by K E Osborn
I stiffen my shoulders. “I’m getting her dad back to her, Torque. You may not care about the man, I know he’s scum to you, but to me, he’s my woman’s father. I need him alive.”
Torque mumbles under his breath as my brothers, my family, all storm alongside me. We head outside to see the security guards who were manning the entrance tied to a pole down the alley as we walk past to our rides. Sensei quickly cuts them free while I pull on my helmet as fast as fucking possible, knowing that I’m about to go into another fight for the woman who’s stolen my damn heart. This may not get me any closer to being with her, but at least she’ll know I care about her.
That fact means more to me than anything else right now.
I kick my stand back as I rev my engine while glancing at Torque one more time before Scratch pulls off front door as always, and we follow off behind him for a fight we have no idea about how will go. I hammer down as we all take off like a shower of shit, the bikes soaring out of the lane, roaring at speeds faster than legal as we head off to catch the Ossani assholes. We don’t know what vehicles they came here in, but we know it will probably be fucking obvious. We ride in formation, we’re stronger in numbers as we try to figure out where Danny would be taking Franco. They don’t have much of a head start on us, and they don’t have the grunt we do, so we pull back on the throttle harder as we lay some rubber on the asphalt.
Glancing down each side street as we ride, nothing springs to our attention as we pull off the highway. Luckily, it’s night, so there’s not a lot of traffic about, but there’s still enough for it to be an issue. It’s concerning if something were to happen, civilians could be hurt in the process, but that’s not our aim in this.
I’m starting to worry we left it too long when something catches my eye. Three black Range Rovers turning ahead to the right. I signal to Scratch, but when we turn the corner, I notice the three cars weaving in and out of traffic.
They’re fucking onto us.
It’s definitely them.
Torque gives the signal, and we all hammer down harder to reach them. My arm loops around my back pulling out my gun.
I don’t hesitate.
I know Danny.
I know his type.
They’re not going to let us follow without some shit raining down on us. Noticing my tension, Torque follows my lead, and all my other brothers do the same. Riding one-handed is hard but necessary when on a hunt like this.
The windows of one of the black Range Rover’s wind down, and as if on cue, two men point guns out the sides. I raise mine in response as bullets start to fire. I keep riding while the sounds of gunfire ring out through the backstreets of Chicago. The passing bullets hit parked cars, the glass smashing as they luckily miss us with the swerving of their shit driving. I don’t wait for the order of my president as I let fucking loose. I’m angry at these assholes. I need a little anger release. So, I fire, my weapon discharging as I aim for one of the men hanging out of the window. My bullet doesn’t miss unlike theirs, his blood splashes all over their expensive tinted windows, sliding down the polish as his body flops over the edge, dangling like a lifeless scrap of fucking nothing.
Torque turns his head glaring at me. I know it’s not looked kindly upon, shooting in public if we can help it. I know I’m the smart one in the club. I should know better, but I’m angry, and this has been building for far too long.
I need some tension release.
We weave and swerve through the back streets when suddenly the remaining man and another from the car in front of him let it fucking rip. Bullets pummel through the air flying right past us with some smacking into our fenders as we duck trying our fucking hardest not to get hit. A bullet sideswipes my arm, a sting burning my flesh. Glancing over at Lift, who almost falls off his bike with a jolt, I realize he’s hit.
That’s enough.
We’re sitting ducks, and if Torque won’t let us fire back in public, I need to do something to stop this shit. I raise my gun again. Torque snaps back at me, his face hard like he’s about to yell at me over the fucking chaotic noise, but I don’t hesitate.
I aim, pulling my trigger.
The bullets smash into the street sign making it fall from the pole straight down onto the windshield of the first car. It grinds to a sudden stop, screeching as it slides almost to the side with the impact. The second car doesn’t have time to brake. It tries to slam them on, but it’s too late as the front of the car smashes straight into the back of the first car so forcefully, it lurches the first car forward and pushes it over onto its side. The second car is caved in, almost to the front seats as the third car does the same thing and slams into the second car with such force the front bows down and the rear flies into the air making the car fly backward onto its roof. The crunching and grating of the metal, the smashing of glass, the dropping down of gears of the motorcycles all happening in unison, echo through the backstreets while I watch it all unfold. The third upside-down car bursts into flames when I finally pull to a stop.
