"I...s.h.i.t..."

"We could've been together. If you were honest and told me that old piece of s.h.i.t did it, we could've..."

"It's not that simple, Luce. You were a witness. Mac would've used you. He would have blackmailed us both... You think I wanted you dancing in Big Sal's just so we could be together? f.u.c.k no. I didn't want to pull you into the club's business and despite every effort, I f.u.c.king did anyway. I wanted you to see me as a monster so it'd be easier to forget me."

She falls against the bike and bends half over, unable to breath steadily. I hold her a while, letting it all sink in.

She's dead silent.

"My hand grips her neck and I kiss her forehead. "You don't need to bear the weight of this. If I could take it all from you, I would find a way."

"You were looking for me when you crashed your bike, weren't you?"

"You were the last good memory left in my life. I've thought about you every single f.u.c.king day since you left," I said. "I couldn't just leave the club... Not with my head still on my shoulders. I wanted to see you one more time..."

"Why did you make me leave? I would have stayed with you Landon..."

"I'd made my choice to be an outlaw and I couldn't put that on you. You deserve the best of everything, Lucy. Everything. Daryl wasn't the father you deserved and I wasn't the boyfriend..."

"You were. And you were the boyfriend I wanted, too. You were everything to me, Landon. My whole world. Every happy memory, every laugh, every good time. What the f.u.c.k?"

She backs away from me to take a stroll and a breather.

"Lucy..."

"Mac tried to rape me at the motel. Gagged me with a rag. Drew his knife." She says it clearly, straightly, powerfully.

"W-What?"

"He's probably on his way here to kill us both and then what do we have? All I want is to just f.u.c.king be with YOU!" She's talking to the G.o.ds more than me but I'm with her every word. "Is that too much to ask? To just be with the person I f.u.c.king love?!"

Any pain I felt post-fight drifts into pure, unadulterated rage. My raw fists clench.

"He threatened me, said he'd go to the cops and tell them where we buried Daryl. I...I ca..." She trails off.

I embrace her tightly as if to squeeze her fears from her to take them for myself. "Hey, hey. You don't cry. That f.u.c.ker doesn't even know where he's buried. I chose the spot. He has nothing on you. Nothing. Luce."

"I...I'm so scared."

"Boys!" I yell to the crowd, knowing my next move I have to make.

"W-What're you going to do?" Lucy says, taking my hands probably worried I'll do some more damage that will keep us apart.

"I'm going to make this alright again. Where is he, darlin'?"

"Th-the motel was where I left him."

"And you stole his bike?"

We smile at each other as she nods. "Good girl," I tell her with a kiss on her head. "He's probably back at the club. That's walking distance from the motel..."

"What do you need, brother?" Garrett says from behind me.

"We need Mac gone. Tonight. I want him out of this club. We need a vote of no confidence and I want you all with me."

They look at each other nervously. "The f.u.c.k is this coming from? You get hit in the head too many times?" Rev says. "We don't discuss this s.h.i.t outside church."

"Then let's go to church." I take Lucy's hand in mine and pull her into me. "That p.r.i.c.k thinks he can get away with anymore of this psychopathic, manipulative bulls.h.i.t with me, he's got another thing coming. He put his hands on my girl tonight and he's going to f.u.c.king pay."

I see Mia's face in the distance. Her lips draw tight as she moves in behind Rev.

"Will you stand with me?" I say to my brothers.

Slowly, more members move closer to hear what the commotion's about. Lucy tucks in further behind me and clamps my hand tighter. I feel this urgency, we have to do this tonight or that's the end of us.

"I need a vote of no confidence! Mac just tried to rape Lucy, and I'm not f.u.c.king standing for that."

Mia squeaks. "You can't get rid of Mac. We had an agreement."

"You had an agreement with his d.i.c.k. There is no f.u.c.king agreement. Not anymore."

"F-Fine, f.u.c.k you. I'm outta this. Best be believing my daddy's gonna have something to say. Kiss our f.u.c.king deal goodbye."

"I'm sure we'll get through it."

"Don't," Rev catches her arm. "Don't go."

"Why not? Seems like I'm not welcome with the new meat in town."

"Stay," Rev orders. "You don't need Landon and you don't need Mac. You can ride with me."

I see it all over Rev's face. He's had his sights on this girl the whole time. I don't have time for this right now...

"Find Mac. It's time for church."

27.

Lucy wraps her arms tightly around my torso as we cruise up the back roads toward the clubhouse. I've never felt so powerful. I don't feel an urge to run from my problems. With Lucy here, I'm whole again. I have a plan. I'll see it through.

My heart is racing. I can't let go of Lucy... I can't let go of her ever again. I can keep her safe, but not so long as Mac is part of my f.u.c.king life.

Maybe it won't even make it to a vote... All I know is the darkness ends here. Tonight.

The club is with me. I'll speak my mind and they'll vote with me. I'm sure of it. Most of the club fears Mac more than they respect him. I ride with the Dragons, and they ride with me. The roar of our engines falls silent as we park outside the club.

"He's here," I tell Lucy as we step off the bike.

