Page 9 of Raven (Sinners Revenge MC- Rapid City, SD #6)

Sydney

I thought I’d be well enough to come back to work yesterday, but Raven wanted me to take another day off to get better. He had gone to the shop long enough to deliver the Harley we worked on last week, but insisted I stay on the couch and rest.

Driving up to the shop this morning, I was worried about how the guys were going to treat me. I didn’t want anyone to think I was trying to get ahead by lying on my back. I worked hard and didn’t want my skills to be brushed aside because Caleb and I were together.

Joel approached me as I got out of my truck. “How are you feeling?”

“Better,” I replied, then added, “Sorry for being out. I hate to miss work.”

Calab pulled up on his bike and parked in his usual spot as Joel watched him drive past. He turned back to me and reasoned, “I thought for sure you two would ride into work together.”

I looked down as I admitted, “He wanted to, but I insisted on driving myself. I don’t want anyone to think I’m getting special treatment.”

Joel wrapped his arm around my shoulder and turned us toward the shop.

“No one would think that. Not about you.” Raven looked out at us as we approached and shook his head with a smile as Joel added, “I’m just happy to see the two of you pulling your heads out of your asses.

You been tap-dancing around each other for months and we’re all happy you finally figured things out. ”

I lowered my voice and said, “He wants me to be his woman. I . . . I don’t know how I feel about being property.”

Joel stopped us about twenty feet from the open shop door, and he was smiling at me as he explained. “The Sinners Revenge love their women above all else. You need to spend some time with them and all your fears will be eased.”

“Really?” I asked.

“I promise. They are good men.”

“That’s what my Uncle Billy said too. I just thought he was trying to talk them up.”

“He was right. And so am I,” Joel exclaimed as we started walking into the shop.

Caleb was waiting for us when we stepped inside and he looked at Joel and said, “Stop man handling my woman.”

Joel raised his hands in a mock surrender and gave me a sly wink as he turned to walk across the shop to his workstation. Caleb smiled at me as he asked, “What did Joel want?”

“He was just telling me he was happy we stop messing around,” I answered.

“Me too,” Caleb said and took my hand into his as we walked to my workstation. He placed a kiss on the back and said, “Don’t push yourself too hard today and make sure you’re taking breaks.”

“Thanks,” I replied as I grabbed my coveralls from the hook by my toolbox.

Caleb walked away and the sounds of the shop coming to life began to fill the air. The smell of oil, rubber, and grease filtered across my nose as I checked the work order and began to tear apart the front end of a crotch-rocket that needed new struts.

Music filtered through the air as I got lost in the work, pulling each piece off and lining them up to reassemble later.

This is what fueled my soul. Getting my hands on a bike and taking it from broken to perfect.

Most women don’t like to fix things, but I loved to see how something worked.

I guess that’s why I didn’t have many female friends.

Lunch was sandwiches from a shop in downtown and it was nice for the whole shop to eat together, laughing and cutting up as a group. The sound of a motorcycle pulling up echoed into the shop and we all looked up from our food to see who was there.

A large man with a Sinners Revenge cut on pulled into the open bay door and turned off the sickly sounding bike.

Caleb stood with a smile and offered me his hand.

I took it and stood to join him as a man with brownish hair kicked his leg over the bike and stood up.

As we got closer, I saw his cut said Roughstock and President and I gave Caleb’s hand a squeeze.

He returned the simple motion, letting me know it was okay. I was still nervous meeting his president, but after meeting Jigsaw, Animal, and later yesterday, Comet, I knew this meeting was bound to happen soon.

Caleb released my hand and smacked palms with Roughstock before turning to me. “Sydney, this is my president, Roughstock. Trent, this is my woman, Sydney.”

He extended his hand to me and I shook it as he spoke, “It’s nice to finally meet you. Sydney. I’ve heard about your skills as a mechanic from a few happy customers.”

“Thank you,” I returned, a little shy about accolades.

