FIRE & RUIN
Chapter 18
KRAIT DAY
The room was dark.
Not empty.
Just… quiet in a way the Nest never really was.
Front office light off.
Only a weak spill from the courtyard catching the edge of the desk.
The mural behind the wall sitting heavy in the dark like it knew something.
Don stood near the door
Motorola StarTAC in his hand.
Open.
Waiting.
He didn’t sit.
Didn’t lean.
Just stood there, looking out at nothing.
The courtyard was dead.
Bikes lined up in the parking lot.
No movement.
Everyone either passed out… or pretending to be.
The line clicked.
Then…
“Señor Westfall.”
Don didn’t answer right away.
Jaw shifted once.
“Yeah,” he said. “Glad you’re up.”
A quiet chuckle on the other end.
“I am always up when there is business.”
Don glanced toward the door.
Still empty.
“Tomorrow,” he said. “We move forward.”
A pause.
Not confusion.
Calculation.
“With what you proposed?”
“Yeah.”
Don stepped closer to the window, lowering his voice just enough.
“I’ll have New Mexico opened up. Arizona too. No interference. No delays.”
Another pause.
Longer this time.
“You are expanding very fast, Señor Westfall. Too bad you don’t have a chapter in California.”
“Nah. Not my style, charming place, though.”
“No worries, you would have to be in San Ysidro, and a direct pipeline from Tijuana would be too obvious. This works. You’re going to make a lot of people, a lot of money.”
“That’s the point. The Lozanos are happy.”
“Good. Alright, give me a couple of days to work out the details.”
“Alright. I look forward to it.”
“I’ll call ya.”
“Muy bien. Adiós.”
LAKE HOUSE
The night sat easy over the lake.
Still water.
No wind.
Just the faint sound of insects somewhere in the dark and the low glow from the house behind him.
Lane stood out on the patio, cigarette between his fingers, elbow resting against the railing.
Didn’t rush it.
Didn’t need to.
He watched the water a second longer, then dragged slow, letting the smoke settle in his chest before pushing it out.
Screen door creaked behind him.
Kait came out with a couple beers.
Lane took one.
“Mike from Jersey’s already here.”
“Yeah?” she asked.
“Yeah. Him and Vic, his VP. They got in this morning.”
He took a drag.
“That’s Loraine’s brother, right?”
Lane nodded.
“Nope. Loraine’s brother is Krok. He runs the NOLA chapter. You still don’t remember your chapters?”
“I thought I did.”
“God help us. Alright, let’s hear it. Name all of them.”
“Shut it. I’m done proving myself to you.”
She pushed him lightly and snatched his cigarette.
“Just proved me right on stealing cigarettes.”
Kait chuckled and shook her head.
She took a drag.
“I gotta meet Klaus around ten.”
Lane glanced at her then.
“Otto and Ulver are flying in late. Skar is not able to make it.”
She nodded once.
“Bummer, he’s fun as shit. They’re gonna be staying a few days. Klaus is gonna show them around and stuff.”
Another quiet stretch.
The lake didn’t move.
Didn’t need to.
Kait turned back toward the door, stepping inside for a second.
“Hey,” she said over her shoulder. “There’s a radio in the kitchen.”
Lane flicked ash over the railing.
“Oh yeah?”
“Yeah. Guess Marcos forgot. Lemme grab it.”
She disappeared inside again.
He stayed where he was and finished the cigarette down to the filter.
Crushed it against the railing.
Kait came back out a second later, radio in hand.
“Hopefully the batteries are still good.”
Lane glanced at it.
“Let’s see. Fire it up.”
She hung it on a nail by the door, messing with the dial.
Static.
A crackle—
Then music caught.
Stars Over Texas.
“Leave it.”
“You sure?”
“Yeah.”
She gave a small shrug and picked her beer back up.
Lane watched her for a second.
Then set his bottle down on the small table.
“C’mere.”
Kait looked at him over the top of the bottle.
“You’re a Texas girl, ain’t ya?”
“Supposed to be.”
“Then you should know how to slow dance to some country.”
She scoffed lightly.
“No way you slow dance.”
“Yeah. I don’t.”
Kait was only looking up at him.
“But I watched my parents slow dance in the kitchen a bunch of times. Didn’t look too hard.”
She chuckled.
Then set her beer down.
“Alright,” she said. “Since you’re so good at everything.”
“Am I now?”
She cleared her throat.
“Every… thing.”
He reached for her.
Pulled her in.
Kait had to step in closer just to meet him halfway, her hand sliding up his chest before settling on his shoulder.
Lane’s hand found her waist, then shifted—lower, firmer—until it felt right.
They adjusted.
Her heel clipped his boot.
“Hm,” she said under her breath. “Okay, maybe not at this.”
“We’re trying too hard.”
“I guess.”
But she didn’t pull away.
They kept moving.
Slow.
Working it out.
The music helped just a little.
“Tomorrow is going to be crazy,” Kait said.
They shifted again, finding something closer to a rhythm.
“I have to stay at the chapel with Don most of the night.”
“I know.”
A small step in.
Closer.
“But I’ll be able to take a break during a couple meetings. AZ, New Mexico, and NOLA want to talk to Don in private.”
Kait nodded slightly.
“We’ll still have a whole bunch of people around us anyway. I won’t be able to kiss you.”
She rose onto her toes and stole one anyway.
Quick.
Gone.
Lane smiled.
Didn’t chase it.
Didn’t need to.
The song carried them.
Simple. Light.
“Shit, hold on. What time is it?”
Lane glanced at his watch.
“You have to go?”
“No. Hold on. Stay here.”
“What?”
Lane stepped inside, leaving Kait standing there, a little confused.
Neon Moon came through, softer this time.
Slower.
He came back out a few seconds later, something square in his hand, wrapped in a plastic bag.
Kait blinked, caught off guard.
Lane cleared his throat.
“Happy Birthday.”
“How did you—”
A crooked smile pulled at his mouth.
“Check it out.”
She took it from him, curious.
The second she pulled it out, she laughed.
