I coughed a few times before standing upright again. “Thanks, Iguess.”
“Most fuckers wouldn't have gone throughwithit.”
I wiped off my mouth with my cool leather sleeve. “I ain’t one to back down fromanything.”
Red snorted. “Good to know. Now let’s get this SOBbackhome.”
We put gloves on and used big black trash bags to get what we could of the dead Sinner offtheroad.
Red pulled out his burner to call Abel. “It’s done” was all he said before tying up his bag and securing it to his bitch seat. He motioned over to me. “Let’s ride out. They’re waitingforus.”
“What about all this shit?” I pointed to the blood and puke that was scattered around this grislyscene.
Red sip onto the gravel road. “That ain’t something to concern you, son. It will be handled. Don’t you fucking worry about minor shitlikethat.”
* * *
It was nearlythree in the morning by the time we pulled up to the shop where Abel and the rest of the guys werewaiting.
My dad rolled the garage door behind Red and me as we rode into the darkened shop where I spent most of my days. Abel strode over to me while I killed the rumbling engine, grabbing the trash bag from the back of my bike with gloved hands. “I’m proud ofyou,son.”
I tried to hide how shaky my knees were. “Thanks.”
Holt walked up to me with a change of clothes and a bar of soap. “Go scrub down in the back. We’re going to clean up your bike. Other than your cut and Kevlar, burn everything you're wearing in the fire Jesse has going out back. I think he’s making s’mores if you’rehungry.”
I grabbed the shit out of my old man’s hands. “I could use afuckingbeer.”
Holt opened a Rolling Rock and handed the green bottle over to me. “You earned it for suretonight.”
“What are you going to do with him?” I looked over at Abel, who was wrapping the trash bags in more plastic and shoveling them into a blackchest.
He grinned over at me. “It’s going to be a special delivery for our friends over intheeast.”
I went out back and stripped down to my boxers. Walking over to Jesse, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing went he smiled, chocolate smeared all over his face and his eyesbloodshot.
“Hey, Ryder. Your dad got some killer smoker today. You need to fucking hit this.” He tried to pass me hisjoint.
“Naw, thanks though, man. I need to get cleaned up. Burn this shitforme?”
He took my jeans, shirt, boots, and leather jacket from me and my heart hurt a little; I was going to miss thatjacket.
“Yeah, sure thing.” He tossed everything onto the open flames while gritting the rolling paper in histeeth.
I had never been more relieved to wash a day off of myself in my entire life. Even though I hadn’t gotten any of that dude’s blood on my skin, I felt fucking covered in it. I scrubbed and scrubbed at my skin, rinsing off with the hose only to do it again at least tentimes.
After toweling off and putting on fresh clothes, I felt only a touch better. I knew that your first murder stayed with you for life. I had been warned, had heard the stories, but nothing had prepared me for the sound of a man’s last breaths while his blood gurgled from his slit throat or the horrifying screams of a man pleading for his life knowing he was about to be torn limb from limb. That shit was going to fuckinghauntme.
6
Raine
Icheckedmy phone right when I woke up. I still hadn’t heard from Ryder since he’d left the bar the nightbefore.
Deepbreaths.
He’sfine.
It’s justclubshit.
