Zeva
I’m at home and night has fallen.
I took a nice, soothing bath the minute I got home. Thoughts of Wade, Alex, and Jason however, have not ceased to torture my mind.
Today was an inescapable choice. How was I supposed to choose between them? I never could and I'm so happy they will have me this way.
I want more.
The remembrance of the last war dawns in my mind. It was the same with my dad and my brother. They were both really strict about keeping me safe. I knew their business was serious and I never would've defied them for anything.
Maybe the guys deserve the same amount of respect from me? I owe them that.
They have my respect but maybe I haven’t shown it to them enough and that makes me feel bad, like I owe them more. Maybe I need to trust their views on war, I don’t know.
I want to see it from their side and as I do I realize that they are ultimately fighting for me, to save me from distress and harm.
I set the table for just me and prepare to sit down and eat. I pull some lemonade from the fridge and think that maybe I made a mistake trying to defer them so much from war. They are intricately involved in this and they know the real danger like I never could. Bikers are a rough bunch and there’s no way to tell what they'll do.
As my mind is struggling to grasp what might happen, I hear the dogs start to bark wildly. Maybe it's one of the guys coming over to check on me. No one else visits the farmhouse this late. I hear tires screeching though and guys yelling and I realize I have it all wrong. That is not Wade or anybody I can trust.
The dogs continue barking. Thank God they're inside. I run to find baby Gamut and I'm heading for the porch. As I get to the living room though I see the headlights through the window.
Then I hear shots start firing off at the house, at the window, and at me.
I jump to floor, fear clenching my chest.
Fuck. They have me closed in unless I can somehow fight back.
I crawl on my stomach to the window and pull up on the frame. Shots are firing over my head.
It’s hell.
I manage to throw some back. Baby Gamut doesn't disappoint and neither does my aim. They turn the truck around and with my bullets trailing after them.
My heart is racing for fear of my life. I try to slow my breathing and think about what my next move should be. Before I can consider my options though, I hear another car come down the drive. Shit, they're back for round two.
But instead of a truck packed with guys pulling up I see its none other than the sheriff, Wade's brother, Cole.
I'm actually glad to see him and I feel relief coming over my body. I have escaped, narrowly.
But I’ve escaped nonetheless. The cops are not such a bad thing especially when they rescue you from monsters like that.
I wonder if Wade knows that Cole is here? And I wonder if him coming to my aide will make a shred of difference in mending their relationship?
I look around the aftermath of the brief attack.
My house is all shot up and the dogs are really going crazy now, thinking the intruders are back. But it's just Cole.
I stay inside and wait for him, not brave enough to leave the confines of my home. I‘m shaken up, but at least I was somewhat prepared and have my weapon. Otherwise Cole might have been too late and this all could have been over. I might be dead right now if it wasn't for baby Gamut.
I sink into the kitchen chair and my hands are shaking. I've always been kept out of the war. Never has it hit so close to home, much less on my doorstep.
I'm so thankful that Cole is here. He must have had an eye on me. Maybe he knew I might become a target of The Iron Legion? How else could have known to come to my aid so quickly. I live in thick of the country and there are only dirt roads out here. No one ever comes by that’s not expected. I think about Cole and how much I owe him.
I wait for him to come out of his cop car.
I’m so still – stuck to my seat at the dining table. Considering what just happened and how close I came to losing my life, I think I'm holding up pretty well. He raps on the screen door.
"Come in," I say without emotion as though I’m a ghost. The reality of it all, this war, is finally sinking in. The Iron Legion is after me.
They tried to kill me.
Look at my house. Everything is a testament to the fact that I'm under attack. I start to shiver at the realization and I'm so thankful Cole is here.
The dogs go crazy and I realize even a sheriff won't enter until I contain them. They can't protect me under a siege of bullets though and I'm just so glad they also appear to fine.
"Come you guys, out!" I plead.
I shoo them out the back door so that they don't kill Cole. They’d probably attack him considering the scene we've just been through.
