I stepped forward two steps. Killer Kidd did the same.
Then the buzzer went off.
“Fight!”
I hurried forward and punched Killer Kidd in the stomach. He hunched over. I grabbed him by the hair and looked down at him. His eyes were weak. He was tired. He looked ready to cry. At that point he just wanted me to knock him out.
I brought my fist back and gritted my teeth.
From the corner of my eye I saw someone step onto the cinderblocks. Then the entire crowd started to move and scream. They weren’t cheering now. They were screaming with fear.
A man all in black took out a gun. He turned his head and I saw some kind of tattoo on his neck. My eyes picked up on it and then picked up on the gun. It was pointed at the back of Aldo’s son, Endo.
“Fuck!” I screamed. “Endo!”
I let Killer Kidd go and started to move.
But the gun went off.
The explosion had everyone in a panic.
Endo disappeared, falling to the ground.
The guy in black turned and made a dash for it. He masterfully made his way into the crowd. My eyes followed him. I stepped forward ready to track the fucker down and get him.
That’s when a fist hit me right in the nose.
I felt a crunching explosion from inside my face. I gasped and had no air. Blood sprayed everywhere as my head snapped back so hard I swore the back of my head hit the middle of my back.
I fell back and tried to set my feet, but another fist hit me. Then another, and another. Each one harder than the previous.
Killer Kidd attacked me with right after fucking right.
All I could think about was the gunman. About Endo getting shot. About what it meant for Aldo.
My eyes were watery and I blinked fast. I turned my head, needing to get this fight back in my favor. That’s when I saw Killer Kidd in the air. Jumping with his fist flying at me. He cracked me in the jaw and I spun around.
I saw Aldo and that was it.
I didn’t even see the ground before I hit it.
And when I hit the ground, I was out. Done. Finished.
I’d lost a fucking fight.
Which was impossible… because if you lost a fight and you were one of Aldo’s guys, the punishment was simple - you were killed.
4.
(Winter)
I wore all black. I had black mascara on, a light shade of red lipstick, and big, black sunglasses. I rode in a hearse, Harlan driving, Rocky’s body in the back in the casket. The escort consisted of almost a hundred motorcycles. Guys in front of the hearse, behind the hearse, and on each side of the hearse. We took up both lanes of the road and nobody dared to honk a horn or try and stop the procession.
The cemetery was up on a small hill.
The ride took thirty minutes from the clubhouse.
Once we were there, four prospects were given the orders to carry the casket to the grave.
Stoney stood there with his hands in front of him. Black sunglasses on his face, a stray tear rolling down his cheek. He swallowed hard and let everyone get set up. The patched in members of the local charter were allowed off their motorcycles. The guys who rode in from other towns stayed on their rides.
The table members were allowed to stand on one side of the casket.
There was even a priest, the only one dressed in white, standing at the head of the casket, hands out, looking around.
It freaked me out to wonder if the MC had their hands in the church too.
“There’s not much to say,” the priest began, “as we begin the journey of goodbye deep within ourselves. We pay our last respects to Rocky standing - and sitting - together. The only family he knew. While we understand that death is the end of this life, it doesn’t mean it’s all the end.” The priest put his bible down behind him. “I could read for hours, quote scripture, sing a song even. But I know how Rocky would really want this. A few kind words from his best friend and then everyone celebrate his honor by surviving.”
The priest blessed himself. He stepped forward and blessed the casket. Bowing his head, his muttered something in a different language. He touched the casket, nodded, and stepped back.
Stoney took his sunglasses off. He blinked and swallowed again. “We can say a lot about Rocky. He was a miserable son of a bitch, wasn’t he?”
Everyone chuckled.
“Yeah, it’s okay to say that now. He can’t light us up now.”
A couple guys clapped.
“Bullshit aside, Rocky was one of our brothers. He stood beside me as VP of this MC, but also as my best friend. He’s taking secrets to the grave that nobody else here will ever know. That’s true friendship. That’s real brotherhood.” Stoney touched his leather cut. “That’s why we wear the cut. And we know what’s going to happen next. We say goodbye to Rocky but we don’t forget. Our memories won’t let him slip, and the reason why we’re here won’t ever slip.”
That was a pretty clear call for revenge, which was common. If you shot at the MC, they shot back. And whoever killed Rocky…
Just as long as they didn’t get to me first.