we’ve ever seen?”
Raven smiled, ignoring the double standard for that moment. “You bet your ass I can.” She just needed the chance.
Bear nodded. “All right, then. Head on home. You earned a few days where we don’t bug you. I’ll get someone else to cover tonight. Just know that you got two more hard-ass tests coming up. Take some time, because you’re gonna need it.”
“I know, I know.”
“I got shit to take care of. Quit wastin’ my fuckin’ time, darlin’.” He smiled at the young woman and turned around. She watched him head inside the club before firing up her bike and heading back to the softness of her waiting bed.
As she drove back, Raven didn’t know if her conversation with Bear was a victory or not. It softened him around the edges—that much she knew. She wondered if they all got a talk like that. She reminded herself to ask Tanner the next time she saw him.
When she stepped through the door, Raven unloaded her gun and put it back in the hallway drawer. Exhaustion got the better of her, and she fell into bed still wearing her jeans and cut. She only managed to wrestle off her boots before sleep took over.
Raven wondered how she had drawn the short straw. Not two days earlier she’d gone on an early morning raid with the Rising Sons. Bear hadgiven her a few days off, but she was back closing the bar down not long after.
“Scheduling,” Trask offered with a shrug.
Raven wondered why he was even at the bar. His bullet wound was still fresh, and he was on all kinds of medication.
She nodded toward the door. “Why don’t you head home? I’ll lock up and get you the keys back tomorrow. You really should be in bed.” Raven lowered her voice, “You don’t look all that great.”
Trask looked happy, but loopy at the same time. “Hope says I lost probably lost, like, three pints of blood. Guess it’s a lot. I don’t know. You know what happened that night?”
Raven shook her head. Tanner hadn’t caught her up on the evening’s events yet.
Trask laughed. “Fuckin’ Vegas. You notice he’s not around anymore?”
Raven had paid little attention to Vegas. He was a member in full since she had joined as a prospect. They were about the same age, but she saw him as a kid. Vegas followed Trask around like a puppy dog. Trask could do no wrong in that kid’s eyes.
“He was apparently working with Beezer. That little trip up to the Basin?” Trask gave Raven a moment to take in the fact that a Rising Son was working with the dealer the club had just taken down. “I know, right? Anyway, after Hope pulled the bullet out of my shoulder, I passed out, naturally.”
“Naturally,” Raven laughed.
Trask nodded. “So I wake up later on that night, and Vegas has got a gun pointed at Hope. He’s holding her hostage. Everyone in this place has a gun trained on him. He goes on and on about some shit about joining forces and how no one listened to him. I don’t know, I couldn’t really hold onto what he was saying. All I saw was that barrel against my girl’s head. I dragged myself off the table and dug a knife into his back.”
“Jesus Christ. So, he’s dead?”
“Nah. They threw him out on his ass, and I’m sure he was dragged to the hospital. He’s out of the club, obviously.” Trask laughed like the whole thing was a comedy of errors, not a life and death struggle.
“Holy Hell…” Raven shook her head as the information sank in. She couldn’t fathom a traitor in their ranks. She already felt like they were her brothers, even though she was two tests away from membership. Her blood pressure soared as she thought of Vegas and his betrayal. She had only met Hope once, but she was a sweet woman. Trask loved her, and Raven didn’t blame him for rescuing her.
“Holy Hell is right.” He threw back the last of his beer and tossed it overhand to the garbage can. It shattered on the back wall, but at least most of the pieces fell into the can. He shot
Raven smiled, ignoring the double standard for that moment. “You bet your ass I can.” She just needed the chance.
Bear nodded. “All right, then. Head on home. You earned a few days where we don’t bug you. I’ll get someone else to cover tonight. Just know that you got two more hard-ass tests coming up. Take some time, because you’re gonna need it.”
“I know, I know.”
“I got shit to take care of. Quit wastin’ my fuckin’ time, darlin’.” He smiled at the young woman and turned around. She watched him head inside the club before firing up her bike and heading back to the softness of her waiting bed.
As she drove back, Raven didn’t know if her conversation with Bear was a victory or not. It softened him around the edges—that much she knew. She wondered if they all got a talk like that. She reminded herself to ask Tanner the next time she saw him.
When she stepped through the door, Raven unloaded her gun and put it back in the hallway drawer. Exhaustion got the better of her, and she fell into bed still wearing her jeans and cut. She only managed to wrestle off her boots before sleep took over.
Raven wondered how she had drawn the short straw. Not two days earlier she’d gone on an early morning raid with the Rising Sons. Bear hadgiven her a few days off, but she was back closing the bar down not long after.
“Scheduling,” Trask offered with a shrug.
Raven wondered why he was even at the bar. His bullet wound was still fresh, and he was on all kinds of medication.
She nodded toward the door. “Why don’t you head home? I’ll lock up and get you the keys back tomorrow. You really should be in bed.” Raven lowered her voice, “You don’t look all that great.”
Trask looked happy, but loopy at the same time. “Hope says I lost probably lost, like, three pints of blood. Guess it’s a lot. I don’t know. You know what happened that night?”
Raven shook her head. Tanner hadn’t caught her up on the evening’s events yet.
Trask laughed. “Fuckin’ Vegas. You notice he’s not around anymore?”
Raven had paid little attention to Vegas. He was a member in full since she had joined as a prospect. They were about the same age, but she saw him as a kid. Vegas followed Trask around like a puppy dog. Trask could do no wrong in that kid’s eyes.
“He was apparently working with Beezer. That little trip up to the Basin?” Trask gave Raven a moment to take in the fact that a Rising Son was working with the dealer the club had just taken down. “I know, right? Anyway, after Hope pulled the bullet out of my shoulder, I passed out, naturally.”
“Naturally,” Raven laughed.
Trask nodded. “So I wake up later on that night, and Vegas has got a gun pointed at Hope. He’s holding her hostage. Everyone in this place has a gun trained on him. He goes on and on about some shit about joining forces and how no one listened to him. I don’t know, I couldn’t really hold onto what he was saying. All I saw was that barrel against my girl’s head. I dragged myself off the table and dug a knife into his back.”
“Jesus Christ. So, he’s dead?”
“Nah. They threw him out on his ass, and I’m sure he was dragged to the hospital. He’s out of the club, obviously.” Trask laughed like the whole thing was a comedy of errors, not a life and death struggle.
“Holy Hell…” Raven shook her head as the information sank in. She couldn’t fathom a traitor in their ranks. She already felt like they were her brothers, even though she was two tests away from membership. Her blood pressure soared as she thought of Vegas and his betrayal. She had only met Hope once, but she was a sweet woman. Trask loved her, and Raven didn’t blame him for rescuing her.
“Holy Hell is right.” He threw back the last of his beer and tossed it overhand to the garbage can. It shattered on the back wall, but at least most of the pieces fell into the can. He shot
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