Setting and achieving goals has driven me to succeed at almost everything I intended to accomplish. Graduating from college was my most difficult goal to date; therefore, I looked at it as a huge accomplishment. Considering my mother’s disappointment in my choices in the last few years, it came as no surprise that I didn’t hear from my family prior to graduation. As stubborn as I am, I wasn’t about to call her and remind her, and as disappointed as she was, she certainly wasn’t going to naturally offer. Either way, graduating from college and having no one in attendance made me, once again, feel invisible.

“Avery Taylor.” The voice crackled over the loudspeakers.

Already in position on the right side of the stage, I stepped up the three stairs and onto the platform. As I walked across the stage, it was almost as if I was in a trance. Deaf and blind to what surrounded me, with my left hand I accepted the diploma and shook his hand with my right. I shuffled to the next handshake, and the next. Quiet and feeling tiny, I walked back to my seat with my shoulders slumped. As I found my chair, I opened the diploma.

A fake. A phony. Not having the actual certificate made me feel even more uneasy. They had advised us we would receive the actual document in the mail. Knowing it didn’t make me feel any better. I slid forward in my seat, knowing this was almost over. I wanted to see Axton, ride on his bike, and let the wind against my face allow me to feel as if none of this really mattered. Instead, I was scheduled to meet Sloan’s parents for dinner. I hadn’t even reminded Axton I was graduating. I knew he would have bigger and better things to do than come to some bullshit like a college graduation.

At least my name starts with a “T”. This is almost over.

“I now present you with the Southwestern College graduating class of 2014!”

As I watched everyone stand and scream, I turned and walked along the row of seats toward the aisle. Students stood hugging their friends, family, parents, brothers and sisters. It was a joyous occasion for all. I’ve never been a person to wallow in self-pity or feel sorry for myself, but I felt alone. My throat felt dry and my eyes felt wet. As I stumbled toward the parking lot still in a fog, I heard my name being called.

“Avery! God damn, girl. Are you fucking deaf?”

I glanced up and toward the voice. A large black mob of Sinner cuts stood before me.

Holy shit!

Axton, Otis, Hollywood, Toad, Pete, Stacey, Mike, Fancy, and several other members I didn’t recognize were all standing shoulder to shoulder with their arms crossed. Axton stood in the center with his arms outstretched and open wide. Immediately, I felt as if nothing else mattered. I wanted to rush toward him and have him pick me up and swing me in the air. Instead, I walked slowly as if it wasn’t that big of a deal.

“I’m proud of you,” Axton said as he wrapped his arms around me.

As he squeezed me and lifted my feet from the ground, I closed my eyes.

You. Just. Made. My. Day.

Continued ‘good jobs’, ‘congratulations’, and ‘fuck yeah, you did it, girl’s’ came from the crowd as Axton held me in his arms. When he finally lowered me to the ground, Otis reached into his cut and removed a wrapped gift. After handing it to Axton, Axton, in turn, handed it to me.

“What…”

“It’s from the fellas, it ain’t from me. Well, it’s from all of us. Open it,” he said with a nod.

I unwrapped the gift carefully and clutched the wrapping paper in my hand. As I opened the small black box, I wanted the moment to last forever. The excitement, the men, the hug, the attention, the fact that there were hundreds of people graduating, and the only men to ride motorcycles to the ceremony and wear their cuts to graduation were all waiting for me. I tilted the top back and peered inside.

A wide silver bracelet, beveled on each side with ornate engraving on the face was positioned in the center of the box on a velvet pedestal. I glanced toward Axton.

Don’t fucking cry. Just don’t.

I nodded my head once and reached inside the box.

“Turn it over,” he whispered. “Look inside.”

I picked the bracelet up and looked inside. Engraved in elegant script, the words were clear.

The Devil Looks After His Own.             

I naturally attempted to inhale a breath, but it shuddered. I was about to lose my composure and start sobbing. With shaking hands, I removed the bracelet, pressed it over my left wrist, and looked at it down in admiration. 

“You like it?” Otis asked.

I looked up and nodded my head.

“The bracelet is from the Sinners. The engraving on the inside? It’s from Otis and me.” Axton winked.

The Devil Looks After His Own.

“Where’s Sloan?” Axton asked.

I shrugged my shoulders. “Supposed to meet her in the parking lot. Her parents are here and stuff. We were all going to go to dinner or something, I don’t know.”

“I guess you getting on the back of that sled of mine is out of the question?”

I pulled my gown over my shoulders and lifted it over my head. After carefully folding the fake diploma, cap, and gift box into the gown, I walked to the trash can a few feet away and tossed them inside.

“Glasses?” he asked.

I unzipped my clutch and pulled out my glasses. “Always.”

“Ready?” he asked.

I pushed my hands into the rear pockets of my shorts and looked down at my sneakers. What started out as an awful day had quickly turned into the best day of my life. I glanced up and smiled.

“Always,” said.

Axton turned toward Toad and nodded his head.

“On it, boss,” Toad responded.

Secretive fuckers.

As the rest of us methodically walked to the parking lot, Toad stayed behind. Something about being in the presence of all of the men made me feel powerful. I watched as girls I’d went to school with for four years craned their necks and whipped their heads to the side to catch a glimpse of us as we walked through the parking lot.

That’s right bitches.

The Devil Looks After His Own. Yep, the fellas came to congratulate me and take me for a ride.

“We were thinking of riding out to Stearman Field Airport in Benton and meeting up with another club. About an hour ride there, stay an hour or two, and an hour back. It’ll kill the rest of the day, you alright with that?” Axton asked over his shoulder.

I may not officially have been Axton’s Ol’ Lady, and we may not be fucking, but I knew him having me along for the ride with twelve other members, meeting another club, and being the only bitch in attendance didn’t go without notice from all of the other men. He might not have been ready to admit it, but he was taking me along because he wanted to, not out a feeling of obligation.

I grinned and nodded my head.

“Now, listen up. When we ride with these fellas, it ain’t like when we ride alone. These guys are gonna ride hard, so be ready,” he said.

I started to say something smart-assed, and bit my lip instead.

Awwe, what the hell.

“The harder the better. That’s what I’ve always said,” I said.

As Axton glared at me and continued to walk his mechanical walk of don’t fuck with me swagger, he reached toward his left wrist. I didn’t need to see what he was doing, I knew. I waited to hear the sound.

Snap!

I grinned and threw my leg over the back of his fender.

Mission accomplished.