“When I looked at the map I saw a small cluster of buildings. I don’t know what they house, though, could be guard quarters.”
“Do we run?” Saint asks.
“If it’s a nest for the sentries they’ll shoot us on site.”
Finally, able to conjure up words, I hiss, “Better than getting eaten by two fucking lions!”
Glaring at Spider and Ruger, I point at them heatedly, “Remind me to fucking skin your asses when this is over with.”
Spider’s eyebrows shoot up. “I swear we had no idea.”
My fingers find the snap securing the large hunting knife to my belt. Pulling the button free, I grab my knife and clutch it in my left hand. My digits go to the clasp holding my hatchet, drawing it free as well; I grasp it tightly in my right hand. I’m as ready as can be if those scary motherfuckers come at me.
I’ll most likely die, but I’ll be taking some of their blood with me.
The brothers all follow my example, preparing. Saint reaches around to dig in his backpack, arming himself with a machete. He passes another to Sinner. The others remove various weapons they’re skilled with, watching the lions closely.
They may be lying out there, looking harmless now, but they can easily outrun any of us if they’re hungry enough.
Exterminator murmurs, “Back up slowly, one step at a time, stay as quiet as possible. Think of them as bears. Ruger, keep an eye on where we came from. Night, watch the path that we were goin’. Saint and Sinner, you got behind us. Viking, want your eyes on those cats. You’re probably the most skilled motherfucker out here with those weapons, who has a chance in hell at killing a goddamn lion. I’ll be monitoring them as well. If any one of us is gonna die, it’ll be me, not my brothers.”
I’ve held a sense of respect toward Exterminator since the day he saved my life. He earned that, but today I respect him for an entirely different reason. The fact he’ll put his life in front of ours speaks of true loyalty and brotherhood. This is why we look to him as one of our leaders; he’s willing to ransom himself before us and take responsibility. I won’t argue with him, but if it comes to it, I’ll be the one forfeiting my life so he may live. I owe him that, and I will pay my debt if needed.
We slowly begin stepping backward, steadily peering over at the enormous beasts, and it hits me that I should confess my initial intentions. That way they’ll all hate me and not interfere when I need to sacrifice myself. The brothers in the Nomads have become my family over the past few years; I won’t allow this to be their parting fate.
“That day, you showed up early and saved my life,” I begin.
He cuts me off mid-sentence. “Why do you think I was early to the bar?”
“Because I’d been tracking you. I was there, waiting for you.”
“Go on.”
“I was sent to kill you from another MC, but you stepped in and stopped that rival club for me.”
He grunts.
“You were the first brother to have my back, and you weren’t even in the same club.”
“You fuckin’ proposing or some shit right now?”
“Just thanking you for offering me a new life.”
I think it’s the most serious conversation I’ve ever had with any of them. We don’t do chats unless it’s full of ribbing each other, planning club business, or discussing the best way to torture someone.
“You think we’d let you ride with us without knowing who the fuck you were?”
His statement surprises me, and I glance at him. He points straight ahead, ordering, “Eyes on the cats.”
One of the lions decides that it’s a good time to stretch, putting us more on edge as we keep shuffling backward.
“I know who the fuck you are or were. I chose that time to wait for you, knowing someone was tracking me. I found a young kid who had a shitty fuckin’ deal handed to him and was following orders in place of the mercenary I was expecting. You’ve proved yourself to this club many times over; you fit with us. If this is your confession, I don’t give a fuck about what itwas. You’re my brother, end of story. Now shut the fuck up, ‘cause if those cats scratch me from you flapping your jaw, I’mma stab you in the same spot.”
I would grin but watching the other lion stand as well, has my heart rate speeding up.
“Move brothers!” Ex growls and our steps speed up.
Sinner speaks up, “There’s a chain link fence.”