“What beings you by today?” Caleb asked him and I silently questioned if this was a conversation I needed to be a part of.

Uncle Billy’s club never allowed women to be around when they discussed club business, but neither man asked me to leave, so I stood beside Caleb, unsure of what to do.

“I was speaking with Cheyenne,” he said and addressed me, “She’s my ol’ lady who is dying to meet you, by the way.

Anyway, I wanted to get my father’s road bike fixed up.

He passed away a few years back and it’s been sitting inside my barn at the house since I brought it home. I was hoping you could give it a look.”

My eyes grew wide, and I looked at Caleb for guidance. He gave me a big smile and a subtle nod, so I turned back to Roughstock and asked, “Are you sure? Raven is a much better mechanic than I am.”

“I’m positive. From your reputation, you have a connection with every bike you work on.

” I nodded and he smiled as he continued.

“I think that a fresh pair of eyes and your connection to making the machine run flawlessly is exactly what it needs.” He raised his eyebrows and asked, “If it’s something you’d be interested in doing. ”

I turned and looked at the beautiful bike that desperately needed a bath and approached it.

Looking over my shoulder, I asked, “Can you crank it up for me?” Roughstock gave me a nod and Caleb crossed his arms over his chest with a huge smile as the other mechanics approached us.

Roughstock turned the motor over and I heard a sputter in the timing before the engine turned over.

The usual rhythmic rumble of the motor was wrong as I leaned down and listened to something that seemed to clatter unnaturally. I motioned for him to cut the engine. The shop was silent as I stood up.

“I can tear the motor apart. It sounds like there’s a piece of metal rattling somewhere, but I can get it back to purring.”

Roughstock smiled as he got off the bike. He looked at Caleb then back to me. “I’d like to have it ready before mine and Cheyenne’s anniversary just before Halloween. I want to take her on a trip before winter sets in. Would that give you enough time?”

It was late September, so I had over three weeks to get it torn down and rebuilt. I nodded at him as I answered. “It should take me about two and a half weeks to have it ready.”

“Perfect.” He shook my hand again and looked at Caleb. “When are you bringing her around so the ladies can meet her?”

Caleb had told me about the closeness of the ol’ ladies of the club, but I worried I wasn’t going to fit it. I had grease-stained hands, hated wearing makeup most days, and usually wore jeans and a T-shirt. I usually didn’t fit in with other women, and I worried that would be a deal breaker.

Being with Caleb for the last two days had made me realize that I didn’t want to go back to being alone, and even though he and I hadn’t been intimate beyond kissing, I didn’t know if my heart would survive losing him.

“I was hoping to ride out after work tonight and grab a beer. What have the ladies got planned?” Caleb asked Roughstock, and the other mechanics moved back to their lunch.

“It would only be Cheyenne and maybe Willow. Claire is at a conference with her dad, Paige is out at a dig site for the next few days, and Laura is so close to having the baby that she’s not going to make it.

I thought it would be easier to meet them if they weren’t a cluster.

” Roughstock gave me a wink and said, “I know meeting new people is tough, so I hope you can make it. I promise, my wife is eager to meet you, and you’ve already met Willow, from what Jigsaw told me. ”

“I think she was with Jigsaw the other day?” I asked Caleb and he gave me a nod. Looking back at Roughstock, I had to fight the urge to decline his invitation. “I guess we’ll see you tonight.”

He gave me a nod and turned to Caleb. “I’m going to take your shop truck for about an hour then Warhol is going to swing by and run me back out to the farm.”

Caleb pulled a set of keys from his pocket and unclipped some before tossing them to Roughstock. He gave us both a mock salute and turned to leave the shop. I turned to a happy-looking Caleb as he approached me.

I didn’t fully understand what just happened, so I asked as I leaned my head toward the bike, “Is this a test?”

He stepped closer and shook his head as he spoke. “This is trust. Roughstock doesn’t ask just anyone to work on one of Nitro’s bike.”

