If they visit here, then 2 Piece will ride up with them in case they run into any shit. Cain’s funny about being protective when it comes to London and the baby. I’m guessing he’s paranoid something will happen since he’s a biker.
It just sucks because each time Tate and Emily make a trip, if I can’t get enough time off, then I can’t go with them. I’ve only been able to go on two of the six trips they’ve taken. I can’t afford to drive down there by myself or I would. I barely squeeze by as it is on my wages.
I was going to work at one of Tate’s businesses, but I couldn’t. If I decide to up and quit or something, I don’t want it to damage our friendship in any way. It’d be stupid to piss off the Mafia, even if he swears they aren’t after me. There’s always that inkling of doubt in the back of my head that they aren’t as sweet as they appear to be.
I’d hope that with my friendship to Niko and Emily, they’d at least try to save my butt. Who knows though? I just figure out my own way to make it.
I head out of the break room back to the front counter. I’m sure my break is way over by now. I’m a little bad about timing; I end up running late or early often.
“Feeling better, hun?” I look up as Dillan approaches and nod.
“Yes, thanks. Sometimes I become a tad overwhelmed. Sorry about that and thanks for taking over.”
I give her a side hug and a small smile. The boss would probably write me up if he were here to see me freak out like I did. Good thing it’s usually just the two of us in the evenings.
“Of course, lady, I don’t mind at all. I was coming to let you know that I filled Justin in on how dead the place is. He said we can close up thirty minutes early, so start your side work.” She jumps up and down, clapping her hands a few times, making me grin. Thank God there are only a few cameras or we’d look like a couple of fruit loops.
One positive thing about working in a coffee shop near campus is that we get to close in the evenings instead of super late like I’ve seen some coffee houses do. Everyone’s usually out with friends, partying or doing homework. Plus, I’m sure for safety reasons, it’s smarter to just close up shop.
“You’re freaking awesome, thank you.” I cheer and blow her a kiss.
She catches it dramatically and brings her hand to her chest. Making me giggle and turn up the store radio. “Sex on Fire” by Kings of Leon begins to play and we both dance around, singing while we clean.
I know I’m not a kid, but I love to have fun and act silly. My life would be much more boring if I never did anything like this.
I pretend to play the air guitar and she pretends to play drums. Dillan totally has a thing for drummers. I don’t blame her with that Hawk guy at Tainted. He’s über hotness with his blue mohawk and muscular drummer arms. They’d make an adorable couple too with Dillan’s model-like features and wild, red hair.
After finishing up the shift duties as quickly and efficiently as possible, we both hightail it out of there. I plan to go home and eat copious amounts of my favorite ice cream that Emily and London got me hooked on. Damn heifers, I now own every sundae topping imaginable too.
Dillan takes off to get her own food and probably pick Hawk up something, per her usual. What is it about men and food? If it’s not sex they want, then they seem to be hungry.
Chapter 2
2 Piece
Called into Church again…
I’m guessing Prez and Cain must’ve discovered some shit, since Prez called us into church again. It’s not our usual meeting time or day.
I take my seat three spaces down from Prez. It goes in pecking order, and while I’m slowly making my way up, there are still a few people ahead of me. It’s a good thing, though. I don’t want to oversee all the club shit—too much of a hassle.
Prez slams the gavel three times. Everyone shuts up and gives him their full attention.
“Listen up,” he grumbles.
I take in his scruffy, tired face. He’s stressed about something that’s for sure. Every time he gets worked up he doesn’t sleep.
He rubs his left hand over his face in irritation and sighs loudly. “We got word from the Russians. They know about the fucking Snakes but aren’t supplying them with anything. It looks as if they get their shit from Mexico. Who has any contacts with the Mexican cartels?”
He glances around the table and we all remain quiet. “Fuck, nobody? This day just keeps getting better.” He shakes his head and stares down at the table in front of him for a second.
He glances back up, frustration clearly written across his face. “Well, boys, then I have no choice. I’m gonna’ have to call Tate back and let him send up his man that he offered.”
