Page 20 of Ripper
“Maybe we can grab a bite to eat tomorrow if you’d like. There’s a place called the Ironhead Tavern that’s been quite nice.”
“Ah, that place can be a little intimidating. I may ride a bike, but I don’t exactly consider myself a biker,” she confessed.
“How about a diner?”
“A diner sounds lovely. Thank you, Ronnie. You’re really sweet to be doing all of this for someone you barely know.”
“Oh, don’t mention it.”
She hopped out the passenger side, and I watched her unlock the door to her room on the bottom floor that overlooked the parking lot. I had a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach again, much like I did when I was driving to the shop a few days ago. I felt my heartbeat increase, the blood rushing to my head as I gripped the steering wheel of the truck tightly. I couldn’t shake the worry that settled beneath my bones. I knew I had a lot to learn about the world of these bikers, but I couldn’t understand why it made me so paranoid. I gulped, shaking my head, jolting myself back to reality.
Chapter Five
Ripper
“Why’d Tank drag our asses out this early?” asked Claymore.
“Because we’re low on fucking cash, and the last time we tried to make a damn sale, we got interrupted by Ray’s goons,” I reminded him.
It was six o’clock in the morning, and nearly all the bikers we knew were either sleeping off the previous night or they were starting their days with a cup of coffee followed by a cold beer. I was surprised that I didn’t even feel the slightest bit tired, and any free time I did have, I was thinking about the damn girl that was taking up all the space inside my mind. Claymore tapped me on the shoulder, running his fingers through his hair to move his scruffy blond hair out of his eyes.
“The hell are you thinking about?” he asked.
“I hear Ripper’s been seeing a girl. Maybe he’s finally found himself a lady,” said Archer.
“That true, man? Now, you’re the last person I thought would find a lady. I mean, you’re one brooding motherfucker.”
“Will you two shut the fuck up? Yeah, I’m seeing someone, and she’s pretty fucking great,” I said.
“Better be. The last woman you dated nearly killed you. We don’t need that kind of crazy around here again, aight?” said Archer.
“Trust me, I don’t think I have it in me to entertain that kind of crazy anymore anyway.”
I heard the sound of the front door and screen open and slam shut. I looked up to see Wrench and Tank standing there. Tank was already barking off orders to him, and Wrench was hanging onto every word.
“Morning. You guys all set here? I got some shit I need to take care of, and it’s a little urgent,” said Tank.
“Yeah, we got this. Wrench? Plan?”
“We’re gonna be picking up the goods before we drop ’em off this time. Hopefully, this one will go smoothly without any interruptions or dead motherfucking customers,” he said.
“Here’s hoping. We’ll follow your lead.”
Each of our bike engines roared one after the other as I waited for Wrench to pull out of the lot, and I followed right after him. Claymore and Archer close behind me, but Wrench rode front like he always did because he was good at spotting trouble out in the distance. We had all our bases covered this time, and I knew that if we ran into any Freeway Fucks, it’d be one hell of a ride taking ’em all out together.
We pulled into an alleyway to regroup before we got to the location and to cool off a little after the long ride. I watched everyone take their domes off, waiting for Wrench to clue us in.
“When was the last time we were out like this?” I asked Archer.
“Probably when Wrench had us deliver that fucking junk to that psycho who breaks guns only to fix him,” he said.
“Nah, that guy scared the shit outta me. The whole time we were there I thought he was gonna pop one of us,’ Claymore chimed in.
“You all need to focus. You do realize we’re in the middle of a fucking job here.”
“Lighten up, Wrench. We’re here. We’re ready, so put us to work,” I said, with a chuckle.
“You sure this shit’s the real deal? I ain’t ready to walk into another shitshow,” said Claymore.
