5
I spent all of Friday trying to work on that damn bike Jimmy brought me. It was a mess that held up my entire day. I shouldn’t bitch because it was money that I could use plus something to occupy my time, but it was a bigger pain in the ass than keeping Wilson’s bike running. I was in a hurry though, I wanted the damn thing running and out of my way, so it didn’t fuck with the rest of my weekend. But, it was damn near ten before we got the bike to successfully crank. Jimmy spent the majority of the time working on it with me. Though he mostly did running for parts and whenever my aches got too much, he’d bring me water and my pills.
“I got some good stuff,” his friend, Anthony, said to me when I was aching and pretty much stuck on my ass. “Percocets, they’re good for pain.”
“Can’t,” I didn’t even look at the idea. But I figured out then that this guy and Jimmy were probably running something more serious than the weed that Teddy and Wilson dealt.
“You’re helping me out man,” he said in response. “I’d cut you a good deal to help you out.”
“I get drugged tested once a month,” I looked up at him then. “I test positive for anything that I’m not prescribed, and I get in a shit ton of trouble.”
“Fucker’s on disability,” Jimmy said from behind me, he tossed me a bottle of water with my bottle of pills. “He can get away with smoking pot here and there, but anything else they’ll stop paying him for being a bump on a log.”
“This bump on a log did more than you did, Chair force,” I didn’t pause from working the bottle open and popping pills into my mouth. I chugged the bottle of water down then.
“It’s a pity you guys don’t let civilians in,” Anthony rolled a shoulder. “I could sure help you guys out with business. Get some serious income for guys like you,” he nodded at me. “I don’t imagine that disability pays much.”
“I got a roof over my head, food to eat, and a bike to ride,” I gestured for a hand up and with a little effort was hefted to my feet by the both of them. “That’s all a guy needs.”
“Plus a little pussy never hurts,” Jimmy gave my arm a punch. “When you’re done with that girl lemme know. I’d like to give her a ride.”
“Fuck off, Chair force,” I shook out my numb leg and looked at Anthony. “It’ll run now. You just need to clean the rest of that shit up. You’re probably going to need a whole new gas tank, though. You’re gonna want to get that before you try taking it for a ride.”
“I buy one and bring it here you’ll put it on for me?”
I nod, “Tomorrow I’ll be out though so you’ll have to wait.”
“Thanks,” he offered me his hand, and I shook it. Then he pulled into one of those one-armed hugs that were always awkward from strangers. “If you change your mind about the other stuff Jimmy has my number. I’ll remember to cut you a deal.”
I nodded but didn’t comment. There were red flags here. I watched as Jimmy and Anthony loaded up the piece of shit bike into a trailer before he pulled out. When it was just Jimmy and me, I felt the need to reach out to the guy.
“You getting into trouble here?”
“Fuck no,” he didn’t wait for me as he walked back to the bar. “I’m just making extra money. Not all of us can live off the government.”
I stayed outside, my pills in one hand and the bottle of water in the other. I didn’t think Teddy and Wilson would be keen on Jimmy making extra money depending on what he was dealing in. A shit storm was brewing, and I hoped to God that guy wasn’t going to bring the cops running in here. The club had it’s front as a way for helping vets, I was proof of that. But to make money, they also trafficked pot and CBD oil to people that could use it, people that needed it for treatment. Hell, I was fairly certain Cindy probably made the eatables. And while all of it would get them long prison sentences, they felt like they were helping people out. Plus, they did all they could to keep me out of it.
I had to think about what to do about my hunch, whether to let it be or bring it up to Teddy. I distracted myself with cleaning up the lot, there was a lot to think about, and it would weigh on me the rest of the day.