Chapter 4 - Crow
The moment Emma takes my hand, my body goes on high alert. She's wearing my jacket, about to climb on my bike, and looking at me with complete trust in those big brown eyes. It's almost too much.
"Okay," I manage, keeping my voice steady. "Left foot on the peg here." I guide her hand to my shoulder. "Use this for balance."
She follows my instructions, gathering her dress higher to swing her leg over. The sight of her bare thigh makes my mouth go dry, but I force myself to focus. This isn't about me or my desires - it's about keeping her safe.
"Good," I say when she's settled. "Now, scoot forward. No space between us when we're riding."
Emma hesitates for just a moment before sliding closer, her thighs pressing against the back of mine, her chest flush against my back. Even through our clothes, I can feel the heat of her body, the soft curves I've tried so hard not to think about.
"Like this?" she asks, her breath warm against my neck.
"Perfect." My voice comes out rougher than intended. "Arms around my waist now."
She complies, her small hands linking just above my belt. The position brings her even closer, and I have to take a deep breath to maintain my composure.
"Ready?" I ask, starting the bike. The engine roars to life, and I feel her jump slightly at the vibration.
"I think so," she says, tightening her hold.
"Remember what I said - lean with me, stay close." I rev the engine once. "And Emma?"
"Yeah?"
"Hold on tight, doll."
I ease the bike out of the parking lot, hyperaware of every small movement she makes and every breath I can feel against my back. The night air is cool, but Emma's warmth seeps into me, making it hard to concentrate on anything else.
When we hit the main road, I feel her tension start to ease. She relaxes into me, her body moving with the bike as if she's been doing this her whole life. Pride swells in my chest - I knew she was made for this.
At a red light, I place my hand over hers, which are linked around my waist. "Are you okay back there?"
"This is amazing!" she shouts over the engine, laughing. "Why didn't I do this sooner?"
I smile, squeezing her hands before returning mine to the handlebars. "Because my brother's an idiot."
Her laugh vibrates against my back, and I make a decision. Instead of taking the direct route to her place, I turn toward the mountain road. It's risky - we shouldn't be out alone with the Outlaws gunning for us - but I want to give her the full experience. Want to show her why I love this life so much.
Besides, I've got my gun, and the prospects are still close. We'll be fine for a quick detour.
"Where are we going?" she asks as we start climbing the winding road.
"Trust me?"
She presses closer, if that's even possible. "Always."
That single word, spoken so simply, hits me like a physical blow. She has no idea what she does to me, how much power she holds. Or maybe she does, and that's even more dangerous.
The road opens up before us, moonlight painting the valley below in silver. Emma gasps as we round a curve, the whole town spread out beneath us like a carpet of twinkling lights.
This is what freedom feels like, I think. The wind, the power of the bike, and a beautiful woman holding onto you like you're her anchor in the storm.
For the first time in years, I let myself imagine what it would be like to have this every day. To have Emma as more than just my brother's best friend, more than just a fantasy I can't touch.
But that's a dangerous road to go down. Especially now, with the club at war and Emma's confession about being a virgin still ringing in my ears.
So, I focus on the ride, on giving her this one perfect moment. Even if it's all I can ever give her.
A car's headlights appear in my rearview mirror, pulling me from my thoughts. The vehicle is too far back to identify, but something about how it moves sets off alarm bells.
"Hold on," I tell Emma, accelerating slightly. The car speeds up too.
Shit.
"Crow?" Emma's voice holds a note of concern. She must have felt me tense.
"It's probably nothing," I lie smoothly, not wanting to scare her. But my hand moves to rest near my gun, just in case. "Just going to take a different route."
I take the next turn sharper than necessary, using it to put some distance between us and our tail. The car follows, headlights now blazing. Definitely not nothing.
Emma's arms tighten around my waist. "Someone's following us, aren't they?"
Smart girl. No point lying now. "Yeah. Could be Outlaws, could be just some asshole. Either way, we're not sticking around to find out."
I feel her nod against my back, her body still perfectly in sync with mine as we lean into another curve. No panic, no screaming - just trust and determination. Christ, she's perfect.
"Hold tight," I warn before opening up the throttle.
The bike responds instantly, eating up the road as we accelerate. The car tries to keep up, but they don't know these mountain roads like I do.
I take us through a series of tight turns, using every trick I know to lose our tail. Emma moves with me like she was born for this, never fighting the bike's motion. When I glance in the mirror again, the headlights are gone.
Still, I take a few extra turns just to be sure before pulling into a small lookout point. The bike's engine cuts off, leaving us in sudden silence broken only by our heavy breathing.
"You okay?" I ask, turning slightly to check on her.
Emma's eyes are bright with adrenaline, her cheeks flushed. She's still wearing my jacket, her dress hiked up around her thighs, and she's never looked more beautiful.
"That was..." she starts, then laughs breathlessly. "That was intense."
"Sorry about that," I say, though I'm not really sorry at all. She handled it like a natural. "Probably should have stuck to the main roads."
She shakes her head, still not letting go of my waist. "Don't apologize. I've never felt more alive."
The way she says it, combined with how she's pressed against me, makes my blood run hot. I need to put some distance between us before I do something stupid like kiss her.
"We should head back," I say reluctantly, but Emma's already swinging her leg over the bike.
