“I came all the way up here because we need the butcher to come out to play.” A sinister grimace spread wide as Hawk watched the rage boil up from the depths of my soul.
Odin gestured to the back room where Red and Dhonal were already waiting. The three of us joined them around the table as Sherry brought in fresh drinks for everyone.
“Make sure no one comes back here,” Odin ordered as he smacked his old lady on the ass, sending her back to her post.
Once the door shut behind her, Odin addressed the table. “The Sinners are trying to move into our gun supply. That cannot happen. They need to be put in their place immediately.”
Odin lit a cigarette before offering the blue pack to me. Taking two sticks, I lit the first with shaking hands before securing the second behind my right ear. They’d both be killed within minutes.
“This pipeline is going to start supplying Arkansas and Sweetwater after we take care of this little problem. That’s why I’m here,” Hawk explained. “Felt the need to be hands on with this run.”
“We have an inside man giving us word that the Sinners are planning on hijacking our shipment right before it gets off the highway in their territory. We need to get to them before the truck even leaves Atlanta.” Dhonal leaned back in his chair, scratching his dark red beard with both hands.
“How do we know the source is credible?” I asked.
“Because he’s right behind you,” said a gruff, familiar voice boomed, his words filling the room as I turned to see a sight for sore eyes.
“I feel like I’m seeing a fucking ghost.” I leapt to my feet, hooking an arm around my long-lost brother’s neck. Jack Sumter had patched years before, leaving to help start the Sweetwater charter. I had assumed he was dead after all that time with no word.
“When these guys came to Sweetwater griping about their little infestation problem, figured it was time to get my hands dirty.” Jack took a seat next to Odin before explaining the intel he had gathered over the few months he had been under cover behind enemy lines.
“Those fucking idiots really believed you were a deserter?” Hawk chuckled.
Jack spit biker juice into his empty beer bottle. “What can I say? I was the head of the drama club all four years in high school.”
“Who knew being a geek could be so beneficial?” I teased.
He threw his hand in the air. “Theater chicks put out at my school. I got so many BJs behind that closed curtain—really put some hair on that young chest of mine.”
We mapped out the plan, figuring out what each member’s job would be. The excitement to see blood dripping from my ax was all consuming helping me push my worries about Crickett to the back of my mind.
“Don’t the Sinners roll deep?” I naïvely asked. Months had gone by with me in North Carolina and every time I had the misfortune of seeing our rivals, they were in large packs. Fucking pussies.
“They’ll be a small pack tonight. We’ll outnumber them three to one at least,” Jack clarified.
“I like those damn odds.” Hawk smacked me on the back as his face lit up like it was fucking Christmas morning.
It was almost sundown, time to spring into action.
Walking back into the bar, I scanned the room as our warriors stood at attention. They knew it was time for battle—their excitement radiating through the entire place.
“Get the broads and kid outta here,” Odin barked at Sherry, who was leaning over the bar top helping their son with his homework.
Little Abel peered up at his dad with wide eyes. “I got an A on my math test.” The kid’s chest was puffed out with pride, but his accomplishment fell on deaf ears.
My heart sank. No kid should feel rejected by their old man. Pulling a pack of Fun Dip out of the usual pocket, I tossed it over to the deflating youngster as he watched his father walk past him without even a sideways glance.
Gripping the candy, his eyes welled up a bit. “Thank you.”
Sherry packed up his school books, helping her son off of the stool. “That was sweet of you, Rave.”
I gave her a quick wink before she started ushering the lot of sluts and house mouses out to the parking lot, holding her boy by the hand.
“Time to go to war, boys!” Odin’s voice thundered through the bar as everyone cheered.
We got right to it—Kevlar, guns, ammo, and knives all at the ready. I was strapped down, ax on my back within seconds, along with two Berettas, extra magazines, and a few switchblades for good measure. I rarely ever fired my guns; they were a last resort, a backup plan, but I preferred to have them and never use them rather than get in a bind. My ax would see all the action for this one if everything went to plan.
