Page 48 of Smoke

“Hold up a minute.” I shake off her hold, and stride over to where Cub waits for me. “Is there a problem?” I don’t see her, yet I can sense that Tenley is not giving up, and she’s right at my heels.

“Nothing I can’t handle,” Cub laughs in his usual cocky manner. “There’s an old beat-up cage parked outside, a few yards past the gates. It’s probably someone broken down, so I’m just going to check it out. See if I can help get them on their way.”

“Okay, let me know if you need anything.”

“Sure thing, Prez.” He takes off jogging towards the gates.

As I walk past Tenley, back up towards the clubhouse, once again she grabs a hold of my arm but this time, she has enough force to spin me around to face her.

“Stop him!” she gasps out, eyes wide, fear etched across her face. “You need to stop him, Smoke!” she insists, her hands gripping the edge of my cut like her life depends on it. She looks terrified.

“What’s wrong with you woman, are you crazy?” I go to shrug her off again. This time, there’s no way in hell she’s letting go.

“For fuck’s sake, you’re at war with the Irish.” She screams into my face. “The car, the fucking car…”

Suddenly, I piece together what Tenley is trying tosay. A heavy ball of dread hits me in the pit of my stomach. “Get everyone back,” I bark at Tenley seconds before I set off running.

“Cub!” I scream at the top of my voice, but I can see that he’s already walking on the other side of the large gates, outside the compound. “Fuck, Cub…” I push myself harder. If I get nearer, he should hear me. I need to stop him. “Cub, don’t…” My feet leave the ground, my body thrown backwards as the air is overtaken by the huge booming sound. My ass and back hit the ground. My head rattles from the blast.

At first, I can’t hear a thing. My ears feel like they’re full of cotton candy. The surrounding sounds are muffled, as if I’m wearing ear defenders. Pushing up on my elbows, my ass still firmly on the ground, I give my head a shake. Slowly my head begins to clear, noises slowly becoming clearer, building into a crescendo of shouts, cries and hysteria.

Plumes of smoke and flames billow from the far side of the compound wall, lighting up the sky and giving me a clear view of the utter mayhem that plays out in the yard. My Brothers are hurt, shaken and disorientated. The true damage as yet unknown.

I stumble to my feet, every bone in my body stiff with an unwillingness to move freely, but it doesn’t stop me from pushing myself forward as fast as I can to where I can see Tenley on the ground. She’s sat curled in a ball with her knees tucked to her chest, her arms wrapped around them as she rocks her body back and forth. When I get to her, I fall to my knees. Her eyes are wide but unfocused, tears stream down her face.

“Tenley, fuck baby, are you okay?” I bring her into my arms. When she winces, I ease my hold. The last thing I want is to cause her more pain. “Where are you hurting?”

“This is all my fault,” her head tilts up, her tear-filled eyes focusing firmly on me. “I should have spoken to you earlier. I could have stopped this.”

“Sshh,” I swipe away her tears with the palm of my hand. “That doesn’t fucking matter now,” I scan her face, running my fingers lightly over the back of her head. My hands come away clean. No signs of bleeding other than a slow ooze from a graze to her forehead. “Let’s get you up.” I go to grip her elbows to help bring her to her feet, but when I do, she moans out in pain, jerking back her left arm. “Baby, I’m sorry.” I hook my arm around her waist, avoiding her injured arm, and lift her to her feet.

“You okay, Prez?” Stone comes hurtling towards us. “What the fuck happen?”

“Prez,” Edge comes seconds after. “You okay, man?”

“What’s the damage?” I ask Edge, knowing that he will have already checked over our brothers and what impact the blast has had on the club.

“From what I can see so far, everyone that was up here has just minor cuts and bruises, mainly from flying debris from the explosion. The clubhouse looks unaffected.” He hesitates for a second or two, taking in a deep breath. “Still need to check the gates of the compound and the exterior.”

“I’ll take care of that.” I guide Tenley towards Stone. If the clubhouse has been unaffected, then the cabin should be good too. “Take Tenley up to the cabin. Tell Oriana we’ll send the Doc up as soon as we can.” Hegives me a firm nod and starts to lead a shaking Tenley away, but as he does, she steps towards me, falling into my chest.

“What about you?” she splutters, tears still spilling onto her cheeks. “You’re bleeding.” Her fingers fall to my forehead, a brush against my hairline and her hand comes away bloody. I hadn’t even realized, except with the adrenaline pumping around my body, I’m not surprised that I’m oblivious to it.

“Baby, I’m fine. It’s nothing,” I assure her. Despite her lips being dry and covered with a film of what I can only assume is ash that has travelled in the air, I can’t resist brushing my mouth against hers. “Now, go with Stone, and as soon as I have things under control, I’ll be with you.” I hand her over to Stone, who is enjoying witnessing my and Tenley’s interaction all too much under the current circumstances. He’d called it and I guess he’s right. I care deeply about Tenley.

As Stone and Tenley walk away, I glance over towards the compound entrance. The long main gate swings open, barely hanging from the hinges. The old toll booth cabin we have stationed just inside the entrance is still standing, though the windows have been blown out, shards of glass littering the ground. Flames from before seem to have dissipated, but a smell of gasoline and burning still lingers in the air.

I turn my attentions back to Edge.

“Call the Doc then get everyone inside the clubhouse.” I fire instructions at Edge. “While I go check outside.”

“Already done. Blackjack is setting up an area foranyone who needs fixing up. Doc is on his way and should be here in about fifteen minutes.” Edge steps up, his eyes checking out the cut to my head. His hand comes up to touch it, but I slap it away. “I’m coming with you to check what the fuck is going on outside.”

“No need,” I inform him. “Looks like someone beat us to it.”

Like something out of a blockbuster movie, two men, dressed in dirty denim and leather, break through the lingering smog. The distinctive rumbling sound of Harleys is right behind, their headlights projecting a halo around them as they walk towards us.

One guy is acting as a crutch to Brush, the new prospect who looks to have taken a beating from the explosions. The other, a vast mountain of a man and instantly recognizable to me, has the limp body over his powerful arms.

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