Chapter Twenty-One
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
THE NIGHT WAS too fucking quiet, and we’d been sitting out here for hours, parked on a back road that ran parallel to Dragon Fire’s territory, but there hadn’t been so much as a hint of activity. Mystic, Thunder, and Chain were in their spots, their bikes parked just out of sight as we kept watch, waiting for any sign of movement.
It wasn’t unusual for these stakeouts to drag on, but tonight my patience was thinner than usual. My thoughts kept drifting back to Fiona, to the way she’d looked at me the night before when we’d been dancing and then after . It wasn’t just the usual attraction—I’d felt something deeper, something that was starting to feel like a damn problem because it wouldn’t leave my head.
Did I love her?
Thunder leaned back against his bike, tipping his face up to the dark sky, and took a long drag from his cigarette. “So... you and that girl of yours,” he started, his voice casual but laced with curiosity. “You serious about her? Or just playin’ with death?”
I shot him a look, my hands gripping the handlebars of my bike. “What’s it to you?”
He shrugged, smirking as he exhaled a puff of smoke into the night air. “Just makin’ conversation, man. You’ve been different lately, that’s all.”
Chain raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, Bolt, you’ve been all... domesticated. You sure you ain’t thinkin’ about babies and picket fences with this one?”
I rolled my eyes, shaking my head. “You assholes are fucking nosey as shit.”
Mystic, who was sitting a little farther off, said, “No shame in wantin’ something more.”
Thunder grinned, tossing his cigarette to the ground and crushing it under his boot. “Yeah, I mean shit, Fiona seems real nice and with her daddy bein’ Horse, and Brenda practically her momma, she’ll fit right in.”
I glanced out at the empty road, keeping my voice steady. “She’s been through hell, and I worry about dragging her into the danger of the club.”
Chain tilted his head, giving me a thoughtful look. “She’s tougher than you think, Bolt. Just ‘cause she hasn’t been part of this life doesn’t mean she can’t handle it.”
“Yeah, man,” Thunder added, kicking back against the bike. “It’s the ones who’ve been through the worst that come out tough as nails.”
I grunted, not wanting to dive too deep into the conversation. They weren’t wrong, but that didn’t make it any easier. Fiona wasn’t weak like I first thought, no doubt about it, but every part of me wanted to protect her from this life. The club wasn’t just about brotherhood—there were dangers, and I didn’t know if I wanted her anywhere near that, but I couldn’t see life without her either.
Mystic smirked. “So, what is it? Are you yellow?”
I shot him a glare. “I’m not fucking scared.”
“Coulda fooled me,” Chain chimed in from his spot. “Hell, Bolt, you’ve been more wound up since she showed up than I’ve ever seen you. She means a hell of a lotta somethin’ to you.”
I didn’t answer right away, just stared out at the dark stretch of road ahead. Maybe they had a point, but I wasn’t about to lay it all out for them. I had enough shit on my plate without having to explain my personal life. What I was clear on was that I needed Fiona and that’s all that mattered right now.
“You ever think about that, though?” Thunder asked, his tone more serious now. “What it would be like to just... walk away from the club life? Settle down with a woman like Fiona?”
I scoffed, shaking my head. “And do what? Get a nine-to-five, live in the suburbs?”
Chain chuckled. “Hell no. We’re not built for that kind of life. But it doesn’t mean you can’t have somethin’ real with a woman. Just gotta find the right balance. Shit, my old man did it. He and momma are still goin’ strong. He’s never stepped out on her in all the years he was with the club.”
“What the fuck happened to you then?” Thunder asked, looking surprised. “You act like your dick will starve itself off if it don’t get, as you say, fed different flavors .”
“Yeah, I don’t think you’re one for giving advice,” I muttered. There wasn’t much balance in this life. It was all or nothing. “Now, can we shut this fucking Hallmark moment down?”
Chain looked like he was about to say something else, but his gaze snapped to the side of the road. “Heads up.”
We all tensed, the conversation cut short as the sound of distant engines reached our ears. Lights flickered in the distance, and my body went on full alert. The Dragon Fire MC had finally shown up.
“Here we go,” Chain muttered, standing and nodding to me. “The big lizards are slithering into our secret party.”
I stood up, my hand instinctively going to my sidearm as the roar of motorcycles grew louder. The mood shifted in an instant, the laid-back banter giving way to the cold, focused intensity that came with club business.
It didn’t matter how many times we did this, the fear of dying crept into the back of your mind, wondering if this was your night.
“Let’s see what these assholes are up to,” I growled, my mind still buzzing with thoughts of Fiona, but now the adrenaline was kicking in, making me focus on the here and now. Whatever was going to happen next, I had to be ready.
As we mounted up, the night was thick with anticipation. The distant growl of the Dragon Fire MC’s engines sounded like thunder rolling in, each rumble a promise of the storm to come. Chain was first to take off, his bike kicking up a spray of dirt that scattered across the road like a warning shot. I followed suit, keeping my bike steady as we trailed the distant lights. We all fell into formation, riding as one, a shadow moving through the night.
Every sense sharpened as we closed in on them. The lights of their bikes flickered in and out, like the red eyes of a beast waiting to strike, while Chain’s gaze never wavered, locked on the targets ahead. He glanced over his shoulder, signaling with a quick jerk of his head. I knew what it meant—no turning back.
Chain’s eyes were fixed on the road as he spoke into the comms we all had in our helmets for times like this. “Keep close, but keep your distance. We’re not here to make noise unless we have to.”
We nodded, and I could feel the adrenaline tightening my grip on the handlebars as we moved down the highway, our lights off. The shadows of the road crept over us, giving just enough cover as we followed the trail of the Fire Dragon MC, their lights bobbing ahead like specters, leading us into the unknown.
“Stay sharp, brothers,” Thunder’s voice crackled through the comms, rough and ready. I kept my gaze glued to the shapes ahead, counting bikes. Four...six...eight...damn, they were running a full convoy tonight.
“Looks like they’ve brought the whole circus,” Mystic muttered. “Guess they’re expectin’ trouble.”
Chain shot back, “Not tonight, but soon.”
The convoy of bikes suddenly veered left, off the main road and down a back path surrounded by towering trees and dense brush. We pulled back, parked our bikes and staying just close enough to keep them in sight. My heart hammered against my chest as my mind cycled between strategy and survival. One wrong move, one stray sound, and we’d be in the middle of a firefight without an ounce of cover.
Ahead, the Fire Dragons slowed, their bikes coming to a halt near a small clearing. I could make out a few of them dismounting by two vans, their low voices blending with the sound of night insects. I shifted my weight, watching their every move, assessing.
“Looks like they’re loading somethin’,” I murmured, as Mystic filmed the group of men.
Just then, a loud crash snapped the silence.
One of the Fire Dragons cursed, dropping what looked like a metal crate, spilling its contents onto the ground. Not weapons or ammo, but fucking cocaine and other shit. These bastards weren’t just cruising through our territory—they were running hardcore candy.
“Let’s get the fuck out of here and take this info back to Devil,” Chain whispered as we backtracked to our bikes, leaving the snakes to finish their business.