Cas
Danny is dead.
I knew I wouldn’t stop until he was gone but I did doubt myself a couple of times that this day would never come. Along with the death of Danny, it’s also the death of the Devils Bastards MC. The club is gone and our brothers and friends are too. Many men, good men are gone because of one man on a mad mission he could never have fulfilled.
Everything that was once good is now gone and are nothing but memories. It’s my job now to make sure the club knows good times will come again.
Danny’s blood is beginning to dry and the stench of his death clings to my skin. I stand over his body long after the brothers head up to the bar to celebrate.
I would kill a thousand men like him to have Oak back. Both Micky and Oak have died because of men who craved more power and both men never got the chance to succeed.
“What do you want me to do with him?”
I look up and Pope is standing across from me and he looks content, as content as he ever does.
“Pull what teeth he has left then burn him and bury him. I don’t want him identified if he’s ever found.”
He nods and grabs the plastic sheeting from under the table. He sets out sheeting the body up and finishes it off, taping the ends up.
“You should go and wash up while I sort this out, the brothers are waiting on you upstairs,” he says.
“What about you? You want us to wait till you get back?”
A slow grin covers his face and he shakes his head.
“I’ll celebrate while I’m disposing of him,” he chuckles and it sounds wrong.
I don’t question him about it and leave him to it. I get to the top of the stairs and instead of going into the bar, I slip out of the back door and seek my wife out in the main house. I don’t make it very far, she’s sitting on the back porch and stands when she sees me.
I stop at the bottom of the steps and she moves to the top.
“He’s gone,” I murmur.
“I can hear the cheers from here.”
I didn’t notice them when I came out but now I listen and I can hear them faintly too.
She takes the four steps down to me and not fazed by the blood I’m covered in, she holds my face and her eyes search mine.
“Don’t tell me about it tonight, party with the brothers and celebrate for Oak. You can tell me the details another time and savour this night again and again.”
I have everything I need and want, yet the hole Oak has left behind is beginning to grow now that his killer has been dealt with.
I want to tell her how much I love her, that her strength for this life blows me away, but I can’t make my lips move to form the words.
When I don’t say anything, she takes a good look up and down my body and takes in all the blood.
She takes my hand and leads me in the house, she doesn’t stop until we’re in the bathroom and she’s turning on the shower.
Shrugging out of my cut, she’s hangs it on the back of the door. I leave my jeans and tee in a pile in the corner of the bathroom and step under the warm spray.
The water hits me and pools in a red puddle around my feet before gurgling down the drain. Bracing my hands on the tiles, the water pounds on my head and water cascades down my face. I stand there until the water cools and then wash until I feel like the blood is gone. Stepping out, I grab a towel and wrap it around my waist. Alannah is nowhere to be seen and I wipe the condensation off the mirror.
Looking back at myself is not the man I saw this morning. The violence is still surging through my veins and looking at myself it surges harder and faster.
Spying a pair of scissors, I exhale in a rush and start to trim my beard. However, I don’t stop, I keep snipping until it’s short enough to shave off. Chucking the scissors in the sink, I reach for the shaving foam and shave the lot off.
Alannah walks in as I’m finishing up and does a double take when she sees me.
“Wow, I haven’t seen you clean shaven in years. Why now?”
I go to answer but nothing comes out. I don’t know why now.
“Cas, please talk to me. You’re starting to worry me,” she pleads and I sit on the edge of the tub.
“I’ve killed men before and thought nothing of it afterwards. I’ve been planning Danny’s death for weeks and today, after the brothers had their turn with him, I held him as I plunged a knife into his stomach and felt the life leave him. I’m not regretting shit, but it’s still not enough for Oak. I’m afraid it wasn’t enough for him and now I’ll never have the chance to fix it because they’re both fuckin’ dead.”
She moves across the small bathroom and kneels at my side, “The fact Danny is dead would be enough for Oak, with the amount of blood you had on you I know he died bloodied and painfully and Oak would be proud.”
“I stabbed him in the eye with a cigarette,” I say.
“So? He deserved much worse.”
I can’t help but smile. She should’ve taken Danny out for Oak, she probably would’ve made it worse than we did. There are no limits to her revenge and through me I can make them a reality.
“I fuckin’ love you, Alannah Jackson.”
“And I love you, Castiel Jackson,” she smiles.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m feeling good, I wouldn’t lie to you so please don’t ask me again.”
I run my fingers down her cheek and ignore the pit in my stomach. Everything will work itself out and I have faith it won’t be any different for us.
“Say no if you think it’s a bad idea, but I want you by my side tonight. I have everything I want and I want it under one roof.”
“There’s nowhere I’d rather be. I got you some fresh clothes, get dressed and I’ll wait for you downstairs.”
“I won’t be long,” I say and she leaves, taking the bloodied clothes with her.
Heaving myself off the edge of the tub, I yank on clean boxers and my jeans. I shove the tee over my head and clasp my belt buckle together.
I go to put my boots on but they’re nowhere to be seen. Going downstairs, the women’s chatter hits my ears before I walk into the kitchen.
“Oh my,” Bonnie gasps, “So you do have a chin,” she laughs.
“Fuckin’ handsome, aren’t I,” I laugh with her, “Babe, where’s my boots?”
“There out back drying off, I cleaned them for you.”
I slip out the back door as Alannah arranges for Sally to watch Leo tonight and by the time I’m ready to go, Alannah is waiting for me.
I sling my arm around her and together, we head over to the bar. This is the first time I’m entering the bar without trying to figure out Danny’s whereabouts or him waiting to die. This is it, our fresh start.
A prospect pushes a bottle of beer on each of us as we enter and I shake my head, ordering two whiskeys instead.
“Tonight we drink nothing but whiskey in honour of Oak,” I yell to everyone. It was Oak's favourite and in his honour, everyone will be drunk off their asses tonight on the stuff. My heart pangs thinking of him and I push it to the side, at least for tonight. He would want us celebrating and that's what we're going to do. He knew how to party and we’re not going to let him down.
I wrap my arms around Alannah and keep her against me. She's always warm to the touch, like she burns for me constantly.
“We’ve got a long way to go before the club is healed but we are strong, we always will be.”
"You're strong and you'll be the one to heal everyone."
"I hope you're right."
"I'm always right, so, let’s get this party started,” she smiles her wicked grin and goes over to the old jukebox.
She puts on her favourite song and sways over to an open space. Crooking her finger, she beckons me over and like always, I go to her.
“You know I don’t like dancing,” I remind her, as she moves up on me.
“We’re not going to dance, we’re going to sway.”
I snort, I’m certain this is classed as dancing.
“You’re just lucky you caught me in a good mood.”
Throwing her head back, she barks out a laugh.
“I’m definitely lucky.”
I sink my whiskey in one gulp over her head and hold it in the air for a refill. Like magic, it’s refilled before my arm starts to ache and I sink that too. The old fucker had good taste.
He will never be forgotten.
His spirit will always be here.
As I sway with my wife, I search around us and take in everything Oak and the men before him created for us. I will not let their lives and deaths be in vain.