Chapter Three
Logan
The Harley purred beneath me, its rumble a soothing balm against the chaos in my head. Akira haunted my thoughts. The way she moved, with the fluidity of a panther, sent a jolt through my system every time. I gripped the handlebars tighter, jaws clenching.
This thing between us was a tightrope, strung across a chasm of danger. If the Swift Angels caught wind of my entanglement with the Dixie Reaper’s daughter… The thought sent a shiver down my spine. I shook it off. Not now , I told myself, not now . Hell, my VP already knew I had the hots for her, and he’d made sure to warn me away. Except I hadn’t listened.
I killed the engine and dismounted, striding toward the Swift Angels clubhouse. I pushed open the door, revealing the boisterous scene within. Laughter ricocheted off the walls, mingling with the clink of bottles as my brothers decompressed after a long day. Dawson, his broad shoulders and imposing figure, stood by the bar. He caught my eye and his face, etched with concern, dropped into solemnity. He downed his beer and approached, a silent invitation to follow him with a tilt of his head.
Unease gnawed at my insides as I trailed him to the back room. If something had happened to Akira, he’d have said something, right? “What’s going on, Dawson? When you texted, you were rather vague.”
He shut the door with a decisive click, turned, and crossed his arms. “You tell me. The word on the street is, you’ve been cozying up to Akira. True? Or is someone lying to me?”
My pulse hammered in my ears, but my expression remained stoic. Damn, news in this town traveled faster than a wildfire.
“We’ve bumped into each other a few times,” I replied, feigning indifference. No way I’d admit we’d met rather often and even exchanged phone numbers. “No big deal.”
Dawson’s eyes narrowed, a flicker of steel hardening their blue depths. “No big deal? You know you’re playing with fire. There’s no fucking way Wraith is letting his daughter date someone in our club. For your own sake, cut it off, now, before things get messy.”
The air crackled with tension as Dawson’s words hung in the smoke-filled room, each syllable a searing ember branding my heart. “It’s not like that, Dawson. There’s something real between us. I don’t understand why we can’t be together. Your dad is a Dixie Reaper, and so is hers. It’s not like they banned you from visiting your family. So why can’t I date Akira?”
Dawson sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. “Listen, brother, I get it. The heart wants what it wants. But you need to think about the bigger picture here. Sure, I can get by with being our club’s VP, but my dad was far from pleased about it. And you don’t know Wraith. If you did… For one, he’s an ex-Navy SEAL. For another, Akira is his little girl. He will gut anyone who breaks her heart, and that’s not a figure of speech.”
His words were a cold shower, dousing the flames of my defiance with a sobering truth. Everyone in town knew about the Dixie Reapers. It was hard to grow up in this place and not hear the whispers. He was right. The Dixie Reapers wouldn’t hesitate to exact their pound of flesh, their retribution swift and brutal. But why did he seem to think I would break Akira’s heart?
“I know the risks, Dawson,” I said, running a hand through my hair. “But I can’t just switch off my feelings for her. She’s… different. Special.”
“And what happens when Wraith finds out?” Dawson challenged, his voice laced with the chilling reality of our situation. “When the Dixie Reapers come knocking on our door, looking for blood, are you ready to put your brothers at risk? Because me being here isn’t going to stop Wraith from tearing this place apart, and us. I’m not a Dixie Reaper. The fact my father is Venom won’t mean shit.”
His words hit me like a sucker punch, leaving me breathless and reeling. The thought of losing Akira, of never again feeling the intoxicating connection we shared, was a prospect so bleak, so utterly unbearable, that it threatened to shatter my resolve.
“I hear you, Dawson. I do. But I can’t make any promises. This thing with Akira… it’s not something I can just let go of. Not without a fight.”
Dawson met my gaze, his searching for an answer. His silence was a heavy weight, pressing down on me. Finally, he nodded, a faint flicker of understanding lighting up his face. “I hope you know what you’re doing. I really do.”
The words were a bittersweet acceptance of my reckless pursuit of love. With a final clap on my shoulder, Dawson left me alone, the weight of my decision heavy on my heart.
I slumped against the wall, my head spinning with the dizzying possibilities and potential consequences. Dawson’s warnings echoed in my mind, a sobering counterpoint to the undeniable pull I felt for Akira.
Akira was worth the risk, worth the potential storm about to break upon our lives. The consequences, though daunting, paled in comparison to the prospect of living a life without her.
Come what may, I knew one thing for certain: I wouldn’t back down and wouldn’t let fear dictate my path. I was ready to fight for Akira, with the same ferocity and unwavering loyalty that I had always shown my brothers. The path ahead was uncertain, fraught with possible danger, but I knew in my heart that it was a path I had to walk.
After I downed a few beers with my brothers, I went home and crashed for the night. My alarm went off before the sun had even risen, then I showered and went to work. Our ambulances were housed at a small station that had a breakroom, bathroom, and another set up for a few twin beds for those of us who had to pull a double. Although, it was frowned upon to work that many hours in a row. Fatigue could make us sloppy, and in my line of work, that could have disastrous results.
The dispatch center that handled the 9-1-1 calls for our county connected to our building. We even had a door that we often left open. They’d come use our breakroom if they needed to, and vice versa. It wasn’t unusual for the dispatchers to come visit when they took their breaks. The police department had a satellite office on the other side of dispatch, but the officers mostly kept to themselves.
