ROLEPLAY HQ - caught-in-the-crossfire

James woke up earlier than usual today, narrowing his eyes at his alarm that wasn't set to go off for another hour. He could either get that extra hour of sleep, or start his day since he was already awake anyways. He thought for a moment before deciding to go with the latter, no reason to go through the process of getting annoyed all over again when he had to wake up, James was not a morning person in any regard. He slowly rolled out of bed, shivering a bit as the cold air of his room above the club's shop met his skin, grumbling something about needing to get a new heater as he stood up. Treading off to the bathroom to get ready for his day. Taking a quick shower before getting changed into his usual attire, a black button up that only had four buttons actually buttoned, a loose but not too loose pair of pants as well as his club's jacket over top. His club president badge sitting proudly on the front. A red stallion sitting proudly on the back of it. Probably not the most lowkey thing to wear, but anyone who wasn't familiar with the world of biker wouldn't know what any of the symbols mean, and if they did he could play it off as just a jacket he saw on Etsy once. He sprayed himself with a couple sprays of his cologne, deciding to just forgo drying his hair, he had time to let it air dry after all simply just running his hand through it to lazily style it. As he walked to his front door he grabbed his keys on the way, slipping on his biking boots on the way out in case he had to make a run to town for god knows what. Usually most presidents would make their prospects run their errands for them, but James preferred to make them do things around the shop to make his business run smoothly. Soon he made his way down to the shop, deciding what he wanted to do first, he had a couple of oil changes he could do so he could get those out the door as soon as they opened, but on the other hand it looked as if the closing shift hadn't cleaned up before they left, since he

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had time he wasn't as annoyed as he normally would be after seeing that. He played some rock music through the speakers that ran through the shop, it wasn't a large shop, simply a couple of car ports with a connected office to the side, a half wall towards the back where they kept all their car parts lined up neatly. He began cleaning up around the shop. Bopping his head to the music every now and then as he got everything put back the way it was supposed to be. As he looked at the time he realized the shop had 30 minutes before it was set to open, each oil change wouldn't take very long, so he could always wait on that to see what time his prospects and the other members would come in. Deciding to spend his time going over emails and orders 'I really need to get an assistant’ he reminded himself in his head. As much as James loved owning this business, trying to run it on top of running his own motorcycle club was a lot. His attention always pulled this way or that by something, never getting much downtime to just stop and take a breath. By the time he glanced over at the clock he realized it was time to start opening the shop, unlocking the door, a couple of his members walking in and greeting him good morning before he would direct them to go do the oil changes that James hadn't quite got to yet. He next moved to open all the blinds, changing their sign from opened to closed. The garage doors slowly opening. Stallions repairs was now officially open for business for the day. @NovaRose

Caspian was on the road before the sun even rose. He'd traveled several states to get to his new apartment. The new place was sure to be vastly different, though that was most of the appeal. There were too many bad memories with familiar faces in Illinois. But as he's driving, his car begins to make a noise. Fuck. Every time the engine turns, a grinding could be heard. However, he was only a few miles from town. The only thing he could think to do is to keep driving. As the sunrise slowly turned to simply a blue sky, he arrived in town. The grinding noises grew worse with each mile until he pulled into a car shop and put his car in park. Caspian got out and opened the hood, cursing as smoke rose from it. He looked around before he turned to the shop, a heavy sigh releasing. His black jeans contrasted his white shirt as he walked in, messing with his hair. "Hey could anyone help me with my car? I'm supposed to pick up the keys to my new place soon and I just got here but I'm worried my car won't go much further..." He huffed, exasperated from the situation. He took a step back, stumbling into a taller man in a leather jacket. "Fuck man, I'm sorry..." He looked up at the man before tensing slightly. This male was definitely attractive... His gaze shifted away instantly, not wanting his attraction to be noticed. The last thing he needed for his fresh start was more threats because he liked men too. @Eli

