Page 2 of Ripper
“They were here to fucking party. Why the hell would they just shoot the place up like this?”
Right before we could get another word in, I heard the sound of police sirens in the distance. My eyes widened, and we rushed the fuck out of there as fast as we could.
“Crow? Crow, we need to go now!”
“Why the fuck are the cops coming now?”
“I don’t fucking know. Unless you wanna get booked, you better get moving. Let’s go!”
We barely made it back onto our bikes and slipped our domes on before the cops started pulling up.What the fuck is going on?I thought. Gripping the handles of my bike, I pulled around back so Crow and I could escape through the alleyway.
I felt the wind on my back as I tore through the streets with Crow right by my side. We thought we lost those fucking cops before the sirens started to ring high in the air like gunshots. We floored it. I glanced over at Crow, giving him a single nod before we both took off in different directions. He turned left, I turned right, and the two cop cars behind us split up to follow us. I sped up as fast as I fucking could, turning sharp corners, taking alleyway cuts that fucking cop car just couldn’t fit through until we were long gone.Did the cops finally find out the entire fucking club was shot up last night? This got anything to do with those Freeway Fucks? Shit man. That was too damn close.
I arrived back at the clubhouse a while later to find Crow huddled over Jade. He embraced her, carrying her inside, and I imagined she needed some time to deal with everything that was going on. It was a big part of her damn life that went up in flames today, and if we weren’t careful, ours would soon follow suit. I felt the sweat soak my T-shirt as I walked through the door, and I sauntered into the kitchen to find Tank grabbing a cold one.
“Grab me one?”
“Yeah.”
“The fuck happened to you? A few hours ago, you were as fresh as a fucking fiddle. Catch some asphalt on your run?”
He cracked one open for me, handing it over, and the first swig felt fucking great.
“Let’s just say that that run got a little dirtier than I’d hoped. The new prospects are hanging in there, but we’re gonna need to line up a few more especially if the Fucks are back in town. What did you find?”
I took Tank through every last fucking detail of what happened. He slid onto the wooden stool next to me, guzzling his beer like it was the first one he’d ever had, and I could see that he was just as worried as I was. We managed to keep the cops off our backs for a long time, but if the Kings were hell-bent on putting us smack dab in the middle of the crossfire, it’d only be a matter of time before we found ourselves in trouble with ’em.
“That don’t sound like the Fucks. They usually just hit hard and hope for the best.”
“Maybe ole Ray’s been getting some help. If that’s the case, we need to watch our fucking backs.”
“Yeah, we do. For now, I need you to come with me on a run tomorrow. We need the club stocked and the cash flowing in case they try some shit again.”
“You already know they will. It’s really a matter of when.”
“I know. I sure as hell ain’t looking forward to it. Just be back by ten tomorrow morning. We’ll head up north then.”
“Got it.”
Tank patted me on the back before he took off. I sat in the small kitchen, gazing at the rusted white appliances, the old tile countertops, and the pale yellow paint on the walls. The place wasn’t much, but it was safe. We ain’t had to worry about the Kings or the cops here. I finished the rest of my beer and tossed the glass bottle before I made my way back out to my bike. I got on, starting up the engine to hear it spit, pop, and hiss at me. I sighed, realizing something happened to it on the ride back.
I promised myself I’d take it to Axle in the morning before Tank and I were set to head out. If he couldn’t fix it up in time, someone was just gonna have to lend me their ole baby. I brushed my fingertips across the top of mine, knowing she’d be just fine once Axle was done with her. She was still riding fine, and that made me feel a little better because I wasn’t in the mood to fork out the cash for a crazy repair. On the way home, I saw a diner with its large white letterboard sign and its neon lights turned on. My stomach rumbled, and I realized I didn’t have a damn thing to eat all day.
I pulled into the parking lot, getting my ass into a booth when a pretty blonde came over to hand me a menu.
“What can I get you to drink, sugar?”
“Some water will be fine. Thanks,” I said, and she shot me the biggest smile.
She poured the cool water into a fresh glass of ice, holding the pitcher steady while she waited for me to decide on what I wanted. The place was starting to fill up now, and I glanced out the window to see that the sun was starting to set.
“What’ll it be?”
“You know what? Surprise me.”
She raised her eyebrow, beaming. She took the menu from my hand, lingering for a moment before heading off to the back. I slouched back in the booth, finally having a moment to breathe.
She came back out with a steak sandwich and fries. I squirted some ketchup on the side of my plate and went to town. When I was done and full, it was time to head home, but that’s when I noticed two cops coming in through the front door. The little bell made ading!and I could hear the sound of their radios going wild. The pretty blonde was behind the counter punching my bill through when they started talking to her. I was too far away to hear what they were saying, but once they took off, her entire expression changed when she looked at me.
