Page 32 of Diesel’s Second Chance

"You good?" I ask him.

"No." His honesty is blunt. "But I will be once Demon's dead, and this is over."

Fair enough.

Phoenix checks his watch. "Eleven-thirty. Everyone gear up. Final weapons check. We roll out in twenty minutes."

The room shifts. Brothers checking guns, strapping on holsters, pulling on cuts. The women gather together near the hallway, trying to look brave and failing. Even Grace seems to sense the tension, staying close to Nora.

I do my own check. Glock secure in shoulder holster. Backup piece at my ankle. Knife in my boot. Phone in my pocket, turned on silent but accessible in case I get a chance to text June.

Phoenix appears beside me. "You tell her?"

"Yeah."

"How'd she take it?"

"About as well as you'd expect." I adjust my holster. "She's terrified. But she understands why it has to be tonight."

Phoenix nods. "Ivy's the same. Keeps trying to be strong, but I can see it in her eyes. They're all scared."

"They should be." I meet his gaze. "This is dangerous as hell and we all know it."

"Yeah." He checks his own weapons. "But we're ending it tonight. That's got to count for something."

Judge’s voice cuts through the room. "Brothers. Circle up. It’s almost time."

We all do. Even Canvas.

"Tonight we end this war," Phoenix starts. "We ride out together. We fight together. And we come home together. Nobody gets left behind. Nobody goes rogue. We stick to the plan, we watch each other's backs, and we make sure Demon doesn't walk away from this. Remember… From ash, we rise!"

"From ash, we rise!" Everyone rumbles.

Phoenix checks his watch again. "Eleven-fifty. Mount up. We ride in five."

The brothers start heading for the door. I take one last look around the clubhouse, at the women gathered together trying to be strong, at the home we've all built here.

Then I follow my brothers outside into the night.

The bikes fire up one by one. Eight engines roaring in unison. I settle onto my seat, feel the familiar rumble between my legs, and think about June waiting for me to come home.

*I'm coming back.*

Phoenix raises his fist. We all respond in kind. Then he drops it and we roll out into the darkness, eight brothers riding toward war.

The last thing I see in my mirrors is the clubhouse lights fading behind us.

The last thing I think about is June's face when I promised to come home.

And I will.

No matter what it takes.

Epilogue - June

Three Years Later

The city looks nothing like I remember.