There’s no movement as I glance at Torque who slowly turns to me shaking his head. “That’s one way to stop the cars,” he murmurs.
Then I suddenly remember Neve’s father Franco is in one of them. I glance at the burning car gritting my teeth, so I jump off my bike and start running.
“Fuck, Ace, hold the fuck on,” Torque calls out, but I don’t wait as I bolt toward the burning car.
My heart hammers in my chest. Last thing I want is for Franco to burn alive after all of this.
I hear my brothers running behind me as I reach the car, my gun drawn in case I need it. I peek inside, the heat of the fire on the other side blasts against my face. There’s a driver and two men at the back, they all seem pretty worse for wear, but there’s no Franco. I breathe a sigh of relief as I stand and race for car two as a few of my brothers stay to deal with the men in the car.
Torque is by my side as I peer inside the mangled wreck to see much the same, four men, all out cold. The front two, the driver and passenger, their bodies are pressed in against the smashed in wreck, I shake my head, there’s no way they’re alive.
But still no Franco.
Fuck.
I race to the front car hoping like hell to find Franco. This is the least damaged car of them all although it’s on its side. This is the one the sign hit. I glance in to hear moaning. I yank open the rear door to see a man passed out in the lap of Neve’s father. I pull him off Franco, grabbing and yanking Franco out of the car as he moans with my force. He might have injuries, but at least he’s alive.
“Franco, you all right?” I ask hoisting him up beside me.
He looks me over. “I am now.”
I glance into the front seat to see who’s there and notice Danny’s in the passenger seat. I then notice the street sign came straight through the windscreen, piercing right into Danny’s skull. His head is parted into two separate pieces with the sign between on the front seat, blood and brains spilling out making one hell of a mess as I take a second to let that sink in.
Danny is dead.
The threat to Neve’s family is over.
The opposition to the Andretti Mafia famiglia has just been wiped out.
At my hand.
Fuck.
“Ace, we gotta get out of… is that Danny?” Torque suddenly changes tact while peering inside the mangled vehicle.
I grip Franco tighter. “Yeah. Torque, we gotta go. Franco, think you can hold onto me on the back of my ride?”
Franco coughs. “Yes, I’ll be fine. Thank you for coming to get me.”
I peer over my shoulder to my other brothers to see they’re all right, even Lift, then I glance back at Torque. “Pres, run through how to ride with Franco, I gotta make a call.”
Torque raises his eyebrow like he’s curious as to who the fuck I could be calling right now. But I know he trusts me, so he doesn’t say anything as he leads Franco away.
I take a look around and grimace. There are bullets ev
erywhere, including two of mine. I need to clean this up, and I only know one way how. Dialing the number, I wait for him to answer.
“Hey, what’s up?” Brody’s voice rings down the line. It’s been five months since Brody and Grier were injured. They’re pretty much healed now, Grier is still a little tender in the jaw, but she’s so much better than she was. I thought her emotional scars would be irreparable, but that woman is a fucking fighter.
“Hey man, I know you and Grier are trying to take shit easier and you don’t want much shit to do with the club—”
“Ace, man, what the fuck have you gone and done now?”
I grimace. “We made a mess—”
“Fuck dude, what the hell kind of mess are we talking here?”
I look at the three trashed cars, one that’s currently on fire and could blow at any second. “The kind that can’t be cleaned easily without a little interference.”
Brody groans letting out a heavy sigh. “Fuck! You’re lucky I like you. Tell me where and what to do.”
I sink in on myself with relief. “I owe you.”
“You owe me for a lot of things.”
“I’ll text you the address, but there’s a three-car pileup, stray bullets. In particular, from my gun that might need to go missing in forensics. One’s in a man and the other’s in the street sign.”