James’ ears perked up as he heard a car pulling up right as they opened, wiping his hands off as he walked to see what was going on. Watching from afar for a moment as smoke rose from the hood. He went to reply from behind the male as he asked for help, that was until he backed up and James got bumped into, reaching out his hands instinctively to steady the unknown male. Letting out a small snicker as he pulled his hands back, a small smirk on his face. “You're completely alright” he laughed as he walked around to stand behind the counter. “You said something's wrong with your car right? Any idea what happened?” James leaned forward, his elbows resting against the counter. “If not we can always take a look for you” he commented, his eyes drifting out the window to look at the car that was still smoking from the hood, James whistled watching as his second in command came over, looking between the two. “Can you bring his car inside so we can take a look?” He asked, his tone dripping with authority. Everything about James commanded respect, whether it was his appearance or the way he carried himself. “You can feel free to wait around while we check out what's wrong” he offered him before walking through the door that lead the the garage, raising his brow and looking over his shoulder to see if he was following behind James. As he got to the garage he pulled out a chair that caspian could sit on while he worked. Walking over to the car and dusting the smoke away so he could see what was going on. The starter looked to be lining up with the ring gear. “How long do you have till you're meant to be picking your key up?” He asked over his shoulder. Wondering how much time he would have until he could diagnose and fix the issue that seemed to be happening. @NovaRose

Caspian tensed as James hands fell against his arms to steady him, slowly pulling away. The smirk on his lips seemed both aggravating and enticing all at once. "No clue. It got worse as I drove, obviously, but I had to get here." He huffed and ran his hand through his hair. Cas tensed when the male whistled and turned his gaze to the men answering to him. "Fuck, are you the owner? It'll be fine, truly. You shouldn't waste your time with the car, I'm sure they can handle it..." Caspian followed behind James, tense. He felt bad for the male looking over his car. "I'm supposed to meet her in half an hour, but I can push it back if I need to. I'm just worried she won't be free the rest of the day and I'll have to sleep in my car for a night." He chuckled but shrugged, clearly nervous but brushing it off. Caspian toyed with his hair, trying to think about the situation. He pulled out his phone, texting the realtor before he glanced back up at the man. A red stallion was on the back of his jacket and he couldn't help but wonder if it was for the shop or just for appearance. But he didn't stop to think about it too much. At the end of the day, everyone had their past. @Eli

James smirked softly at that comment about him not having to look at the car. “I'm the owner but I ain't helpless” he teased, trying to convey that he was just joking. Something that James often fell short with. “I might need more than half an hour if that's possible, I can always give you a ride there while we look at you car and let you know when it's done if you aren't living too far away” he offered, his brows furrowing as he looked for what was wrong. As he found the source he looked at their supply shelves “it's a gear with missing gear teeth, should be a quick fix, around 20 minutes” he spoke as he walked over to the shelf. Looking for the gear that would fit the exact model it was. “So what brings you to town?” James would then ask, trying to fill the void of silence and make small talk. After around the minutes their small talk was cut short by the rev of multiple motorcycle engines outside of the shop, James immediately standing to his full stature and looking around the shop. Taking a headcount to make sure all of his crew was there. When he realized they were all present and no bikes should be coming in his eyes widened. Now was not the time, there was a civilian present in his shop. It sounded like they were around 3 minutes out. But that couldn't be enough time to both get caspian to safety, and make sure his men were prepared. @NovaRose

Caspian froze slightly at the teasing of James. "That's not what I meant! You clearly look capable of handling yourself!" A slight blush ran over his cheeks and he stepped back a bit. "Not that I'm saying you have muscle. Well like obviously you do but..." He buried his face in his hands, rubbing his face before pulling away with a deep breath. His face was slightly red and he didn't know if it was because of rubbing his face or simply being embarrassed. "Thank you for helping." He huffed and sat down, pouting almost. Cass stared at his hands before glancing up. "It's fine, I'll push it back for a bit." He shrugged and hesitated when he asked about what brought him to town. "Well... My sister finally moved out and it was time for me to have a new start." It definitely wasn't a lie but there was always more than the surface answer he gave others. "How long have you owned this shop? It looks like it's doing well." His eyes glanced over the other employees. At least half of them seemed to have noticeable tattoos or scars. Perhaps James took in lost strays like he did today in helping him. He heard the engines and tensed. The atmosphere suddenly changed in the area. Cass didn't know why but he watched James carefully, the way he glanced around at his crew and stood straighter. Something seemed to be going on. Caspian stood and ran his hands through his hair. "If you want I can leave. I assume you have some big clients coming in." He chuckled, not knowing it'd be more dangerous for him to walk out of the shop alone. @Eli

