John groaned. “Do we even know how the fuck he blew that car sky high?”
I shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. What matters is that even if I’m involving Benji on a ‘trial basis,’ I know where he is and what he’s doing.”
John nodded. “Until now.”
I pointed. “Exactly. He was much too relaxed in my garage when he was talking with me. And he didn’t ride up on his bike, either.”
Rupert blinked. “What?”
“Yeah. That was weird to me, too. I chased him off once he started mouthing off at me, and he ran down the road until he was out of sight. He wasn’t on his bike when he came to visit.”
John snickered. “Well, how the fuck did he get here?”
All of us fell silent, and I knew they were thinking what I was.
“No,” Rupert said.
I shrugged. “It’s all very fishy. Even for Benji. You have to at least admit that.”
John shook his head. “I’m with Rupert on this one. I mean, this is Benji we’re talking about. Do you really think he’s got something to do with all of this?”
I reached for some pizza. “If anything, that’s what my gut’s been telling me this entire time. I’m sure of it. Somehow, Benji has gotten himself involved in some shit. I mean, when he was in the garage with me, he kept talking about how he didn’t need the Red Thorns anyway. How he had his own plans. His own time now to make his own moves. I thought he was just mouthing off after I told him the reasons why he’d never be inducted into the crew. But now?”
John and Rupert looked at one another as I took a massive bite of my pizza.
“Now I’m almost certain he’s involved somehow.”
Rupert chuckled. “Come on. Do you really think Benji is heading all of this up?”
John nodded. “Yeah. Benji’s not known for his organization. Or his thirst for revenge.”
“See, that’s what I can’t put together. My guess is that he’s gotten in over his head with someone else. Maybe, in the heat of some moment, he entangled himself with someone else to piss someone off that pissed him off. Benji might not like revenge, but he doesn't like feeling like an idiot.”
Rupert shrugged. “Then he needs to stop being an idiot.”
John chuckled. “Well, outside of all that, that theory sounds more plausible than Benji coming out of the woodwork and being a plotting mastermind.”
I sighed. “If I run with the theory and how Benji’s mind works, I’m thinking that someone’s convinced him that he could do better with someone else rather than with us.”
John paused. “You mean, used the fact that we won’t induct him to show him that we don’t care about it.”
I snapped my fingers. “Bingo.”
John sighed. “As much as I hate to admit it, it makes sense.”
I shook my head. “Trust me, I don’t get any fun out of it, either.”
Rupert reached for more pizza. “The kid never could see past the end of his fucking nose.”
“That doesn’t matter,” I said as I grabbed my beer. “What matters is that he knows things about us that he could pass along to the wrong people. People like my father.”
Rupert coughed. “Wait a second.”
John held up his finger. “Hold on. You think Benji is working with our father?”
I snickered. “Your guess is as good as mine. All I know is that there’s been a little too much beating going on in my life, and those two enjoy dropping in on me in my garage at inopportune times. And think about it. The two of them together? Dad with his manipulative ways, and Benji being as gullible as he always is? That’s a disaster waiting to happen.”
John grimaced. “I don’t like the sound of any of this.”