The Long Walk to Redemption

Chapter - 8

I check my watch before putting the key into the lock and turning the door handle, it'd been nearly four hours since I left. After I left my father's clubhouse, I rode around biding my time to return home so that Tony would be asleep when I got back.

Treading lightly, I make my way to the kitchen grabbing a bag of frozen peas from the freezer, I hate them but they're the best icepack you could ever use. I place it gently on my jaw, I lean against the counter relaxing from the cool relief when the lights switch on. I turn quickly away from the doorway dropping the peas on the counter, angling my face away.

"My love, when did you get home?" His voice is groggy, deep from sleep. I shift away slightly when he comes closer.

"Uh, about five minutes ago, I guess." He stops just at my back, setting his hands on my hips gently, but it still doesn't stop me from flinching when he touches the sensitive spot where Dallas tackled me, "Go back to bed, I'll be there soon."

His hands move up to my waist and tighten as he lifts me up and sets me onto the counter. I try to push him away as his long, tattooed fingers curl around the hem of my shirt and pull it up; he inhales sharply, his fingertips slowly drag against the now purple skin.

"Who did this?" He growls it lowly, causing the hair on my neck to stand up. Tony can be intimidating when he wants to be, and that'll scare anyone.

"It's nothing. I'm fine." His eyes raise to my face, and his eyes fill with a silent rage as they take in my bruised face. I close my eyes as his hands grip my face and neck, turning it gently to access the damage.

"It's not nothing. Brooklyn who did it?" I shake my head, wrapping my hands around his wrists.

"Dallas and I got into it; he blindsided me but I handled it. I'm okay, just a little sore." I smile at him before wincing as my split lip pulls and the left side of my face aches.

He waists no time in picking me up and taking me to our bedroom, he sets me down before pulling off my shoes and jacket. "I'll get you a shirt." I watch him disappear into the closet before pulling off my jeans and shirt. Seconds later he's back and holds one of his black, t-shirts out for me.

I pull it on slowly, "I need to talk to your father tomorrow after dinner."

He settles down beside me, pulling me close to his side, "oh yeah, about what love?"

I take a deep breath preparing myself for his reaction, "I want to become the enforcer for the Red Devils."

~~~

"Tell her no Dad." I roll my eyes at Tony's words, pushing the food around on my plate as four sets of eyes fall on me. Diego, Maria, Diesel, who's real name is Eddie, and Carter's. "She's not getting into anymore danger."

"I'm a big girl Antonio, I can handle myself." I grit lowly, my eyes staying glued on the plate in front of me.

He's been pissed off since last night, he started off yelling then moved to the silent treatment and now he's trying his hardest to get his dad to side against me.

"That's not the point Brooklyn. I don't want you anywhere near club business after everything you've been through." He hisses before chugging his beer; he only calls me by my name when he's pissed off at me or when I get hurt.

"I'm not a child! And you can't use that against me, if anything it makes me more qualified to handle club business." I spit the words at him, raising my gaze to meet his.

"Alright, cool it. Separate corners." Maria is always the peacemaker amongst us, but Tony doesn't want peace tonight, he wants his way.

"I'll cool it, as soon as she gives up this ridiculous idea. She's not joining the club!" He's yelling now, standing up so fast that the chair falls to the floor behind him.

"Well it's not your decision, so you don't get to decide." I stand up from my chair reaching into my jacket pocket for my cigarettes, "Excuse me."

I push my chair back in then leave out the room and walk to the front porch sitting on the steps as I light up one and scroll through my phone. Hearing the shouts from inside, I know the conversation isn't going Tony's way.

I take a long drag, finishing off the second cigarette I've started. The arguing had died off nearly ten minutes ago but I wasn't ready to go back inside just yet. I hate to fight with Tony but he's so stubborn, we both are.

I stub out the cigarette and stand up to head inside until I hear the loud rumbling of motorcycle engines. Pausing for a moment, I watch as they roll down the road but those aren't the Red Devil colors: Sand Vipers.

In the split second, it takes me to reach for my gun they open fire. I drop down taking cover before firing back hitting two and firing at the remaining three as they quickly drive off to safety.

Moving forward off the porch, I approach the two bodies and bike wreckage. Replacing the clip, readying myself to fire again. Two men around the age of twenty five lay lifeless on the ground, eyes open blood seeping from the wounds on their chests.

Removing their guns, I squat down checking their pocket and pulling out their wallets. Christopher Green, 23, and Martin Shore, 25.

Pocketing their IDs, I check their cuts and pull out pictures, surveillance stills of me in the clubhouse last night. I pocket those too, Tony doesn't need to know about those, it'll make him even more crazy.

I walk back to the house, hearing groans of pain. Tony.

Running through the house to the dining room; I see blood pooled on the floor, furniture turned over and Carter sitting on the floor holding pressure to his shoulder and Diesel laying on the table, Maria with tears running down here face, holding pressure to wounds on his shoulder and chest. Diego is on the phone, shouting out orders and Tony is leaning against the wall, applying pressure to his upper thigh.

"Tony!" I fall to my knees beside him, my hands cupping his face. His eyes wildly find mine before his arms wrap tightly around me, lips crash against mine roughly then I'm pulled into his chest.

"I'm sorry, baby. I shouldn't have let you go outside by yourself." I shake my head, attempting to push out of his arms which only causes him to tighten them.

"It's okay, I'm fine. I need to help Diesel before he bleeds out." His wild eyes search my face before he releases me.

"Maria, where's the first aid kit?" She continues to cry, sobs leaving her mouth. "Maria!" I lean across the table staring straight into her eyes, "The first aid kit, where is it?"

"Th- the bathroom in our bedroom."

Springing into action, I run to the other side of the house and fish out the kit from under the sink along with the towels.

Diego is off the phone when I come back, "Who was it?"

I push Maria away lightly so that I can get a clear field of vision, "Sand Vipers." Diesel's wounds aren't life threatening at the moment, he's unconscious, but we're going to be here for a while.

"Keep holding pressure Maria, you're doing great." I move off to Carter, who's groaning in pain, checking his shoulder. Luckily it's just a graze, could use a few stitches. Then I move over to Tony, his eyes are still wild, he looks like he's panicking but he's really off somewhere in his mind.

"Talk to me baby." His eyes find mine, and he smiles lightly. I peel away the cloth napkin that he'd been using and check the bullet wound before having him lift his leg. It wasn't a clean shot, the bullet is still in there.

Feels like I'm back in the war zone.