Really laughed.
“You didn’t have one here yet.”
She turned the small toaster box in her hands, still smiling.
“Thank you.”
Lane was smiling just as much.
Couldn’t help it.
He stepped in, cupped her face, and kissed her. Once. Then again.
Didn’t rush it.
Didn’t hold back either.
He took the box from her and put it on the small table.
When he turned back, the space between them was already gone.
His hand settled at her waist, tightening just enough to pull her closer so she didn’t have to reach this time.
Kait stepped into him without thinking.
“Thank you, that’s so nice.”
“Gotta have your toast.”
“That makes you an enabler, did you know that?”
“Right… you do have a big toast problem.”
Kait laughed.
“When’s your birthday?”
Their steps slowed.
Matched.
Breath closer.
“Don’t worry about it.”
“Tell me.”
“Later.”
They kissed again, softer now, as the night settled in around them.
“We won’t have to deal with this for much longer.”
“What do you mean?”
“After Krait Day’s over… after the presidents leave. I’m gonna sit down with Don.”
Kait stilled in his arms.
“I’m telling him about us and let the chips fall where they may.”
She pulled back just enough to look up at him.
Wide eyes.
Heart already moving too fast.
“What if he says no?”
“No to what? I ain’t asking for permission.”
Flat.
Certain.
“I’m letting him know.”
No hesitation.
“About us… and that there’s gonna be problems with Kolton.”
Her fingers curled into his kutte.
“I told you, Kait… I’m dead serious about this.”
They barely moved now.
Just a mindless sway.
Kait didn’t move right away. She only looked at him like she was about to say something,
then changed her mind.
He dipped his head slightly, lifting her chin with two fingers.
Then kissed her.
Slow.
Measured.
The music did the rest.
After a while, her voice came quiet against him.
“I’m worried.”
“I know you are. But just tell me one thing. Do you want this?”
“Yeah.”
“Then let me handle it. I’ll take care of everything.”
She looked at him for a split second then nodded.
He squeezed her and kissed her temple.
“We just need to get through tomorrow.”
Kait exhaled softly against him.
“You already want tomorrow over with, and here I am… wishing tonight never ends.”
Lane let out a low breath, forehead resting briefly against hers.
“You have any idea what you do to me? Everything you say… everything you do…”
He kissed her lips again.
“I swear to you we’ll have many nights like this.”
At this point they were just holding each other.
Letting the song and the night take over.
DRYDEN JUSTICE COURT
next MORNING
The courtroom was already half full.
Low murmurs. Papers shifting. The dull hum of impatient people wanting to just get it over with.
Kolton sat next to Grant while they waited for his case to be called.
He looked clean.
Pressed suit. Hair slicked back just right. Not a mark on him.
Didn’t look like the same guy who got arrested a week ago.
Didn’t look like he was in a motorcycle gang, like officer Richter kept saying.
Grant leaned in beside him, flipping through a file.
“Stick to what we talked about, Judge’s a sucker for single dads,” he muttered.
Kolton nodded once.
Didn’t look nervous.
He had caught the judge checking him out already, so he knew exactly what to do.
Loraine sat behind him.
Kyle next to her, in his tiny suit.
Feet swinging slightly as he looked around, bored more than anything.
Didn’t understand any of it.
Didn’t need to.
Then—
“Case CR9831182 State of Texas versus Kolton Philip Westfall.”
Kolton stood and walked up front.
Grant handled the plea.
“Your Honor, this matter has been resolved. Mr. Westfall will plead guilty pursuant to the agreement.”
The judge nodded, reading the plea agreement.
“On the charges of possession of a controlled substance, reckless driving, and driving while intoxicated, the Court will accept the plea agreement.”
She looked up at him.
“You understand the terms of this agreement, Mr. Westfall?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Did your lawyer explain to you the consequences of this plea?”
“Yes, Your Honor.”
“Before I make a final ruling, do you have anything you’d like to say?”
Grant shifted slightly.
Kolton didn’t.
He stepped forward just enough.
“Yes, Your Honor. I do.”
A small pause.
“I just want to say I’m very sorry. For my actions… For being irresponsible.”
His eyes moved briefly toward the gallery.
Toward Kyle.
Then back.
“That is not the example I want to set for my son. Being a father… doing it on my own… It has been a little hard for me, Your Honor.”
Another beat.
“My son’s mother is not around.”
He let that sit.
“And I… I made mistakes trying to keep up. Trying to provide. Struggling with health problems my whole life. I used that stuff just trying to stay goin’… but now I know that I should’ve asked for help.”
Loraine dabbed at her eye.
Perfect.
“I ain’t making no excuses… I am taking responsibility.”
His tone stayed even.
“I’m grateful and very lucky to have the support of my family, Your Honor… my mother is here today.”
He pointed at Loraine. “That’s my mama right there, Your Honor. I love you, mama. Sorry I’m putting you through this.”
Another glance back.
“…and, Your Honor, I just want the chance to do this right.”
A small nod.
“I will do this right.”
Silence.
Officer Michael Richter stood by the courtroom door. Arms crossed… not amused.
The judge watched Kolton for a moment, then glanced down at the plea agreement.
Then at Kyle.
Then back at Kolton.
Decision made.
“The Court appreciates your statement, Mr. Westfall.”
A pause.
“You are being given an opportunity here.”
Grant relaxed slightly.
“Based on the agreement, the Court sentences you to two years community supervision.”
“Additionally, one hundred eighty days in the county jail, suspended… pending successful completion of community supervision requirements.”
The Judge kept reading off the sentencing report.
“Completion of substance abuse counseling is mandatory. You are to maintain full-time employment and refrain from any illegal drug use or contact with felons.”
Her eyes held on him.
“Upon successful completion, the charge will be dropped down to one count of reckless driving.”
A beat.
“You are to be remanded for processing and will be released once the jail processes your paperwork.”
Gavel tapped.
Done.
Kolton nodded once.
“Yes, ma’am. Thank you, Your Honor.”
Polite.
Grateful.
