Chapter Thirteen Two Wheels
Fate
“The Fuck?” I exclaimed as the glass in our windshield rippled and cracked. “Are you hit, brother?” I called to Liberty.
“In the arm,” he said. “But our windshield is toast.”
“Oh, my God!” Belle yelled. “Liberty, you’re bleeding!”
Raising up to look around, I could see there were only two Ninja bikes left. I aimed, took one out and saw the other one drop.
“Got ya, asshole!” Glory cheered over the console.
“Are we clear?” Justice came over the speakers.
“Wait for a couple minutes,” Bones said.
“You guys okay?” I asked over the comm as I looked over the seat to check on the little terrier.
Looking scared, Daisy had laid low in the kennel.
“Broke my arm,” Ink said.
Smoke spoke up next, “Leg wound.”
“Aww shit,” Justice stated. “We cannot make this trip.”
“Hey!” Glory called out. “Legend! Where are you going?”
“To do my job,” he replied as he got out of the SUV with his medical bag in hand.
Glory hopped out to follow him as she held her rifle and kept spanning it around. Yeah, our sister was trained just like we had been. She could use all the same weapons and even fight hand to hand, just like her brothers.
They both rushed over to Smoke. Legend knelt down and was checking his wound.
Then Glory raised her rifle to her shoulder. She aimed and shot at someone in the ditch.
We all stilled at the loud rifle shot.
“He isn’t gonna use that knife ever again,” Glory griped. “Sonofabitch thinking he can sneak up on us.”
I shook my head. “Wow, sis. You might need some anger management classes.”
“Oh, fuck you, Fate,” she quipped with a laugh in her voice.
I snorted at her smartass answer as I looked over the seat at my brother. “You bleeding?”
“Bullets tend to cause that, Fate.” Liberty scoffed. “Just a little. I got lucky.”
Looking upset, Belle was wrapping a bandana around his arm. “I got a tourniquet on it. You are bleeding more than a little.”
I looked over at a very quiet Briget.
She gazed up at me with wide eyes and she looked as pale as a ghost.
I gasped at the obvious terror on her face and moved across the seat to grab her up. “I am so sorry, Briget.”
Her body trembled as she replied, “W-wasn’t y-your f-fault,” she stammered out as her teeth chattered. “C-cold.”
“It's shock,” I told her as I held her. I hadn't thought about how an attack would affect her. Yeah, she had been brave with her little bat back at their apartment, but a car chase with ninja bikers using AK 47s to shoot at us wasn’t the same.
“N-not used to so many b-bullets,”she said. “Car tilting, thought we were gonna w-wreck. I-is Daisy okay?”
“She is just fine.” I held her tight and tried to soothe her, “We all made it. Just try to relax now.” I felt badly for her. I wish I could have prevented all of this from happening.
“Can you move your arm?” Bones asked Ink over the speaker.
“Nah, man. It’s good and broken. Happened when I had to jump from my bike.”
“Ok, I’m calling Talon,” Bones announced. Then after a minute, he spoke again and told Talon over his cell, “We got attacked on the 20. Six guys on Ninja bikes. Dead now. Both my men are down. One with a broken arm. The other got a bullet to the leg. No, no they seem to be okay. But we got a busted windshield, a possible flat tire or two and Liberty has a bullet in his arm.” Bones paused to listen for a few seconds then asked, “Anyone else in our convoy injured?”
No answer came as we all waited to hear more. A couple of minutes went by then we heard… “Ok,” Bones said to Talon. “Copy that.”
“So what’s the verdict?” Justice asked.
“New men are coming as guards,” Bones explained. “And we will trade out the SUV for another one.”
“So, we will keep heading to Sugar Land?” I asked.
“Yeah, it looks like it. There’s no better place for us to hole up in,” Bones said. “Talon worried about the fact that we got hit so quickly, but he thinks it was because they were watching the highway.”
“I hope they get here fast,” Scarlet spoke up over the comm. “More might come.”
No one replied as we couldn’t ignore that fact. It could happen, we just weren’t sure.
“It’ll be about a half hour,” Bones stated. “So, we all need to take some cover.”
“Where?”
“The truck stop,” I said. “I can see it from here.”
“He’s correct,” Bones agreed. “I’ll let Talon know.” He tapped his phone. “We’ll be at the truck stop up the frontage road at exit 43, yeah. Ok.”
Glory and Legend helped Smoke to their SUV. Bones helped Ink, who wore a makeshift sling to his bike and had him climb onto the back.
“I’ll drive,” I told Liberty as I opened the back door to get out.
“Nah, brother,” he said. “It is a scratch. I’m good.”
“I’ll be the judge of that,” Legend said over the comm.
“I am fine doc,” Liberty said. “Let’s check it at the truck stop, ok? We need to leave ASAP.”
