eyes fill with tears.
“Oh damn, I knew you’d be worried about this.”
She wipes her face. “No, honestly, I am so happy for you. I’m just so fucking sad I have to leave.”
I jerk back, a slight gasp leaving my mouth while I stare at her. “What? Why?”
“My dad called.”
“Sav, don’t let him manipulate you. You knew he would try to get you back there with them.”
She wipes another fat tear falling down her cheek. “It’s Mom… she has stage four pancreatic cancer.”
“What? No!” I shift closer to her.
Savanah clears her throat, and I pull her to me in a tight embrace. “I wasn’t there when she was diagnosed, Jovie. I wasn’t there!”
My eyes well as I pull back. “Don’t you do that. Don’t you start blaming yourself. I’ll come with you. I’ll come back to San Antonio, and we will—”
“Stop! No, you won’t. You have a family now. You have a life here… at the club. I love you so much, but I won’t have you leave it all for me.”
“I’ll come for a little while, help you through—”
“Jovie Marie Hannon! Kevlar needs you here. He, Sadie, and Lucas are your top priority now. Honestly, I need to deal with this shit with my father. Spend what time I have left with my mom. I’ve had my fun, it’s time to get serious.”
Tears stream down my face as I pull her to me again. “I’m so sorry, Sav. I wish there were something I could do.”
“You can. Call me every single day. Tell me how your life is going. What’s happening here? I want to know everything, so I can live vicariously through you.”
I pull back with a nod. “I will. I want to be kept up to date, too. When the time comes and… you need me, I’ll come back, even if it is only for a few days. Let me be there for you, okay, Sav. Please?”
She bursts into full, snot bubbling, river-flowing tears.
“You�
�re okay, let it all out. I’m not going anywhere. Tonight is about you and me.”
“I love you, Jovie,” Savanah murmurs through her tears.
“I love you, too.”
As she rocks with her emotions, I hold her to me. She’s falling apart, and I hate I won’t be there to pick up the pieces when she’s like this back in San Antonio. She’s leaving, and a part of me is leaving with her. We have never been separated, but I guess life has a way of changing. When one great thing comes, it takes away something amazing.
Savanah’s going back to a destroyed family. I can’t help but feel guilty about being so happy that I have found my home and family here at the Houston Defiance clubhouse.
I just wish Sav could have found her happiness here too.
JOVIE
The Next Day
It was difficult saying goodbye to Savanah. I’ve never cried so much. I’m just so fucking glad I have Kevlar here to support me. I’m wrecked inside that Savanah has no one helping her through this. The guilt weighs heavily on me, and I can feel the tremendous load pushing on my shoulders. However, there is little I can do other than to check in on her every single day and do what she wanted me to do—live my life. That’s all she wants is for me to be happy. Maybe, once everything settles with her mom, she can come back.
That’s what I am hoping, anyway.
Kevlar pulls me to his chest as we cuddle on the bed. The kids are at Ethan and Lou’s for the afternoon, giving Kevlar and me some time together. Kevlar told Ethan, Savanah was leaving, and Ethan offered to take the kids to give us some much-needed time to just be.
I didn’t realize how much I needed it.
Kevlar holds me to him while stroking my hair. “So, I did something before Savanah left, and it will give her a reason to come back to town in a few months.”
I look up at him. “Cryptic?”
“I bought four VIP tickets to see Rush in Houston. I thought you, me, Sav, and someone else could come along. It’s a way to go catch up with our friend and to bring Sav back, after… her mom… well, you know?”
