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Razor

E ARLIER IN THE day Hatch put the word out for an AFH, ‘All Fucking Hands,’ meeting at the compound tonight. The place was so full, some guys were forced to sit in the open windowsills. Every Dog within a hundred miles was there, as well Minus, the president of longtime allies the Burning Saints, and Sundance, president of the Primal Howlers in Colorado and business partner in our weed growing operation.

After being cooped up for so fucking long, it was good for my soul to see all my brothers gathered together, even if I was envious seeing them on their bikes. Before the Spiders did their little tap dance number on me, I don’t think I’d ever gone more than two days without riding since I was fifteen years old. Beyond the beat down I took, beyond this fucking leg cast, and even beyond the pain in my shoulder, not being able to ride was the worst part of the whole experience. I dreamt of riding almost every night and in the morning would wake up disappointed with reality.

“Thank you all for being here, tonight,” Hatch said, addressing the room. “I called this meeting on pretty short notice , and it speaks volumes to me that you’re all here. I’m sure some of you already know about our troubles with the Spiders, but just in case you haven’t heard, let me get you up to speed really quickly. Warlock, the Spiders’ new president, has demanded we give up one hundred percent of our interest in our cannabis grow business in exchange for peace between our clubs. Ten days ago, Warlock gave us ten days to turn over all aspects of our operation to him.”

“Earlier today we made a counteroffer of ‘Go fuck yourselves,’” Booker, our VP, said, causing a wave of chuckles and grunts to travel all around the room.

“We sent Warlock a gift basket filled with an assortment of our best product,” Sundance chimed in. “Buds, vapes, edibles, wax, the works. In the basket was also a card which read, ‘Dearest, Warlock. Thank you for your recent show of interest in partnering with Monumental High. Unfortunately, we currently have no open investment opportunities at this time, therefore we must decline your invitation. Neither the Dogs of Fire MC, nor the Primal Howlers wish to stand in the way of any competing business interests you may have and wish you the best of luck in finding a suitable partner for your particular needs. Please enjoy this sample basket as a token of our goodwill. Inside it you will find several products which will greatly reduce any stress caused by the disappointing nature of this note.’ ”

“How’d Warlock take the news?” I asked.

“Not great,” Hatch replied. “I’ll be honest, I skipped through parts of his voicemail, but I get the general impression that he’s ripshit pissed.”

“It’s war, gentlemen,” Flea said.

“That means, we’re still in semi-lock down mode,” Hatch said. “Keep your eyes open and your heads on swivels. We’re hoping Warlock wants to avoid a full-scale war, but we need to be prepared for acts of retaliation.”

“My cousin did eleven months with Warlock in the Oregon state pen,” Ryder said. “I don’t get the impression he’s a go with the flow kind of guy.”

Ryder left the Spiders years ago, taking with him several of the other descendants of members and officers within the club. Although, he wasn’t officially a patched member of the Dogs, he knew the inner workings of the Spiders better than anyone and often consulted in an effort to bring the club down.

Hatch nodded. “Warlock and I go way back. He’s smart but he’s got more than a couple of screws loose. He’s unpredictable and impulsive, which makes him dangerous, but vulnerable. I’d hoped he was just testing me to see how far I could be pushed, and that he’d take the gift basket as a shot across the bow and back off, but he’s prepared to come at us hard.”

“And what are we prepared to do?” I asked.

“I’ll tell you right here and now exactly what the fuck we’re doing. We’ve called in reinforcements,” Hatch said.

Both Minus and Sundance nodded. The Primal Howlers were one-percenters who weren’t about to let some club from Gresham, Oregon fuck with their bottom line, let alone their members. Minus’ club, the Burning Saints were technically ex-one-percenters, but I’d hate to be the one who does their laundry. Both clubs were great allies, but the Spiders had allies of their own, including whatever remnants of the Beast still existed.

“More Dogs are coming in from Savannah tomorrow night,” Hatch continued. “We’ve also got people working various other angles to assist us, but that’s all I can say about that. For now, keep your eyes peeled and report anything you see or hear to your road captains or to me personally. The Spiders have been a thorn in our side for too long. I’d say it’s high fucking time we squash them for good.”

* * *

Waverly

Two weeks later, I was heading home after a busy day. I’d been texting with Gio in between clients, and all the warm fuzzies were rapidly settling in my belly. I was pretty sure I was falling in love with him, but I needed to get a handle on those feelings because it was far too soon to make any kind of declarations.

Tonight, however, he was coming to my place for dinner, and we were going to cook together. He was doing so well with his rehab, he could navigate stairs (slowly and carefully), so Katie was dropping him by at six and I would drive him back to Connor and Maisie’s later. For now, I was stopping by the store to pick up ingredients to make my grandmother’s fried chicken and mac ’n cheese.

