Page 7 of Devil's Marker

When Win grinned and nodded, Brant could see why married women would be willing to risk stability for a go with him. The kid had something special.

“Oh. And one more thing.” Win turned back again waiting. “If my son, Brand, tries to poach you out from under me, you tell him to fuck off. I found you first.”

Win’s smile was even bigger. “Yes, sir. I’ll do that.”

“Yeah. Just remember that not wearin’ a suit to work is worth a lot.”

Win nodded thoughtfully. “Truer words.”

By the time the club assembled to vote on Win’s prospect status that evening, Brant had already had his credentials checked. They came back exactly as Win had said they would. The vote was unanimous to give him a try.

The fact that he’d been in an outlaw club for twelve years and left in good standing was commendable in the sense that it meant he understood commitment and loyalty. It meant he could be trusted. The fact that he’d chosen to walk away from that life was even more to his credit. It meant he was smart. It meant he was mature. It meant he’d given some thought to the future ahead of him and made good choices.

“Your room okay?” Brant handed Win an SSMC cut and a prospect patch.

“Sure. It’s fine.”

“Okay. Relax. Have a drink with the members. Get to know ‘em. Tomorrow mornin’ I’ll show you the way to the office and get you started. The new girl starts servin’ breakfast at seven. I’ll be by at eight thirty.” Win chuckled. “What’s funny?”

“You do things differently is all. My old club. They wouldn’t be thinking about breakfast until sometime after one.”

“You’ll adjust.”

Win nodded. “I know. This sounds… good.”

The SSMC members found Win to be exceptionally likeable and laid back. The comment he heard most often that evening was, “Yep. You’re gonna fit right in.”

As promised, Brant came striding into the clubhouse at eight thirty like he owned it and, in all the ways that counted, he did.

Win followed him to Rides and Wrecks.

“I’ve heard of this place,” Win said as he parked his bike next to Brant’s.

“Yeah. Sometimes we get on magazines and entertainment shows. When a hot ticket celebrity gets something special. Did a custom bike for Keanu Reeves last year and it was featured on that show with, you know, the late night car guy.”

“Jay Leno?”

“Yeah. Him. You into cars? Or just bikes.” The big grin that spread over Win’s face told the tale. He was a machine lover. “Just because your job is workin’ magic with the numbers doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy seein’ the projects come together. The custom gigs are my favorite. I think of it as drivable, or ridable, art. But a lot of movies get made around here and they come to us for specialized vehicles. Come on in and take a look.”

Brant showed Win around while Win tried to look more cool than kid-at-Disneyland. Several of the guys from the club stopped to greet Win and show him what they were working on. They went through the kitchen where Brant pointed out that the commercial fridge was kept stocked with bottled waters, soft drinks, and ready-to-eat meals. He asked Win if he knew how to use a pod coffee maker.

Win laughed.

Brant said, “I’m takin’ that to mean that everybody your age knows how to work a pod coffee maker.”

The tour ended in a twelve-by-twelve office with a big window looking out toward the front parking lot.

“Will this do?” Brant asked.

Looking around, Win said, “Sure. It’s good.”

“What do you need?”

Win checked the laptop on the desk. “High speed Ethernet. No WIFI.”

“Done.”

“Accounts. Passwords.”

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