"Can we stay? Just for a little while?" Her voice is soft, almost pleading as she stands beside me. "I've never seen Cedar Falls from up here before."
I should say no. Being still makes us an easier target. But the wonder in her voice... "Yeah, okay. A few minutes."
I dismount, keeping a respectful distance as we both look out over the valley, the city spread beneath us like scattered diamonds on black velvet. I've always loved this view - feeling on top of the world with the whole city underneath, blinking like it's trying to talk to us. Up here, everything else falls away.
A gust of wind catches us, rustling through Emma's dress. She quickly grabs at the fabric as it threatens to expose her, her cheeks flooding with color - but not before I catch a glimpse of lace. My hands clench on the viewpoint's handlebars, my chest rising and falling heavily. Fucking hell.
"I, um..." she stammers, clearly trying to change the subject. "The lights are really pretty from up here. Like stars or something. Not that stars are usually arranged in straight lines, obviously. I mean, unless you count constellations, but those are more like..."
She trails off, embarrassed by her rambling. The moonlight catches the flush on her cheeks, making her look even more beautiful.
"Do you ever regret it?" she asks suddenly. "This life?"
I take a moment, wondering how much to reveal. "No. Never."
"Even with all the danger? The violence?"
"I love it," I admit, surprising myself with my honesty. "Love feeling in control after..." I pause, the memories rising unbidden.
She turns to look at me, but I keep my eyes on the city below. "Was it really bad? Before Cedar Falls?"
The memory of those days rises like bile in my throat - our father's drunken rages, the foster homes where we were just meal tickets, watching my little brother get beaten for speaking up. The day I finally snapped and put that last foster father in the hospital.
"Yeah," I say roughly. "It was bad. But the club..." I gesture at the city below us. "Iron & Blood gave us purpose. Gave us family. Now we're the ones in control, the ones with power. Nobody can hurt us anymore."
The sound of an approaching car breaks through our moment. Headlights sweep across us as a sedan pulls into the lookout point - the same one that was following us earlier. My hand moves to my gun as two men step out, carrying iron bars.
"Would you look at that?" one sneers, the moonlight glinting off the Outlaw's patch on his jacket. "Using a car instead of our bikes actually worked. Caught ourselves an Iron & Blood member all alone."
"And with a pretty little thing, too," the other one adds, eyeing Emma in a way that makes my blood boil.
"Emma," I say quietly, stepping in front of her. "When I move, you run to the bike. Don't stop, don't look back."
I can hear her quick, frightened breathing behind me, but her voice is steady when she whispers, "I'm not leaving you."
The Outlaws advance slowly, confident in their advantage. They have no idea what I'm capable of when someone I care about is threatened.
"Last chance," I warn the approaching Outlaws, my voice cold. "Walk away."
They laugh, swinging their iron bars. "Two against one, brother. And once we're done with you, maybe we'll show your girl what a real biker is like."
The rage that fills me at his words is ice-cold and familiar.
"Emma," I say without taking my eyes off them. "Cover your ears. Now."
I hear her quick intake of breath, but she does as I say. The moment her hands are over her ears, I draw my gun and fire. The shot echoes across the lookout point as the first Outlaw drops, screaming as blood gushes from his shattered kneecap.
"Fuck this!" The second Outlaw stumbles backward, dropping his iron bar. He turns and runs to their car, engine roaring to life as he peels out of the lookout point - leaving his brother behind.
Pathetic. No Iron & Blood member would ever abandon their brother like that. It's one of the first things we learn: we ride together, we die together.
The wounded Outlaw is still screaming, clutching his knee. Emma's shaking behind me - I can feel the tremors in the air between us. She's not made for this life, for this violence. She should be home with her books, safe and warm, not watching me cripple a man.
I walk over to the Outlaw, his eyes wide with fear as I approach.
"Please," he starts, but I cut him off with a kick to the face. Another kick and he's unconscious, blood trickling from his nose.
When I turn back to Emma, she's pale in the moonlight, her hands still halfway raised to her ears. Guilt twists in my gut - I never wanted her to see this side of me.
"I'm sorry," I say roughly, keeping my distance. My hands are still itching for violence, and I won't risk touching her until I'm calm. "You shouldn't have had to see that."
"Is he..." she swallows hard. "Is he dead?"
"No. Just unconscious. I'll call it in, have the club handle it." I pull out my phone, already dialing Butcher's number. "But first, I'm getting you home."
She nods, wrapping her arms around my jacket, "Okay."
"Emma," I wait until she meets my eyes. "I know this isn't... I know it's ugly. What I am, what I do. I understand if you want nothing to do with-"
"Stop," she cuts me off, her voice stronger than I expected. "You protected us. Protected me. Don't apologize for that."
I stare at her, trying to reconcile this woman - who just watched me shoot and beat a man - with the sweet bookstore owner who blushes at the sight of her own legs.
"Still," I say finally. "Let me get you home."
She walks to the bike on shaky legs, but her eyes are clear when she looks at me.
"Will you be okay? Dealing with..." she gestures at the unconscious Outlaw.
"Don't worry about me, doll." I hit send on the text to Butcher, then mount the bike. "Just hold on tight."
She wraps her arms around my waist again, pressing her face between my shoulder blades. As we pull away from the lookout point, leaving the Outlaw bleeding in our wake, I can't help but think this night has changed everything between us.
I just hope it hasn't ruined whatever chance I might have had with her.