Page 2 of Rattler's Revelation
“That’s what we want to find out.”
Splint nods and disappears back inside while I drag Walt to The Pit. He’s unconscious while I string him up and strip him down. Now, I wait. Not my favorite activity, but part of being a prospect. When Chill, Viper, and Puma arrive, I learn what took them so long. They captured Mikel and cleared Brigit of murder. I’m glad. Colt is the latest addition to the kid squad. He needs his mother, Brigit, and his father, Wildcard.
While Chill works on Walt, Puma comes to stand next to me.
“I remember Chill telling me about the girl who claimed I harassed her,” I admit to him. “If I had followed up…”
“That’s something Chill should have done, not you. We can’t change the past; we can only work towards the future. Brigit has agreed to take over as HR Manager.”
That’s good news. I know the casino needed a new HR Manager after the last one went on maternity leave before deciding to become a stay-at-home mom.
We focus on Chill and Viper, who quickly learn that Pamela Clark is Walt’s mother and that Wade Turner is his father. Hearing that name fills me with dread. It isn’t a coincidence that Walt looks exactly like me. His father is my father’s twin brother. He’s also the man who destroyed my childhood. I’m barely hanging on to my sanity as Walt spews his vitriol. He proudly proclaims how his father is the leader of the Keepers of the Third Reich, a group of white supremacists. I’m not surprised. Wade always was a piece of shit. He surrounded himself with filth. Filth that got their rocks off molesting young boys. I shut down those memories as I follow Viper back to the clubhouse. I’m living in a fucking nightmare. One, I thought I escaped. But I haven’t. I’m lost when we enter the clubhouse and everyone yells out, Congratulations! What are we celebrating? Who are they talking to?
“Get the fuck over here, Max,” Puma bellows.
I walk through the sea of people to get to the bar and Puma. He gives me a speech that I don’t hear, and then hands me a new kutte. I shake myself out of my nightmare to hold what I once thought I wanted. My member’s kutte with the road name ‘Rattler’ embroidered on the front. Fuck me. I play the part and remove my prospect kutte to put it on. I did it. But is this what I want?
A sense of family and belonging washes over me as everyone approaches and offers their congratulations. The kids envelop me in hugs and proudly show the banner they created for me. They drew pictures of all the activities they’ve done with me.Colt hands me a cupcake, and I bite into it, just as I register a commotion behind me.
“What?” Brigit cries out, putting the call on speaker. Wildcard calls out for silence. “Bianca, you’re on speaker. Where are you? What’s going on?”
“I just left work, and I was on my way home when I realized a van was following me. He’s been behind me since I left the casino. I think it’s Walt.”
“It isn’t Walt, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be careful. Where are you? Maybe you can drive to us.”
She tells us where she is, which isn’t close to the clubhouse.
“Okay, how about a police station?” Viper chimes in. “There’s a station further up ahead on the right.”
“Okay, I’m heading there,” Bianca says, but then the sound of squealing tires and Bianca’s scream fills the room.
CHAPTER TWO: BIANCA
“Here you go, sir, scotch on the rocks,” I smile at the man playing blackjack as I place his drink on the table. He smiles at me and drops a $20 chip tip on my tray. I’ve been bringing him drinks for the past two hours, and each time he tips me, whether he’s winning or losing. Right now, he has a pile of chips in front of him. He’s having a good night.
After taking drink orders from several other players, I return to the bar to wait for Billy to fill them.
“I heard you’re staying,” Billy says as a boyish grin spreads across his freckled face.
I shake my head. Billy may be behind the bar all night, but he’s always up-to-date on the gossip. He’s one of my closest friends here. All the women love him because he’s our biggest confidant. He’s our older brother who is always looking out for us. When I told him about my experiences with Walt and Chill’s dismissal of my complaint, he suggested I quit and find another job, even though he didn’t want me to leave. Billy is always looking out for us.
“How did you hear?” I ask him.
“Margo told me when she came down for her break,” Billy explains. “What happened upstairs? I heard there was a fight between the bikers.”
“Sort of. We have a new HR Manager, her name is Brigit Jones.” I grin when Billy snorts at the name. “Yeah, that was my first thought, too. Turns out she’s with Wildcard. Anyway, she asked me why I was leaving, so I told her. She told Wildcard and Trouble, who then ordered Chill to bring Max to the casino. Wildcard attacked Max.”
“Good, does that mean the asshole is out of here?”
“Yes, and no. He wasn’t Max.”
“Wait. What?”
I shake my head. “I’m not explaining this very well. The Demon Dawgs have a prospect named Max. He isn’t the same Max who has been harassing us. They could be twins, though. They look exactly the same, except for the eyes. The real Max has green eyes. Wildcard promised they’ll find the other guy and stop him from harassing us. That’s why I decided to keep working here. Chill apologized to me. She explained that she had a hard time believing Max could hurt anyone. Now that I’ve met him, I can understand why she didn’t believe me. He seems like a good guy.”
Billy gives me a quizzical look before glancing over my shoulder. When his eyes turn wide, I turn to see what he’s looking at. It’s Max. When he sees me looking at him, he offers up a shy smile, causing my heart to roll. The fake Max made my skin crawl. This Max impacts me in a completely different way.
“Leave her alone,” Billy spits, causing Max’s steps to falter and stare at my friend.