In a pack of roaring chrome horses, we rode down the highway, Odin and Jack leading the way. It had been a while since I was on a mission where I wasn’t alone. I preferred to handle business quickly, quietly, and with as few witnesses as possible. Even though we all belonged to the same brotherhood, I didn’t trust the Vilas guys yet. On high alert, I followed like a good little soldier, but there was a knot in the pit of my stomach. Too many moving parts meant more things could go wrong.
Sending a few of the grunts along first, we set the trap, watching from the top of the hill with our lights off as our small group started to get followed by our targets.
Jack whistled and we flew down the road, circling the handful of Sinners.
“What fucking twits.” I snickered as our group easily surrounded theirs.
Bikes lay down, tires squealed, hammers were pulled back, and men yelled—all music to my ears. I hopped off my Chief, gripping the handle and swinging my ax into the side of the head of the first Sinner I saw. The top of his skull exploded open as a husky victory cry leapt from my lungs. Poor piece of shit didn’t even have time to free his gun from its holster before he was a pile of meat and bones collapsed on the roadside.
Crimson splattered across Hawk’s face as it contorted into a vindictive sneer. He orbited the enemies, smearing their fallen brother’s blood across his forehead, sizing them all up. I wasn’t the only one in our group with bloodlust.
“Who’s next?” I yelled as I wiped brain matter onto my leather chaps, cracking my neck from side to side.
Hawk howled, “Welcome back, Butcher!”
“We have a message for all you scumbags who think we will sit by and let our enemies steal from us.” Dhonal shot the kneecap of a Sinner who was trembling in front of him and had his hands in the air. Spitting on the man as he wailed in agony, Dhonal pointed his gun at the rest of them. “You’ve declared war on the wrong club. This is the only warning you’re going to ever get.”
Our shipment truck was off in the distance as we let the sons of bitches get on their bikes, their tails tucked between their legs.
“This isn’t over,” a Sinner called out as he pushed hard on the throttle.
“We’re looking forward to playing with you boys again real soon!” Odin cackled, firing a shot into the air with his sawed off double barrel.
Hawk, Red, and I brought up the rear as we made the short trek back to the bar with our truck full of firepower safely in the middle of the regiment.
After getting our shipment into the storeroom, we celebrated our victory with whiskey flowing all around. It was apparent that most of the Vilas crew hadn’t experienced an encounter like that as they boasted about the bloodshed. They hadn’t seen anything yet. That was child’s play compared to other situations I had been in over the years.
Sitting alone at a back table, I thumbed through the small stack of pictures of Crickett. My heart was beating in her chest, and I could feel its empty slot in mine. I was hollow, void, the butcher once again. Maybe it was for the best. Maybe Crickett needed me to be miles away. Helen was a whore, but at least she wasn’t a murderer.
Red rubbed off my hands and stained the white edges of the photographs as I shoved my treasures into my wallet for safekeeping. It was time to wash up a bit and enjoy the win with my brethr
en.
My blood ran cold as I walked into an argument I wasn’t meant to hear.
“How the fuck is the drawer ten bucks short? You fucking skimming? You good-for-nothing hooker!” Smack. I winced as I came up behind Odin manhandling Sherry like a cut slut who’d bit his dick.
“Fuck, man.” I grabbed his balled fist right before it could connect with her stomach. “We are not woman beaters.”
Blood was still dripping down my neck as my eyes locked with Sherry’s gorgeous ice blues. They were bloodshot, and tears stained her pale skin.
Odin spun around on his heels, looking like a hellhound about to chew my head off. “This is between me and my ol’ lady. Mind your own damn business, brother.”
“While you wear that skull and bones on your back, it is my fucking business.” Every vein in my body pumped hard as my eye started to twitch. “I don’t give a fuck if you’re the president or a bum on the street—I won’t stand by and watch a woman take a pounding over ten fucking greenbacks. Take it out of the coffer and walk it off.”
