Chapter 5

ASHTON

My head underneath the hood of the car, I worked my hands over the engine block to start separating all of the components. I’d been doing it ever since I was a kid, so shit like this wasn’t anything new to me. I didn’t mind the sweat on my brow or the grease on my fingers. It was the perfect way to start an early morning in Ivory.

The streets were quiet as people were just getting their day started. The morning air was just starting to warm up. I whistled, ignoring the man in the small garage working on a bike by himself.

“You still got work to do,” Grant said. “McFadden’s bucket isn’t a priority.”

“I’m just getting this shit ready for tonight so I don’t have to fuck around with it too much. You don’t got worry about me getting my work done.”

I went back to whistling. Even though my attention was focused on the engine, I could still feel the motherfucker’s eyes on me. I sighed, knowing he wasn’t gonna let this go.

“You seem to be in a good fucking mood this morning.”

“I ain’t got no reason to complain,” I replied.

“We missed you at the clubhouse last night.”

“Oh, yeah? What’d you guys do? Charades? Karaoke?”

“The club sat around and had a few beers then played some checkers. You missed a helluva party, Ash.”

Grant walked right up next to me. I straightened up and slammed the hood down then turned to him, watching the smirk form on his face.

“How come you don’t bring this girl around?” he said. “You ain’t gotta be ashamed. Especially with Teddy not around to bust your balls. I think Rex will still give you shit though…”

“I’m not ashamed. You know I don’t give a fuck what anybody thinks about the women I spend time with. Shit, I’ve seen some of the broads you guys stick your dick in. Rose is a fucking goddess compared to these women…”

“Then what’s the problem?”

Grant wasn’t just another patch. He wasn’t just a friend either. As long as I’d known him, he was practically a brother to me. We never kept anything from each other. But still I hesitated.

“I don’t know.” I shrugged and shook my head. “I think about the time I spend with her. Being with her… inside of her… Fuck… She makes me feel like a fucking man.”

“Ain’t no shame in that.”

“That’s just it though. When I think about her, I don’t just think about what it’s like to be with her. I think about her. She’s different, man. The way she smiles. The way she thinks. I can actually have a fucking conversation with her.”

“Oh, man.” I could already see it coming from him. He reared his head back, a laugh so big he delayed for a second before it came out. “You’re falling for this chick? You getting serious.”

“I know better. Maybe the pussy’s just so good it got me thinking she’s something more. But I don’t plan on dropping down to a knee and running off with her like Teddy. I’m not going anywhere. But if she is something…”

“You’re wondering if she can handle life as an old lady. Yeah… Yeah, that’s definitely something you need to think about. My advice? Bring her over to the clubhouse. Better to find out sooner than later.”

He patted me on the shoulder before turning around and getting back to work. Grant always knew what to say to get my head right. The bastard might’ve tried to tease me like a fucking schoolgirl but he couldn’t hide how much he cared.

I thought about pulling my phone out and letting Rose know what was up for tonight but decided to wait. I had the rest of the day ahead of me and I wasn’t about to lose my focus, even though she was the biggest distraction anybody could have.

A line of bikes that needed tuneups and repairs sat off to one side. I grabbed my gear and took a spot right next to one of them, giving the panhead a once-over to make sure there weren’t any serious problems.

It was a peaceful morning. Grant and I worked without saying much to each other, the sound of the traffic next to us the only accompaniment we needed.

I had my head down when I felt a ride pull up next to me. I wouldn’t have thought much about it but as soon as it caught my eye, I knew something was up. A black SUV, windows as dark as its paint, didn’t move from its spot. Grant and I stopped what we were doing. A bald man in a suit and a cheap pair of sunglasses stepped out of the driver’s seat. He opened up the backdoor for a man who was wearing a more expensive-looking suit.

The gray suit wasn’t just expensive though. The damn thing didn’t have a wrinkle on it. There wasn’t a spot on his black patent leather shoes. His watch glimmered underneath the sunlight.

He looked at me, straightening up and running a hand over his dark hair. He was young. Maybe a few a years younger than me. But he carried himself like some sorta business professional. You never got too many motherfuckers like him in this town, so they always stood out when you saw them.

He shifted his eyes back and forth between Grant and me, a subtle smile on his lips.

“Ashton Butler. Grant Seager.”

Grant and I looked at each other after he said our names.

“Who is who?” he asked.

“Who’s asking?” Grant said.

“Aaron Picardo.”

“Picardo…”

The name instantly rang a bell. Not surprisingly. You didn’t run the fucking cartel without people knowing your name.

Picardo glanced at the patch on my kutte. “You’re just the man I’m looking for.”

“Am I?” I said. “Cobras have never worked with the cartel before.”

“I’m acquainted with some of the other patches. We never did any business before but perhaps we can change that.”

“I don’t think so.” Grant shook his head. “No offense, brother. But the Cobras ain’t interested in getting into business with whatever you’re dealing with.”

“Besides,” I said. “Smoke and I won’t make that decision unilaterally. You wanna do business with the Cobras, your best bet is with Harris.”

“I’m well-aware of your club president,” Picardo said. “But my offer isn’t what you’re thinking. I’m looking for a mechanic. I was told you two would be more than capable for the work I need.”

“You need a tuneup?” I glanced at his SUV, noticing his driver was still standing stone-faced behind him like a statue. “That thing looks like it’s running all right.”

“It’s running all right but it could be running better. Reinforce the doors. The windows. Maybe help it move a little faster. Speed and acceleration will help a lot. Also, perhaps you could decrease the weight. Hollow some of the components it doesn’t need, so as to help with… transportation.”

Picardo wasn’t being coy about what he wanted us to do. Not that he could even if he tried. A man like him needed a ride to move more than just himself around.

“Is this something you can do?” he asked.

“It depends on what kinda modifications you’re looking for,” I said. “Some things ain’t street legal. Pigs find it, the ones responsible for doing it get in just as much trouble—”

“I can assure you, I’m well aware of what modifications are legal. I’m merely asking you to improve my vehicle’s performance.”

Grant and I looked at one another. He gave me a shrug and shook his head. “Wouldn’t hurt to run this by Jordan,” he said.

I sighed a deep breath through my nose and nodded to Picardo. The look in his eyes told me he didn’t take no for an answer very often, but that wasn’t gonna stop me from giving him that same answer. “We’ll have to think about it,” I said. “We’ll talk it over. Once we see the mods, we’ll let you know.”

“Think about it,” Picardo said. “If you decide to go through with it, I can promise you you’ll be appropriately compensated.”

Picardo stepped back into the backseat of his ride and the SUV rolled down the road. Grant and I watched him the entire time until he turned the corner out of view.

“What do you think?” he said.

“Jordan mentioned this. With Picardo back in town, business is about to pick up. After all the shit that went down, club knows better than to get involved.”

“Reapers and Devils got directly involved though. This just sounds like some side work. We’re no different than the guys at the coffee shop serving them their fucking lattes.”

“Picardo doesn’t look like a latte kinda guy. Probably a straight espresso motherfucker.”

“Yeah, he seems like the type.” Grant and I laughed at the thought. “We’ll run it by the rest of the MC. Doc will have a good idea if it’s worth the money.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

I took a seat back at the bike I was working on. I quickly forgot about Picardo. I had a long day ahead of me. And after, I’d get to relax like I always did. A run-in with the man running the most dangerous cartel in town wasn’t about to throw me off. I had the rest of the day to look forward to and tonight… Tonight, I planned on letting Rose see what I was really all about.