I headed into my local Fred Meyer and grabbed a cart, wheeling it through the security area, then heading to the back to grab the chicken. I had pretty much everything else. I’d remembered the label of the beer Gio had been drinking, but not the name, so once I procured the chicken, I made my way to the beer aisle, where I was surprised to see Katie reaching for the same brand.

“Katie! Hi,” I said.

Her eyes widened, and she grimaced, but then forced a smile. “Hi, Waverly. How are you?”

“Um, fine. I was going to get some beer for tonight.”

“Yes, that’s what—”

“Okay, I think these will—”

Gio appeared before me in all his gorgeous glory, holding a bouquet of flowers, but he looked different, and it took me a minute to process.

He wore dark jeans, a black henley, with a biker’s vest with a patch on it that read, ‘Razor,’ and a pair of well-worn motorcycle boots .

I will repeat, he wore a biker’s vest.

I frowned. “Gio?”

Guilt covered the tight features of his face. “Hey, Fizzy.”

“Why are you dressed like that?” I whispered.

“I was going to talk to you about that.”

“Why are you dressed like that?” I repeated.

“I just came from a meetin’.”

“A meeting,” I parroted. “A meeting where?”

“At my club.”

I felt the blood drain from my face. “You’re a biker.”

“Yeah, but you have to under—”

I bit back tears. “You lied to me.”

“No, baby—”

“Do not call me that.” I grabbed my purse out of the cart and practically ran out of the store.

* * *

Razor

“Fuck,” I hissed.

“I thought you were going to tell her,” Katie admonished.

“I was. Tonight,” I said, dragging my hands down my face. “Goddammit!”

“She left her shopping bags.”

“Let’s buy all this and take it to her place.”

“I don’t know if that’s a good idea, Razor.”

“I won’t go up. You can drop it off.” I met her eyes. “If you don’t mind doing that.”

“I don’t mind,” she said sadly .

We finished our shopping and went through the checkout, then headed to Waverly’s. Katie grabbed the bags and carried them up while I stood by the side of the car and watched.

* * *

Waverly

I’d been home for about half-an-hour when my doorbell rang. My phone was charging in my bedroom, so instead of hoofing it down the hall to look at my camera, I pulled the door open instead of checking first. I wish I hadn’t.

“Oh!” Katie squeaked. “I thought for sure, you wouldn’t answer.”

“Pretend I didn’t,” I snapped and started to close the door, but she was faster than me and slid inside, carrying my shopping bags. “Get out of my house.”

“Let me just drop these off and I’ll get out of your hair,” she said.

“Just drop them right there.”

She set them on the floor and smiled gently. “He’s in love with you.”

“I don’t care.”

“Honey, by the looks of you and your current state, you’re in love with him too.”

I squared my shoulders, wiping my tear-stained face. “I’ll get over it.”

“Well, that’s a neat trick,” she sassed. “How do you do that?”

“Katie,” I warned.

“You can fall in love with someone, then get over it, just like that? Amazing.”

“How can you hang around with... with... criminals ?”

“They’re not criminals,” she countered. “My brother’s certainly not a criminal. He’s the best person I know. As is Razor. And you’ve met Hatch and Maisie.”

I frowned. “Who’s Hatch?”

“Ah, right. Um, Connor. Hatch is his club name,” she said. “He’s the president.”

“He’s the president of a biker gang ?” I hissed.

“They’re not a gang, Waverly. I promise you.”

“I’ll take your word for it.”

Before she could get her next bullshit excuse out, the door opened and Gio stood in the threshold.

“Jesus, Razor,” Katie snapped. “You look like you’re going to pass out.”

My need to take care of people overtook my fear and disgust and I rushed to wrap an arm around his waist as Katie did the same. He was drenched in sweat, and he appeared to be having a hard time catching his breath. It was like he’d jogged four miles to get here, in the snow, and up hill.

Katie and I worked in tandem to get him to my recliner, helping him to sit down.

“You can’t stay,” I said.

“I’ll go and get his walker,” Katie offered. “Do you have an elevator, or just your stairs up?”

“There’s an elevator at the end of the hall,” I said.

“Can you make it to the end of the hall?” Katie asked him.

“Yeah, give me a few,” Gio said .

“Okay,” Katie said. “I’ll grab his walker and be right back.”

I shut the door behind her, then grabbed the bags and started putting the groceries away.

“Fizzy will you talk to me?”

“No.”

“Baby, please.”

“No.” I glanced over at him and suddenly noticed he’d taken off his vest. “Where’s your getup?”

“My getup?”

“Your biker vest,” I said, putting the chicken and the beer in the fridge.

“It’s called a cut,” he instructed. “And it’s in the car.”

I bit my lip. “Where’s Katie?”

“Just come over here and talk to me for a few minutes,” he begged. “Please.”

“No.”

