Page 49 of 12 Months of Mayhem

“So, after the party tomorrow, what if we all go do something to celebrate your birthday,” Mercy suggests, changing the subject.

“We don’t have to do that,” I mumble. I hate my birthday. My mom gave me my name, and she couldn’t be creative about it at all. Considering I was born in April. April Fool’s Day to be exact. Hilarious to those who thought it was a joke. To me, it was annoying to the point I despised it.

“You know we do! You’re turning twenty and we’ve got to party for you,” Kayla states.

“How about we just skip the celebration? We’re already going to the party tomorrow at the clubhouse. There’s another club coming and we can ignore the fact I’m turning twenty. We could celebrate later when I finish school instead.”

If I finish. I’m almost there. Just a couple more months and I’m done.

“Fine,” Mercy mutters, though I know she doesn’t like it.

“Thank you.” Reaching for the volume on the radio, I turn it up since one of our favorite songs blaring through the speakers. It’s an oldie but a goodie. You can’t go wrong with Hinder singing Lips of an Angel.

Chapter Two

Fool

“You good, brother?”

I glanced up from the message I was reading on my phone to meet Hazzard’s gaze. Hazzard was my brother by blood but also by club. A club I’d just gotten my patch in after doing a stint of time as a prospect. Thank fuck I don’t have to deal with polishing toilets and shit any longer, but it was worth doing it since in the end I got my patch.

After getting out of the SEALs a year and half ago, I didn’t know what I was gonna do. Not really. I was lost as shit. I didn’t even know if I was going to approach the club about becoming a prospect. Not until Hazzard sat me down alongside his Prez and VP, Cannon and Hornet. The three of them talked to me about what was in my head. I’d been fucked up in my head after getting out. I’d lost nearly all of my unit to a missile strike. We’d been out on a mission heading back from the rescue of a little girl who’d been kidnapped and was being held for ransom. I couldn’t tell them about the mission. It was classified. All they knew was I’d lost my brothers, men that I’d served with for years. Most of them from the time we finished training.

In the end, though, they’d convinced me to join the club. And just two weeks ago, I’d earned my patch alongside Wilder.

It takes me a moment to think about whether or not I am actually as good as Hazzard asks me. I wasn’t so sure after reading the text I got. Clearing my throat I figure I might as well tell him. “Mary texted me.”

Mary was my ex. The woman who I thought I was gonna marry after I got back from my first deployment. I’d asked her right after graduating high school to marry me. I’d worked my ass off to buy her a ring. It wasn’t much, but fuck it was still a nice fucking ring, she’d accepted only to send it to me while I was overseas. She’d claimed she couldn’t handle the life of being a military wife. I hadn’t heard from her since.

Until now.

“What the fuck does that bitch want?” Hazzard demands, his lip curling into a sneer. He’d thought of Mary as a sister. I’d been with her since freshman year of high school. Her ending things the way she did fucked with him too, considering she’d refused to talk to him as well.

“I don’t fuckin’ know other than she’s asking me if I’d meet her for coffee or some shit,” I answer.

“You gonna meet up with her?” Hazzard asks, one brow cocking while he studies me. One thing I’ve noticed my brother likes to do is try to take my pulse as often as he can. He’s protective that way. It’s one of the reasons he’s the club’s enforcer now.

“No.” I had no reason to meet up with Mary. It’d do nothing now but piss me off. I don’t need the headache of seeing my ex for whatever reason she’s reaching out to me now after all these fucking years. Yeah, nah, I’m good.

“Right.” Hazzard grunts and asks, “You ready to get on the road? We gotta hit the road if we’re gonna make it to the Devil’s Riot MC clubhouse on time.”

“I still don’t know why we’re even going to this club.” It’s not that I’ve got anything against the other club, but the Grave Prowlers MC don’t bend to no one.

“Cannon and Hornet both know several members of the Devil’s Riot MC. They’ve already established an alliance with them and we’re looking to expand production, which means we’ve got to make friends with our allies.”

Makes sense, but I didn’t know why we had to go for some cookout or whatever.

“This alliance is a big deal between our clubs. We’ve got our territory, but so do they. All of which are very close to toppling each other. It’s a delicate balance to not cross a line. The last thing we need is them to fuck us over or for them to think we’re trying to fuck them over.”

“Right,” I mutter, nodding. “I’m ready whenever everyone’s ready to hit the road.” After that text from Mary, I could use a bit of time just me and the road. Granted it’ll be my brothers with me, but still, it’s me and the road. Nothing but my bike roaring down the road, my hand controlling the throttle. There’s nothing like it.

Hazzard nods and moves toward his bike further down where he’d parked. I notice him speaking to Wrench and Trench for a second before laughing. It’s good to see him laugh and sometimes I envy what he has with the rest of our brothers. I wouldn’t change my time going to the military, joining the SEALs and meeting the men who’d become more than just friends to me. They’d become my family. With them gone, I’m left with the memories of them haunting me. It sucks, but I’ve got the members of the Grave Prowlers now to help fill the void I lost when I lost them. It’s not easy, however, I’ll eventually get past it and learn that I have what the rest of them have.

It’s not that they don’t have my trust or the brotherhood, but it’s hard to let my guard down and stop watching over my shoulders for what could be coming my way. I know there’s no threats out there coming for me; however, you live the life I did for so long, lost what I lost, you never stop looking.

Straddling my bike, I wait for my brothers. The sooner we get this whole weekend over with, the better. Maybe they’ll have some bitches there that I could enjoy my time with. Considering I barely sleep as it is, it’ll be better to have some bitch to sink into and distract myself with. It’s one of the only times I can get the memories to leave me the fuck alone.

Out of the corner of my eye I see Cannon give the high sign. Time to get on the road. Hopefully this weekend doesn’t end up as a shitshow.

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