Page 14 of Devil's Betrayal

Micah

The unmistakable sound of a motorcycle burning up the pavement signals Eagle’s arrival, making his presence known. Despite his insistence on staying, I asked Templar to head home because Eagle and I need to have it out once and for all. There’s more important matters that I need to handle and honestly, I don’t give two shits about Eagle’s anger regarding Cami and me. It’s none of his fucking business but because I know how important he is to her, I’m willing to hear him out and let him speak his peace. Templar wanted to stay because Eagle’s reputation as a ruthless hothead is well known in these parts but I’m more ruthless. Although I’m older, I can more than handle him if things escalate.

When the Devils helped the Rebels rescue Lizzie and Harper, we bonded and forged a mutual respect for one another. We pledged to have each other’s backs in times of crisis and agreed not to stir up trouble in each other’s territories. Things have been peaceful since that time and I’m hoping that after tonight,our differences will be settled and we can move forward. Heavy footfalls echo up my stairs followed by forceful pounding on my door. Inhaling deeply, I turn the doorknob but before I can invite him in, Eagle forcefully slams his shoulder into the door sending me reeling backward and splintering the wood. A bit disoriented, the first blow to my face knocks me on my ass. Still, I try to maintain my composure and reason with him.

“Eagle, I know you’re angry but hear me out,” I implore.

“Fuck you, old man! I ain’t listening to shit you have to say!” He growls through gritted teeth looking like a raging bull ready to tear me limb from limb. It’s almost comical that he thinks he holds the upper hand when I’m resisting the urge to draw my gun and shoot him where he stands. It would be justified since he busted through my door and attacked me.

“Keep the hell away from my mother or I’ll end you!” He shouts, drawing his fist back to land another punch. Swiftly evading, I counter with a blow to his jaw.

“This doesn’t have to be this way if you would stop being a stubborn ass and listen,” I say, attempting to reason with him once more. Recovering quickly, he lunges and tackles me to the ground, relentlessly pummeling my flesh. When I find an opening, I deliver a blow to his chest momentarily taking the wind out of his sails.

“Eagle, I don’t want to hurt you and the only reason you’re still breathing is because I love your mother and killing you would devastate her.”

“Listen old man. Mention my mother one more time and Hawk will be the one burying your sorry ass!” He threatens.

I have no choice but to show him, old man or not, I’m not an easy win and if that means we have to beat the shit out of each other then so be it. Eagle is a giant mother fucker but as the saying goes, the bigger they are, the harder they fall. Charging forward, I grab Eagle around the legs, hoist him up, and bodyslam him. The living room table shatters as he collides with the glass, but I don't relent. I rain down punches on him, blood spattering everywhere. Pain shoots through my hand after I connect with his nose, the unmistakable sound of bones cracking indicating that it is indeed broken.

His face, now a swollen and battered mess is a sign that maybe I should stop before I kill him. However, I’m teetering on the edge of pure rage after receiving some disturbing news from Hammer earlier, and unfortunately, Eagle chose to come here and attack me. I channel my fury into him, and it feels good to relieve some of the pressure. In this moment, he’s just another man that invaded my home giving me the right to defend myself. While Eagle may be younger, I’m more experienced and capable of putting these young fuckers in their place.

Eagle manages to flip me off of him and begins choking me. Gasping for breath, his grip tightens, cutting off my air supply. My vision blurs as my life flashes before my eyes and just when I’m about to give up the ghost, the pressure is gone, and Eagle is in a chokehold struggling to escape Templar’s grip. My throat feels as though it’s on fire as I struggle to draw a breath. All Eagle had to do was listen and none of this would’ve happened. As much as I hate to watch Templar put him to sleep, I’m grateful for the reprieve so that I can get my shit together.

“Good thing I followed my instincts and stayed close, brother,” Templar remarks dragging Eagle’s limp body to a nearby chair. “Now fetch me some rope so I can tie him down. It’s high time he pays attention to what you have to say. And while you’re at it, grab some duct tape to keep his filthy mouth shut,” he suggests as I regain my composure and stagger to the kitchen. The surge of adrenaline that fueled me just moments ago is gradually fading as pain courses through my body. While I understand Eagle’s anger, this level of aggression was entirely unnecessary. If only he had listened to what I had to say. HadTemplar not walked in, would he have gone so far as to end my life? It’s a disturbing question, especially considering my relationship with Cami.

