by L. Ann Marie
“Better than I was. That was friggin’ nuts. I never even got a warning. Cloud knows not to drop that friggin’ bomb on me again.”
I nod and they start talking about how much skill they needed to do that. I have absolutely nothing to add here so I watch. A gun goes off and we all freeze looking toward the fighting. Everyone is still and MC Pres is holding his gun in the air.
“To clear this up. Ride and Shoot is put on as a fundraiser for vets. We enter as many as we can to support. If your kid didn’t win, there is always next year. This is not put on by us. They won because they practice to win. If this is a fuckin’ indication of the adult mentality it is no wonder your kid is sitting watching his father get the shit kicked out of him.” He points to all the kids Sheila is guarding. “Grow the fuck up Brothers and show your kids what good sportsmanship is.” The guy that started it yells and Danny drops him. Thank God.
Some of the men take the bikes back. Darren’s brother Rich won in the Adult Freestyle and he takes Tess with him in the truck. She was so excited she jumped him while we were walking by. The rest of us walk the main road with all the booths and tents up. Darren stops and gets vests for Jess’ twins. They’re so cute. We end up at the back of the group but follow close. A guy with an MC cut talks to Darren and I wait. He’s signing, but Darren doesn’t tell him not to so I turn and look at the table on the side of me. The guy gets pissed and I start paying attention. Jeremy and Aaron stand on each side of me making me wonder where they came from. I thought they were with the bikes.
Someone grabs my hair and pulls me against him “Been looking for you.” I relax back then kick my foot straight up, instead of hitting my ass I hit him. When his breath comes out I spin holding my hair and keep my elbows high and locked. I hit his face then he’s on the ground and Jeremy is on him. Damn this kid is fast.
Aaron yells to Darren and the guy he’s talking to pulls his arm back. I sign, ‘behind’. He ducks, turns and comes up swinging. Shit these guys fight for anything. More MC guys show and I don’t know who is friendly. Jeremy and Aaron stand with Darren so I step over the guy who pulled my hair and stand with him.
Men laugh, but Jeremy tells me to relax because we got this. ‘Like training,’ he says in my head. As a guy comes toward us Darren steps in front of me, another goes around reaching for me. As he’s bending I spin kicking him in the head. People are making a circle. Jeremy keeps another guy off me and yells, “Duck!” I do and just miss a punch to the side of my face. Damn they aren’t playing. Darren hits the guy and punches the one holding Aaron. A woman yells at them about hitting a woman and kids just as my arm is grabbed.
Danny appears and everything gets crazy. Jeremy yells something and the guy with my arm falls back like he was pushed. When I turn to thank him, Darren grabs me looking at my arms then my face. “I’m okay.” He touches my head. “I didn’t get hit. The worst that touched me was some hair pulling.” He nods and pulls me into him holding me tight. When he lets me loose, four guys are on the ground right here and one on his knees over to the side. I look toward the table and the hair puller is still there. Damn. What the hell was this all about? “The guy by the table said he was looking for me.”
He looks. “Dad, that’s New Hampshire that had Eliza. Our own fuckin’ Chapter coming at my old lady is a fuck of a statement.”
Danny goes over to the guy and stomps on his throat. Shit. He’s scary when he’s pissed. “He’ll miss the meet. Fuckin’ MC making a play like this.” He flips his mic and talks to someone. He looks at me and Jeremy. “Not a scratch. Fuckin’ kick like you wouldn’t believe.” He laughs then stops with a fierce look on his face, he tells whoever the guy was NH and the Club should stand ready.
We start walking back and people give us space. Steve, the MC VP, meets us and Danny tells him at least eight. The pussies took off in the crowd. Steve looks at me. “You good.”
I smile. “Yeah.”
He looks at Darren. “HS with her at all times. Won’t expect her to fight. Need that.”
Jeremy says, “Yeah.”
Darren nods and we walk. I think he’s pissed, but I don’t look up at him. He’s holding me close and getting us out of the crazy crowd so I’ll wait and ask when we get back to the hotel. No one bothers us the rest of the way and they bring me to a room on the first floor. It’s like a banquet hall. The women are here and everyone is talking until we walk in. Kate gets to me first and looks for damage. “I’m fine, not a scratch, Darren, Jeremy and Aaron were making sure of it.” She nods and hugs me.
