Unity

Ocean Beach

I had been sat on the back of Aces Harley for at least an hour now and my bottom was beginning to go numb from sitting on it for so long. He'd maintained a speed that I'm sure had broken every single speed limit we'd passed. I shouted over the roar of his engine asking where we were going only for him to shake his head for the millionth time.

It was about half eight at night and the life around us was still buzzing with energy. We zig zagged through the cars headed in an unknown direction. People stared as we passed by and I hated the attention.  I buried my face into Aces back without realising, quickly pulling away once I did.

I gazed up at the palm trees that towered over us, slightly recognising the line of shops as he began to slow down. My eyes widened in shock as I recognised Ocean Beach beside us. I removed my arms from around Aces strong body regretfully before handing him his helmet that I'd borrowed.

He jumped off of the bike, placing a cigarette between his lips. He opened the top of the packet, pointing them in my direction. "Want one?" He asked with the cigarette still placed firmly between his lips. I shook my head with a look of disgust at them.

"You sure you're related to Axel?" He chuckled, holding his hand out for me hold as he helped me off of his bike. I laughed with him, pulling my hand out of his once my feet were back on the solid ground. Instantly I missed the warmth that his hand had provided me and wrapped my arms around my body in an attempt to keep myself warm.

"He's definitely my brother." I told him, smiling proudly. He'd been through so much as well as raising a hormonal teenager, sure things hadn't been perfect but I still wouldn't of changed them for the world. He nodded towards the wall that separated the sand from the sidewalk and sat upon it.

I mirrored his actions and swung my legs over so that I could look out into the ocean. "How long was we riding for?" I asked him.

"About an hour and forty five." He told me, his leg brushing mine as he settled into his spot upon the wall. I raised my eyebrows in surprise and looked at him.

"What time is it?"

"Nearly eight." I sighed realising that I was going to have another late night, which meant that I'd be sleeping in till the afternoon once again. I knew I had another shift at the diner but I wasn't even sure that he'd be open for business after the state it had been left in.

"I've got work tomorrow." I commented. Ace shook his head, blowing smoke from his mouth before flicking the cigarette away into the sand with one hand.

"No you don't." He told me and I looked at him clearly puzzled at what he was telling me. "I spoke to Charlie he's agreed to give you time off until things die down." He didn't even look at me, his eyes were ahead and I couldn't believe how calmly he was telling me this.

"You can't do that!" I snapped. "I've been working there for nearly two years, I can't have time off."

He looked at me with an eyebrow arched. "You wanna go back there?" He asked. "You wanna see what's left of it after seeing people die?"

I shuddered at the mental image his words provided and I almost heaved at the thought of the blood being on the floor that I'd mopped over a thousand times. "That's what I thought." He spoke matter of factly before returning his attention to the sea.

"Things are gonna change now aren't they?" I sighed already knowing the answer as I looked down at my swinging legs. I fiddled with my fingers nervously, taking my lip between my teeth as I chewed on it unconsciously.

"Don't do that." He snapped. I looked up and was surprised to see that he was watching me closely. "But yes things are going to change for you."

"Is that why you brought me out here?" He looked back at the ocean, seeming to be deep in thought.

"I bought you out here Ava," he begun. "Because this is where I come to clear my head and I thought after today you needed to clear your head but yes there are things that we need to talk about."

The thought of him bringing me to a place that he used himself made me feel happy. It was nice to think that he cared enough to think of me when I was in need of escaping the clubhouse right now. "What did you want to talk about?" I asked still watching my swinging legs as the rubber soles of my combat boots bounced against the stone wall.

"You're apart of the club now." He stated. "Wether your or Axel like it or not. You've seen what can happen, you were involved in it which means you have a part to play within the club now."

I shook my head, not agreeing with what he said. I didn't have a choice with what happened today and the only reason I'd been involved was through no choice of my own. "That's not fair." I mumbled, my eyes meeting his as I raised my head. "I didn't have a choice in today, I went to work and that was it. As for seeing what can happen, I won't tell anybody about it. There is no need for me to become apart of the club."

"It's already been decided Ava. That meeting you saw me coming out of? We voted. Your part of the club now."

"I can't. I have college and a job. You even said it yourself the only way to join the club would be to be an old lady or a lay." I spat the last word, thinking of the way he'd suggested it so abruptly. It seemed he also remembered it as he smirked once I'd said it.

"And you never know you could be." He nodded and shrugged. "But for now as far as I'm concerned and the clubs concerned, your one of us through blood relations."

I opened my mouth to talk but snapped it shut when he glanced at me knowingly. I knew that this was an argument I wasn't going to win but that didn't mean I wouldn't go down without a fight. Just you wait and see I thought.

We sat on the wall for a while until it began to spit with rain. I squealed as I splashed with cold water and ran towards the bridge, Ace hot on my heels. The rain had disappeared from my head as the sky was replaced with wooden planks of the bridge and I shook my damp hair from out of my face.

My clothes clung to my damp skin and I began to shiver, wrapping my arms around myself again. I tried to fight off the cold but my teeth still chattered tirelessly. "Here." Ace offered, holding his leather jacket out to me. I widened my eyes in shock but politely declined. I knew what I meant for a club member to give their jacket to a woman.

"Take it Ava, you're dithering." He snapped, throwing the jacket over my shoulders himself. He pulled me to him, using the jacket to help him. I looked up into his eyes, my breath catching in the back of my throat at the intense look he was giving me.

I stepped closer, trying not to be the one to make the first move but to my dismay he cleared his throat awkwardly and moved away. Peering out onto the beach. "Well the rains gone." He whispered, his voice shaky. "Let's get you home to bed before Axel kills me."