He turned.
Eyes finding Loraine.
Then Kyle.
A soft smile.
Perfect.
THE NEST
Engines stacked over each other in the courtyard.
Not one.
Not two.
Dozens.
Bikes rolling in, cutting off, boots hitting gravel, voices overlapping before the engines even died.
Dryden was already moving.
No standing around.
No waiting.
“Over there—don’t block the garage,” said Mack already losing his mind.
“Keep that line tight. Gotta fit a lot more than just you guys.”
“Yeah, yeah, we see it,” said Barry from Hunstville.
Kuttes everywhere.
Different rockers. Different colors under the same patch.
Gila was already there, Arizona rocker catching sun, barking orders like he’d been in the courtyard all morning.
“Back it up—no, not there. You trying to get boxed in?”
Las Cruces pulled in behind them.
Ketzal stepped off his bike slow, eyes moving once across the whole yard like he was already counting everything that mattered.
Savannah came in louder.
Kenny laughing with his guys, easy, loose—but his eyes weren’t.
Not really.
NOLA hit next.
Krok’s voice cut through everything, already laughing, already halfway into something he shouldn’t be drinking this early.
“Texas don’t know what it’s in for!”
More bikes.
More noise.
Atlantic City stayed tighter.
Mike near the front office, clean, still, Vic just behind him like he’d always been there.
Watching.
Always watching.
KLEBERG COUNTY AIRPORT
Glass doors slid open.
People moved around them, dragging luggage, talking, passing through like none of this mattered.
Kait stood near the pickup lane, arms loose at her sides.
Klaus next to her.
Still.
Waiting.
No rush.
They didn’t need to look around.
They knew exactly who they were waiting for.
Then…
He walked through.
Ulver.
Ulver saw her immediately.
Stopped.
Just for a second.
“Dødstraff.”
It landed heavy.
Kait’s mouth pulled slightly at one corner.
Ulver stepped in and pulled her into a hug.
Not soft.
Solid.
Like he was checking if she was still real.
“You vanish,” he said, stepping back, looking her over. “And show up patched in Texas?”
“Something like that.”
He laughed once.
Loud.
Otto came through behind him.
No rush.
No presence play.
Just there.
“Hey, do they feed you here? You got so skinny.”
He hugged her
“Hi Otto.”
“Good to see you, Dødsstraf.”
“You too.”
Ulver glanced at Klaus.
“Was this your idea?”
Klaus didn’t hesitate.
“Nah, she wanted to come here.”
Ulver looked back at her.
Something in that.
Measuring.
Then a grin.
“Well, maybe we’ll convince you to come to Oslo.”
Kait took a breath.
Didn’t answer it straight.
“No, she’ll come to Bremen.”
“Let’s just go to the Nest for now,” Kait said.
They all laughed and agreed.
Satisfied enough.
THE NEST
The courtyard was full now.
Engines off.
Noise didn’t drop.
It shifted.
Voices. Movement. Metal. Boots.
Lane stood just off Don’s shoulder.
Not hovering.
Not guarding.
Working.
Don stepped up onto the balcony.
Didn’t raise his hands.
Didn’t shout.
“Alright.”
That was enough.
The noise dipped.
Everyone looked up.
Listened.
Don looked around taking it all in.
Every face.
Every kutte.
“Everybody made it in.”
A beat.
“Dryden. Huntsville. Yuma. Las Cruces. Atlantic City. Savannah. NOLA.”
Another beat.
“Our brothers from Norway. Germany.”
A few nods.
A couple raised beers.
Ulver grinned.
Otto just watched.
Don continued.
“This ain’t just a party.”
A glance around.
“This is where we check ourselves.”
The courtyard stayed quiet now.
“This is where we see who’s handling their shit…”
“…and who’s not.”
A couple guys shifted.
Subtle.
But it landed.
“We don’t get loose, we don’t get sloppy… And we don’t forget what this is.”
His tone didn’t change.
“You represent your charter the second you step on this property.”
Another glance around.
“You bring your problems here…”
“…you better be ready to fix them.”
Some reactions from the crowd.
Then—
“This is also a time to look back and see how far we’ve come. Remember those we lost.”
A small shift.
“As you know we lost a founder back in April. So, drink one to Rokkstar tonight, and one for Overkill.”
He said looking up and pointing at the sky.
Lane and Kait found each other’s eyes.
“Love ya, brothers,” said Don.
He took a deep breath and shifted gear.
A smirk forming slowly.
“Now drink, eat, dance, fuck, fight. I don’t give a shit, just don’t kill each other.”
A few laughs.
Don raised his bottle.
“One last thing… Let me hear that shit real loud… ONCE KRAIT…”
Then all Krait below replied in unison.
“ALWAYS KRAIT”
Don laughed in delight.
“Happy Krait Day, reptiles!”
The courtyard erupted in cheers and the party started.
A few moments later, the meetings began.
“Give him five, Kenny,” Lane said.
“He’s tied up.”
The Savannah president nodded.
Stepped back.
Didn’t argue.
Ketzal stepped in.
Lane didn’t miss it.
“Hey, Kount. Any chance I get him early?”
“King is seeing you and Gila together a bit later, he said.”
Barry hovered closer than the rest, talking more than doing, trying to stay in the center of things without actually controlling any of it.
Lane didn’t waste time on him.
Eyes moving.
Tracking.
Taking it all in.
Then—
a break in the movement.
A half-second where nothing was directly in front of him.
Lane looked down.
Not at Don.
Not at the yard.
Out.
Scanning.
Not for trouble.
For her.
Nothing.
Just patches.
Voices.
Movement.
“Hey, son. Let’s get this shit moving,” Don said behind him.
Lane didn’t hesitate.
“Yeah.”
He shifted back in.
Right where he was supposed to be.
inside
The kitchen was already hot.
Movement. Noise. Plates stacking. Bottles clinking. Someone laughing too loud over nothing.
Loraine stood at the center of it.
Not rushing.
Not panicking.
Just… directing.
