HARD KNOX

by Jaxson Kidman

  Shit, maybe I was a little soft that my old man wasn’t outside. He wasn’t a great father but he always gave me advice and gave me his ear.

  I had Slam hang outside and keep an eye open for anything. I told him to keep my phone in case Ana called. Saying that name caused him to raise an eyebrow.

  Old habits, Knox? his eyes asked.

  Fuck you, Slam. Fuck everyone.

  I always hated going into the prison or jail. The way the door slammed behind me it always felt like a premonition. I sure as fuck hoped my time would never come. But that was as unpredictable as death.

  The guards took me to a small room with what looked like a black metal picnic table. I sat there and heard a buzz before the other door opened.

  My old man then entered the room, wearing his goddamn orange jumpsuit, ankles shackled, along with his hands. The guard walked him to the table and I stood up.

  “Come on, man,” I said to the guard. “He’s not going to fucking do anything to me. I’m his son.”

  The guard looked at the old man.

  My old man half smiled. “Better shackle me to the table. After all, he is my son. And I’m sure he’s due for a good kick in the ass.”

  The guard laughed. “Whatever you want, Hammer.”

  “You two friendly, huh?” I asked.

  “Cameras are off,” the guard said. He then put a key down on the table. “I dropped this by mistake. Don’t make me regret it.”

  “Left pocket,” the old man said.

  The guard reached into my father’s pocket and pulled out a couple bags of dope.

  I shook my head as the guard walked away.

  The old man shrugged. “I still gotta earn, son. No motorcycles to fix in here, so I keep the guards happy. It’s a means to an end.”

  “I know your ending,” I said.

  “Son, we all have the same ending. I’m just on the fast track for it.”

  I had to hand it to him. Hammer knew how to take care of things. He always did.

  “So you’re doing good here?” I asked.

  “You didn’t come to talk about that. Sit the fuck down, kid.”

  We sat. I had planned on talking to the old man with a little bit of etiquette, but as I sat there in my leather cut, there was no getting around why I was there.

  “What the fuck are you doing?” he asked.

  “We can’t sit and wait anymore,” I said. “I had the guys put their cuts on last night. I’m tired of it, Dad.”

  He nodded. “It comes with responsibility and a lot of heat. The second someone sees the Reap patch flying through the air on a steel horse, it’s going to drum up all the old shit. Including King.”

  “Hey,” I said. “You guys are inside, not me. Sorry. Anyone approaches, they can look at the garage. We’re keeping the lights with our legit business. Everything after dark… fuck it. We’re doing it whether we’re in cuts or not.”

  “You know, Knoxville, it takes some serious balls to do that. With me sitting here. Knowing what I’m up against on the inside. You talk to Uncle Jakey yet?”

  “No.”

  The old man laughed. “He’s going to rip your dick off and make you eat it.”

  “I’m well aware of the implications of this decision. I wanted to face you man to man and get your blessing.”

  “Blessings,” the old man said. He opened his hands. “Yes, the Lord shineth uponith meith todayith…”

  “Funny.”

  “They have chapel here,” he said. “Different than ours though, kid. They read out of a book instead of using their eyes and mind.”

  “It’s more comforting that way,” I said. “So you have someone to blame for when shit goes wrong.”

  “Who do you blame, son?”

  “For what?”

  “Your life. Your Ma took off. I fucked your girlfriend’s mother. I ran a life of an outlaw right into a life sentence. I left you with nothing. I gave you nothing. Shit, you were nothing but a pile of cum that somehow hit the right spot at the right time.”

  That was his way of saying he loved me.

  “Well, thanks for shooting a load into my mother’s slit and not her throat. Glad I was created and not digested.”

  “That’s the spirit, son,” the old man said.

  “I’m going to turn on the son thing for a second,” I said. “I’m here right now, Hammer, to ask about the President’s seat.”

  His face turned hard. His nostrils flared. It was a soft spot for him and rightfully so. He never gave up the gavel. Nobody ever voted him out either. But a President couldn’t run a club in prison. Not on a life sentence either. And technically, since he hadn’t ridden in years, his seat was considered vacant.

  “Get the fuck out of here,” he said. He stood up and grabbed the key off the table.

  “No, Prez,” I said. “I’m not leaving without an answer.”

  “I said to fucking leave.”

  He started to move and reached across the table, grabbing the chains that held his hands together. He swung up, smashing me against the bottom of my mouth. All I tasted was blood. But I didn’t let the chains go. I pulled the old man across the table and threw him to the ground. I stepped back and let him climb to his feet.

  “You want this?” he asked.

  “Answer me, Prez.”

  “Cut it with the Prez shit, son.”

  “Give me my answer, Hammer.”

  The old man charged at me. He still had the same size and strength as I remembered. He drove me back into a wall and we wrestled to the ground. We landed an equal two punches and broke apart again.

  I sat with my knees bent.

  He wiped blood from the corner of his eye.

  “Fuck,” he said. “The seat is vacant, son. I’m not the President of the Reaper’s Bastards anymore. We both know that.”

  “Then who succeeds you?” I asked.

  He looked at me. “You want me to say you.”