Chaos breaks out with the brothers. Many start complaining and Twist hits the table with his fist angrily. With all of us in here, it tends to get a little crowded. With several griping comments such as ‘bullshit’ amongst other protests, the noise lever raises rapidly.
“The fuck’s this about?” Smiles jumps in.
Prez shoots his chilling glare at him and snarls. Nobody yells at the table except Prez. It’s the only time he demands we show him the respect of his patch.
Prez leans over the table and slams his palm down, directly in front of Smiles. There’s an audible growl, but I’m not sure who it comes from. They stare each other down for at least a minute, if not longer. It’s like watching two savage animals about to rip each other apart.
Prez blinks then shakes his head and sits back in his chair. There’s always been a rift between the two of them. I heard Smiles was keen on Prez’s ex ol’ lady.
I’m surprised the fucker’s alive still, if that really was the case. “Just calm the fuck down, everybody. Tate offered to send up his right-hand man, Niko. They want this problem to disappear as much as we do. Trust me when I say we don’t want the cartels into our shit. I’m going to tell Brently to stick close to the club till we have this figured out. Right now, it’s just a Snake problem. I want it to stay that way so we can take care of it.”
Twist shakes his head appearing disgusted; his lip piercing glints off the sunlight shining through the window as he does. He taps his fingers quickly in a beat, almost compulsively. An evil smirk comes over his face. “Just send me to check ‘em out, Prez. I can be an exterminator if needed.”
Prez shakes his head and shoots Twist a look that says, ‘shut the fuck up, you’re trying my patience,’ then glances at each of us around the large table. “We don’t act this way; we get pissed, but we think about shit. Now I know y’all don’t want any kind of help around here. If it comes to them saving your lives though, I’m doing what’s best for my brothers. You put me here to take care of the Oath Keepers MC and its members. That’s exactly what I’m doing.”
He takes a drink of his bottled water and clears his throat. “Now in the interest of this club’s survival and protecting my family from a possible threat, we will have a visitor. No bullshitting and no fucking around. Y’all treat him with respect while he’s here and always. They’ve been nothing but helpful to us. Understood?”
The table spits out, “Yes, Prez,” in a chorus of irritated voices. We sound like a bunch of petulant teenagers who just got grounded to their rooms for the summer.
“Anything else we need to be discussing?”
I blink, sit up and nod to acknowledge I want to speak when he looks at me. “Uh, yeah, I was thinking about asking my sister, Sadie, if she wants to come for a visit. If we’re going to catch a lot of heat for this Twisted Snakes shit, then I’ll hold off.”
Prez shifts in his seat and runs his hand through his shoulder-length blond hair. “Nah, brother, family is always welcome. Things aren’t too bad yet, so definitely ask her. I’m sure the brothers would enjoy some fresh meat round here,” he chuckles.
I glower at him. “Fuck no! None of you fuckers even talk to my sister if she visits.” I warn, good-naturedly and everyone chuckles.
That’s one of the first things that drew me to the club
life: the sense of loyalty and devotion that the brothers show toward their family members and each other. Here at the club, I never feel like I’m struggling or fighting alone, like I did growing up. When I was younger, I was in a constant state of feeling as if I was drowning and wasn’t going to be saved.
The club stepped in and threw me that life preserver I so desperately craved. I’m completely grateful that I always have someone near to help me out with anything if need be. I got a little taste of the generosity and loyalty of the club the very first time I rode to Texas, many years ago.
I’d just crossed into west Texas near Abilene and my bike began making crazy noises. I wasn’t a real mechanic or anything and had no idea what to do. I tinkered with shit and half-assed fixed stuff my whole life, but I was at a loss. I had to pull over; I didn’t want it to completely break or I knew I’d never be able to repair it.
An hour or so later, Prez and some of his members rode up. I about shit my pants, being confronted by a group of mean looking fuckers. At the time, I was a lot younger and smaller in size.
I thought they were going to rob me and possibly kill me. I had no clue just how ignorant I really was. I guess now though, I see many others are just as unfamiliar to our ways.