“Those go out front—no, not yet. Wait until the next group comes in.”
A girl nodded, grabbing the tray.
“Keep the ice filled. I don’t want anyone asking for it.”
Another nod.
Everything moved around her like it was supposed to.
Melanie slipped in through the side, weaving between bodies, already reaching for something to do.
“What do you need?”
Loraine didn’t look at her right away.
“Cups. We’re gonna run out faster than you think.”
Melanie grabbed a few bags, and began to take them out and stack them.
Efficient.
Used to this.
“Crazy out there,” she said, glancing toward the doorway.
“It’s supposed to be.”
Melanie smiled slightly.
A beat.
Then—
“Anything news from Prince?”
Loraine’s hands didn’t stop.
Didn’t slow.
“He’ll be out tonight.”
Simple.
Like it had never been a question.
Melanie’s face lit up.
“Oh… good.”
Relief.
Real.
“I was worried.”
She shook her head slightly, drying another glass.
“That’s… that’s good.”
“Tracy, you can’t stack the cases that high, it’s gonna fall right on your head,” Loraine said and walked over to the other side.
Melanie smiled to herself.
Relieved.
Like something had just been set back the way it was supposed to be.
Like a problem had just fixed itself.
She kept working.
LATER
The light changed first.
Dark enough to take the edge off the heat, shadows stretching across the courtyard, turning everything darker without killing the energy.
Didn’t slow anything down.
If anything, it made it louder.
Engines didn’t stop.
They just blended into everything else.
Music started pushing through from somewhere near the bar, low at first, then louder as more bodies filled in around it.
The Pit was already drawing a crowd.
The pool drained down to concrete, edges lined with boots and bent elbows, cash already moving between hands like it had been going all day.
Someone from Yuma got dropped.
Hard.
Crowd reacted.
Laughed.
Pulled him back up.
Friendly.
Always friendly.
Until it wasn’t.
Dryden prospects and girls didn’t stop moving.
Running trays.
Dragging coolers.
Keeping everything fed, everything flowing.
Like a machine that had done this a hundred times.
Because it had.
The girls from the Alley started showing up looking their best.
Stealing looks and teasing everyone.
Slipping into the flow of it without asking.
Without needing direction.
They knew the rhythm.
They were pros.
Up above—
The balcony next to the chapel stayed just out of the chaos.
Close enough to feel it.
Far enough to control it.
Don stood there with a couple of presidents, voices low, steady, nothing wasted.
Kenny from Savannah was one of them.
Lane stood just off Don’s shoulder.
Not behind him.
Not in front.
Right there.
Doubling up.
Listening.
Tracking.
Cutting conversations when they ran too long.
“Wrap it up.”
No edge.
No attitude.
Just fact.
And it worked.
People listened.
They always did.
The Pit below roared again.
Louder this time.
Someone calling for odds.
Someone else already counting.
Movement pulling attention whether you wanted it or not.
Lane didn’t look down right away.
Didn’t need to.
He could feel it.
The shift.
The pull of it.
Then—
he glanced.
Just once.
And found her immediately.
Kait stood near the bar at the edge of the Pit, Ulver beside her handing her a beer.
Said something Lane couldn’t hear.
Didn’t need to.
Kait didn’t hesitate and nodded.
She stood in front of him then they tilted their bottles back at the same time and chugged.
Fast.
Clean.
Crowd caught it.
Reacted.
Ulver laughed loud, proud, like he’d expected nothing less.
Lane’s mouth pulled slightly.
Not a smile.
Not soft.
Something else.
Recognition.
Below, Kait wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, handing the empty back like it meant nothing.
Ulver said something in Norwegian.
She shot something back probably in Danish.
Didn’t miss a beat.
Didn’t shrink.
Didn’t adjust.
She was in her element.
Up on the balcony, Lane didn’t look away.
Didn’t try to.
Didn’t hide it.
He just watched her.
Melanie saw it. Across the courtyard.
She saw where he was looking.
Followed it.
Found Kait.
Caught the way Kait moved.
The way she laughed.
The way she didn’t check herself.
Then she saw as Kait looked up.
Like she knew exactly where he’d be.
Their eyes met.
No hesitation.
No confusion.
She smiled.
Not big.
Not obvious.
Then a wink.
And it wasn’t for anyone else.
And that got him.
A crooked smile.
Melanie stilled.
Just for a second.
Then kept moving.
Like nothing happened.
But her eyes kept tracking their every move.
Up on the balcony, the meetings continued.
Another president.
“Atlantic City wants a word, my King,” Mike said with a smirk.
Lane didn’t turn yet.
“Make it a fast one.”
Flat.
Controlled.
Mike stepped closer anyway.
The conversation went on for a few minutes.
“This isn’t small. We’ve got people on the East Coast ready to move product… Italian connections—”
Don cut him off.
“I already said no to Italian shit.”
Silence.
“I’m not changing my mind.”
Mike held his ground a second.
Then—
“Things are shifting.”
Don finally looked at him.
“Then let ‘em shift somewhere else. Krait is not getting in bed with the mafia.”
Lane stepped in just enough.
“Time’s up.”
Not aggressive.
Not loud.
Just done.
Mike exhaled through his nose.
Gave a small nod.
“Yeah. Alright.”
Lane gave him a small shrug and guided him out.
He took the chance to check on Kait again.
She was going for a second round with Ulver.
They were again yelling something he didn’t understand.
Lane’s eyes didn’t leave her.
Not even when Don spoke again.
“Call Gila and Ketzal up.”
Lane nodded once.
Still watching.
Then—
“Go mingle and have some fun, son,” Don added. “You earned it.”
That pulled him.
Just enough.
Lane finally looked away.
Back to Don.
A beat.
Then a nod.
“Alright. Back in what. Twenty?”
“Nah, no need to keep track. I’ll send someone for ya if I need ya, go on.”
Lane hit the bottom of the stairs and didn’t stop.
The noise swallowed him immediately.
Stinkfist on the speakers.
Shouting, racing on the street, the Pit already packed tight with bodies leaning in, money moving hand to hand.
