Chapter 23 （Glock）
TWENTY-THREE
GLOCK
Tank had just made a joke, which surprised us all, because he was the kind of guy who rarely said anything, let alone an actual joke. We were laughing our asses off, because we couldn’t believe he had said it rather than that it was funny.
Everyone was in a good mood after the defeat of the Dragon Knights.
Some of the guys had been partying since the previous night, even after I left to go to Sage’s place.
We were in good spirit, and everyone seemed to be convinced that we had eliminated the Dragon Knights once and for all.
With Brick dead, it would take them too much discipline, resources and brains to get themselves back up together - none of which they had.
Axel was sitting with us, too, when Sage walked into the Rusty Pelican. All heads turned to look at her, and I crashed my bottle of beer down on the table ready to run to her and drag her out of the place if I had to.
But Axel had beat me to it. He stood up and welcomed Sage with open arms, and she walked right up to him, completely ignoring my presence beside him.
“Hi, Axel. I heard that you wanted to see me,” she said, and I felt like someone had knocked the wind out of my lungs. I had definitely not passed on that bit of information to her, and I figured that it had to be one of the girls who did.
I clenched my jaw as I glared at her, trying to force her into looking at me, but Sage didn’t budge.
She continued to stare at Axel without batting an eyelid.
Apart from the fact that I was fucking furious at her, Sage looked devastatingly gorgeous at the same time with her flowing red hair, her eyes changing colors, the plaid shirt she was wearing that stretched over her ample breasts.
“Yes, Sage, the women have had nothing but praises for you, and I thought it was time that the two of us sat down and had a chat,” Axel said, and I clenched my fists. Things were not going according to plan.
“Have you decided what you want to do with me?” Sage asked, and Axel laughed then threw me a look.
“What I want to do with you? Yes, that’s a good question.
Given that you managed to get my men involved in a bloodbath without being asked to,” Axel said, and I watched him narrow his eyes at her.
Sage should have been intimidated by that look, but I had come to expect her not to be.
She just stared back at him like she had nothing to hide.
“Okay, I’ll bite. You really want to help the women file a case against the motherfuckers? Be my guest,” Axel said, and Sage’s mouth fell open. She was the one who looked like she had the wind knocked out of her now.
“I will keep you out of it. I promise. The whole MC. I will make sure that the testimonies don’t include your involvement in any way,” Sage said, and Axel nodded his head.
“You better, because otherwise, it’s off,” Axel said, and she nodded her head excitedly.
“Thank you, Axel. You won’t regret it,” she said with a wide smile on her face, and I ran a hand through my hair dejectedly.
I couldn’t change it now; the decision had been made.
Once again, Sage got exactly what she wanted.
I could have broken all the bottles in this place.
I was seething with rage as I stood beside Axel.
“But Glock told me that you were planning on taking up a job in San Francisco. How is that going to work? I told you that if you get involved with us once, there’s no way out of this,” Axel continued, peering into Sage’s face. She licked her lips nervously and threw me a look.
“Glock was wrong. I don’t have a job in San Francisco, and I don’t want to go back there.
I want to stay here and work with the women, work for people in my neighborhood,” Sage said, and I shook my head lightly and looked away from her.
I couldn’t believe this shit. I couldn’t believe what she was saying, yet a part of me was forcing me to smile.
I tried hard to control it - to not smile openly.
I didn’t want to get my hopes up at the prospect of Sage staying here. What could that mean for us?
“Good. That is exactly what I wanted to hear. You stay here; work with the women, and if I ever need legal help, you’ll be the first person I’ll call,” Axel said, and Sage nodded her head and smiled.
“I’ll be happy to help,” she replied, and Axel stretched his hand out towards her. Sage shook his hand, but he kept holding it.
“And, Sage, I hope you’re aware what this involves. What you’re getting yourself into,” Axel said, and I saw how her hazel eyes twinkled as she looked at him.
“I do, and I know I can rely on you guys to have my back,” she said, and Axel broke into a laugh.
“She’s a full-fledged lawyer, this one, eh?” Axel said through his laughter and looked at me. I could barely force myself to smile.