James raised his brow as Caspian stumbled over his words, an amused smirk taking over his face as he listened. It was cute watching him try to collect himself. “Your welcome” he said with a deep chuckle and a wink thrown in the man's direction, James' naturally flirty side showing itself even for just a moment. At the explanation James’ nodded, it made sense, Just a fresh start, James understood that and could respect it. “I've owned it since I was 19, so around 9 years” he explained. “It wasn't always doing as well as this though, took us about 4 years just to get off our feet.” He added, remembering how when he first opened the shop, it was slow and hardly anyone ever came there, especially after the red stallions were founded, most of his customers, even still, were either people new to town that didn't know about the red stallions, or people who were desperate to get their car fixed.

James looked over at Caspian with wide eyes, while it would be good for him not to be here when they showed up he shook his head. He knew it was too late and he could better protect a civilian when they were in reach. Leaving now would do more harm than good for man. The bikes engines slowly got louder, before coming to a stop right outside the shop infront of the open doors, around 10 men all lined up, their hands on their sides. “Shit shit shit” James whispered to himself, looking around, he had around two seconds to get Caspian somewhere safe so he wouldn't get hit. “The black lightning” James called out to his own crew, everyone diving to get under some form of cover. James did the same, spinning on his heel to carefully, but urgently grab Caspian, pulling him behind a flimsy board, not the best place for them to take cover, one bullet could easily pierce through this, but it was the easiest and closest place to at least get out of sight. Soon the sounds of gunshots filled the shop, dings of bullets piercing metal being heard throughout the shop. Some of James men tryin

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g their hardest to use their own firearms to delay the attack and slow it down. @NovaRose

Caspian tried to compose himself, but as the man winked, he tensed and turned a darker shade of red. Was he sure the male just winked? Maybe his head was playing tricks on him. He knew not everywhere even accepted those who were gay, so there was no way the first attractive male he met would be gay... He shook his head before listening about the shop. "They say most businesses take four to five years to finally start up, so it makes sense. It looks like it's doing well though." When James looked almost... Scared Caspian tensed and slowly nodded. "I can stay here if you want the help." When he yelled out a name, cursing, Caspian looked around. "What's going on?" Until he was grabbed and pulled with James. "What are you doing?!" He tensed until the gunshots started to ring out. He gasped and fell into the males chest, hiding in his arms. The gunshots kept coming, one bullet even nicking Caspian's leg. The boy yelped, shaking. @Eli

“Shhh” James whispered to Caspian, holding him close to himself, an almost protective side of him coming out, all previous light-heartedness left james entire demeanor. Now replaced with a stoic, yet concerned mask. As the shots began ringing out, James buried Caspian in his arms, using his own body as a human shield for the man. Praying that the man wouldn't get hit by a stray bullet, hoping no one had seen where they ducked for cover. Yet his prayers were left unanswered as he heard Caspian yelp in pain, his gaze traveling to his leg. “Shit” he mumbled. Moving the man's body so he was now centered in between James' legs in hopes to avoid another injury. After around 5 minutes the shots stopped, the revs of bikes leaving the vicinity were loud, but reassuring in their own way. The garage was now shrouded in silence, only the heavy breathing of everyone could be heard. “Shit, are you okay?” James asked, though the answer was clearly obvious. “Can you walk? I can get you patched up” he waited for the answer. Realistically he could just carry the man. But if it wasn't for saving his life, James would like to avoid handling the man without his consent. @NovaRose

