Page 35 of Total Carnage
Before I could grill him on the nuts and bolts of his little talent show, my phone buzzed against my thigh—a text from Jameson. Trust him to have timing like a grenade with a pulled pin. I swiped the screen, my eyebrows raising as I read his message about Bump and some other prospect named Toolie.
"Looks like you come with references," I said, tossing the phone onto the table, just shy of where Bump's hand had been. "Jameson vouches for you and mentions another recruit. Toolie ring any bells?"
"Sure does," Bump replied, the smirk returning. "He's a friend. Got his own set of surprises."
"Great," I said, the corner of my mouth tilting up in what might pass for a smile. "We're collecting a fucking circus."
"Sounds about right for a motorcycle club," Shivs chuckled, shaking his head. The rest of us couldn't help but join in the laughter, the tension easing slightly. But there was a new spark in the air now, curiosity and anticipation. Never a boring day as a biker.
"Guess we'll see what Toolie's got then," Moab said, glancing at me. And I knew we were all thinking the same thing—if this Toolie was half as interesting as Bump, we were in for one wild ride.
A bedroom door swung open with a creak that cut through the lingering laughter, and in walked Mama Celeste. Mama Céleste didn't just enter a room; she claimed it, her presence sweeping over us like a cold front. The air practically hummed with her enigmatic aura, eyes swiveling to her as if on bearings. Although we were a bunch of large, badass men, none of us filled a room the way she did.
"Evening, boys," she greeted us, each word measured and sure, not waiting for a response before taking a seat at the head of the table, our strategy map now beneath her bony fingers.
"Vin," she said, my name rolling off her tongue like a spell, "I'll be needing Raven."
"Raven?" I echoed, the request lobbing a grenade into the mix of supernatural weirdness and club politics. Didn't take a genius to figure this wasn't a social call.
"Oui," she affirmed, those amber eyes never leaving mine.
I nodded and jerked my thumb at Shivs, who was closest to the door. With a quick step, he went out to fetch her. Didn't take long—Raven had a way of moving silently and swiftly when she wanted to. She appeared in the doorway, her dark hair a stark contrast against the pale light spilling from the hall.
"Raven Stansfield, meet Mama Céleste," I introduced them, though I could tell by the tilt of Raven's head she already knew who the priestess was. "She's got something up her sleeve for you."
"Does she now?" Raven's voice was calm, but her eyes betrayed her curiosity as she stepped closer. We were all skirting new territory.
"Take a seat, child," Mama Céleste beckoned, the table suddenly feeling too small for the force of nature seated at it.
"Sure thing," Raven replied, sliding into a chair across from the priestess. We all watched, silent spectators to whatever gamewas about to unfold. But Raven? She was as cool as ice, even when facing down the unknown.
Mama Céleste's eyes flickered over us like pages in a book she was speed-reading, settling finally on Raven. "Child, the path you walk is knotted with the roots of fate," she began, her voice as soft and certain as the roll of distant thunder. “A serpent lies in wait beneath the magnolia, its venom poised to strike at the heart of the brotherhood."
"Sounds like a bad country song," Moab muttered, his meaty arms folded across his chest. He glanced toward the entrance. I assumed he was expecting his old lady to return—if that’s what she was to him.
"Or a damn fortune cookie," Canon added, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth.
We all laughed, but it was the kind that didn't quite reach the eyes. There was an edge to her words that scratched at your insides, a prickle of something not quite right. She was going to drop the mother of all bombs on us.
"Laugh while you can, mes fils," Mama Céleste intoned, unfazed. "But know this: when the river swells, it washes away both the sinner and the saint. The tide is coming, and it will not be denied."
"Great, now we got biblical floods to look forward to," Shivs snorted, shaking his head.
"Something like that," Mama Céleste agreed, her gaze never wavering.
There was a knock then, sharp and unexpected, that cut through the tension like a knife through smoke. We all jumped, none of us expecting company. I glanced at Mama Celeste, who gave Raven a subtle nod. Raven stood up to answer it, moving with that same silent grace that marked all her actions.
"Expecting anyone?" I called after her, half-joking.
"Only the pizza delivery guy," she shot back without looking, her hand already on the door handle.
But when she swung the door open, what stood there wasn't a pizza guy. It sure as hell wasn't human, either. A wolf, big and grey, with eyes that held more intelligence than you'd find in most people. It just stood there, staring at her, as if waiting for an invitation.
"Uhh, guys...you better come see this," Raven's voice had lost some of its usual cool, edged now with a mix of surprise and curiosity.
"Tell me that's one of them newfangled robot dogs," Moab said as he caught sight of the animal.
"Doesn't look like any tech I've seen," Canon replied, stepping closer.