He cut through it without forcing it.
People moved.
Not because he pushed.
Because it was him.
Kait saw him before he got close.
Didn’t need to search.
Didn’t need to guess.
She just… knew.
Her smile hit first.
Small.
But it landed.
Lane didn’t smile back.
Didn’t need to.
The look was enough.
He kept walking.
She stepped toward him.
Smiling.
Already closing the gap…
“Hey Kount.”
Vic.
Too loud.
Too close.
Too Italian.
Lane stopped.
Turned his head slightly.
Vic looking like he’d been waiting all night.
Hey, rematch from last year,” Vic said, stepping into Lane’s path. “Eh?”
Lane barely had time to answer before somebody near the Pit caught on.
“Kount’s fighting!”
That was all it took.
“Pit!”
Another voice joined in, then three more.
“Pit! Pit! Pit!”
“Let’s fucking go!”
The courtyard came alive around them. Men abandoned conversations and crowded toward the empty pool, beers raised as bets started changing hands. Those already near the edge moved back to make room.
Lane glanced at Kait.
She knew exactly what he was asking without him saying a word.
Her expression didn’t change. She wasn’t going to stop him. If anything, there was something in the way she watched him that told him she wanted to see it just as much as everyone else.
Lane exhaled through his nose and stepped forward.
He dropped down into the Pit.
Vic was already pulling off his shirt, grinning as he tossed it into the crowd and played up the attention.
Lane didn’t bother with any of that.
He shrugged out of his kutte and handed it back without looking. Diablo was already there to take it. His shirt followed, and that alone drew another round of shouting from the crowd.
Lane ignored it.
He walked toward the center of the Pit and waited for Vic.
Kait stayed at the edge with Ulver beside her.
She’d seen Lane without his shirt plenty of times by now. She knew every scar, every line of muscle, the way his shoulders moved when he threw a punch and the way his body tightened just before he struck.
Knowing it didn’t make watching him any less distracting.
Maybe it made it worse.
Her eyes moved over him slowly before settling back on his face.
Lane rolled his shoulders once and shifted his weight, already settling into the fight.
Kait pressed her tongue lightly against the back of her teeth.
Ulver said something beside her.
She didn’t hear a word of it.
“Go!”
Vic moved first, coming in fast with a wide swing.
Lane slipped it clean and stayed right where he was. The second Vic’s fist passed him, Lane stepped inside and drove a short shot into his body.
Vic grunted and backed off half a step.
He felt that one.
He came back harder, throwing more behind the next few punches, but Lane stayed calm. His guard remained tight, his movements controlled. He blocked what he could, moved around the rest, and answered whenever Vic left something open.
Nothing wild.
Nothing wasted.
The crowd got louder with every exchange. Hands slapped against the edge of the Pit while men shouted over each other, calling hits and yelling for both of them.
Vic started pushing harder, trying to turn the fight into something faster and messier.
Lane wouldn’t give it to him.
He kept his pace, forcing Vic to fight his way instead.
A step out of range.
A punch when Vic followed.
Another step.
Another hit.
Vic took one across the cheek that snapped his head to the side.
He turned back with a grin, blood already showing between his teeth.
“Alright,” he muttered.
Then he came at Lane again.
Faster this time.
Lane met him halfway, and for a few seconds they traded at close range. Vic managed to get through his guard and clipped him just above the eye.
Lane’s head turned with the hit.
He recovered immediately, but his brow had split.
A thin line of blood appeared above his eye and started making its way down the side of his face.
Kait sucked in a sharp breath when she saw the blood.
Her eyes locked on Lane and stayed there.
If anything, the sight of it only made the heat already building inside her worse. Her fingers tightened around the edge of the Pit as she watched the thin streak run down the side of his face.
Lane didn’t touch it.
He barely seemed to notice.
His attention stayed on Vic, but something in his expression had changed. The easy restraint was gone.
He stepped in and closed the distance.
One clean shot landed.
Then another.
Vic stumbled backward, and Diablo immediately brought his hands up.
“Alright.”
Vic started laughing as he caught himself, trying to shake off the loss.
“Motherfucker.”
Lane didn’t go after him.
There was no reason to.
It was over.
The crowd erupted around them. Money changed hands while men clapped and shouted over one another. Beside Kait, Ulver let out a booming laugh.
“Yeah!”
Lane climbed out of the Pit as if none of it had mattered.
“Kount.”
Kait was already moving toward him.
She caught his wrist and pulled him closer.
“Let me see.”
There was nothing soft about it. She was focused on the cut, brushing her thumb carefully beneath his brow to clear some of the blood.
Lane let her.
His eyes stayed on her while she examined it, paying no attention to the celebration still going on behind them.
“I think I might need stitches,” he said. “You mind?”
“Yeah, sure.”
Lane took hold of her hand and started pulling her away.
“Come on.”
Kait went with him without another word.
They left the noise of the Pit behind and headed across the courtyard toward the garage.
Behind them, Melanie watched.
Saw everything.
The way Kait touched him.
The way he let her.
The way neither of them looked around to see who noticed.
Her expression shifted.
Just slightly.
Then she moved.
Not fast.
Not obvious.
But she followed.
The side door of the garage slammed shut behind them.
Kait didn’t even give Lane time to turn around.
She planted both hands against his chest and shoved him hard into the wall.
Lane caught her by the waist.
For half a second, she thought he was going to pull her in.
Instead, he turned her.
Fast.
Her back hit the wall, knocking a breath from her lungs, and then he was against her, his mouth finding hers before she could get it back.
Kait grabbed him and kissed him harder.
“You trying to drive me crazy?” she breathed against his mouth.
Lane’s hand came up beside her head, keeping her pinned between him and the wall.
“I was going crazy not seeing you all day.”
Something about the way he said it got to her almost as much as watching him fight had.
Kait pulled him back down to her.
They kissed like they were already running out of time. There was nothing slow about it, nothing careful. She kicked off her boots without looking and heard one of them hit something across the garage.