  “I want an answer. My boys are ready to ride. We’re ready to earn and take back our town.”

  “It’s bad, huh?”

  “Getting there. Ana got herself…”

  “Ana, huh? Jesus Christ, Knoxville. Still dipping in the same watering hole. What did I tell you…”

  “I don’t want to hear it. She’s been close to someone in the family. I’m tired of it. I’m tired of looking over my shoulder and waiting for those suited goons to show up.”

  “Looks like they already did,” the old man said, nodding to the marks on my face from Porter.

  “That’s why I’m starting this. I’m not stopping until I get what I want.”

  “Stubborn like your mother.”

  “I’ll tell Uncle Jakey you gave the blessing for him to call the meetings and swing the gavel. I want to sit as enforcer.”

  “No,” the old man said.

  “What?”

  “You sit to the left,” he said.

  “VP?”

  “Yeah. You set the team. They’re your guys. Give Uncle Jakey his due by sitting at the head. Everything else falls on you, son.” The old man wrestled himself to his feet and looked down at me. “I hope you know what you’re starting. This will quickly spread on the inside.”

  “If you need any resources, Dad…”

  “Get the fuck out of here,” he said. “I don’t want or need anything from you, son. You want this life like I did. Now go get it. My only advice is to take your beatings as needed and never give up your loyalty to the cut.”

  I patted my chest. “Never.”

  The old man walked to the door and pounded on it. A few seconds later it buzzed and the door opened. He whispered something to the guard and was given a pen and a piece of paper. He scribbled on the paper and then dropped it to the floor. He didn’t even fucking look back at me. Then he was gone. I sat there for a little bit, bleeding and hurting, before I got to my feet and went to get the piece of paper.

  When I read it, I thought my knees were going to give out.

  I sta
red at the door for a few minutes, not knowing what to think.

  The old man had just given me his parting gift to the Reaper’s Bastards.

  That’s when I realized I would never see my father again.

  “Father, son bonding?” Slam asked and pointed to my face.

  “He took it as I thought,” I said.

  “Yeah, well, shit’s getting crazier.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Ari called and Uncle Jakey heard that we were riding with our cuts.”

  “Good.”

  “He’s pissed.”

  “He’s going to take the head of the table, Slam,” I said. “I’m sitting to the left.”

  “No shit, brother. Congrats.”

  Slam came in for a hug and I put my hand to his chest. “Wait a second. You’re wearing the enforcer patch.”

  Slam’s eyes went wide. “What?”

  “That’s what’s decided,” I said. “You ready for this?”

  “For anything.”

  “The loyalty of the cut and the club.”

  “Reaper’s Bastards for life,” he said.

  “Good.”

  Slam put a hand to my shoulder. “Hey. And whatever you need for Ana, I’m there with you. I get it. You two have been all tangled up for a long damn time. If you get what you want this time, Knox, don’t fucking give it up.”

  I didn’t respond. I knew exactly what Slam was talking about.

  I had my leather cut. I had my darlin’.

  I wasn’t going to lose either.

  My phone rang in Slam’s pocket and he took it out.

  “Speak of the angel,” he said and tossed me the phone.

  It was Ana calling.

  I answered with a Hey, darlin’ but she cut me off quick.

  With one word.

  Help.

  nineteen

  (ana)

  *NOW*

  Porter demanded I go to his office to see him. He had an office and fronted that he worked in construction site development. His office had blueprints everywhere, along with pictures of him shaking hands with prominent businessmen in front of new buildings.

  I couldn’t have Knox come crashing into Porter’s office and cause hell. I knew what Knox wanted to do to Porter but it had to be done right. The last thing I needed was Knox being put in jail because of me.

  When I got there and saw two men standing outside his office door I knew it was nothing good waiting for me. I couldn’t back away and take off so I entered.

  Porter sat at his desk with another man across from him. They quickly wrapped up and shook hands. The man eyed me and exited the office.

  “Tony,” Porter said. “Helping with an expansion project. He owns a lot of construction equipment. Expert in digging holes.”

  “Okay,” I said. “Everything okay?”

  “Not at all, Ana. I’m replaying some details in my mind and I’m not sure what’s happening.”

  All I could think then was that Porter had someone watch me last night and knew Knox had come over. I was tired of living like that, you know? I loved Knox and there was going to be no shame in it.

  Easier to think than react to.

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “Your old flame… he’s riding his motorcycle again. Wearing his leather jacket again.”

  I swallowed hard. “Oh?”

  “See, there was a time when my family and the Reaper’s Bastards could live side by side. We had small run-ins here and there, but nothing violent. Of course, everyone wants to swing the bigger dick. Newsflash, Ana, my dick is bigger.”

  No it’s not, Porter. Ohmygod, it’s so far from bigger… or even big…

  “What does that mean?”

  “Something is happening,” Porter said. He rose up. “If those fucks think they’re going to push back at me, they’re in for a war. Their leader is in prison for life. Another member is on death row.”

  Porter paused. I had a small sense of relief go through me. He had seen Knox and beat him up. I was sure it wasn’t just Porter that hurt Knox. Porter couldn’t handle himself alone.

