Chapter Twenty-One
Swift
The clubhouse looked like it had taken a punch.
Glass was everywhere, shattered across the floor, glittering under the overhead lights like a thousand tiny knives. The front window was blown out completely, cold air pushing through the opening like the place had been gutted.
Everyone from the bar had made it back.
No one was talking. Just standing and looking.
“We haven’t touched it yet,” Hodge said.
Twister didn’t answer right away. He stepped forward, boots crunching over the broken glass like it didn’t even register, and bent down to grab the brick sitting in the middle of the mess. Something was wrapped around it.
I clenched my jaw.
Twister peeled it off slowly, like he already knew he wasn’t going to like what it said. He unfolded the paper. Read it once, then again. Then out loud. “Leave,” he said, voice flat. “Or the body count is going to start piling up.”
Silence.
“Have I mentioned I fucking hate The Ledger?” Nugget muttered.
“Pretty sure no one in this city likes them,” Gramps said. “They just tolerate them.”
Twister stood there for a second longer, staring at the paper like he might be able to burn a hole through it.
Then he handed the brick off. “Clean this shit up,” he said, nodding to Cord and Plug.
They moved immediately, grabbing brooms and starting to sweep.
“Wheels,” Twister added. “Board up the window.”
“Got it.”
I stepped forward. “We doing church?” I asked.
Twister didn’t answer.
Just kept staring at the broken window.
At the message.
At everything.
“Twister,” I called.
Tempi moved before he could respond. She wrapped herself around his arm, pressing into him. He pulled her in, burying his face briefly against her hair like he needed a second to breathe. “I don’t fucking know what to do, guys,” he said finally. “I don’t even know where to start.”
“You’re good, man,” Wheels said.
“Not like there’s a handbook for this shit,” Method added.
“What happened with the guy on the bench?” Gramps asked.
I scrubbed a hand over my jaw.
“He took off before we could get to him. Same SUV that took a shot at me picked him up.”
“Fucking hell,” Chewy muttered.
“You’re going to get them,” Tempi said, her voice steady.
Twister pulled back just enough to look at her. “And we can’t keep getting shot at and having bricks thrown through our windows,” he said.
He wasn’t wrong, but that didn’t mean we were backing down.
“We’re not running,” I said.
Gramps nodded. “This town’s big enough for everyone. If they don’t think so, they can be the ones to leave.”
Twister closed his eyes for a second, then opened them. Something settled there. “We’re not leaving,” he said.
Nugget huffed. “So what? We just sit around and wait for them to pick us off?”
“How the hell is Tempi supposed to open the bar like this?” Rev added.
Twister looked down at Tempi.
She sighed. “We can’t reopen,” she said. “Not right now. I’m stubborn,” she added. “But I’m not stupid. I’m not risking lives for a few beers.”
Twister pressed a kiss to her lips. “It’ll open again,” he said. “Just not yet.”
“We can still work on it,” Britta spoke up.
Everyone looked at her.
“We lock the doors. No one comes in. We just keep fixing it.”
Twister nodded. “That’s fine. But no one’s alone anymore. Groups of three minimum.” He glanced at me. “And we all stay here.”
“Massive sleepover,” Tempi said with a laugh.
“And what about everything else?” Sully asked.
Twister looked around the room. “We stick to the plan. Wheels talks to Goldie. We keep digging. We stay together.”
No one argued.
Because there wasn’t anything else to say. The room slowly broke apart.
Everyone was moving, cleaning, and just doing something to dodge the heaviness of the day.
I looked down at Britta.
She looked up at me.
“Was that just like church?” she asked.
I chuckled, pressing a quick kiss to her lips. “Yeah. But don’t get used to it.”
“Sure,” she teased.
Then her expression shifted slightly. “I should go back to my apartment. Grab some stuff.”
I nodded. “Nugget,” I called.
He looked up from where he was helping sweep. “Yeah?”
“Come with us. We’re grabbing her things.”
“Got it.”
Britta’s eyes lit slightly. “Can we take your bike?”
I smirked. Even with all this shit going on, she wanted that.
“Yeah, sugar,” I said. “We can take the bikes.”
We headed out back, and the alley was quiet. Shadows stretched long as the sun started dipping. Our bikes sat lined up like they always did.
Ready and waiting.
I grabbed the helmet and held it out to her. “Precious cargo,” I said. She rolled her eyes but smiled as I slid it on her head, adjusting it properly.
Then I leaned in and kissed her quickly, but nothing with her ever felt quick.
I swung my leg over the bike when we surfaced for air.
She climbed on behind me, her body pressing into my back, and her arms wrapped around my waist.
That feeling? That right there?
Nothing beat it.
I fired the engine, and the rumble echoed off the alley walls.
Nugget did the same beside us.
We pulled out onto the street. I knew Britta wanted to go for a ride, but I didn’t go far. Just a few blocks to the north, and then headed toward her apartment.
Enough to feel her on my back and to give her that ride she wanted without doing something stupid.
Her grip tightened around me when I leaned into a turn, and I couldn’t help but smile.
She liked this.
I straightened us out and headed toward her apartment.
Short and smart ride.
We pulled up and parked. Killed the engines and just like that, reality settled back in.
The elevator ride up was quiet. The door slid open, and she stepped out, then stopped.
“I should tell Tyson I won’t be here,” she said.
I glanced at Nugget. “Someone can come by tomorrow.” I still didn’t fully trust her brother. Didn’t mean I thought he was involved, but I wasn’t taking chances.
She hesitated, then nodded. “Okay.”
We went inside, and she moved fast, grabbing things and then heading into the bedroom.
I stepped into the kitchen, grabbed a notepad, and scribbled quick, At the clubhouse. I set it on the island and knew if Tyson showed up, he’d see it. That was enough.
“Ready,” Britta called.
I turned.
She stood there with two duffle bags and a blow dryer.
I stared. “Sugar… you really need all that?”
She looked down at her bags. “I packed the essentials.”
I huffed a laugh. “Jesus.”
I grabbed one and Nugget grabbed the other.
We headed for the door.
And that’s when I saw it.
She slowed and looked around. Taking it in, like she was saying goodbye. She’d barely gotten back here. And now she was leaving again.
I stepped in close, wrapping an arm around her shoulders, pulling her into me, and pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
“You’ll be back,” I said quietly. “We’ll figure this out.”
She nodded.
Wiped at her eye quickly and nodded.
The ride down was faster.
Quieter, but more alert. Every movement outside felt louder. Every person mattered more.
We stepped out into the open, and I scanned everything. Every corner, car, and every shadow.
Nugget did the same.
We loaded up, and she climbed on behind me again. This time, I didn’t wait.
I reached back, my hand settling on her thigh, holding her there.
Claiming her.
I started the engine, and we rode back toward the clubhouse.
Back toward the fight.
Everything was a mess.
Everything was uncertain.
But one thing wasn’t.
As long as I had her, we’d figure the rest out.
Hopefully.