Page 7 of Holland
Chapter Five
The Present
Holland
They say when life gives you lemons make lemonade. What about when life hands you a shit sandwich with a side of fucked up fries? What do you do then? How about when your own mother is your downfall, the one who finally breaks you, what do you do then? First it was Bliss, then it was dealing with Crimson, then Beth, and now dealing with the fallout from my sisters' kidnapping. When the fuck was, I going to get a break? Apparently not today, as I stepped into the precinct to the sounds of my Sergeant, Bellamy, yelling my name.
“He sounds pissed, man.” Ramirez, one of the patrol guys, hissed under his breath. When I glared over at him, he turtled up and skidded around me.
“NASH! Nash, get your ass in here now!” Oh goodie, this fuckwit wanted to ream my ass, let the yelling match begin.
Stepping into the Sergeant’s office, I notice he’s sitting behind his desk tapping his fingers with impatience. Sergeant Bellamy only had a few more years before he retired and it showed. His potbelly hung over his slacks, barely contained in his button up shirt. He started balding a few years prior and was now at the comb-over stage, the only problem was he only had a few hairs to comb-over.
“Yeah Sarge, you wanted to see me?” I asked as casually as possible sitting down in one of the chairs across from his desk. I’d taken a risk getting Bart’s crew to help me find my sisters, a risk that paid off thankfully. Now I was pretty sure I wasn’t about to get rewarded for my risk.
“What the fuck were you thinking going to the Hades Rejects for help?” My eyes narrowed on him, but before I could answer he put his hand up to stop me.
“I know your sisters were in danger, but that doesn’t mean you go rogue. We have procedures for a damn reason.” I wanted to tell him yeah procedures that would have allowed my sisters to remain in the sick situation they were in, but I kept my mouth shut. Once I started, I wasn’t sure I’d be able to keep from dragging him across the desk and beating the shit out of him.
“I’m going to find evidence you were there and then I’m going to nail your ass. You can’t just go vigilante like that whenever it benefits you.” I fisted the chair’s arms struggling to control myself. This piece of shit had no idea what my sisters went through, they wouldn’t even tell me everything that happened to them.
“You’re on suspension while they investigate your involvement in the murder of everyone in that warehouse.” Damn right all those fuckers were dead, Bart and the Rejects helped me make sure of that.
“Anything else Sarge?” I gritted out between my teeth, barely containing myself. He sighed like he was defeated suddenly, like he was trying to look like he gave a shit.
“Look Nash, you should have known that eventually this would happen. You can’t be friends with the likes of those guys and not expect to be pulled into their shit. Get yourself clear of them; it could save your career.” The likes of those guys, the ones who risked their lives to rescue my sisters. I needed to get myself clear of them.
“My father is one of those guys, my best friends are those guys, and they’re better men than you’ll ever be.” I leaned over the desk right into his face, my eyes full of the fury I felt down to my fucking toes.
“Here, this doesn’t mean what I thought it did.” I handed over my badge and gun.
“I thought we went after the real bad guys. We don’t, we go after the guys who look guilty simply because they wear leather jackets and ride motorcycles. That’s bullshit and you know it.” I walked to the open door, where everyone in the section could hear me.
“I thought I was joining a brotherhood, but y’all wouldn’t know true brotherhood if it slapped you in the face.” I didn’t bother to look back as I walked out of the job, I’d dreamed of having since I was kid.
Getting in my truck, I slammed my hands against the steering wheel in frustration. I would never regret what I did to get my sisters back, but it hurt to know that it cost me my dream. The truth was things had felt off since Bliss’s situation. I’d known then that I was steering into the grey area more and more. How much longer until I was completely in the black? ‘Til I became a dirty cop trying to justify everything I did as long as I got the bad guy?
So where did I go from here, what was my next step? I had no fucking clue, but I knew who could help me figure it out. The men who knew what true brotherhood meant, who stood by me when I needed them the most. Men who bled for me, who would bleed for me again if I needed them to, that’s who. Sometimes when you try to avoid the inevitable it catches up to you and drags you in. I’d avoided the inevitable for a long time, but I couldn’t anymore. I belong with them; they were my brotherhood, my family, my solid place to land when shit got deep.
Pulling out of the station parking lot was like the final nail in the coffin of my career with the police department. Maybe I failed them; maybe they failed me, who knew for sure which it was. One thing was certain, it wasn’t where I needed to be anymore. As I drove, it was like a weight was lifted off my shoulders. I didn’t feel like I had to fit the mold that I forced myself to fit anymore. My father told me when I joined the police academy that the club would be there waiting when I was ready. I remember laughing at him, determined that my future was the police force. Instead of being pissed he hugged me, told me he loved me, and he understood I needed to find my way on my own.
Damn it, now I’d have to tell him he was right! I laughed out loud in the cab of my truck knowing he was going to enjoy saying he told me so. The closer I got to the clubhouse the more my nerves started taking over. What if I was making a mistake? No, without them I wouldn’t have my sisters back. It was that simple, they had my back when the men who were supposed to didn’t.
Rolling to a stop inside the compound several of the club members, who were outside chilling, glanced my way. My anxiety was kicking up just thinking about talking to Pops. I’ve known Pops practically my whole life, hell he was basically a second father to me and my sisters, but I was still nervous. He could laugh at me and tell me to get the hell out of his club, or he could open his arms and welcome me in. It was tough to say, but the only way I was getting an answer was to go inside and ask the question.
“Yo, Holly!” Matt yelled from his seat at a wooden picnic table waving his hand like a maniac smiling as I got out of my truck.
“You ain’t here to arrest us are you man?” I narrowed my eyes at him.
“First of all dude, stop calling me Holly. The twins are bad enough calling me that shit. Second, no I’m not here to arrest you. Why you done something you need arresting for? Wait, don’t answer that question, of course you have.” We both had secrets, but until I was patched in some of those secrets needed to remain secrets.Matt jumped up from the picnic table, kissing his girl Jesse on the cheek before intercepting me from going inside the club.
“Awe, come on Holly, don’t be like that. Come give me a hug man.” Before I could dodge out of his way, he had me in a bear hug. I swear he was trying to crush my ribs, or maybe just crack my back. Then I felt his hands shuffling around my body and I realized he was actually fucking frisking me.
“What the fuck man? When have I ever needed to be fucking frisked to get into the club before?” Alarm bells started going off in my head. If he was being cautious even with me something was going on.
“What’s going on? Is Bliss safe? What about Pops? My dad? For fuck’s sake Matt stop fucking grinning and tell me why the fuck you’re frisking me.” Matt just shook his head jutting his chin toward the clubhouse door.
“Go talk to Pops, he’ll fill you in on what you need to know. I’m just following orders, they don’t include you exactly, but I was told anyone wanting inside had to be checked. Sorry man, you know better than anyone, orders are orders.” He hadn’t answered a damn one of my fucking questions, fucking asshole.
