by Ethan Egorov
“That’s different.” I murmur, slug down more of my beer. It was different with Tank because him and his brother didn’t have problems until they were older, from what he told me.
Spencer always caused trouble, made shit with our dead-beat parents even worse. Then they were gone and as if it could get worse it did, and I left. Maybe I feel guilty for that and it’s why I always go back, but other than that I don’t know what to do.
“Not really. Maybe you should bring him around.” Tank suggests.
I laugh audibly at that. “Yeah, and then he’ll steal all the money from the drawer, rob the store too. Then he’ll be gone just as fast as I brought him here. Can’t do that to the club.” I shake my head and finish my beer, they are all silent in response.
“Keep a close eye on him then. Come on, what do you think would have happened to you if you hadn’t come around? If I hadn’t dragged you out of that fight club.” Tank chuckles deep, sounds more like thunder.
I shrug, having no response. “Who knows.” I mutter.
They leave me alone for the time being, I have them fill me in on what has been going on. Kit is in charge of the gun running the club does, we don’t get involved directly but if there is a shipment coming through, we get paid to see it through. It keeps the lights on, keeps our pockets comfortable, and we do the other stuff the rest of the time.
The town here doesn’t pay us much attention unless we bother them, which we don’t. Sometimes when there is trouble, it’s us that takes care of it. I have had run ins with the cops, but never when I was paying my own attention. Sometimes I think the time will come when they decide to come after us, but that will only be when we stop paying attention and being careful, which we won’t.
“Look Rafe, it’s your choice. All I’m saying is that you can’t keep up and leaving the club when shit goes bad, you were gone for almost two months.” Tank says.
“Yeah, I mean you know I can’t keep the garage running by myself.” Kit adds.
I roll my eyes at them and wish the conversation was over, but knowing them, they will just dig in deeper. I stop drinking after my second beer, since I don’t want to be buzzed at all tonight. I just wanted to drop in before I went home.
“Or the shop, no one likes doing that anyway.” Logan laughs and walks off to the new customers that sat at the bar. They look like out of towners.
“Yeah because it’s boring as shit.” We get a lot of customers, young from the high school or local college, I don’t really know. The idea came from one of our younger prospects a few years ago, who is now on the exec too, Darrius.
“Just think about it. How bad could it be? I gotta go take care of some shit, nice to see you.” Tank claps my back and heads out to the back room, probably to his office.
I stare at the game playing with a heavy sigh, not even really watching it. My mind weighs heavily on how I left things with my brother, hoping that he doesn’t get himself into more trouble, but that is wishful thinking on its own.
I catch up more with Logan and Kit. Darrius stops by too, he is younger with the blond hair and tattoos look that clearly all the women love, they perk up right when he enters. I get mine, but I prefer not to do the sleeping around thing, too messy. In fact on my way home, I call up Jenna, a glorified friends with benefits.
She is around my age, I don’t even know, somewhere in the twenty-five area, and I barely even know what she does for work. It might be something in a bank. I don’t know or really care, she’s fun and free of complication. After I say goodbye to the guys, I head to her place to meet her. It would be too complicated if it were at mine, I would have to awkwardly ask her to leave. It’s not that I don’t want to be in a relationship or can’t, a bunch of guys at the club are in one or have been, I just don’t have the space to add mental games into my life or hurt someone because I wasn’t paying attention, it seems to work so far.
My place is near the club, less than five miles. I pull up to the single story, boring looking ranch house I rented a few years back and then bought for cheap with money at the club. The brick is a funny red color, shrubbery all torn up, but it’s home for now. It’s silent, the way I left it. I turn the fridge and gas back on, check all the rooms. It’s the way I left it and I don’t know why I expected something else.
I mostly notice that it is empty and Tanks’ words come flooding back to me, it really doesn’t feel right to leave Spencer behind anymore. If I am going to be his supportive brother, I need to be it for real.
“Fucking hell,” I mutter to myself right after I make the decision.
Now shit really isn’t going to be the same.
Spencer
“This place is a shit hole anyway.” I stare at my shitty landlord, who stares back with his pudgy face and cigar smoke scent. I hand him the cash and he snatches it, shutting the door behind him. I stare at the cracked wooded door and kick it for good measure, before I walk off.
I’ve lived here long enough to know the drill; my rent is never on time but it didn’t matter much last time since I was in jail anyway. I’m lucky I didn’t get evicted, but that’s just because my biker for a big brother got me out of a shitty situation. Again. That’s how our entire lives have been, in and out of foster care until we were old enough to be on our own. He made it out for good, somehow, I still got stuck in the constant cycle of trouble. If he were still here, he would say it was my fault, which it technically was. I avoid calling him when I get myself in a bad situation as long as I can but I always end up calling him and he’ll fuss about it until he shows up and after.