Darren pulls me away. “Give me a minute.” Everyone moves back and turns. I smile up at him. He smooths down my hair and holds my face. “I’m so fuckin’ proud of you, but pissed you had to fight our own fuckin’ cut. I’ll find out what the hell is going on, but you need HS with you. I’ll see if that can be Sheila. No one will expect either one of you to have your skills. You’re dressed the rest of the time we’re here. Yeah?”
“Yeah. Thank you.” I rise to my tip toes and kiss his cheek. He gives me a funny look. “For not treating me like I’m helpless. Never again will I be that girl.” He hugs me and says he has shit to do. I let him go and watch him walk to where the men are sitting around a table.
Penny touches my arm then hugs me. “Jiminy we were worried.”
I smile, she’s so funny with her ‘Jiminy’. I always wait for the Cricket. “Thank you, but I’m fine Penny.” She leads me over to the table like I’m hurt. I just smile. She’s going to make a great mom. Tess laughs nodding.
I sit and they want to know what happened. “Just some men not happy about something. I don’t really know the reason.” Tess watches me, but doesn’t correct me. With what the guy said I think it has to do with Outlaws, but the guys were wearing MC cuts.
Sheila comes in holding a shirt on her arm and Kate is right on her. I look around and see the women are nervous. Chet is at the door so I ask him to follow me to the front desk. They must have a first aid kit. The guy puts a case up on the counter and Chet takes it walking me back. I’ve helped patch people up so I take the case to patch up Sheila. Steve and Prez are talking to her so I drop the case on the table and walk to where the women are sitting. I have nothing to say, so I stand waiting.
“Kicker. Know how to stitch?”
I look over and Steve is looking at me. Kicker? “Yeah.” He moves the case to where Sheila is sitting on the table. I go over and look at her arm. Nothing major was hit. I clean her and find the pack for stitching. This is like the case the Outlaws used, they stole it from an ambulance, it makes it easy knowing what you’ve got to work with. Steve walks away and I tell Sheila it’s going to hurt like a bitch. She nods and says just do it. I do. She has twelve stitches and I stop where it’s not too deep. Kate is playing nurse and has everything cleaned up and a bag ready for the string and needle. I put antibiotic right across the slice and bandage her up.
“Thanks for not making it more than it is. Fuckin’ sleazy bastard pulled a pussy move slicing me as I walked by.” I nod. That is a pussy move, but some men get off on shit like that. Hurting a woman is a form of entertainment to them.
Kate gets everything back in the case then hugs Sheila. “Don’t let them get away with it.”
“If I see him he’s done,” Sheila says standing up. She’s not one to talk shit, so I know he’s done.
“Advil if you need it. I’ll change the bandage tonight then in the morning. After that once a day should be good.” She nods and walks to the door with Chet.
“I’ll make sure you get what you need for that. Thank you. Amanda is an EMT, but she’s back in the yard with the kids. I’ve helped when I’m needed, but never stitched a woman.” She makes a face.
I laugh. “Me either.”
***
Darren
She’s laughing with my mom. Sheila is smiling talking to Chet. I shake my head. She just stitched her up like it was nothing. I look over at the women’s table and they’re all watching her except Tess. She
smiles at me. I throw her chin and she gives it back making me laugh.
Pres and Prez come back to the table and I turn. Prez talks surprising me. “Driscoll is sending up thirty, we have thirty more and twenty trainees. The MC has twenty-five and thirty trainees. I have a truck that will be here tonight loaded with anything we may need.” He smiles at VP. “Except C4.” Everyone laughs. VP pegs him a finger. “Baxters and Driscoll will cover the yards and our Brothers will be here before the meet.”
He steps aside and Pres steps to the head of the table. “With the supplies and more than is needed for a presence I would hope that we’re not fighting our own Chapters. Princes pulling eighty up right from the start will show they’re not playing with pussies. Us backing them should throw enough of a warning to keep the meet civil. After that, it’s gloves off. If a Chapter comes at us, take the cut. I spent time and money training these pussies. They want to turn, then they do it without our fuckin’ name on their backs. The choppers are loaded and three will be here with the truck. If a Club shows they turned, we level their Club.”