He pushed himself up and nearly toppled over when he did.

I rushed to him, and he slipped his arms around me, pulling us both down as he fell into the chair. He hissed in pain as I slammed against his shoulder, and I couldn’t stop the tears as I let out a quiet groan. “Damn it, Gio. What are you doing?” I tried to push off of him, but he held me tight.

“Don’t, baby. I need to talk to you.”

“Are you seriously going to hold me against my will?”

He met my eyes. “Are you afraid of me?”

I wrinkled my nose.

“Waverly?” he pressed. “Are. You. Afraid. Of. Me?”

I let out a frustrated huff. “No.”

“Then, we’re gonna sit right here and have a little chat.”

“You’re going to do more damage to your shoulder and your leg.”

“Let me worry about that.”

I glared at him as he stared back at me, his eyes full of nothing but adoration.

“I love you,” he said. “I’m sorry I lied by omission. That was not the plan, but we have some shit going down with the club—”

“See? You’re all the same.”

“We didn’t start this,” he ground out.

“What are you? On the playground now? You didn’t start it?”

“Baby, it’s complicated. There’s a one-percent club gunnin’ for our legitimate businesses and they beat the shit out of me to send a message. They’re also threatening our families. Hatch will not let that stand.”

“I don’t know what any of that means.” I threw my hands in the air. “Where’s Katie?”

He ignored my question about Katie but started to educate me about the other stuff, even though I didn’t really think I wanted to know. “The Dogs of Fire, our club, is legal. A one-percent club means not necessarily legal. We own and operate not only auto shops around the area but also cannabis grow warehouses and stores in Oregon and Washington. The Gresham Spiders want the grow operation, and they’ve decided they’re going to get it by any means necessary.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Because I love you, Waverly. I trust you. The only reason I came in to see you initially without my colors is because Hatch wanted me to keep a low profile in case we were being watched. It was never to deceive you.”

“You should have told me the second you knew how I felt.”

“You’re right. I should have. But how do you tell the woman you’re falling in love with that you’re part of a club knowing you’ll lose her?” he challenged. “We are not like the Riders, Waverly, not even close. And we know Snarl’s club, baby. I don’t know him personally, but I know his brother, Rocky, and he’s a good man. So, if your friend fell in love with him, trust that Snarl’s a good man, too.”

“Where the hell is Katie?” I asked again.

“She’s not comin’ back up until I give her the all-clear.”

“Who is this woman?”

“Baby, she’s one of my best friends.”

“Stop calling me baby!” I hissed. “So much for women protecting women.”

“If she really thought you were in any kind of danger, there’d be no way in hell she’d have left.” He cocked his head. “I’ll ask again. Are you afraid of me?”

I ran my teeth along my bottom lip, pondering his question.

“Fizzy? ”

“I’m thinking ,” I snapped.

He chuckled, shoving his face in my neck and kissing my pulse.

“No, sir,” I said, pushing his head away. “I have not forgiven you yet.”

“Yeah, you have.”

“I think your friend needs to come over and punch you again for making me cry.”

“I’ll call him.” He slid his phone out and I gasped.

“I was kidding .” He grinned and I scoffed. “You’re such a jerk.”

“I will call him, baby, if you want me to take another hit. I deserve it and you’re worth it.”

“Stop calling me ‘baby.’” I sighed. “I have to figure this out for myself.”

“Can I stay?”

“No.”

“We have a lot to talk about. Let’s do that now. Sort it out entirely. Then you can make an educated decision once and for all.”

“We have nothing to talk about. You’ve lied to me from the beginning. Your friends have lied to me from the beginning. I don’t even know their names.” I pushed off his lap. “Get Katie back up here, Gio, um, Razor. Whatever your name is.”

“Waverly—”

“How much do I owe you for the groceries?”

“Nothing. My treat.”

“Thank you.” I bit back even more tears. “I’ll transfer your care to Kelsey. She’s very good. She trained me. You’ll like her.”

“Don’t bother,” he bit out, pushing to his feet. “ I’ll figure something else out.”

I pressed my lips into a thin line and nodded.

Katie arrived quickly and the second they walked out the door, I sank to the floor and sobbed, my heart shattering in a thousand pieces.

* * *

Razor

“I take it things didn’t go well,” Katie deduced as we headed onto the freeway.

“We’re done,” I said.

“Done, done? Like broken up?”

“Technically, we weren’t really together,” I pointed out.

“Oh, buddy, I’m so sorry.”

I dragged my hands down my face. “I fucked up, Kate, and there’s nothing I can do to fix it.”

“No, I don’t think there is.” She reached over and squeezed my hand. “I’m really sorry.”

I nodded, staring out the window, appreciating the fact that Kate left me to my maudlin thoughts as she drove me back to Hatch and Maisie’s.

The next day, I went home.