They're gone. It was the fourth thing I was told when I woke up. The first was that Shane was okay and with River at her house. The second was that Talon was alive and expected to make a full recovery. The third was that I was hit in my left arm and upper back between my shoulder blade and spine. The fourth was that Spider, Gypsy, Connie, and Warden had all been killed. To say I didn't handle that well was an understatement. Rogue had held me while I cried and screamed until a nurse came and knocked me out. They had to do it three times, and every time I simply wanted Talon to hold me. I knew he was hurting just as much as I was, if not more. Connie and Warden were like parents to many of the bikers, and to me. They were trying to simply buy gifts for their loved ones and were killed. To say that is messed was the understatement of the year.

What was even more messed up was that Gypsy had found a home! She was finally ready to settle because she found a man who actually loved her and now she couldn't have that. Spider couldn't have that! Spider came from an orphanage and had a messed up life in drugs and violence before he found Caged Beasts. He had a home. He finally had a family. And he finally found a woman he loved and wanted to share that with.

Gypsy was my best friend, my sister, and Shane's God mother. She was my rock who got me through the crap my mother put me through as a kid. She was the person I went too when I needed a hug when I've finally had enough of Sawyer and wanted to leave him. And she was the only person who cared about me and Shane until I met Talon.

Today was their funeral now that everyone was out of the hospital. Gypsy was gonna be laid in their cemetery because to them she was Spider's Old Lady. Talon laid his hands on my shoulders, "We need to get dressed." I eyed the black dress and it felt wrong. I nodded feeling numb and got dressed with Talon's help. I then went into the bathroom and looked at myself in the mirror. I opened the jewelry box that was Gypsy's and put in one of her nose rings. I then kept my make up light and natural before leaving the bathroom. I picked up the quilt I had finished for Spider, wanting it to be done before his funeral. I still wanted him to have it, even if I dont get to see him smile when I give it to him.

Talon ran a hand through his hair, his eyes looking dark. We've become distant, not really saying anything to each. I cant remember how long it's been since we've had a conversation. We try, but it's hard right now. The only time I've seen his eyes light up even a little is when he holds Shane. He spends a lot of time with Shane actually. He and Weasel had a talk apparently and it only made his mood worse so he is hiding something from me and wont talk to me about it.

We left the compound to go to the cemetery. There were too many caskets, including one that was too small to be lowered in a ground. Sadie Watkins, was only four when she was killed in this madness. Her father had died as well that day. Her mother took her life two days later, unable to handle the grief of losing the two people that meant everything to her. How many wore were we going to lose?

I could tell many were thinking the same thing as they looked at the opened coffins, the quilt I made for Spider covering the lower half of his body. This would be the only time I would be able to see him with it. Gypsy had a quilt I had made her many years ago covering her lower half. It would be the last time I saw her with it. My heart clenched and I wanted to just collapse and cry. They were gone! Our friends. Our family! Just gone.

Gypsy deserved to have that large family she dreamed of. Spider deserved to be happy with her. That little girl deserved to get the chance to go to college and have her dad scare off boys while her mother laughed and took pictures. None of this was fair! Caged Beasts didn't take a single one of Locked Jaws lives, just their money and guns. How on Earth does that equate to killing people? Killing a child no less?!

Once their coffins were lowered, and dirt being filled, I couldn't stand there anymore. "Excuse me," I whispered to no one in particular. I began to walk, not caring what direction I was going in. My back hurt and arm hurt but I ignored the pain. I wanted to cry, scream, and rage. Connie, Warden, Spider, and Gypsy, my friends, my family.

"Iris," Weasel said, having followed behind me silently. It was clear Talon was too wrapped up in his grief to have done so himself and to be honest I don't blame him. I whirled around, "This isn't fair Weasel!" I had wanted to scream it, but my throat was so raw and my voice broken I couldn't. "You took their guns and money, and burned their drugs. How the hell does that equal to what they did?!" "It doesn't," he told me. "And no matter if we took their lives it never will because we would never target their women or children. We wanted to get through this war with as little blood shed as possible. None of us thought they would do something like this."

"What is going to be done," I asked him. "What is going to be done to make sure they never target one of us again?" I wiped my eyes, "Gypsy had just told me that morning that she was going to stay and call Caged Beasts her home and be Spider's woman. Finally she had a home and then she was gone. Spider finally had someone who loved him, weirdness and all and now he doesnt get to have a future with her. Connie and Warden were like everyone's parents, taking care of all of us. Connie took care of the single mothers that lived in this town and is the reason the festivals are so amazing. Warden protected everyone, even from the stress of running the club. You cant get even for them because there is nothing that equals their love and loyalty. Sadie was so cute, having just started to read and now she wont ever get to do any of the things she once told me she wanted to do when she got older. Tank and Miranda wont get to finish building their dream house where they were going to raise Sadie. You get even for that because nothing equals that! They were our family and no matter what shit will never be right because they wont be here!" I raged and he stood there as I did. "My man is broken on the inside, and hiding things from me. Refusing to let me see him grieve for his brothers and sisters. I know he wants the blood of those responsible to cover his hands, but he also knows like I do, it wont be enough."

