Page 1 of Truth

“You can’t beat me, Brick.”He kissed his teeth, his chest inflated with clenched fists. “You can try though. Maybe if you lay off three rumblers a day and shit and you can.” Rumblers were good for business and even better for the appetite of a Saint who wanted a good time. Brick, though, took that shit to another level.

“This nigga,” Breeze, my best friend, chimed in.

“The fuck you’re grinning for, Breeze? Truth beats your ass too,” Brick released.

Breeze sat on his bike with a faint grin, nodding his head. Truth was, he let me. We both knew Breeze was better, faster but he was humble and didn’t like to boast unlike Brick’s whiny ass.

For the most part, we both were used to Brick pouting like a fucking kindergartner, especially Breeze. So he let him have that as we waited to ride out with the Saint Riderz. Our father, Beast, had a meeting but he was running late or some shit. We’d been putting in work like the rest of the brothers as we earned our spot. It didn’t matter we were Beast’s sons. Shit, if anything, he required us to go harder which included Breeze.

Breeze rose and made his way toward us with a Cheshire grin on his face.

“B?” He lightly slapped Brick on his chest with the back of his hand. “How much you willing to lose? I let my bitch on wheels talk for me, but I can indulge in your bruised little ego. Let me know if you’re hurting for some cash. Maybe me and my bitch will go easy on you.”

“Nigga, please,” he spat with slitted eyes as Breeze lifted both hands. Shit, I spoke too soon. Breeze was with the shits and had called Brick out.

I glanced in admiration of Breeze’s Yamaha bike he’d recently bought. It had a fresh paint job, black and yellow with the Saint Riderz initials painted on it. Our symbol, the lion head, rested underneath it since Beast was the king of this MC shit.

That shit was nasty too, cleaner than a motherfucker. I was proud of Breeze. While Brick was flashy and preferred a bigger bike you could hear damn near miles away, his shit was heavier. Heavier cost him when it was time to hit a corner at a moment’s notice.

“Fuck all that. Let’s do this.”

The other Saint Riderz that sat around us in front of the clubhouse laughed. They found us congregating outside like most days, the youngest of the Saint Riderz funny, with Jake leading the brothers.

“Aye, Beast told y’all about that,” he spoke. “Y’all compete against other motherfuckers. Inside the family, we lift each other up.”

“Who says we’re not?” I probed, watching Breeze suppress his smile.

“This one’s sour damn face.” He gripped Brick’s shoulder who grunted. “And you, put your fucking money up or shut up. Ain’t you tired of these two calling you out and winning?” Breeze tittered as Brick’s lips grew into a tight slit. That fucking Jake could be a shit starter at times, but he loved us like we were his own sons.

I stood up before Brick took it too far. He was a hothead, eager to react. We were just fucking with him although he did need to get his money up at the rate he ran through those rumblers. Most of them worked for the Saint Riderz in some capacity from the bar and our underground brewery to the grocery store. It wasn’t big in comparison to major stores elsewhere, but it was big to the community of Rockside. We took care of our own. Beast made sure of that.

“Uncle Jake, you trying to stop me from getting this win? You know if he stomps off like a little crybaby, I can’t take my victory lap,” I jested.

“Cry?” He waved me off and Breeze laughed. Brick was sensitive. He just pretended he wasn’t. Before I could fish out my money and put it on Breeze, a roaring sound of an engine was heard from behind us. We turned around and there Logan came barreling toward us on his bike.

“I tried to stop him, Jake! I did!” he hollered, his chest heaving. “He’s on his way to see Cinco. A few brothers are with him but it don’t look good.”

“The fuck?” Jake replied. “Where are they? We have a meeting here.” He clenched his fists and shook his head. “Ain’t this a bitch.”

“Pine Road.” I looked at Jake and the others. Pine was no one’s territory but also where deals were made, mostly on how to stay in our fucking lane. “I tried to stop him though. He wouldn’t listen.”

The fuck was Beast on Pine Road? That was mutual territory but what I heard in Jake’s voice didn’t sound like mutual shit was about to go down. Beast was about to stand on his fucking name. I just wasn’t sure how I felt about it.

“The fuck you mean you tried to stop him? The moment you rode out with his ass, that’s when you should have rallied us up,Lo. Fuck!” Jake looked at me and Brick, his teeth pressed against his bottom lip then back at Jake.

“Fuck this shit,” Logan muttered. “I’m headed back, and I answer to Beast. Not you. You plan on getting your panties out your ass or what? Beast needs us.”

“Thought we been took care of that shit.” His slitted eyes quickly skirted toward me, Brick and Breeze. I had no clue what that meant but I was ready, hopping on my bike.

“Yeah, me too. Cinco’s overstepped or some shit. Had to but Beast needs us, Jake,” Logan pleaded. Like Jake, he looked worried.

“Stay here,” Jake ordered us. “Hold shit down at the clubhouse, watch the prospects. We’ll race when we get back.”

“Naw, I’m?—"

“Truth, it’s handled. I promise you. Can’t say much right now, but Beast would kill me if something happened to you boys.”

I wasn’t a fucking boy. I was a man, a fucking Saint and the son of Beast. “I see that look. Stand the fuck down,” he warned through gritted teeth before he looked away. “Please,” he added softly. “Or you want Beast fucking me up too?”

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