Page 4 of Claymore
“He’s right, usually, but not this time.”
The engine roared, and I gripped my bike handles, flipping down the front of my dome before I took off. I whipped down the streets, feeling the sun beat down on me, warming my skin. The ride was refreshing and even though I was still in pretty bad shape, I appreciated the time out on the open road. Once I arrived in Sedona, my eyes were peeled for any Kings that’d be on the lookout for their dear ole president.
It amazed me that they were still so loyal after being abandoned, like they didn’t know how to function without him. I sighed, slowing down when I approached Crystal’s, parking outside the bookstore down the road. I peered into the glass bay window to see people perusing the aisles, looking for their next read. Some of them had stacks of books in their hands and some were leaving without one. I took a deep breath, canvassing my surroundings, noticing Ella’s car in the lot not too far away.
I remembered the first time I laid eyes on her. I came down to Sedona to track down Ray’s sister. I was expecting a druggie, strung out, just like Ray, but Ella wasn’t like that. She was smart, feisty, and she was pretty damn good at taking care of herself. She drew me in the second she tried to push me and the rest of the Rebels away. I couldn’t remember the last time a woman intrigued me the way she did. I knew then I wasn’t letting her go anytime soon.If only she’d let me keep her safe. The girl’s got a fucking target on her back.
I didn’t want to get too close yet in case I ran into any Kings that would try to get to her first. She bit my head off whenever we spoke, and I imagined it would only be worse once she saw me, whether or not she knew I was coming. I decided to lay low, keep an eye on the place for a while.
Traffic was starting to pick up halfway through the day, and so I pulled my bike into the alleyway, keeping a close eye onCrystal’s. I yawned, feeling my stomach rumble a few hours later. There was a hot dog stand a few blocks away, and I headed right for it, leaving my bike behind. The scent wafted through the air, making my stomach rumble and gurgle while I rummaged around in my pocket for some cash. I scarfed the dog down in one go, grabbing another for the road.
The sky was starting to darken, the purple, pink, and orange hues returning. I was happy that there was no sign of the Kings around, but I was bored out of my goddamn mind. I peeked out around the building to see Ella there with that beautiful head of strawberry blonde curls, clutching her bag as she got into her car. I hopped onto my bike, following her all the way back to her apartment. She parked, grabbing her things, and was heading straight for the lobby door when a few bikers approached her. I hung back, waiting. They parked their bikes a few feet away, and that’s when I saw those same goddamn emblems plastered on each one.You’ve gotta be fucking kidding me.
“Hey, sweetheart. Sorry to bother you, but I’m gonna need to know where your big brother is hiding out. He’s been gone a little too long now, and the Kings are getting impatient.”
“I don’t know where he is. Leave me alone. I haven’t spoken to my brother in ages,” I heard Ella say.
“Well, I’m sure he’ll come out of hiding once we have a little fun with you, now wouldn’t he? He may be a lot of things, but he probably doesn’t want to see his little sister get hurt,” said one of those burly, hulking Kings.
I watched him tuck Ella’s hair behind her ears, and she flinched. I didn’t take another second to think. I snuck behind the one closest to her, wrapping my arm around his neck, choking him out. The others tried to pull their guns on me, but I beat them shitless. They got a few good hits in, my gut crying out, my skin on fire. I pummeled them until one of ’em had a dislocated jaw, the other spitting out blood, and the last unconscious. I grabbed the fucker trying to crawl away and slammed his back up against the wall.
“You lay a hand on her again, and I will kill you. I will kill every last one of you. Got it?”
The unconscious one finally came to when they all scrambled away, heading back to whatever sad little hole they climbed out of. I turned to Ella, watching her eyes dart around like she was still in shock. She was frozen in place, her arms wrapped around herself for comfort.
“Ella, are you okay? Ella?”
“Yes. I’m fine. Thank you, Claymore.”
She snapped out of it, her brows furrowing and she pressed her lips together.
“Were you following me?”
“Yes,” I said.
“Well, stop.”
“Stop? Did you not just see what happened, Ella? You need me.”
“No, I don’t. I’m trying to keep my life as normal as possible. I told you, I’d help whenever you guys come up with a plan, but I’ll take my chances with the Freeway Kings. I don’t need you saving the day, Claymore.”
“You know, a simple thank you would suffice.”
“I said that already,” she quipped.
I smiled, watching as she rolled her eyes at me. I caught a glimpse of a soft grin before she walked up the stairs to her apartment lobby door, heading inside. It locked the moment it shut, and I sighed.
I rode around for a while before I headed back to Mascid, making sure I didn’t see any more Kings near Ella’s apartment building. Once I knew the coast was clear, I finally headed back to the clubhouse.
The pain settled beneath my bones when I finally collapsed on the couch again, switching on the television, trying to give myself a moment to breathe. In came Wrench with his dark wavy hair and a Chinese take-out box in his hand.
“Sharing?”
“Yeah, here. There’s more in the kitchen. You look like you got the shit knocked out of you all over again.”
“Oh, I did. This time it was to keep the Kings away from Ella. Things are too dangerous for her down in Sedona. I wish she’d see that. She’s our only possible link to Ray. While we don’t exactly have a game plan now, I know she’ll be able to help us eventually. We can’t let the Kings get a hold of her,” I said.
“They won’t. You’re looking out for her. If I didn’t know any better I’d say it’s a job you actuallylikedoing.”
