Page 30

Story: 12 Months of Mayhem

Fool

“You good, brother?”

I glanced up from the message I was reading on my phone to meet Hazzard’s gaze. Hazzard was my brother by blood but also by club. A club I’d just gotten my patch in after doing a stint of time as a prospect. Thank fuck I don’t have to deal with polishing toilets and shit any longer, but it was worth doing it since in the end I got my patch.

After getting out of the SEALs a year and half ago, I didn’t know what I was gonna do. Not really. I was lost as shit. I didn’t even know if I was going to approach the club about becoming a prospect. Not until Hazzard sat me down alongside his Prez and VP, Cannon and Hornet. The three of them talked to me about what was in my head. I’d been fucked up in my head after getting out. I’d lost nearly all of my unit to a missile strike. We’d been out on a mission heading back from the rescue of a little girl who’d been kidnapped and was being held for ransom. I couldn’t tell them about the mission. It was classified. All they knew was I’d lost my brothers, men that I’d served with for years. Most of them from the time we finished training.

In the end, though, they’d convinced me to join the club. And just two weeks ago, I’d earned my patch alongside Wilder.

It takes me a moment to think about whether or not I am actually as good as Hazzard asks me. I wasn’t so sure after reading the text I got. Clearing my throat I figure I might as well tell him. “Mary texted me.”

Mary was my ex. The woman who I thought I was gonna marry after I got back from my first deployment. I’d asked her right after graduating high school to marry me. I’d worked my ass off to buy her a ring. It wasn’t much, but fuck it was still a nice fucking ring, she’d accepted only to send it to me while I was overseas. She’d claimed she couldn’t handle the life of being a military wife. I hadn’t heard from her since.

Until now.

“What the fuck does that bitch want?” Hazzard demands, his lip curling into a sneer. He’d thought of Mary as a sister. I’d been with her since freshman year of high school. Her ending things the way she did fucked with him too, considering she’d refused to talk to him as well.

“I don’t fuckin’ know other than she’s asking me if I’d meet her for coffee or some shit,” I answer.

“You gonna meet up with her?” Hazzard asks, one brow cocking while he studies me. One thing I’ve noticed my brother likes to do is try to take my pulse as often as he can. He’s protective that way. It’s one of the reasons he’s the club’s enforcer now.

“No.” I had no reason to meet up with Mary. It’d do nothing now but piss me off. I don’t need the headache of seeing my ex for whatever reason she’s reaching out to me now after all these fucking years. Yeah, nah, I’m good.

“Right.” Hazzard grunts and asks, “You ready to get on the road? We gotta hit the road if we’re gonna make it to the Devil’s Riot MC clubhouse on time.”

“I still don’t know why we’re even going to this club.” It’s not that I’ve got anything against the other club, but the Grave Prowlers MC don’t bend to no one.

“Cannon and Hornet both know several members of the Devil’s Riot MC. They’ve already established an alliance with them and we’re looking to expand production, which means we’ve got to make friends with our allies.”

Makes sense, but I didn’t know why we had to go for some cookout or whatever.

“This alliance is a big deal between our clubs. We’ve got our territory, but so do they. All of which are very close to toppling each other. It’s a delicate balance to not cross a line. The last thing we need is them to fuck us over or for them to think we’re trying to fuck them over.”

“Right,” I mutter, nodding. “I’m ready whenever everyone’s ready to hit the road.” After that text from Mary, I could use a bit of time just me and the road. Granted it’ll be my brothers with me, but still, it’s me and the road. Nothing but my bike roaring down the road, my hand controlling the throttle. There’s nothing like it.

Hazzard nods and moves toward his bike further down where he’d parked. I notice him speaking to Wrench and Trench for a second before laughing. It’s good to see him laugh and sometimes I envy what he has with the rest of our brothers. I wouldn’t change my time going to the military, joining the SEALs and meeting the men who’d become more than just friends to me. They’d become my family. With them gone, I’m left with the memories of them haunting me. It sucks, but I’ve got the members of the Grave Prowlers now to help fill the void I lost when I lost them. It’s not easy, however, I’ll eventually get past it and learn that I have what the rest of them have.

It’s not that they don’t have my trust or the brotherhood, but it’s hard to let my guard down and stop watching over my shoulders for what could be coming my way. I know there’s no threats out there coming for me; however, you live the life I did for so long, lost what I lost, you never stop looking.