“You’ll pay for this, Butcher.” The bitter words hung heavy as we stood glaring at each other.
I shoved Odin to the side, pulling Sherry’s tiny body behind mine, tucking her close to my back and keeping one arm hooked around her middle. “Bring it. You’ll be excommunicated and hogtied behind my bike within seconds of Hawk catching wind of this.”
Right on cue, Hawk made his way down the narrow, dimly lit hallway that led to the employee bathroom.
“Everything all right back here?” Hawk’s hand on was on his sidearm, ready to handle the escalation the only way he knew how.
Odin spit on Sherry’s stiletto. “Don’t forget whose bed you sleep in,” he muttered before turning to my president. “Everything is fine here. I’ll be in the office.”
He heaved past, knocking into me with his shoulder as I stood firmly between him and the woman he claimed to protect.
Hawk put his hand on Sherry’s trembling arm. “Give us a minute, doll face.”
Sherry squeezed my forearm as she whispered, “Thank you,” in my ear before scurrying away.
“What a fucking night.” Hawk ran his hand up the back of his neck, crimson splattered across his face. “What did I just walk in on?”
My head hung as I worked my jaw. “Nothing. None of our business, I guess.”
“Whadya say we get this gore off us and drink it down like the old days?” He motioned to our stained cuts as he winked at me in true Hawk fashion.
Chapter 4
The next day, I sat on my regular stool, waiting.
“Table in ten.” Odin walked through the bar with a smug look on his face and a glint of pissed-off edge in his gaze.
I watched Sherry wiping down the other end of the bar, the slightest hint of a shiner bruising under her left eye.
Ambling down toward me, she opened a beer and started to chug.
“What’s the matter, stud?” she asked, sinking down onto the barstool next to me.
“Sometimes there’s no going back.” I chugged down a shot, filling the glass to the brim again.
“Well, at least don’t drink the hard stuff alone.” She took the shot out of my fingers, throwing it back before I could protest.
“He good to you?” My eyes locked on the closed door I was about to walk through.
“Good enough.” She sighed, rolling her fingers through her long blonde hair.
“Good enough ain’t good enough, sweetheart—not if he’s beating on ya.” I tossed another shot back before shoving away from the old oak counter.
“I’ve been his old lady for as long as I can remember. I can take it.” Her gaze snapped to mine, the fear in it snuffing out her smile.
“Can and should are two very different animals.” I squeezed her shoulder before leaving her in an empty room.
We all took our places as Hawk sat in Odin’s seat, leaving him standing off to the side.
“It has been decided that we’ll make a few changes around here in light of our little Sinners problem. The blowback could get gruesome, and I can’t leave here without knowing all players are in the right positions. Odin and I have already discussed this. There will be no voting. I am moving Dhonal from his VP position and replacing him with Rave.”
Dhonal and I both scrambled to our feet, protesting.
“Sit your asses down,” Odin growled, his fists clenched.
“Dhonal will remain Odin’s right hand. I just need to know that someone I trust is high up on the food chain. Red and Jack will be remaining here as well. Jack, congratulations on moving up to sergeant-at-arms. You proved yourself worthy of it last night tenfold.”
“This is all on a temporary basis to see if we can make it work,” Odin added through gritted teeth.
Hawk flung a vice president patch over to me. “Congratulations, brother.”
I gripped the black material, staring at it in disbelief. There was nothing I wanted less than to stay in Vilas, let alone be the VP to a pres I thought was a sack of donkey shit, but orders were orders. Throwing my cut onto the table, I took out my knife to remove the enforcer and Arkansas patches from my leather. Dhonal, Red, and Jack followed suit then we continued the meeting like everything was all peachy, ignoring the mammoth in room, stinking up the place.
“It’s for the best, Rave.” Hawk’s low voice called after me as I stormed out of the room and up to the bar.