He’s silent for a moment. “How many dead?”
I grimace. “I’m not sure total, but Brody, one of them is Danny Ossani.”
He lets out a heavy exhale like he’s relieved. “You gotta be fucking me?”
“They took Franco, Neve’s dad. We were trying to get him back. They opened fire on us, Brody. It was self-defense.”
He’s quiet for a moment longer, then grunts. “I’m on it. Text me the details, and I’ll get the men out there, but Ace, make yourself scarce. I don’t need you linked to this.”
“Got it, we’re leaving now… and Brody?”
“Yeah?”
“Thanks.”
“Yeah, just get Franco home. Say hi to Neve from Grier and me. We’d love to catch up with her if she’s willing.”
“I’ll tell her.”
“Thanks, man.”
I end the call walking over to my ride where Torque’s placing my helmet on Franco’s head.
“What was that about?” he asks.
“Brody,” is all I say.
Torque tries to hide his smile but fails as he glances back at the scene taking in a relieved breath. “Good, let’s ride,” he calls out.
I turn back to Franco. He still appears shaken as a trail of blood drips down his forehead. “You gonna be okay to hold on?” I ask watching him supporting his obviously sore arm.
“I’m good. I just need to get away. I was stupid, so, so stupid.”
Without trying to make a face of agreement, I exhale. “We all make bad decisions, Franco. You have a beautiful family. Three amazing daughters. A wife. Don’t throw it all away on gambling debts.”
He exhales like it has truly sunk in. “You’re Ace, aren’t you? You’re the one my Natalia spent her time with?”
I dip my head. “Yes, and I loved every moment with her.”
He pats my shoulder with his good hand. “Then if you were a real man, son, you’d fight for what you want. You want my daughter, you have my blessing. You just need to make it happen. Somehow, some way. You make this thing work.”
He fills me with confidence and the strength I need. I want Neve, I need this to work with us. Being without her isn’t working for me. Whether the stars align and something falls into place, or whether I need to make some changes so I can make this right, somehow, I need to make her mine again.
She’s worth it.
She’s worth everything.
Grinning, I slide onto my bike as I gesture for Franco to move in behind me. He grips on to me as I kick my stand up turning my engine over.
Scratch pulls off to head back toward where we came from.
Back to drop Franco off to his family.
Back to my woman.
NEVE
I pace the front of the bar feeling like I might pass out. Cindi’s beside me knowing exactly what I’m going through. She knows what the boys have gone off to do. The rest of the people here could probably imagine, but they haven’t lived through it like we have.
We know there will be bloodshed.
We know there will be death.
Just whose death is on the cards I have no idea.
Danny’s?
My father’s?
Ace’s?
I let out a sob as I hunch over, my hands on my knees while Cindi rubs my back. “It’s going to be all right. The guys know how to handle themselves, Neve.”
I stand glancing into her eyes, the glistening in them lets me know she doesn’t believe her words either. “What if we lose them? What if we lose them all?”
Cindi’s bottom lip trembles. “We can’t think like that, okay? Our job as women of the club is to stay positive and focused when they go off to a fight. If you’re going to be a part of this, Neve, you gotta learn to be strong in these situations.”
My body sags as my chest heaves. “If I’m going to be a part of this?”
Cindi strengthens her stance. “I knew the moment I watched your face when you saw Ace for the first time tonight you’ve caved. That you need him back in your life. I also know he’s the same. I don’t know how, but you two will end up together before this night is over. You’ll be a part of the club, or he won’t be. But either way, you’ll be together.”
I stand firm. “Ace won’t leave the club, not for me.”
“Then you guys need to think of a compromise because you both can’t go on living like this, Neve.”
“That’s if he even comes back to me.”
Cindi glances out the front window. “He will, they all will. They always do.”
