Page 72 of Red's Peril: Part 1

He wipes his hand over his mouth. “This isn’t fair on you, Red, but I want you to start planning. You’ll have to be my shadow, ready to take over. I… I just don’t want anyone else to know. I don’t want pity or sympathy, or people taking it easy on me. And I don’t want to upset the members.”

“Shouldn’t you plan for a successor?”

Brick snorts. “What the fuck do you think I’m doing? You think anyone would accept someone from outside the club? Nah, the only man they’ll look up to is their VP.”

VP?But that’s me. “Brick, no. I’ve not been in this role for a day. If you’re suggesting what I’m thinking…”

“I’m suggesting when I’m gone, you take the title of Prez.” He puts it so bluntly it leaves me stunned.

A few seconds pass before I can speak. “No way, Brother.” VP is hard enough to get my head around. I’m pretty sure I know what it involves, but Prez? Leading the club? Answering to no one but Drummer? I’m not ready for that. Give me a few years and maybe, but it seems I haven’t got years, only a few months.

“Yes, way, Red. Either you work with me on this, or you can get out of my club.”

Leave the club?I sit back, fold my arms, lower my chin and start thinking. I’m ambitious, seems odd to say as people would see me ticking along in an outlaw motorcycle club just getting by and having the time of my life. They may be right, but it doesn’t mean I don’t want to make that endeavour the best that I can. I’d hoped to maybe run a business under the SD umbrella, but run the whole fucking club? Be responsible for its members?

“I’m not leaving the club,” I tell him, my voice calm and measured. “You’ve just laid a lot on me. I’m gutted you’re going through this, Brick. If there’s any way to help, I will. I’m not even sure I’m cut out to be prez.” In my head, I’m thinking of Drummer or Brick himself. Could I be like them? Firm, fair, taking no shit from anyone, having decisions that lead to the life or death of the members? Something occurs to me. “The whole thing got fucked when Rainman died.”

“Stop there, Red. If this is to work, we need to be straight with each other. Rainman was a good second, but I had my doubts about him leading the club. I never told him my diagnosis.” His brow furrows. “I think I was putting it off. I wish he was still here, Brother, don’t think I don’t. But his death, and the votes of the members has given me a chance at something I didn’t have. Having someone worthy to take over the club.”

I’m dumbfounded. I hadn’t expected that. I’d thought I was a poor second choice.

“I was burying my head in the sand like the proverbial ostrich, hoping I could wish my problem away, but it doesn’t work like that, does it?” Brick shakes his head. “Fate stepped in and somehow gave me an option, one that I think the members would accept.”

I purse my lips. “It’s one thing voting me in as VP, but as the prez?”

Brick nods. “Bit of a leap in one day, isn’t it?” He leans forward, elbows on the table, chin resting on his hands as if needing the support. “Which is one of the reasons why we’re going to keep this secret. We’ve got a bit of time to work on this together. You’ll shadow me, work closely with me. Learn every fuckin’ thing about how I run this business, and that’s what it is, okay? It’s budgets, insurances, and a lot of HR thrown in. You’ll let the members see you’re up to running this club. Then, when I need to… step back… they’ll look to you to take my place.” He stares at me, his eyes narrowing. “We can’t show weakness. The vultures would start gathering if they thought I was going soft. We’ve dealt with Ringo and his gang, but there will be others coming onto our turf. You need to be seen by my side, deal with shit on my behalf. You need to become me even while I’m still living.”

I’m having problems sitting here talking to a man about his death. It’s unnerving. But like a deathbed promise, I know I’ll give his last wishes everything I have. As he’s said, what’s the alternative?

“I’ll do it.” I’ll deal with the fact I’ll become an MC prez later. Maybe, after we’ve done all he’s said, I’ll grow into it.

“I knew I could count on you, VP. I just need your word you’ll keep my condition secret. I don’t want anyone to know. No one in the club, no one outside of it.”

“Drummer?” I ask, seeing as he’s the mother chapter prez.

“No one,” he rasps, fixing me with another stare. “This is our club business.”

It’s his call if that’s the way he wants to play it. I give him a chin lift to show I understand.

“Just one thing. Rosa.” Brick looks down as his breath catches. “This is so fuckin’ unfair on her. Her and the boys.” He glances back up. “Oh, don’t get me wrong. She’s a strong fuckin’ woman. She knows what’s coming. She’s prepared for it.”

As his mouth twists, I reckon there’s been a lot of tears, a lot of recriminations, and a lot of what might have beens and many regrets. But Rosa is a practical woman, she’ll know there’s no running from it.

I jump to the conclusion as to why he’s brought her up. “She’ll always have a place in the club, Brick. If she wants it.”

Relief floods his face. “You hear how Rosa and I got together?”

I can honestly shake my head. No one’s mentioned it. I just kind of assumed they’d always been a pair.

“I met her on her first night on the street. She was looking for a john. Her parents threw her out because she was pregnant. Well, I couldn’t leave her there, took her in, had some idea about her being a sweet butt in the club. At that time, I was just a member.” He pauses to grin. “When it came to it, I wasn’t gonna let any other fucker near her. When she lost the baby, I was as devastated as she was. Had been looking forward to having the little fucker around. That’s when I realised what she meant to me, so I claimed her and married her. Best fuckin’ thing I’ve ever done. Oh, apart from eventually giving those babies to her. Twins.” He shakes his head. “Fuck. She took years to conceive again, but in the end, we were rewarded.” He chuckles and adds, “Or punished.”

Yeah, Prez is well aware what handfuls the kids are in the club.

“Club’s her home.” I state the obvious.

“You picked that up?” Brick smiles. “Yeah, her homelife was shit. When I took her in, she thought this place was a fuckin’ palace. She loves me, loves the club. Once part of that is gone—”

“She’ll still have us. Still have her home. And,” considering I’ll be unlikely to take an old lady as no one has yet crossed my path, “she’ll still be queen of it.”

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