Page 52 of Brazen Being It

Return. No action. Hold.

It burns. I want this done, over. But this is the job. You prepare. You plan. You survive.

We burn what we can’t carry, pack up what matters, and roll out before the sun is fully up. The ride back is even quieter. Tension’s coiled so tight in my chest I feel like I might snap.

When we hit the driveway, Cambria’s waiting. She’s standing straight, eyes fierce. No smile, no tears. Just a look that says she’s ready for whatever comes.

“You good?” she asks as I step off the bike.

“Seeing you, I absolutely am.”

She falls into step beside me, hand brushing mine. At the trailer, we drink cold beer and listen to the radio low. I tell her everything I can, holding back the worst of it, but not lying.

She listens. When I finish, she says, “What do we do?”

“We prepare,” I tell her.

“Together?”

“Always.”

And that’s the only answer that matters. No matter what comes next, it’ll be both of us.

Rex calls sermon the next day. The full table. Every brother in his cut, even Axel shows up early, jaw locked, arms crossed.

“We’ve confirmed movement in three areas,” Rex says, stabbing the map. “Salentino’s pulling old allies. No official colors, but it’s only a matter of time.”

Toon leans over the map. “You want us to hit first?”

“Not yet,” Rex says. “We gather. We fortify. And we let them know we’re not scared to be seen.”

Smoke looks at me. “We going out?”

“Not yet,” I say. “Next step’s home defense. They’ll come if they think we’re scared.”

Rex nods. “We’ll bait them when the time’s right. Until then, every man’s on perimeter duty. No exceptions.”

After sermon, I find Axel in the garage. He’s leaning against the wall, cigarette glowing between his fingers. The silence between us is heavy.

“You think this ends with patches and parties?” he asks finally.

“No.”

He stares at the wall, flicks ash. “You think she survives this?”

“She already has.”

He lets out a slow breath. “You love her?”

I meet his eyes. “Yeah. I do.”

He nods. “Then start thinking five moves ahead. When they come, they’ll use her first.”

“I know.”

He stubs the cigarette, looks at me hard. “Then act like it.”

That’s what I do.

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