Page 54 of Flame's Fight

“We are. The club owns all the property, and after Tally complained about having to live in a dorm, he planned the idea of building a subdivision behind the clubhouse.”

Tanya looks excited. “Can we go see? I love looking at new homes.”

“That’s a great idea.” Brooke says as we all go back inside to grab food for our picnic.

Once we have everything loaded into our saddlebags, we take off.

With the bike rumbling under me and Brooke wrapped around me, I feel as if all that I’ve been through these past few months has been worth it because it led us to this moment. This is unquestionably the happiest I’ve ever been. Even if I have to watch my sister wrapped around my best friend and rubbing her hands all over him. I glare at her, but she just gives me a sweet smile. I lose interest in them when Brooke lets her hands explore me. Fuck. Who could ever prefer a cage over a bike? I’ll never understand. You can’t have your woman this close when you’re in a cage.

The ride is quick, but I’m thrilled at how easy it feels to be back on my bike. Holding a bike requires arm and leg strength. I feel no different from before my hospital stint.

When we pass by the new guard tower, we can see the markings outlining the wall that they’ll build to keep the homes secure. We see Dante and Tally’s house next door to Evie and Chaos’s as we drive down what used to be a simple dirt road. It is now paved with additional paved roads flowing off it. We pull up on the street leading to the back entrance to the club. This is likely the path most members will take when heading home once they move in. This entire area used to be as barren as the rest of the desert that stretches away from us, but now it’s an oasis.

I hadn’t been back here for several weeks, so I’m stunned to see the new park sitting on the spot where we found Caitlin that day. Now there are trees, shrubs, flowers, and grass. But when I step on the grass, I see it is artificial and springy.

“Safer for the kids.” Ashlyn says. “Caitlin explained the idea. She considered using natural grass, but that would waste water. Plus, this has cushioning, so if the kids run and tumble, they won’t hurt themselves like they would on real grass. They’re going to do something similar with the playground.” She says, pointing to the section across the street. “They’re installing different sizes of playground equipment for different ages. They have plans for a swimming pool, tennis court, and a basketball court. I even heard talk of a water park. The guys are still taking suggestions, so who knows what we’ll end up with?”

I laugh as I go back to looking at the new park. Brooke wraps her arms around my waist. I glance down into her pretty face.

“What’s wrong?” She asks. I notice everyone is looking at me, probably because my eyes are moist.

“Nothing is wrong. This is beautiful. I remember when Caitlin suggested putting a park here and making it a place where we can barbecue and have events, like her wedding, I couldn’t imagine it. I kept thinking we’d still see the horror.”

“What horror?” Tanya asks.

I glance at her and then Ghost and Reaper. Fuck. I forgot she wasn’t one of us.

“There was a man terrorizing women in San Diego a few months back. He raped and killed five women. Dumped their bodies in the desert.” Brooke explains.

Tanya nods. “I remember something about that. I didn’t read the stories because I was dealing with my trauma, but I remember the police found his truck abandoned in the desert. They think he died when he tried to walk out.”

My brothers and I look at each other. Nerd died in the desert. We made sure of it.

“Caitlin was one of his victims.” Brooke continues, keeping Tanya’s attention. “Dante and a few of the guys were riding out through that gate, and they saw his truck hightailing it out of here. That’s when they saw her broken body.”

“I was there. Can still remember everything about that day.” I chime in. “God. She was a mess and so tiny. We were stunned when we found her alive. I went and got Scar and he saved her life. Well, he and Tally.”

“Did he dump Caitlin’s body here because of Tally?” Tanya asks.

“No.” Reaper says shaking his head. “When they learned Caitlin had a sister who was also a doctor, Dante had Shield kidnap her and bring her to the clubhouse to care for Caitlin.”

“Sometimes tragedy has a way of improving one’s life.” Tanya muses. “Tally and Dante are an amazing couple and are so happy. Scar and Caitlin as well.”

“And it is how I met Brooke.” I add, before gesturing to the park. “This park is another good thing to come out of it. Caitlin is a genius.”

“She is.” Brooke agrees. “She’s an artist. Artists take the ugly and make something beautiful.”

“I’m starved.” Reaper says, making Ashlyn giggle as he chomps on her neck.

Seeing her happy makes up for having to watch my best friend groping her. Almost.

We grab the food and spread a blanket on the ground. There are several picnic tables and grills around the place, but this is better. Reaper and I lay with our heads in the laps of our women while Tanya leans up against Ghost. He’s sprawled on his side with his hand propping up his head.

We all take turns telling Tanya stories about the club, including how Reaper came to join us after being part of Deion’s gang.

“Why did you come back here instead of staying in Vegas?” She asks him. “Your uncle is the President there, right?”

“He is.” Reaper tells her. “He offered to let me prospect with them, but my mom and dad are here, and San Diego has always been my home.”

---