Blood and Chocolate

"As far as I can see, he's the only option we've got right now. We can't use a leader who wants to rule with his brains but not his teeth."

Vivian rose to her feet. "My father led with his brains; you mean he wasn't a good leader?"

Rudy ran a callused hand through his hair. His eyes looked sad. "Your father was the best leader we could have had for the time we had him, but this is a time of unrest. We need a leader who understands the power of his jaws."

"I'm tired of violence."

Rudy nodded. "But it doesn't matter what we're tired of, we've got it all the same. You would have never moved the Five so quietly out of West Virginia if Gabriel hadn't beat the sass out of them."

Yeah, thought Vivian. He'd taken them on in the charred ruins of the inn yard when they were set on waging a stupid, hopeless war against the town. Rafe was knocked silly and the others bloodied, but not a scratch on Gabriel. He'd threatened to kill any one of them that moved three paces from the convoy going to Maryland. Smeared with ashes, he'd strutted afterward and she'd hated him for it, even though she'd have beaten the Five herself if she could have. Her father was barely dead, and Gabriel was taking control. He wasn't a leader; her father was a leader. Her father had dignity.

"And when you all arrived," Rudy continued, "Gabriel was one of the first to get a job and put all his money toward getting others settled while he crashed on people's floors or in the woods."

And boy did he smell like it, she thought. Nothing like a welder with no place to bathe. "So you're gonna support Gabriel at the Ordeal and not go for it yourself," she said.

"Yeah, guess so. Now, time for bed, babe. Too late to do anything tonight."

Gabriel's black-and-silver motorcycle was in the parking lot of Tooley's bar the next night, exactly as Rudy had guessed. Rudy went in to find him while Vivian waited outside, her arms folded, her foot tapping.

A pair of bikers in cut-off denim jackets over bare chests came out of the bar. The tall one did a double take on her. He grabbed his crotch and issued her a very specific invitation. The other one laughed as if that was the funniest joke he'd ever heard, and his gut jiggled.

She gave them the finger.

"Hey, you're not too friendly," the tall biker complained, changing direction to walk slowly toward her. The smile had left his face. "Ain't you got no respect?"

His buddy trailed him. His grin was mean.

Oh, shit, Vivian thought.

"But tell you what, maybe we could kiss and make up," said the tall biker.

"I'd rather kiss a slug," she said, her temper flaring. She regretted her words when she saw his hands ball into fists. His skull ring glittered ominously.

She felt her legs knot with the first stage of the change. Control it, she coached herself. Only enough to put some muscle on. She didn't doubt for a moment that she could take them if she changed fully, but she couldn't do that now, could she? A couple of good strong smacks would change his mind.

"I see you've met my sister." Vivian recognized Gabriel's throaty growl.

The tall biker froze for a second, a look of panic on his face; then he turned. "Hey, Gabe! Your sister, man. Wow. Real pretty girl. I wuz just tellin' her. Yeah. Your sister. Wow."

"Uh, come on, Skull. We got a party to get to," his friend chimed in.

When they turned the corner Gabriel and Rudy burst out laughing.

"I could handle it," Vivian said, annoyed at his amusement.

"I know, baby," he answered, surprising her. "And any other time I would have gladly stood and watched, but Rudy tells me you've got news for me."

"I'll smack him around another time, then," she said.

They walked farther out into the shadowed parking lot. "So, what's the word - little sister?" he asked. She wanted to cut him down for keeping up that sister crap, but the smoldering look in his eyes made her bite back her sarcastic response.

"Astrid led a run along the river last night," she said.

"She did, did she?" His tone was casual but she saw a slight tic in his cheek. "And who was on this run?"

While she listed them he listened with head bowed, stroking the small scar on his lip.

There was silence when she'd finished. She glanced at Rudy, but he was watching Gabriel, a worried look on his face.