Page 28 of Otto: The Hawthornes

“What shit?” I asked, climbing off the bike.

“Not sure yet.”

We walked side by side into the clubhouse. It was pretty full of members loitering around, but there were a few missing which meant the big guns were closed up behind the bar talking about shit I wasn’t allowed to hear.

“You know what this is all about?” I asked Micky quietly as we headed toward Rumi.

“Somethin’ about a shipment that never made it,” he replied just as quietly. “I was standin’ next to Dad when he got the call.”

“That’s not good.”

“Understatement,” Micky muttered as we reached Rumi. “You heard anythin’?”

“Not a peep,” Rumi said easily, leaning back in his chair. “I’m sure they’ll be done jerkin’ each other off soon and then the rest of us will get a tug.”

“Jesus Christ,” I mumbled, glancing around to make sure no one else had heard him. I knew he was joking, but saying shit like that could andwouldget his ass handed to him.

“Stop bein’ an idiot,” Micky said, grabbing a chair for himself.

“Doesanyoneknow what happened?” I asked, glancing between my brothers.

Micky just looked at me.

“That’s what we’re waitin’ to find out, Tiny Tim,” Rumi said, grinning at me.

“You’re such an asshole.”

“You know as much as we do,” Micky said, shooting Rumi a glare. “When they figure shit out, they’ll let us know.”

I looked over at the closed door, wondering what they were talking about in there. How had a shipment gone missing? Our trucks were usually driven by a younger member or sometimes a prospect—I’d had my turn at it a few weeks before—because most of us didn’t have records yet, with two veteran outriders for protection. Had anyone been hurt?

Who were the outriders that morning? I couldn’t remember and I hadn’t seen them at the club that morning because I was so fucking late. I grimaced. What a perfect fucking day to be chasing after some girl.

Micky and Rumi made small talk while we waited and our cousin Brody came and sat with us, but I was distracted. I was worried about what was happening around me and who had gone on the run that morning, but thoughts of Esther kept creeping back in.

How would I ever make sure she was alright if I couldn’t even ask about her? I couldn’t keep going to the garden center and I honestly didn’t even want to.

There wasn’t a single excuse I could use to stop by her house. I didn’t know where she shopped or hung out. It felt like I’d run head first into a brick wall. I thought about her cousin andimmediately rejected any idea of asking for her help. That girl was all drama.

“Heads up,” Rumi murmured, jerking his head toward the bar as he let his chair tip forward onto four legs again.

I watched the group file out of church. It was impossible to read their expressions.

My grandpa put his fingers in his mouth and whistled loudly, making the entire room fall silent.

“At about nine thirty this mornin’,” our president Dragon announced, not bothering to raise his voice. “Coupla vans ran Mack and Leo off the road.”

“What the fuck,” Micky breathed.

“Both of ’em are fine,” Dragon said, raising his hand to quiet the chatter that had started up at his news. “Homer was drivin’. They got him stopped somehow and beat the holy hell outta him.”

“At least they didn’t kill him,” Rumi said quietly.

“At least they didn’t kill him,” my dad said loudly from his place near the bar.

I was sure it was what we were all thinking, but it was pretty telling that my dad and Rumi had said the exact same thing. Two fucking peas in a pod.

“Casper’s already left to pick up the boys and get ’em back here,” Dragon continued. “But Homer’s gonna be a while, so Brenna’s gonna work out shifts for who’s at the hospital. Moose, Hulk, and the girls are headed up there now. Therewillbe at least one member at the hospital with Homer until he’s released.”

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