Page 49 of Shame

“They aren’t here anymore, Shark. We’re all very much aware of that. I’ve already told you this is the start of a new era, and if you don’t fucking like it, there’s the door.” He points at it, and I’ve never wanted to pound someone’s face as badly as I want to pound into his.

I cared about my father a lot. He was a good man. Sucks Coyote’s father was a prick, but mine wasn’t, and talking about his death like it means nothing isn’t something I’ll tolerate. My father’s death wasn’t just an excuse to move this club in another direction. Not to me. If that’s how Coyote wants to treat his father’s death, cool. But I ain’t playing along. I grit my teeth and keep my mouth shut though, wanting to see how this plays out. The more he makes himself look like an asshole, the better it’ll be for me.

Fighting him won’t get me anywhere. I have to be smart. Let him do this and watch him fail. Then I’ll have shit to use againsthim. I’m not saying I want to be Prez of this club, but I wouldn’t pass it down if the opportunity arose. All I know is Coyote ain’t fit to be leading us.

“Anyone else have a problem with this?” Coyote asks, looking around the room. Everyone shakes their heads, probably too fucked up to even know what’s going on. “Good. Because we leave in ten minutes, so everyone get your heads outta your asses.”

Slamming the door shut, I jam my key into the ignition and start up the truck. I dig around for a charger as I wait for Rhino to get in. Once he’s in, and everyone else is ready to go, they take off on their bikes while we follow behind in the truck.

This is how we do our runs. They all ride up front to make sure shit is clear. They go down the roads first and give the okay that I can go in after. Plus, I’m the best fucking driver and getting this box truck down dirt roads ain’t fucking easy. Especially when it’s such a tight squeeze that I’ve got only centimeters between my mirrors and trees.

“Did he run this by you?” I ask Rhino.

He huffs before saying, “He’s the president, Shark. He doesn’t have to.”

“You’re right, he doesn’t have to, but this is a club. All of us have a say in shit we do, and since you’re road captain,youshould’ve planned it.”

“He said it was last minute.”

I understand he don’t wanna get involved. Seriously, I get it. Going against Coyote isn’t something that’ll slide. Everyone is loyal to this club, and they show that in different ways. For some, that means they follow Coyote blindly. For others, like me, it means we look out for what’s best for all of us.

“You’re missing the goddamn point,” I bark.

“No, I think you are,” he says, shaking his head. “He’s the Prez, Shark. He’s just trying to figure shit out. Give him a break.”

Kinda wanna tell him to go fuck himself, but I keep my mouth shut—been doing a real lot of that lately, and I’m already about to explode. I don’t blame him for not trash-talking Coyote. No one in their right mind would complain about the Prez, especially to me, the VP. But I don’t trust the asshole, and I know others feel the same way.

Rhino fiddles with the radio, looking for something good to listen to. Pretty sure it’s his way of telling me to fuck off. Once we’re deep in the trees, though, it’ll be nothing but static.

I didn’t tell Cora I would be by today, but I did tell her I would call her. Doesn’t seem that’ll be happening with my phone dead and this last-minute trip, but I’ll do what I can. These runs take half a goddamn day, but with this not being already planned, who knows what’s going to happen? Somethingabout it doesn’t feel right. I don’t wanna say Coyote is crooked, but it’s in the back of my mind. Guy’s been a prick for far too long for me to think he’s doing right by this club he hates so much.

I park the truck by the side of the road, put on the hazards, and get out. Rhino does the same. I move around the truck to make sure everything looks okay, and wait for the alert to come over the radio I got hooked on my back pocket. Too many issues with cell service out here. Our father’s got in the habit of using the radios, which work better.

“Was thinking of going to visit my sister,” Rhino says as he leans against the truck carefully. Don’t wanna pop those stitches.

“You should,” I say, moving beside him and closing my eyes. “Life’s too short.”

“You’re telling me,” he comments. “Her kids are already five. Starting school this year.”

“Shit,” I say with a chuckle.

“Right? Fucking crazy.”

His sister was smart and got the hell outta here a few years after high school. Rhino is a few years younger than me, and his sister a few years younger than him, so I don’t know the girl. But I’ve heard a lot about her perfect little life from Rhino. He’s proud of her. She’s married, got a set of twins, and a nice house up in who-the-hell-knows Colorado.

Our silence is broken when the radio chirps.

“Go,” I say into it, then wait for an answer.

“Ready,” Grizz responds.

“Let’s go,” I say to Rhino and climb back in the truck. Making sure there’s no one on the road, I drive twenty feet down and turn onto the dirt road that in no fucking way is big enough to fit this truck, but I make it work. The ride is slow, but it’s going. Bumpy as fuck, and I swipe a few trees on the way.

“The fuck is that?” Rhino says, leaning forward and squinting his eyes.

Even with the headlights on, it’s hard to see shit in these woods. Don’t help this truck is old as shit.

“What the fuck?” I grit out, my stomach going all kinds of nuts.

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