Page 124 of Size King

“She was murdered.”

My heart still sinks when I hear him say it. I clutch my chest, wondering what potential rabbit hole I might be falling into.

“I think the bullet was meant for me,” Dustin continues. “But she was shot. It happened right on the motorcycle we bought together.”

I take Dustin’s hand in mine, holding him close.

“I’m not trying to make you feel sorry for me,” he says.

“It’s okay,” I tell him. “I just… I’m so sorry. That’s so tragic.”

“You happen to know the man responsible for ordering Rebecca’s death,” he says in an odd tone.

Then, before I can process or even think of what Dustin has just said, the party comes to an explosive end.

Gunshots ring out from outside the clubhouse, ripping through the walls and filling the place with bullets. Everyone inside gets to the floor, getting as low as possible to ensure no one gets hit. Shots are fired at us for nearly twenty whole seconds, freezing me in place.

Once the gunfire ceases, I can hear the sounds of at least three motorcycles taking off down the road as quickly as possible. Three Crimson Wheel members leap up from the floor to pursue the shooters.

“Watch out for glass!” Cody warns.

No one is hurt. No one is bleeding, and nothing in the clubhouse is even irreparably damaged from the shooting.

Despite being unharmed (and even shielded by Dustin briefly during the event), I feel sick. I’m still on the floor, unable to move, terrified and unsure of how to react, what to do, or how to feel.

I am wondering what I’ve just gotten myself into.

49

Dustin

The police come by the clubhouse later Friday night to question all of us. No one says anything. They do their damage report, take our meaningless statements, and go on their way.

After the cops leave, Megan and Kelsey leave, too. For the rest of that night, the group and I are determining what our next plan of action is.

Greg and Larry, after chasing the gunmen right after the shootout, are able to discern exactly who it was taking off from the scene. It was, of course and no surprise to me, Jacob Evans. He and two of his boys had ridden right up to the clubhouse on their bikes and just opened fire on us with machine guns. I can’t fucking believe the balls on this piece of excrement.

The police are investigating, so we know we need to strike as soon as possible. Many of the guys want to attack right away, but Cody and I reason that the Hell-Snakes will likely be ready for such an onslaught right now.

Cody keeps saying, “This is war,” under his breath repeatedly throughout the night. We all know we can’t let them get away with this. With how hot our blood is, we feel like taking on the entire gang and ending them all. At this point, I really don’t give a shit.

By the time us Wheels finally hit the road, the sun has risen, and Saturday is upon us. The guys and I agree to strike tomorrow and fast, before the police can get all of their warrants and teams ready and get to the Hell-Snakes first.

To add even more shit on top of it, Megan isn’t returning my calls. After everything that has happened, I thought I would get a response from her at some point. Since I didn’t, I essentially feel downtrodden for the majority of my day.

I’m so glad that Mason and Austin weren’t at the clubhouse when the shooting took place. I decide that since I’m not sure what tomorrow is going to bring and what events are going to transpire, I’m going to spend time with my boys.

We play video games together. Even Austin wants to get involved—although his performance is rather poor, I’m still surprised by how well he is faring for a three-year-old.

I talk with them a lot during the day, usually about nothing important at all. I just want to hear their voices. I want to enjoy every waking moment I have with them.

As nighttime is coming, they even ask me about “the girl we met,” meaning Megan. They wonder if they are going to see her again. While they are getting ready to go to bed, I tell them that maybe she’ll be coming over for dinner tomorrow night.

“I’d like that,” says Mason uncharacteristically. I’m surprised by his forwardness when it comes to Megan. Not only is he usually more timid when it comes to talking to me, but he doesn’t typically ask about other grown-ups other than Cody.

Since Megan isn’t returningmy calls, and because Karen is around and able to babysit, I decide to go over to Megan’s place and see if she will talk with me in person. I half-expect her to not even acknowledge me when I get there, but I’m willing to try.

I knock on her door, and she actually answers, much to my surprise. She opens up, looking morose and exhausted. I wonder how much sleep she’s gotten.