Cole turned to me. “He showed up where he didn’t belong.”
Logan shrugged. “Funny, I was about to say the same thing.”
“You’re both wrong,” I said. “You’re in my house, and I’m telling you right now, this ends today.”
Cole said nothing.
Logan raised a brow. “Or what, Chief? You gonna lock us up? Again?”
“I’ll bury both of your clubs in paperwork so deep; you’ll be begging for cell time just to get some sleep.”
They stared at each other like I didn’t exist.
And then it happened.
One of Cole’s men, Mackie, I think, stepped too close to one of Logan’s. Words were exchanged. A shove. And then…
Chaos.
It only lasted a minute. Maybe less. Fists flying. Men shouting. Boots scraping pavement. I pulled one man off another while Reid grabbed someone else by the collar and dragged him back. My shoulder caught a wild elbow, but I didn’t stop until I was between Cole and Logan again, my gun was drawn this time because I had had enough of their shit, both of them breathing hard, blood on their knuckles, murder in their eyes.
“Enough!” I barked.
Everything froze.
“You want a war? Fine. Start one. But not here. Not in my goddamn town.”
Cole wiped blood from his mouth. “This isn’t over.”
Logan grinned like it was a game. “It never is. Hammer, you’re just pissed because your pussy’s been leaving for our club. What... can’t keep them happy?”
You have got to be fucking kidding me.
Cole turned red. “Spike, I couldn’t give a flying fuck where you stick your dick as long as it’s far away from me. I can’t imagine what kind of lies you have to spew to get anyone to stay around longer than…” Cole eyed Logan up and down with a dismissive look, “I give you what... five minutes?”
Logan stood up straight, arms out wide and did a little spin for Cole. “That is not what Candy said last night. When she was screaming my name, not yours. She was one of your favourites before… right?”
Cole looked like he wanted to throw his bike at Logan.
How is this the shit I’m dealing with right now?
I looked at both of them, disgusted. “I don’t care who started it. Or who is fucking who. I DON’T CARE who wins your little pissing contest. I care that it is finished. I have far more important things I should be dealing with instead of you assholes. If either of you stepsout of line again, I’ll make sure the fallout burns everyone in both clubs.”
Neither of them replied. They just stared each other down, then turned back to their crews.
As they left, I caught something in Cole’s face I didn’t expect fatigue. Not the physical kind. The kind that comes from carrying too much for too long.
And in Logan?
Smugness. Confidence. But also, something darker. Something that made my gut twist.
There was more going on here than turf and bad blood.
I didn’t know what yet.
But after more than a year of watching cracks spread, in the station, in the city, and now in Ava, I had the distinct feeling this was only the start.
And whatever was coming… I wasn’t sure the badge would be enough to stop it.
