Chapter 26
Summer
After being on the road for what feels like forever, my eyes eventually gave up and I sank into a long and deep sleep. The sound of a car door opening causes me to stir and I jump awake.
“Summer relax! I’m just jumping out to stretch my legs.”
I look around the car groggily and then refocus my eyes on Jack. I stretch my whole body and climb out of the car too. I have no idea where we are, but it’s dark and it’s cold.
“Where are we?” I yawn. We’re in the car park of some random gas station that looks to be in the middle of nowhere.
“Some random town.” Jack yawns back. “The guys wanted to stop for a break.” Jack nods behind me, I turn to see the other two cars pulled up behind us. “We’re only a few hours away from the city. I bet you can’t wait to get back.” Jack stretches his arms, turns and walks into the gas station.
What the heck was that about?
I walk over to the other two cars to catch up with the others.
“There she is!” Joyce shouts as I walk up to them. “How’s the ride been Summer?”
“Not bad. I’ve been sleeping mostly. How have you guys been?”
“You ever been trapped in a car with Joyce?” Roman asks, his voice sounds tired.
“Kid doesn’t shut the fuck up.”
“Heck.” I look around and see Cobra leaning out of the dragon’s car. “Should let him ride with Nancy, she’s just as bad.”
“Fuck you Cobra!” Nancy shouts back.
All in all Ivan agreed to let us take five Dragons with us. Nancy and Cobra being two and three other Dragons to help fill our numbers.
Teddy, Joyce and Roman rode in one car together, and Jack and I rode in the other with the excess ‘equipment’ on our back seat. We’re a strange looking caravan of individuals, but we definitely look menacing. Luckily there are no families around the gas station at this time of night, I don’t want to scare any kids.
“Time to pick it up.” I turn around and see Jack has returned out of the gas station. He takes a large bite out of a Danish and looks up at the group. “We’re only a few hours away now. If we set off now we should be there before midnight.”
“What’s the plan when we get in?” Cobra asks, leaning out of the car window.
“We meet up at the warehouse that Roman rents out. Deacon doesn’t know about it and it will give us enough time to scope him out and put a plan together. Anything you’d like to add Roman?”
Everyone looks at Roman in expectation.
“Shit. Nothing I can think of. We’ll set off ten minutes before everyone else so we can get there early. Once you’re outside call my cell and I’ll come down to let you in. Roads should be nice and quiet in the city by the time we get in, so getting there shouldn’t be too much trouble.”
“Alright.” Jack says. “Everyone back to the cars. We’re hitting the road again.”
After Teddy, Roman and Joyce peel out the parking lot, everyone else waits a few minutes before leaving. Jack and I are the last ones to leave, pulling up the rear. We’re on the road for another hour or so before either of us says something to the other. Eventually I can’t take it anymore, and I’m the one who breaks.
“Okay. Somethings clearly bothering you. Spit it out. What is it?”
Jack looks over at me for a moment, his eyes look tired from the driving. He looks back to the road.
“Forget about it.” Jack shakes his head. “It’s nothing.”
“Jack it’s clearly something. You’ve been in a real weird mood ever since you went and saw this Dragon. What the heck happened in there?”
For a minute or two Jack is silent. The only noise comes from the light drone of the passing landscape outside. “She knew things about me.” Jack speaks quietly and then he look at me for a second. “She knew things, somehow. Like she was psychic or something.”
“Bad things?” I ask, somewhat concerned. I’ve never really believed in psychics myself, but I know some people swear by them.
“Not necessarily. Just things about you. Things about you and me.”
“I don’t understand.” I say, trying to wrap my head around Jack’s vagueness. “Did she say something bad was going to happen?”
“No.” Jack sighs. “I just. I can’t imagine a world where things will work out between us. Not if your father and brother are cops. You can’t tell me that once we get back to the city things aren’t going to change between us.”
“Are they?”
“Aren’t they?” Jack fires back. “You’ve said it yourself numerous times that this life isn’t for you. But I am? What is that supposed to even mean? Are you expecting me to give this all up when it’s over? I can’t just walk away from this and become someone else Summer. This is my life. This is who I am. If you can’t handle that then things are never going to work. There’s no happy ever after for bikers. You meet a chick, fuck for a few months and then you move on.”
I swallow at something in my throat and feel tears well in my eyes. “So is that all I am to you?” My voice breaks. “A cheap fuck?”
“No!” Jack shouts back. “You’re fucking so much better than any other girl I’ve ever met. I know there’s fuck all waiting for me in this life if I carry on the way I am. But it’s who I am, I don’t know how to be anything else. I don’t know if I can change. For the first time in my life I’ve got something that I don’t want to let go of and I’m fucking terrified of losing you. I fucking love you okay? That’s why this is all so fucked.”
Silence fills the car. The dull whoosh of passing streetlights roars every second or so, right in time with the beating of my heart.
“You love me?” I stammer, trying to find a way to respond. “I…I love you too Jack.”
I reach my hand out and place it on the wheel, squeezing Jack’s hand. Jack looks over at me with longing in his eyes.
“I don’t know what is going to happen when this is all over. But…fuck. We have to give it a try don’t we? I know you don’t think you can be anyone else, but…I’ve seen the real you Jack. You might not think I have, but it’s there. Hidden underneath the bad boy biker, there’s another person inside of you and he’s capable of so much. Whatever happens between us, I love you for who you are.”
“I just wish we’d met under different circumstances.” Jack sighs. “Too many people have died because of that bastard.”
“Maybe.” I concede. “But we found each other, and that’s got to count for something right?”
“I guess.”
We carry on driving into the night, until eventually the silhouette of the city appears on the dark horizon. In the gloom, the star lit skyscrapers loom up from the earth until they tower overhead like giants.
Jack and I don’t really speak for the rest of the drive. It feels as though we’ve said everything that needs to be said. Every now and then we exchange a parting glance, or I’ll stroke his shoulder and squeeze his hand.
The last person that told me they loved me nearly ended up tearing me apart. Looking at Jack, I know I’d never have to fear something like that. He’s fierce, he’s a warrior, but he’d only ever use that strength to protect me, to stick up for people who need assistance.
Tomorrow might be our undoing, we could be walking towards our graves with our backs to our future. Part of me wishes we could just run away from all this, go and hide somewhere and spend the rest of our lives someplace secret. But the man I’ve fallen in love with would never do anything like that. He’ll defend the weak, seek out injustice and won’t stop until every threat towards us has been extinguished.
He’s Jack and I love him.