Page 85 of The Fates We Tame

Who needs x-rays he can’t provide in the clubhouse.

And I haven’t seen Spark and Iris since Theo calmly took them and Mac to Spark’s room and settled them inside. The rest of us, he told to leave them the fuck alone.

I did what I could to settle the women while the rest of the club took care of my family. My emotions are volatile. Shifting. They are my family.Weremy family. But the mental image that galvanized me into action was, if at the end of all this, there were a line of dead bodies in the clubhouse lot, I’d rather they were my family than Theo and the women who voted so resolutely to stand by mine and Theo’s side.

My family knew where I stood. What they were attempting was a kidnapping. And I’m sure they are aware of what a motorcycle club stands for.

After fifteen minutes, silence fell. Bullets stopped. And, eventually, King called it clear.

The clubhouse was in disarray. The front wall decimated. Three bodies, none of them my immediate family, lay face down on the asphalt outside.

Conversation muted as everyone processed what had just happened.

Avery clung to Niro like a limpet and sobbed so hard that Niro was in tears trying to comfort her. Spark and Iris never reappeared. Ari held Lola while Halo held her.

“Those motherfuckers,” Clutch muttered.

King looked around. “Let’s shore this shit up. Can’t leave bodies out there like that. Bates, figure out how to get them out of here. Clutch, Niro, figure out how to make the front of the building safe. The rest of you, let’s clean up what we can.”

And then people got to work.

I tried to help in the bar, but I couldn’t sweep, and bending down to pick things up is still a center of gravity issue.

So, I dragged a stool to the sink and began washing up all the glasses and dishes people bring in after Briar has scraped them off.

She’s stuck to me like glue since we were in the medical room together.

“How are you so calm?” Briar asks.

I shrug as I dip the glass I’m about to clean into the soapy water. “I wish I knew.”

Which isn’t completely true. Two things came together today.

I clearly know my way around a switchblade. I could flip and spin that sucker in a way that proved it wasn’t my first time holding one. And then there was something my brother said.

It was something else that made you run that day. You never ran, Sophia. Not once. Not even when our enemies broke into our house. You always fought. You were as ruthless as therest of us. More accurate an aim than any of our brothers. If what you learned scared you enough to flee, then it was serious. And I’m determined to find out what it is for the sake of our family.

I never ran.

Did my heart race when the explosion went off? Of course. Anybody’s would.

But was I terrified?

No.

If muscle memory kicked in over fear, then I’ve been through things like this before.

Not even when our enemies broke into our house. You always fought.

“We’re dividing up,” Rae says as she joins us by the sink. “We can’t stay in lockdown here tonight. Without a front wall or heat, we’ll freeze. King wants us in as few houses as possible tonight. I’ve got Bates, Niro, and Vex with their families all going to stay with Halo. We’re suggesting King, Saint, Spark, Clutch, and Switch all stay together. It’s a lot to ask, but you think Theo would be happy to have us at his house, given it’s the biggest?”

“He hasn’t been home since the accident, beyond the garage to get his bike. I can go ask him.”

“Please,” Rae says. “He apparently always wanted a big house for lots of his family to be able to stay at one time. King and I can bring a spare mattress from home if we need it.”

I wipe my hands on a cloth and head to the medical room. Saint is sitting on the medical bed, his feet on the floor, as Theo wraps a bandage tightly around his upper arm. “If it doesn’t stop bleeding, we might need to stitch it.”

I see a laptop open with a video paused of a wound getting stitched. “Research?” I ask.