As if on cue, the loud roar of Harleys tearing down the road echoes through the air. My stomach flips as Cindi and I race to the front, but as I get there, I yank open the door to a mass of flashing cameras. I stumble back, Cindi grabs me to pull me back inside, but I don’t care about them right now. All I care about is finding Ace and making sure he’s come back to me. So, I run out onto the street, the paparazzi snapping mine and Cindi’s tear-soaked faces. We’re damn messes as we watch the road to see if they’re approaching.
“Neve, is the event not going to plan? Why are you crying?” a pap calls out as Cindi continues to try to yank me back inside the bar.
I struggle in her grip as they keep taking pictures of us on the Chicago streets.
Julian rushes outside, gasping at the commotion we’re causing. “Neve, get inside now, you’re making a scene.”
“I need to know,” I yell out as I see it.
Bikers dive around the corner making my heart rate spike as they all raise their cuts up to cover their faces from the cameras, who in turn take their picture as they run toward the door. I rush out further trying my hardest to find the man I’m searching for. Cindi runs beside me to find Noah, I’m sure as we search through the swarm of bikers covering themselves from the flurry of mad flashes that almost blind me. The yelling and mad commenting from the paparazzi is off the charts. I can hardly hear myself as I begin to panic.
“Ace,” I scream so loud just needing to know if he’s okay, tears pooling down my face.
Then I see something.
My father racing toward me, he’s cradling one arm as he heads my way. I burst into uncontrollable sobs as I reach for him, wrapping my arms around his body. They found him and they got him back from Danny alive.
“Neve, Neve, is this your father?” a pap calls out.
“Was he taken and harmed by these bikers?” another asks.
“No,” My father yells grabbing everyone’s attention as he reaches for someone trying to pass as they shield themselves from the press, but he yanks the man’s cut down and my heart leaps into my throat when I see it’s Ace. “This m
an, he saved my life. He’s a damn hero, and the world should know it.”
Ace is like a deer in the headlights as the paparazzi take a million snaps of him. I tense up, but seeing Ace and knowing he helped save my father from the clutches of that asshole only makes me need him even more.
I race forward throwing myself at Ace, wrapping my arms around him in a tight embrace as my father chuckles beside us. Being in Ace’s arms again feels like I’m finally home like I’ve been living in limbo for the longest time, and right here, right now, I’m back where I belong. Everything’s okay as long as Ace holds me.
The cameras go fucking nuts as Ace relaxes in my hold, wrapping his arms around me completely as the rest of the bikers all rush off inside. His nose nuzzles into my hair as if he’s completely forgotten the situation we’re in right now and like he’s home too.
“Neve, Neve, you know this hero, do you?” a pap yells bringing me back into the now.
I slowly pull back from Ace. Ace’s electric blue eyes are full of life right now I can hardly concentrate. “Yes. He’s my life, my world… my partner.”
The look on Ace’s face reminds me of spring. Like a blossoming flower as the recognition hits him. I’ve just told him I need him in my life, and I can see from deep inside the light spreading into every part of him.
He knows what this means.
He knows I know what happened with Eric, and I’m fine with it.
I don’t care about the cost.
I don’t care if it ruins my career.
Ace is more important to me than however the fucking press is going to spin me being with a biker.
I gaze deep into Ace’s eyes. His are crazy intense as he stares right back at me. “Are you saying?” he questions so only I can hear over the chaos.
“I’m with you, Ace, no matter the cost,” I tell him.
His lips turn up in the most dazzling way, illuminating his masculine face making my skin riddle in goosebumps. He surely is the most gorgeous man I’ve ever laid eyes on. Suddenly, he grabs me and before I know what the fuck he’s doing, he drops me down. I don’t have a second to register before his lips meet mine, and he’s kissing me. My senses come alive at the feeling of his lips touching mine again for the first time in too damn long. I don’t hesitate in allowing him access, his tongue dancing with mine as my fingers smooth through his hair. My entire body is alight with adrenaline as I realize what he’s doing. He’s kissing me in a Hollywood-style kiss. I’m dipped as he bends over kissing me like they do in the damn movies.
