Tundra shook his head. “Open your eyes, Raff. We’re having church in ten minutes.”
“Okay,” I drawled.
Beast put a pint glass full of dark beer on the bar. “Don’t tell him, asshole. Volt’s not even here, yet, is he?”
Cal chuckled. “He got here half an hour ago. Bobby’s with him around the side, setting up for tonight.”
Tundra’s eyes slid to the other end of the bar in a pointed way.
“Oh,” Alexandra said.
I followed his gaze and saw two brown paper wrapped packages.
I nodded. “Cool. Killian and Ryan deserve their patches, man.”
Beast’s expression went flat. “You’re shitting me, right?” He glanced at Tundra. “Do you think he might be trying to…Bluff?”
The way he emphasized the word bluff made my stomach sink, but in a good way.
Alexandra nudged my bicep with her shoulder. I looked at her and seeing that huge smile felt like a gut punch. “This is great, Raff! You’re getting your patch. No wonder they’re getting ready for a party.”
Roman put the cocktail shaker down, and leaned an elbow on the bar. “Nobody saidhewas getting patched in tonight,cher.”
Alexandra gave him a ‘Don’t bullshit me’ look and Roman chuckled.
The front door opened and an ear-splitting whistle filled the air. I turned and saw Volt and Bobby had come inside. The common room quickly filled with the rest of the brothers and other members from the Biloxi chapter.
Once he had everyone’s attention, Volt said, “I don’t think we need to be so formal with this one. We voted Monday. It was unanimous, and yesterday I got word from the mother chapter. There’s one less prospect in the Jacksonville chapter because he earned his patch.”
He nodded and Beast opened one of the packages then unfolded a new leather cut, holding it in the air.
The name patch read ‘Bluff.’
The emotion I felt earlier from Cynic’s words was nothing compared to the onslaught I felt now. I willed myself not to cry as Alexandra slipped my prospect cut off, and I took the leather from Beast.
I shrugged on my official cut and lost count of the back slaps I received as brothers crowded around to congratulate me.
Once they cleared away, Beast shot a devious smile my way. “Do you know what the best part about your road name is?”
“The fact you came up with it?” I guessed.
He chuckled. “No, that was Tundra.”
“Yeah! You were there, I’d think you’d remember that, numbnuts,” Tundra said.
I rolled my eyes. “Fine. What’s the best part?”
Beast wheezed out a chuckle. “You won’t be able to bluff anybody again. Everyone’s gonna know you’re a bullshitter.”
I shrugged a shoulder. “Could refer to a type of landscape.”
Beast’s eyes went dramatically wide. “Right…’cause you’re a geography buff. Pedal that shit somewhere else. Bluff!”
Dad lumbered up to me, and I wondered how he wasn’t one of the first people to congratulate me.
“Wanted to wait, son,” he said, reading my face. “Really fuckin’ proud of you. It’s an honor to call you my sonandmy brother.”
My throat clogged again.