  “I’m not sure…” is what I started to say before Porter cut me off with another line in his thought.

  “And Knox is fucking the woman who is supposed to be mine.”

  The second I heard the sentence, I stepped back. “What?”

  “Please. You have guilt all over your fucking face. You smell like grease and sex. You look like you can’t walk straight.”

  “Better than you ever did,” I blurted out.

  I quickly gasped and turned to run.

  I exploded out of the office only to have one of the guys ready for me. My instinct kicked in, my ability to defend myself, just like the way Knox taught me to do so. After that night at the college party where Knox saved me from something bad, he got me coffee, breakfast, and took me to a gym to teach me how to defend myself. Step one was pretty obvious - don’t get blackout drunk. But the rest of the steps were handy.

  The big guy opened his arms to grab me and I lifted my foot and slammed into his balls. I hit so hard it hurt my toes. The big guy fell to the right and gasped for air. I wasted no time in running.

  I heard the door open and Porter’s voice said to get me.

  He was calm and cool about it.

  There couldn’t be a big scene, not at his office.

  That gave me the chance to get out of the office and into my car. Before I could throw the thing in reverse, Porter and his two guys came rushing out of the office building. Porter pointed right at me. He was going to come for me. He was going to get me. Shit, he was going to hurt me.

  No. No, Ana. You have Knox. Your outlaw. Your warrior.

  I sped out of the parking lot and Porter was after me. I reached across my seat and grabbed for my bag. The wheel turned to the right and the car swerved toward the side of the road. I caught myself before I crashed and hurt myself. Darting to the left, I almost went into oncoming traffic. I had the phone in my hand and then it was gone. I dropped the damn thing on the floor. My hands were shaking so bad, my mouth bone dry. I never had death so close to me.

  Reaching down, I kept my eyes on the road and found my phone again.

  I quickly called for Knox.

  When he answered, I said one word.

  Help.

  It was then like I could feel the rage pouring through the phone.

  I talked fast and told him what had happened. That Porter wanted blood because of the Reaper’s Bastards getting back together and because he just knew me and Knox were together. That shouldn’t have been a huge shock because anyone in town knew that me and Knox were always bouncing back and forth.

  Not anymore. We were together now. I was going to take his promises to my grave if I had to. Of course something like this would happen right away though. We could never get a break to ourselves. It was the thing that kept us apart for years.

  Knox told me to go west and get on what people called the abandoned roads. There used to be big factories and lots of jobs but life happened and a good chunk of the town was left to rot and rust. That’s where a lot of bad things happened. So the second Knox told me to go there, I knew bad things were going to happen.

  I looked in the mirror and saw the two black cars following me still.

  The problem was that as I got closer to those roads, it gave a chance for Porter and his guys to stage an attack.

  Which they did.

  The car his guys were driving flew right up next to me and started to cut to the right, wanting to take me off the road. I panicked and didn’t know what to do. Logic was not stepping forward during those moments for me. I hunched down a little, fearing a bullet was going to get me. I then slammed on the brakes.

  That turned out to be the right move to make.

  The black car went flying forward.

  Behind me, Porter slammed on his brakes and cut to the right to keep from smashing into my car. His car turned sideways and skidded to a stop.


  In front of me, the black car’s brakes light lit up.

  I turned the wheel to the right and pressed the gas. I shot around the black car and bought myself some time.

  Not much, but I hoped it was enough.

  I couldn’t believe the wild turn my life had taken.

  You know how people say that if you mess with fire you’ll end up getting burned?

  Yeah, well, here’s another lesson…

  If you mess with an outlaw, you’ll end up getting killed.

  Porter wanted to go to war with Knox. Knox wanted to go to war with Porter. And I was in the middle. Trapped by Porter and loved by Knox.

  I flew around a wide bend just as Porter and the black car were catching up again.

  That’s when I saw him in the middle of the road.

  Like the crazy, bad-ass outlaw that he was, Knox had his motorcycle sideways in the middle of the road and he leaned against it. He reached into his leather cut and took out a smoke and lit it up.

  He was insane and the hottest guy I’d ever known…

  The showdown was officially on.

  Knox stood there and smoked like nothing was happening. Porter jumped out of his car and reached for a gun. With the cigarette still in his mouth, Knox reached for his gun. They were then standing, Porter closing in on him, both of them pointing guns at each other.

  I was standing there, behind Knox’s motorcycle, my entire body shaking.

  Knox took one more drag of his cigarette and tossed it to the ground.

  “You want more of this?” Porter asked.

  The two guys got out of the other black car.

  “You can’t do it man to man, huh?” he asked Porter.

  “Fuck you,” Porter said. “I should have killed you.”

  “You don’t want that war, Porter. I’m simply taking what is mine and then taking control of my town.”

  Porter laughed. “You’re starting a fight over a cunt?”

  “Call her a cunt again,” Knox said and stepped toward Porter. “I dare you, you fucking greasy piece of shit. Why don’t you put that gun down and fight me like a man?”

  “I don’t need to fight you,” Porter said.

  “That’s right. You only beat up on women.”

  I gasped and covered my mouth.