Brick

by Trixie Brewster

  “Your right Amy. I need to let my shit go.” I smiled at her. Amy laughed and gave me a big hug.

  “Mama, is Brick coming over today?” Sadie asks in a small voice in the doorway.

  “He might why?”

  “Because, because, I kind of miss him being around.” Sadie takes interest in the carpet for a second. I couldn’t help but smile.

  “Sadie he was here last night for dinner.”

  “I know, but I drew something for his wall.” She doesn’t look at me.

  “You did, well I bet he will love it.” I tell her knowing even it looked like a blob he probably would love it. Ever since Sadie demanded that I take her drawings to Brick, it has become a daily occurrence. She gives me drawings to give him and he actually places them in his ‘office’ and hangs them with pride. To think that he is wearing down my daughter too is what makes me smile. Because she is a hard one to sell on. She remembers how her real father or sperm donor acted towards her. I am glad to see can trust a man even though the one that was so supposed to protect and love her the most walked out and stomped all over her little heart, give me hope that everything will be okay. But it also makes me cautious, because if he breaks her heart, like her father did, she may become the shrew of the twenty-first century at the ripe age of eight.

  “Sadie, I tell you what I will text Brick and let you know that you have some drawings for him. Okay.”

  “Okay, mama. Love you.” she skips back into the living room.

  “Well it looks like not only has Brick rubbed off on Sean but Sadie too.” Amy smiles and pats my knee as she gets up.

  “Amy, do you know why Brick closed the shop today?” I ask her, while Brick might not share with me what is going on. I can’t help but wonder if Stink tells Amy anything. A frown crosses her face a she looks at me.

  “The only thing I know, is that they are getting ready for a charity. Stink got a call last night and Church was called for today.”

  They don’t seem like the type to go into prayer over something happening, my research has stated that church is something like a meeting. I know that the MC my brother is the VP in, and the Brick is the president of, may have some blurs of the legal line. And I am not so naïve in my thinking that they are a bunch of boy scouts when it comes to a threat to the club. I can only hope that nothing comes to our doorstep because of the club.

  “Okay, I hope everything is okay.”

  “Me too. I know you don’t much about the club, but we do have rivals. The Grimm’s have been a threat for a long time. I know that Stink Eye, doesn’t tell me everything, and seeing that you are pretty much Brick’s Ol’ Lady. I think you need to know. The Grimm’s have been trying to sell dope, like the bad stuff in the Angels and Sinners turf. That is like a direct slap to Brick’s face and the face of the club. Korey they aren’t something to laugh at, they are the real deal. Ask Brick about them when you see him next. Maybe he can give you more details.”

  I think about her words of warning about the Grimm’s. I have Brick and Amy both mention the, but I have never seen them around. It has only been a little over a month that I have been here. But if Amy is worried about them then, I feel that I should be too.

  She is right though I need to ask Brick about the Grimm’s, and what do I do if I see one. Do I tun in the opposite direction, do I call someone, do I stand my ground. Even with the research I have done, me head is reeling as the thought of an enemy of the club’s.

  Chapter 18

  Brick

  I got the call from Diesel late last night that something happened to the dispensary. When we all got there the fire department was already there. Someone had blown a hole through the front of the store windows and it went up in flames. There was only one name coming to my head that would be dumb enough to do this shit. The Grimm’s are the only club in California that has no respect for anyone.

  They don’t care who they hurt as long as they can get something they want. They don’t even care if they hurt women and children, they are ruthless, but so are we. We have more to fight for. Several of my brothers have settled down over the years. We are a couple of generations deep in the club. The kids of the founders and original club member now have kids of their own. We are a family, a bit fucked up sometimes but family no the less. My brothers and I would die for this club and what it stand’s for.

  Angels and Sinners will be fighting back that is for sure, but Church first. We need a plan of action and why the hell are they attacking one of our businesses. If they want war, then war is what they will get. Pulling my phone out a send a massive group message letting the brothers know that Church is at four in the morning.