“Why not you?” I asked, then added, “This feels like a favor.”

He brushed his hand down my cheek, and I glanced toward the table where everyone was finishing their lunch. No one seemed to be paying us any attention, so I looked back at Caleb.

“If Roughstock heard about your work from customers, then it’s not a favor, it’s a request.” Caleb paused before lowering his voice and guiding us over to his workstation.

“Nitro died a few years ago under some bad circumstances. Roughstock has had his road bike stored since he drove it to the farm from the hospital. Maybe this is his way of moving past Nitro’s death and maybe he thinks you could do a better job since you weren’t personally connected to his father. ”

“What if I can’t fix it?” I asked, still unsure about working on suck an important bike to the Sinners Revenge. “I don’t want to let him, or you, down.”

Caleb leaned over and kissed me softly on the lips before pulling back and smiling.

“You have a unique gift, baby, and I have no doubt in your abilities.” I wasn’t as sure as he was and diverted his eyes.

Gently, he placed a finger under my chin and guided my gaze back to him.

“I’ll tell you what. If you run into any issues, come find me and we’ll get it worked out together. ”

“Raven,” someone called from the front of the shop and he turned his gaze to the girl who worked the front counter. “Phone.”

Caleb lifted his chin in acknowledgement and looked back at me. “I believe in you Sydney.”

His trust and kind words gave me encouragement and as he walked away, I moved back to the old Harley. Walking around it, I noticed a few things that needed to be replaced and pulled a notepad from my coveralls and began to jot down notes.

I felt someone knock their shoulder against mine and glanced to see Joel and one of the other mechanics standing beside me. Joel asked, “Can we help get this pushed into your bay?”

“Yes, please,” I remarked, and they each took a side and started moving the bike further into the shop.

My crotch-rocket from this morning was ready to move and once Joel and Bud got the Harley into my bay, they pulled the completed work order from my clipboard and began to push the finished bike to the other side of the shop.

I wasn’t paying them much attention as I sat down on my stool and pulled myself closer to the Harley’s engine.

For close to an hour, I didn’t touch the bike. I just sat with it, looking over the scuffs, scratches and tiny dents. They spoke of miles on the road, weather conditions that rapidly changed, and dusty trails.

Inhaling deeply, I knew it was time to start the teardown. I could feel Caleb’s eyes on me as I pulled out my tools and got to work. I had decided I couldn’t look at this bike any differently than another. It was a machine that needed repairs, and that was something I could do.

Lost in work, I didn’t realize how late it had gotten until the music that filled the shop lowered in volume. I looked up and saw everyone was finishing up their tasks, or had already closed up their toolboxes for the day.

I sat up, stretching my back before I stood from my stool. The parts I had removed were lined up on my workbench and I wrote down what parts were needed to begin the work before I turned off the light over my toolbox. Caleb walked up as I was removing my coveralls and hanging them onto the hook.

He whistled as he looked over the workbench. “You got most of the engine torn down already?” I nodded and he smiled before adding, “Damn. My woman is a beast in the shop.”

He linked our hands together and guided me toward the sink where we washed up. As I scrubbed the dirt and grease from my hands, I suddenly got nervous at the idea of going to the Sinners clubhouse.

Having grown up around bikers, I knew some of the depraved things that occurred in the clubhouses, and I feared I wasn’t going to fit it. Glancing at Caleb, I saw how happy he seemed and decided I wasn’t going to share my fears with him at that time.

I was going to trust him at his word that I wasn’t going to be an outcast with the ol’ ladies. After locking up the shop, I walked with him to his bike and when he got on, encouraging me to climb behind him, I did as he requested.

Tonight was either going to go great, or completely off the rails, and all I could do was hang on to Caleb as he pulled away from the shop and into Rapid City traffic.

If Uncle Billy and Joel were right, I would have nothing to worry about. But if my usual luck was still following me, tonight could turn into a shit show.