“Just watch, brother,” Blaine said.
He got a big smile on his face and his eyes went wide. Trev only ever saw Blaine get that happy when he held his baby, was with Jessa, or when he killed someone.
Ethan hit the trunk with his hand.
“Everyone load up,” Miller said. “Get ready to ride right by him. Trev, you know what to do when he follows us.”
“Yup,” Trev said.
Miller, Blaine, and Gaige got on their motorcycles.
Ethan grabbed the trunk and it popped open.
It was supposed to empty.
Balloons started to float from the trunk; all kinds of shapes and colors, rising up, floating into the air.
That’s when Miller started his motorcycle.
Gaige and Blaine followed.
“Fucking balloons!” Blaine yelled and laughed.
They got back onto the road and let their engines roar as they sped up to drive by Ethan.
Trev had no idea how the hell Blaine got so many balloons and got them jammed into the trunk like he did.
Trev laughed as Ethan grabbed the folder and got into his SUV. He flew out into the road to pursue Miller, Gaige, and Blaine. Not that he had anything on them. They were just three outlaws on the road, enjoying their freedom.
Once they were out of sight, Trev went to the trunk of the car.
He opened it and looked down at the man they captured. The man that owed the MC some serious cash. He had a gag in his mouth and shook his head, pleading, tears pouring from his eyes.
Some guys were nice enough to get last words or get a chance to shut their eyes and prepare. Trev didn’t give a fuck about any of that. Freedom wasn’t free and the outlaw life wasn’t about booze and *.
Trev took out his gun, pulled the trigger twice, and then shut it.
“No more pounding on the ride home,” he said and got into the driver’s seat.
Trev hated driving a car. It was like being in a coffin with wheels.
Being contained in any way, shape, or form was not an option.
Trev looked in the rearview mirror at the backseat. “Well, my friend, I’ve got to go dump you off… and then I’m hungry.”
__
two.
Trev patted the headstone. “Thanks for the seat, Ashburne family.”
He sat down and stared forward at the headstone in front of him. The Ashburne family he didn’t know. Husband, wife, death separating them by five years. They had a smooth stone, which made it comfortable to sit on or lean against.
In front of Trev was Griffin’s headstone.
A goddamn bullet took his life. A bullet meant for Miller, sending off a course of revenge that ended with Miller killing Griffin’s killer. Miller got way more than that in the end of it all, but none of it was Trev’s business.
Not many guys knew that Griffin had given up his leather cut for a couple years. That was a long time ago, when the previous Back Down Devil MC President had the club on a death sentence. It was when Miller had to stand up, take charge, command the patch and fix the club. Hell, it was the reason why Trev gave up all his patches and moved on to the road. He was better off there.
Until Miller called for him to come down.
Then Griffin took a bullet, a seat opened, and the opportunity was worth exploring.
“I goddamn miss you,” Trev said. “I don’t know what comes after all this shit, but in case you aren’t watching, the club is moving forward. We’ve got most of our enemies under control. The new chief is up our ass, sniffing, but he won’t get anything on us. He knows half the department works with us and he knows those cops won’t turn on us. We do too much for them. Hell, maybe Ethan will ease a little in the future and end up on the same course as us. Then again, if he’s like Jerry, he’ll go on a rampage.”
Trev swallowed the lump in his throat.
He looked around the cemetery. The place was pretty damn peaceful. Rolling green hills, perfectly placed trees. Shit, take away the notion of bodies and bones being buried under his feet and it was a damn nice place to be.
Well, a nice place to visit.
Trev wasn’t ready for the grave just yet.
Trev reached into his leather cut and took out a flask. He twisted off the cap and threw it back, taking a drink.