Page 1

“You can’t beat me, Brick.” He kissed his teeth, his chest inflated with clenched fists. “You can try though. Maybe if you lay off three rumblers a day and shit and you can.” Rumblers were good for business and even better for the appetite of a Saint who wanted a good time. Brick, though, took that shit to another level.

“This nigga,” Breeze, my best friend, chimed in.

“The fuck you’re grinning for, Breeze? Truth beats your ass too,” Brick released.

Breeze sat on his bike with a faint grin, nodding his head. Truth was, he let me. We both knew Breeze was better, faster but he was humble and didn’t like to boast unlike Brick’s whiny ass.

For the most part, we both were used to Brick pouting like a fucking kindergartner, especially Breeze. So he let him have that as we waited to ride out with the Saint Riderz. Our father, Beast, had a meeting but he was running late or some shit. We’d been putting in work like the rest of the brothers as we earned our spot. It didn’t matter we were Beast’s sons. Shit, if anything, he required us to go harder which included Breeze.

Breeze rose and made his way toward us with a Cheshire grin on his face.

“B?” He lightly slapped Brick on his chest with the back of his hand. “How much you willing to lose? I let my bitch on wheels talk for me, but I can indulge in your bruised little ego. Let me know if you’re hurting for some cash. Maybe me and my bitch will go easy on you.”

“Nigga, please,” he spat with slitted eyes as Breeze lifted both hands. Shit, I spoke too soon. Breeze was with the shits and had called Brick out.

I glanced in admiration of Breeze’s Yamaha bike he’d recently bought. It had a fresh paint job, black and yellow with the Saint Riderz initials painted on it. Our symbol, the lion head, rested underneath it since Beast was the king of this MC shit.

That shit was nasty too, cleaner than a motherfucker. I was proud of Breeze. While Brick was flashy and preferred a bigger bike you could hear damn near miles away, his shit was heavier. Heavier cost him when it was time to hit a corner at a moment’s notice.

“Fuck all that. Let’s do this.”

The other Saint Riderz that sat around us in front of the clubhouse laughed. They found us congregating outside like most days, the youngest of the Saint Riderz funny, with Jake leading the brothers.

“Aye, Beast told y’all about that,” he spoke. “Y’all compete against other motherfuckers. Inside the family, we lift each other up.”

“Who says we’re not?” I probed, watching Breeze suppress his smile.

“This one’s sour damn face.” He gripped Brick’s shoulder who grunted. “And you, put your fucking money up or shut up. Ain’t you tired of these two calling you out and winning?” Breeze tittered as Brick’s lips grew into a tight slit. That fucking Jake could be a shit starter at times, but he loved us like we were his own sons.

I stood up before Brick took it too far. He was a hothead, eager to react. We were just fucking with him although he did need to get his money up at the rate he ran through those rumblers. Most of them worked for the Saint Riderz in some capacity from the bar and our underground brewery to the grocery store. It wasn’t big in comparison to major stores elsewhere, but it was big to the community of Rockside. We took care of our own. Beast made sure of that.

“Uncle Jake, you trying to stop me from getting this win? You know if he stomps off like a little crybaby, I can’t take my victory lap,” I jested.

“Cry?” He waved me off and Breeze laughed. Brick was sensitive. He just pretended he wasn’t. Before I could fish out my money and put it on Breeze, a roaring sound of an engine was heard from behind us. We turned around and there Logan came barreling toward us on his bike.

“I tried to stop him, Jake! I did!” he hollered, his chest heaving. “He’s on his way to see Cinco. A few brothers are with him but it don’t look good.”

“The fuck?” Jake replied. “Where are they? We have a meeting here.” He clenched his fists and shook his head. “Ain’t this a bitch.”

“Pine Road.” I looked at Jake and the others. Pine was no one’s territory but also where deals were made, mostly on how to stay in our fucking lane. “I tried to stop him though. He wouldn’t listen.”

The fuck was Beast on Pine Road? That was mutual territory but what I heard in Jake’s voice didn’t sound like mutual shit was about to go down. Beast was about to stand on his fucking name. I just wasn’t sure how I felt about it.

“The fuck you mean you tried to stop him? The moment you rode out with his ass, that’s when you should have rallied us up, Lo. Fuck!” Jake looked at me and Brick, his teeth pressed against his bottom lip then back at Jake.

“Fuck this shit,” Logan muttered. “I’m headed back, and I answer to Beast. Not you. You plan on getting your panties out your ass or what? Beast needs us.”

“Thought we been took care of that shit.” His slitted eyes quickly skirted toward me, Brick and Breeze. I had no clue what that meant but I was ready, hopping on my bike.

“Yeah, me too. Cinco’s overstepped or some shit. Had to but Beast needs us, Jake,” Logan pleaded. Like Jake, he looked worried.

“Stay here,” Jake ordered us. “Hold shit down at the clubhouse, watch the prospects. We’ll race when we get back.”

“Naw, I’m?—"

“Truth, it’s handled. I promise you. Can’t say much right now, but Beast would kill me if something happened to you boys.”

