11. Willow
11
WILLOW
I freeze, almost amused by watching Blackout and Skyhigh stuff themselves back into their pants, but it becomes really obvious really fast that if this is a drill, it isn’t planned. I scramble off Dragon’s lap as Skyhigh pulls a gun out of his belt.
“What’s going on?”
Blaze is pulling her clothes back into place. “I don’t know. We have to stay low and do what they say.”
Skyhigh points to us. “Dragon and Sinner, get the girls to Bonnie’s and check the yard. Blackout and Jackal, with me.”
I always got the feeling that Skyhigh was the leader of the three because he was a little bossy, but it's suddenly completely obvious that it’s more than that. All of the men nod, accepting his order without hesitation.
He looks at me. “You scared?”
I nod.
“I know you are, baby, but you’ve gotta lock it down for now. Stick with Blaze. We’ll come for you when the coast is clear, okay? I need to hear it.”
“Okay,” I whisper.
And then I'm moving—or more like it, being moved. Dragon and Sinner guide us quickly past the altar and out the back of the church. Hellfire storms out of a room near the exit, gun in hand, his long hair tied back and his face a grim mask full of deathly promise. He registers us with a glance, then nods and keeps moving.
Blackout holds up a hand to stop us as he gets ready to open the back door. “Hang back. Let me see what’s waiting for us before you go charging out.”
He pulls a gun too, then pushes the door open gently, while we huddle together in the shadows next to Sinner. I wish I could do something, but this is so outside my realm of experience, that I can't imagine what. Even Blaze, who knows her way around the club much better than I do, is looking nervous, so maybe it's not just me. Another gunshot goes off outside, making me squeak in surprise and grip her arm.
“We'll be okay,” she says, her voice shaky. “These guys know what they're doing. They're not going to let us get hurt. I promise.”
I think she's trying to convince herself as much as she is me, but I nod. “I know.”
“It's clear,” Blackout says. “Come on.”
Terrified, I hold my breath as Blackout and Sinner guard our trip to the two-story house next to the church. More lights are on, and bikers are flooding out of the school building and the garage, most of them visibly armed. Another gunshot goes off as Blackout hurries us up a staircase attached to the side of the house. He raps hard on the door, and after a moment an older lady with silvery hair and sharp eyes answers. She must be Bonnie.
She takes one look at us and waves us inside into a cluttered kitchen with earthy pink walls. “Go on, boys. I’ve got them.”
“We’ll come for you when it’s safe.” Blackout grabs me by the arm and crushes a quick, desperate kiss to my lips before leaving.
Blaze slams the door shut, and Bonnie slides a manual bolt into place to lock it. I stare in shock at the closed door.
Bonnie crosses her tattooed arms in front of her chest and grins. I’m guessing she’s late forties or early fifties, and about my height, five-four, but her personality makes her seem larger than life. “Nothing like a little excitement to shake up the night, eh? Well, get comfortable and stay away from the windows. Who’s your friend, Blaze?”
Blaze gestures to me. “Willow, this is Bonnie. Bonnie, Willow.”
“Hi.”
“I haven’t seen you around. New to the club?” Bonnie asks.
“Yeah, kinda I guess.” I look towards the door. “Are they going to be okay?”
“They’ll be fine. These boys can handle a lot. Who are you here with, hon?”
“Skyhigh, Dragon and Blackout. They… They were just supposed to help me with my garden.” Why am I telling them this? I blame shock. “I live down the hill.”
“Oh! Edith’s girl!” Bonnie proclaims. “Your grandma was a tough old broad. I was sorry to hear she died.”
“Thanks. You knew her?”
Bonnie smirks. “Not that she’d want to admit it, but I lost my man a couple years after your grandfather passed. We weren’t friends exactly, but we shared a few bottles of wine down at her place over the years. You ladies want anything? Beer? Energy drink? I’ve got these weird Japanese soda things my daughter likes.”
“I’ll take a beer,” Blaze answers.
“Just water, thanks.” I can’t believe my grandmother and this woman actually hung out. What would they even talk about?
“Suit yourself.” Bonnie pours me a glass of water and tosses Blaze a can of beer before getting herself a bright orange energy drink. “Come on, no point in standing around the kitchen.”
“Thanks.” My hands shake so much I can barely hold the glass, but once I take a sip, I realize how dry my throat was.
I take a moment to look around as she leads us into her living room. It’s decorated kind of haphazardly, but in a way that makes it feel warm and lived in. The couch is well-worn, soft, and comfortable, the kind you could easily take a nap on and wake up the next day instead. There’s a big screen TV with a video game system under it with scattered game boxes and controllers that look like they see a lot of use on a little table next to it. On the walls are a ton of pictures, most of a grizzled biker with long gray-black hair and a thick handlebar mustache. In some of the pictures, he's together with Bonnie. I wonder if he’s the man she said she lost.
Just as we sit down, there's a new pounding on the door. Bonnie's over there in a blink, peeking through the peephole before throwing the bolt to open up. “Get the fuck in here. What are you doing out there by yourself?” She pulls in a short woman with brown hair to the middle of her back.
When she sees the rest of us her big eyes widen. “Blaze. And…” She frowns at me. “Have we met?”
“I don’t think so. I’m Willow. I was just visiting when everything went crazy.”
“That’s sort of the usual story around here,” she says with a dry laugh. “I’m Paige. Bonnie, where are Jessica and Anne?”