Imagine my surprise when the brothers gave me a bottle of water, helped me fix my bike, and let me ride with them to a truck stop down the road for a burger. They wanted to make sure my bike didn’t fuck up again after they took off. They turned out to be a decent bunch of rough guys.
The Prez was kind and easygoing towards me immediately and I got a sample of the life I could have. I was hooked from then on, but still leery for a bit about the commitment they’d devoted to the club. Over time, they grew into the family I never really had, minus my sister.
I’ve always wanted Sadie to come down and be a part of things here. She deserves to have a family supporting her and be surrounded by people who’d care about her. I think she’d end up enjoying it as much as I do. I’ve always loved club life and dedicated a lot of my time to it.
“All right, on that note, this shit’s done.” Prez states and the gavel’s slammed once to signify the ending of church.
We all slide our chairs back and head to the bar. I know there will be a lot of bitching and moaning over Nikoli coming up. I personally don’t mind Niko. I get a good vibe from him. He seems like he’s dedicated to Tate and taking care of shit. I can usually tell if a fucker’s shady.
The hall’s dark as I make my way towards the bar. On the walls, there’s a banner with our club crest and a few pictures scattered about of the clubhouse being built. We celebrated the club’s resurrection with a large barbecue outside all day and drank plentifully into the night. That was before we had club issues to deal with and we were just a group of guys riding.
The club’s been around a lot longer than I’ve been in it. The compound however, is only about five years old. We’re a cluster of wanderers who are all native-by-choice Texans. We love our state, never met a group of more proud people. I love traveling around the US, but there’s something about southern air that just pulls me more towards it.
Grabbing the first clean glass I find, I head over to Cain and Ares’ booth. These two have been getting cozy with each other, but I’m still close with them both regardless of their own budding friendship.
“‘Sup, brother.” I meet Ares’ gaze. He’s a big man; the type you’d believe could bench-press his bike for shits and giggles.
I throw a chin nod at Cain and Ares gestures for me to sit.
“Brother.” Cain gives me a two-finger salute as I pull up a chair, plopping my glass on the table.
It lands with a loud thunk and he smirks, “That serious, huh?” Ares grin’s teasing.
I had to go on a few runs with him when I was newer to the club. Our Prez likes for the Enforcer to sort of break people in. He took me to shake some fools down. It got a little bloody but I handled it.
Since then, we’ve been cool with each other. I wouldn’t ever want to go again though. I don’t have a strong stomach for some of that shit and try to save it for the times it’s really called for.
“I’m good man, hook a brutha’ up,” I answer with a smirk, sliding my glass forward with my finger.
Cain tries to hand me a lemon as well, wearing a cheesy smile. His dimples out on display.
“I don’t want this shit!” I huff, chuckling and throw the lemon wedge at him. He and Ares both laugh.
Badass MC Enforcers and they fuck around like a couple of kids. I take a long pull of the aged whiskey from my glass and smack my lips in approval.
Exactly what I needed.
“Now that’s some good shit. So, you two going to share what the plan is with Nikoli?” I glance at them.
They exchange a look and Ares shuffles his glass, trading it from one hand to the other. He meets my curious stare as his fingers play with the scruff on his chin. “Well, looks like Prez is calling Tate to give him the okay. From my understanding, Niko’s going to head up here so he can speak directly to Tate whenever needed. If we require reinforcements or anything, then he can just call for backup. Granted, Tennessee’s far away, but they’d be able to make it here in half a day if shit hit the fan. Niko will stay at a hotel in town, but can chill out at the club too. Tate’s going to see if he can get ahold of anybody with the cartel to get the gun situation handled on their part. Right now, we’re mostly worried about getting Brently close enough to the club so he stops getting harassed.” He takes a sip of his drink, and then continues. “I guess the crazy fucks keep leaving dead cats on his apartment doorstep. Not just dead, but slain, with their guts in full view. Those pussies are threatening to gut him. I wouldn’t mind having some fun with them myself.”
