62. Ivory
Adrian’s palm warmed hers, his grip sure and steady. It was the only certainty she had left. Between the rift her mom had created and Adrian’s fated clash with the Dragons, everything she loved felt like it teetered in precarious balance. But as they stepped out of her home, she welcomed whatever awaited down the road. After all, she couldn’t lose with her black knight at her side.
She took a deep breath as a cool breeze wisped around her neck and caught a few stray hairs that had escaped her braid. Rays from the late afternoon sun painted the pavement in copper hues, its slanted light cutting through new leaves on the trees and glinting off the handlebars of Adrian’s bike.
They’d already said goodbye to Brey before he went to school, and her father had wished them a safe trip as he headed to work. She’d been more than embarrassed when he made Adrian promise to take care of her, but after giving them both a parting hug, she appreciated her father’s concern. At least one of her parents would welcome Adrian back.
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay the weekend?” her mom asked, tugging a shawl around her shoulders to keep off the chill as she stood in the open doorway. “It felt like you were only here for a few days.”
Ivory gave her a half-hearted smile. Things had calmed down between them, though not in the way she’d hoped. Her mom learned to stop ignoring Adrian after getting called out and even let him talk without adding snide remarks, but Ivory didn’t know if they’d ever come to an understanding.
“Thanks,” she replied. “Adrian has work in the morning, so we have to get back to campus.” Of course, they had a different reason to leave, but that was close enough to the truth.
“Oh, all right then.” Her mom paused and shifted on her feet. “Before you go, I owe you both an apology.”
Ivory tensed. Her mother rarely offered that kind of thing, and the ones she did had never been this direct.
To her surprise, her mom turned to face Adrian. “I admit it was wrong to impose my opinions on Ivory. I’ve given you plenty of reasons to dislike me, and I know if you left, Ivory would have left with you.” She paused, and her eyes softened. “But you didn’t—I know that wasn’t for my sake. It’s clear that you care for her, and despite my reservations, perhaps it’s time I trust Ivory to make her own choices. Will you forgive my first impressions?”
“Of course,” Adrian hummed, more courteous than Ivory anticipated. “I’d appreciate getting a fair chance.”
“Thank you.” Mrs. Monroe smiled and looked back at Ivory. “Honey, you’ve always had such bright potential. But your father pointed out that by trying to push you forward, I failed to mention the most important part—you deserve the best. And only you can decide what that means to you. You’ve made it clear that no one can bring you down, including me.” Her expression warmed. “I’m proud, and I love you.”
Ivory’s heart came to a stuttering halt. Out of everything that could’ve been said, she least expected to hear that. Astonishment cut through all of the responses she had prepared.
“Mom,” she choked out, then stepped forward and gave her mom one last hug. Even if they’d steadily been growing apart the last few years, there was still hope. “Thanks,” she whispered. “I love you, too.”
Warmth from their embrace filled her chest, and as she and Adrian walked down the steps and waved goodbye, a glow of satisfaction emanated through her spirit. Maybe everything would work out after all. They just had to get through tonight.
???
The ride back to campus felt shorter than she remembered. After dropping off her backpack and fixing dinner, Adrian gave her a stern lecture about tonight, including not leaving Riley’s side under any circumstances, and they set out for the abandoned factory.
The sun dipped toward the horizon as the wind picked up, weaving a chill into the air. Modern houses thinned into a silent forest with forgotten buildings hiding in the trees. Long shadows crept onto the roads, thin, intangible fingers reaching under their tires. She clung to Adrian, hyperaware of the gun wedged between them and the premise of his impending fight.
This wouldn’t be an academic negotiation or a match with a fair referee. This was gang life, and the winner would earn his place with sweat and blood.
Adrian would get hurt.
Though she hated to think about it, she knew it was the only way. Jace never respected anything less, and Jun could only be worse. This was as much to ward them off as it was to protect herself and Adrian from any of the Dragons, to show the Yu’s that their sins hadn’t been forgotten—much less forgiven.
The closer they got, the more bikes joined them. Engines roared as they entered the lonely ghost town, their riders marked by leather jackets as black as night itself and stitched with an ignited ace of spades held in a skeletal hand.
She spotted the factory before they turned down a hidden sideroad, broken pieces of a neglected industrial giant. Its rusted corpse loomed in the middle of an overgrown clearing, and gravel crunched under their tires as Adrian parked at the end of a long line of Harleys.
The stars shone clearer out here, nested within a dark, moonless sky that looked down on the crumbling structure. Concrete pillars held up a metal frame, and splintered glass windows gave way to vine-covered walls stained with several layers of graffiti.
In the center of the ruins, under a section without a roof, a couple dozen men gathered in groups. They’d pushed away the rubble to make a small arena, and several trash cans bordered the circle, ablaze with fire that illuminated their faces in sharp angles and flickering shadows. A restless energy wound through their ranks. So far, it looked like only half the party had shown up, shaved heads and dragon tattoos nowhere to be seen.
She looked away as Adrian cut the engine and took off his helmet, winding his hair into a tight bun. A primal sense of dread gripped her heart, its urgency almost instinctual. Closing her eyes, she inhaled the scent of pine and burnt wood.
Unlike the day she’d tamed Adrian’s bike, tonight, the knot in her stomach was made of real fear. This wasn’t a place for her to be, and it wasn’t hard to tell she stood out. If anything went wrong, what could she do? Would she only get in the way?