I entered the station and stowed my bag in my locker. I always brought a change of clothes with me, a few sandwiches, and some bottled water. Better to be prepared for anything. I allowed myself one last moment to think about Akira, and then I tried to shut her out of my mind. I needed to focus or someone could end up dead.
I ran through the mental checklists, the protocols etched in my brain. The world narrowed, and the chaos faded, replaced by the sharp, precise movements of a seasoned paramedic.
I felt the weight of someone’s gaze and looked up to see Scarlet, one of the dispatchers. I straightened, taking a deep breath. It didn’t matter what Scarlet saw in my expression, or what she thought about my choices. We’d spoken often, but that’s as far as things went. I wouldn’t really call her my friend, and I sure the fuck wouldn’t have ever dated her.
Scarlet’s behavior lately had been even more erratic than usual, her flakiness reaching new heights. It wasn’t unusual for her call out and leave her team in the lurch. Hell, she’d pulled one stunt after another. How many times could a family member be in the hospital? Not to mention the number of migraines she’d had where she just couldn’t come into work.
I wasn’t knocking the pain and severity of a migraine. I’d had a few in my life, and some had put me on my ass. But I also knew plenty of people who pushed through it and went to their jobs, got on with their daily lives. But not Scarlet.
The woman seemed to be sick more often than she was healthy. It was also interesting how a lot of her emergencies or illnesses came right after she’d had a PTO request denied. As if everyone didn’t see right through that bullshit.
Beaumont’s voice snapped my attention over to him. He stood nearby, watching me with concern.
“You all right there, Doc?” he drawled, his Southern accent thick like molasses. “Seem a bit distracted.”
I really wished my coworkers hadn’t overheard my Pres calling me that. I couldn’t seem to get away from the stupid nickname.
I plastered a smile on my face. “Yeah, I’m good. Just got a lot on my mind, I guess.”
Beaumont nodded. “Anything you want to talk about? You know I’m here for you, right?”
I hesitated, caught between the urge to confide in my partner and the need to keep my personal life and work separate. “Nah, it’s nothing serious. Just some personal stuff I’m working through.”
He raised an eyebrow, leaning against the wall, his drawl deepening. “Personal stuff, huh? Wouldn’t have anything to do with a certain someone, would it?”
My heart stuttered, heat creeping up my neck. Damn. Did everyone in town know I liked Akira? “What? No, of course not. Why would you think that?”
Beaumont chuckled, shaking his head. “Logan, I’ve known you long enough to realize there’s something going on, most likely with a woman. I know you’ve dated over the years, but not once have I seen that look on your face. It tells me you’ve got it bad.”
I opened my mouth to protest, but the words died on my lips as my phone vibrated in my pocket. I pulled it out, my heart leaping into overdrive as I saw Akira’s name on the screen.
Can we meet? I need to see you. Usual spot, 15 minutes ?
I stared at the message. I was on duty, had just clocked in. Which meant I didn’t have the time to run off anywhere. Not yet anyway. But at the same time, if she was asking to see me right now, then it meant something might be wrong. I could feel the urgency in her text.
Beaumont cleared his throat. “So, I think I’m going to head over to the coffee shop and grab something with espresso in it. Need to get my brain online. While I’m doing that, why don’t you take care of whatever that message is about?”
I glanced at him. “Are you sure? What if we get a call?”
“Then I’ll drag your ass away and we’ll answer it.”
I nodded, appreciating his assistance, even if I didn’t really want it.
I’ll be there .
I hit send before second-guessing myself, shoving my phone back into my pocket. When I looked up, Beaumont was watching me with a knowing smirk.
“Let’s get going.”
“Thanks, Beau. I owe you one.”
I climbed into the passenger side of the ambulance, and he drove us over to the café. While he stood in line, I hurried to meet with Akira.
Akira was already there, waiting for me. For a moment, we simply stared at each other, our gazes locked in a silent conversation. Then, she was in my arms, her lips meeting mine in a kiss that ignited a fire in my soul. I held her close, breathing in her scent.
“You came,” she whispered, her fingers tracing the line of my jaw.
“Of course I did.” I took her hand. “I told you, Akira, I’m not going anywhere.”
“I’m sorry about last night, at the bar.”
“I get it. Never know who’s watching,” I said. “No one’s going to find out. We’ll be careful. We’ll make this work.”
Except, clearly people already knew since Dawson had heard about it, and Beau seemed to know as well. Hell, Dawson had gotten wind of it because of something that happened at the Dixie Reapers clubhouse. Which meant… how long before her father discovered our secret relationship? Had that been what the commotion was? Did Wraith already find out?
“Logan, I need you to know… I’m in this. No matter what. Nothing will come between us.”
“I’m in this too,” I vowed, sealing my promise with a kiss, “no matter what. I’m just ready for us to be open about our relationship. I hate pretending we barely know each other.”
“About that…” She licked her lips. “My dad knows. He basically told me to pick -- you or my family.”
My heart nearly stopped in my chest. “And what did you say?”
“I left. Stayed on Dawson’s couch last night.”
Shit. That explained why he was so furious with me. So he’d found out from Akira herself. Although, I didn’t think she’d told him everything. If she had, our conversation would have been a lot different.
“I don’t want you picking between me and them,” I said.
“My dad is stubborn. One day, he’ll see that you’re a good man, who treats me right. He’ll come around, just like Venom did with Dawson.”
For her sake, I hoped she was right, but something told me Wraith wouldn’t be easy to win over. Not if everything Dawson had said was true. That was one papa bear I didn’t want to piss off.