I wasn’t a fucking boy. I was a man, a fucking Saint and the son of Beast. “I see that look. Stand the fuck down,” he warned through gritted teeth before he looked away. “Please,” he added softly. “Or you want Beast fucking me up too?”

I didn’t but I also wanted to prove I wasn’t a pussy. When Marco stood and gripped my shoulder with dipped brows, I nodded my head. He and Jake were the enforcers, Logan too. For him to come and round them up meant shit was serious.

Jake whistled, waving the Saints over to him.

“Follow us to Pine but follow our lead. Beast is meeting up with that bitch, Cinco. I guess this DP shit has gotten the fuck out of hand.”

“Jake? We need to go, man.” I saw the concern in Jake’s face grow intense from his crowded brows and tight lips, even heard the trembling in his voice. Something was off and he wasn’t happy about it.

“Fuck that! We’re going too!” Brick spat, hopping on his bike.

“The fuck did I say?” Jake seethed. “Go home… all of you, and see about Gen and Alix. He’ll be fine. I put that shit on my life. You understand?”

He looked at me, my chest heaving as I fought hard to follow his instructions. If someone fucked with a Saint, they fucked with all of us.

“Gen and Alix,” he repeated, looking at me. “Go home.”

I looked at Breeze. I knew that look. He was on whatever I was on as he slid on his bike. Brick had already taken off with a trail of dust spiraling in the air. He was pissed but I trusted Beast’s life with our brothers.

“Son, your father would want you safe.” I nodded but I knew whatever it was had to be serious. We didn’t fuck with the Dice Pound at all. Had no reason to unless something changed. I couldn’t call my mother. She was at home still nursing our baby brother, Alix. If anything, Beast would have to deal with her ass.

“Saints, family first!” Jake belted, one fist pumped in the air. “Fuck the rest as long as we do what?”

“Live to see another day!” we all replied. He looked at Logan with clenched jaws. “If he does something stupid, I’m fucking you and Beast up.” He pulled me in and hugged me. “No matter what, we stand behind our prez. No time for second guessing, Truth. You hear me? Go home.”

“Yeah.” I grunted, feeling rage that brewed on the inside as I watched them hop on their bikes. Breeze slapped my shoulder and lifted a brow. That meant fuck all that. No one was touching Beast and I not be there to get in on that shit. Once they hit the end of the street and hooked a left, Breeze revved up his engine. I slid on my helmet and started my shit up.

“You’re ready?” I asked.

“Fuck yeah.” We fist bumped before we took off.

As we went in the opposite direction, we hit a dirt road that was a longer route but less traffic. I could barely think as the dust and uneven gravel underneath the wheels made me hold steady the faster we went. Breeze zipped past me and not because he was showing out. He loved Beast, probably more than I did. He took him in when his aunt discarded him years ago. A scrawny fucker who was picked on by the neighborhood. The motherfucker could run, earning him the name, but he kept that same energy when it came to pushing his bitch on two wheels.

“Over there!” he hollered, pointing to the right. We hit the corner and there they were. On one side the Dice Pound, the other my family, my brothers and my father, Emric “Beast” Saint.” I saw the look on Jake’s face, but I didn’t give a fuck. If he thought I wasn’t coming, he shouldn’t have fucking thought. When an engine roared to my left, there was Brick. My man.

He hopped off his bike, and together, all three of us made our way to where they stood. From afar, I could see Cinco’s bitch ass. He was chuckling, his hands on each hip, but when he spit at our father’s feet, I knew shit wouldn’t be sweet.

I heard Logan cry out Beast’s name who lifted his heat. Within a split second, I watched as he pumped three bullets into Cinco’s chest. Before we could make it to him, five, maybe six of the Saints ran toward us. I didn’t give a fuck. My father just shot a nigga in broad daylight. It was like pandemonium as the DPs and Saint Riderz charged at each other.

“Let me the fuck gooooo!” I couldn’t see or think. All I wanted to do was get to Beast. I heard the sirens that grew closer and closer. Brick picked up a DP and slammed him on the ground. Breeze knocked one in the mouth before he grabbed another and put him in a chokehold. We were fighting for our fucking lives as I watched Beast when the cops came running with their weapons pulled.

He dropped to his knees, placed his heat on the ground, spit on Cinco and waited to be cuffed. When they kicked him in the back, I collapsed to my knees. Beast pled guilty to first degree murder.

Life as I knew it was fucked up and would never be the same as I became the president of the Saint Riderz MC but also a motherless child when my mother was gunned down a few months later. I had a broken heart since I knew it had to do with something Beast had done.

I’d always love him but I didn’t like him. I had to step up and feed mouths. The OGs agreed but it didn’t make it hurt any less. My mother and father were gone, and I was being looked at to keep shit going. I would but it didn’t mean I had to like it because I didn’t it.

I wanted to kill the motherfuckers that touched my mother, but I had orders to stand down. I’ll never understand why but I did. I cut Beast off though. He was my father but he no longer was my idol.