Page 116 of The First Cut

“Indeed. We’re heading back now, but I’ll fill you in on the rest tomorrow. I want to get home to Lola.”

“I checked in on her early, took them some pizza so she didn’t have to cook, but they’d already eaten.”

“I’ll eat it cold when I get in. I’m fucking starving. Appreciate you checking in on them, Byte.”

“Something I should have been doing all along. I have a lot to make up for.”

I don’t argue with him because he’s right. He and most of the brothers have years of damage control to contend with.

“If you need me, call Mud’s cell. And tell the assholes in the clubhouse to keep it down. I tried calling the landline, and nobody picked up when I know damn fine Manny is working the bar tonight.”

“You got it. Ride steady.”

I hang up and hand the cell phone back to Mud. “Let’s go. I don’t know about you two, but I’m ready for my fucking bed.”

“Easy for you to say, boss. You have Lola to go home to. My girl is still pissed at me for something, so I’m sofa bound.”

“Aw, is the big tough biker man scared of a girl?” Meek jokes.

“Damn fucking straight. This is June we’re talking about. The same woman that tried to chop my dick off with a cleaver the one and only time I touched a club girl.”

“Good point. I’d rather face Prez than June,” Meek mutters before he looks at me. Whatever he sees in my expression makes him swallow. “Or not.”

With a grin, I slam my visor closed before starting up my bike and slowly idling down to the gate. I nod to the prospect who opens it, then pull out with Mud and Meek in pursuit. It isn’t long before Mud overtakes me. Though it galls me a little, I know they’re just protecting their president, so I suck it up.

The ride home is a long one. By the time I pull up outside the back gate, I’m ready to crash. I wait for the prospect to let us in, but when nobody comes forward, I stop the engine and climb off before I stalk over to the gates.

“Where the fuck is everyone?” I growl as Mud walks up to me with his cell phone out.

“Nobody on the back gate, Byte.” He nods at whatever is being said before hanging up. “Byte’s on his way down.”

I kick the gate and walk back to my bike. When Byte walks out with Snoopy, Germ, and Sever, I’m pissed way the fuck off. Once it’s opened, I climb back on my bike and ride past the houses to the clubhouse before getting off and yanking my helmet off.

“So much for going straight home,” I curse as I walk over to Byte. “Who was supposed to be on the gate tonight?”

It’s Sever that answers. “It should have been Redox, but he switched with Pan. Redox’s girlfriend went into early labor. Manny stepped in to watch the front gate with the new kid, Petal.”

“So, who the fuck was working the bar? You know what? It doesn’t matter. Find Manny and the prospects. And the longer it takes, the worse their punishment will be.”

Meek nods and indicates that Mud should follow him.

“I swear to fuck, I’ve been gone for a few hours and everything turns to shit,” I grumble.

“Sorry, Dad, but hey, at least we didn’t burn the clubhouse down,” Byte jokes.

I groan. “Fine, I’m being a little bitch. But despite how pretty you are, I’d rather be home with Lola than dealing with this shit.”

Byte chuckles as he turns and heads inside. “Come on, I’ll grab you a coffee. Don’t say I don’t do shit for you.”

I shake my head and look at Snoopy and Germ.

“Is he serious? I could have Lola wrapped around me and he wants to make me coffee?”

The assholes laugh and head inside. Grumbling, I follow them in.

I’m not surprised to find the room relatively full. We might not party every night like people assume, but bikers are nocturnal by nature. We don’t need a party to gather and shoot the shit.

I head to my office and put my cell phone on charge before stomping back out to the bar. The last place I want to be after today is here, yet here I fucking am. I grumble as I walk to the table in the corner that I tend to favor and sit with my back against the wall, taking in the scene.