Children of Fire (Complete)

seventy-five

Emerson

After we showered and got dressed, we got on Gideon's bike and made our way to the clubhouse. It was a somber ride, and as much as I wanted to spread my arms out and experience the overwhelming feeling of weightlessness, today was not the day to feel that. Instead, it was the heaviest ride I had ever taken. The weight of my own anxieties seemed to be holding me down, keeping me from doing anything other than wrap my arms tightly around Gideon and press my chest firmly into his muscular back-- taut with worry and anxiety as well.

We arrived at the clubhouse a few minutes later and slowly climbed off of his bike, making our way inside hand in hand. There was a dark cloud looming over the clubhouse, not literally but figuratively, of course. Gideon assured me that this was going to go smoothly, that there would be no issues and everyone would make it out alive-- but judging from the attitudes of all the people inside of the clubhouse, I wasn't sure if he had ever really believed that statement himself.

Gideon kissed my temple lightly and made his way into the Chapel without speaking a word, leaving me there to look around at all of his brothers that were milling around the room, drinking a beer or spending time with their women-- I was almost positive Kya and Gino were dry humping one another on the couch, but I wouldn't say anything to them, their relationship was cute and Kya didn't want to lose him, I didn't blame her. I didn't want to lose either of my boys. I wouldn't know what to do if Gideon or Killian got hurt, I truly didn't know if I would be able to survive that one. I had lost so much already, they were the glue that was holding me together.

Minutes felt like hours, and the hours slowly started to mesh together-- before I knew it I was being ushered into Chapel, and it felt weird. I had only been in this room once before, but now that it was full of club members, I felt an overwhelming sense of brotherhood... of family, and I didn't feel out of place. I felt my heart swell with pride because I knew that every man in this room had risked their life for me already, and I knew I would do the same for every single one of them-- I didn't just love this club because I loved Gideon, I loved this club because that were family. My family.

"Emerson, we just want to go over everything and make sure you understand where you're supposed to be and what you're supposed to do, okay babe?" Gideon asked, gripping my hips and pulling me down onto his lap. Old me would have been too shy, I would have turned bright red and tried my hardest to weasel my way off his lap. But, instead of going back to my old ways, I embraced this. I sat up straight and looked at each man in this room, straight in his eyes, silently trying to convey my gratitude for putting their lives on the line for my own. Several of them gave me small nods of appreciation, and a few of them just smiled or stared back. Gideon kept his hands tight on my waist and traced circled on my partially exposed skin-- I knew he was proud of me, and I knew he was proud to have me by his side (well, technically on his lap but you get what I'm saying).

"Okay, when we get there, I need you to stick with Killian. He's going to take you to your hiding spot and he's going to stay there in front of you. Reg, Teck, and Gino are going to be around you to make sure nothing happens in case things go south. The rest of our men will be out back, waiting for my signal. When we get there, there are going to be a lot of people already there, but I don't want you to be alarmed-- they're on our side. Okay?" Gideon asked me, I nodded at him and he looked at his brothers who all nodded in agreement. "There's one more thing, Em, and this is the most important thing of all. Under no circumstances are you to be seen until I tell you, okay? I don't care what happens, I don't care if something happens to me or anyone, you do not come out from your hiding spot until I tell you to, understand?"

I didn't want to agree to those terms, not at all. If something happened to him I would not just sit back and allow him to be hurt or beaten. If I could help, I would help. If something happened to Killian, Gino, Reg, Teck, or any of his brothers I wouldn't be able to sit there and let them die in front of me, I wouldn't be able to watch them in pain knowing that I could help. That was a ridiculous thing of him to ask me, and I think he knew it.