Neither of them cared.
Lane’s mouth moved over hers, rough and hungry. Kait gave it right back, fingers twisting into his hair as she dragged him closer, wanting every inch of space between them gone.
She could still taste beer on him.
Could still smell his clean skin and a hint of sweat.
She could feel the heat of his bare skin beneath her hands.
And there was still blood at his brow.
That only made it worse.
Lane’s hands tightened around her hips and lifted her against him.
Kait wrapped herself around him feeling all of him inside her all at once.
His forehead touched hers for a second, both of them breathing harder now.
“Jesus Christ,” he muttered. “You feel that?”
“I feel all of you, baby.”
That got a low sound out of him before his mouth was on hers again.
Kait held him tighter.
There was something almost desperate in it now. Not because either of them understood what was coming, but because every time they found each other lately, something seemed determined to interrupt it.
The club.
Kolton.
Loraine.
Don.
Somebody always needed something.
Not now.
Her fingers dug into Lane’s shoulders as she pulled him closer, wanting this moment entirely for herself.
Lane seemed to understand.
He stopped holding anything back.
Out there, the party kept roaring. Men shouted around the Pit. Someone laughed loud enough that it carried through the garage walls. Music thumped somewhere beyond the courtyard.
Inside, none of it mattered.
Kait closed her eyes, her breath catching as she buried her face against Lane’s neck.
For one dangerous second, she almost said something she wasn’t ready to say.
She swallowed it.
A moan escaped instead.
Lane answered with a rough grunt, holding her tighter as the last of their restraint disappeared.
A little longer.
A little more.
Until there was nothing left but the two of them trying to catch their breath.
Outside… Melanie stopped at the side door.
Heard enough.
Moved just enough to see through the small window… and froze.
Lane kissing Kait as he pushed himself inside her slowly.
Kait legs wrapped around him still, demanding everything he had.
He held on to her as if there was no other woman in the world.
Then, they opened their eyes and smiled at each other.
Melanie’s breath hitched.
Her chest tightened, air not coming in right.
No.
No, no…
They way they looked at each other…
This wasn’t just a hookup.
There was a lot more than that there.
Something a thousand times more dangerous.
Her hands came up to her mouth, trying to steady it, trying to quiet it.
He didn’t even look like himself.
At least, not like the Lane she knew. He has never held her like that.
This was different.
Her vision blurred for a second, and she blinked hard, refusing to believe what she had just seen.
She stepped back too quickly and caught her shoulder against the wall. Her breath came in short, uneven pulls as she tried to get herself under control.
She needed to get out of there.
Melanie turned and walked back toward the noise of the party, forcing herself to keep a normal pace even as her chest tightened.
She just needed to get away from them.
Because if she stayed there another second, she wasn’t sure she would be able to breathe at all.
outside
The noise hit him first.
Loud, alive, the courtyard packed with people like nothing had changed while he was gone.
Kolton stepped into it like he always did. As if he had built the Nest with his bare hands.
His kutte was back on. He was clean, awake, and smiling before he made it more than a few feet.
“About time.”
Blaze reached him first, grabbing him by the shoulder and pulling him in.
“Damn, man. Good to see you out.”
Diablo came up right behind him.
“No bars, no chains. Look at you.”
Kode shook his head, looking Kolton over.
“Judge must’ve liked you.”
Kolton smirked.
“Something like that.”
“Yeah?” Blaze laughed. “You talk your way out of it?”
Kolton didn’t bother answering. His attention had already shifted past them, scanning the courtyard and the crowd gathered around the Pit.
“Where’s Kait?”
He asked it casually, like finding her was the obvious first thing he would do.
Blaze nodded toward the Pit.
“She was over there a minute ago.”
“Whole place has been a fucking mess since this morning,” Diablo added. “Good luck finding anybody.”
“Yeah.”
Kolton was already moving.
He cut through the courtyard, immediately getting stopped by familiar faces. Hands caught his shoulder as brothers welcomed him back, surprised to see him walking around free.
“Yo! Thought you were locked up.”
Kolton kept moving with a grin.
“Can’t keep me away.”
Someone else called his name, and he stopped long enough to shake a hand before continuing through the crowd.
He was happy to be back. That much was obvious. He traded a few words here and there, laughed when somebody gave him shit about jail, and let himself enjoy the attention.
But he never stayed anywhere for long.
Every few steps brought another face, another welcome, another distraction.
And every time he got free of one of them, his eyes went searching for her again.
garage
The party could still be heard through the garage walls, muffled music and voices carrying in from the courtyard.
Kait fixed her pants, then went looking for her boots. She found one near the wall and the other several feet away where she had kicked it earlier.
She sat long enough to pull them on and tie them, moving quickly while Lane leaned back against the workbench and wiped the last of the blood from his brow.
Kait glanced over at him.
“I never took care of that.”
Lane looked at her with a grin.
“But you definitely took care of something else.”
She laughed and walked back over to him.
“Shut up.”
She stepped between his legs and tilted his face toward the light to check the cut again. It had already stopped bleeding enough that she knew it wasn’t anything serious.
She didn’t really need to look at it.
She just wanted another excuse to touch him.
“You sure you’re gonna be able to sneak out later?” she asked.
“Yeah.” Lane slid his hands around her waist. “I just wanna get done with all this shit and hold you all night.”
Kait smiled at that and leaned in to kiss him.
“I’ll probably head out soon anyway. I’m over it.”
“I hear that.”
He kissed her again before she could move away, then once more when she tried.
Kait laughed against his mouth.
“Okay. We actually have to go back out there.”
“I know but I don’t want to.”
“And you better put a shirt on. If I see a snakehole checking you out, I’ll break her face.”
“I wouldn’t worry about that.”
outside
Kolton pushed closer to the Pit, where the crowd had gotten thicker and the noise even louder.
He worked his way close enough to look down into it.
Different fight.
Different faces.
No Kait.
His jaw tightened as he looked around again.
Before he could move on, somebody grabbed him by the shoulder.
“You Bungarus motherfucker!”
