Ghost
Later that night, as the clubhouse slept, I snuck away from my beautiful woman and headed down to church. I had just fallen asleep when I received a cryptic text from an unknown number telling me to meet whomever out by the Golden Skulls Cemetery in five minutes. Normally I would have ignored the whole damn thing, but the cemetery? Who the hell would be out there this late at night?
After getting dressed and grabbing my guns, I quietly left the clubhouse and headed out back. The night was a bit chilly, but the stars were shining brightly. It was a clear night and the moon was so bright it illuminated everything around me. I could see clearly as I walked toward the small hill where we buried our brothers. It had been a while since I last ventured this way to pay respects to our fallen club members. The last time was for Kitty’s funeral. Only two females were buried in the Skulls Cemetery, Kitty and Becca’s mom, Mia. God, it felt like ages since I thought about her. Becca was growing up so fast and she looked more and more like her mom every day. Almost six years old, my daughter was the spitting image of the woman I once married. I tried not to think of what my life would be like if Mia had lived. It wasn’t a marriage of love, that was for sure, not like I had with my Ari.
Mia and Ari were total opposites. Down to their color of hair, both women were nothing alike. Where Ari was kind and gentle, Mia was tough and crass. I never had to worry about Mia like I did Ari. Mia was self-reliant and stubborn. She didn’t need me for anything, like my Ari. I knew if I actually thought about it, on some deep level, part of me missed Mia, not that I ever thought about it.
Moving further up the hill, I spotted a dark shadow standing near one of the graves. Slowing my approach, I tried to figure out who in the hell would be out here so late and why they would need to speak with me, but as I reached the top of the hill, I stopped dead in my tracks.
“Don’t be a pussy now, Ghost.”
Saying nothing, I cautiously walked over to him and stood next to the man who was once a brother. A man I trusted and revered. Everything about him oozed respect, confidence and strength. Even now, in his current state, I knew the man was still capable of exacting justice easily. Not many brothers in the club had me watching my back, but when it came to him, I knew to be prepared for anything.
I hadn’t lain eyes on him in almost a year, yet he stood looking down at his wife’s grave. I didn’t know why he was here, but he did have every right to be here. He looked different, not like the man I remembered. A beard covered his face and though he was no longer wearing his cut, I could still see the power he once wielded emanating off him in waves.
This wasn’t a man I wanted to fuck with.
“We need to talk about Reaper.”
“Okay.”
The silence was deafening as I waited with bated breath for him to say what he had come to say. When it came to Bullseye, I made no assumptions. Where he was concerned, whatever I thought was generally wrong, so I was left with no choice but to wait him out. The man was closed off and tight-lipped on a good day, so for him to show up out of the blue wanting to talk meant that whatever he was here to say was important. I just didn’t know why.
“Congrats on the new baby.”
Looking over at him, I noticed he never took his eyes off her headstone. I didn’t claim to know the depth of his feelings for his wife, but if they were anything like what I felt for my Ari, I knew just standing here was breaking something in him. The man lost the love of his life because of this club. The anger he must be feeling had to be intense, yet he stood there before her grave stoically, almost in a trans as if it was calling to him somehow.
Whispering my thanks, I said nothing more.
He wasn’t here to chew the fat. I knew that. Bullseye never talked to talk. When he said something, it was for a reason. When he spoke, brothers listened.
“I never wanted kids. Did I ever tell you that?”
“No, you didn’t.” I had no idea where he was going with this, but I was willing to play along. Though he wasn’t making any sense, I knew him well enough that whatever he needed to say was important.
“She wanted them. I never wanted to bring a kid into this world. I knew how messed up this world was. Seen the devastation with my own eyes. When she told me she was pregnant and I saw how happy she was, I kept my mouth shut. I think on some level, she knew how I felt but never said anything. The funny thing about secrets is that they always bite you in the ass in the end.”
“I agree.”
“I hate secrets. Might as well be lying. Never understood the need for them, but even I have my own secrets. Shit, I keep to myself. She did too and they got her killed.”
God, talking with Bullseye was like pulling teeth. The man never just came out and said what he needed to say. He was always careful, calculating with his words. The man never gave anything away.
“Reaper’s making a mistake.”
“How so?”
“He’s part of a brotherhood. He needs to trust in that.”
“What do you mean he’s making a mistake?” I asked, taking a step closer. The broody man was making no sense. Not that I ever really understood him. Bullseye always did see things differently than the rest of us. Maybe it was because the man refused to talk. Maybe it was because he was happier in the shadows, watching from afar. Who the fuck knew because I sure as hell didn’t?
“Do you know what the word brotherhood means, Ghost?”
“Tell me.”
“The basic meaning is a relationship between brothers, but its meaning goes much deeper. A brotherhood is an association, a society, a community of people who have and live by a common interest. Reaper needs to remember that before it’s too late.”
A trickle of unease began to permeate around me. Bullseye was trying to tell me something important, but I wasn’t getting it. It was how he defined brotherhood that set my warning bells off.
“She tried to warn him, but he didn’t listen. He only heard what he wanted to and because of that, she was killed. I can never forgive him for that, but he can still fix this. There is still time.”
“What do you mean?”
Bullseye turned to face me and said, “He needs to believe in the brotherhood. You understand better than most. Truth goes a long way. Make him understand.”
His words rattled around in my head as he said nothing more walking off into the darkness. More confused than ever, I tried to comprehend what Bullseye was trying to tell me. Logically I understood the words he conveyed, but the meaning was lost on me.