Page 1 of Finish Line
Chapter One
Bull
Today is the day. The day I lay two of my closest brothers to rest. You’d think after losing my wife and two of my sons, this would be easier. Fuck no. It gets more difficult with each loss. I’ve been on autopilot the past two weeks, doing what I had to do to get shit done. I haven’t slept worth a damn since the goddamn cartel attacked us on the day Rascal and Marley got married. And in our own territory, nonetheless. We’ve put off plans of revenge to focus on repairing damage to the clubhouse and to plan Thor and Trigger’s funeral.
I’ve been sitting in my office for the past two hours, staring at a picture of me, Ranger, Gunner, Thor, Trigger, and Ratchet. It was taken about a year and a half after we started the Savage Menaces. Life was so simple then. I grab a bottle of whiskey out of my desk drawer, taking a long swig. The burn of the whiskey is the only thing I haven’t been numb to.
Knock, knock.
“Come in,” I mutter, not taking my eyes off the photo.
“Hey, Pops. Everyone is outside, ready to go,” Minx, my daughter, says softly. She and her ol’ man Raze have been going above and beyond to help take care of the brothers and the clubhouse. None of my biological sons will ever be able to step up and be Prez of the Savage Menaces, seeing how two of them are dead and the other is in jail for the rest of his life. But I could see Raze as Prez one day. With Minx by his side, he’d be one hell of a Prez.
I look at her, finally making eye contact. “Thanks, sweetheart. I’ll be right out.”
She sits in one of the chairs in front of my desk. “We haven’t talked in a few days. How are you doing?”
“I’m fine, don’t you worry about me.” It’s a damn lie. I haven’t been fine at all, but I don’t need her worrying about me. “I’ll be out in a minute, darlin’.”
“Okay, Pops.” She pauses before backing out of the office. “You know I love you?”
“I love you too, sweetheart.”
She closes the door behind herself. My sweet daughter has always been a natural caretaker for those she’s close with. I set the picture back on my desk with one last glance. I stand from my desk and force my feet to move toward the door. I pause with my hand on the handle and take one final deep breath before heading out to the main room. I know I’m about to be bombarded by everyone.
The main room is eerily quiet. Everyone must have moved outside already. I take it one step at a time. My heart aches more with every step I take.
“Hey, Bull,” a soft voice says from behind me. I turn to find Mindy coming out of the kitchen. Mindy is Tink’s mom. Turns out the one-night stand she and Ratchet had ended with more than just a couple orgasms. Everyone, including Ratchet and Tink, just found out the two of them were related about a week ago. “Would it be okay if I stayed back to help the cut bunnies get the clubhouse ready for after the funeral?”
“Yeah, that’s fine,” I tell her. She gives me a small smile and disappears back into the kitchen. Mindy has been pretty damn helpful around here since she showed up. It could be because her daughter is pregnant with twins. Who knows? All I know is she has kept the clubhouse a drama-free zone and has left Ratchet alone. He and Tink have been spending more time together so they can get to know each other as father and daughter. It’s been good for him.
Once I’m outside, I take a look at everyone. They’re all in little groups, talking with one another. Gemma is surrounded by people and has a smile on her face. I wish I could say that eased the aching of my heart, but it doesn’t. I’m dead on the inside.
“Hey, man.” Reaper, one of our Nomads, slaps me on the shoulder. Ranger, my VP, and another close friend of mine is by his side. “You ready to roll out?”
“That’s a rhetorical question.” I sigh. “Let’s get this over with.”
“Let’s load up!” Ranger shouts. Everyone quickly disburses to their designated vehicles. Raze, one of the younger brothers, and the one who claimed my daughter, locks eyes with me. I give him a quick nod to let him know I’m alright. That’s all it takes to get people off my back. He climbs on his bike and Minx gets on the back. I wasn’t sure I wanted her in this lifestyle for life, but Raze loves her the way I’d loved her mother. I know he’ll always take care of her.
“Gemma.” I rest my hand on her arm. “Do you still wanna ride?”
She nods her head. “Yeah, I’d like that.”
The two of us walk toward my bike. I climb on, getting situated before I give Gemma the go-ahead. I steady the bike as she hops on then I start it up, taking in the growl of the engine. I pull a folded, deep red bandana out of the pocket of my cut and tie it around my forehead. All of the patched brothers and nomads have done the same.
Kicking up the kick stand, I pull my bike toward the front gate and start our formation. Gunner and Ratchet are the first ones behind us. They’re both riding custom bikes that were built for carrying coffins. It’s a big honor to escort a fallen brother on his final ride. I know this isn’t gonna be easy for them, but they wouldn’t have let anyone else do it.
Once everyone is ready, our prospect, Smalls, opens the gate and we roll out. It’s a thirty-minute ride to their final resting place. We’d wanted to make sure to give them a final ride to enjoy. We start out riding through our small town, then mostly backroads and take in the beautiful countryside. These are the same backroads the six of us used to ride weekly when we first started the Savage Menaces. Today, there’s not a cloud in sight. The green of the trees and grass seem more vivid than usual. None of this feels the least bit real.
All too soon, we’re pulling up to the gravesite—Gemma tenses behind me. I reach back and give her leg a reassuring squeeze, reminding her that she isn’t alone. I cut the engine and kick the stand down.
“Take your time. You ain’t gotta get off until you’re ready,” I tell Gemma. Knowing her, she’s putting up a strong front. Not saying she isn’t strong, because she’s one of the strongest women I’ve ever met. I’ve rarely seen the woman falter. It’s as if she was built for this life. Cami had been the same way before she passed. Minx is a lot like her mother that way and having a role model like Gemma growing up was the icing on the cake. I hate that she’s had so much death in her life. Being Raze’s Ol’ Lady, it, unfortunately, won’t stop here.
After a few minutes, Gemma shuffles side to side before climbing off the bike. She grabs my shoulder, pausing as she steadies herself. Her hand falls from my shoulder, but she stands there, as still as a statue. I climb off my bike and stand by her side. We stay there and watch as the brothers carry Trigger to his site first. At the sight of them with Thor, Gemma’s knees buckle. I catch her before she falls to the ground. Standing her up, I hold her, so she’s leaning her small frame against me and together, we walk toward his gravesite.
There are a handful of chairs in front of both caskets. I sit Gemma down in front of Thor’s, then stand off to her left. All the brothers are standing around the caskets, leaving the chairs for the women. It’s the respectful thing to do.
Once everyone has arrived at the site, the service begins. Neither Thor nor Trigger were religious, so Reaper, one of our nomads, had volunteered to do the eulogies and say anything else we wanted to be said.