  I shoot a text to Korey letting her know that the shop will be closed for the day. I don’t want to drag her into this, but it doesn’t matter if it is me or Blaze. She is in it no matter what. I hate to have to break the new to Blaze that we are seeing each other now, but this way he knows how big the threat could really be to his sister. Being the VP’s sister is enough to put a target on her back, but being mine, makes that target even wider. Right now, she has a flashing neon sign that announces here I am.

  Blaze walks up to me shaking his head. No smile on his face today. “You thinking the same thing I am?”

  I nod my head. “They are going to pay for this shit. we didn’t fuck with their business, just their drugs.” I tell him. I get that it is the same thing, in a since. But they were not showing respect to us. We told them not to sell their shit in our streets. We may be in the gun business, but we keep our shit out of the town.

  We have allies on all sides of us. The Yellow Hornets are to the north of us and the Savage Knights to the south of us, it would be all to easy to wipe the Grimm’s off the face of this earth. The last thing I want is a war, it will be a bloody and we could risk someone not coming home. But a direct to hit to us like this is a telling message that they want war.

  “Right, like these little asshole know the fucking difference. They need to be gone, Brick. We need to strike them where it hurts. Find their clubhouse and take it out for good.” Blaze crosses his arms over his chest. He never looks at me as he makes his statement. I know my VP well. Anyone looking at him would think this isn’t affecting him, but it is. He has already to been to war twice for this country. I hate to ask him to do it for the club, but he wouldn’t have it any other way.

  “This means war. Blaze punishment will be dealt, and they will meet the reaper and soon.” My thoughts drift to the charity fund raiser we are doing for the community this weekend. Then my thoughts drift to Korey’s smiling face. I wonder what she would think about the war with Grimm’s that has been brewing for a long time. We have all kept heads about us, but this is the last straw.

  Turning to Blaze I find the strength to take the punch that will be coming at my direction. “Blaze, before we do anything else. I need to talk with you.”

  He nods his head. “I already know you are banging my sister. Just tell me one thing, and be straight with me, you gonna make a good Ol’ Lady out of her?” Blaze never looks at me, he keeps looking forward. How the fuck did he know.

  “Yeah, I plan on it, if she will have me that is.” I turn ack to the burning building as the fire chief comes up to us. He takes a look at Blaze and his step falters. Yep Blaze has that affect on people when is face takes this mask on.

  “Mr. Brigade, we found this in the building.” The fire chief hands me a fire safe box.

  I look at him and the box for a minute. It is not ours, not mine, but my name is scrawled across the white charred box. “Thank you, Chief.” I tell him as I take the box from him. Blaze shifts his gaze to the box I am turning over in my hands. The one thing I don’t like is surprises, this attack was a fucking surprise, I knew in my gut this was the Grimm’s but this having a fucking present was not something I wanted to have.

  “They leaving you gifts now, Brick?” He raised an eyebrow at me.

  “Apparently, I have an admirer.” I shake my head. “Fuck, I ha
te them.” I yell out as I walk back to my bike. I strap the fucking box on the back of my bike.

  “My sister would love to you see in a tizzy right now. The big bad Prez throwing a fucking tantrum.” He says I kick at the ground and yell out my anger. I glare at him and he laughs. How the fuck he can laugh at a time like this is beside me.

  “Fuck you, brother.” Yelling it out at him.

  “Nah, I know someone who will though.” He laughs at his own little joke. I close my eyes and take a deep breath and blow it out. Climbing on my bike I start it and let the power of machine calm my nerves. I planned on riding hard to the clubhouse.

  Gunning the bike I release the clutch and we are off. the rumble of exhaust bouncing off the building, is music to my ears, the vibrations from the engine a dance I need. Taking the curves harder than I really should, leaning the bike over gives me peace for a time. Short lived when I turn down the road. Passing my house in the process, I smile when I think of having Korey in my bed.