“We got women here Pres,” Geek says.
Pres nods. “They’ll be safer here than anywhere else. I’m not putting them all traveling together and chance losing them. We can’t fly them out in the time we have. What we do have are snipers on the roof of this hotel and the two hotels on the side of us. Ops is setting up in a meeting room down the hall. There’s HS at the entrance and walking the first floor and we took over the hotel’s surveillance, Baxters is on it. Is there anything I’m missing?”
“Who’s at the hotel during the meet?” Digs asks.
“Ops will be running here so Geek, you, Rich and Tiny. The Princes will be here with ten trainees and fifteen of Driscoll’s men. Outside I have MC Security and three HS. Everyone else is at the meet.”
Everyone nods. With no more questions everyone is quiet.
Pres comes over to me. “Mitch is sending up a set of glasses that have a strap. She said it was quick so they’re not a fashion statement, but they work and won’t fall off in a fight. She put the Ops board on it or something like that and said Jared will show you how to switch it out. I didn’t even know she could do that, but she did.”
I smile, fuckin’ Mitch. I love that woman. “Thanks Pres. She made me the Ops glasses because I can’t do the mic. I can talk to Ops through them and they show on the lens.”
“She’s incredible. Fuckin’ women always floor me.”
I laugh and slap his back. “Yeah. I need to go talk to mine right now.”
He stops me. “Did you set a date?” I laugh and walk away.
Prez sits with us and I ask about food for all the Brothers. “They’re getting a delivery now. I don’t want anyone in or out while we’re at the meet. Since we took them over they let me order. They were happy as a pig in shit when I paid for it.” I bet.
“Is there anything I can do to help? Sitting here sucks,” Eliza says making us smile.
“You have experience in first aid. That may be needed. They’ll be looking for women knowing you’re our Achilles heel. Other than keeping the women safe and calm I have nothing as a job. No one is in or out of the kitchen. HS has orders to shoot anyone trying to mingle. So you literally have nothing to do. My mom and Kate are going to go stir crazy too, maybe you can keep that from spreading.”
“Damn. Sheila doesn’t do well with whiny women. You may want to take her gun before she starts shooting feet.”
I crack up and she looks at me like she’s serious. Prez smiles at her. “She grew up with these women taking care of her. I think their feet are safe. Just in case, you have my permission to shoot hers.” Eliza nods making him laugh.
I kiss her head and go for some food. Tiny’s watching the staff refill the pans and scaring the shit out of them making them eat from each one. Since I don’t think it’s a bad idea, I leave him to it and make us plates.
Pres tells us our Brothers are making their way and it’s a sight. I take Eliza up to the room and we watch from the balcony. It’s a fuckin’ sight for sure. The entire road is empty, then we see them ride in four across and for-fuckin’-ever pulling in. Bikes are everywhere. The grass is covered in line after line. VP kicks two tents off the sidewalk and they park there too. The vibration is crazy. I watch the people on the street and they are talking and pointing. Jared’s HS bikes are getting noticed. The last Brothers in stand like sentinels at the entrance looking out.
“I wouldn’t fuck with us,” she says watching in awe.
“Pres doesn’t fuck around and our Prez learned from him. Being prepared for anything is how we grew up.”
She looks up at me. “You’re some scary Brothers. I’m glad you’re mine.”
I kiss her head. “I am too babe. Let’s get you dressed and back downstairs. I have a meet to get to.”
Once she’s got her gun and cut on I make sure she’s got ammo and hold her face so she keeps her eyes on mine. “Anything crazy happens you get Tess and keep her covered. Find a place to hide, kill whoever you have to, but you keep her safe. Yeah?”
“Roger VP.”
I kiss her head and give her a mic. “You don’t talk unless you need to, no comments, no questions. Something goes down you flip it on and let Ops know where you are and what they need to know to get you clear. Yeah?”
“Yeah.” She kisses me and I step back.
“Clear head babe.” I kiss her head and take her hand walking her out.
