The sky was starting to lighten when Max finally left the bar. He shivered against the brisk morning breeze as he slowly walked back towards the motel, hoping that Aaron, Henry, and their female companions would be in a decent state by the time he returned. He passed by the tattoo parlor where Brittany worked. The metal shutters were down; it was too early for anyone to be at work.
Max felt a pang in his heart over how much he missed her as he walked by. He’d wandered in there when he first arrived in Colridge hoping to get some new ink, and he’d come away with so much more. But it wasn’t like him. Max bunched his hands into fists of frustration and quickened his pace. His time living on the street had taught him to be tough, to learn to live on his own. Brittany made him want to change, made him want to share his life with someone.
As the motel came in to view, Max slowed. He shoved his hands deep in to his pockets and sauntered across the parking lot towards his motel room door. He paused beside it listened. There were no sounds coming from inside. Taking a deep breath, he used his key and let himself in.
It was dark in the room. The drapes were drawn tightly closed, sealing out the growing morning light. In the dim light, Max could make out a few crumpled bodies sprawled out over the first bed. It was a tangle of naked limbs and difficult to discern who was whom. Glancing away Max headed for the bathroom. Thankfully it was empty and he was able to shower off the musty smell of the bar and freshen up.
When he re-entered the bedroom, the bodies on the bed had stirred. Henry was now sitting up and smoking a cigarette. Dark circles had gathered beneath his eyes. Aaron and the two women appeared to still be sleeping.
“Last night was a good night,” Henry grinned as he saw Max. “You missed out on all the fun.”
“So it would seem,” Max glanced towards the bed and raised his eyebrows.
“Haha,” Henry was laughing, his teeth clamped around his half-smoked cigarette. “They were game for anything, those girls, I’ll say that for them.”
“Glad you enjoyed yourselves,” Max leaned awkwardly against a nearby dresser. He wondered if today would be the day he’d actually get a call from his Uncle. There were three members of the Kings now in Colridge, surely it was time for them to start stirring shit up? Otherwise why were they even there? Granted, Max’ original exile to the town had been a form of punishment but Henry and Aaron would have a more legitimate reason to be there. They were some of the hardiest members of the pack. The ones with the most fearful reputations.
During a fight, Henry had once dragged a man by his hair over to the curb. He made him bite down around it, and then he stomped on his head, breaking the man’s jaw and shattering all his teeth. All the while Henry had been laughing like a maniac.
If Max hadn’t been there, he would have thought the story to be a lie. But he’d stood by and watched Henry’s foot come down hard, heard the sickening snap of bone, and witnessed the spray of blood and broken teeth which rained down around Henry’s victim. It had been a sickening scene, yet Max had been unable to look away. He’d always managed to find the beauty in destruction. He wondered if all members of his club felt that way.
“Will today be the day?” Henry asked, leaning back on the bed. “We keep waiting on that call.”
“I hope it’s today,” Max rolled his eyes. “But if it’s not, we just need to keep laying low and occupying ourselves.”
“Don’t worry about me,” Henry’s gaze drifted to the naked buttocks of the nearby blonde. He hungrily roved her curves and chuckled to himself. “I can easily be occupied.”
“Good,” Max hoped the women could entertain his friends long enough to keep them out of trouble. Henry would only be distracted by sex for so long. Then his carnal need would grow, and he’d need something more brutal to satiate himself. That was when he’d go seeking out trouble.
Max reached for a half drunk bottle of whiskey, which had been left on the nightstand and took a swig from it. The liquor burned his throat as it went down, but it succeeded in banishing some of his burgeoning worries.
“Sure you don’t want a ride?” Henry asked as he playfully smacked the woman’s bare cheek. She murmured sleepily but didn’t wake.
“I’m sure,” Max confirmed.
“What happened to you, man? You used to be fun.”
Max could only shrug apologetically. He wasn’t about to tell Henry the truth. That now he had someone he cared about. It would make him seem weak in Henry’s eyes, and once that happened Henry would stop listening to him and start doing his own thing. And that would be extremely dangerous.
“You’re young,” Henry continued, sounding slightly envious of Max’ youth. “You should be fucking everything that moves.”
“I’ve got the clap.” It was the easiest and most convenient lie Max could think of. It was also a way to stop Henry and Aaron trying to lure him into sharing their bedfellows.
“Damn,” Henry gestured for Max to pass over the bottle of whiskey he was holding. “Been there. It’s no fun.”
“Uh huh,” Max passed over the bottle of whiskey. Henry raised it to his lips and tipped it back before drinking heavily as though it were iced tea. When he was done, he wiped the back of his hand across his mouth and gave a satisfied sigh.
“Well, don’t worry, I’ll be having plenty of fun on your behalf,” Henry returned what was left of his cigarette to his mouth and handed the bottle back to Max.
“Uh, what time is it?” the brunette’s eyes fluttered open as she stretched on the bed. When she noticed Max, she offered him a sexy smile, not caring that she was completely naked and fully on display.
“It’s time you sucked my dick,” Henry told her boldly. She sat up and faced him. For a moment she scowled, and Max wondered if she was going to slap him hard across the face. But then her gaze became more seductive and she began to shuffle closer to him on the bed.
“I’m heading out,” Max couldn’t reach the door to the room fast enough. He stepped outside just in time to hear Henry start to groan with appreciation.