This time was worse. I wasn’t exactly a drug dealer, but I played my part, a part that ended with me in jail and a couple pissed people who are actually dangerous drug dealers. But Roland came and bailed me out, paid off the dealers and left them with a threat backed by his MC, and then left. Not much else to say when that’s all I seem to be able to do, get myself in trouble.
When I walk into my apartment, the stench of years of people who lived here before me meets me and I frown. I hate this place, but it’s the best I can do. I’m not like Roland, he somehow found a place at the MC but I don’t know if being surrounded by a bunch of men I’m supposed to protect and vice versa is my thing, it sounds like a cult to me. But it helped him, and if I am supposed to stay like this, I can’t keep dragging him back. He is better than me, and he’d probably stay back for me. I can’t mess up his life for him.
I mule over all this as I eat a frozen dinner and toss it out half eaten. It’s my first night back since jail, Roland made me stay at the motel with him so he could give me a talking to. He is only four years older than me but has always been like the father. One we never had.
I check my phone to find a text from him, just checking in. I ignore it. I’m not a kid. I may be a dumb twenty-one-year-old that makes bad choices, but that’s completely different.
I have to run the shower water for it to get hot, once it’s steaming, I take one and then go straight to bed, thinking about what the hell I’m going to do the next day.
~
I worked side jobs to keep the lights on—dim lights but still—one of them was in construction. I just had a good eye for those kind of things and I have been doing it for a year or so.
After that’s done, I head home around five when the sun is still up. My truck is the only thing I actually own, I got it last year too. It’s when I am walking inside that my simple day ends by Roland calling me.
“What?” I slam the door behind me and answer, stopping at the fridge for a beer.
“I gotta proposition.” His raspy voice comes through the phone. We both sound the same way, in school we could pretend to be each other and the teachers wouldn’t notice.
“Oh, big words. What is it this time?” a few months ago, it was to move to Tennessee and live with him. I live in north Texas now, so it’s not like I am that far. We seperated when I joined up and was discharged because I have an attitude problem and have been ever since.
I sit on the couch and sip my beer, pretending to listen as I flip channels to the game.
“Except what bro? I don’t have all day.” Which is a lie, I literally have all day. I’m not surprised that he called. Soon after I get him to help me out of trouble, he calls me about moving out where he lives and starting over there or something like that, nothing about the club. I know he doesn’t want me to mess up the good thing he did. He’s the VP, he has respect, a kid brother with attitude issues will just make him look bad. Not like I want to be in his club anyway.
“Yeah well, Tank suggested you come and hang out with the club. You’d be a prospect, I don’t know if you might join but I think it’d be good for you.”
I scoff, “You know what’s good for me?” I sip my beer and wait for his retort.
“I guess I do, since I’m out three grand for another one of your bonehead mistakes.”
“I’m hanging up—”
“Wait, just… shit, is it so bad that I want us to live near each other again? It was bad when we were kids but we don’t have to deal with shitty foster parents anymore.”
“Please don’t pull the it will be fun card. It won’t. You’ll boss me around, I will just be forced to live in your shadow. Not a good idea. Plus I don’t want to be in your cult.”
He laughs once, “It’s not a cult. Look just think about it. I promise I won’t bother you like that, I’ll stay out of your way as long as you stay out of trouble. Plus that place you live in is a shit hole, mine is nice.” He chuckles and I can’t help but shake my head at him.
I drink my beer and stew over his words. Perhaps it would be better. I mean, it’s free living. But then I would also have to listen to Roland and anything that he says, because I would feel like I owed him. And I would. It would be a constant bail out every day.
“I don’t know about playing house bro, and that’s your space.”
“I mean, you don’t have to live with me forever. Maybe just save up money and find your own place. You can work the bar and save up, we have this shop that you can work at too. Easy money. It’s not a cult, but it is a bunch of guys ready to have your back.”
“That requires me having their back too.”
“Is that all you got out of that?”
I laugh, “Yeah that’s it.” I finish my beer and wince. It’s not like I love living here or I have put down roots here, but following my brother sounds like a bad move. Like I said, I don’t want to owe him, nor do I want to feel like he controls me or something.
“Look man, I can’t force you to. But I am willing to bet that you are tired of the way you’re living now. And Tank almost guaranteed he would let you in the club, I was a lot like you when he found me anyway. Just think about it.” He says in his older brother tone and I am forced to listen to him when he does that.
I sigh, letting the pause linger until it just becomes weird.
“Yeah I’ll think about it.”
After a bit more banter we hang up, I let him get on with whatever he was doing, I strip down to my boxers and spend the rest of the night watching television. It’s after I kill a bug in my kitchen and find mold under the faucet, that I make up my mind.
Spencer: Fine.
Roland: Knew it.
~
It took fifteen minutes to pack up my apartment, not even exaggerating. It was just clothes, something sentimental I’ve had since I was a kid, and that was it. The drive was about six hours and I only stopped once.
