Zephyr
I lay next to Everlyn, watching her sleep.
It was almost seven in the morning. We’d finished questioning Caves around one o’clock this morning.
When it was over, I insisted that we get some sleep.
Rather than all of us leaving, which would raise suspicion, Raider had sent four to see if Caves’ club was still at the meeting spot by chance.
Or if they caught sight of them. They were told to spy and report back, not to engage.
The ones who went were Fenrir, Invader, Icelander, and Sea Rover.
Fenrir was chosen for his tracking abilities, which were the sharpest among us, hence his road name.
I’d been concerned that Everlyn wouldn’t stay in the cabin with the other women and me, but she did.
And she hadn’t insisted on sleeping elsewhere.
I kept praying for all these things, and what she did out there in the woods with Caves was a good sign.
I’d taken her away before the final act that ended his life. She didn’t need to have that memory.
I knew that a massive amount of information and revelations had been heaped upon her tonight. A lesser person would’ve lost their mind, but Everlyn hadn’t. After her initial running incident, she stood tall and strong. I knew Harbinger’s remarks, while half-teasing, were backed by envy.
Everyone in the club had gone without a new true significant other for centuries.
Those who had a family before that fateful night had to watch them either leave them out of fear or die.
It had nearly broken some beyond repair.
Some of us had our families join us on the journey, while others remained at home.
I’d been thirty and not married, which was unusual.
My family had kept bugging me to find someone and start a family, but I resisted.
I hadn’t wanted just anyone, not even then.
The club took my finding Everlyn as hope.
They had no idea that she represented more than that.
I was saving that talk for after we knew exactly where the other Wanderers were.
The plan was to leave for home later this morning.
We wanted to be back where we knew every inch of the area, and our compound protected us.
I’d ask for a Thing after we got home safely.
Honey colored eyes opened slowly and met mine. A small, sleepy smile turned up the corners of her mouth.
“What time is it?” she asked.
“It’s ten after seven.”
“Why’re you awake? Did you get any sleep?”
“A couple of hours. I’m good. You should go back to sleep for a bit longer. We’re not leaving until ten,” I reminded her.
Everlyn rolled onto her side and put her arm across my middle. Her smile changed to a frown.
“What’s bothering you, Leif? And don’t lie and say nothing. I can tell. Is it what we found out from Caves? Or what we discussed before that?”
I hesitated, then answered her. “Both. I wasn’t expecting Caves’ club to be tied in any way to Aksel and his group of brutes.
The fact that they started an MC fifteen years ago and have more than one chapter is disturbing.
Clearly, they’ve taken to associating themselves with regular humans who are cut from the same cloth as they are.
And it was obvious Caves had no clue what they or we are. ”
Before the end, we’d shared with Caves what we, Aksel, and his original followers were.
He hadn’t believed us until we called up our ulfhednars.
It had freaked him out, but hadn’t fully convinced him until Raider and I showed him our bullet wounds.
They were practically closed. His alarm was instantaneous and complete.
Everlyn, though, had gotten close to me and studied my wound in wonder.
Her gaze went to my chest as if she read my mind. The wound was fully closed and beginning to fade. She ran her fingertips lightly across it.
“Does it hurt?” she asked softly.
“No, a slight tenderness that fades by the hour,” I admitted.
“Good. I’m so sorry that I shot you, Leif.
I was so freaked out. I’m usually not that flighty.
I’m glad it wasn’t serious. Okay, back to your worry.
What can I do to help? I know that you and the others will be going after Aksel, but if they can’t be killed, what is the use?
Instead, why not hit them where it’ll hurt?
Remove their puppets. If they’re all like Aksel and the bunch Caves was with, they’re monsters.
You heard how he spoke of raping Spoiler, Slayer, and me.
And you know it would be more than that. ”
“We’ll be discussing it as a club when we get back.
You make a good point. In the past, it was always us skirmishing with them, causing injuries and, if possible, destroying their property, but it never lasted.
Then, they’d disappear, and we wouldn’t hear of them for years at a time.
I’m not sure there’s anything you can do to help with them.
“But you can help me by telling me if we’ve made you more scared of us, of me. I know you said you’d try, and I’m not pressuring you. I’m trying to align what you said and did last night with Caves with what it means for you and me,” I confessed.
She scooted herself up on the pillows. I tried not to tense.
“Everything still seems a bit unreal, even though I know it’s not. And what happened with Caves, I admit, shocked me. I’m not saying I never thought I’d be capable of hurting someone. I always thought it was a yes if it involved protecting myself, a child, or someone I loved.
“But hearing him, and then knowing what his club would do, and their connection to Aksel, after knowing who he is through you, I felt no uneasiness or doubt about what I did. Maybe that makes me a terrible person in some people’s minds, but I don’t care.
And it made me think of what you and the others do as part of your club. I need to know more.”
She sat fully up, leaning against the headboard.
“Ask me what you need to know,” I told her.
