Epilogue
Semi
Not everyone can get a happy ever after.
Thankfully, Light got his.
By the time we rolled up to Melissa's house, the worst of it was over. Deke was dead. Barbecued on the ground. Melissa was free. Unfortunately, the cut to Light's leg was bad. Deke managed to nick his femoral artery.
Out of all of us, it was Vinny who wound up saving him. Turns out he was a medic in the army at one point in his life, and he managed to get his finger in the wound and hold the artery shut until the ambulance made it to us.
He still gets the shit jobs because he's only the prospect, but we all like him just a little bit more for saving Light.
Light was by far the most needy patient I'd ever seen in my life. Once he was stitched up and cleared to leave, it was like he couldn't do anything for himself. Of course, Melissa catered to his every wish, and she did it with a smile on her face.
She's made a great addition to the clubhouse. Even better is her son, Tyler, was let out of the hospital as well. The infection he had in his lungs cleared up a few days after Light was allowed to leave, and now he spends time with us as well.
We all love the kid.
Yeah, I'm happy for Light and Melissa. I'm surprised she even puts up with him and as much as I don't want to admit it he did good choosing her to be his ol' lady.
His judgment is better than mine, that's for sure.
I'm still trying to piece together what really is going on with Claire.
After the last package I got in the mail with the photos of her, I haven't heard anything more.
The biggest part of me is sure that she's just up to her old tricks.
Doing whatever she can to get some money out of me.
But there's a small nagging part of me that thinks maybe she's telling the truth.
Maybe my ex really was deep into some shit and she needed my help.
With a groan, I rub a hand over my face and look up to the sky. It's too nice of a day to be thinking about this shit.
Claire isn't my responsibility anymore. Hell, she shouldn't have been my responsibility in the first place. I was young, dumb and absolutely pussy whipped. I didn't see her for what she truly was. Just a snake in the grass.
"Hey brother, when are you back?" Brick walks over to me right before I step up into my big rig. I've got a job taking me all the way to Montana.
"Shouldn't be longer than a week." I tell him.
It's a straight shot there and back and if I push it I can probably make it back in four days, but I need the space.
I love my bike and my club but all this shit running around in my head about Claire has me feeling like I'm going crazy. I need to escape for a little while.
"Alright, I hear you. I'll hold the meeting until you come back. There's two coming out of the clink who are looking to do a prospect run."
"Two more? Really. That's fucking awesome.
" I pull him into a bro hug. I was one of the first members to join up with the BCMC.
It's a hard life, especially with the crew being all ex-cons, but it's nice to have some form of community.
Really does a great job of keeping everyone on the straight and narrow.
"Yeah, we're getting bigger. Hell, we might even need a bigger clubhouse soon." Brick laughs as he backs away from me. "We'll vote on it. Ride safe." he salutes me once before he turns and walks back through the garage toward the clubhouse.
I feel a little lighter now as I pull myself up into the cab of my truck.
I don't have to check anything. I keep my rig in pristine condition. I know where everything is and how to fix anything if the need arises. Checking once to make sure I'm not backing over anything. I put my truck in gear and get on the road.
The sound of the pavement under the wheels combined with the feeling that I'm floating over everyone else always puts me in a sort of meditative state. I don't see anything but the road in front of me.
I don't see or hear anything. But when the cold steel of a gun is pressed up against my side, I definitely feel that shit.
"What the fuck!" I startle and fight to keep my hands on the wheel. I'm on the highway driving an eighteen wheeler. It's the last place in the world I can afford to have an accident.
"Don't try anything stupid. Do what I say, and you'll get out of this alive."
I know that voice.
I look up into the mirror, trying to see who is behind me. It only takes me a second. Paris.
Claire's sister.
"What the fuck are you doing Paris?" I growl at her while I pray she knows what she's doing with that gun in her hand.
"I'm doing what I have to do. She asked for your help, Sam. You didn't come. You never fucking show up." Paris jabs the gun in my side and I jerk, the truck swerving slightly from my movement.
"What the hell are you talking about? Is this about Claire? I've been looking for her. I can't fucking find her. What does she need? Money? What?" I shout at her.
"It's too late for that. They don't want money anymore."
I wait for the follow-up, but when it doesn't come I shout, "What do they want?"
"You. They want you, Sam. They want to trade her for you, and I'm going to make sure that happens."
I blink a few times as I process what she's just told me.
The little sister of my ex-wife is holding me hostage in my own big rig. She plans on handing me off to god knows who with plans to do god knows what to me in order to free her big sister.
I can't help but laugh not because the situation is even the slightest bit amusing, but because it all makes sense.
For as long as I can remember I've been running from the demons that surrounded my old life, it seems like they just found me.