Chapter 24 #3
“Just this once because it’s a holiday.” I smile at him. There is no way Ace is going to eat everything I’ve put on this dessert plate, but I’m sure Viking will polish off whatever he doesn’t.
“Do I have to go to bed early?” Ace pouts, then shifts his hopeful attention to Legion, who is sitting silent and poised across from him. “Legend said he’d do magick.”
Legion clears his throat. “I can make it a quick demonstration,” he says, as if he doesn’t want to disappoint my son.
“Alright,” I sigh, sitting so as not to obstruct Ace’s view. Legion offers me a slight bow of thanks, then shifts his attention to smile at Ace as he removes the tarnished brass Zippo from his pocket.
“Have you ever seen a candle relight itself, Ace?” Legion asks, rolling the lighter across his fingers like a coin.
Ace shakes his head excitedly, eyes wide and waiting for the show. I glance quickly around the table. Dean is stoic, of course. Viking and Axel may be vaguely interested, and Cherry is smiling, though I’m sure it has more to do with Ace’s elation.
“Perhaps your lovely mother wouldn’t mind assisting?” Legion arches a brow at me.
When Ace claps and smiles, there’s no way I could refuse. “Sure, why not?”
“Simply blow out the candle, sweet one.” Legion stands and gestures to the nearest tapered candle on the table. I have to stand, too, in order to lean forward to reach it. “Now, Ace, watch closely…” Legion says, “This magick happens quickly!”
With his Zippo ready, Legion gives me another nod, and I gently blow out the candle.
The ribbon of smoke from the wick drifts upward, and Legion places the flame of the lighter into the thick stream a few inches above the candle.
A little flame catches within the smoke, and like a lit fuse, rapidly burns down the stream of smoke, appearing to drop back down to the candle, relighting the wick once again.
“ Whoa!” Ace exclaims, thoroughly impressed as chuckles rise up from around the table. Legion offers him another little bow while Ace claps, then reclaims his seat.
“ That isn’t magic, that’s science ,” Dean mutters, clearly bitter over how impressed Ace is with Legion. Fortunately, Ace didn’t hear him.
“Was it Arthur C. Clarke who said, ‘ Magic is science we don’t yet understand?” Legion glances at Dean with a grin.
Before they can start another pissing contest, I grab a fork and wrap it in a napkin to hand to Ace. “Okay, sweetheart, you go have your dessert with Uncle Viking,” I tell him.
Viking stands up with his plate and makes his way around the table to join Ace. I hand him Ace’s dessert as well. Before they head to Ace’s room, Viking stops by Axel.
“You should know the vote was unanimous. I was there, too,” Viking says, then follows Ace down the hall.
Axel waits for Ace’s bedroom door to shut behind them before he looks at Dean. “Why wasn’t I there?”
“Well, this evening is turning out to be another shining example of how no good deed goes unpunished, and that the road to hell is truly paved with good intentions.” There is no humor in Dean’s forced smile or in his tone.
“I’m happy to take the reins and shoulder the blame here,” Legion says.
“Well, you are the cause of everything.” Dean scowls at him. “What you aren’t is a member of this MC.”
“Then I shall endeavor to only speak when spoken to.” The tight smile across Legion’s mouth doesn’t slip. “In the meantime, I’m perfectly content to enjoy your wife’s pie.”
Dean’s glare blazes, but he doesn’t raise his voice when he warns Legion, “Keep it up, and the only thing you’re gonna be ingesting is your fucking teeth.”
“What do you call this divine, gastronomic delight before me?” Legion gestures to his slice of apple pie. “I don’t see the problem here.”
“You’re the problem. The whole fucking problem. Just sit there and be Vanna’s good deed we’re all being punished for,” Dean mutters.
I open my mouth to say something, but Legion doesn’t quit.
“Why Dean, that might be the highest compliment you’ve ever paid me!” Legion forks off a piece of pie, swipes it off the plate, and into his smart mouth. He closes his eyes as he chews and rests against the back of his chair with a little groan as if in pure ecstasy.
Before Legion can swallow and open his mouth again, Axel takes the opportunity to ask, “What did the MC vote on, Dean? Why was I left out?”
Dean lets out a tense sigh. “Because we didn’t want to risk you doing anything that would jeopardize your future.”
Confusion contorts Axel’s expression. He sits silently, waiting for Dean to elaborate.
“There’s video evidence of the night the Demons’ Den burned to the ground… Clear…undisputable evidence of the perpetrators,” Dean reluctantly informs him.
Cherry squeezes Axel’s arm, sparing Legion and me a glance before she shifts her focus intently back to Dean.
“I’ve been informed by my lawyer that arson with malicious intent has no statute of limitations…and the felony charge carries a minimum sentence of twenty years.”
