He'd surprised me by wrapping me up and holding me tight while I bawled until there were no tears left. It was the only softness he'd ever really given me and it made it all the harder to turn away from him when he drove me to the lot in Staten Island where we practiced my motorcycle riding, handed me the keys, and told me to stay strong and kick ass.
But I couldn't run back to him. If I ran back to him it would scream desperation, and that was something he thought he had beaten out of me months before. So I bit into my lip hard and forced my legs to move forward. I climbed on the bike I hated more than I hated getting thrown onto my back in the ring and I turned it over and drove away.
Toward my new life in The Henchmen MC.ElevenMazeThe next day, despite K's warning and my own better judgment, I was paranoid as all hell. So when Repo came downstairs and dragged us all, sans Moose of course and Fox who quit too due to pressure from his brother no doubt, out of bed to force us to clean up the yard while he, Reign, Wolf, Cash, and half of the other members sat around and watched us, I was frazzled and distracted.
From the looks of Duke and Renny, they had eventually stopped being ragged on the night before and indulged a bit too much on the very abundant alcohol. Both were sluggish, swollen red-eyed, and cringed at every loud noise.
I had taken off to bed after my phone call, forcing myself to sleep to keep my mind from racing any more than it already had.
While the guys took a water break, I sneaked my phone out of my pocket and texted 'pineapple' to K before he got worried.
"Alright," Reign clapped loudly, drawing everyone's attention. "Probies, it's time to get out of the compound for a bit."
At that, I felt dread well up strong, almost overpowering. And, apparently, it must have been written all over my face because Repo's brows had drawn together.
"I'll be staying behind to pull the patrol. These fucks," he said, waving to Wolf, Cash, and Repo, "will be taking you out and testing you whatever the fuck way they see fit. We will do this three times until they each get a feel for you and your potential as members. Make your choices and roll out."
With that, Cash immediately went for Renny for reasons unknown. And Wolf, unsurprisingly went for Duke, leaving me feeling very much like a third grade leftover after choosing sides for dodge ball.
"That means you're with me," Repo said in a very bored, very disappointed way leaving me to wonder if he genuinely was unhappy with being stuck with me or if he was just putting on a show for everyone else. Either way, it stung a little bit.
"Oh joy," I said with an eye roll that made Reign chuckle slightly.
"Wear your cuts but you leave all your knives here," he said, pointedly looking at Duke and I like he somehow knew we both carried them. He turned back to his men, "Try not to kill them. It's a bitch to find good probates." With that, he walked out toward the front gates.
"Cuts," Repo barked. "Two minutes to the front gates or you're out on your asses."
We all ran off toward the compound, each grabbing the cuts from wherever we had them stashed. Duke took his knife out of his waistband. I took the one off my calf and one out of my boot, but left the other in my other boot. When I straightened with the two knives, Duke had a raised brow, but said nothing.
When we got out front, our bikes were all lined up beside Repo's, Wolf's, and Cash's. The sky had darkened to the point of definite rain clouds and I hoped whatever we were doing involved being indoors. Repo inclined his chin at me and I got on my bike, clipped on my helmet, and we waited until they all took off in different directions. I looked around the streets carefully, looking for any familiar faces in cars or alleys. "Where did they all head?" I found myself asking when Repo just continued to sit on his idling bike, not pulling out.
"Wolf probably took Duke hunting on his land. Cash likely took Renny to Hailstorm to suss out some of his... unique skills."
I fought the urge to ask what Renny's unique skills were, and asked instead, "Where are you taking me?"
To that, he lifted the back of his shirt, revealing two guns in his waistband. "Target practice." With that, he'd dropped his shirt and peeled off, leaving me to follow behind, my stomach twisted into knots at the punishing speed he kept.