He paused, waiting for me to catch up.
“Don’t do it.”
He stared me down, maybe because it was so fucking hypocritical of me at this point.
“Has to happen,” he said quietly, “No more hiding.”
Fuck. “No, man. I’m a dick, but you don’t owe me anything. I get that. I’ve been hanging onto that shit for so long, but I should have kept it to myself.”
He shook his head. “You were right.” He paused then, taking a look around him, as if he was memorising it before he lost it all.
“Reacher’s backing this. He gets it.”
Fuck. I thought he’d have a plan to stop it, not enable it!
“Brother, please. I was an asshole, I lashed out at you because I’m a fucking twat who dwells on shit that doesn’t even matter now. Everyone else forgave you. What right do I have to-”
“You were right, brother. Let the cards fall where they fall. This was always going to happen at some point. Honestly, it’s kind of a relief. I’ve been waiting for it to come to light and fuck up my life. I mean, that’s what I deserve, and we all know it. I’m going to take charge of my fucking future, and grow a pair. See you in there.”
I felt so much regret as I watched him walk away, after he proved yet again that he’s not the same guy who did those things. That fucker would have raged and argued, and denied everything, or alternately thrown it all in our faces, with a smug grin on his face. Micro, the man we know now? He was owning up, taking whatever came from his confession, and doing it with calm relief. He was definitely the right fucking guy to run this club. I wish I hadn’t taken so long to figure that out.
Harley was just parking up, so I ran over to him, hating the look of disappointment on his face as he recognised me.
“I know. I’m a cunt. I wish I could undo it, but we both know that’s not how shit works. I wanna help him though. Speak up for him.”
Harley tucked his helmet under his arm, and gestured to the path for us to start walking.
“With the greatest respect, brother, haven’t you said enough already?”
Ouch. Still, he was right, wasn’t he? How the tables had turned for both of us.
“I have to try. I spoke out of turn, and I can’t undo it, but I can back him now. Show my support. Grow up and fucking back my President.”
Harley turned to see other brothers pulling in on their rides, a full fucking turnout for this meeting that could destroy everything Micro and Harley had been building.
“If they vote him out…”
“We’ll make sure they don’t.”
He sighed, waving to a few of our brothers as they started heading for Church, but Micro was walking back towards us with his hands up, halting them before they reached the room where we’d normally meet.
“What’s he doing?”
We all amassed around him in the firepit area, while everyone looked a little unnerved at the unexpected change to our normal process. He waved the prospects over, who were halfway through closing the gate, leaving it standing open. It felt like he was leaving it open for himself to be thrown out.
“This can’t wait, and we’re doing it here,” he yelled, getting up on a seat as silence fell.
“I can’t let this taint our Church. Our sanctity. The room where we run this club, and work together as a brotherhood. I have a confession to make, and I’ll do it here, where it’s on even ground. I’m just a brother right now, just like all of you.”
“Fuck me. He’s already going in like he’s lost.”
Harley moved over to flank him, standing by the bench Micro was standing on, and Grease immediately stepped to his other side. Fuck that. I stepped up beside Harley, and people were noticing, as murmuring began and Micro paused. I guess it looked like we were about to have a showdown, but that’s how it felt, at least to me.
“What’s going on, Pres. Is this another fucking cull? We’re all toeing the line here, just like we’re supposed to.”
Micro shook his head.
“You’re all doing an outstanding job of easing into the Phoenix ethos, and doing the colours proud. I need to tell you about methough. About what I did before I came here. About how this is my atonement. If you all want me gone after, I’ll understand.”