Kolton turned and found Ram standing behind him, already drunk and grinning.
“You picked a hell of a night to get out.”
Kolton nodded, only half listening while his eyes continued moving through the crowd.
“Yeah, thank fucking God. You seen Toast?”
“She’s around.” Ram pointed vaguely across the courtyard. “Last I saw, she was gonna patch up Kount in the garage.”
That got Kolton’s attention.
“Patch him up? What happened?”
Ram chuckled.
“Dumbass Vic asked him for a rematch from last year. Caught him above the eye.”
Kolton shook his head.
“At least he got him this time.”
He looked toward the garage.
“No shit… Alright. I’m gonna go see if she’s still there.”
garage
“You gonna be upstairs for the rest of night then?”
Kait stepped back just enough to look at him.
“Yeah, unfortunately. Don said he was gonna send for me, but I’d rather just go up there and get it over with.”
She nodded and moved back into him, kissing him again. This one lasted longer, neither rushed nor particularly gentle.
Lane’s hand came around her waist and held her there for another few seconds before they finally pulled apart.
“Fuck. Alright,” Lane sighed.
“Okay. See you at the lake house.”
Kait reached for the door.
“Kait?”
She turned around.
“I, um…” He shook his head. “Never mind.”
“What is it?”
For a moment, it looked like he might actually say it. Then he shook his head again, and a small smile pulled at the corner of his mouth.
“Nothing. I’ll tell you later.”
Kait studied him for a second, but didn’t push.
“Okay. See you in a bit.”
She opened the door.
The noise of the party rushed back in all at once. Music, shouting, laughter, the crowd around the Pit.
Kait stepped outside and headed back into it.
Lane stayed there for another second.
Then he let out a breath.
He was glad he hadn’t said it.
Not because he didn’t mean it. He did. He just didn’t want to scare her off by saying it too soon or make her think he was turning into another Kolton, trying to push something on her before she was ready.
There would be time for that later.
Lane pushed away from the workbench and headed out the other way.
Back to the chapel.
Back to Don.
outside
Kolton made his way across the courtyard toward the garage, slipping between clusters of people until he reached the side door.
He opened it and stepped inside.
“Kait?”
Nothing.
The garage was empty.
He looked around, expecting to find her somewhere near the workbench, but there was no sign of her. No Lane either.
Kolton stood there for a second, then stepped back outside.
He must have missed them.
The party swallowed him again as soon as the door shut behind him, and he went right back to searching for Kait.
Kait stepped out of the bathroom and back into the noise of the bar area.
“Hey! Where you been, stranger?” said Amber catching her arm from the side.
Kait opened her eyes wide.
“I have a lot to tell you. But not now.”
“Oh my god,” she said putting a hand on her chest. “Is it about him?”
Kait started nodding slowly and smiling bigger.
“I knew it!” said Amber.
Kait put a finger over her lips.
“I’ll come over.”
“You better!”
Kait smiled and headed to the courtyard again. She grabbed a beer and turned to look up, hoping to catch a glimpse of Lane but didn’t see him.
Then someone grabbed her shoulder from behind.
Gently.
She looked back.
“Hi, baby.”
She froze.
“Kolton.”
That was all she got out.
His name.
There he was. Clean. Awake. Smiling like nothing had happened.
He stepped in and wrapped her up.
Easy. Familiar.
Like she belonged to him.
Kait didn’t move.
Didn’t hug him back.
Didn’t push him off either.
Just… stood there.
Kolton felt it.
Pulled back slightly, searching her face.
“Hey,” he said, softer now. “Can we talk for a minute?”
She hesitated.
“Kolton, it’s Krait Day. You just got out of jail. It’s not the time to—”
“I would really like to talk to you.”
He caressed her cheek.
“Please”
She moved her face and nodded once.
Didn’t say yes.
But didn’t say no.
Kolton’s hand found the small of her back.
Guided her through the crowd.
Toward the parking lot.
Lane saw everything from the terrace.
Kolton caressing her face, hugging her.
Too familiar.
Too easy.
Lane’s fingers flexed against the railing.
He felt like going downstairs and just break the news to him.
Kait is with me now.
He leaned forward slightly, eyes locked on them as they moved out of the courtyard.
Didn’t hear anything else.
Didn’t care about anything else.
Out in the parking lot, Kait pulled away from him as soon as they were clear of the noise coming from the Nest.
“What is it?”
Kolton scoffed, already frustrated by the distance she put between them.
“Jesus, Kait. I was worried sick about you. I haven’t seen you since the fire.”
“I’m fine.”
He stared at her for a moment, like he had expected more than that.
“Well, I’m glad.”
“So what’s up?”
“I just wanna talk, baby.”
“We’ve talked enough, Kolton.”
“What?” His face fell. “Baby, please.”
He reached for her, but Kait stepped back and crossed her arms over her chest.
“No. I ain’t your fucking baby. You don’t get to come back and act like nothing happened just because you were in jail and thought I died.”
“Kait.”
“No. Nothing has changed.”
She pointed toward the Nest behind them.
“You don’t get to walk back in there and pretend everything between us is fine.”
Kolton stared at her, caught off guard. He wasn’t angry yet. If anything, he looked genuinely confused that she wasn’t giving him the reunion he had expected.
“I’m not pretending anything. I’m trying to tell you I’m sorry. I know I fucked up.”
Kait stepped closer and looked him straight in the eye.
“You came into my room, you waited for me in the dark and attacked me.”
“I was fucked up. I was higher than shit that night.”
“And before that?” she shot back. “You put your hands on me more than once. You think being high excuses all of that?”
“No. I just said I know I fucked up.” Kolton lowered his voice. “Baby, please. Let’s work this shit out. It’s gonna be different now.”
“Yeah, you’ve said that before, Prince.”
“Babe.”
He reached for her again, slower this time, and rested his hand lightly on her shoulder.
Careful.
Almost gentle.
As if being careful with her now could somehow erase all the times he hadn’t been.
Kait didn’t knock his hand away, but she didn’t lean into him either.
