Ride or Ruin

The Bonfire

The force of the wind whipped my hair around, undoing my hard curling work and made my eyes sting. I buried my face in the leather vest on Cole's back and followed his movement around the curves of the road. The air was beginning to cool with the setting of the sun and the wind from the ride made me even chillier. Despite all this, I was enjoying every moment. The speed of the bike, the fresh air, and the feeling of the rumble beneath me mixed with the feeling of him. I felt alive in a way I never had before, my whole body burned with pleasure.

The ride was only a few minutes outside of town, which was far enough to drown out the commotion of the event. The place was a large open field between the river and the road and it was packed with motorcycles of every size and color. The people seemed to be everywhere, walking around tents and bikes with drinks and cigarettes in hand.

We pulled into a spot to park and I hurriedly tried fixing myself up before Cole could see. The ground was hard packed with dirt that kicked up as we walked along the lines of motorcycles. I was glad I decided to go with sneakers over the black heels I had been contemplating even though I felt small next to Cole's massive frame.

He walked with such confidence that I felt stronger just being by his side. He gave me a half smile as he noticed me staring at him. "Do you need to take a picture?" He asked, and I shyly looked at the ground. My confidence was wearing off along with the shot I'd taken at the apartment.

The closer we got to the river, the busier the place got. Areas were cleared out and different spots had different things going on. We passed motorcyclists doing donuts in one area and another with a girl standing on the back of a motorcycle, holding onto the driver and trying to catch a hot dog from a stick another person was holding as they drove by.

Booths and tents were set up with raffles and drinks and food. There were children running around and almost every adult was dressed in black or leather with tattoos from their calves to their necks. It felt more like a festival rather than a club meeting for a biker gang. We neared the river's embankment where a pile of wood stood nearly fifteen feet tall.

Cole guided me to one of the booths where he bought us both a beer. I wasn't a fan of beer but took a sip anyway, it was bitter and strong and Cole chuckled at my reaction to the sip. He waved down a kid who couldn't have been more than sixteen years old and whispered something into his ear. The kid ran off and Cole found us a picnic table to sit at.

"What do you think of the place?" he asked. The roar of the motorcycle events made it somewhat hard to hear him. "It's not what I pictured," I told him.

"And what did you picture?" I thought about the question for a minute before answering. "Drugs. Guns. Poker tables." I shrugged and he gave another one of his adorable half smiles that made my stomach churn in delight. "The outfits match what I pictured though," I said and smiled back at him.

Soon, the teenage boy came back with a can of some fruity mixed drink and a leather jacket in my size. Cole thanked him and he ran off without even looking at me and Cole handed the items to me. "Figured you want a drink you actually like and it can get chilly here at night, so you might need that jacket." The gesture surprised me with how sweet it was and I wondered if I had pegged Cole's personality all wrong, Could he actually be a good guy?

"Who was the kid?" I asked while pulling the jacket on. "He's a potential prospect for the club. He's too young but his dad is our treasurer, so we let him hang around."

"How many people are in your club?" I asked, wanting to test how much information he was willing to give. "Our chapter has only eight, not including the kid. But there are chapters all over the state." I wasn't sure what he meant by chapter, but before I could ask, Dozer slapped the back of Cole and gripped his shoulders in a familial kind of way.

Dozer's presence made me feel at peace, like a guard dog had arrived to protect me. He held his hand out to me and when I placed my hand in his, he pulled it in and kissed it. His whiskers were scratchy on my hand and the smell of whiskey was radiating from him. If he was drunk, I couldn't tell outside the odd affection. He stood steady and spoke clearly with Cole. "There's been no sightings today. I think we ran them off for now, but Jeff wants to talk to you."

Cole nodded and looked at me. "Get Bear to watch after her." Dozer nodded and gave me his signature eyes closed, wide smile before disappearing in the crowd. "I won't be gone long but just stay here with Bear, maybe check out some of the shows." I looked at him confused. I was offended that he would think I needed someone to watch after me. His need for control was a major red flag and his sweet demeanor was fading. "I'm not a child, Cole. I don't need someone to watch over me."

His smirk only further pissed me off. "I just don't want to lose you. There's a lot of people here." Suddenly, all I wanted was to go home. I didn't know Cole well enough, and I didn't belong here. I hugged my new jacket around me and shifted in my seat. "I thought you said you wouldn't lie to me." I said it softly, almost a whisper, and Cole could see my obvious unease. He sighed and leaned forward to speak to me, but Dozer arrived with a man that was twice his size. He was clean-shaven with jet black hair in a single braid that extended to the middle of his chest.

The kid was with them too and Cole stood grasping arms with the mountain of a man they called Bear. The name seemed fitting for his stature but his eyes were soft and welcoming, making me think Gentle Giant would have been more suitable.

"If you want anything, ask Travis," Cole said, gesturing to the kid. "I'll be back soon." He paused for a moment to look at me, seeming like he was having an internal debate, then gave me a silent and apologetic smile before leaving with Dozer.

Bear and Travis sat with me at the table and introduced themselves. Our conversation was light and pleasant and I found Bear's accent comforting. He had no trouble making me feel at ease and started telling me stories about his life and the town. "If you like the rally, you should come to the powwow in a couple of weeks. Things get real crazy there."

I had planned on sneaking away at some point and finding my way back home but got caught up in conversation with Bear. When Cole did return, people were staring to gather around the bonfire in anticipation of its lighting. He held his hand out to me, "Watch the lighting with me." I stood without taking his hand and walked to the wood pile. Men were throwing gas on the wood while another stood by with a lit torch.

A man with a handlebar mustache and skull cap began making a speech about the origins and importance of motorcycle clubs. The River's Edge was founded in the sixties and has kept out cartels and rival clubs for years. He called the Gravestone up and Cole moved around me to join the man. He took a torch from the bystander and held it on the pile of wood.

The fire lit with a boom and the crowd began to roar. Tiny firecrackers popped out of the wood stacks as the fire reached them. I could instantly feel the heat on my cheeks. The display was so bright and beautiful I stared in wonder at it. Cole left his post to rejoin me, smiling as he did so. "What do you think?" he asked, taking my hand.

My own smile grew wider, and the only word I could think of was "wow," my anger at him fading into the darkness behind the fire as he wrapped his arms around me. We watched the fire together while he hugged me close to his chest. The night felt perfect as I enjoyed the warmth of the fire in front of me and Cole behind me. A band had started playing nearby and I watched as people around me started dancing along.

Sweeping over all the different faces, my eyes landed on one I recognized and I turned to hide myself in Cole. Lily was on the other side of the fire draped over a leather-vested stranger like she owned him.