Page 12 of Speed

“Yo, he’s in the garage.” I stepped back from the bike and turned to see the smirk on Devil’s face as he pushed off the doorframe and walked toward me.

“How long your ass been standing there?” Christ, I hadn’t even heard him approach the door.

His expression changed as the smirk left and his eyebrows creased, “Just a minute or two, you were pretty engrossed with the bike there.” Devil stopped in front of me, looked at the bike, grasped my hand, and pulled me into a hug, then stepped back.

“Fuckin’ great to see you, brother.”

“You too, Devil.”

“Bike’s fairly fucked up. What you thinking of doing with it?”

“Rebuild it.” More boots were heard and in walked the rest of the guys.

“Damn good to see you, Speed.” Jag walked up giving me a man hug and slap on the back followed by Flirt and Coast.

“What you doing out here? I thought we’d catch your ass still sleeping.” Crusher was the last to step in.

“Checking things out. I did sleep. The place looks good. Was expecting to have to do some work around here. Looks like all I’m going to have to do is grab groceries for the place. If the truck starts up.” I glanced over to the black SUV Cutter and I drove around in during the winter or if we needed it to pick up something that couldn’t be carried on a bike.

“It’s been taken care of while you were gone. Started and drove enough just to keep it going.” Jag shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal.

“As far as the place being taken care of, that was Shakes and a few of the other ol’ ladies. Which by the way, Dare came into the clubhouse before we headed this way and said the women heard you were back, they been cooking all day. You, my man, are going to get hit with a shit ton of food.” Coast laughed.

“I ain’t going to complain, my ass is hungry and home cooked food works for me.” No way after eating mess hall food or MREs out on patrol would I ever turn down a home cooked meal.

“Not arguing, those women can cook.” Flirt rubbed his belly as he spoke. How he stayed fit I didn’t know, he could put the food away. Then again, I probably didn’t want to know how he did.

We walked out of the garage, and I locked the door. When I turned around, a truck was pulling up, and we watched Dare step out of the driver’s side as Shakes jumped down from the passenger side. As I watched her, she looked at us and then zoned in on me, then the smile spread across her face.

“Got food the women cooked,” Dare said as he walked up and clasped hands with me. That was all he got out before Shakes moved him out the way and latched onto me. I wrapped my arms around her and picked her up, she’d always been a little thing.

“All my boys are home,” was said, then followed by sobs. I hated tears on women, never knew what to do about them.

“Oh for fuck’s sake, woman. They are grown ass men now. They have been and why you crying.” I sat Shakes back down on her feet and wiped at her tears as we waited for her to pull herself together. Finally, she settled and then the woman who had mothered us was back in place.

“It wasn’t the same without them here together. Been a long time. Now this place feels right.” She stared up at Dare.

Dare shook his head at her, “You don’t get all emotional and shit when I come home.”

“Oh stop, you don’t go nowhere, other than to the clubhouse or down to the strip club. And yeah before you start, I know, I know. You only go down there to hang out with the guys, it ain’t like you look at the young girls dancing. Please.” Shakes rolled her eyes.

“Woman, you did not roll your eyes at me. I never have given you a reason to think I fucked another woman. What the hell.” We stood quietly and watched them go back and forth. From the look on the other’s faces, they too were trying to bite back their laughter. Even though some of the brothers may stray a few times, Dare was never one of them. Shakes and he had been together for a lot of years.

“Dare, I ain’t complaining or insinuating that you go down to the club to pick up one of those young bodies. Why would I, when, sweetie, I’m the one who benefits from you watching them shake their stuff.” Dare’s eyes changed as he looked at her, then he grabbed her up, and she wrapped her legs around his waist. I coughed, and the others groaned. Dare looked over her shoulder at us and winked.

“Get the food out the truck, I need to take my woman home.”

He didn’t have to say it twice. We unloaded the boxes, and he had Shakes in the vehicle and was pulling away before we stepped back into my place.

“Let’s eat, I’m starved, and then we can head out to the club.” My stomach growled just as I spoke. The women had definitely outdone themselves. They even packed drinks to go along with the food and in a separate box was groceries. Guess I wasn’t going to have to run out to the store for a couple more days.

“How’s it feel to be home, Speed?” Crusher said, handing over a plate.

I looked at each of the men as we stood in my kitchen setting out the food and working together doing it. It’d been a long time since we’d been together like this. I turned toward Crusher to answer.

“Never better, brother. Never better,” as I loaded down my plate.

With our stomachs overloaded, the walk back to the clubhouse where our bikes sat in the parking area in front, was much needed. I hadn’t realized how hungry I had actually been.

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