“Don’t worry, they’re off visiting Jess’s mom. Won’t be back until tomorrow. Shit like this is why I can’t wait until the houses are ready. Anne is sick and tired of that fancy school, but I can’t exactly have her living here full time, now can I?”
I have no idea who any of these people are or what they're talking about, but sitting in Bonnie’s living room listening to them chatter about their friends is a little island of normalcy in an ocean of chaos. If I ignore the fact that I’ve literally seen Blaze have sex. Twice.
Paige nods. “I know what you mean. I’m sick of not having enough room for everyone. Savage’s place is working out for now, but it’s not really enough room for all of the boys.”
“You have kids?” I ask Paige.
She laughs. “Sometimes it feels that way, but no. My men. Crank, Savage and Poe.”
“Your men?”
“Yeah, I’m their old lady. And before you ask, yes all three of them.”
“I thought an old lady was like a biker's wife. How can you be together with all three?” My mind goes immediately to Skyhigh and the others, though the idea of what we’re doing being anything but a summer fling seems pretty unlikely.
“We make it work. I’m theirs and they’re mine.” She smiles dreamily, like she can't wait to get back to them. “It's a lot, both good and bad, but mostly good. And in bed? It's all good.”
Blaze laughs. “That's the truth.”
Even Bonnie grins and nods.
I feel like the world’s biggest prude because I’m apparently the only one who can’t relate to having sex with multiple people at the same time. Yes, my thoughts have gone there, and the idea of it is fueling new ideas for my book in ways I would've never imagined, but like an actual relationship with three guys at once? “Don't they get jealous?”
Paige shrugs. “I bet some would, but the men here, they’re used to putting their lives in each other’s hands. For my boys, I think knowing that I’m protected by all of them helps them relax. They are already sworn to each other through the club, having me just made them closer. Jessica feels the same.”
“Wait, what? There are more? Is this a biker thing?”
“Not in my day, I'll say that for sure,” Bonnie chimes in. She's dropped into one of the easy chairs, and glances over at one of the pictures of the grizzled biker. Next to it is a frame with “Property of” and “General” patches. “We got a little wild when we first were together, but I swore myself only to him and I couldn't imagine anyone else. He was mine, all mine, and all of me was his. Hope you're resting easy, old fucker.” She raises her drink in a toast to the picture. “But times are changing, I guess. Girls are getting greedy.”
Paige laughs. “Absolutely.”
Another gunshot has us all looking towards the front gates. Despite their easy chatter, it's obvious I'm not the only one who's worried. I wish I knew what was going on. “Are they going to be okay?”
“Of course. They usually are,” Paige replies, but the implication that it's not always the case is there.
“How do you handle it? When you know there's dangerous stuff going on out there?”
Paige and Bonnie share a loaded look. It’s Bonnie that answers. “This isn’t an easy life. If you had a husband and he drove to work every day, would you be worried?”
“I—” I was about to say no, but I stop. “A little maybe, but only if the roads were really bad.”
“But car accidents are common. Statistically speaking, every time we get into a car, there's a chance something could happen.”
Paige nods. “It’s not exactly the same, but she’s right. This life comes with a certain amount of risk, and believe it or not, this is just our version of wondering if the roads will be plowed before they have to leave work.”
“That sounds absolutely insane, but I think I know what you mean.”
The others fall into more casual topics, and I think they're trying to make me worry less. How can there be real danger if we're just hanging out having a girl’s night in here? Paige tells me one of her men is a big reader and she’s trying to find books he’ll like, so I actually have things I can talk about. Blaze is in beauty school, hoping to find something a little more stable than the part-time job she's got now. Bonnie has tons of stories about her life with General, who was the old president of the Outlaw Sons before he was betrayed and assassinated. It’s interesting to hear her point of view from the time when the club moved into the neighborhood, and knowing she knew my grandmother makes me feel a little connected.
After a bit, I realize I haven't heard a gunshot in a good while. “It's quiet out there.”
Paige nods. “They'll come when it's safe, but that's a good sign. Probably.”
As if in response, someone knocks on the door. We all jump to our feet, but Bonnie pushes herself to the front, checking before opening. “Took you fucking long enough.” She lets in Dragon, followed by two other members I don't know.
“Crank! Poe!” Paige throws herself into their arms, and they pull her in close, kissing her senseless in turn, the kind of kissing that makes me wonder if I should even be watching.
“Are we… are they… is it okay?” I ask Dragon, not sure which answer I need first.
I want to throw myself into his arms like Paige did with her guys, but I hold back. They're all talking quietly together now, and the hitch in Paige’s whispers makes me think she was a lot more worried than she let on.
“It’s all good, baby,” Dragon reassures me. Maybe what I need is clear, because he pulls me to him and wraps his arms around my shoulders, holding me close. “Just some assholes looking to make trouble. We sent ‘em running.”
“I want to go home,” I whisper.
“Of course. I'll take you.”
Fifteen minutes later, I'm unlocking the front door, but suddenly Grandma's house seems huge and empty. The last thing I want right now is to be alone. I send Grace a quick text to let her know I made it home, and then a sudden shudder rocks me. I was almost caught up in a freaking shootout, and the guys that I barely know, but already feel so close to, could've gotten hurt. A sob comes out of nowhere, and my eyes start to sting. Oh God, I'm going to break down, right here in the doorway.
I smile weakly up at Dragon. “I’m good. I’m fine.”
Then Dragon is right there, his warm hand on my hip. “Shit, Willow. Go get ready for bed. I'll be here as long as you need me.” He closes the door behind us and throws the bolt.