“Wait till you see the Annies. They’re gonna love you.” Eddie grins, but it’s hard to share in his joy. The thought of touching a woman that’s not Poppy, makes me itch.
“Damn, it’s been a long fucking time since I’ve gotten my dick wet.”Too long.
“No butt buddies in prison?”
That’s a low blow, and he knows it.I don’t know how I managed to survive prison without getting raped, but I did see way too many other guys getting attacked behind the scenes. It makes me shudder just thinking about it.“First off, asshole. That’s fucked up. Second, I thankfully managed to keep my ass safe. My ribs and fucking internal organs… that’s another story.”
He pauses for a second to look at me. “How bad was it?” You can hear the guilt and pain in his voice. This time I don’t brush it off, I tell him the truth.
“A collapsed lung, a few stab wounds, and bruises I still feel to this day. Other than that, just another day in Ely prison. The doctors say it’s a miracle that I survived. I like to think I’m just a stubborn motherfucker that refuses to die. I still got shit to do here.”
“Like what?”
“Like fucking ride that bike you got me. I hope you’ve kept it warm for me.”
He points to the bikes in the bay. “We take it out sometimes just to keep its engine running, but yeah, that’s your beast right there.” He motions to the one with ape hangers and skull mirrors. The one I was hoping for in the first place.
“This beauty is mine?” I question, rushing over to the bike like a kid attacking the presents on Christmas.
“Yup, figured you’d like the ape hangers.”
“Fucking love them. And the skulls? It’s like they made me in bike form!” He laughs when I show him my tattoo. “Fuck, man, I’ll pay you back for it as soon as I can.”
“It’s a gift, brother. Consider it a welcome home present. I can’t wait until you get your license and we can ride together.”
Grinning, I let him in on my little secret. “Dude, I’ve had my motorcycle license for years; I just haven’t told anyone.”
“What? How?”
“My uncle taught me how to ride, and when I was old enough, he took me to get my license. It’s kinda been a family tradition. When I told him about me joining the club, he was fucking proud as hell. He used to ride with a few clubs back in the day. He says there’s nothing better than riding down the road with your brothers flanking you, rocking those cuts with the banner on full display. If the man weren’t already in prison for murdering someone, he’d probably even want to join.”
“Damn, I didn’t know you had family in prison?”
“Yup, he’s the one who kept me alive while in the clink. I didn’t even know he was there until after I got my ass beat for the first time. He couldn’t prevent the second one though, that one nobody saw coming. Turns out a few of the guards were paid to look the other way. Shit was definitely a hit, but after it happened, they sent me to a different facility, basically taking me underground. It’s the only reason I got out.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re home.” A truck coming up the driveway breaks our silence, and Eddie is all smiles again. “Shit, that’s Krampus. You should fucking hide.”
This is gonna be good.
“He’s gonna lose his shit when he sees you.”
The second he hops out of the truck, toting a fucked-up BMW behind him, I almost blow my cover. There are times where Rich has felt more like an actual brother to me than anyone else in this world. It takes everything in me not to rush him the second his boots touch the ground.
“I’ll never get used to seeing dead bodies,” Rich mumbles looking at the deployed airbags like they’re weaponized. “Two dead. One critical,” he informs Eddie as he starts unhooking the BMW from off the back.
“Drunk driver?” Eddie asks.
Rich shakes his head. “Apparently, the guy driving the BMW had a seizure and sideswiped a semi before careening into oncoming traffic and hitting a car with two female passengers. He and one of the passengers are dead; the other female is critical. It’s sad, Drac. Nothing good ever happens in Fernley.”
That’s my moment. From out of the darkness, I rush up behind him, grabbing him from behind so he can’t run away. He immediately breaks my hold and spins with his fists ready, breaths coming out in frightened huffs. “Jesus! What the fuck?” The second he sees me, everything changes. His smile grows like a blooming sunflower, and his arms wrap around me so hard, I can barely breathe. It’s another hug I’ll be depositing into the memory bank. “I thought you weren’t getting home until later?” he questions, smile only getting bigger the longer he stands there staring at me.
“Damn, it’s like ya’ll don’t want to see me.”
“Fuck you. You know we do. How the fuck you been?” Rich exclaims.
I’m still not used to the road name thing. I think it’s going to take me a minute. I’ve known both of these men for ages and calling them something new just seems weird right now.
“Better now that I’m home. It’s good to see you both. Speaking of which, have either of you heard from Poppy?”
