Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 43478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 217(@200wpm)___ 174(@250wpm)___ 145(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 43478 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 217(@200wpm)___ 174(@250wpm)___ 145(@300wpm)
He takes a pull from his beer, “Dia, you and I both know where this heads. The minute you get me even semi-alone, you start talking. We both know this shit doesn’t work in any version of the story. Don’t fuck shit up with your mouth. It’s a party, I got a buzz going, don’t kill it with the same nonsense we have been round and round about already.”
Clearly fighting back tears, Dia takes off as Toon goes back to singing along with the band like he didn’t crush her heart. His expression is still pained but there is a haunting to his eyes that screams he doesn’t like hurting her.
Whatever is there, I want no part of it. We all know how Roundman felt when Doll got with Tripp, or what Tank went through with Danza over Sass. Unspoken rule in the brotherhood, stay away from the daughters of your brothers, but even more so your leaders. Dia is a princess to us all, Toon better tread carefully. Even if she wants him, they will have to walk through fire to make that shit work.
Deciding their drama is a buzzkill for me, I give the mic back to the band and step down and go right to the bar for an ice-cold Miller Lite. Yes, this is a great day to drink a drink and have a pulled pork barbecue sandwich where Danza comes around to make Roundman’s famous sauce.
Funny thing when all the chapters are together like this, the great sauce debate always begins. Here on the coast the only kind of sauce they want is the vinegar-based Carolina tradition, but more towards the mountain region they like that red barbecue sauce that’s thicker with the ketchup and brown sugar. I’ll take the eastern version all day every day thank you. Not that I won’t eat the other, but preference is preference, and this country boy likes the thin vinegar based sauce smothered all over some straight off the cooker whole hog chopped barbecue. Bonus, if I can sneak a rib before they start chopping, it’s a definite win.
The party lasts well into the night and Tripp ends it with a bunch of fireworks I know he had the South Carolina boys bring up. North Carolina has some crazy rules about fireworks, but a quick trip down south will get the good ones. BW fires off the finale that I’m sure he personally chose.
BW is Tripp’s son who has made a solid name for himself in the Hellions. As the namesake to Roundman with both of them being named Blaine, he has tough boots to fill, but he does it well. We’ve had him in Salemburg when dealing with transports and truly, he’s a brother I call a friend.
That is the life of a biker. Every man here is solid as a rock and will take your back. We have all paid our dues as a prospect to earn this cut. Some guys though, you simply know there is a friendship beyond the brotherhood. BW is that guy for me. I don’t see him often, but when I do it’s going to be a good time.
As things wind down, I make my way to the duplex I’ll be crashing in tonight. Roundman had these set up ages ago and it’s better than sleeping in a tent. The stories from the past tell of the times Roundman and Danza would just take off on their bikes for a transport, run, or even to go to Bike Week in Daytona. They would ride until they were tired, then pull off to some spot for the night. Grabbing sleeping bags they strapped to their sissy bars, they would unroll them and doze for a few hours before getting up and hitting the road again. Sleeping on pavement, that is real dedication to the life on the road. Can’t say I’ve ever done it, but I wouldn’t be above it if the ride called for it. Times are different now, cell phones, GPS, hotels everywhere, I don’t know that a time will come where I’d have to live that life. But damn, it sure sounds nice.
Shit is heaven when a man like me can get consumed in a ride. I wish life wasn’t so busy. If only I could take off on some random ride and sleep wherever the fuck the road leads me. Times have changed and it simply isn’t safe to do that anymore. Cops are so quick to shoot first, one doesn’t know who is safe anymore. Side of the road nights aren’t a good idea these days.
Settling in, I strip down and climb in the bed. The crisp linens fall softly against my skin. They all joke about the ol’ ladies coming in and cleaning up after each time a place is used. Doll even makes sure to buy the fancy sheets for us. I’m a fucking biker, sheets don’t much matter, but they matter to her, so I’ll be sure to tell her it’s my best night’s sleep in a long damn time tomorrow.