We left immediately and went up the road a little ways.
“Good thing it isn’t far,” Justice said over the speakers. “My tires are shot. And I mean that literally. They have real fucking bullet holes in them.”
We all parked in the truck stop parking lot.
I took the little dog from the carrier and placed a leash on her, then got out to take her to the doggie area.
Justice hopped from his SUV and was looking at his now flat tires. Bones was busy helping his Saints’ brother Ink from the bike. Glory and Scarlet were supporting Smoke as he got out of their SUV.
Legend hurried over to Liberty before he could get out of the SUV. He checked his wound and exclaimed, “Wow, it did just graze you!”
“I know.” Liberty nodded. “Just a scratch like I said. Sorry brother, but I didn’t need a medical degree to know that much.” He laughed. “It’s lodged in the seat here, somewhere. I keep saying that I’m fine. If anyone will listen.”
I brought the little dog back to the vehicle and put her in her kennel. I gave her some treats and water. “We’ll be back, Daze.”
“So he’s okay?” Belle asked Legend in worried concern as she ignored Liberty’s assurances.
“Yeah, he’s just as annoying as ever,” Legend said as he chuckled.
“Oh, good,” Belle replied. “I like him that way. It’s more fun when I get the best of him.” Leaning in, she kissed his cheek.
Everyone laughed as we all headed to the front doors.
Briget finally came over and joined us.
In concern, the women all stopped walking to gather around her. They must have heard it when I comforted her.
Belle hugged her and said, “You shoulda seen me when Deacon sent his army and bombed that estate. I shook so badly that I could hardly walk after the bombs were dropped. I was so terrified that I couldn’t speak for a half hour.”
“And take it from me, her being that silent?” Liberty teased her. “It was way too creepy.”
Belle stuck her tongue out at him.
Wearing smiles, the girls all shook their heads at him.
“I’m alright now,” Briget said while looking embarrassed.
“Good,” Justice stated. “Cause if you travel with the Walkers, it’s gonna get hairy sometimes.”
I shook my head at him and said, “Before all this started, we lived a pretty quiet life. So don’t be scaring my girl off.”
Briget looked over at me with big eyes as her face went pink.
I smiled at her. Might as well state my intentions publicly. Yes, Briget was mine, I just didn’t think she knew it.
“We are all gonna head to the powder room, boys,” Glory announced with a chuckle. “Come on, girls.”
We men followed the women as they all entered the truck stop.
I stepped up to the hostess stand and said, “We need a large table. For eleven, I think?”
The hostess stared at us, while looking a bit shocked. “Were you in a car accident?”
I shrugged. Car accident might be putting it too mildly but I replied, “Sort of. Why do you ask?”
Nodding her head at us, she replied, “Several of you have blood on your clothes.”
I looked around to see she was right. Liberty and Smoke in particular had blood on them as well as Bones.
Legend stepped up and spoke softly, “I’m an MD and I treated their wounds. They are all okay now.”
The woman stared at him and her entire expression changed as she suddenly got all doe eyed. “You are cute. Wow. Ok doctor.” She grabbed a stack of menus. Moving over close by him while almost passing her breasts over his chest, she went past him. “Follow me, handsome.”
Legend shook his head and glanced back at us.
“Wow!” Liberty exclaimed with a laugh. “I really thought she wasn’t gonna let us in. I always believed that you couldn’t pay for stuff or get perks with your looks but I stand corrected.”
We all laughed.
I smiled too, but I worried that Glory might catch this hostess flirting with Legend when we were all at the table. I remembered what happened last year when we were all at a party and a cocktail waitress hit on Legend. The flirty waitress hung all over him, hooked on every word he uttered. As soon as she caught sight of this, our sister dragged her out back by her hair no less and punched her. Justice had to really work hard to get the injured woman not to press charges against Glory.
Oh yes, Glory would beat this girl up too, I felt sure. When we sat down, my gaze met Justice’s.
Looking worried too, he shook his head at me.
I leaned over the table and tapped it with my finger to get Legend’s attention.
Raising his head from the menu, he asked, “What’s up?”
I sighed and said, “That hostess was coming on to you.”
He looked confused and totally surprised. “She was?”
I shook my head. “My God, Legend. Are ya blind?”
He chuckled and replied, “I haven’t been diagnosed as blind, no.”
Justice broke into laughter and joked, “Doc, you have to be the brightest dumbass I have ever known.”
Legend shook his head and returned his gaze back to the menu.
“Brother,” I spoke to Legend again. “We don't need to draw any more attention to ourselves.”
He raised his gaze up to look at me. “I don’t plan to do that.”
“Maybe you don’t,” Justice piped in. “But she does.” He pointed at the woman who’d come onto Legend at the hostess stand.
