Page 44 of Ripper
I decided to peruse the menu and grab some breakfast before I was supposed to meet Ripper. I hoped some food would help take some of the pressure off of my shoulders, and I barely had anything to eat since my wild night last night. When the hot plate of eggs, home-fried potatoes, and pancakes came out from the kitchen, my stomach rumbled.
Charlotte slid it over to me, topping off my coffee while we chatted for a bit before the place started to get real busy again. It amazed me how the Tavern had a serious crowd just about any time of the day. I couldn’t blame them though. The food was great, the people were nice, and everything about it just felt right.
I’d just finished up my meal and paid when I got a text message from Ripper.I can pick you up from the shop around 4. That cool, sweet pea? Sorry I had to run so early. I promise I’ll make it up to you.
I smiled brightly, my cheeks burning red hot as flashbacks from our night together flitted around in my mind. I texted him back quickly, grabbing my things and heading straight for the shop. I entered through the open garage door, feeling the heat hit me like a tidal wave. I listened to the sound of every tool whirr and buzz while I dropped my things off in Uncle Axle’s office before rolling up my sleeves so I could get to work myself.
I glanced around his empty office, feeling my stomach turn at the thought of where he was, and I knew that it would only be a matter of time before I had to start digging. I didn’t want to dig into the Rebels, into Ripper and all of the rest of the members who were welcoming me with open arms. The thought made me feel like I was going to hurl, but I shook it off, getting to work on the brand new American muscle that just came in.
Hours went by, and the sun was high in the sky now. I felt the sweat trickle down my face while I worked under the hood, cleaning up as I went, trying to keep myself busy so I wouldn’t have to answer any more questions about Uncle Axle. I couldn’t escape them all though, and when I felt someone approach from behind me, I already knew what it was going to be about.
“Hey, Ronnie. I hope I’m not overstepping here and I know you’re doing the best you can right now, but there are a lot of people coming through here looking for Axle. Where the hell is he?” asked Tim.
“I told you, he’s dealing with some family stuff out of state and he won’t be back for a while. If anyone has anything to ask him, I can pass along the message, okay?” My voice was stern, loud, the way Uncle Axle would get whenever someone tried to cheat their way to a free fix.
Tim staggered back a little like the last thing he expected was to hit a nerve, but I stood there with my arms crossed, waiting for him to get the message.
“All right, cool. Sorry. I know that whatever he’s dealing with must be important. I’ll handle it, and I know you will too. It’s just not the same without him here.”
It was then I saw the sadness in his eyes. Uncle Axle wasn’t just a father figure to me, but he was to half the guys in the shop. A lot of them didn’t have anywhere else to go when they started working here, and they all became one big family before I rolled into town. I knew how frustrated they must’ve been, and I knew I had to fix this before it became a more permanent affair.
“I know, Tim. I know.”
***
I gripped the handles of my bike tightly as I followed Ripper’s lead through the desert to a small patch of land hidden away by the only greenery around. The place was packed with bikes parked outside, the sound of engines roaring, and the scent of exhaust trailing through the air. I was so nervous that my stomach was violently turning, my palms were so sweaty I had trouble keeping my bike steady as I pulled it into the free space out front, kicking up sand as it finally came to a stop.
I took a deep breath, relaxing my shoulders while I took off my helmet, setting it down to see Ripper smiling at me. I chuckled, watching him raise his eyebrows, probably sensing that I was on the verge of losing my shit.
“You look like you’re gonna pass out, sweet pea. Look, you ain’t got nothing to worry about, okay? You’re gonna knock their damn socks off just like you did with Tank, and with me of course.”
He put his hands on my shoulders and I glanced up at him, slowly starting to calm down a little. I smiled, nodding. He leaned in for a kiss and the softness of his lips jolted me back to reality. He wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me to kiss me harder.
“I got your back, Ronnie. It’s gonna feel a little strange for a while especially when other members are barking orders at you or shit gets a little tough to deal with, but you’ll learn. You’ll adapt, and I’ll be there every step of the way to help you. Shit gets a bit crazy around here, but soon you’ll start to feel like part of the family too.”
“I sure hope so.”
“Come on, let me introduce you to everybody before this meeting starts.”
He outstretched his hand, and I wrapped my fingers around it, letting him lead me inside. I glanced around at all the unfamiliar faces, taking in everyone’s features, and how despite how burly most of them looked, there was a comforting kindness in each of their eyes.
“So, this is the lady we’ve all been waiting to meet. Hey, Ronnie. My name’s Claymore. This is Wrench, Archer, Vegas, Crow, and Ink. The girls aren’t here right now, but when they are, I’ll be sure to introduce ya,” he said, warmly.
“It’s nice to meet all of you.”
“It’s nice to meet you too,” said Wrench.
“Ripper, I really thought you were high-talking. How’d you land a girl that’s most definitely out of your league?” Archer teased.
“Yeah, some could say the same about you and Rose, Arch. Least my lady knows her way around a bike.”
“You lil shit.”
Ripper tackled Archer playfully. For a moment, I thought a fight was about to erupt, but once the laughs exploded, I was at ease again. I twiddled my thumbs, trying to stop my legs from shaking once we finally sat down, and that’s when I saw Tank enter in through the front door. It slammed behind him and at the sound of his boots on the wood floor shut everyone up.
“Thank you all for coming. Now, I know shit’s been real quiet lately, but as you all can probably guess, that won’t last for very long. For the new prospects we have here today, I expect you’ll get up to speed soon, but to brief you, we’re dealing with a rival club that sure as hell likes to play dirty. First and foremost we’re here to protect the club, each other, and everything we’ve built. You’re going to be the ones working the hardest to see that through, got it?”
Tank addressed us all, and I looked up to see the rest of the prospects nodding, some of them gulping, but I tried to keep my cool. I felt Ripper’s hand on my knee comforting me while Tank went over some numbers and started barking some orders at us. I went over everything in my head, listening to the plan for the next few days, trying to wrap my head around exactly how all of this worked.
