Page 55 of Burn Me Down

“Yes, that’s him.”

He signaled to the guard hut, and the gates rattled as they separated. He walked up to the truck window as we pulled into the compound.

“Turn off your phones and hand them over. You get them back when you leave. No weapons are allowed inside the clubhouse. If one is found on you, then you will be shot, and questions will be asked later. In case you don’t know what a weapon is, that includes guns, knives, poison, or anything else that is deemed dangerous.” It felt like I’d driven up to border control. “Do you have anything you would like to declare now?”

“No, we don’t have any weapons.” I took our phones from the console and turned them off, handing them over.

“Good. You can park over there, and Roach will meet you by the door to take you to your brother.”

“Wow, this is intense,” Vi said as I pulled away from the gate.

“I’m curious to find out how Derek got caught up with an MC.”

“Or maybe you don’t. We might be shot for knowing. I really don’t like the feel of this Asher.”

I grabbed her hand and brought it to my lips. “I know, but thank you for doing this for me. I love you,” I said and leaned across the console to kiss her.

“I love you, too. Let’s go and get this over with.”

Laughing, I opened my door. “That’s something Derek would say.”

The guy Roach was leaning against the wall, a cigarette dangling from his mouth and holding his gun in his hand. He didn’t look thrilled to be on babysitting duty. I looked the guy up and down, and he seemed the type used to not taking shit from people. His eyes found mine, and he smirked, setting my teeth on edge.

He slowly pushed away from the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. “If you cause any trouble tonight, I will personally make sure the two of you are delivered back to where you came from in black bags. Understood, pretty boy?”

Letting go of Vi’s hand, I stepped up into his personal space and glared into his cocky eyes. “You can certainly try.”

Roach smiled a little wider. “So you do have a little of your brother in you. Good to know, Pretty Boy, good to know. But here’s the thing. This place is a family, and DW has been part of our family since you turned your back on him. So if you try any shit with him, it’s not just me you’ll need to worry about. We’ll all come for you and her.” His eyes flicked to Vi, and my fist clenched, but she grabbed my arm. “Do it, Pretty Boy. Hit me and see what happens. I can guarantee that I’ll enjoy it far more than you will, especially when I make your girl scream as I fuck her in front of you.”

“Enough, Roach,” Derek said.

Roach looked over his shoulder at Derek, who was standing behind him, holding the door open.

“You sure? I was having so much fun pissing him off.”

“Yeah, I’m sure, but thanks. I’ll show them up.”

Roach turned his back on me like I wasn’t a threat at all. That pissed me off, but when he held out his knuckles for Derek to hit, jealousy stabbed me in the chest. Derek was my brother, my family.

“Suit yourself.”

As soon as Roach walked away, Derek’s eyes found mine, and then he looked at Vi. “Thanks for coming. Beck is inside.”

“Do I want to know how you got mixed up with a motorcycle club,” I asked, walking into the dark building with Vi close to my side. My nose curled at the scent of stale smoke.

“Probably not,” Derek said as he walked up the stairs in front of me. “I’m sure you wouldn’t approve.”

He didn’t say it sarcastically or like he was angry, but it hit the same way. It reminded me just how out of touch I was with anything in Derek’s life. It had always bothered me, but since the barn, the feeling had grown.

“Vi,” Beck squealed as she looked up from the table that seemed entirely out of place in the biker bar. Beck ran across the room, and whatever fear Vi had was wiped away as she smiled and ran to meet her friend. For just a moment, just a blink, Derek and I stood there together and watched the girls as they hugged. It felt normal like two brothers had fallen in love with best friends and were getting together for a visit. But then I looked around at the dark grey walls and motorcycle club memorabilia and felt as small and disconnected from my life as I had when we were children.

I looked at Derek, and he seemed different. I could see the brother who jumped in front of me to take a hit or said he had done whatever it was to anger our father when it had been me. I remembered all the times he hid me in the closet or helped me out the window so we could get away from the screams for a night, how he held me to him and told me that he would always look after me.

Grabbing Derek, I pulled him into a hug, and he stood frozen like a statue. I refused to let go until he finally hugged me back. All my control flew out the window as emotions long buried gripped my heart.

“Thank you,” I said, pulling back and looking at his stunned face.

“We haven’t even had dinner yet,” he said.