Page 6 of August's Ride with Arrow

“Does this have anything to do with the girl we watched you leave the bar with last night and the fact that you came back to the bar alone?” Thunder asks as all eyes around the table shoot toward me.

“Her name is Kat, and I'm meeting her for dinner tonight. Now we have more important things to talk about,” I say. Turning back to Bison, I attempt to get everyone’s attention back to business.

“Listen, we get it. After what you guys have told us, we know you're looking for help. Whatever you need, we're in. Though we don't know what exactly you're looking for us to do. But keep in mind, none of us can be away from home for long,” Bison says.

“That’s great news,” Thunder says. “We're hoping to get the help of several clubs, and have a rotation. The biggest issue we have is needing more manpower on a somewhat regular basis. Right now, we're having a hard time tracking down members of The Savage Bones while keeping the town and our families safe. Ideally, we would have several clubs helping on a rotating basis so that you guys aren't away from home for long periods of time.”

“I don't see it being a problem, but I have to take it to the rest of the club. Don't see them passing up a chance to have a club owe us a favor on the chance that we need it,” Bison says with a smile. “Now tell me some of the details about what's going on.”

We spend the next hour going over what's happened since January. Bison and Pris leave with the promise to get back to us soon with some help, whether it's them or some contacts.

“All right, we've got to head out to talk to the guys at Whiskey River,” Lightning says as he and Piper stand.

I'm going with them for this one, and I can tell Piper is nervous. This is as much about learning about her dad's side of the family as it is about us asking for help. These guys are closest to us geographically, so we could really use them on our side. If something were to happen, they could come at a moment's notice.

When Lightning and Piper set up the meeting last night, Whiskey River wanted to meet at the house that they rented. I guess a bunch of them, including their officers, are here. So, I'm not quite sure what to expect.

“Ashley and I should go with you guys, since you're walking into a place filled with nothing but them and their officers. It would be better that we show up with a few numbers, just in case,” Thunder says.

I know what he's thinking. These guys have helped us before, but if things go south, the more people who get the girls out of there, the better. Plus, I'm sure Piper could use Ashley's support.

Lightning and I both agree, so we leave and follow the directions to a house on the other side of town. Really though, it's not a house, it's more like a small mansion.

“Fuck, these guys must have some money,” Thunder says as we park our bikes. We're well aware we're being watched from the moment we come down the driveway.

A few guys greet us before we even get to the front door.

Being the only single guy here, I watch Thunder and Lightning with their women. It's hard not to be jealous. I think of Kat, my Katherine, and what it would be like if she were here. We go through the motions of saying hello and introducing everyone before sitting down at the dining room table. I was so involved thinking about Katherine, I missed all their names. I hope that doesn't come back to bite me in the ass.

Sitting at the head of the table is the President. His eyes are laser focused on Piper. “After you reached out with the photo of your grandpa, we did a little bit of digging and asked some of our members who aren't here today. No one had anything but good things to say about your grandpa and your dad. They were shocked your dad never joined the club, though it's not for everyone. At your father's funeral, everyone from the club was there to pay their respects. But you were so young, I don't think you remember,” the President says.

“No, I don't remember, and my mom never said anything,” Piper says as Lightning wraps an arm around her shoulders.

“I get the feeling that you're not here under the best circumstances,” the Whiskey River Riders’ Vice President says.

I shoot him a look and he just shrugs. “Well, let’s just get down to business.”

I’m anxious to be out of here because the sooner we begin talking about business and get this over with, the sooner I can meet up with Kat.

Thunder takes the lead and gives them a rundown of Savage Bones and what's been going on. While I sit back and watch the officer's reactions, it’s obvious even though they try to hide it, they're not happy.

“We had no idea something like that was going on so close to home. I don't even have to ask the guys. They'll be more than willing to help. What do you need from us?” the President asks.

“We need men, and we need contacts. We're spread too thin trying to keep the town and our families safe and still track down Savage Bones every time they move. Unfortunately, we are reacting instead of anticipating their moves and getting ahead of them. Our sheriff is compromised, so we need all the help we can get. We have a few other clubs who will come in on a rotating basis to help us,“ Thunder says.

“There’s a lawyer in town. His name is Jack, and he has a lot of contacts in the area. I’ll reach out to him and see if he can help. Our local police don't have jurisdiction here, but I'm friends with a detective Greer and he has contacts all over the States. I’ll see what he can do to help as well. I'll make sure he knows to keep it on the down low, so we don't need to alert Federal authorities just yet,” the President says.

Relief hits me. That's two clubs willing to help, and if Crank does his job well, we should have a third before dinner time.

We sit and talk with the guys for a while longer. Before we leave, they let us know to call them if we need them, as they're only a couple of hours away.

Finally, we’re out the door and I'm racing back down to the bar. I get there before the other guys, and I'm sure they're going to give me shit about it.

Once I’m in the bar, I check out everyone, and I don't see Kat or her friends. Ordering a soda, I sit at one of the tables where I have a clear view of the door. Though that means she won't be able to see me right away when she walks in.

Every minute seems to stretch out, when in reality it's only about five minutes later Kat and her friends walk through the door. She stops inside, scans the bar, and a blinding smile lights up her face. When she sees me, she doesn't even say anything to her friends. Instead, she walks over to where I'm sitting and her friends follow.

Standing, I pull out the chair next to me as she walks up.

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