AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Good to know you still have interests in the club you're a part of.” I narrow my eyes.
“Takin’ down Cliff has been a real long time fuckin’ comin’.” He lifts his head and glares at me.
“Word spreads fast.” I shrug, accepting my drink with a friendly nod toward the barkeep. “Fuck the nomad meet, Raze, that’s not why I’m here.” I’m growing tired of the small talk real quick.
“Then why are ya here?” he snaps, and when Troj goes to take a step forward and teach him a little lesson on respect, I hold up my hand to halt him.
“I’m here because you're still a member of this club, and right now this club needs ya,” I tell him, keeping my calm.
“What could you possibly want from me?” He chuckles to himself.
“I got all the votes I need to take Cliff outta power, I don’t even need ‘em now, due to recent events. What I don’t got is someone to take his place,” I tell him.
“Bullshit, you got plenty of people who can step into the role. What’s wrong with Brian's kid, he’s your little protégé, ain’t he?”
“Jessie’s needed in Colorado,” I bite back at his suggestion.
“Gettin’ sentimental in your old age, are ya, Jimmer?” Raze laughs at me again and when Troj goes to move closer, I stand up and block him.
“Trust me, youdo notwant to do that,” I warn him under my breath.
“Raze, you got a duty to this club,” I turn back around to remind him.
“If you came here to ask me to go run that shit show for ya, you might as well walk straight back out the door and take your little fuck boy.”
“What the fuck did you just call me?” Troj launches forward, nothing I can do or say now is gonna stop this. So I do all I can do and knock back my drink, tap the empty glass on the bar for the keeper to fill back up, and watch the fuckin’ show.
It’s about ten minutes later before the two of them call it quits. The barroom is wrecked, there’s blood everywhere, and both of them look ready to go another round. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Raze fight, he’s in his mid-forties now so he’s got a few years on Troj, but he sure ain’t lost his touch.
“You ready to talk now?” I wait for him to catch his breath and wipe away the blood that’s dripping from his nose before I toss him my pack of cigarettes. Troj stares at him with the cocky grin he always takes into the ring with him.
“Forget it, Jimmer, I ain’t no president.”
“You got everythin’ it takes to be a president. That's why I’m here,” I disagree with him.
“I ain’t the same person I was back then, I can’t lead people. I don’t even fuckin’likepeople.” He shakes his head, sparking up a cigarette before he lifts up the stool from the floor and places it upright so he can sit on it.
“Long Beach has been run into the fuckin’ ground, Cliff’s been makin’ deals with people I ain’t ever heard of. Half his own club is rooting for this take-down to happen. They need someone to pull them out the shit they're in.”
“No.” The stubborn fucker keeps on shaking his head at me.
“Raze, I’m askin’ ya as a friend. Your dad—”
“Don’t you dare bring my dad into this.,” he warns, pointing his finger at me with a vicious look on his face.
“Vex was so proud the day you got the cut, he knows as well as I do, you were fuckin’ born to do this.” I take the ring Vex gave me a few days ago from my pocket and hold it out for him. Twelve of these were made when the club was first formed. The original Dirty Dozen, the start of a legacy, and Vex was one of ‘em.
“He wanted me to give ya this.”
I see the guilt on Raze’s face as he stares at it. It’s been a long time since he spoke to his father. Vex retired some time ago and I noticed a huge difference in him when me and Troj called in on him. Time is becoming precious to the old man and that's something Raze should be aware of.
“He ain’t dead yet, is he?” Raze keeps his eyes focused on the ring in my hand.
“No, he’s holdin’ on. Determined to die up on that mountain. I think he’s hopin’ the whiskey will kill him before the cold does.” I smile fondly when I think about my old uncle.
“I don’t want it, Jimmer. I like my life how it is.” Raze refuses to look at me or the ring now.
“You really expect me to believe that?” I take a look around the run-down old bar he’s running in this dead-end town. “Am I missin’ somethin’ here? You got an old lady keepin’ you warm at night? Kids aspirin’ to be you?” I mock him.