“Yes, my girl, you have our full protection. As long as you keep doing good work for us,” Axel said, and he finally let her hand go.
Sage looked pleased; she was all smiles. Then she gave me one look - she nodded her head and turned and started walking towards the door.
Where the fuck did she think she was she going?
I caught up with Sage outside just as she was about to get into her pickup. I grabbed her elbow and pulled her towards me, and she whipped around with fire in her eyes. She yanked her arm away from me and pursed her lips together, ready for battle.
This time, I was going to make sure that she listened to every word I said and got it into her head that she had to leave.
There was still time. She could still go back in there and tell Axel that she had changed her mind.
She hadn’t started working on the case yet; there was still time for me to get her out of this place.
“What do you think you’re doing, Sage?” I growled at her. I could feel my chest rising and falling as I glared at her. She stuck her chin up in the air and narrowed her sparkling eyes at me.
“What does it look like I’m doing? I just got myself a job!” she snapped, and I stepped away from her and ran a hand through my hair.
“Are you crazy? Did you not listen to a word I said to you this morning?” I knew I was shouting, but I didn’t care anymore. I needed her to know just how much I despised the decision she had made.
“Yes, I did, Glock, but I didn’t hear you mention the bit about Axel wanting to see me,” she said and crossed her arms over her breasts.
“Sage, Long Beach is no longer safe for you. If you get yourself involved in a legal battle with the Dragon Knights, your life is going to be in danger,” I said.
Sage and I were facing off, glaring at each other. She had her mouth pursed together, and her nostrils were flared. Then suddenly, her eyes softened, and she took a step towards me.
“I was hoping, Glock, that just like Axel, you would offer me your protection,” she said in a soft gentle voice, the kind of voice I had never expected to hear from her.
I didn’t know what to say to that. The truth was that I could die trying to protect this woman.
That was how I had felt about her ever since we were teenagers.
I didn’t want her here, because I didn’t want anything happening to her.
“If you stay here, I would have no choice but to do that,” I replied in a deep hoarse voice, and a soft smile flickered on her lips.
“Would you want any other choice? How will you protect me if I’m in San Francisco?
It’s a dangerous city, too. I could get myself involved in shit there that you would never find out about,” she continued, and I could feel a lump forming in my throat.
She was right; I hadn’t thought of that.
I had always assumed simply that if she left Long Beach, she would be safe.
The truth was that there were dangers everywhere, especially as far as Sage was concerned.
I looked at her again with pleading eyes.
“I don’t think I can see you in that situation again, Sage. How I found you last night. I wanted to kill Scar the moment I knew that they had abducted you,” I growled, and she stepped even closer to me.
“I know, Glock, which is why this is where I feel safest: here with you,” she said and reached for my chest. When she placed the palm of her hand on my body, I knew I was done for. There was no going back from there.
“Glock, I know I’ve hurt you, and you don’t trust me.
I know that your wounds from the past will take some time to heal, but I’m here to stay this time, Glock.
I want to. I’ve missed you all these years, and I can’t imagine myself with anybody else,” Sage continued, and I felt like my ears were about to explode.
I couldn’t believe a word of what I was hearing.
All these years, I had imagined Sage in her new fancy life in San Francisco. I didn’t even think that she ever thought of me, let alone miss me. What was there to miss?
I clasped her hand on my chest and lifted it up to my lips. I kissed her fingertips, breathing in the scent of her. This woman was capable of bringing me down to my knees, and she knew it. Sage always got her way.
“I trust you, Sage,” I said, even though I didn’t know if I did. But what I did know was that I was feeling happy. That strange feeling in my bones was the feeling of happiness. I hadn’t even realized how happy it would make me to have her here with me.
“Then you need to trust that I can get this job done and that I will try and stay as safe as I can, and I will always rely on you,” she continued, and I reached for her waist and dragged her closer to my body.
I kissed her lips deeply, and she swung in my arms. My tongue was inside her mouth, tasting her, owning her. I had no idea how she had this much control over me.
“Get in the car, Sage,” I growled at her when our lips parted.
She jumped into the car, and I got in beside her. The key was in the ignition within a second, and I drove her pickup out of the Rusty Pelican’s parking lot to the deserted back area.