  Pulling through the gates I can see everyone is here. Not all of the members know what happened, but when the text went out, I knew all of the brothers would be here way before four in the morning. I can see Stink leaning against the wall near the club doors.

  Parking and cutting the engine I nod to him. Getting the box, I walk towards the doors. “Do I even want to know what the fuck that is?” He nods to the box under my arm.

  “Your guess I as good as mine.”

  “Fuck, the Grimm’s? It smells like them.” He takes a whiff towards the box. “Yep, smells, like meth and coke.”

  I chuckle at the light mood. I needed this, a lighter mood instead of the dark one I was in. the Grimm’s can do that. Take a person down the rabbit hole of hate and disgust.

  A few of the brothers are already at the bar. The club girls were coming back out into the common area. I saw Ginger coming straight for me. I put my hand up and kept on walking to the chapel. I didn’t have the patience for her, haven’t had it for the past month. Her antics were already pissing me off, but one taste of Korey and I was done with all the free pussy here.

  Settling in I eyed the box, the key was hanging out of the lock. I turned it and lifted the lid. Inside was an envelope that was thick. I pulled the note out and read it then reread it. My anger boiling.

  Yeah, we know who all the Ol’ Ladies are, even yours. Just know that what happened to you parents can happen to you and yours too.

  I pulled the pictures out and went through them. They were of the Ol’ Ladies from around town. The last five were of Korey. Her smiling face at the grocery store, and one of her on the back of my bike. “Fuck!” shouting out my rage I threw the heavy box across the room. It put a hole in the wall. But I still didn’t feel any better. They knew, they were keeping tabs on all the Ol’ Ladies in the club. They had already associated Korey with me.

  They killed my parents it wasn’t an accident. I knew it wasn’t, but this was the push that made up my mind about going to war. They signed the meeting with the reaper the moment they took pictures of Korey.

  Putting my hands behind my head my mind was racing on how to get this over with easy, with the least amount of blood shed from our side.

  “What the fuck man?” I heard Stink say to me as he came into the chapel. He came closer and yelled out. “What the fuck is this. Why the fuck do they picture of Amy, Korey, Gina, and Lorie?” He picked up the letter and his eyes met mine. They look of rage right behind his brown eyes. “You know what this means don’t you?” He asked in a too calm voice.

  “It means that the Grimm’s are going to die.” I said low. He nodded his head and sat down at the table, taking the picture of Amy with him. “It is a good picture of her though.” His face softened as he looked the picture. He was in deep with Amy. They had something special that all men strived for. He had a good woman at his back, and a love that would never die.

  The others came in took a look at the wall and sat down. I nodded at all of them. I couldn’t sit though, I kept standing, and I took each one of my brothers in one at a time. Lighting a cigarette, a took a long slow draw from it and held the smoke in my lungs. I blew out the smoke and looked at the pictures and note in front of me. My eyes met Blaze’s hard glare.

  “We were attacked tonight. Right in our backyard. The Grimm’s took out the dispensary.” I gave it a minute as all the fucks passed around the table. I heard a few ‘it’s time for war.’ I nodded my head. “I was thinking we could avoid it, sure it was a business, but now they have gone a step further. They have been watching our Ol’ Ladies.”

  “What the fuck?” I heard Butch yell out.

  “They also admitted what we had always felt. They killed my parents.” There wasn’t any shock there. We all had our suspicions that the Grimm’s were behind it. I should have gone to war ten years ago. I should have taken them out then. But we needed proof, solid proof before we took out an entire fucking club.

  “Here is the problem. We need to get them all, at once. Diesel I need you to find everything you can on these clowns. I want home addresses, their clubhouse location. Hell, I want to know what they fuck they eat for goddamned breakfast. Make no mistake boys we are going to war and soon.”

  “Fuck yeah!” Tank yells out. I let the men get it out of their system. It has been a long time since we have spilled any Grimm blood. Once the yelling has died down, I look at my brothers again. The grim expressions on their faces let me know that each and everyone of them is ready for this. They get that this is serious, doesn’t mean they won’t enjoy it though.