Said flirty hostess was making her way toward our table and Legend in particular. Her eyes were on him and only him.
“Crap,” he muttered as he finally got our point.
Stopping beside his chair, the woman asked Legend, “Can I get you something to drink, cuteness?”
Cuteness… Liberty and I rolled our eyes.
“No,” Legend said. “I’ll wait till my wife gets here.”
Tucking her head back in shock, she then peered down at his hands. “You’re not wearing a wedding ring, I already checked.”
He chuckled. “It’s in the shop, being upgraded.”
Looking at him then up at us, she seemed to get flustered, but she tried to cover it. “What about the rest of you?”
“What about us?” I asked.
“Yeah, we aren’t single either,” Liberty said as he grinned at her.
She shook her head and looked disgusted by his remark. “What do you want to drink?”
“How about a few pitchers of sweet tea,” I suggested. “Then about a dozen glasses. Oh and a Dr. Pepper.”
Nodding, she muttered something about jerks under her breath and turned away.
Liberty and I laughed as we looked over at Legend.
He shrugged. “That seemed to work?”
“Does that happen a lot?” I asked the good doctor.
“Kind of,” he replied as he set the menu down. “Especially if they find out I’m a doctor. I mean even in this day and age. They love to date doctors.”
I felt a bit curious. Did he even date? I’d never seen him with a girl. Then again, I never tried to find out. Glory was in love with this man. We all knew it, except for him, it seemed. What if he had a steady girl already? It could happen and we wouldn’t even know about it. “And currently, are there any that have like…scored with you?”
Legend looked over at me and narrowed his eyes.
I saw the look on his face and raised my hands up. “Ok, ok. Geeze.”
Liberty shook his head at me. “Mind yer bidness, baby brother,” he teased in a heavy drawl and laughed.
The women were all strolling over to our table.
The men all stood from our seats to pull out chairs for our girls.
Briget came over and sat in my offered chair.
I reached over and took her hand.
She looked a bit surprised at my hand holding but then she smiled. Turning her head, she glanced out the big bay window of the restaurant and paused.
I followed her gaze.
Out in the parking lot, a black SUV was parked at the very edge.
“It’s just sitting there,” she explained. “I saw it when we arrived. I think it's waiting for us to get back on the road.”
Staring at it, Liberty leaned close to Bones and whispered something in his ear.
Bones nodded. He stood from the table and took his phone out. Heading to the front, he tapped the screen.
I assumed he was calling Talon. If this SUV was from Deacon. It could be really dangerous for us when we left the restaurant. I looked over at Briget. “It might just be waiting for someone else?”
Shrugging, she looked nervous. “Maybe? But that looks like the same vehicle that almost ran me over in that alley.”
I paused and asked, “The one in town? That came out of nowhere?”
Nodding, she bit at her lip and again looked out the window.
The hostess brought a tray of glasses and a waitress followed her with a tray of tea pitchers. They set the trays down and placed glasses in front of us.
“Here’s the Dr. Pepper,” the hostess announced as she set the bottle in front of me.
I smiled and picked it up to place it next to the ice filled glass sitting in front of Briget.
Smiling at me, she chuckled. “Thank you, Fate.”
We ordered food, then watched as three bikes and another SUV arrived. It was more Rebel Saints. They got off their bikes and stepped out of the SUV. A truck also pulled up. It parked next to our vehicles. The men were busy changing the now two flat tires on Justice’s SUV. They loaded Bones’ bike onto the truck too. It already had Ink’s and Smoke’s busted looking bikes on the bed.
“The dark SUV is gone,” Briget noted. “I guess I overreacted.”
“To what?” I asked. “Being alert and aware is not being over-reactive, Briget.”
Just then, our food arrived. Two waitresses set the plates in front of us. They then brought new pitchers of tea.
We all dug in and ate our meals while we passed the time by talking about the ninja rider s as we were calling them.
I shook my head and asked, “I wonder why they used Ninja bikes in particular?”
“Because they are the fastest vehicles on two wheels, cousin.”
We all swung our gazes over to the man who had spoken.
A tall man with dark hair and green eyes stood close to the large table. He wore an immaculate dark blue Armani Privé suit. Giving us a dazzling smile, he pulled out a chair and sat down at the end of the table. Then he continued, “For instance, did you know that the Kawasaki Ninja H2R is the fastest production motorcycle in the world? With a top speed of 249 miles per hour. It also has a 998 cc, four-cylinder supercharged engine that can produce up to 326 horsepower with ram-air. Basically, they are the Bugatti of bikes.”
Looking utterly white as she stared at him, Briget asked with a gasp, “Agent Deacon?”
In an instant, metallic clicks echoed all around the table as at least a half a dozen handguns or more were all trained on the smiling Deacon.