“Whiskey,” I ordered before throwing my cut and new patches over to Sherry. She didn’t even ask, just took my crap from me after filling up a rocks glass higher than normal. She pulled a sewing kit out of her handbag and made quick work of making my new position official.
“Gonna just ignore me, brother?” Hawk stood behind me, leering like he always did when I pissed him off.
“A little warning would have been appreciated, brother.” I kept my back to him, sipping slowly.
“I’ll tell Crickett you said hi.” The sound of her name crashed into my last nerve.
Spitting in my former president’s face, I seethed as I said, “Just stay the fuck away from my kid, motherfucker. Ain’t like y’all really do much for her these days, anyhow.”
He shoved his hands into his pockets as he backed away from me. “Whatever you say, man. If you want that little girl to grow up unprotected, so be it. Ain’t no skin off my damn teeth.”
Chapter 5
Years later
My dearest Crickett,
I just got home from a long ride to clear my head. It’s your thirteenth birthday today and I wish I were there to watch my brand-new teenager blow out her birthday candles and make a very special wish. There is so much I have missed over the years and I will never get those moments back. I can only hope that sooner rather than later, I will be able to look you in the eye, hug you, and make up for all the time lost and missed memories.
Thirteen is such a fun age, but it is also the start of one of the hardest times for most kids. You’ll start high school soon, you’ll start dating (even though it makes me sick to my stomach to admit that), and you will have to start thinking about your future. The advice I give you is follow your heart—it is the only true barometer we have in this world. Try to lead yourself down a path of good intensions and smart decisions. Be kind and humble no matter what life throws at you. I know I have messed up along the way, but it’s all right to stumble as long as you learn from the trips and falls. Brush yourself off and continue moving forward knowing you are a strong young lady with the whole world at your fingertips.
I will always love you, baby girl.
Hopefully we will be together again soon.
- Your father, Rave
I read over my letter as many times as my stinging eyes would allow, sitting on the back of my bike in a heather-covered field. I could only hope this one would sneak past Helen and not be returned like all the rest had been over the years. There were hundreds of scribbled letters never delivered to my baby, but I was never going to stop trying. S
omeday I would be able to prove to my daughter that I’d at least tried. Someday I would be able to show her the boxes of letters, all the unopened envelopes that were meant to ease Crickett’s mind.
Does she even remember me?
I wiped my nose with the sleeve of my flannel before riding back to the clubhouse where my men were waiting for me. Eight long years I had been stuck in Vilas, eight fucking torturous years of feeling out of place and unwanted.
Abel was sitting on the couch with his girlfriend, Colleen, nestled in his lap as I made my way into the quiet clubhouse.
“Shouldn’t y’all be in school?” I glanced from the teenagers up to the clock on the wall.
Abel shrugged, swigging from a can of Pabst Blue Ribbon. “Teacher workday?”
I smacked him on the back of his shaved head, ripping the beer out of the boy’s hand before pulling Colleen to her feet. “I wasn’t born yesterday. Class, now, and put some damn clothes on, young lady. Around here, you don’t want to be seen as another lay ripe for the picking. Abel, you know better than this.”
Even though Abel was Odin’s son, I treated him more like my own than his old man did. As I escorted the kids to Abel’s beat-up truck, I heard Sherry scream from a back room.
I flew into the makeshift bedroom like a bat out of hell right as Odin punched her square in the jaw. This was the last time; I wasn’t going to sit back and let him get away with beating on her again.
Grabbing the back of my president’s cut, I threw him across the room. Even though I was a few inches shorter, I doubled him in weight and muscle. Add in my blind rage, and I would have killed him if I could have.
Blow after blow, I beat his face in as he unsuccessfully tried to defend himself. My ax cried for me to let her finish the job as he fell to his knees in the corner like the little bitch he was, spitting blood and a few teeth onto the concrete floor.
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