by Wilder, L.
Unfortunately, there was no drug and no amount of alcohol on this earth that could ease the pain I was feeling. I’d already tried. Damn near killed myself searching for something to numb the ache. It wasn’t until I started prospecting for Fury that I discovered something that’d give me any relief and that was riding my Harley. My bike gave me an even greater rush than I’d felt when I was playing ball. I needed that distraction right now, but it would have to wait. We had church in a few minutes, so I released the hold on my arm and replied, “No need for that. I’ll be fine.”
“You sure?”
“Absolutely.”
When I turned my attention back to my food, Gunner did the same, and by the time we were all done, it was time for church. I followed Gunner and Blaze into the conference room, and we joined the others at the table. As soon as we were all seated, Gus turned to us and said, “You all know, the leader of the Inner Disciples made a threat against Kenadee a couple of weeks ago. Riggs has been doing what he can to monitor the situation, watching the security feed at all their hangouts, and we both have our concerns about Lewis’s current behavior.”
“Why? What the fuck is he doing?” Blaze asked.
“Lewis doesn’t run his crew like most of the gangs around here. He’s been a loose cannon, driven by the ownership of his turf and vengeance, but for the most part, he’s stayed clean. Recently, he’s been cracked out on coke, involved in shootouts with neighboring gangs, and the other night, a few of his boys robbed a downtown pawnshop. They got a pretty damn good take on AR15s and Glocks. If I didn’t know better, I’d say they were making preparations.”
Murphy leaned forward and asked, “Preparations for what?”
“No way to know for sure. Just be on high alert,” Gus warned. “If this guy tries to make good on his threats, I want you ready.”
“Understood,” we all replied.
“Good. Church is dismissed.”
We all stood and started to disperse. Like most nights, some of the brothers went to the bar to toss back a few beers, while others went home to their ol’ ladies. I didn’t have a woman and wasn’t in the mood for drinking, so I started towards the parking lot. I was just about to walk out the back door when I overheard Blaze talking to Gus. I could hear the mix of relief and excitement in his voice as Blaze told him, “We’ll have to see how it goes. She’s coming first thing tomorrow morning to check it out and see if she’s interested in working with us.”
“You sure it’s a good idea to bring a woman into the garage?”
“This Darcy chick has real talent, Gus, and Thompson hasn’t had any problems with her working at his place.”
Gus’s tone grew harsh as he replied, “Yeah, well…Thompson isn’t using his garage as a front for his club.”
Blaze ran his hand over his beard. “I don’t know what to tell you, Prez. There’s a lot I don’t know about this chick, but I’ve got a good feeling about her.”
“We’ll have Riggs look into her and make sure she’s not someone we’ll need to be concerned about.”
Damn. From the sounds of it, Blaze had his mind set on hiring Darcy Harrington. The thought didn’t set well with me as I headed out to the parking lot. I got on my bike, turned the ignition, and seconds later, I was pulling out of the gate. As soon as I hit the open road, I turned back the throttle and disappeared into the night. It’s hard to explain how alive I felt at that moment, like I was completely in tune with the world around me. When I was on my bike, I could see things more clearly, smell every scent, feel the wind against my skin, and hear the sounds of the city echoing around me. As I leaned my bike into a winding turn, it was just me and the road ahead. I wasn’t thinking about Darcy Harrington or my past, and in no time, the tension I’d been carrying all night started to fade. I rode for several hours, and when exhaustion started to set in, I went back to the clubhouse to crash for the night. By the time I walked into my room, I could barely keep my eyes open. I thought for sure I’d go straight to sleep, but unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Instead, I spent the entire night tossing and turning as I thought about coming face to face with Darcy Harrington again. I had a feeling that it wouldn’t be a happy reunion for either of us.