Memory sharpened.The nerves.The walls.The flinching.
“You watched exits, didn’t make eye contact, and kept waiting for something to hurt you.”Her voice softened.“And now you’re hosting over a dozen people in your yard.No panic.No pretending.You’re one of us.”
A quiet scoff escaped me.“I was never terrified of you.”
She rolled her eyes with a smile.“You absolutely were.”
Madison approached and touched my arm.Her melodic voice followed her signing.“Family takes care of family.”
That landed deeper than I expected.My gaze dropped again to the sign.
Savage Hearts.
The name fit every part of our lives.Wild edges where the woods pressed close.Safety at the center where we built something worth fighting for.
“Where are you installing it?”I asked.
“The front gate.High enough to warn strangers.Low enough for you to reach every time you come home.”Something gentle flickered behind Atilla’s voice.“So you never forget what you survived to stand here.”
Spade and General were already moving the sign toward the gate posts.Truth followed with the toolbox while Madison signed instructions.They worked together like this moment had been planned for weeks.
I didn’t move.Ace didn’t either.We watched while the sign rose into place, bolts tightening.A perfect fit.A message carved in wood and intent.
Savage Hearts.
Sunlight struck the letters and cast curved shadows across the gate.I imagined seeing them from the road after a long shift at the bar.I imagined years from now, weather softening the walnut but never erasing the truth carved into it.
A whisper left me.“Perfect.”
Ace pressed a kiss to my temple and held it long enough to anchor me.“Yeah.It is.”
Around us, voices rose again, laughter building, engines rumbling as more bikes arrived, kids shouting from the swing set.The celebration rolled forward without hesitation.
But I stood there for one more second, letting the full weight settle inside my chest.
Once, I believed only luck or mercy could keep me alive.Then I learned survival isn’t the same as living.Eventually I realized safety doesn’t just arrive -- you claim it.Now this place is home because I helped make it real.
* * *
Evening settled slowly across the yard, spring light fading while the air stayed cool.Flames jumped high in the bonfire someone lit earlier, burning through the logs Ace stacked last summer.I dropped into a camp chair near the heat, Maui handing me a fresh beer as he walked by, smoke and spice drifting from the fire straight into my lungs.
The whole crowd had shifted from tables to the circle of chairs without anyone directing traffic.Brothers lounged, bottles hanging loose from relaxed hands.Women leaned into their men or settled close, blankets draped over legs for comfort.Someone herded the kids inside for a movie, and their laughter floated through the windows behind us.
Ace dropped into the seat beside me, the metal frame groaning under his weight.His hand landed on my knee, thumb tracing circles through denim.I slid my hand over his, easy and natural, no thought behind the motion.Just instinct.
General cleared his throat loud enough to silence quiet conversations.“Since we’re swapping stories tonight, let’s do it right.”His grin sharpened.“Let me tell you about Ace before Marci civilized him.”
Ace groaned, but the sound held amusement.“I wasn’t uncivilized.”
“Sure you were,” General fired back.“You lived in that small house like a damn cave dweller.Worked open to close every day.Never dated.Never slept.Got the flu once and still poured drinks until you damn near passed out on the floor.”
Spade raised his bottle.“Dragged him to urgent care because he refused to admit he couldn’t breathe.”
I laughed under my breath.“You’re still like that sometimes.”
“No, I’m not.”
“You worked through a twisted ankle last month,” I reminded him.“The ankle that turned purple.”