She just looked at him.
She had heard this shit before. The apology, the promise that things would be different, that this time he meant it.
She already knew where it went.
Upstairs, Lane had seen enough.
Kait’s arms were crossed tightly over her chest, and every time Kolton moved closer, she created more distance between them. Kolton kept reaching for her anyway, touching her shoulder, trying to close the space she clearly wanted between them.
Lane’s jaw tightened.
He started toward the stairs.
“King.”
Barry’s voice stopped him.
He was coming toward them from the stairs, already loud enough to draw attention.
Lane looked back toward the parking lot once more before finally turning.
Barry walked straight up to Don.
“You got a problem with how I run Huntsville, you say it to my face.”
Don didn’t move.
“I already did.”
Barry gave a short laugh, but there was nothing amused about it.
“I think you’re overstepping.”
Lane’s attention split between them and the parking lot below. Kait was still out there with Kolton, and every instinct he had was telling him to get downstairs.
Don threw his cigarette to the side.
“Overstepping?”
Barry kept talking.
“You send your boys down there like I can’t handle my own shit.”
He stepped closer to Don.
Too close.
Don didn’t back away or warn him.
Lane knew what was about to happen.
Barry didn’t.
“You think because you run Dryden you can just come into my fucking charter and…”
Don hit him before he could finish.
One clean punch dropped Barry where he stood.
He hit the floor hard, and the mood around them changed immediately. Conversations stopped as everyone nearby turned toward the commotion.
“Goddamn it,” Lane muttered.
Barry groaned and tried to push himself up.
Lane stepped between him and Don before either man could make the situation worse.
Kait finished her beer and tossed the bottle.
She didn’t back away or try to soften what she was saying.
“You are not listening to me.”
Kolton shook his head.
“I’m listening to you just fine. I just don’t believe you.”
“Then what the fuck do I have to say to make you believe me. Kait, you’re not even giving me a chance here.”
“A chance for what?” Her voice stayed flat. “There was never anything there to begin with.”
Kolton stared at her.
For a second, he looked like he hadn’t understood what she meant.
“What the fuck are you talking about? We’ve loved each other since we were kids.”
“We ain’t kids anymore. A lot has changed.”
“Not to me.” He stepped closer. “I love you even more now, and all I want is to be with you.”
Kait shook her head.
“Well, I’m sorry, but I don’t want to be with you.”
There was no hesitation this time. She needed him to understand exactly what she was saying.
“I don’t want anything to do with you, and I want you to stop this.”
His jaw tightened.
“You don’t mean that.”
“I do.”
“You’re still mad. I get it. But just give me another chance and…”
“No, Kolton. This is done.” She held his stare. “This is over.”
Kait stepped back, putting real distance between them.
“And you need to leave me the fuck alone.”
Kolton stood there staring at her.
Then the shock started giving way to anger.
“That’s not fair,” he snapped, his voice beginning to crack. “I was going through shit. You know that. I fuck up once and this is it? That’s all I fucking get? You just break up with me?”
Kait didn’t answer.
There was nothing left to explain, and she wasn’t going to stand there arguing about whether she was allowed to end something she no longer wanted.
“That’s not how this works,” Kolton said, louder now. “That’s not how this fucking works.”
“It is now.” Kait looked at him one last time. “I mean it. Leave me alone.”
That finally shut him up.
Kait turned and walked away before he could start again.
She didn’t look back.
Kolton watched her walk away.
The anger disappeared almost as quickly as it had come. Something else took its place, and for a moment he just stood there, staring after her like everything he had convinced himself would happen tonight was falling apart at once.
“Hey, baby.”
Loraine approached him from the side, her voice soft and careful.
Kolton barely seemed to notice her.
His eyes stayed on Kait as she crossed the parking lot and disappeared back toward the Nest.
“You said she’d come back to me.”
Loraine stopped beside him.
“You said she still loved me.”
His voice shook, and his eyes were already starting to fill.
“She doesn’t.”
He finally looked at his mother.
“She just told me she doesn’t.”
Loraine stepped closer.
“Honey.”
Kolton turned away before she could reach him and started across the parking lot.
“Kolton!”
She went after him and tried to catch his arm, but he pulled away and kept going.
“Kolton, wait.”
He didn’t.
He walked faster, heading toward his bike without looking back.
Loraine stopped and watched him go.
When she finally turned around, Melanie was standing a few feet away.
Quiet.
Still.
She had seen everything.
Loraine looked at her, immediately noticing something was wrong.
Melanie’s eyes remained fixed in the direction Kait had gone.
“I know why.”
Loraine went still.
Melanie finally looked at her.
“I know why Kait doesn’t want him.”
later
The Pit was still going.
The crowd had packed in tighter around it, voices competing with the music while money continued changing hands. Whatever had happened elsewhere in the Nest hadn’t touched the party.
Then headlights swept across the courtyard.
A few people turned toward them.
A cruiser rolled slowly into the lot, immediately out of place among the rows of motorcycles. It came to a stop near the edge of the courtyard and the engine shut off.
The party didn’t stop, but the noise changed.
The driver’s door opened and Richter stepped out.
He took a moment to scan the crowd before walking toward the Nest. He didn’t seem bothered by the drinking, the fights, or the number of patched bikers staring back at him.
“I’m looking for Loraine Westfall.”
He didn’t raise his voice, but enough people heard him that the conversations closest to him began to die down.
Someone near the entrance pointed toward the building.
“She’s inside.”
Richter nodded and headed that way.
Loraine stepped outside before Richter made it all the way to the door.
She recognized him immediately and walked toward him, still composed.
“What is it?”
Richter stopped in front of her.
“Ma’am. I’m Officer Richter.”
“Yeah, I saw you in court today.”
He nodded.
“You’re listed as an emergency contact for your son Kolton Westfall.”
That changed her.
Not much, but enough. Her shoulders stiffened and the calm expression on her face disappeared.
“Wait… What… what happened?”
Richter’s voice stayed even.
“Your son’s been in an accident.”
