I cut him off, “What? Join because their dads did? You’ve said it yourself, guys in your crew joined because they didn’t know any other way, that they joined to make easy money. They could do that under the patch and we both know it.”
“We make money now with you.”
“Not as much as you would if you patched in,” I retort.
“What happens if some patch into your club and the ones who don’t, fight against it?”
I sigh. He’s just as cautious as I am, and it’s annoying.
“You know what would happen. They’d become a problem to us.” I change my tactic. “You tried getting out before, this could be your chance.”
He snorts. “I came back because I ain’t no good at anything else, and I don’t think I’d be any good at taking orders. I wouldn’t even be your second, you have Angel for that.”
“I’m an asshole but I have respect for anyone wearing the patch, Darius.”
“Do they know that?” He laughs. I don’t. “Look, this city has a long history of gangs, and we’ve gotten rid of most of them. But they’ll rise up again one day. Knowing my crew as well as I do, I know they won’t go for it.”
Leaving it for another time, I say, “That’s that, then.”
I finish my beer and look around the bar. Men with depression written all over their faces slouch at tables, nursing their drinks. I look away in disgust and knock back my drink.
“Amelia has been on at me to invite you and Victoria over for dinner.”
“Do I look like I do dinner dates?” I snort.
“Not particularly, but your old lady does.”
The fucker’s right. Tor will want me to accept the invite and for her and only her, I say, “Fine. Have Amelia reach out to Tor. They can arrange it.”
It wouldn’t hurt for Tor to have a friend here in the city. As long as that friend doesn’t do anything to betray my old lady. Besides, Amelia comes from a world of wealth and that never hurts to have in your corner.
“The club’s having a party this Saturday, your crew should stop by.”
I slide off of my stool and toss cash down on the bar to cover our drinks.
“You’re leaving me feeling uneasy.”
I smirk. “Don’t take it personally, Dar, I have that effect on most people.”
I rest my hand on his shoulder. “I’ll catch you at the party, if you’re feeling better.”
My laughter trails behind me as I leave. My plan to have the Dog’s Blood Crew patch in didn’t go as planned, but I didn’t think it would anyway. The seed has been planted, and I’ll wait it out and see how it grows.
6
Ford
The need to let my mom know I’m still alive weighs down on me but I can’t see her until I have my shit together. She doesn’t deserve me showing up, scaring the shit out of her, and then not being able to string a sentence together.
Tipping my head back, I stare at the sun until it burns my eyes. I saw night turn into day, and day turn back to night, but it’s been months since I felt the sun warming my skin. Black clouds are off on the horizon and when or if it rains, I’ll still be here soaking in the drops splashing my face.
Silence has been my only companion and sitting outside this morning, I enjoy the background noise from the brothers in the bar.
Sometimes I would conjure conversations back here in the clubhouse. I would pretend I was on the outside looking in and they would keep me company for hours. Then the door would open with some fuck bringing my food in and the illusion would shatter to nothing, and the silence would return.
Minutes, hours, days, weeks, and months, they blended into one long moment and when I was on the verge of giving into theinsanity, I’d remember the patch, and I’d bring up more illusions of the brothers and their conversations.
“Hey, Ford.”
