His face contorts into an annoyed frown. “Stop fucking going on about that, Flint. It was a goddamn accident and nothing more.”
Before I can respond, Jinx pulls in on his Fat Boy, parking right beside us. When our sergeant-at arms gets off his bike, he thumps Tommy hard on the shoulder without slowing his stride towards the clubhouse door.
“See?” I tell him, trying to lighten the mood. “Nobody claps a dead man walking on the shoulder like that. You’re fine.”
“You are a real fuckin’ comfort, Flint. I can see why people pay you for emotional support.”
“I wish that was true. It sounds like something that would be a fuckin’ amazing side gig.”
Slate leans out of the front door and yells, “Attention you feral fucks, time to get your asses inside. Church starts in five minutes. Club members only today.” Then our VP steps back, disappearing inside without another word.
I slide my lighter back into my pocket and begin walking up the steps. “I’ll come out and get you when it’s time to trade out that prospect’s cut for one with a bottom rocker.”
Inside the main room of the clubhouse, the club girls are flitting around, preparing for the after party that always happens after church on Saturdays. The party will last all day and into the night. My club brothers and I will eat, drink, shoot pool, bitch about politics, and enjoy a club girl or two before passing out in a drunken stupor.
The brothers are moving towards the room where we hold church, and I join them. There are too many of us to fit around a table, so there are rows of chairs and a long table for the club officers up front. Jasper takes his place in the center of the table, with Slate on his right and Onyx on his left. Rock and Jinx bracket the trio on each end. Rock stepped down a while back as club president and Jasper took the gavel, but he’s our club’s founder he’ll always be entitled to a place at the head table.
The rest of us scramble around to find an open seat. I end up sitting beside Rivera, Slate’s battle buddy from the military. He’s the only dude I know whose club name is his actual name.
Jasper bangs the gavel once and the thump resonates around the room. “Let’s get down to business.”
Jasper goes through old business and then opens the discussion for new business.
“Onyx, tell us what the fuck is going on with the club businesses and the finances.”
Onyx has been doing double duty since Mica left, and I can tell he’s not happy about it by the way he frowns as he walksus through last month’s business issues and then talks about the club’s financial situation. He finally ends with, “The good news is we’re in the black again this month.”
Then Slate, our club VP, updates us on a run planned for the end of next month that Jasper asked him to set up.
I’m only half listening to their reports because it’s good information to have, but I’m waiting to nominate my best friend for his patch.
Jasper announces, “Our last piece of business tonight is the nomination of prospects. Flint, would you like to go first.”
I come to my feet and make sure my voice is loud and clear, so brothers in the back can hear everything I have to say. “I wanna nominate TJ. He’s been prospecting with us for a full year. We need patches and he’s never let us down. In terms of putting all our cards on the table, I’ll tell you all right now that he’s my best friend and we own a business together. It’s one reason I wanted to wait until he hit his one-year mark to nominate him. He’s never broken code and kept the wolves from our door all year long. I trust him not only with my own life, but all of yours too.”
Jasper’s voice rings out, “We have a nomination on the table for TJ. Do I have a second.”
Rivera immediately speaks up, “I second the motion. TJ’s good people. He’s more than earned our patch.”
“Does anyone else have anything to say before we take it for a vote?” Jasper asks.
Slate clears his throat, leaning forward with both hands on the table. “I’ve got nothing bad to say about TJ. He showsup early, he leaves late, he does what’s asked of him without complaint, and I’ve never once had to remind him of anything twice. That’s a good prospect in my book.”
“He’s helped me with the inventory more than once this quarter,” Onyx adds, flipping through his notebook. “He’s good with paperwork, pays attention to details, and doesn’t get his feelings hurt when I ask him to redo something. That’s enough to get him my vote.”
Jasper looks around the table with his eyebrows slightly raised. “If anyone has a problem with TJ now’s the time to speak up.”
When no one speaks up, I relax. It seems like the room is genuinely in agreement that TJ’s a good fit for the Sons of Rage MC.
“Alright then,” Jasper says, picking his pen back up. “Let’s vote. Everyone in favor, say aye.” The resounding reply from the brothers is truly heartwarming. Everyone that I can see has his hand up in the air and they’re all saying aye. Something in my chest loosens. I slowly lower my hand as Jasper asks, “What about nays?”
One lone hand shoots up. It’s Rock, the only one besides the club officers that can keep a prospect from getting patched with one vote. Shock roils through my body. I’m not the only one shocked shitless about the turn of events. Gasps and subtle whispers come from several corners of the room.
I just stare at my uncle, unable to believe that he’s downvoting Tommy who has been nothing but true blue for a complete year. Even his sons are staring at him. Onyx’s mouth is hanging open. Jasper is staring at Rock, and his head is shakingslightly. Clearly, he didn’t see this coming either. A short silence spins out in the room.
As if to drive his point home, Rock repeats his nay, crossing his arms stubbornly across his chest. That’s it then, a nay from Rock closes the door for Tommy. I guess my best friend isn’t gonna be my club brother after all. I glance away as that sinks in.
Jasper clears his throat and sets his pen down carefully. “You wanna share your thoughts on that?”
