Rivals 🌈 ✔

83 - Cooperating

"Juice... Juice!" The guy was close to foaming. Never before, Raine had seen his boyfriend so furious. Raine grabbed him by the shoulders and tried to catch his gaze, but it seemed to scorch any trace of reasonableness.

"How dare they!" he bellowed. Juice tore himself away and stomped through the trailer. He yanked open a drawer and took out his rifle. "Holding Skye at gunpoint to get to me? I'll blast those motherfuckers all over."

Raine took a deep breath. What was he supposed to do? He understood Juice's anger, his fear. But he couldn't just stomp over there and shoot them one by one! Then he'd end up with a bullet in his head himself.

"Now wait a minute!" Raine wanted to block his boyfriend's way as the latter headed for the exit, but the man shoved him roughly aside. Raine–who was still recovering–fell against the wall of the trailer. Before he was back on his feet, Juice was out.

Raine wanted to go after him, but the pain made him see stars as soon as he put his weight on his broken leg. Leaning against the wall, he moved towards his crutches. He cursed the fact that he was still handicapped–and also that the Sons were riling up his friend so much that Juice didn't even think about it.

What if Juice had gotten behind the wheel before Raine even got out of this stupid trailer? If Juice shoving him aside had been his last touch? I can't lose him. Fuck man, I'm so done with all this shit.

"Juice!" he shouted, stumbling towards the exit. "Wait!"

Tears clouded his vision as he made his way down the steps. A door slammed shut; the engine started.

That asshole was really going to do it. Leave him here.

Juice left the parking. The road led past the trailer–and Raine did the only thing he could think of; when his boyfriend raced towards him, he stepped on the middle of the road. He squeezed his eyes shut, hearing the screeching tires, the squealing brakes.

As soon as it got quiet, he opened his eyes.

The car stopped less than a meter in front of him.

"What the hell are you doing!" Juice snarled.

Raine tightened his grip around his crutches. "If you go through with this alone, you might as well run me over. I'd rather be dead than have you leave now and never come back, while my last memory of you is that you threw me against a wall and took advantage of the fact that I can barely walk."

"I was... I didn't mean to... They got Mouse!"

 "I know that. And that's why you need to think first. It won't do Skye any good if you go in there, empty your magazine on them and get killed too. We have a whole club that will help us. We can suggest a trade, you for Skye–and then still come up with a plan so you too can get out alive! If we have to, we'll just get the police involved."

Juice rubbed his face. "I can't... I can't take that risk."

"You can!" Raine failed to hold back the frustration. "I've taken risks too. Risks that nearly got me killed. And I didn't struggle through that just to lose you now. Come on, Juice. Weren't we supposed to do things together from now on? I want them to let Skye go as much as you do. But there are ways to do that without losing you. Don't you think we've suffered enough by now?"

He wanted to go to his boyfriend but didn't trust him yet. For all he knew, he would still floor it. He hadn't seen Juice act out of emotion often. Yes, he'd seen panic attacks, but not this, and it made him unpredictable.

"Can you get out of the car?"

Juice did not look at him, grinding his teeth. The fight going on in his head was visible on his face. Finally, he got out of the car and walked towards Raine.

"Sorry," he said quietly. "You're right." He squeezed his eyes shut. "This whole thing... it just drives me over the edge."

"I know." On his crutches, Raine leaned forward so that he could bring his face closer to Juice's. Close enough to kiss him, though he only looked at him. "But that's why you have me. To pull you back when you need to. Just like you brought me back to myself when we were apart."

Juice sighed, resting his forehead against Raine's.

And then, that cursed phone received another message. Juice snatched the thing out of his pocket and unlocked the screen. This time it wasn't a video, it was a phone call.

Tension radiated off Juice's face as he took the call.

"Juice?"

"Mouse?" Juice's voice trembled. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you?"

"Chibs took me away from the other Sons. He thinks he knows who's really behind the stolen goods, but he needs your help to prove it."

Juice's lips parted, he seemed unable to find words. 

"How is he supposed to prove it?" Raine asked.

"By hacking some shit, I guess? Chibs says he barely knows how to start a computer, but he wants to be able to look into phone data."

Juice and Raine looked at each other. That sounded plausible. But as bad as it might be–Esai's betrayal was still too fresh to take her words for true right away.

"Where are you now?" 

"Still in the car. We drove out of Charming and hope it will be a while before the Sons realize that Chibs isn't taking me to the clubhouse."

"Can you do a video call? Film around?"

Frowning, Juice looked at him.

Raine shrugged. "We'd better be sure, right? Who knows, there might be someone sitting next to her pushing a gun to her head."

"I get it. Give me a minute." Skye disconnected. A moment later, she started a video call, which Juice took immediately. Together they watched as she filmed the car. Only Chibs was in it, looking back briefly through the rearview mirror.

"Okay." Raine bit his cheek. He was still not completely comfortable with it, but at least it was better than having to barge into the clubhouse. "We're about an eight-hour drive away from you. I'll send you the address of a motel somewhere halfway. We can meet there."

"Chibs? Is that okay?" asked Skye.

"Who is that? Who are you talking to?"

The Son cast a quick glance over his shoulder, but Skye was the only one whose camera was on.

"Raine."

A silence fell. Chibs rubbed his forehead. "I thought he was dead."

"Nope, alive and kicking." Juice's voice sounded cool. "But that doesn't make what you did any better."

Chibs sighed. "I'm sorry, lad. I do my best to make things right."

Juice snorted.

As if that is possible. Raine could hear him think it. But he didn't say it. Right now, Chibs' desire to make amends was good motivation.

Juice ended the call and put his phone away. He sighed deeply and slipped his arms around Raine.

"Well, hopefully, some real good will come out of this so we can clear our names and don't have to look over our shoulders ever again."

Raine kissed him. "We're going to make sure of that. Then all this shit will finally be over."

. . .

A few more chapters, guys! We're getting to the end.

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