The call finally comes in to the clubhouse that the NOMADS are getting close enough for us to leave and meet up with them. I haven’t been on any runs since the compound was attacked and our brothers died trying to protect Princess, Bethany, and Nightmare’s son. This isn’t what Saint had been hoping for, but any ride that’s over two hours’ time sounds good, especially not up north. We should make it to the spot Spider picked in around four and a half hours or so. The other brothers will chill for the night there after riding twelve hours, and we’ll continue back home.
It has all of us a bit on edge, knowing our club’s stretched thin right now. At least with Viking at the compound, he has a better chance of protecting them if anything does pop off. We’re supposedly at peace with the Iron Fists, but as far as they’re concerned, I don’t buy it. Nightmare’s counting down the days until something goes wrong and he’s able to burn the skin from Puppet’s body.
This trip isn’t about the Fists though. We’re on the road to meet up and collect a new brother. It’s been years since we’ve had anyone new around besides club sluts. The ones before them were the hybrids and prior to that was the NOMADS.
Most of us met Mercenary back when we went to Chicago to help the other club get set up. Other than that, I don’t know much about him. Supposedly, he’s a badass and will fit in better down here with our club. We seem to be the group of Oath Keeper delinquents in a sense, so that may be true, but only time will tell. We’re not the type to trust easily, so he’ll have to prove himself.
Saint may butt heads with him at first, but I hope not. He comes off as a bit of a dick to some guys; it’s just how he is. Now around females, that’s an entirely different story; they take one look at him and go all dreamy. His playful grin and a few raspy words have their panties dropping in no time. However, you notice he’s never hung onto one; he’s never found any he wanted to in the past.
The ride out there passes by smoothly, just as we were expecting, thankfully. In no time it seems, we’re pulling up alongside our other brothers. I think the run we did from Mexico years back was one of the worst we’ve been on. Most of us were injured in some way and completely exhausted. Not to mention the stress of not being sure if the cartel was following us. I’ll take a four-hour trip over that shitshow any day.
“Ex.” Nightmare greets our former NOMAD leader, Exterminator, first out of everyone else. He’s been close to the brother and our current Prez, Viking, for as long as I can remember. “Any issues?”
“Nah. Ride went by easy, nothing, not even the law around,” Exterminator confirms, appearing pleased with the quick trip. He’s always off riding somewhere whether it be just to feel the wind against his skin or to help run a new shipment of guns and collect a payout.
We’ve had so much drama these past few years it’s made some of us a little more cautious and observant when it comes to the longer rides. We definitely don’t want to return to California; it seems we have way too many enemies out that way. Shooting while riding and being shot at is not fun, especially in a state you don’t know jack shit about.
We all nod at Mercenary, welcoming him from our bikes. “Ready to get on the road, to your new club?” I speak up.
Normally I couldn’t give a shit how long we’re away from the clubhouse. Saint and I enjoy hitting up bars all over the place along with a variety of pussy, but there’s only one pussy on my mind at the moment. Jude has me in a rush to return and spend more time with her.
“Baby girl?” Saint questions while meeting my gaze, and I agree. He must be thinking of her too. Hell I can’t get her off my mind, no matter how hard I try. “Me too,” he concedes, confirming my suspicions. The bitch has both of us sprung apparently.
“Ready when you are,” Mercenary grumbles, the inky scruff along his chiseled jaw not doing much to hide the small cluster of alabaster scars skirting along the curve.
He’s partaken in his share of drama, no doubt. The man appears pissed off at the world, most likely exhausted from the ride and no break. He’s a beast, reminds me a lot of the other club’s Prez, Ares. This should be entertaining if he decides to be a dick to anyone. Half the club is testosterone-filled brutes and adding another could be a good thing or a bad thing.
Not that I give a shit what the brother looks like, I have Saint, after all, and now, Jude as well. to warm my bed. However, I can tell he’s the type that women will flock to, and Saint won’t be too keen on that. He may have Jude and me to preoccupy him, but he enjoys the attention he gets from his appearance. Not to be the best looking one in the club will do nothing but piss him off, and a bad-tempered Saint isn’t very pleasant.