He nodded, "You're right, it wont ever be enough, and the score will never be even. That's why we're going to hit them head on and end this war. We wont go in guns blazing. We're going to inform the club just what they've done when they blindly fired their weapons the way they did. We're going to use our morals, the ones they lack, and hit their club hard and see how many turn their cuts. Then we'll see just who pulled those triggers and get our revenge."

I let his plan turn over repeatedly in my head before nodding, "I want to be there when you do. I want to see their faces at least once before it's all over." "I dont want you to be there when they're killed," He told me. "I wont dishonor Talon by making you see that." I nodded, "That's okay, I'll leave before that happens." He studied me, before nodding, "Okay."

Talon's POV

I stood at their covered graves, almost everyone now gone. I didn't even follow Iris when she walked away. I should've, but I couldn't. Instead Weasel did. He followed MY woman to make sure she was okay. She was grieving for all of the lives lost and I haven't been able to bring myself to offer more than a hand on her shoulder for comfort. I didn't deserve to comfort her. Her friend and sister was gone. And Shane had almost been taken from us and I haven't been able to bring myself to show her just how close to losing him we were.

Slender arms wrapped around my waist. I felt her head rest on my back, "Staring at their graves wont bring them back." I sighed, my shoulders dropping, "I know." She moved and took my hand, leading me to my bike. "Let's go," She said. I got on and she got on behind me. Her arms wrapped around my waist once more and I took off. I didn't take her to the compound. Instead I took her to the shop.

"I need to show you something," I told her, before getting off. I couldn't meet her eyes so I went and unlocked the door and lead her to my truck that had been damaged during the incident. Massacre is more like it. I opened the back seat where I hid Shane's carseat.

"Rogue had bought Shane a new carseat, exactly like this one, to try and hide just how close we came to losing him." I told her. I took it out and she gasped when she saw the bullet hole that was only inches from where his head had been. With a shakey hand she touched it as tears filled her eyes. The carseat was covered in our blood from when she tried to protect him and when I tried to protect them both.

"I failed to protect you both. It was just luck you're both alive," I told her. "I wanted to show you this sooner but you just got out of the hospital yesterday and I was just so angry with myself. With them. "They killed Spider, and they killed Gypsy. They almost killed Shane. Had I never helped you at the grocery store then she'd still be alive, and neither you nor Shane wouldn't be in danger."

My head then snapped to the side, and my cheek stung from where she slapped me. "Do you hear yourself?!" She screamed at me. I was too shocked to say anything. She just slapped me. "Because of you Shane has a man I am proud to call his father. Because of you I have a man I am proud to call mine. You, Talon Macison, are my everything. If you want to blame yourself then blame yourself for the pain I feel at the thought of losing you. Blame yourself for my happiness. Blame yourself that I'm alive. Had you not taken that bullet in your arm, it would've hit me in one of my lungs then I would've choked to death on my own blood." "Damn it Iris look at it!" I screamed before throwing it into the wall, causing a large dent in the wall. "Had I and Spider not been in yours and Gyspy's life then she'd be alive and a bullet wouldn't have come near our son!" "Had you not been in my life then Sawyer would've taken Shane! Had you and Spider not been in my life I wouldn't have a family who cares about Shane and I!" She screamed back. I had never seen such fury in her eyes. Her chest heaved in anger. "I am pissed and I am in pain because they took so many we loved from us, and I know you are too. Whether you like it or not Talon Macison, I'm your old lady and you're my old man, through the good and the bad." This time her voice was calmer, broken. I ran my hands through my hair in frustration.

"You think I'm pissed now, you should've heard me talk to Weasel. I cussed and I screamed. I will be by your side when you guys ride to Locked Jaw's compound and show them just who they killed. I want to be there to see who had a hand in their deaths. I know you guys plan on killing those who pulled the triggers, and I will walk away before that happens because I don't have the stomach to watch someone die, even if they deserve it," She told me. I pulled her to me, "I'm sorry for making you have to slap some sense into me." It was whispered but I meant it. She was right. It wasn't my fault, it was Locked Jaw's. If we killed their men, then maybe it would've been, but what we did, didn't give them enough reason to kill our brothers. And there is no reason to kill their women and children. "I will do it as many times as I have to, until you realize this isn't your fault," She said softly, her shoulders slumping, exhaustion setting in. "Let's go home," I told her, kissing the top of her head. She nodded and I lead her to my bike. She was practically asleep by the time we got back to the compound. I carried her to our room and saw Shane wasn't here, meaning he was still with River. I laid her down and helped her out of her clothes then checked on her wounds. She then checked mine once I stripped. We then held each other, letting the reality of it all just crush us into a dreamless sleep.