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  “Uh, her brother must be fucking bonkers!” Raven screams, her eyes nearly popping out of her head. She looks at me in the rear view mirror, “What in the fuck is wrong with him? We could’ve died!”

  I sigh, taking my hand and putting it over my face. “I am so sorry. I didn’t think he would come here or figure out where I worked. I’m so sorry that I put both of you in danger.” The tears I was able to keep back just a few minutes ago now come rushing out of my eyelids.

  “I’m takin’ you to the fuckin’ Reapers. You just need to tell me the way since I don’t know where the clubhouse is,” Raven speaks up, not acknowledging what I’ve just said.

  The car ride is quiet for a few minutes while I give her directions on how to get to the club. Meanwhile, Frank is sitting in the passenger side going, “Jesus Christ,” every minute or so.

  “I knew you had family issues and trust me, I get that. What I can’t understand is what the fuck your brother must be on to be actin’ that crazy. My brother is no saint, but he isn’t that fuckin’ crazy. What’s your excuse?”

  “He doesn’t have one, Raven. Connor is fucked up. There’s nothing else I can say about it.” I take my hand away from my face and look at her in the mirror, and I realize I’ve torn my shirt. From my chest to my shoulder is exposed with the word ‘traitor’ and from the expression on her face . . . she saw it.

  Instead of more questions, I only get a sympathetic look. Our eyes lock in the mirror while neither one of us speaks. Not until she gathers the courage, “Did he do that to you?”

  I nod once, not wanting to get into the gritty details.

  “Holy fuck. I had no idea.” At her words, Frank turns back and gives me a similar look. It shows compassion and sympathy, but I don’t want their pity ‘cause I don’t need it.

  “Seems like two of us in this car have been hidin’ things, sweetheart,” Frank mutters, eyes not wavering from my own. The tears continue to slide down my cheeks in a strong current as he still speaks. “Looks like you have just as much a crazy family as I do. I can’t even tell my parents I’m gay without rolling the dice and seein’ if they’ll put me out of my misery like a sick dog. That’s what my dad said he’d do if I ever told him, so I hide part of who I am to appease them, but also to keep me safe. Now, what’s your story?”

  “My story isn’t as simple as yours, Frank.” What Frank is obviously going through is awful, but I can’t relate on the same level.

  “Alright, then tell us what’s going on with you.”

  “I don’t know if I can simplify it, but I will. I ran away to Billings because it’s out of my father’s territory. I came here because I thought he wouldn’t find me and I’d be safe. Instead, I met Kade and started to fall hard for him. By the time we knew who one another was . . . it was too late. Basically, we’re a real life Romeo & Juliet. His dad is the Prez of the Reapers, and my dad is the Prez of the Bears. They’ve been fighting for Montana for as long as I can remember.”

  “As long as anyone can remember, sweetheart,” He corrects me, and he isn’t wrong. “What’s with the word, traitor? You do that yourself?”

  I shake my head from side to side. “No, my father and brother did.”

  Raven gasps loudly, clearly from shock. I continue on, “Turn right down this road.” She does as I say, continuing to floor it, busting past the gates and not even slowing down when we get here. I take in a deep breath, knowing that it’ll make everyone go on high alert.

  She comes to a screeching halt right outside the clubhouse and just as I expected, brothers come pouring out with guns raised.

  Well, this is going to be fun.

  Chapter Four

  “You know you’ve mastered a soul lesson when the circumstance has not changed, but the way you respond has.”

  ~ @TheFemaleHustlers

  Kade

  “Have you thought any more about what I said to you the other day?” I ask him the question I’ve been holding back on, hoping by some magical power my dad has decided to not be an ass.

  He glances up from his newspaper and looks at me, sitting where he usually does in the kitchen of our family home. “I haven’t really thought about it too much to be honest with you.” While I appreciate his honesty, I’d love for him to have respect for not only myself but my relationship. He picks up his coffee, of which he’s notorious for drinking twenty-four-seven, and takes a sip.

  “Really?” I ask, flabbergasted. “I straight up told you that if you didn’t get your shit together, I’d go down to fuckin’ Vegas. You want me to leave, don’t you?”

  He slams his coffee down on the table, spilling it everywhere. “Why in the hell would you think I want you to leave? I’m pretty sure it’s evident I don’t want you to. What I want is for her to leave, and stop puttin’ you at risk, hell, our entire club at risk.”

  Has he lost his god damned mind? “How in the actual fuck is she putting our club in risk? Huh? Tell me!”

  “She’s a Bear, Kade. I shouldn’t have to explain this shit to you. She will show loyalty to her blood, as all animals do.”

  “You really think Ivy is gonna show loyalty to the people who carved her up like turkey? Are you fuckin’ delusional?”

  He rises from his seat, pushing the table back in his fit. “I’m not the delusional one, son, you are. Have you lost your damn mind dating the Bears princess? She is every bit our enemy that her father is. She could be a spy for all we know. It’s not like it’s the first time that’s ever happened.

  “Fuck, I got off the phone with Reed a short while ago and he told me about what happened at his sister-in-law’s wedding. One of their own who went Nomad raped a girl in their club, beat her to a bloody pulp. You never know who to trust these days, son. And I, for one, sure as hell don’t trust her.”

  Throwing my hands up in the air, I roar at my father like I never have before. “You don’t have to trust her. You have to trust me. Trust in the fact I’m a good judge of character and can make my own fuckin’ decisions, but obviously, you don’t. Instead, you must think I’m some naïve little boy. What the fuck is this shit?”

  The storm door swings open with a loud creak and in comes Zane, looking at our dad and I like we’ve lost our minds. “Are you two done with this shit yet? For fuck's sake. Dad, Kade is dating Ivy and you just need to accept that no matter what you do, he won’t break up with her. If they do, it’ll be between the two of them and not anything to do with us. Kade, when did you become such a brown noser? Stop tryin’ to kiss dad’s ass and make him like your girlfriend. She’ll grow on him like black mold like she’s growin’ on everyone else. Shit, I even like her. She’s not that bad.”

  “Did you really just compare Ivy to black mold?” I ask, making a disgusted face.

  “I might have. I’m not really sure. Everything came out so quickly,” he confesses, chuckling at the end.

  “Dumb piece of shit.” Our dad rolls his eyes, taking a seat back down on the chair. He looks back to me, “If she was any other girl then I wouldn’t have a problem with her. I think you know that deep down, but she’s not any other girl. She’s Grizzly’s daughter and if there’s anything I’ve learned over the years, Kade — don’t underestimate a Bear. There is nothing, and I mean absolutely nothing, that he won’t do to try to get a one up on us.”

  “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.
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  “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.”

  Chapter Five

  You have to find what sparks a light in 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 has 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?”