He climbed onto his bike, turned over the ignition, and began riding. He drove out of Carnage, taking the road that was clear of most cars. Needing the open road to clear his mind, he kept on going. The guns were a big problem. They were the least of two evils. The never-ending debt that kept his men alive.
All his life, he’d been able to fight his battles. From a young age, he’d defended himself, fought for what he believed in, took on every single challenge he faced, and came out the victor. It went against his nature to give in, to submit.
The only reason they ran guns was to keep the club alive.
He took a deep breath and brought his bike to a stop.
“You know, son, you are going to be a big strapping boy like me.”
“I want to be like you when I grow up, Daddy.”
“You will, son. You will.”
The memory of riding a small bike outside of the clubhouse filled Bull’s head. It was such a long time ago. He’d gotten the title Bull long before he became a fully patched-in member of the Chaos and Carnage.
From the women who used to look after them, to the teachers who tried to tame him, and then of course his father attempting to mold him, they had all said he was stubborn as a bull. He was unmovable, but the moment anyone messed with him, all bets were off.
The beast hadn’t come out of the cage in a long time.
Bull turned the bike around and headed back to town. He didn’t bother with the clubhouse, and instead went to the only other place he called home.
He turned the ignition off the bike as Thomas’s front door opened. Bull smiled as he heard the childish squeal and out came two young children. Henry and Mary. Thomas’s wife, Rebecca, had a thing about Tudor England.
Bull picked up both kids. Mary was the youngest at only three years old. Henry was seven and growing way too fast.
“What are you heathens doing being up so late?” he asked.
“Uncle Bull, I lost a tooth, look,” Henry said, smiling.
“Wow, look at that big gap. I can see right down to your stomach. You had something healthy for dinner, didn’t you?”
Mary chuckled, cupping her face as she did.
“I know that chuckle. Tell me your mom didn’t feed you crap.”
Thomas chuckled, but Rebecca came to the door laughing. “Enough, Bull. You will corrupt them. You know I don’t mind feeding them pizza on a Saturday night.”
“You want some, Uncle Bull?” Mary asked.
“I would love some.”
“Come on, kids. Go and finish your movie and give Uncle Bull some space,” Rebecca said.
He carried them back to the house, putting them down on the floor. After kissing Rebecca’s cheek, he shook Thomas’s hand.
Thomas patted him on the back. “Come on, let’s feed you.”
He closed the door and followed his friend into the kitchen. “You were expecting me?” Bull asked, taking a seat at the table.
“You can call it divine intuition, or some of the locals were talking about your new receptionist at the garage.”
“It’s a mechanic shop, dude,” Bull said.
Thomas pulled the pizza out of the oven, slid a few slices onto a plate, and handed it to him.
“It’s a garage. No matter what fancy term you want to dress it up by.”
Bull wasn’t going to argue. He took a bite and closed his eyes. “Good pizza.”
“Roy’s place is, and you know it. So are you going to tell me why you got the French girl to work for you?”
“She needed a job.”
“Yeah, and Elizabeth had a whole lot to say about you being pissed that her date had left her high and dry,” Thomas said.
“Yeah, I was going to ask you about that. How many times has that happened?” Bull asked.
“Ah, so you haven’t come here for thrilling conversation,” Thomas said. He took a seat, looking way too smug.
“Don’t do that,” Bull said.
“Do what?”
“Look like you know more about something than I do.” He pointed between them. “That’s not what is going on here.”
“It’s not?”
“No.”
“Ah, you could have fooled me.”
Bull rolled his eyes.
“You want to know more about Maddie French, don’t you?”
“I don’t need to know anything more.”
“But seeing as I’m the only one you trust in this whole wide world, and I have eyes and ears everywhere, you want to know more,” Thomas said.
“You’re loving this, aren’t you?”
“Who wouldn’t?” Thomas laughed.
“And for the record, you don’t have eyes and ears everywhere.”
“Actually,” Thomas said, leaning forward. “That is where you’re wrong, my good man. I don’t have to pay anyone. The townsfolk are all gossips. You know how it goes. They see someone, who has seen someone, who knows something, and it just has to be true.”
“That’s giving me a headache,” Bull said.
“Seeing as this is a new experience for me, I’m not going to make you pay up in any way at all. There’s not much to go on. Maddie has come to the bar a few times for drinks. She sometimes sits in the main restaurant area and has given a few details of the person she is waiting for.”