Cass tensed and stayed close to James, trying to stay as silent as he could. The male seemed to hold him tightly and keep Caspian safe. James seemed panicked when he got hit and put Caspian between his legs. Cass looked up, shaking as the male stood up, a silence finally settling over the shop. He tensed and tried to stand up, stumbling a bit from the shock before nodding, clearly shaky. "Yeah I can stand. I don't think I got shit, it's just a scratch..." Regardless, the scratch was a bit deeper than it should have been and he winced at the sight of the blood. "What the hell was that?" He glared at the man, tense. It was moments after arriving in town, he shouldn't already be caught in a crossfire. His eyes scanned the surrounding areas, one male with a bullet wound. "Fuck. He's who you need to be helping. Get me a first aid kit." He walked over to the male, almost urgently to begin helping him. @Eli

Jams reached out to steady Caspian as he stood, not wanting him to fall over and add another injury to the list. He gave a coy smile in the man's direction. “I'll explain once I make sure everyone, including you, is okay” he promised. Usually James wouldn't tell someone about the club, but he figured getting caught in the crossfire of a club war warranted an explanation. James looked over at the man that had been shot, his eyes widening. “Shit shit” he stressed before disappearing quickly into the office to grab their medical grade first aid kit, rushing back out and handing it to Caspian. “Do you know how to help?” James asked from over Caspian shoulder before letting his eyes trail over the rest of his men, the rest of them just having simple surface wounds. For a man just caught in a gunfight James was eerily calm, to anyone who didn't know about the club, they would label him as crazy, his garage was shot up, one of his men were shot, and yet he was as calm as ever, but anyone that knew about the club would tell anyone it's not abnormal for James or his men to be so calm after something like this. Shootouts often happening between the two rivals. Despite one of his men being shot, James was furious, not only did they attack him on his own turf, but while a civilian was there no less. The cost to replace all the parts was nothing compared to what he would have to pay should Caspian go to the cops. @NovaRose

Caspian grabbed the first aid kit and shot a glare back at the man. "Of course I do. Don't worry about me, worry about why the hell someone would do this to your shop." He began dressing the wound. He knew he shouldn't remove the bullet until it was a more sterile environment. He grabbed the males whisky, splashing some on the wound before giving the man groaning in pain the bottle. "Drink this and sit still. You'll have to go to the hospital to remove the bullet. It's not safe to do it here and you seem okay for the most part..." He finished dressing it before looking at the male pupils and pressing on some parts of his lower stomach to see if there were any more potential injuries. Once finished, he turned and looked at James. "What the hell is wrong with you? Do you not realize what just happened? Your employees are getting hurt and you're not even calling the cops." He walked closer to him before going to grab the phone behind him. "If you won't I will." @Eli

James could understand why the man was freaking out, not everyone was as used to this as him and his men had come to be. Though, he couldn't help but feel a tang of irritation at how he was being spoken to, while yes he was concerned for his men, they had all survived much worse, and he already knew exactly why his shop had been shot up, but how the hell do you explain something like that to a civilian? As Caspian reached for the phone James stepped in front of it, his gaze was now shifting from worry for the man, to a more serious one, his jaw locked as he tipped his head down slightly. “No cops, you wanna know what's going on? I'll explain but you need chill out” if Caspian took a look around, he would see none of them were particularly concerned, not even the man who had been shot. They were almost all too calm to the outside eye. James took the phone Caspian was reaching for and put it in his pocket, walking back towards the office, clearly expecting the man to follow if he wanted an explanation. James owed him that much for him being caught in the crossfire of a club dispute. @NovaRose

Caspian growled and turned to James. "This is calm. Considering this building got shot up and I haven't seen that since... Considering people are injured and you don't seem to care, this is calm. Explain. Now." His voice was stern, bordering on pissed as he followed him to the office. Caspian walked in, shutting the door and sitting down in one of the chairs, his posture defensive with crossed arms and a cold stare. "Explain." He glanced at his phone as it began to buzz and denied the call. He knew the realtor would be upset that he couldn't show, but still. He needed to know about this instead, it took priority. His gaze shifted back to James. "Are you hurt? I can patch you up too." @Eli

Bump @Eli )

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