Total pages in book: 84
Estimated words: 80982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 80982 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 405(@200wpm)___ 324(@250wpm)___ 270(@300wpm)
“I know.”
Silence settled between us, and I found myself looking back over at their headstones, at the flowers I should’ve been bringing. Guilt tried clawing its way back in, only this time, it didn’t settle quite so hard, because somebody had been there, making sure they’d been taken care of even when I was too broken to do it myself.
Stone shifted on his bike. “You hungry?”
“There it is.”
I let out a soft chuckle, and Stone looked amused. “What?”
“You avoid emotional shit with food.”
“Works, don’t it?”
“Yeah, brother. I guess it does.”
“So, we eating or what?”
“Yeah, we’re eating.”
I followed him to a small diner around the corner from the cemetery. It wasn’t much. Just a little dive with checkered tablecloths and a jukebox in the corner, but they had a cheeseburger that couldn’t be beat.
Emily used to love it here. We’d come whenever neither of us felt like cooking. She’d always steal half my fries and somehow convince me I was getting the better end of the deal. I almost suggested going somewhere else, but I was done avoiding ghosts.
I parked next to Stone, and neither of us said much as we headed inside. And just like all those years ago, the place smelled like grease, coffee, and burnt toast. We claimed the only open table, and as soon as we sat down, an older waitress walked over. She gave Stone one look and shook her head. “Good to see you’re still alive and kicking.”
“Doing what I can.”
“Same.”
She offered us both menus, but neither of us needed them. “We’ll have two cheeseburgers with the works and fries and a couple of sodas.”
“You got it.”
As soon as she turned and headed for the kitchen, Stone leaned back in his seat and asked, “So, what about the Little Rocks boys?”
Just like always, he cut to the chase. I gave him the respect to do the same. “They’ve been good to me. Damn good.”
That was an understatement. Preacher had given me purpose when I felt like I had none left. He trusted me to step up and gave me the room to earn it. They all had. Stone didn’t seem the least bit surprised when he said, “It’s a good club. Preacher’s one of the best.”
“He’d say the same about you.”
“Can’t say I’d disagree with him,” Stone chuckled.
“Neither would I.”
“And what about the Coyotes?”
“Handled,” I answered. “At least, for now.”
“You thinking there’ll be blowback?”
“Without a doubt.”
Fury had all but wiped out the Coyotes’ Little Rock chapter, and the scouts of six or more chapters. We knew they wouldn’t let that shit go without some kind of retaliation, so Preacher had Shep and Grim on watch. They were monitoring all activity, and if anything seemed suspicious, we would be the first to know.
We all knew it was coming. We just didn’t know when, so I added, “May be tomorrow or even a month from now, but men like them don’t have the common sense to let shit go.”
“No, they don’t.” The food showed up, and we both dove in. After a few bites, Stone asked the question he’d been avoiding. “You staying?”
“Nah, Prez. I think my time here has come and gone.”
“You met someone?”
“You could say that.” His brow lifted, but he didn’t give me shit. Instead, he sat back and listened as I told him, “She’s a good one. Got two boys she’s raised right, and for reasons I don’t understand, she seems to have a liking for me.”
“So, this is serious.”
He said it in more of a statement than a question, and he was right. Things with Rae had gotten serious, more serious than I’d intended, and I don’t even know when it happened. But somewhere between the late-night texts and hearing her laugh when I missed six shots at golf, I’d found myself wanting things I didn’t deserve anymore.
“Enough to make me wanna stay.”
“I see.” Stone was quiet for a moment before asking, “Preacher know?”
“He knows enough.”
He nodded slow and easy, then asked, “And your patch?”
“That’ll be between you and Preacher.” I gave him a half shrug. “But I’m good with leaving things how they are for now.”
The boys were right in calling me Drifter. The name fit more than I’d realized. I wasn’t exactly a nomad, but I wasn’t ready to claim a new home. I was just changing directions and trying to figure out what life looked like when grief wasn’t the only thing steering me.
Stone cocked his jaw and smirked, “Brotherhood has nothing to do with geography. It’s family, and the one you start with isn’t always the one that sticks. Sometimes, it’s the one you choose when nothing else makes sense.”
“Not sure I’m a man who deserves a second go.”
“You do.” He leaned forward, making sure I heard him clear when he said, “You’ve spent a long time wrapped up in that guilt. Nothing wrong with quitting that, especially when that blame never should’ve fallen on your shoulders. We failed them, too, that day. Failed you right along with them.”