Page 33 of Pedal to the Metal
Chapter Twenty-Two
Raze
While the girlsare in the kitchen cooking for the BBQ, Saint and I are just chillin’ in the main room with some of the other brothers. I’m not really paying attention to what anyone is saying. Just letting my mind wander. I can’t help but think back to the days before the club.
My mom and I bounced around from place to place. It’s always just been my mom and I. My pops left before I was born. Mom worked two, sometimes three, jobs just for us to get by. I started working part-time as soon as I was old enough, but the jobs never lasted long. I was too hot-headed and ended up butting heads with the wrong people. I didn’t care about school, and I never had many friends. We moved around too often, switching schools every year.
When I was seventeen, we finally settled in a small town, Hawk Springs, just outside of Austin. That’s when I met Holly. She had blonde hair and dark brown eyes. She was the complete opposite of Minx. Holly was a complete girly-girl.
Holly and I quickly became inseparable. My mom was never too fond of her or how much time we spent together. After about a year of us being together, Holly got into some hard drugs. It was only here and there at first, but it didn’t take long for it to become an everyday need for her.
We started getting into fights about her drug use. Until one day, she just disa-fucking-peared. No one had heard from her or knew where she went. I searched everywhere for her, including surrounding towns. That’s how I met Trigger. He talked to me about the Savage Menaces and their brotherhood. He told me if I ever wanted to prospect for the club to give him a call and he’d put a good word in for me.
After searching for Holly for months, I finally gave up. I tried jumping back into my life but I could feel myself starting to slip into darkness. My heart had iced over and I shut my feelings off. I ended up calling Trigger and told him I was ready to prospect.
Now, four years later, joining the Savage Menaces was the best choice I’ve ever made. My mom doesn’t need to work anymore, but insists on keeping one job to stay sane. Hawk Springs is only twenty minutes away from the clubhouse, and I go see her every other Sunday.
Sometimes, she’ll come to our Sunday BBQ’s. Today is a day she would normally be here but she told me Friday that she had made other plans for this weekend. Since only working one job, she’s made friends and has been taking weekend girls trips. It’s been great for her.
Saint shoves my shoulder, shaking me out of my thoughts.
“You okay, brother?” he asks. “You look a little out there.”
“I’m good. Just got a lost in thought,” I tell him. He nods, a look of understanding crossing his face.
“You up for a game of pool?”
“Sure,” I respond, and we make our way to the tables. My mind starts to drift toward Minx. I wonder briefly what my mom would think of her. She’s so different from Holly. She makes me feel shit Holly never made me feel. And that shit scares me and makes me want more at the same time.
Saint and I are getting into our game and I’ve barely made any decent shots. My mind too preoccupied with thoughts of Minx. She and the girls should be finishing up in the kitchen soon. We finish a game and jump right into another.
“What’s got your mind all twisted up?” Saint asks on a laugh.
“Why do you think it’s all twisted up?
“You’re not usually this easy to beat,” he responds with a shrug. I flip him off.
“Too many things to list,” I tell him. I don’t feel like spilling my thoughts to him. I hear the kitchen door open as I’m lining up my next shot. I take my shot and when I look up, I only see Rivet and Lo sitting at the bar. I can’t help but wonder where my girl is.
“Sketch, Raze, my office,” Prez calls out. Saint gives me a look like he’s asking me what that’s about. I shrug my shoulders and head to Prez’s office. I follow Sketch in, and see Buster already there, sitting on the couch.
“What’s this about?” Sketch looks between Prez and Buster.
“Sit down, fellas. You’re gonna want to hear what Buster has to say,” Prez responds, sitting in his chair behind his desk. I take a seat on the couch with Buster while Sketch sits in one of the chairs in front of Prez’s desk.
“So, what’s up?” I ask Prez. He nods to Buster, giving him the go ahead.
“This really isn’t my story to tell, but I know Minx will put it off until it’s too late,” Buster begins. “She got an anonymous text message yesterday. It had a picture of her in front of the clubhouse and said, ‘you can run but you can’t hide.’”
I clench my fists, feeling anger starting to brew inside. Someone is threatening my girl.
“Who the fuck would be dumb enough to threaten her?” Sketch shouts. Clearly, he’s having a hard time controlling his anger.
“Her ex-boyfriend,” Buster grits out. “That’s really all I can say. Minx needs to be the one to tell you the rest.”
Prez picks up his phone, types out a message, and sets it back down. Sketch starts tapping his foot like he’s getting restless. A couple of minutes go by and the office door opens.
“Hey, Pops.” Minx freezes when she sees all of us in here.