He lived in this off-road house, down a long driveway. When I saw it, I thought of the house we sort of grew up in, it was just the place we stayed the longest with foster parents that didn’t suck.
I get out of the truck in my sweats appropriate for a long drive, and grab my duffel bag from the back seat. I knock on his door, and ring the doorbell, and end up having to text him anyway. He shows up a few moments later.
“Ugly door.” Is how I greet him.
He frowns but smiles soon after and we hug hello. I walk inside and survey his place.
“It’s not as shitty as I thought.” I grin and stare back at him.
We look just alike. Same height, if I lifted as much as he does then I would have his build but I don’t. Just the same dark hair and eyes, minus the tattoo sleeve he has that his black tee shirt exposes. He looks like he was just lounging around in that and jeans, it’s almost seven pm and I wish I could just be doing nothing all day like the mess of his hair clearly indicates.
“I’m not the same messy kid from before. You hungry?”
“Now you’re making sense.”
I follow him to the kitchen and we talk over leftover pizza, even though we pretty much just saw each other. But it had been a while before that and we didn’t do much talking anyway.
“You want to come to the club with me?” he folds the pizza box over and tosses it. I ignore him and finish my bottle of water.
“There’s women.” He leans against the counter and smirks.
I chuckle at him and shake my head. He grins back and I think it may not have been so bad to move here, being brothers is probably the easiest thing in the world, until it gets complicated. Simple as that. But even with our crappy upbringing, we made our lives worth something together, having fun. We have always been all the other had and I guess I forgot about that. But if the club is going to remind me of that then it might be worthwhile.
“I’ll go, but not for the women. Didn’t you call them community pussy?” I chuckle and stand.
“Yeah, I did. Your choice.”
“Show me my room, I need to shower and settle in.”
“Sure.”
After that, he rides his bike to the club and I drive my truck. I know how to ride one, we actually used to back in high school when we worked at this junk mechanic shop and that’s where we learned. But I’d rather have an escape plan if I want to leave.
I’ve never met the other guys at the club, I’ve heard him talk about them. So meeting them in person makes it clear that he really has found his family, and I’m happy for him.
But I don’t want to mess it up for him either.
“This is Tank, our president.” Roland introduces me to a guy as wide as a fridge, with a salt and pepper beard and silver streaked hair. But he still looks like he could pound circles around anyone. I know they have their weird club names, but I wasn’t expecting Roland’s.
“Nice to meet you Spencer. Heard a lot about you.”
I shake his hand, “I hope not.” I chuckle. His grin is slow but it’s a grin.
We move to a quieter area and it’s just the three of us, while the music pounds heavily in the background, beer bottles clank and pool table sticks hit the balls, it really sounds like a bar.
“Look, we don’t get a lot of new prospects. But I think you would do good in the club, if you’re anything like your brother.”
I sigh and lean against the wall, “Hardly.” I roll my eyes but Roland gives me a funny look.
“It’s not gonna be as bad as you think, we need a new club member anyway. Just keep your head down, stay out of trouble.” Roland says and Tank nods.
I nod once too, I’ve done enough thinking about it that it wouldn’t really be any good to dwell over it now. I don’t just want what Roland has, because I don’t want to take that from him, but I want something for myself too, and not have to live away from him anymore. We’re family after all.
“Okay. I’ll join.”
Buckle Your Seatbelts and get Ready for an Epic Ride!
The Outlaw MC Series Complete Boxset is Here!
HAWKE
The Outlaws started with nothing but a common leader.
My life had always been unbearable.
It was loud and unstable.
I joined the club to find my purpose.
To give myself peace of mind.
To
day, the town is our arena and the MC Club room is home.
Our President, Tank, is ruthless.
The five Outlaw men continue to reign under his leadership.
Power is the name of the game.
We’re dangerous, insatiable and know how to protect our women.
And we stop at nothing until we emerge victorious.
SPARROW
She walked into my life when I was supposed to stay out of trouble.
All I had to do was join the club and mind my own business.
Now her gorgeous curves are all I can think about.
The plan was to have one taste of her, and then let her go.
But I’ve been left wanting so much more.
The problem, though?
She’s the MC President’s daughter.
The one woman who is completely off-limits.
This is the kind of trouble that my brother warned me about.
He won’t bail me out this time.
The stakes are too high.
But the risk is worth the reward.
Besides, it’s my heart on the line.
They say I’m a rule breaker…
And I’m about to show them just how far I could go to take what’s mine.
CARDINAL
Just when I thought I’d never see her again,
she walks right into my bar…
I’m the new pres of the MC, the Outlaws are
counting on me to hold things together.
To keep a drug war for happening and tearing the club apart.
I’m prepared to do just that until I get arrested,
a DUI slapped on me by a cop that hates the MC.
And then I see her. Paige Travers.
The beautiful red head who is now my lawyer, and becomes the only thing I care about.