With that thought, I glance Saint’s way and find him glaring in my direction. No doubt he saw me taking our new brother in and wasn’t amused by it. He’s territorial; he always has been. Not outright jealous, but just enough that you know his feelings about it. Next thing we know, Saint will be putting a curse or some shit on the brother during one of his sacrifices.
The last thing we need is a beef between brothers because I find them both good-looking. I would never let anyone know that. I don’t want to make them feel uncomfortable. Most of them I couldn’t look at like that anyhow; they’re too much like family to me. But Mercenary, well, he’s new...
“Nightmare? We good then?”
“Yeah, B will be waiting for me, no doubt. Fists are near here as far as we know, and the last thing I need is for my ol’ lady to slit their throats ‘cause they started shit with us again. I plan to kill the motherfuckers, but patience is our best bet right now, no matter how much I hate it.” He cracks his knuckles, with a menacing glower toward the road.
It never crossed my mind before, but I wonder if he’s having flashbacks of the whole situation. He was near here when he found out his son had been kidnapped and his ol’ lady was beaten to shit. I couldn’t imagine seeing Jude hurt like that. I’d want to rip the person that’s responsible apart too. I wish we’d been at the club that day to protect them.
We say our good-byes to the NOMADS, planning to see them in a few days when we have our get-together to welcome our new brother. In the meantime, they’re on their way to Alabama to pick up some more bottles of moonshine from Chaos’ son-in-law’s family ranch. I’ll admit I do miss the life of a NOMAD. I was considering possibly going back on the road with them if Saint agreed. But that was before a certain woman came into our lives and threw us off balance.
Nightmare, Saint, and I have no reason to delay our trip home any longer. We all have someone waiting for us, and the sooner we get back, the better, as far as I’m concerned.
They’re gone for half the day, but it seems like forever sitting around the clubhouse waiting. Thankfully Princess has put me to work with helping her prepare some food. I also assisted with getting the new guy's room cleaned and ready for him as well. It was nice to be needed and to be included in stuff that has to do with Saint and Sinner’s club. The people here are like a giant family, something I’ve never had.
My stomach is full of butterflies too; I’m kind of excited and nervous to meet the new guy. I’m the newbie around here, too, so I hope he’s nice. The others around here are friendly or else ignore me altogether. The women are catty bitches, besides the ol’ ladies. The club whores have been busy whispering all day about how he’s supposedly insanely good-looking. Who knows if they’re telling the truth though.
Not that it matters. Besides have they not seen Saint and Sinner? Those two are hard to pass up, and I’m perfectly content to stick with them.
Life has changed so much in the matter of a few days, and it’s hard for me to believe it. Saint and Sinner, along with their motorcycle club, are to thank for that fact, I suppose. One thing weighing on me, though, is not getting my online classwork completed this week yet. I don’t want to fall behind because in some classes it’s nearly impossible to catch up. I need to find someone around here with a laptop that I can borrow.
If I can do my assignments, then I won’t worry about them. Or about the possibility of losing my degree that I’ve been working so hard toward. It’s the one guarantee I have in life that I’ll be able to stand on my own two feet and get out of my mom’s trailer for good. Even if my relationship does continue with these men, then at least I’d have done something for myself. I can pat myself on the back because I went further than my mother ever did.
Saint told me to relax, and that’s exactly what I’ve been trying to do. It’s a relief if I’m honest with myself, not having to worry about everything like I was in the trailer. It’s refreshing to have someone around all the time too. I haven’t felt lonely or sad ever since coming here. Or hungry. These guys have so much food around this place, it’s insane.
That’s the scary part as well. What happens when I have to leave? Will going back home be harder than it was before? Especially now that I’ve had a taste of life outside the tiny town I call home that’s smack dab in the middle of nowhere?
Truth be told, I don’t want to find out. I wish deep down these guys will keep me here for as long as possible. And I want to live my life with them as crazy as that may seem. Then I’d like to forget about the absence of my mother and about the slimy men she paraded in and out of my life. I’ve heard that saying a time or two about wishing in one hand...hopefully, it’s not the same in this case.