Maddox

“I realize you’re trying to punish yourself for Olivia, but could you stop punishing her and me?”

“What?”

My Dad was calmly eating his food, which smelled delicious. And though I would never admit it, I was absolutely going to that kitchen to get some later.

Meanwhile, my Dad had decided now was a good time to lecture me.

“If you drive that sweet girl away, you’re hurting all of us. And I may deserve it, but Olivia does not.”

“Olivia has a nurse.”

“Olivia deserves a friend, a nice house, and a Dad around as long as I can be. For the first time in a while, thanks to one day with that gal, Tracy, things were positive and nice in this mess.”

“She was in my den.”

“So the fuck what? She is the sweetest person we’ve had in this house since Olivia was born and I am NOT going to have you scare her away. No matter what guilt bullshit you’re carrying around. God, this is good.”

Dad put another fork into the roast Tracy Plumb had served.

Something was bothering me, to the point where I had to double check with my Dad.

“Did she say she’s going to walk and take the bus?”

I had tried to ignore that. But it was sticking in my gut. It was getting dark. This wasn’t my responsibility or problem to deal with. Except I kept thinking about her trekking alone down our drive, and into the night.

“Yeah, how about that bullshit. No car, sells it to pay for a wedding? And what kind of pussy lets his woman walk around at night alone? An asshole in my book.”

Sarge wasn’t one to mince words. He was also old-fashioned as hell when it came to women. Most of the women I knew could handle themselves in tough spots. I’d seen it repeatedly with the women of The Dark Saints.

I’m sure this Tracy Plumb would be fine. But still. I kept envisioning her alone and it didn’t sit right.

Dad was happy with his food and his shows and clearly happy to be telling me how to act around Tracy Plumb.

I felt like shit. Tracy had just been delivering the stuff the club needed today. As the treasurer of the MC, I need paperwork. I couldn’t keep an eye on our money without it.

Her coming up to the third floor was pretty fucking innocent. She was just bringing me what the club had delivered.

And I’d been an asshole. I knew that.

And I felt guilty for it.

“I’m going for a ride.”

I left him there and I left his advice on my attitude in the rearview.

I decided a trip to the MC was probably due. I didn’t want to drink or whoop it up, but I could deliver the papers back to the MC myself.

I rode to the MC and walked through the bar first.

Benz and Kade were there and their faces registered surprise to see me. I used to be a fixture here. It was my home; it was my Dad’s home. But since Olivia I’d barely shown my face.

The place was more familiar to me than the museum I lived in with my freak show of a family. But all I could feel was hollow when I tried to be a part of the MC. I didn’t care what they decided. I didn’t really care what they voted on.

I didn’t care.

I was a member in name only. Eventually my Prez, Bear, would push back and I’d be out.

That was probably the next stop on the road I was on. The club didn’t need my bullshit and I couldn’t forgive what this life had brought to my sister. The situation was toxic.

Benz and Kade came up to me. The hopes on their faces made me feel bad. Guilt again. It suffocated me. Signs that I wasn’t who anyone wanted me to be were everywhere I looked.

“Brother! Good to see you in here.”

Kade and I bumped shoulders. His grip on my hand was tight.

Benz repeated the gesture.

“Finally going to have a beer with us?” Kade asked and I shook my head.

“No, I’ve got the papers Fitzie dropped to the house. I think Bear and EZ want to get this deal done fast, buying some new bar? Anyway, here they are.”

“Fitzie!” Benz called out and the skinny probie that was the near-daily courier for club shit I needed popped up from around the corner and skittered over. He was eager, helpful, friendly, and so enamored of becoming a Saint that he did every fucking thing we asked. I couldn’t remember a time I felt like that.

It must have been a lifetime ago when I was their age. Fitzie, Toby, Moose – we had about half a dozen kids who wanted to patch in right now.

“Get this to Bear tonight,” I said.

“Will do, Maddox. Anything else?”

“No, you’re good.”

And Fitzie nodded and hustled off. His enthusiasm only made my lack of it more pronounced.

“Hey, Harlow’s former assistant just started at your place, I heard.”

“Oh, Miss Plumb, yeah.”

I wasn’t into any small talk.

“Nice kid but she’s getting married to that little douchebag that’s running for council, what’s his name?”

“Perry, I think. Another one of the Perry’s trying to get the government salary.”

Benz was about as anti-establishment as it got.

“She’s marrying a politician?” I was surprised.

“Yeah, Harlow and I’ve met him, once or twice. Polite and shit, but like talking to a piece of Wonder Bread with a superior attitude.”

“Hmm, lovely.”

“If you don’t want a beer, how about you come on a ride with us? Word from Jen is that there’s a couple of armed idiots out there causing some harmless but illegal bullshit. We’re going to keep an eye out.”

“What’d they do?”

“Stole an ATM and then, last night, knocked off a convenience store.”

Jen Guffy was a straight and narrow cop but she wasn’t stupid. She knew that if you wanted to police in Port Azreal you had to have The Dark Saints on your side. She knew it so well that she and Benz were joined at the hip. Benz and Kade were both more domestic these days than I’d ever have imagined.

“Bear know about this?” I asked.

“Yeah, show of force time, petty criminals trying to grow a set. It would be hilarious if it didn’t piss me off so much,” Kade said.

“I’ll do few hours. Where you want me?”

I didn’t intend to participate in a patrol with the MC but shit, I could ride around. I was going to do it anyway. Small time armed robbery was something the MC didn’t tolerate.

“Handle the new section near The Watering Hole area. You know, that nicer place? The last thing we need is the hipsters getting spooked,” Benz said, and he was right.

The Saints kept the drugs and violence away from the tourists and cash. Maybe beating some heads in, like I’d done at The Wayside, would make me easier to live with at The Castle. I may as well take my rage out on strangers.

“Are you sure you don’t want to double up?” Kade asked and I shook my head no.

“This about as much togetherness as I can take.”

The three of us drove off in different directions. We’d be loud and menacing for a few hours so any little thugs who thought of fucking with Port Az would think again.

I rode the streets again, alone. This time though, my eyes were open. I was focused.

I rode for a few hours, in the nicer sections of Port Az. Benz took The North Side, and Kade had the streets surrounding Cups, the sports bar. I had abdicated most of my participation in The Saints, but at least tonight I’d get a few brownie points. It might keep Bear off my ass, and maybe even Sarge.

Look, kids. I’m patrolling!

It was almost eleven – not late really, for a Friday night – when I saw three dudes in dark hoodies. They got out of a shitty car and were walking with their heads down.

Except that was clearly bullshit. They had trouble on their minds.

I cut the lights on my bike and parked it. I got off and picked a spot in the shadows. I’d watch to see if I was right. I knew I was. There was something off about these three. If things went right, I’d fuck up their night.

I saw them zone in on something, and their pace quickened. The combination of their dark clothes, hoods up, and the way they looked around raised my antennae even further. They were going to cause trouble. Trouble was my specialty.

I followed the trajectory they were on. A few yards ahead of them was a city bus stop. It was dark, and there was only person waiting.

A person in a little black dress.

I immediately recognized the pretty little thing wearing it.