Page 106 of Patching Over

I hear the voice and recognize it, but my head’s so clogged and congested, I can’t make heads or tails out of who’s talking right now.

“Brick, you know RiffRaff won’t do that,” Kracken retorted. “Besides, this is the new guy, and he needs the club’s help, man.”

The guy called Brick asked, “How do you know that, Krack?”

“Because I’ve been watching. He was staying over off of Main Street with someone I presume is his father, but then last week, he started coming over here after school.”

“Maybe he wanted his privacy,” Brick retorted.

“Naw, I don’t think so, brother. Besides, if that was the case, why would he have all his stuff?”

I can’t seem to pry my eyes open, but I feel when someone much bigger picks me up. “Where we going with him?” a deep male voice asked.

“Let’s take him to the clubhouse,” Kracken stated.

“You boys get all his stuff, he’s not coming back,” the voice advised.

“Will do, Motor. Thanks for helping,” Kracken replied.

“Someone’s gotta keep an eye on you young bucks.”

I don’t know how long I’m out of it, but when I finally wake up and can open my eyes, I see the three guys from school sitting around talking quietly. Clearing my throat a few times, I finally managed to utter, “Hey.”

“Holy shit, he’s finally awake!” Kracken exclaimed.

Opening the door, he yelled, “RiffRaff! He’s awake!”

Pounding feet have me wondering what exactly I’ve gotten myself into as I maneuver myself, so I’m sitting up in the bed I’m in with my back against the headboard.

“Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,” an older man grumbled as he made his way to the side of the bed where I was sitting. “Well, at least you ain’t looking like a half-dead zombie.”

“RiffRaff, this is Jingles. Well, that’s what he goes by, anyhow,” Kracken announced. “Jingles, this is RiffRaff, the president of the Roanoke Raiders Motorcycle Club.”

“Hello, sir,” I said, sticking out my hand to shake his. If nothing else, Ghoul and Sleeper taught me some manners when I was hanging out with Wiley at their clubhouse. Not many, because they were coarse, rough bikers, but Ghoul had said the measure of a man was in his handshake.

“Ain’t a sir, boy,” RiffRaff retorted, taking my hand in his. “Good firm grip, even though you’ve been sicker than a coon dog.”

“I was sick?” I questioned, looking at the three teens and the bikers who were standing around the room.

“Yeah, Granny Tatum said you had pneumonia and shoulda died,” Kracken advised.

“Probably shoulda let me,” I mumbled, not knowing or caring who Granny Tatum was.

“Yeah, we ain’t got time for negative thinking like that,” RiffRaff rebuked. “Now that he’s awake, let’s get Doc over to check him and if he’s good, he can join you boys as a prospect.”

And just like that, I went from having no life worth living, to becoming part of something bigger than I was — a prospect for the Roanoke Raiders MC out of Roanoke, Virginia. Not sure how Wiley’s gonna feel about it, but they saved my life, so at the very least, I owe them my gratitude.

Jingles, age 21

Having ridden to Cleveland, I stopped in to see if I would be able to visit with Ghoul or Wiley, only to end up following Sleeper over to the house where his younger sister lived when he got a phone call from her indicating his father had taken off. Sounded like their family dynamics were even more fucked up than mine ended up being, but despite the fact I was with a different club than they were, I’d always have their backs simply because they helped me when I was a kid. My first loyalty was, of course, to the Roanoke Raiders for saving my life three years ago, but the men of the Royal Bastards MC in Cleveland did the same when I was far younger. In a sense, they were my family too, and thankfully, RiffRaff understood, as did Ghoul.

Sleeper called her baby Belle, but with the icy blonde of her hair, I thought she looked more like the tiny fairy from Peter Pan, Tinkerbell. Not that I offered my opinion since she might be half my age from my guesstimate, but she talked like she was twice as old as me, and her acerbic tone practically chopped me in half at my knees. Sleeper told me not to mind her, and I honestly didn’t take it personally, but it bothered the fuck out of me that a kid her age, who was obviously seriouslymalnourished, had apparently been on her own for at least a month if I’d heard correctly.

What kind of piece of shit parent does that to their own flesh and blood? Especially when the house she was at before Sleeper had her gather all her stuff, so he could move her into his place, wasn’t in the best neighborhood. I helped him get her moved, taking the barbs she tossed out in stride. Looked like another kid who wasn’t allowed to be one, but I was hoping that now my old friend was involved, she’d be able to enjoy what was left of her childhood.

CHAPTER

ONE

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