  “We had an idea that they would strike soon, but my main concern is the families of this club. You can bring them here if you want, add extra protection to them if need to. Get with Jag to get it sorted out.” Jag nods his head.

  “Now the other problem that I am worried about is in a few day we will be out in the open. I do not expect them to strike us at the charity fund raiser. But we can never be too careful. We can’t let the community down. Diesel if you find out everything before then, we will strike before the back to school fund raiser happens. But if you don’t, we need to be there for the kids of this community. All families will be there. I don’t care if you’re Ol’ Lady wants to be there or not.” The men all nod in agreement.

  “If you see a Grimm bring them back here, dead or alive I really don’t care. But we could use the information.” Jag adds. He smiles when the hands beat on the table in unison.

  “That being said remember, to keep a low profile. No one goes out alone, we ride in pairs wherever you go. The children and Ol’ Ladies don’t go anywhere alone.” Blaze reminds everyone.

  ‘What about the rest of the businesses?” Butch asks.

  “Lets put it to vote, keep the rest of the shops open or close them down?” Ayes go around for taking the vote.

  The ayes go around to keep the shops open. I nod in agreement. Keeping the shops open let them know that we are not scared of their antics, and that we will not go into hiding with our tails tucked between our legs.

  “Get your families ready. When we leave for war, they will be here with the prospects to guard them. It could be today, or it could be next week.” I tell them.

  Slamming the gavel down, the men rise to leave. “Blaze, Diesel stay behind.” The nod and sit back down. I finally take a seat at the head of the table. I look at them both and light another cigarette. “How is the security coming for the charity event this Saturday?”

  “Good, we have all the equipment that I will need to install the day of. I also got us some more sensors to put around the clubhouse. I am going to need some names Brick. I can work, but it will take too long to find them without names.” Diesel looks at me with a question in his eyes as he looks back down at the pictures of Korey on the table. “Okay, I will have Jag get on the recon of finding out more. Him and his goons can find out the shit you need.”

  I pull my phone and send a text to Jag to come back to the chapel. The door opens a moment later and in walks
Jag. “What do you need Prez?” he smiles when I open my mouth.

  “Jag, need some recon done on the Grimm’s need to know names.” I pause and look over at Diesel. He gives a curt nod. “That is all I need, just names I can find the rest of it. You really want to know what they have for breakfast?” He chuckles at himself. The smug little prick.

  “Fuck yes I do. That way I can grind glass in it and shove it up their ass.” Blaze lets out a laugh at my seriousness.

  “These fuckers will pay one way or another.” I say again. “I don’t care, but I want Sarge to go out slowly and painfully.” I seethe between my teeth. Jag nods and smile menacingly.

  “Need me for anything else, Hoss?” Jag questions as he rubs his hands together. Jag is a crazy motherfucker. I swear he gets off on causing people pain, but I wouldn’t have another man be my enforcer. He is good at getting people to talk and tell all their dirty little secrets. He is a big mother too. Standing at about six foot four and wide as any linebacker I have ever seen. The scar across his face doesn’t do him any good at making him look like choir boy. But he is loyal to the club. I wouldn’t trust anyone else with my life.

  “Go have your fun Jag.” I tell him as he turns to leave. I know by the end of the night Diesel will have the names he needs to get the ball rolling in our favor. “Go do your digging Diesel, see if you cant figure anything out. Maybe cut their bank accounts while you are at it.” He nods his head as he takes his leave.

  Blaze turns to me. “How you plan on keeping my sister and her kids safe?”

  “I plan on taking them to my house. The shop isn’t safe anymore. That means the apartment isn’t either.” I look him I the eyes, he rubs his hands through his hair for a second before he speaks again.

  “Brick, I know you will keep her safe or at least as safe as you can. Just hear me out first.”