He takes a step closer to me, gripping the knife harder. “I’ve been thinkin’ about it for days. Every time I close my eyes, I see Pa bleedin’ on that floor. You don’t get to be happy after what you did to us.”
What he’s saying in a roundabout way is that he’s going to kill me. He doesn’t have to come right out and say it because his cryptic response and expression tell more than he intends.
When he lunges, I’m ready. If being brought up in an MC did one thing, it taught me to survive situations like this. I decide in an instant that he’s not getting his hands on this pregnantlady. I’m already running before he gets to me, with my cell phone still clenched tight in one hand.
I know the layout of this house and with luck that’s going to be the thing that saves me. I can’t go through him to get to the front door. The back door is through the kitchen, and he’d catch me before I made it outside. That only leaves windows. The utility room at the rear of the house has a big window and the inside latch is easy to throw so reaching it becomes my all-consuming quest.
As I run, I can hear and feel Brave crashing through the house after me. I skid to a stop inside the utility room and manage to slam the door shut and lock it right before Brave slams into it with his big body. It won’t take much for him to break through the wooden door. I cram my cell phone into my back jean pocket, unlatch the window and throw it open. I’m through the window before he manages to break through the door. I tumble out onto the grass and take off running at breakneck speed with no shoes on.
The faster I run, the more worried I become about what Brave will do to me if he catches up. I don’t like the way he pointed that gigantic hunting knife at me earlier. All I can think about is keeping my baby away from that knife.
And that’s when I hear Jinx’s bike turning into the drive. It’s the most beautiful sound in the world right now. I put on a burst of speed and run straight into his arms.
Brave is running after me, screaming, “Slow the fuck down and take your punishment, bitch.”
It takes Jinx less than a second to jump off his bike and begin closing the distance between us. Daring to glance overmy shoulder, I see my brother barreling after me with the knife still in his hand. He’s so focused on me that he doesn’t see Jinx coming.
Jinx shoulder-checks my brother at a dead run. Brave is shocked to be knocked on his ass but scrambles to his feet in no time. After that, the fight is on. They’re two men intent on getting what they want today. Brave likely wants to kill or maim me. Jinx just wants us to make it out of this alive.
“Nora, call Morgan!” Jinx screams, slamming his fist into Brave’s chin in what looks like the uppercut from hell. “My phone’s in my saddlebag!”
I race to his bike, rocks in the grass poking into the soft soles of my feet. I don’t stop for anything though. I can barely get his saddlebags open because my hands are shaking so badly. While Jinx and Brave continue to duke it out in the yard, I pull his phone out, unlock it by making a figure eight. Then I scroll through his contacts to find the name Morgan. It says Cedar Falls PD after his name. I recognize the name. Morgan is the club’s inside man at the local police department. I start talking in a breathless rush before he finishes saying hello.
“This is Nora. I’m Jinx’s old lady. There’s a man at our house. He broke in and wrecked the place and came at me with a knife.”
“Keep talkin’. I’m on my way,” he says gruffly.
“It’s my brother,” I make myself say. “His name is Brave and he’s a member of the Hyenas.” Glancing back at the two of them going at it, I say, “He had a hunting knife, but Jinx got it away from him. They’re fighting in the yard. You’ll see them immediately when you pull in.”
“I’m on my way to Jinx’s place right now. That’s where you are, right?”
“Yes.”
His voice is calm and determined. “I’m five minutes away. Stay on the line. Are you safe?”
“I’m safe. Jinx isn’t. They’re still fighting.” Seeing them fight is like watching the clash of Titans. They are both big muscular men who put power behind their punches. They’re not afraid to slam their bodies into each other.
Brave’s fighting style is all energy, throwing his fists wildly, kicking and even clawing. Brave is overcome by a fit of rage, but Jinx fights like the sergeant-at-arms he is. His movements are more well thought out, powerful and absolutely merciless. Jinx eventually subdues Brave, forcing him face-down on the ground. Jinx wrenches one arm up behind Brave’s back and plants a knee in his back for good measure.
“The fight’s over,” I tell Morgan. “Jinx has him down on the ground.”
Morgan responds, “I figured that wouldn’t last long.”
Jinx jerks his chin at me. “Bring a zip tie from my saddlebag. A couple of the big ones.”
I slip his phone into my back pocket with the call still connected and the speaker facing out. I need to free up my hands to dig through his bag again.
“You broke the fuckin’ agreement your brother signed with our club. Do you know what that means?”
I’m approaching with the zip ties as he asks the question. Handing them to Jinx, I answer when my brother doesn’t. “He said he didn’t care about the agreement. He pulled a knife on me and said he needed to punish me for getting our dad killed.”
Jinx wraps the zip tie around his wrists and jerks them tight. “You just keep makin’ one piss-poor decision after another, don’t ya?
“They’re my mistakes to make,” Brave flings back.
“You can’t quite be stupid enough to come to my house to kill my old lady and think I’m gonna let you walk out of here without consequences. Tell me you fuckin’ understand that much,” Jinx says in disgust while looking down at my brother.
I hear the sound of approaching sirens.
