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Nick’s hard gaze landed on all three of us who stood waiting by our bikes. He walked with confidence, dressed in jeans, black boots, a tight black T-shirt, and no cut. His dark hair, which had at one time been short, was now long and hung in his face. But what stood out was the blank expression on his face. The smile he’d once been famous for was completely gone, almost as though it had never been there. The life he’d been living had the power to change a man, and we were looking at a man changed.
He was almost to where we stood when he held up something small and black. As if in slow motion, I watched him lift his thumb and press down on the black object.
My wide eyes flew to the building behind him.
The building that just lit the night sky with an explosion.
“Holy fuck.” Bull jumped back, his eyes glued, like the rest of ours, to the fire burning right in front of us.
Nick stopped when he reached us. “Took care of any fingerprints.”
Bull choked out a laugh, but I knew Nick wasn’t trying to be funny. “Why did you do that?”
His eyes met mine, but his held no emotion. “My only way out.”
“Nick, man.” Bear stepped forward. “Luke would’ve gotten them. You were already out.”
Nick looked back at the fire before he faced us again. “The only way to end them for me was to cut off the head of the beast.” He pointed behind him. “Trust me, nothing short of death was going to stop that man, and no son should have to make that decision.”
He pushed by us and headed to his bike parked at the far end of the parking lot. He knew he was going to have to push that button, but he waited and gave me the option to end it myself.
“Now what, Nick?” Bear called out.
Nick stopped right at his bike and dropped his head before looking back over his shoulder at us. “Now, I fix what I fucked up.”
He climbed on his bike, started it up, and took off down the long stretch of empty road. We watched until he disappeared, and Bear faced me and Bull. “Let’s get outta here.”
“We calling it in?” I asked.
Bear looked at the fire and squinted his eyes, lost in thought before he faced me again. “We were never here.”
I nodded. “And Luke?”
He looked between Bull and me again, and his voice lowered. “We were never here. The meet is scheduled for tomorrow. We’ll see it the same time he does. Nothing out here that fire can burn but that damn clubhouse, and I want it burned to nothing.”
“Then let’s get the fuck outta here.” Bull called out.
We both nodded and jumped on our bikes, Bull already straddling his. Bear took one last look at the fire roaring, its flames engulfing the clubhouse and shook his head, but he couldn’t contain the grin. This was a win for us. With no place to congregate, the local Widows chapter would be shut down for a while at least. He motioned in the direction of our side of town and started up his bike. I followed, and Bull pulled out behind me. We were heading back to our clubhouse, and we could finally breathe a little easier.
With the help of my brothers, I’d finally been able to let go of my past and was heading toward my future with the taste of freedom on my lips.
And that future had a name.
Maggie.
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
MAGGIE
Pacing, I twisted my hands together and waited with everyone else for what seemed like hours. The guys who were left behind, and there were many, drank and talked, but it was quiet and solemn, not at all like I’d come to expect from this group.
“Maggie, why don’t you sit down?”
My head snapped up when I heard Race’s voice beside me. I met his worried eyes. “What’s taking so long?”
“Things take time, honey. It only feels long because you’ve been pacing for an hour.” He pointed at the floor. “I think you’ve worn down the wood.”
I smiled at the teasing tone, which was sweet and very unexpected. Race usually kept to himself, at least when I was around, so I never expected he would initiate conversation with me. “Okay.”