Cocky Secrets (Cocker Brothers #29)

13. Sage

THIRTEEN

Sage

T he sun has shifted, hanging lower in the azure sky, casting long shadows over the winding road as Bear and I ride back to Viola’s gift shop. The wind rushes past us, a cool balm. I grip Bear’s waist tighter, the rumble of the engine beneath us disappearing under the thunder of my heart. I can't shake the feeling that something’s off.

As we drive up to the small parking lot outside the shop, I see them. A line of motorcycles, sleek and formidable, parked like sentinels. Their riders stand tall and imposing, leather jackets unified against us under the fading sunlight. Jett. Luna. Dad. Luke. Atlas. Sofia Sol. Celia. Sean. Scythe. Tonk Sr.

All of them.

My stomach drops.

Bear’s body stiffens and he slows the bike to a halt in the lot, in front of our lawless jury. “You good?” he asks, casting a wary glance at the gathering crowd of townsfolk who’ve come to watch. Viola stands just outside her door, looking worried. Sad for us. Helpless.

I nod, but my throat feels tight. “I think we should’ve come back earlier.”

Bear dismounts, takes off his helmet, holds it under one arm, and I follow suit, my legs unsteady. The atmosphere is thick with tension as all of the members of The Ciphers keep their attention fixated upon us. Their expressions are a mix of anger, concern, and glaring disappointment.

“Look who finally decided to show up,” Dad sneers, stepping forward.

I know that Jett, club President, is letting Dad do the talking, since he’s my father and this is our battle — a fight that Bear and I, outnumbered, seem destined to lose.

“Dad,” I say, attempting to sound confident, but my voice wavers. “I?—”

“Do you have any idea what time it is?” he interrupts, voice low, menacing. “I vouched for you!"

Luke butts in. “We’re not just angry. We’re worried.” He’s looking at me like I’m supposed to comprehend something I’m not yet grasping.

Atlas growls, “You’re with a cop, Sage—what were you thinking?”

I feel the heat rising in my cheeks, a mix of embarrassment and defiance. “I’m far from being a kid, you guys. I can take care of myself.”

Bear shifts beside me, his presence grounding. “I care about your daughter, Honey Badger. It wasn’t some joyride.”

“Care?” Dad scoffs, crossing his arms and returning his glare to me. “A cop? You think they care about you? They don’t care about family. They just want to keep you in line.”

“That’s a blanket generalization, Dad,” I snap. “You don’t know him. You won’t even take the chance to get to know him!”

A murmur ripples through the group, their eyes narrowing on Bear.

“We don’t take those kinds of chances,” Jett says.

“Look, I know you’re all looking out for me…” I’m trying to keep my voice calm. “…but I chose to be with Bear. He’s not just a cop. He’s… he’s my friend.”

“Friend?” Dad’s voice rises, and the tension escalates. “You’re part of this family, Sage, not their world.”

The weight of his words hangs in the air, a palpable threat cloaked in concern.

I glance at Bear, who remains stoic, tension in his jaw. He admits, “Honey Badger, I know this looks bad,” stepping forward, his tone firm but respectful. “But Sage is an adult. She can make her own choices.”

“Choices?” Dad barks.

Scythe snarls, “We don’t trust your kind.”

Tonk Sr. growls, “And we’re not gonna start now.”

Jett somberly informs Bear, “The last time we trusted cops they turned out to be on the take from drug dealers.”

Luna sneers, “Cushioning their retirements with blood money.”

The other members murmur in agreement, eyes hardened.

I feel anger rising within me, a fierce need to defend Bear, to stand up for who I know him to be. “Enough!” I shout, my voice ringing out with unexpected power. The group’s energy stills, all eyes on me. “Bear’s not like that. Dad, you said it yourself — he’s the kind of man you could see me with. Your instincts told you he was a good guy, until you found out he was a cop. Not all cops are bad — I know you know it! I’m tired of being treated like a child. I’m not just some pawn in your much more interesting lives. I get to have a life of my own! I choose who I want to be with, and that’s Bear.”

For a moment, everything freezes. Dad’s eyes narrow, studying me as if he doesn’t recognize me.

Atlas lets out a low chuckle, but it’s devoid of humor. “You’re playing with fire, Sage.”

“Maybe I like fire,” I shoot back. “Just like all of you! And maybe I’m tired of living in the shadows of your decisions.”

Luke, the more grounded of my two brothers, speaks up. “It’s not going to happen, Sage.”

Sofia Sol has been quiet up until now. She married Luke, so that makes her one step removed from my immediate family. Not an outsider, but also not one to have the right to speak up over my father. Or my brothers. Not when it comes to what they consider my safety, or my wants and needs if it defies the club. Regardless, I turn to her, woman to woman. Sofia Sol is a wild card and just might stand up against all of them if I really needed her to. “Soph, please. You know I need more than what I’ve been given.”

Her mother and father, Luna and Jett, shake their heads slowly at her, a warning. She locks eyes with me. “This isn’t my call, Sage. You know that. And I wouldn’t make it in your favor.”

“What?” I cry out. “You, too, Soph? What about you, Celia? Wouldn’t you?”

“No,” Celia answers. Sean, her husband, by her side, shakes his head in club solidarity.

Luke somberly reminds me something I’d forgotten. “Sage, you know there’s more at stake here.” He holds my glare until I soften with understanding. To bring it home he adds, “It’s not just about you,” completely crumbling my heart.

It’s not about me, to them.

And now I remember why.

It’s about the people they save by any means necessary, always under the Law’s radar, always secretly and often illegally. If a cop comes into the fold, how could they continue to do what they do? Who would suffer more, me from not having Bear in my life, or the countless innocents who would no longer have saviors?

Absorbing reality I whisper, “I understand,” realizing they don’t hate cops. They used the example of crooked cops for a viable reason with which to make Bear go away. It’s easy for an M.C. to act as if they don’t like cops. Easy for Bear to believe and accept that, and not look deeper.

They know there are plenty of good cops out there, but cops can’t know what The Ciphers do because they vowed to uphold the law.

So if Bear is a good one, that’s almost worse than a police officer who would look the other way.

But maybe he would!

Maybe he would look the other way, for me .

My father’s head looks like it might explode, so Jett takes charge, announcing with authority, “It’s time to go, Sage.”

I nod, and feel Bear’s hand take mine. Our eyes lock. “Sage. Don’t give in.”

I whisper, “I’m so sorry,” and release his hand, walking to the burgundy beast, refusing to see it now as my jailor.

Putting on my helmet, I shakily climb on and wait for The Ciphers to ignite their motorcycles. One by one, they ride out of the parking lot as the locals, Viola and my handsome Bear, watch.

Sofia Sol locks eyes with me as she rides by, and she lets me see her sadness. Celia silently mouths, “I’m sorry,” and revs her throttle to catch up.

Dad hangs back until I join the line, second to last, with him behind me, behind us all, our fearless protector.

I cast one last look to Bear. He dips his chin slightly in salute, amber eyes stormy with rebellion.

This isn’t over.