Page 35 of Fury

“Dig wants no part of messy,” I said. “He doesn’t want the Jacks to be a sitting duck to anyone’s shit, and I don’t blame him. The Jacks have got a good thing going and they’re good at keeping things low key. They could be an asset. Dig’s product gets rave reviews. We could get in on that, make it ours one day.”

“We could. You bringing it to Kwik?” asked Slade.

“Definitely.”

The sun had set and the night sky was perfectly dark, sparked with a sea of stars. The fireworks started as a prelude to the main event. The blast began and it was nothing short of magic. The series of small fires illuminated Crazy Horse’s stern face in the rock. The pounding successive explosions detonated in the big sky on a stunning primitive beat. Drac and Slade were speechless, their lips parted, their faces glowing gold in the reflections of the fires.

My eyes wandered over the crowd near us. Plenty of bikers from different clubs were here tonight. I spotted Dig, his arms wrapped around a young woman. I’d done my homework on Dig Quillen. He had an old lady, Grace or “Sister” as they called her. She was around twenty-two, but looked younger, the girl next door. They’d been together for over a year and both still seemed totally into each other, attached, like they were high on being together. He bent over and whispered in her ear, and they both grinned. All was right in their world. No rough seas, no questions.

Dig kissed Sister, starting off slow and sweet and then it turned hungry. Something coiled tightly in my chest. Those two had a place together. Serena flashed in front of my eyes in the darkness, and my muscles seized as if I’d gotten stung by a wasp. I wanted her here with me, like Quillen had his woman at his side, giving him a look that said she adored him, trusted him, was a part of him, was his and was thrilled to be, come what fucking may.

Yeah, the come what fucking may was easier when you were together.

The eruptions ceased and the crowd cheered and applauded.

Sister gave Dig a warm satisfied smile, wrapping her arm around his waist as their crew left the mountain along with the massive crowd. My insides curled in burning heat like paper in fire.

I wanted what Dig had.

I’d never had a girlfriend. Didn’t know what that felt like or was supposed to be like. And I didn’t mean just some woman I slept with on a regular basis or hung out with. No, a connection. I knew I wanted to see that satisfied smile of Sister’s on Serena’s face. I wanted to feel the weight of her relaxed body against mine. I wanted to give her this cloudless star-filled night of fireworks and explosions and music, where the only thing she had to worry about was what outfit to wear, what to pack for a camping trip, what souvenirs she wanted me to buy her. Because she’d want a souvenir. She’d want to preserve these moments of ours together. They’d be new, and to us they’d always be that kind of significant, shiny special.

Not—would this be the night she’d get killed? Would this be the night they’d drag her back, tear her to shreds? String me up and chop me?

I’d make it happen, her and me, and I’d give her all the shiny, special she needed.

“Let’s go,” Slade muttered.

Slade, Drac, and I took off, leaving the crowd at the Crazy Horse Monument behind and headed for the campground just past Mt. Rushmore, where our club waited for us.

We got lost in the party, and the next day, as I finally left the long line at the beer truck, I saw a familiar face.

“Gyp!”

Still the same tall, skinny goof with olive skin and messy jet black hair, every inch the gypsy. I slapped a hand on his shoulder. “What are you doing here, man? Good to see you!”

He slung an arm around my shoulders. “I called Nebraska, and they said you were out here, so I was hoping to catch you. I’m on my way back to Missouri. Had to visit my mom in Utah, she just got married.”

“How many does this make?”

He laughed, snorting loudly. “The fifth, I think. She’s happy, whatever. I came through this way to see you.”

“Glad you did. Real glad. This is Slade and Drac.”

“Hey.”

The four of us roamed over the campgrounds, drinking and talking. We checked out the games and bike races some of the clubs were having.

“I really miss this, Finger, miss hanging out with you.” Gyp drained another watery beer.

“Me too. You doing good out there? Things okay at the club?”

Gyp shrugged. “Yeah sure, I guess. Money’s coming in steadier nowadays, so Coop’s happy, Chaz is happy. Reich left by the way.”

My pulse skipped at the sound of that name. “Oh yeah?”

“Yeah, he took off for Ohio.”

“For National?” Our national board was located just outside of Dayton.

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