Straddling my bike, I wait for my brothers. The sooner we get this whole weekend over with, the better. Maybe they’ll have some bitches there that I could enjoy my time with. Considering I barely sleep as it is, it’ll be better to have some bitch to sink into and distract myself with. It’s one of the only times I can get the memories to leave me the fuck alone.

Out of the corner of my eye I see Cannon give the high sign. Time to get on the road. Hopefully this weekend doesn’t end up as a shitshow.

***

Six hours of being on the road isn’t long enough when the weather is nice and there’s not a cloud in sight.

We pull into the Devil’s Riot MC Franklin charter to find several cars parked off to the side where Cannon leads us to also park. One car I notice right off. It’s hot as fuck. Right off, I knew a chick drove it. It’s the flip flop decal on the back windshield that gives it away.

My brothers and I move from our bikes as a whole and head for the doors to the clubhouse when the doors are thrown open and three giggling women rush out with water guns in hand, shirts and hair wet. Chasing after them are several men wearing cuts who are also aiming water guns.

“Swear to fuckin’ almighty Kayla, y’all are gonna get it,” one of the men shouts.

“Yeah, right, big brother, you have to catch us first,” the blonde shouts back. I’m only guessing she’s Kayla.

“What the fuck did I tell y’all about this stupid shit?” another man calls loudly. This one is older and looks like Kayla’s brother.

“Daddy, it’s spring break, we’re all home and we’re . . .”

“Yeah, I fuckin’ well know it, darlin’,” the older man says and looks in our directions. “Excuse them. The girls are home from school, and they think it’s funny to fuck with all of us.”

“Uncle Horse, you know you get a kick out of it,” one of the other girls says, this one with brownish blonde hair. Beautiful like Kayla.

But it’s the girl with the dark hair that catches my attention. She’s got one hell of a smile on her.

“Better them fucking around here than the beach,” Cannon chuckles while pointing this out.

“Yeah, it’s the only reason they get away with the shit they do. Them being here, keeps them from getting in trouble. It’s bad enough these three are away at school most of the time,” Horse remarks, stepping forward. “Good you were able to make it, Cannon. Twister’s inside,” he states nodding toward the doors. “Let’s head in. Rooms are ready. Y’all get settled. The grills are already going. Food will be ready shortly.”

Cannon nods and follows after Horse into the clubhouse. The rest of us follow behind both of them but I take one last look at the quiet girl as one of the guys throws an arm around her shoulders as well as Kayla’s. I don’t know why, but the sight of her in another man’s arms doesn’t sit well with me.

If I told someone that shit, they’d call me a fool for even thinking it. Ironic that my brothers call me Fool. I’d been Fool even before I joined the club. I earned the name while in the SEALs and the name stuck.

In the clubhouse, I had to admit it was the shit. Spacious for sure. Looked like the wood inside was hand carved.

“JC, Lo, show the guys their rooms,” Horse orders.

“You got it, VP,” Lo, the man who’d had an arm around the two girls’ shoulders, says. Though I caught the slightest stutter in his voice. It wasn’t bad, I wouldn’t have caught it if I didn’t know what I was listening for. One of my buddies had a stutter.

“Come on, this way,” JC announces and explains and heads for a hallway to the right. “We’ve expanded on the clubhouse in the past couple of years. Made room for when we have guests. Each room has its own bathroom. Keeps the issue of running into naked bitches down. Mom got sick of seeing as she puts it ‘skanky twats’.”

Several of my brothers chuckle, others outright laugh.

“Just pick a room in this hall and be warned,” Lo states with a sigh. “The girls are here, who the hell knows what they’ll try to get up to, but it’s April first. We all know what the hell that means around here. So good fuckin’ luck.”

“What are we talking about here?” Hornet asks, sounding amused.

“With them, anything goes. Anyone is a target,” JC grunts, as he shakes his head. “Make sure to lock your doors at night, they’ve no problem walking in and shaving an eyebrow.”

“Or gluing your junk to a pillow,” Lo adds.

Laughter can be heard from each of my brothers as we all head for doors. I pick one next to Hazzard. I don’t know why, but I figured it was best.

I barely twist the doorknob and push the door open when I find out exactly what JC and Lo mean. I do this, because the moment the door opens, I’m hit with shaving cream coming from the side and top of the door.

“What the fuck?” I snarl, stepping back and looking down. The shaving cream was mixed with different colors and fucking glitter.

Glitter for fuck’s sake.