“ Oh God…” Cherry whispers.
A wave of guilt washes over me, and I close my eyes for a moment, afraid she might look at me again. When I feel Legion’s foot, gently and secretly tap mine, I nervously glance over at him. He doesn’t say anything, but the tightness in his expression appears to be vaguely apologetic.
“We didn’t tell you because we didn’t want you to do anything,” Dean begins to say, when Axel turns to glare at Legion.
“That’s why you’ve all been so tolerant of this asshole,” Axel says.
Legion parts his hands with a slight shrug. “Choices were made… It isn’t as if I handed you the gasoline,” he says. “ That was Viking.”
Axel’s throat shifts with a hard swallow, and the tension around his angry eyes slackens. “You have Viking, too?”
Legion nods.
“ Fuck…” Axel slumps back in his seat and stares at his half-eaten pie while Cherry rubs his shoulder. “If I go down, I take Viking with me…” Axel whispers to himself, then looks back at a silently distraught Dean. “You were worried I’d turn myself in to free us of Legion?”
Dean only nods.
“I can’t… Not if Viking is on it, too.” Axel sighs. “And I can’t leave Cherry…”
“Even if he wasn’t, we would never want or expect you to turn yourself in, ever. Not for any fucking reason, Axel,” Dean says. “Give me your word you won’t do it.”
Axel shakes his head slowly. “I won’t… I promise… And I understand why you all kept this from me.”
Dean sighs, a weight visibly lifting from his shoulders as he reaches over to place a comforting hand on Axel’s arm.
Axel scoffs, shaking his head. “Ruger was right. This is all my fucking fault…”
“Axel, don’t ,” Dean says.
“No, Dean… It is my fault. You told me to leave it alone that night…” Axel’s teary gaze shifts back to Legion, but the regret in his expression quickly turns to anger. “That night, this piece of shit hurt you, and I found out what he did to Cherry!”
Legion straightens, meeting Axel’s glare head-on.
“I may have come close to orchestrating the demise of your fearless leader and county. However, I will not shoulder the blame for what happened to Cherry.” Legion stands, adjusting the cuffs of his suit jacket.
“If you all would excuse me, I need a cigarette.”
“You’ve finished your dessert, just leave,” Dean growls. “We’ve been subjected to your presence long enough.”
I don’t know what to say… Maybe it is best Legion leaves…
I peer up at him just as he smiles down at me. “Very well,” he says, buttoning his suit jacket. “Vanna, I am thoroughly impressed by the exquisite meal you prepared for us tonight, and so grateful for the invite to spend this holiday with you.”
“Let me send you off with something to take home for later,” I offer, getting up from the table as well.
“You are too kind,” Legion nods once. I hurry over to the kitchen to prepare him a tray as he makes his way toward the front door, but he stops by Cherry and Axel.
“Before I depart, I’d like a word with your Ol’ Lady,” Legion says to Axel.
“I don’t give a shit what you want,” Axel coolly replies.
“Axel, it’s okay… I’ll hear him out,” Cherry places a brief touch upon Axel’s hand. “He’s not going to do anything.”
“Damn right he’s not.” Axel gets up and steps away from the table to scowl in Legion’s face.
They’re about the same height, nearly matched in their athletic builds as well.
Seeing the two of them standing toe to toe, that ever-present darkness that seems to envelope Legion is even more pronounced compared to Axel’s usual steadfast, sunshiny demeanor.
Even when he’s pissed off and in protective mode, Axel retains an innocence about him.
And although he has been MMA-training for years with Viking and Dean, able to hold his own in a fight, Legion effortlessly exudes that cold, lethal look of a man capable of not only surviving but coming out on top of any situation.
He’s all sharp edges in every way. For some reason, it hits me then.
Despite knowing everything I do about Legion, which, granted, isn’t much, I do know one thing for certain…
Legion is a killer.
Immediately, I cross the room, handing Legion a tray of leftovers. “Let’s take this down a notch,” I nervously say.
Legion glances down at the tray I’ve shoved into his hands, then lifts his eyes to meet mine. “I only wish to speak with her,” he says as if I’ve somehow offended him.
“It’s fine,” Cherry insists, standing as she peers up at Axel. “Give us a minute?” She nods toward the living room. When Axel doesn’t move, Dean stands up and encourages him to grant Cherry’s request.
Axel steps away, though it’s with an obvious reluctance written all over his face as he glares over his shoulder. He shoots Legion another warning scowl and takes a seat in the living room with Dean.
Cherry nods at me, letting me know she’s alright to be left with Legion for a moment. He promised to behave, so I busy myself with wrapping up leftovers for her, Axel, and Viking to take home while keeping a watchful eye on the situation.