I knew what he and my mom did, all those years ago. I'm not stupid. But things are so different now. With how far technology has come, the methods they used to use to cover their tracks are not enough in this day and age. I was possibly overreacting, but I needed this to go away. I needed him to avoid a murder charge, and I needed the Hounds not to take any heat for my father's crimes.
Hell, even if Clayton would've gotten arrested, we'd pay for his commissary, the same way we do for Jack who's been incarcerated for the last decade after he got caught lifting a motorcycle. Cameras today are a little better than they were used to and they got it all on camera, down to Jack's shit-eating grin when he hotwired it and rode off, wearing his cut-off and all.
Jack was around for all of my life and he was crazy as the day is long, but he always had the club's best interest at heart. It hasn't bothered him one bit to do time for the crimes he committed for this club. He's up for parole at the end of the year, and rest assured, when he makes it, he will have everything he needs. Bud dog stretches across the bed and sighs, as if his life is so rough. I pet him while I wait for Lilly to finish double-checking the suitcase to make sure we've got everything. Lilly's closing the suitcases and I take them one by one to the motorhome. I've got a trailer attached to the back with Trigger inside, ready for a four-day weekend with my club brothers.
The dog-sitter is here to pick up Buddy and he's so excited to go with her, that my feelings are a little hurt. He should not be this excited to leave home. Little shit.
He's loaded into her car before she can even fully open the back hatch of her SUV. I watch them disappear from view from the driver's seat of our RV. I've got it cranked and the air conditioner is blowing cold, battling this Louisiana summer heat. Lilly comes stumbling up the stairs of the RV, nearly falling inside when she closes the door behind her.
Her hair is disheveled, stuck to the little bit of sweat on her forehead from the walk from the house to the RV. She swipes her hair from her face, sets her book sack down on the couch and plops into the passenger seat. I've already checked and re-checked the ties on the motorcycle in the trailer, the tank is full, and we're ready to head out.
The rally is a two-hour drive from the house and Lilly spends every minute of it serenading me every song that plays on the radio. We turn down the gravel entryway and stop at the little shack collecting payments and handing out admission bracelets. I hop out with Lilly on my heels and pay the fee for the weekend and our bracelets.
We park in our designated spot, and I level the RV with the press of a few buttons. I work on getting the slide-outs out while Lilly has gone exploring already. Leo and Shorty pull in, parking a camper in the spot next to ours, making a nice little patio area between our two spots.
Leo is setting up the camper and Lilly and Carrie have already set up a few of the folding chairs and are sitting there sipping on drinks. I grin as I stare at my girl, watching her finally feel at ease and enjoying life. I feel a little like a creeper, watching her through the window of the RV. She's pulled her long black hair into a bun and has on sunglasses, with blue jean shorts and a black Hounds supporter tank top, and of course, her flip-flops.
I open the fridge and grab a few beers on my way outside. I hand one to Leo and Shorty and pull up a chair by Lilly. I rest my hand on the inside of her tanned thigh and give it a squeeze. Shestares at me with lust in her eyes and if she doesn't stop it, I'm going to drag her inside and ravage her until we break the shocks on the RV.
"You better stop," I whisper a warning to her, solidifying it with a deep stare.
She smirks at me and takes a sip of her drink, squeezing her thighs together and avoiding my gaze. I'm going to fuck the daylights out of her tonight, if we make it that long. Leo and Shorty set their chairs down in the semi-circle we've started.
"Where's Lucy?" I ask, looking around.
"She's dropping the kids off at the grandparents’ house and she'll be here this evening," Shorty says.
"Don't worry, she wouldn't miss this weekend for the world," he grins, wriggling his eyebrows.
Lucy and Shorty bring a third into their bedroom on special occasions, like this rally. And it's always Lucy's choice. She's got a thing for the new prospect, Jensen. He's freshly twenty-one, and a whopping hundred and twenty pounds soaking wet. He's only been around for the last two months, but he's been spending a lot of time with Lucy and Shorty. So much so that we had to question whether she was cheating on Shorty or not.
That's when Shorty was sort of forced into telling us about his lifestyle, which I apologized for after it was all said and done. It wasn't fair that he had to have his privacy invaded based on the accusations of other club members and I made it known at the table last week just how ridiculous it was. From now on, members need to mind their business. If they suspect an ol' lady is stepping out, they better keep it to themselves unless they are one-hundred percent certain.
"Scott's on his way. He's bringing Molly, his new girlfriend of the week," Leo states, sitting down in a chair beside Carrie.
"Behave, she's a nice girl," Carrie chastises.
Leo shrugs, tossing his hands up. "What? All I said was she's his new girlfriend of the week. It isn't mean, it's just the facts."
"They've been seeing each other for two months now. Give it a chance. Eventually one of these women have to stick," Carrie rebuttals.
"I can't wait to meet her," Lilly says with a smile, propping her feet on my leg. I begin rubbing them, mindlessly. Just something to feel a little closer to her. I'm infatuated with her lately. I can't get enough. I want to touch her at all moments of the day. Her skin is so soft, and she always smells so good. And don't even get me started on how great the fucking sex has been.
We sit around, drinking and talking shit for about an hour before the rest of the club starts showing up. Aaron, Linc, Digger, Snapper, and Scott have all arrived. The sun is starting to set, and the first band of the weekend will be taking the stage soon. That's when the party really gets started. There are vendors in the vendor alley, just off to the right of the stage. There's everything from food trucks to leather and jewelry vendors and everything in between.
One of the tents has women's lingerie for sale, which is the usual dress code for these events. Or less. Often referred to as 'Nekkid Nationals', these rallies include a lot of nudity and adult behavior and entertainment. Lilly is in for a treat.
We walk as a group toward the crowd gathering around the stage as the sun begins to sink below the horizon. Lilly's hand is securely in mine and she's staring around us in awe. The music is loud, but the band sounds good. The sound guy is out in the crowd, walking around and adjusting the sound system accordingly.
The crowd is beginning to grow as people arrive and make their way toward the stage. The band plays until the wet t-shirt contest at ten o'clock tonight. Lilly has had a few drinks and herbuzz is showing. Her eyes are glossy and she's got a smile on her face that hasn't left since we've been here.
"Having a good time so far?" I lean in and ask her.
"Yes! This has been so fun already!" she says with a slight slur.
I chuckle and wrap my arm around her waist, pulling her into my side. She slips a hand into my back pocket and leans into me. We sway with the beat of the music, listening to the cover band play some eighties rock, my favorite genre in the world.
I may be old school, but good music is good music, and the eighties was top tier. I scan the crowd, keeping my head on a swivel. Even though I'm in good company, you can never be too careful. I'd be surprised if the Moccasins did make an appearance, but it's not out of the question. And I don't like surprises.