"It's okay Cole, come on in. I'm sorry I didn't get up earlier. I'm just so overcome by what just happened."
"Are you okay?" He is genuinely concerned and he's at my side checking me over, making sure I didn't get wounded in the crossfire.
"I am fine, I think. That was so intense. I'm upset but I did not get hit. I'm sure." There's no blood and he seems relieved to see that I'm in one piece. "Did you see what happened?"
"I did. I saw you deliver a few rounds back. You're a pretty good aim. I thought you were gonna knock that tire out for sure. But then they would have gotten out and approached you so I'm glad that didn't happen. Things got really bad."
"Cole, I've never been in a shoot out before." I'm shaking from trauma and he gets a blanket from the couch, shakes the glass off it and wraps it around my shoulders.
"Thanks," I say. Cole seems like a nice guy. I wonder why he and Wade can't just get past whatever their issue is. "Hey Cole, what are you doing here anyway?" I don't mean to be ungrateful but I'm genuinely curious.
"I thought you might be a target so I've had a watch on your house."
"Why would I be a target for them? I don't understand."
"You really don't know?" He looks astonished. "It's because of how Wade and the other guys feel about you."
"You mean you know about us?" I ask, my eyes widening.
"Um, yeah. I think everyone does,” he says with a smirk.
I am truly surprised. I thought our thing was a secret.
"But Cole, we only just got together. Why would anyone assume we have such a deep relationship?” I press. “They’re all very flippant with girls. I guess you could even call them players."
"Is that what you think?” he asks me, almost incredulous. “Please, my brother's had feelings for you forever, for years. He's not gonna play you."
"He has?" Now I’m shocked.
"You really didn't know?" he continues.
"I didn't." I say, shaking my head.
"Well, he has, but could do better, you know,” he answers.
I rush to Wade's defense. "No Cole, he's a really good guy. Like you are. I don't understand why you guys can't hash out your differences. I mean, you are family. Family is all that matters."
"Yeah well, unfortunately, you can't choose your blood,” he says with finality.
"I know,” I say slowly but continue undeterred. “And that's exactly why you guys need to sort this out and come to depend on each other. Cole, trust me, you don't want to wait until it's too late."
I wonder if he knows that I'm remembering how I lost my dad. Whether he does or not he ignores my point.
Instead, he starts looking around to survey the damage. "Look what they've done here."
Everything on the lower floor is damaged. There's glass everywhere. I'm sure the siding is all shot up too. Thank God for the old farmhouse providing me shelter from the onslaught of bullets.
"Yeah, everything's damaged,” I say, “It's all ruined."
"You can't stay here Zeva. I think you should come with me. I’ll take you to the Honeypot."
"Thanks, Cole,” I say with a wan smile. “I think you're right. Lemme just grab some stuff from upstairs."
"Okay,” he says and sighs. “I’ll wait.”
I pack a bag with all my essentials and come back downstairs. I make sure there's plenty of food and water for the dogs until I can make it back to check on them.
"You know Cole, what you're doing and the way you showed up here, it's all really nice,” I offer with smile.
He shrugs. "Well apparently, The Iron Legion knows you're here and just how important you are like I suspected."
If this is what a biker's war looks like then by all means I’m eager to escape it. I don't want any part of this...but of course, there's Jason, and Alex, and Wade. I still can't leave them. I wonder for a moment what their reaction will be when hearing about this. And I'm savoring the fact that Cole just revealed how Wade has had feelings for me all this time. I knew our connection was true.
I no longer have to deny those feelings.
Everything between was real all along. It makes me want to get to his house, fall into his arms forever, and tell him that he can command me whenever he wants. Now that I know his true feelings everything has changed. And I know Alex and Jason are true to me also. I have such a good support system in them.
I kiss the dogs, who have now calmed down enough to accept Cole as non-threatening, and I follow him out to his car. Somehow being in the safety shield of a cop car comforts me given all I've been through. There's no other place I would like to be...except for in the arms of one of my guys at this moment.