I don’t know how long I’ve been waiting, but out of nowhere; I hear the rumble of motorcycles in the distance. It sounds like thunder tearing through the dark night. Men start yelling, and more shots ring out. Glass shatters around me as my windows burst from the outside in. I drop my head down and don’t look up again. I hear boots hitting the asphalt as and men shouting around me while motorcycles roar to life only to become quieter as they fly into the distance. Everything becomes eerily silent. I try to move, but my body is frozen in place. Seconds that feel like years pass as I stare at the back of my eyelids, holding my eyes shut to block out everything around me. A silent buzz seems to wrap itself around me as I focus on my chest, rising and falling.
I barely register a hand entering my car through the now shattered window. They unlock the door and rip it open. Strong hands touch my shoulders, and I flinch back.
“Fuck, Jenna, it’s me,” Cal says in a gruff, concerned voice. I open my eyes and stare at my feet. The floorboard of my car is littered with shards of glass… and drops of blood. Looking up, I see the man on my windshield has now started to leak blood into the car and I don’t think I will ever be normal again.How can this just be normal to them?
“Teach, look at me.” This time, his voice is commanding. I slowly unfold myself and turn to him. His eyes meet mine, and I see them soften.
“There she is.” He smiles, but I can’t return the expression.
“Hey, you, okay?” Quickly, his face darkens with concern. My body starts shaking uncontrollably.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” I whisper, looking at him for help.
“Christ, you’re going into shock.” Cal takes off the sweater he’s wearing underneath his cut and shoves it down over my head. He rubs his hands up and down my arms in fast motions. His sweatshirt engulfs me, giving me a false sense of security from the hell around me.
“Jenna, I need you to focus on me and my voice, okay?” he says in a tone similar to one used to comfort caged animals. I nod at him and try to copy his long breaths. After four deep gulps of air, the fog starts to lift from my brain, but my body still isn’t cooperating. Just then, a large figure appears behind Cal. I look up to see Axel staring down at us.He’s okay.
Cal looks back at me with a frown on his face. “I’m going to grab you some water,” he says, moving to leave. As he walks by Axel, he says something to him, but it’s too low for me to hear. Axel’s jaw twitches at whatever Cal says, but he never takes his eyes off me.
I take note of his injuries. His beautiful face is covered in cuts and bruises. Above his left eye is a gash that’s leaking blood all over him. Speaking of blood, he’s practically covered. If I knew any better, I would run for my life. But I know deep down that Axel would never hurt me. I still want to be wrapped in his arms and have some sense of protection.What the hell, Jenna? You should be running from this man, not making him your solitude.
Axel drops to his haunches in front of me, just as Cal had been. I bring my shaking hand up to cradle his face, careful not to touch anything that’s hurt. His large, calloused hand comes up to cover mine, as he leans into my palm. The look on his faceis still serious, and I know the man before me is an Axel I’ve yet to meet.
“You’re alive,” I say in a small voice, trying to will myself into staying calm. I hadn’t realized how scared I was for him, for all the men I’ve come to know.
“I’ll always come back to you,” he says as he brings my palm to his mouth. He places a soft kiss on each of my knuckles. Staring at the sweet gesture, I catch sight of my hand, which is covered in small cuts. I take a moment to look at each one and then let my gaze return to Axel. His eyes follow mine. I see his jaw tick once again, and a flush of rage passes across his face.
He slowly looks up at me. “Babe, I know there’s a lot of shit we need to sort through, but we have to get out of here.” Just then, I hear sirens in the distance.
Looking around, I’m now aware that the motorcycles I had heard were Hell Chasers. Dozens of them are in the parking lot waiting for us and my stomach churns at the sight. I should be nobody to them. Axel’s arms wrap around me as he picks me up out of the car. I quickly grab my purse and phone before I’m hefted into the air.
“Wait, stop, what are you doing? I can walk, you know!” I protest.
“Hush, I need you close. And you are shaking like a leaf,” Axel says in my ear.
Even though my brain is telling me this is absolutely ridiculous, I stop wiggling and settle into him. I need him close as well. A sudden wave of exhaustion crashes over my body.
I rest my head in the crook of his neck and breathe in his soothing scent. I close my eyes, trying not to take in more of the scene around me. I already know the face of the man on top of my car will haunt me for the rest of my life. I don’t need to add any other gruesome images to my memories.
I feel Axel step up into a vehicle. Without setting me down, he settles into the backseat with me on his lap. I look around the interior of the seemingly brand-new SUV. Noting that we’re not the only people in the car. Eyes land on me from all directions. Jax, Bear, and Blaze fill the silent car. Blaze finally speaks from the front seat.
“Are you okay?” His eyes scan me.
I shake my head. “No, I’m not.” my voice cracks as I take in all their faces. They’re all bleeding and bruised. “Are you okay?” He gives me a quick nod in the rearview mirror and pulls out of the lot onto the dark highway.
I’ve only seen Blaze with Marley; he’s usually kind and lighthearted. That is not the man sitting in this car. It seems like these men are each two different people—the every day, caring men they are with their families and friends, and the bikers who rule the county.
“Listen, Jenna, what you saw tonight—” Blaze begins to speak, but Axel quickly cuts in.
“She’s not going to fucking talk, Blaze.” I furrow my brow at the exchange.Talk to who?
I try to move out of Axel’s hold, but his hands tighten around me. I focus my glare at Blaze in the mirror. “You’re worried about me talking to the police?” I scoff. “Honestly, Blaze, if I was going to talk to the police, it would have been the night the Reaper’s enforcer came to my school. Or when an outlaw motorcycle club decided my apartment needed 24/7 protection.” The fear inside me turns to searing rage. I feel the anger bubbling out of my pores. The stress and anxiety of the last few weeks finally rise to the surface. How dare he turn this on me?
“Jenna, I just have to make sure,” Blaze says in a curt voice, like he has a right to question my loyalty. But they need to remember that they pulled me into this. I didn’t come running to them.
I lean back against Axel’s chest, not wanting to be a part of this conversation anymore. I can’t trust myself not to lash out at Blaze and say something I can’t take back. We’ll talk about this another time.
The silence in the car conveys more than words. Tonight, a war has started. No longer is anyone safe. I take a deep breath and stare out the black window.
