AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Weatherman told me that, not only did I still have a home, but that Dad wasn’t aware of some of the club being on to him, and not liking what he tried to pull tonight. Those men wanted Dad out and me in. I was to become Fallen Gods new president.
I told Weatherman that the only way I was going to take Dad’s seat was if he took mine.
Piercer smiled at Unc, waiting for his reply.
Weatherman scrubbed a hand down his face. “Shouldn’t that be your brother’s seat?”
“Not yet. But after seeing him in action tonight, he will be our next sergeant of arms.”
Piercer’s jaw dropped before an even bigger smile split his face.
Weatherman chuckled. “We will need a replacement after killing the one we’ve got now.”
After a long discussion, I took Weatherman’s advice to come home and act as if nothing was wrong, that a deal had gone south. He was sure that if I hunkered away with my new Old Lady, I’d be staking a firm claim. Dad wouldn’t suspect a thing, and we’d have more time to plan an attack.
It was all working out. During the hostile takeover, killing Dad wouldn’t seem suspicious. And hiding away with Rosa for a few days sounded like a plan of perfection.
???
Far from city limits and deep in the Appalachian Mountains in North Carolina was the Fallen Gods’ compound. Back then land was cheap, so we bought a couple hundred acres where we could be left alone. After we first purchased the land, some frustrated local hunters balked about the land being where their ‘granddaddy’ and ‘daddy’ had hunted, therefore not interested in being told the land was now private property. Some forms of ‘persuasion’ had them hunting elsewhere.
On the acreage, we didn’t have a traditional clubhouse. Instead, there were a bunch of free-standing, small hunting lodges and cabins. Some were older, but numerous newer ones since we had many members to house. Plus, kids were growing into patched members such as myself and Pierce. By fifteen, my brother was kicked out and in his own little cabin. He was lucky. I was out of my home before twelve.
At first, it stung that my mom was mentally over raising me, but I came to rather like being on my own. Weatherman made sure I had food, and I’d been cooking for myself for years already, so that was a no-brainer.
The compound setup—acres of land in between each home—offered more privacy from one another. That was my favorite part. If Dad didn’t have me in his sights when I was younger, I was less likely to get a beat-down. Once I was older, I didn’t have to hear his insults all day long.
The man despised everything about me.
Weatherman said it was because I was smart, and his older brother always found ways to hold back his challengers.
Up on top of one of the tallest hills, like a king, was where Dad had his home. Of course, it was newer and much bigger than every other home. His reasoning was that the club had to have a place for meetings and gatherings. Unlike other clubs, we didn’t have a true clubhouse.
Meetings, yes.
‘Gatherings?’ No.
Mom didn’t even feed her own kids, much less a bunch of hungry men wanting cookouts.
That was unfortunate because we didn’t have many other women present. They never stuck around. I later learned most went to ground after learning how the club made a chunk of its money. The women would threaten to alert authorities … then ‘disappear.’
There was no security gate to pass through when driving Rosa onto the property. Fear was the only protection Fallen Gods needed. So many rumors circled the club, most outsiders stayed clear of us.
It was very early in the morning by the time we arrived, the grounds quiet and dark. Security lights notified our approach, but the rumble of two bikes spoke of who was home. Weatherman said he was going to a woman’s house for the night so that Dad wouldn’t suspect he’d been checking on us.
After following me down some winding dirt roads, Piercer waved bye before going down his driveway, leaving me to continue onto the next one a couple acres away.
Finally having my headlight shining on my little home, I took in a deep breath. The old brown walls and green tin roof had never looked so inviting after a road trip as it did now. Maybe it was a different homecoming because I now had someone I hoped to share it with.
Turning the engine off then kicking down my stand, I easily supported Rosa as I dismounted then carried her the rest of the way.
Walking to the door, my security light lit the walkway. I didn’t bother to unlock the door, had no need to since I never bothered to lock it. I had nothing to hide, or steal for that matter. Before now. For the very first time, once inside, I locked the deadbolt.
Backing away, I sensed an unknown fear. The way some of Dad’s loyal Fallen Gods behaved toward women had always been something I personally avoided. What if they wanted to behave so vile-like with my Rosa?
Weatherman’s words replayed in my head. “… stake your claim…”
Even after my three-day hiatus, making it clear Rosa is only for me, I was going to have to officially make Rosa my Old Lady. I’d never seen it done, so I wasn’t sure about how to go about it, but I would find a way to make a deadly point, so no one dared touch her.
