Page 12 of Eternally Ginger

His eyebrows pinned together, but he didn’t argue, only continued with his story, “The sucker wrote ‘Steelers rule’ on every da-dang white sock I have with me.” He pulled the legs of his jeans up and stood. Sure enough, what used to be white crew socks were covered with black writing.

The room erupted into laughter.

“Why did you take all of your socks into their clubhouse?” Ghoul asked between bursts of laughter.

“I didn’t. Sucker must have snuck out to Sleeper’s mom’s van and done it.”

A wide smile spread across Aunt Hadley’s face as she took her seat at the head of the table, and Ghoul shook his head. “Besides, everyone knows the Panthers are best,” she proudly declared, holding her palms upward. “Let’s say grace.”

Sleeper’s eyes shifted from her to Ghoul.

Ghoul’s eyes hatefully narrowed. “Do it,” he mouthed a reply, no doubt still upset by the part Sleeper played in me finding out about the hit list.

I sat around the table with six ruthless bikers, who bent to the will of one tiny woman, and we bowed our heads as Aunt Hadley prayed.

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