Beretta (MC#1)

Chapter 15- Him

Chaos.

It was pure chaos around the clubhouse. And all I could think was how Rose had been the distraction. She had no reason to refuse her place in church the way she did, nor did she have any reason to disrespect the President in front of his men. What if she did it to create a distraction? What if she knew of the bomb? 

I saw my brothers mirroring my thoughts. I saw it all on their faces.

Right now, was not the time for those thoughts, though, because our Queen was inside. Raven was inside the church, alone with Rose. Rose who was a trained killer, a niece of the Underworld. And that's just the limited amount we knew about her.

My arms strained with the almost hysterical President I was holding back from jumping in the clubhouse to save his wife. His Old lady- his Raven pregnant with his baby. His woman.

It had been mere minutes since the clubhouse exploded with strategically placed bombs, Circuit (our resident hacker and everything technology expert) had told us this could only be a result of that. And the firetrucks were already here, busy with getting rid of the fire. Ambulances followed along with- Fuck- police. Everyone except the two women inside was safe and had been evacuated.

Don was busy handling the officials swarming the area and the Police demanding answers while I was to look after the club.

I felt like a failure. A complete failure standing there fighting off the images of a similar clubhouse bursting into flames while the people inside dancing with joy and life. I'd seen both life and death that day. And I couldn't unsee it as I looked at the fire raging out of the crumbled clubhouse.

"Blaze", Diesel appeared in my line of vision and the black around the edges eased. "Blaze, please, please. Just let me go. I- I need to- She's-", his breath caught, and a barely concealed sob choked out past his scratchy voice, sore from screaming.

"Hey! Look!", somebody in the back shouted. And we all wept tears of joy as Raven was loaded onto one of the stretchers. She looked unharmed from where I was standing far away. But something around her neck caught my eye. A black striped bandana. The very one I'd seen a certain redhead tie around her hair while humming a strange tune. A very strange off tune hymn.

All doubts vanished when I approached a panicked Raven.

"She- she sent me out. There was only space for one. And then- and then the ceiling collapsed-", Raven choked out, tears streaming down her blackened face. But she was breathing fine on her own and she was not in pain. This must be a good sign.

"Calm down, mam. You need to stay calm", the paramedic tending to her murmured soothingly. Diesel just focused intently on her every movement; one hand clutched in his. He placed his hand on the one she cradled her belly with and said, "You're okay, baby"

Then, Raven became hysterical to the point she couldn't breathe, refusing to be transported to a hospital until they had Rose out of the building. A part of the clubhouse we'd constructed ourselves amongst laughs and chatters and drinks broke down to collapse. And our spirits crushed within its weight. Along with the hope of Rose's safe return.

It felt like I had swallowed a stone and it was stuck in my throat. I couldn't speak, couldn't scream, couldn't cry- couldn't breathe. Because that woman I was just doubting had saved the club woman who had ridiculed her when I was an asshole to her. Because in my fucked-up mind I wasn't able to trust her despite all the times she got hurt for the club.

It felt like she was always first in the line of fire for the club. And that scared me a little. My feelings for her scared me a little which I got over by telling myself she was the threat.

All my brothers tensed when two heavily armed men pushed their way through the crowd towards- towards me, I realized.

"Blaze, Vice President?", the blonde one with a small man bun questioned, voice gravelly and very threatening to the point the men behind me fisted their weapons, bodies coiled tight to attack.

"Yes. And you are?"

"Not important in the slightest", the dark-skinned one called out from behind his partner who scowled at his back. Now this man, I liked.

"We're actually here looking for a friend", he shook my hand, grasp firm and fingers long and able. I returned his gesture with the same enthusiasm, my eyes flicking back and forth towards the burning building and back to the man. He instantly had my respect.

"Like 29, green boring eyes, red hair, short and hot as fu-",

"Shut up, S", I was thankful 'S' shut up because I'd recognized who he was talking about instantly at the red hair. And so did everyone else within earshot. There was only one redhead all of us knew. She also happened to be hot as fuck.

"Please call me Ghost and that one is Shadow", Ghost introduced himself then pointed to his friend. "And she wears disguises", he mumbled to him.

"Her name is Rose. Do you know anyone like that?", he seems like a hard, tough man but Shadow shows that glint of concern and I wonder how they really know Rose.

"Yes- Rose. We know Rose", my voice comes out scratchy

"Oh, thank fuck. This is like the seventh one. Where is she?", Ghost asks. I have no idea how to break the news.

"She's still inside. She shielded me when the building exploded", Raven is in a trance- and shock. She doesn't even look up to speak.

Both men snap their attention to her. Diesel refuses to look away from his wife and Rose is still inside. This is all so god-damned fucked-up.

"Wha- Is that hers", Shadow points at the bandana around Raven's pale neck. And she belatedly nods, still lost.

"Fuck, fuck. That bitch and her fucking hero complex", Shadow spits out, completely losing it. While Ghost goes pale and takes off towards the building. Shadow follows hot in his heels.

My breath whooshes out of me when I hear her voice. I pinch my eyes shut and everyone around me has a surprisingly relieved expression. I think I imagine it. I think I imagine her voice, so I turn around.

And there she stands, face scrunched up in pain, waist length hair burnt, soot sticking to her lovely face. She seems to be searching around the small crowd as she talks quietly to both her...friends. 

Her eyes land on me and her body relaxes. She walks to Raven, holds her hands and murmurs soothingly to her. Before leveling a glare at Diesel. We'll talk later, she seems to say

Behind her my home burns but I can't stop thanking the God I long stopped believing in. For her still being here with me. For giving me another chance to right my wrongs.

My body works on its own and I'm running towards her full speed, calling her name. Her hair matches the bright of the fire and her smile mirrors my own.

We're going for lunch no matter what. 

A/N:

Thats the bikers clubhouse up there just bigger with a compound. But yeah, that's how I imagine the building. 

Y'all really are very unsocial people. I mean come, you don't gotta wear a mask to type out a comment. No need to wash your hands after, either.