Chapter 1
Bennett
“Bennett!” A weak cry came from the other room and then a groan. Still foggy from sleep, or the lack thereof, Benny rolled off his twin size mattress and sauntered into his fathers room. When his eyes finally adjusted to the light of the tv, he could see his dad in his typical white beater and plaid boxers. His legs were thinner than his protruding belly. He had been growing disproportionate since the shooting. “I need to use the commode.”
Benny hoisted and pivoted his father onto the commode beside the bed. When his dad was finished he imitated the same movements. “Blankets or no?” Benny asked, noticing the light poking through the blinds. It was morning already, no point in going back to sleep.
“Its hot as shit in here and you’re asking me about blankets, what’s wrong with you Ben?”
“You’re right, sorry.” He replied from the bathroom where he emptied the contents of the pan.
“What you could do is run down to the convenient store and get me some smokes.”
Benny didn’t argue.
As he got dressed he couldn’t think about how life had taken an unexpected turn. Just weeks ago he had been working in construction out near Boston. He wanted to escape Stormbridge and all his father told him he was destined to do—become President of Venom. The Motorcycle Club was known for its blurred lines with the justice system and its clandestine meetings. He didn’t want it. But leaving his father to rot in bed with some stranger taking care of him posed a risk that the club would come undone. As much as he wanted to leave the little city behind, he couldn’t help but admit that he missed the little community they had built.
Kabir looked surprised when the bell rang and Benny walked into the store. “Where’ve you been?”
“I went on a little vacation.” He smiled, but knew it wouldn’t meet his tired eyes. “You know what i’m here for.”
“How is your father doing?”
“He’s alright.” The answer he gave everyone who cared to ask. Kabir and Benny used to play cops and robbers when they were kids. His father often forbade him to talk to Benny, but they always found ways to hang out before Kabir and Benny inherited their fathers businesses. Benny didn’t know what he knew now---the swindling, drugs and murder. Even when he did know, it was instilled in him to be suspicious of anyone who asked and to otherwise keep his mouth shut.
Now it was his time to step in. Some of the older members of the Club weren’t too receptive to the idea of a twenty-something “kid” to take over. His dad was still too weak to be at the clubhouse, my fathers repair shop. Even going to the bathroom winded him. But soon he would be there barking orders and telling him how to run the show. Benny had an idea after years of hanging around the shop. He had gone on a couple of excursions with his dad. He didn’t do business on a motorcycle with him though, he was told to wait in the car while he offloaded white lumps of sheets with reddish brown stains on them. Benny would get a chill every time, but he wouldn’t tell anyone that, the last thing he needed was to be weak. Weak people get caught or end up in a wooded area bound by a white sheet and duck tape. They sure weren’t breathing either.
Benny gave his dad the cigarettes and then made his way to the garage. He climbed on top of his motorcycle and started the engine. It was a cruiser that his dad bought for him as a congrats-you-spent-your-first-night-in-jail present. He was seventeen and while he had not slept for twenty-four hours, he was ecstatic.
It was a cool spring day. The snow had melted and the trees were blossoming with greenery. Benny cruised through the winding roads of forest and hills. Heart-Shaped Box played on the radio. Catching him by surprise three loud wooshes of wind nearly had him driving off the side of the road. When he steadied the bike he looked up at the three street bikes that had whipped around him. They all wore tight leather jackets with wolves howling at a moon and three stars embroidered in white on the back. Tight to show their figures. Girls. The leader of the three stood up on the seat of her bike and leaned the weight of one foot on the back, causing the end of the bike to hit the tar and spew sparks. He could hear one of her cronies cheering her on with a fist in the air. She maneuvered herself back into her seat and looked back and blew him a kiss before he turned into the clubhouse--otherwise known as the shop.
The shop was quite literally in the middle of the woods. It aided in the clandestine aspect of everything. Anyone who came in was expected, no outsider dared step foot on the property without a phone call. If no one answered you were shit out of luck---but thats what Zade is here for. To hold down the shop while we engaged in…the real work.
When he came to a stop in front of the shop Jett was polishing his bike. “I see you met those three ass hats.”
“Who are they?” He looked back at the road like they would be there. They were long gone.
“A problem is what they are.” Ryder came out with his dark peppered hair combed back, wearing a tank with the serpent logo on it. He scruffed up Jett’s shaggy dirty blonde hair, and Jett batted him away. Ryder was supposed to look out for Benny, so he thought. That was until his father passed the position of president onto him. Suddenly, the very muscley VP had become a little on edge and resistant to any of Benny’s commands. They were supposed to work as a team, but not being chosen made Ryder bitter. Just one more damned thing to worry about.
“We’ve been doing some digging---the president’s name is Charlotte Parker---she goes by Lottie. Their club “Howlers” consists of only four from what we’ve seen, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t more. They launder money through her salon and a few of our informants have been found burning in the river.” Mateo said, wiping his hands on a rag.
“I would like to make her howl,” one of the enforcers joked. His name was Diesel and he could make a joke even in the thickest of moments.
The eight of us now stood inside the shop. Not that anyone could hear them out in the woods, but they weren’t taking no chances.
“A real fucking nuisance.” Ryder said through gritted teeth.
“So what are we going to do, boss?” Jett looked up at Benny who chewed on his lip and looked down at the road.
“We’ll have to dismantle them.”
“We have a big job coming up…”
Benny cut Ryder off, “and what do you suppose? Kill four women who we suspect to have killed our informants?”
“Thats exactly what the fuck i’m saying.” Ryder stood his ground. Jett stood up and put a hand on his chest as if to tell him to back off.
“It’s not a bad idea---but that means we need to get closer. A truce of sorts. Get them to trust us and then set them up.” Mateo paced his dark hair falling into his crystal-line blue eyes. He looked like one of those fucking statues---the greek ones.
“You better not fuck this one up Ben,” Ryder said, “If we end up life in jail, its on you.”
Shit. Shit. Shit.
