9-Crow
1049 Words
The following afternoon, Mel and I took Leo to the local park, the sun casting dappled patterns through the trees. He chased a soccer ball with the enthusiasm of a puppy, his laughter ringing out like a bell in the stillness. We sat on a bench, watching him, and for a moment, it was almost easy to forget about the storm clouds gathering on the horizon of our lives.
"You know," Mel said, her eyes on Crow, "I've never seen Dad look at anyone the way he looks at you."
I felt my cheeks warm, and I took a sip of my water to hide my surprise. "What do you mean?"
"It's like he's...vulnerable," she said, choosing her words carefully. "It's weird, but also kind of nice. You make him happy."
Her words swirled in my mind like leaves in a tornado, mixing with the guilt I felt for the part my father played in their family's pain. But as I watched Crow push Leo on the swing, his face alight with a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes, I knew that I would do anything to keep that spark of happiness alive.
Then, the day came when the storm broke. However, it wasn't the Serpents that brought down the thunder and rain. It was Crow. The dance of avoidance he had been playing ended with a clash to rival that of the Gods.
The night had started as any other, with the usual banter and clinking of bottles. But as the clock ticked closer to midnight, the air grew thick with a tension that even the loudest rock anthems couldn't drown out. Crow and I had been exchanging heated glances all evening, the kind that spoke of passion and frustration, a silent battle raging between us.
It was when Mel went to the back to grab more bottles of whiskey that it finally boiled over. Crow slammed a glass down on the bar, making me jump. "What the hell are we doing, Oceano?" he bellowed, his eyes blazing with a fiery intensity that had me taking a step back.
"What do you mean?" I asked, trying to play dumb.
"You know exactly what I mean!" he roared, his voice echoing through the nearly empty bar. "You're playing with fire, and I'm sniffing around you like a f*****g teenager. Goddammit, I'm old enough to be your dad!"
The words stung, but I knew our age difference wasn't really the problem. This was about Mel, Leo. About Crow’s past, and the war that was brewing outside the safety of the Murder of Crows.
"Fact is, you aren't my dad!" I shouted back, my temper flaring. "And I'm not a child!"
Crow stilled at my words, then voice deadly, he snarled, "No, Oceano, you're not a child. But believe me, I'll just f**k your life up, the same as I did your dads! So, best solution is you just stay nothing to me but an employee," he shouted.
Our voices grew louder, the argument spilling into the night like a shattered bottle of cheap whiskey. The few remaining patrons looked up from their drinks, their eyes wide with surprise. Mel rushed back, her arms laden with bottles, and immediately dropped them to the floor with a clatter.
"Dad, stop it!" she yelled, trying to wedge herself between us. But we were both too far gone, the dam of our unspoken feelings finally breaking.
Tears stung my eyes, but I refused to back down. "Whatever happened between you and my dad, is long gone," I shot back. "And if you can't see that, then maybe I shouldn't be here."
The bar grew quiet, the music suddenly too loud in the silence that followed. Mel looked from one to the other of us, her face a mask of shock and confusion. Rouger approached, his steps measured, his eyes full of concern.
"Crow, you're drunk," he said, his voice low but firm. "Maybe it's time to call it a night."
Crow's jaw clenched, but he didn't move, his gaze never leaving mine. "Maybe you're right," he murmured, his voice barely audible.
Without another word, he turned and stalked out of the bar, the door slamming shut behind him with a finality that seemed to shake the very foundation of the building. The roar of his motorcycle faded into the night, leaving me standing there, trembling and lost.
Mel wrapped her arms around me, her eyes shimmering with tears. "It's going to be okay," she whispered into my hair. "Dad's just...scared."
I nodded, but I wasn't so sure.
The fight had opened a Pandora's box of emotions and fears that I wasn't prepared to face.
"We'll sort it out," she promised. "But for now, let's just...breathe."
And so we did, sitting on the picnic table that adorned the small space behind the bar, watching the thunderheads move in.
As the thunder rolled closer, I thought of the people who had become my family in the span of a few short months. We didn't need words to understand what was at stake. The storm coming was a reflection of the one brewing inside us, a tempest of fear, anger, and love that threatened to tear us apart even as we clung to each other for strength.
And in that moment, as the first crack of lightning split the sky, I knew that the battle for Leo's life and the future of the Renegade Riders had only just begun. The line between love and danger was blurring, and I was about to be swept up in a tornado of events that would change everything I thought I knew about family, loyalty, and the cost of redemption.
Mel took a deep, shaky breath. "We'll sort it out," she promised."But for now, let's just...breathe."
And so we did. An hour later, we were still sitting on the picnic table, watching the moon peek out from behind the clouds. The night air was cool compared to the heat of the argument that still lingered in my veins. But even as the chill settled into my bones, I couldn't shake the feeling that the war wasn't just between the Riders and the Serpents anymore. It was within me, a battle of the heart and the head, each fighting for control.
- Writer