"How do you know?" she asks.

"I could smell his s.h.i.tty cigars half a mile out."

I nod to Rev and Garret and they wave the rest of the club inside. Crossing the threshold feels different this time. A wave of dread flows inside its silent walls. The girls have went home, the club is dark. Mac is waiting here, he knows what's coming... He's ready for me.

I find him right where I expect him to be... At the head of the table.

He's not wearing his most recent cut. I can see he's wearing his originals. They were retired years ago, the tattered leather showing a decade of the worst kind of abuse. A bullet hole in the side, a knife wound, blood and beer spilled on its flanks. Normally originals only come out on special occasions.

I guess this qualified.

"We have to talk," I say, gripping Lucy's hand tightly.

Mac stands up, looking first to Lucy then back at me. "You sure you wanna do this in front of the girl?"

He's not as collected as usual. His voice is a little shakier.

"I think I can handle it, Mac," she says.

"Then you won't mind me beating the life out of your lover boy here, will you?"

"We're not here to fight. We're here for church," I say, stepping up to Mac.

He looks at Lucy and smiles, then lands a strong crack across my jaw. I trip backwards from the sheer force of his fist. My head feels shaken in my skull. Everything seems a little further away but I have to fight through it.

I hold a palm to my already-split cheek and snarl, a sharp migraine piercing through my temple. "You feel better now, old man? You always did love a good sucker-punch, didn't you?"

"Sit the f.u.c.k down!"

I listen to him because I need him calm though it pains me to do so. Every fibre in me wants to rip his d.i.c.k off and shove it down his throat.

"The rest of you, sit!" We stay silent. "This is club business, girl."

"I think I'll stay."

No one else protests so Lucy cozies in behind my chair.

"I want you out of this club."

"Oh, you do you ya? After all I've done for you?"

He laughs and picks at his teeth with his knife.

"I've paid back those debts three times over."

"Paid them back?!' He slams his fist on the table. "I saved your d.a.m.n life you piece o' s.h.i.t. Your sc.u.mmy old wh.o.r.e of a foster mom who you so desperately wanted to get away from, you remember her? I saved you from her. Just like I stepped in when you were too sackless to get rid of little Palermo's busy-handed daddy."

"I want you out of this club. You got us back into drugs, you got us tied up in this mess with the Mafia, you..." I bite my lip, now wanting to think about his slimy fingers abusing my girl. "You laid a finger on my woman when you're the one crowing on about respect."

He's amused. "Your woman? Last I checked your woman is Mia, and she wanted my fingers laid on her."

"My woman is Lucy, and you crossed the f.u.c.king line."

"So you're breaking it off with Mia? Hundreds of thousands of dollars down the p.i.s.ser because you're too much of a p.u.s.s.y b.i.t.c.h to marry a real woman?"

Lucy places a hand on my shoulder and I hold it for strength.

"I've lived too long in your shadow, listening to everything you had to say like some kind of f.u.c.king G.o.d. Now I see it, Mac. You're a piece of s.h.i.t, and I'm done taking orders."

Mac's temple is throbbing, his face going red. "The f.u.c.k is this?"

The other boys are avoiding eye contact. I should be nervous to have them on my side but I'm not...Not for what I'm about to do.

"Call your f.u.c.king vote then. You think the boys will be on your side? I'm the one who brings the money. I'm the one who takes care of this club. Not a d.a.m.n soul in this f.u.c.king club is gonna vote for a p.i.s.sant like you, boy. I was President walking into this room and I'll be President when I walk out."

"I'm not calling for a vote, old man."

"No?"

"I want vengeance."

"Maybe you got your head all f.u.c.ked up in that cage tonight, because you're making a big f.u.c.king mistake. I'm gonna let you take that s.h.i.t back."

"I'm not taking anything back. You put your hands on my girl, you pulled her into this mess in the f.u.c.king first place. You're paying for every pain you've caused. I want vengeance."

"You don't need to do this," Garrett says, but I cut him off with a stare. Vengeance is absolute with the club. It's how things are settled when power is corrupted. Mac has served far too long, and I'm not the only one who wants him gone. The h.e.l.l he's put me through is just the tip of the f.u.c.king iceberg.

Lucy squeezes my shoulder tighter. She doesn't know what kind of s.h.i.tstorm I just opened up, but I rea.s.sure with a gentle pat of her hand that it'll be okay...I hope.

My eyes meet my brothers around the table, old and young, familiar and strange, all of whom have come here to watch the final showdown. Either Mac's reign ends tonight and someone else takes his place, or I'm left on the edge of death and leave this town with Lucy at my side.

"Vengeance," Mac says, smiling coldly.

"Aye," I say.

"Aye," comes a voice from the back. Various members begin beating their fists upon the table, a few at first, but the sound is growing.

"You've put families, children at risk, you've let power go to your head Mac. You shamed Retch in his grave by getting involved with the Cartel when you promised not to... And you pulled that f.u.c.king knife on Lucy and tried to have your way. I'm angry, we're angry..."

"Aye, aye, aye..."

More fists start a tribal-sounding beat upon the wood until there's an uproar.