SEAN

 

“We’ve got a shipment coming in at the end of the week. We get the product and head up north as quick as we can. Cops are on red alert. This shit is hot. But we keep our heads down, we’ll be back in Ivory before anybody gets a whiff.”

Garnet explained the details to everybody sitting around the table. It wasn’t anything new to us. Being in the club meant we were always available to move shit for other people. The profits coming in from moving harder drugs meant the club was gonna do better business than it ever had before.

Most men would have been worried about putting their necks out. Shit, it didn’t make any sense for a man like me who just got locked up to get involved in something so dangerous.

But I couldn’t fucking wait. I lived for moments like this. Getting out there on the open road, being on a job… The only thing more exhilarating was being inside of a woman.

“We’ll move in two groups,” Garnet said. “That way we don’t raise any suspicion. Cops pull you over, you play it cool. They can’t search your bike without cause. No product on the lead bike, in case those pigs start sticking their snouts where it don’t belong. If you must, you high-tail it into the city and dump this shit as quick as possible. Then you talk to ‘em. Make sure they don’t find a thing.”

Everybody in the chapel was listening to Garnet. He crossed his arms and looked around the table.

“Any questions?” he asked.

“Yeah, I got a question,” Needle raised his voice. “How much is this job paying?”

“We do this, we make a decent 150K.”

“A hundred fifty, huh? That doesn’t sound like much. And we’re splitting it, what? How many ways?”

“This is just the first job. The distributor’s been going through the Cobras and the Devils. They’ve got a lot of shit to move, so they wanna test us first. Once we prove we can do it, they’ll trust us.”

“And who exactly are we working for? Whose product is this?”

“The Chinese.”

Needle had a look of frustration on his face. He shook his head and let out a sigh that got everybody’s attention.

“You got a problem?” Garnet said.

“Just a bit. We’re working for the Chinese. We’re moving in on a Cobra job.”

“What’s the problem with that?” I said. “You got a soft spot for Snakes all of a sudden?”

Needle looked at me with a smirk.

“Fuck the Snakes,” he said. “Any business we can take from them, I’m fine with. But if they’re doing it, you know this shit is shady.”

“You voted to do it,” I said. “You plan on backing out now? Maybe Garnet should take another vote.”

“Nah. Nah, I ain’t backing out. That doesn’t mean I gotta like this plan either.”

“Settle down,” Garnet interrupted. “Just calm down.”

He put his hands up to ease the growing tension in the room. Garnet had a way of commanding respect.

“We’re not putting it to another vote,” he said. “I know you’re all capable riders. This shit’ll be easy work. We make this money then we see what else is out there. We don’t have to work for the Chinese. Other people will come to us when they want to move their shit up north. We take what we want, we refuse what we don’t. Simple as that.”

Everybody looked around the table at one another.

I didn’t see any reason to refuse the job. Neither did anybody else.

“Good,” Garnet said. “Get ready to ride this weekend. Meeting adjourned.”

Garnet snapped his fingers and ended the meeting. We all got up out of our seats and left the chapel.

I made my way over to the bar of the Grindhouse to get started for the day. Being a bartender and serving drinks wasn’t much but it was something. There wasn’t much work in Ivory for an ex-con like me.

While I stood at the bar and organized the alcohol, Ghost took a seat at the counter right across from me.

“Hey, what’s going on with you?” he said. “You all right?”

“Yeah, I’m all right. I’m fine. What the fuck are you talking about?”

“You seem pretty adamant about doing this job.”

“You heard what Garnet said. The Chinese got a lot of money. We do this and a few more jobs and we’ll all be rolling in dough.”

“You weren’t so excited to do it last time. Last I remember, you voted against it.”

“Yeah… Well, I ain’t got shit for money. Working here and making tips isn’t exactly gonna turn me into a millionaire.”

“But it’s more than enough to get by. Nah, you want more money. It’s cause of her, ain’t it?”

I kept my head down. I hated when Ghost read me. Especially when he already knew what I was gonna say before I said it.

“So, what?” I said. “I wanna make some fucking cash. I want her to be a queen. Is that wrong?”

“There’s nothing wrong with that. I just wanna make sure you’ve got your head on straight going into this job. We’re moving some serious shit. This is pure, raw cocaine. But there ain’t no drug as powerful as pussy.”

“I heard you the first time,” I sighed. “Lydia’s more than just pussy to me. She’s important. She’s—”

“Special,” he cut me off. “Just remember that you’ve got an obligation to the club, too.”

“Hey, I know what the patch says. I look at that shit when I wake up and it’s the last thing I see before I go to sleep.”

“Good. We’ll need you on this.”

I kept my head down while Ghost continued staring at me. When I finally raised my head up, I saw the smile on his lips.