“I need to know more about the illegal businesses. The gambling, I understand it’s illegal in most states, but that doesn’t bother me.
The state lotteries are gambling, yet states allow them.
I think it’s ridiculous to make it unlawful for others.
My concern is what happens to those who don’t pay their debts.
Suppose they owe you huge amounts of money and don’t pay it back. Do you hurt them to get it?”
“Our establishment is selective, and we know the people who get invited into it. They must be able to provide cash, acceptable collateral, or another form of value to cover their bets. And we make them sign agreements that, if they lose, that collateral will be used to cover their losses. The only time we’d have to talk to them is if they try to renege on it.
It’s only happened three times, and we’ve never had to move to the point of actual harm.
I won’t lie and say that we don’t threaten them.
We emphasize not to gamble more than they’re willing to lose and to cover.
It’s one reason why we’re very selective about who we permit in,” I explained.
“Okay, that makes sense and is good practice. Now, the fake money and identifications, do you make the money and sell it, or use it? And those IDs, do they go to criminals?” she asked.
“We don’t use the money for anything. It’s purchased by individuals for use at their discretion.
However, we don’t allow it to be used within the States.
We have very strict rules on that. And Fenrir somehow monitors the Treasury Department for any of the money we make that finds its way into the economy and ends up with the Treasury.
If money starts appearing, we know who got sold what based on the serial numbers, and we’ll cut them off. They don’t want that.
“As for the IDs, we sell those to a variety of people, so we can’t guarantee some don’t end up with less-than-honest individuals, but the vast majority are for people needing to change their identities for non-criminal reasons.
And before you ask about the guns, those, again, aren’t knowingly sold to anyone who is a drug lord, in a gang, or those types.
Fenrir does digging into the background of anyone we do business with to try and prevent that.
” I explained. I hoped my answer reassured her. My future happiness was on the line.
“What about the body disposal? I know you killed Caves. He’s not the first or last you’ve done that to.
Do you ever have to eliminate competitors or do it for other people, for the club’s financial gain?
Is it ever personal but not due to a threat?
Innocent people? You mentioned you had a main customer who you deal with their bodies.
Who is he? Why does he need them from your club? ” Everlyn fired that part off rapidly.
“We personally don’t kill innocent people or merely over personal vendettas or business competition.
As for those buying from us, I can’t give you a name, but he’s the head of a family whose feet are in both worlds in a way.
And sometimes has the same issue we do: finding ways to get rid of a large number of monsters.
It stretches their capabilities to do it fast and secretly, so we are of assistance.
“I wish that I could promise that we’re choir boys and girls and that we’ll never hurt anyone, no matter what they do, or do another illegal thing in our lives, but I can’t. If that’s what you need, then I get why this won’t work.
“I thought of telling you at the beginning, but it’s a catch-22.
If I told you before you got to know me and had feelings for me, the risk of being turned in would be huge.
However, by waiting to tell you until that happens, we leave ourselves with maybe a lower chance of you turning us in, but the risk of a broken heart for both of us is greater. ”
I stopped to see what she’d say. Had I blown it? The tension inside of me was almost too much. Everlyn let the silence sit for a few moments as she seemed to gather her thoughts.
“For two years, I lived in a group home. I had to learn to survive. And they weren’t great places.
There was never enough to go around, whether it was clothing, food, blankets, or you name it.
I’d see babies and little kids without enough, and there was no way to get more grant money or funding to buy them what they needed.
Or enough donations coming in. The workers who gave a damn tried everything they could think of to get more without success.
Some took their meager checks and tried to help by buying stuff themselves. Those were the angels to us kids.
“We would’ve given anything for that counterfeit money.
Or to have any money for basic needs. I stole things either to make money for what we needed or to steal the item itself—formula, food, clothing.
The ones who ran the home would find items or cash on the porch and accept them without asking who brought them.
I know they suspected who it came from, but they never asked me or treated me differently.
“I’m telling you this, Leif, so you know I do understand where you’re coming from in some instances.
What I can’t handle is knowingly selling guns to drug dealers and gangs that use them to kill innocent people.
Or fake IDs to help people like that. The cars and gambling aren’t an issue if you’re not breaking kneecaps or killing people to get paid.
The same goes for disposing of innocent people.
I can’t support that, but people like Caves and Aksel, I say, let them rot.
“If those aren’t in the club’s wheelhouse, then I will look the other way. But you need to hear this, and so does everyone else. If that ever changes or if unlawful activities ever touch Moore Enterprises, I’ll not only leave, but I’ll burn your whole fucking club down.”
The hardness in her tone told me she meant every word of it. And I didn’t blame her.
“Elskling, if that is ever the case, which it won’t be, but if it happens, I’ll give you the match to burn us down,” I vowed. I placed her hand on my oath-ring as I said it. Her body relaxed.
“Then I shall remain your shieldmaiden if you still want me,” was her reply.
I dove for her, causing her to shriek, then laugh a moment before I fused my mouth to hers. The joy and relief flowing through me were making me feel lightheaded.