Adrian plucked the helmet from her hands and hung it on the handlebar. Head down, she clenched her fingers into fists to stop them from trembling.
“Hey.” He covered her hand with one of his and cupped her jaw. “Look at me.”
The steadiness in his voice calmed her nerves the same way it always did. She exhaled and raised her gaze to a set of familiar gold eyes.
“As long as you’re with me, I can’t lose,” he murmured.
A smile cracked through her wall of worry. “I know.”
He leaned in and pressed a kiss to her forehead, then trailed his lips down her nose and sealed his mouth over hers. “Tonight, we earn our freedom,” he whispered.
She nodded, entangling their fingers and squeezing his hand.
He helped her off the bike and then led her to where Raptor stood, one arm slung over Riley’s shoulders while the other rested inside the pocket of Riley’s hoodie, discreetly over her stomach. The pair looked like nothing in the world could touch them, not even the lick of scorching flames. But she could tell they were on edge, their eyes in constant surveillance over the gathering crowd.
“All set?” Adrian asked. Embers popped in the metal barrel, and smoke swirled thick in the air.
Riley nodded.
“Couldn’t be better.” Raptor flashed a grin that showed off his canines. “Feels like a great night to knock the sense into a couple of baby lizards.”
Adrian chuckled and cracked his knuckles, then wrapped an arm around Ivory’s waist to hold her close. “Hell yeah, it does.”
A menacing roar ripped through the sky, and a flash of headlights rounded the corner. Turning, she watched as a pack of bikes poured into the clearing. They rode two abreast, with one in the lead of both rows. Their knuckles flashed with silver and red jewels, revving their engines. Dark tattoos curled along their skulls like black ink on ancient scrolls.
“Red Dragon,” she whispered under her breath.
“Yeah,” Adrian replied, pulling her close.
Raptor stepped in front of them and Riley came up on her other side. Grateful for the barrier, Ivory lifted her chin and hardened her gaze. She wasn’t the same lost soul Jace took advantage of anymore. He could taunt her all he wanted, but they all knew who would lose in the end.
Jace wasn’t hard to find, riding at the head of the second line next to a biker who shared a keen, almost familial, resemblance. That could only be his brother, Jun. His expression looked much more frightening, a jagged red scar cut into the side of his forehead and his lips slanted in a permanent scowl. The leader at their head, the man she assumed to be Jace and Jun’s father, wore a wrinkled face with black eyes devoid of all emotion.
The group swung their bikes around, kicking up clouds of dust and parking in formation across from Royal Flush. As the air cleared, Cortez walked into the middle of the clearing. The rest of the men–-excluding Raptor, who only moved a few feet in front of Riley—formed a semi-circle behind the barrels.
“The Lingxiu,” Cortez called. “Yu.”
Yu, the Dragon’s leader, stepped off his bike and walked over to shake hands with Cortez. “My friend,” he spoke as the corner of his mouth twitched. “And dear rival. I see you’ve come prepared.” Yu tipped his chin over Cortez’s shoulder.
“As have you.” Cortez rubbed his beard and spit on the ground next to their feet. “Fair fight’s all we want. But if shit gets messy, we know how to clean it up.”
Yu chuckled. “If I wanted a mess, you’d have it by now.”
Their gazes leveled, sparking like two steel weapons. Even the wind ceased as a tense stalemate fell across the ruins.
“Let’s get this shit over with.” Cortez rolled his jaw and curled a finger towards Raptor and Adrian. “Send your boys over so we can check ‘em. And if anything happens to my men outside the ring, you’ll have more than a mess on your hands.”
Ivory sucked in a sharp breath. This was it.
In two steps, Raptor came to Riley’s side and pulled her in for a kiss that made Ivory blush. “For good luck,” he whispered to his wife.
Ivory turned to her own knight, who removed the knife from his boot and held it out to her, along with his gun. She took them delicately, slipping the knife into her pocket and keeping the gun in her dominant hand.
“Good luck,” she whispered and chewed the inside of her cheek.
A cocky grin spread over Adrian’s lips. The tension from earlier had vanished. A true black knight stood before her, all poise and muscle, shoulders set and chest as strong as a plate of armor.
“Save your kisses, sweetheart.” He put two fingers to his lips, then pressed them to hers as an unspoken vow. “I’ll take one for my victory instead.”
The warm, soft touch of his fingertips made her shiver, and she smiled as he turned away. But an ache still pounded through her chest as the two men walked off, their strides in sync as they stepped into no man’s land.
A handful of members from the Red Dragon came over to pat down Adrian and Raptor while Jace and Jun endured the same treatment from Royal Flush. Once both parties had been cleared, the others stepped back behind the barrels. Cortez and Yu stood off to the side, their aura a dark, menacing authority that commanded everyone’s attention.
“No weapons.” Cortez raised his voice and looked over both sides. “That goes for everyone.”
Yu continued, “The fight is over when one party surrenders or both men from one side are knocked unconscious. If anyone interferes, I’ll remove them myself.” His hand came to rest on the pistol at his hip.
A chill crawled up her spine. She adjusted her grip on Adrian’s gun. Even though she knew how to use it, the metal felt heavy in her hand, cold and smooth as her finger slid over the barrel beside the trigger.
Both leaders turned to the men standing center stage, shooting each other glares of animosity, then they shared a silent nod.
The match had begun.