Retrieving the rope and duct tape from the utility drawer, I return to the living room and help Templar get Eagle into the chair. The son of a bitch is massive, much like Jake. It’s baffling that he never figured out the truth despite spending so much time with him. Learning the truth after Jake died must’ve been devastating, and even after all of these years, Eagle’s emotions are still raw. Once he comes to, I’m going to tell him the truth about what happened all those years ago, and hopefully he can find it in his heart to forgive me because I have no intention of leaving Cami. Not this time. She deserves her own happiness and to live the rest of her life with someone who truly loves her.

Just as Templar puts the tape across Eagle’s mouth, he begins to stir. When his eyes focus on me, he tries to lunge but it’s no use. Templar has secured him so tightly that he can barely move an inch. Looking at his battered face, Cami won’t be pleased with me after she sees Eagle’s face, but this clash was inevitable. Despite the peace and truce we established, Eagle has always been vocal about wanting to end my life. Now, I have the opportunity to lay out the whole truth and if he still feels the same way, so be it. Cami has already made it clear that nothing, not even her children, will stand in the way of us being together. Placing a chair directly in front of Eagle, I prepare to disclose everything I shared with Cami back on Lightning Ridge.

Observing Eagle, I can’t discern where we stand. While telling him the truth of what transpired between Franklin and Jake, there were times that his facial expressions disclosed some of his feelings. However, now that the whole truth is out, even the revelation about Cami and me being together before her marriage to Franklin, I’m not sure where we stand. The only way to find out is to remove the tape from his mouth and see what he has to say.

“I’m taking off that tape now but know that if you disrespect my brother again, I’ll put your ass right back to sleep!” Templar warns forcefully removing the tape and eliciting a pained yell from Eagle. Admittedly, I’m a bit anxious about his reaction, but there’s also a sense of relief that everything is now out in the open. A burden has been lifted and I can breathe a little easier. My conscience regarding Jake is clear and on my next visit to his resting place, I plan to share everything with him… well maybe not the part about kicking his son’s ass. As I’ve said many times before, I hold a great deal of respect for Eagle. Although he’s not my son, I’m proud of the man he’s become . He’s a genuine leader and more man than I ever was at his age.

The deafening silence of the room unnerves me, lasting several agonizing minutes. Finally, Eagle breaks his silence, saying,

“So, you’re telling me that the man who raised me ordered the killing of my father and was one of the most corrupt mother fuckers on the west coast?”

“That’s precisely what I’m telling you,” I respond, locking eyes with him. “I have no reason to lie to you at this point in my life. I’m about to retire from the Devils and live my life in peace with your mother. It may sound unusual, but I’ve denied my love for her for far too long and after everything’s she’s endured, she deserves happiness. She told me about the things you said, and you were wrong to treat your mother that way. You need to apologize and make that right because she didn’t ask for any of this. She did her best to stay away from me and I pursued her. Whether you accept it or not, Cami is my fate. Always has been and always will be.”

We sit in silence while Eagle processes everything I’ve just disclosed. It’s a lot to take in, so I don’t rush him to respond. Franklin died with a lot of secrets, and Eagle knew this, but he didn’t know the extent of his corruption or how evil Franklin truly was. He was so good at hiding things that even his wife was unaware how deeply disturbed the man was. Compared to Franklin Bardot, there is nothing in my past that comes close to how immoral he was. His disregard for his family and indifference to the consequences of his actions affected everyone connected to him. With everything out in the open, I’m hoping we can put this behind us and get back to living our lives.

“Are we good, Eagle?” I inquire.

Clearing his throat, he responds, “I still don’t trust you but for now, we’re cool.”

“Can you, at the very least, trust that I’ll take good care of your mother and love her the way she deserves?”

“It’ll take some time getting used to but if my mother is happy, that’s all that matters. However, if you hurt her, I will end you. Is that understood?”

“Understood, Eagle.”

Templar proceeds to untie Eagle from the chair and after taking a minute to massage his wrists, he extends his hand for a shake, surprising me.

“It’s rather impolite not to shake a gentleman’s hand when offered,” Templar remarks. Chuckling and shaking my head, I take Eagle’s hand, sealing the newfound trust between us. As he heads for the door, I recall what Hammer told me earlier and figure it’s time to cash in that favor the Rebels owe me.

“Hey Eagle, before you go, I’d like to discuss something with you that I may need the Rebels help in handling.” His curiosity piqued, he responds, “Okay, I’m listening.”

15

---