I could no longer hide the feelings I had for Monica.  It was pure love on a level I had never felt before.  She was more than my wife—she was my everything.  I would go through hell and back to keep her safe.  No sacrifice would be too great, even if it cost me my life.  The Devil Knights would make sure she was safe, but I didn’t plan to lose the fight.  Ray Stone was a gigantic beast of a man, but a man that fought for love wasn’t one to be underestimated.  I was fighting for our future—the life I never thought I would have, yet the one I wanted more than anything else in the world. 

We drifted off to sleep with our bodies connected together and enthralled in the final embrace of our passion.  Even in the impending storm that was raging on the horizon, I felt peace with Monica in my arms. 

I woke up to the sound of engines—a sound that got louder as they revved outside Monica’s house.  I sat up in bed and nudged Monica.  The longest day of my life was about to begin.

“Wake up.”  I kissed her cheek lightly.  “They’re here.”

“Who?”  She blinked and yawned as she stretched out.

“The Devil Knights.”  I slid to the edge of the bed and pulled on my jeans.

We got dressed and hugged before I walked to the front door and pulled it open.  There were at least two dozen members of the MC with motorcycles parked in the yard and along the street.  The man that was watching the house for Ray Stone quickly cranked up his car and drove away with panic on his face.  Ray would know that I wasn’t coming to the fight alone and if he had any thoughts of betraying the arrangement we made, it would be snuffed out the instant he found out who was backing me up.  He might have carved out a place in Las Vegas for his brand of cruelty, but I was bring hell itself with me when I stepped into the ring with him. 

There was no reason to keep it a secret.  Ray was a dangerous man and after what I had seen, I couldn’t risk him not honoring the deal.  I was still going to fight him, and there was a chance I could lose, but it was going to be as fair as it could be under the circumstances.  The leader of the MC smiled and waved when he saw me walk out the door.  I walked towards him and we quickly embraced.

“Reggie!”  I pulled back from him and smiled.  “It’s been too long.”

“That was your doing.”  He shrugged.  “We’ve always had a patch waiting for you—all you had to do was claim it.”

“I know.”  I ran my fingers through my hair.  “I had to go my own way though, and I think that is going to work out for both of us.”

“You have to beat this motherfucker first.”  Reggie’s eyebrows raised.  “Ray Stone?  I did a little digging on him.  He’s not the kind of guy to fight fair.  Even the Army didn’t want him.  He got a dishonorable discharge for some shit that happened during his last tour of Afghanistan, but even my guys couldn’t figure out what he did.”

“A cover up?”  I tilted my head and nodded.  “That doesn’t surprise me.  He killed Walter Grant.”

“Fuck.”  Reggie’s eyes opened wide.  “I respected that guy, even if our interests didn’t necessarily align when we tried to get a foothold in Las Vegas.”

“So you’re good with the plan?  You get my wife to safety, I take out Ray Stone, and then you take over what’s left of Walter’s operation?”  I motioned for Monica to come down off of the porch.

“It isn’t how I envisioned getting the MC started in Las Vegas, but Walter’s death is going to create a vacuum.  We’ll be glad to fill it.”  He nodded quickly.  “But do you think you can take Ray Stone down?  We can do this a different way.  We’re ready to end this without you having to step in the ring with that motherfucker.”

“This is how it has to go down.”  I put my arm around Monica when she joined us.  “I want to know she’s safe.  If I don’t make it out of this, then you have to honor my deal with Ray.”

“Don’t say that.”  Monica shook her head.  “You got this.”

“We’ll take care of your lady.” Reggie nodded.  “You just take care of business.”

“That’s what I’m good at.”  I smiled and shook hands with Reggie.

Monica and I shared another embrace before she climbed onto the back of Reggie’s motorcycle.  By the time I fought Ray, she would be safe in Indian Springs.  The sound of the engines roaring to life drowned out my thoughts for a moment as they drove away.  I was putting my world in their hands and while I didn’t doubt they would keep her safe, I still couldn’t help but feel a pain in my heart when she was gone. 

I sat down on the steps in front of her house and lit a cigarette.  The fight wasn’t going to be easy.  It was going to be the moment of truth, and my future, as well as my life, depended on the outcome.  The smoke drifted from my lips but it didn’t bring me the enjoyment it once did. 

I tossed the cigarette into the yard and walked back inside the house.  There was a single piece of paper on the table and a pen was lying next to it.  It wasn’t there when I left the house, so it appeared that Monica had written it before she left the house.  I walked to the table and flipped it over.  The words practically tore me apart.

I believe in you.  I love you.  PS:  I’m pregnant.