There is a path cleared so one bike at a time can pull out, getting the officers on the road. We pull up ten feet and wait. Our sentinels are in front of us with neon purple lowlights shining on the road. Jared’s bikes are futuristic looking and he made sure the newest are here getting noticed. Our formation is four in a line so I ride by Prez. We ride to the meet in one long line. Princes are behind me and Prez and MC behind Pres and VP. The Princes fill the four places for the end twenty bikes. Jared is above us with his purple neon light shining through the lines. It’s like a fuckin’ circus, but one that can’t be ignored.
Hammer already has his HS spaced around the building. Our HS and Security along with MC HS, Security, and a mix of trainees fill in and cover the entire building. They line up one looking out, the next in. Hammer’s men don’t know what to do. Jared lowers and Zack jumps running to me with a box. I take it and drop it in my lower pocket. Everyone is wondering what the fuck it is. Zack climbs on the chopper and pulls the mounts getting the gun ready. I laugh. They’re fuckin’ crazy. The other Chapters show and have to park way the fuck out. Only Pres and VP parking is in front and the Brothers are pissed. Jared makes a low pass.
“I got you covered Brothers.” There’s a pause and it makes the point. “No one fuckin’ with the bikes tonight,” Jared says over the speaker and Pres laughs. I love my fuckin’ glasses. My dad slaps my shoulder and we walk in behind our leaders.
New York, Connecticut, and Maine show respect to both the MC and Princes. VP stands in between Pres and Little Ben and says something to him as Hammer comes in. The Vermont Chapter snubs both and Hammer throws chin at Pres. Fuck, this is bad from the start. The smaller Clubs come in and most talk with both, but a couple sit or stand against the wall without showing to any of the Presidents. I’m telling Ops the Clubs to watch for.
Once everyone is in, Pres calls for the doors to close. He welcomes everyone and gets to old business. Clearing up some details pretty quick has people relaxing. He gets to new and has Prez stand. “Our newest Chapter is taking a seat at the table this year. They’ve generated the money to earn that and have dues of close to three hundred members. You’ll note that almost half of them are here. They offer use of their choppers and assistance if it is needed.”
I look around, my glasses don’t pick up most of the comments but I get, ‘Not tit weaned.’ Jesus.
“Before we get to the rest of new business tell me what your problem is with the Rhode Island MC.”
“Taking your members and you buying them shit doesn�
��t make them a Club that earned a seat,” Vermont’s VP says.
Prez stands up. “I’ve been running Ops since I was sixteen. I ran Little Brothers Security until it merged last year. That is a multimillion dollar company that never has been and never will be part of the MC’s holdings. We built the tracking program and sold it to you. I sent up the–what was it you called him? Snot nosed, smartass that taught you how to use it. That was not the MC that was Little Brothers. Your check was paid to Little Brothers Security. We took out DeMarco, Ortiz, and cleaned three towns putting our own PD in place. We are current in dues to the MC and paid our money for the year to help Chapters with training and support if they need it. We have always believed in taking care of our own. We had the best role models to learn from and we did. Our Club is young but strong. We have Brothers from the MC and Nomads from other Clubs. I did not get to be where I am because I am VP’s son. If anything I had to work harder because of it.”
Pres stands up and Little Ben sits. “New York, Connecticut, Maine, and Rhode Island as well as a group of smaller Clubs are the only members current in dues and help for those in need. We can take a vote right now and their vote is all that would count.”
Hammer stands up. “That’s bullshit. We’ve been here for ten fuckin’ years letting you lead us.”
“You want to vote Territory President when you’re two years behind?” Pres asks.
The men are talking. “All those current in dues if you have a Territory President you want up here raise your hand.” Not a single hand goes up.
“Anyone not current, you want Hammer as Territory President, raise your hand.” No one moves.
Hammer sits. Pres starts talking again and new business has us committing to help a Club in Connecticut with the Connecticut MC Brothers. Everything else bores the shit out of me.
When the meeting goes to closed, I sit up and pay attention as anyone not inner circle leaves. New York has more guns running and wants more trucks open for them. I let Connecticut go then take the rest putting three trucks up. They want to know if we can do larger. I look at Maine. He nods and I agree to one large artillery shipment.