“First Michelle,” I sighed. “Then Garnet. Now you. You guys keep busting my balls about Lydia and I’m gonna fucking nut in your faces.”

“Ha!”

Ghost let out a bellowing laugh then stood up from his seat.

“I’ll see you tonight,” he said as he left the bar.

I went back to the tedious work of making sure that the bar was ready for tonight. The Grindhouse was mostly empty, so there weren’t many customers to distract me.

Just as I was getting into it, I looked up and saw Lydia walking through the door.

She was as beautiful as always. Just a t-shirt and jeans. Her long, brown hair flowing behind her. She looked like she was fucking floating toward me.

She smiled a radiant smile at me as she walked up to the bar. I kept my composure even though she was the only person in the world I wanted to see right now.

“What’s going on?” I said.

“I decided to take some time off. Gina was covering for me. She was excited about heading over here tonight and thought about paying me back.”

“Gina? Here? In the Grindhouse?”

“She mentioned something about wanting to hook-up with a biker. Any club members single?”

“They’re all fucking single. You’d think that a president like Garnet would teach these assholes how to get some pussy.”

“Well… I think he did a good job with you.”

Her arms crossed underneath her breasts, she leaned across the counter and fucking teased me with her tits. All I could do was smile, knowing that I was going to have my way with her later tonight.

“I thought I would stop by,” she said. “Keep you company. Unless you’re busy…”

“I’m not fucking busy. The Grindhouse is usually dead during the weekdays, so there isn’t much to do. I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me, too.”

“You want something to drink?”

“Maybe later. No reason to get started so early.”

Lydia watched me while I restocked the bar. She had this look in her eyes like something was on her mind.

“Brash,” she said. “How did you get a name like that? It doesn’t have anything to do with…”

“No,” I said, shaking my head. “I had the name long before I spent a single night in jail.”

“Where did it come from?”

“What are the seven heavenly virtues?”

“The seven heavenly virtues?” she said with a giggle. “I can’t say I know. I’m not much for church these days.”

“Patience is one of them. When I was a teenager, I wasn’t very patient. I was always rushing into things. My pops always told me to slow down. Same with my mom. They were always telling me to take my time but I never did. I hated wasting my time. Still do.”

Lydia leaned across the bar while she listened to me, her eyes unblinking.

“After I lost them, I lost the little bit of patience I ever had. I was still young. Barely 18. I got a bike and just started riding. That’s when I met Garnet. I talked to him every single fucking day trying to get patched in. Got to be a recruit and finally got voted in.”

“Good for you. It must have been a proud moment.”

“Proud. That’s one way of putting it. Garnet said he saw the anger inside of me. Saw the anger after losing my parents when they both got sick…”

I paused for a second, shaking my head as the memory of them came back to me.

“…Garnet said I didn’t have any patience. No kindness. Just this anger. He told me it was a good thing though. Told me to use it. Be myself. Be brash. And that was that.”

“I see…”

She leaned back, her eyes shifting like she was thinking about what I said. A slight smile on her lips told me was definitely thinking of something.

“What’s on your mind?” I said.

“I guess I figured a name like Brash meant you were always doing bad things.”

“I’m not doing all good things, if that means anything.”

“Nobody’s perfect. But it’s nice to know you’re not looking to go out there and hurt people.”

“I’m not a caveman,” I said with a laugh. “Only when I need to be.”

I winked at her and she started to blush. Her gorgeous smile never failed to make me forget about everything else.

“Your parents,” she said suddenly. “What were they like?”

“They were as good as any parents could be. They were always there for me when I needed them. It wasn’t their choice to leave me.”

“No, of course not.”

“I consider it a blessing for myself that I lost them when I was young. Gives me that much more time to get over it and accept it.”

“Yeah…”

“What about you? What about your family?”

“I don’t really have any other family. My parents… They’re back home, up north. Retired. They’re doing well. I don’t have an interesting story.”

“They’re doing well, just like you said. That’s better than interesting.”

“Yes… Yes, it is.”

She looked at me like there was still something on her mind. Her eyes were shifting. Something was wrong but I couldn’t figure it out. Even though Lydia wasn’t like any woman I’d ever met, she was still just a woman, confusing as shit.

“Listen,” she said. “I didn’t realize how tired I was. I’m gonna head out and take a break.”

“Sure… I’ll pick you up tonight?”

“I’ll be ready. I can’t wait.”

She reached forward and took my hand in hers. Her skin was so smooth. Her touch was so gentle. I didn’t want her to let go but she did eventually.

“Goodbye,” she said.

“Bye…”

She winked then headed toward the exit. I stared at her ass the entire time. Even from the back she was perfect. She was gone quicker than I wanted her to be.

I sighed at the thought of her. I let the image of her linger in my mind for a bit before getting back to work.