Chapter 6
CHAPTER SIX
GHOST
I’ll admit it felt good to ride, all of us together like this. Things had been quiet. Not that I was complaining, but there is just something about riding with my brothers to seek vengeance that just gets the adrenaline pumping and my dark heart filling with pride.
As the sun begins to set on the town, we turn onto the main high street.
Even now, years later, the people of this town stop what they are doing to watch us ride by; some in awe, some looking upon us in lust, and others in fear.
It’s a powerful feeling. Coming to a stop outside the Baskins tyre shop, the rumbling sound echoing around us announces our arrival.
I kill the engine and get off my bike, striding towards the workshop.
Normally the Baskins would be in the shop, and I would have had to get off my bike to greet them, but as I step closer, they are nowhere to be seen.
I don’t need to tell my brothers to be on alert.
They are already at my back as we approach.
“We don’t want no trouble!” old man Baskin yells from the small office at the back.
He walks out, shuffling and limping on his right leg, holding his hands up in surrender.
I don’t need to look to know that Hawk, Beast, and Scar have their guns aimed at him.
Spider stands at my side, next to Rage with his favourite blade in his hand.
Cash and Hap appear behind the old man, caging him in with no escape.
“We ain’t got any beef with you, old man,” I warn.
He eyes me, his blue eyes gazing at me through his bushy grey eyebrows as he scratches his thick beard.
“Fuck, man, this dude looks a little like hillbilly Santa,” Hawk murmurs behind me.
Beast snorts. “Fucking hell, brother, don’t make me laugh now.”
I clear my throat, shutting them both up. “We just came here for our stuff that was stolen. We get it back; I promise no one will die,” I state.
“I think you are mistaken. No one from my family steals,” he states firmly, and I can see he truly believes it, but the old man must be blind to his sons’ actions because it’s what they are known for in this town.
“I regret to inform you we have them on camera stealing from our garage. Now, if we could just get our things, we won’t have to escalate things further,” I state calmly.
The old man sighs. “Morons.” He sighs. “What did they steal?” he asks.
“Bike parts, tools, and all our kids’ presents,” Spider states.
“They stole children’s presents?” he asks, stunned.
“Yeah, and my ol’ lady wants blood,” I state.
He nods. “Let me call them.” He turns, and Hap and Acid step aside and let him shuffle to the office before following him, making sure he doesn’t try anything funny.
“Reckon the old man is telling the truth?” Spider mutters quietly beside me.
“Yeah, I don’t think he stands for shit like that. If it was just the parts, he probably would have lied to us and defended them,” I state quietly.
A few moments later, the old man comes out again. “They are on their way.” He nods as he walks over to the armchair in the corner. He takes a seat, looking at each of us. “You got a lot of kids?” he asks.
“We ain’t going to talk to you about our kids, old man,” Beast mutters, still keeping his gun aimed.
The old man grunts. “Smart.”
We hear tyres screeching from behind us, and as we turn around, we see the Baskin Brothers jump out of their shiny truck with ostentatious wheels, both wearing matching tracksuits and gold chains.
“Fucking hell, we got to deal with the tacky twins?” Hawk coughs a laugh.
They stand in front of us, folding their arms and glaring at us like we should be afraid of them. I fight back my laughter. Fucking jokers.
“You okay, Pop?” the one with a gold tooth asks.
“You took something of ours, and we came to get it back,” Spider states.
One of them, who is chewing tobacco, spits on the ground, and the brown drool runs down his chin. I curl my lip in disgust. He wipes it away with the back of his hand. “We ain’t taken anything.”
“Look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way,” Hap states as he and Acid walk up behind them.
“How in the hell?!” the old guy exclaims as he looks behind where he was and back to Hap and Acid.
I smirk. They move like shadows, appearing out of nowhere.
“We ain’t got to do shit when we ain’t taken anything that ain’t ours,” the one with the gold tooth argues.
I pinch the bridge of my nose and sigh with exasperation.
As I step forward, their gazes come to me.
“You were on fucking camera stealing from my club. Your truck plates were visible, and so were those fucking ridiculous boots,” I seethe.
“Now, let’s not play dumb. You know exactly who we are and what we are capable of doing.
I’m pretty sure you’ve heard of our brother Rage alone,” I state, pointing to Rage.
He bares his teeth in a snarl, like a damn rabid dog.
The Baskin Brothers have the decency to look scared when I mention Rage.
“You stole our bike parts, our tools, and our children’s fucking Christmas presents,” I say as I step closer to them.
“You can deny all you want, but we have ways of making people talk. You will return our stuff, and as it is the season of good will, we won’t fucking kill you,” I offer, now standing toe to toe with the one with a gold tooth.
“We ain’t got anything,” he drawls, grinning.
“Teddy,” the other one says in warning.
Teddy whips his head to his brother. “You need to shut your damn mouth. I am the eldest, so I am in charge, Georgie.”
“Yeah, well, you may be older, but you ain’t smarter,” his brother scoffs.
“I will fucking end you,” Teddy threatens.
“Enough!” I bark, making them both shut up. “I ain’t here to sort your family shit out. I am here for what belongs to me and my brothers. Now hand it over, or you will force us to get creative, and I really don’t want to because this is a new shirt,” I state, gesturing to my white T-shirt.
The younger one, Georgie, sighs and rubs his face. “Out the back, in the locked-up shed.”
Teddy whirls around on his brother. “You fucking moron!”
“I ain’t getting fucking killed and put in jars because you thought it would be a good idea to steal from the fucking Black Hearts. I warned you they would come for us, and I warned you they would kill us. But no, you thought you could outsmart them. You’re the fucking moron!” Georgie snaps.
I don’t have to order the brothers to go take a look. Beast and Hawk both walk over and shoot the lock off. I don’t even turn around to look. Instead, I keep my gaze on the twat brother Teddy.
“Looks like it’s all here,” Beast yells over his shoulder.
“I’m going to kill you, Georgie,” Teddy hisses.
“No, you won’t, because you ain’t going to be able to walk, talk, or eat solids by the time we are through with you,” I state, clicking my fingers and watching as Rage steps forward. I look over to the old man. “I mean no disrespect.”
He gives me a nod. “Boy needs to learn a lesson.” He nods.
I nod back. “He got health insurance?” The old man nods yes in answer. “Rage, Spider, and Scar, take him around the back,” I order.
They all nod and drag a kicking and screaming Teddy around the back of the building. His screams are soon silenced. I look to his brother, Georgie, moving closer into his personal space. His eyes widen.
“You stole from my kids,” I state quietly.
“Yeah, but I didn’t want to. He wouldn’t listen,” Georgie protests, his eyes flickering to each of us.
“You didn’t try hard enough, Georgie.” I tut and shake my head.
“I, I... Fuck, please, man. I won’t tell anyone that you went easy on me,” he begs.
I shake my head. “I can’t do that. You stole from my club, from our children... My children. Tell me, would you let me go if it was the other way around?” I ask.
He swallows nervously. “I, er, I...” he stutters.
“God damn it, boy, you take the beating like a fucking man,” the old man yells at him. Georgie sighs and nods.
I grab his jaw. “Good lad,” I praise, patting his cheek.
“Spider, do me a favour. Nothing that will leave scars,” I order.
Spider nods and swings his fist back and slams it into Georgie’s face so hard he collapses to the floor.
“Teach him a lesson, but reward him for making it right in the end,” I murmur quietly as I walk past to sit on my bike and wait for the brothers to be done.