I nod. What a bunch of stupid asses, messing with an MC’s President’s kid. They should know better, belonging to a club themselves. I guess they’ll just have to learn the hard way.
Cain grunts and rolls his eyes. “Why doesn’t he just send you, Twist, and me to go teach them a lesson? That’ll get shit fixed real quick.”
Ares shakes his head, shooting him a chastising look. I think if Cain could solve everything that pisses him off with a fist fight, then he would.
“I already told you, brother; it’ll stir up more shit. Listen to Prez’s orders. Just chill and wait for them to make their next move. Trust in him, he knows what he’s talking about. Quit being an impatient fucker. You don’t want to end up dead, when you have London and your kid.” Ares appears more like a giant ogre, but the dude is hella’ smart.
Cain huffs, crossing his arms, and sits back to basically pout.
Jesus, this is going to turn into a giant shit show. I gesture to Cain to grabbing his attention. “I agree. I’d like to fuck them up, too. I got two pieces in my holster with the Twisted Snake’s name on them. I just don’t want this shit to come to the compound. How far away does Brently live, anyhow? A couple of hours, right?”
Cain shrugs and takes a long pull of his beer, but Ares nods. “Yeah, brother. I don’t think it’ll get out of hand enough to come to the clubhouse.”
“Good, we’ll just make sure to keep it contained. If Sadie comes down, I know she’ll be fine.” I nod and scoot my chair back. It’s time for me to get the fuck out of here. “Well I’m out, y’all enjoy,” I mutter as I stand up. Time for me to hit it, then quit it.
They watch me, and Cain stands up. “Later, brother,” he fist bumps me. I nod to him and then to Ares.
Avery
I step over to the kitchen table and set Niko’s coffee down in front of him. He eagerly reaches for it and beams at the warm refreshment. He has a fondness for my coffee and relishes in the fact that I make it for him exclusively when he comes around.
He has on a plain white T-shirt and jeans today and it catches me a bit off guard. It’s strange seeing him appear so casual when he’s supposed to be working. I shoot him a befuddled look.
I guess Tate doesn’t really care what Niko
wears. However, he’s always dressed to look professional. Well, unless we have plans to swim or something. He was just explaining to me that Tate wants him to go out of town to handle an issue for a while. I’m assuming that’s the reason for the impromptu visit and lack of style in his wardrobe today.
“So, what do you mean you have to go out of town? Is that why you look so plain today?” I gesture towards his chest.
Emily’s busy with Tate, London moved to Texas, and now, Niko is taking off too. I seriously don’t know why I stay here. Well, besides school. Oh yeah, because I’m too poor to take my ass anywhere else. Duh.
“It is exactly as I said. Tate needs me to go check out a few things, so I will be in Texas for a while. Leave my shirt alone, you are still in pajamas.”
Wait a minute…did he just mention that he’d be in Texas for a while? Texas = 2 Piece. I want to visit Texas, and if Niko’s going, then maybe I can tag along.
He’s getting so much better with his accent. I can understand nearly everything he says the first time around. In the beginning, he had to repeat nearly everything he’d say at least a few times so we could understand it. Tate hides his accent well, but with Niko it’s like a shining beacon.
I wish I had an accent. If I did, I’d never shut up.
I wonder if my parents would lend me some money to take with me. I’ll have to call them. I don’t normally request to borrow any money or ask for much, so hopefully they won’t mind. My dad is constantly enquiring if I need anything, but I’m determined to make it on my own. I know if I accept stuff, then my mom will continuously remind me about it and take the liberty of inserting her nose more into my business.
She was a psycho when I first got my Facebook account and she found me on there. She literally commented on every single post I made. Then she went and friended each person on my friends list. That’s pretty much stage one clinger status at that point.
My parents don’t have much money, but they have some. It’s not like they ever do anything to spend it. I’m sure right now they’re busy bumming it at the beach. It must be nice. I work my ass off all the time at jobs and at school, while they just float along through life, not giving a shit. I grew up in Florida and when I was still there they practically lived in the sand and sun.
Oath Keepers MC: The Collection Page 19