Chapter 10
CHAPTER TEN
RYAN
NOW
S ince the beginning of the Vipers, we have always had one rule: every decision is a group decision. No member, not even the President, can make a decision without the whole club discussing it and voting. And if the President is outnumbered, well then, tough shit.
“This is going to make us all a whole lot of money, boys.” I looked at my dad who was sitting at the head of our clubhouse table as he spoke to the group of men in front of him. We always kept the same seats during our meetings: Dad being President sat at the head whilst his right-hand man, Cruz, sat on one side and I sat on the other. We have had stable and legal work for the last few years which has kept a steady flow of money coming into this club. As my dad was getting older, it was starting to get to the point where he was needing to start thinking about stepping down as President. He wasn’t thinking smart anymore and all of his decisions weren’t thought through and we were all starting to notice it.
“We don’t do drugs,” I said simply as I pulled a cigarette out of the packet in front of me and lit it before taking a deep inhale.
“It’s a one time run. After this one and only job, we will all be set up for months. You need to think of the bigger picture here, Ryan.” Dad leaned forward, his elbows resting on the table. He crossed his hands together as he looked straight at me, hoping I would back him on this.
“We don’t do drugs.” I stayed leaning against the back of my chair as I stretched my arm forward to flick the ash into the ashtray in front of me.
“You’re not in charge here, Ryan, remember that.” I could see my dad clenching his jaw as sent me an angry look. I had seen his dangerous side numerous times over my life and sometimes it had been directed at me, but I’d never been scared of him.
“Not yet, I’m not.” I leaned forward and pushed the butt of my cigarette into the ashtray and looked down the end of the table at the other Viper members.
“Group vote. Who wants to move weight and become drug traffickers?”
As expected, the majority of the Vipers said, “nay.” Cruz, Becker and my dad were the only three who were voting for the job. We moved on and discussed a few more club details before we all began to leave the meeting room.
I felt a strong hand on my shoulder as I stood in the doorway and I knew it would be my dad. He wouldn’t be happy I went against him in front of everyone. Haz looked back towards me and raised an eyebrow to ask if I wanted him to stick around, but I shook my head. Haz understood our silent conversation and walked out of the room, closing the large wooden door behind him. Leaving just my dad and I in the room. When the second the door closed, he raised both hands and pushed me hard against my shoulders. I was stronger than my dad, but I wasn’t expecting his movement which made me hit the wall behind me.
“What the hell was that about?” he yelled right in my face as he stood in front of me. We were the same height so our eyes locked onto each other.
“I could ask you the same thing. You started the Vipers, which means you have been here from the start. At what point did you think now is the right time to start drug trafficking?”
“I need the money, son. We both know my time as President of this club is almost done and I want to make as much money as I can before that time comes.”
In the back of my mind, I had always wondered if I would take on the President role when he stepped down. It would either be me or Cruz; the club would have to take the final vote and I wanted it, I wanted that role.
“You’re right, Dad. Your time is done, but this club doesn’t do drugs. What you do in your own time is your decision, but you will not be doing anything to do with drugs whilst you’re wearing that cut.” I picked up the edge of his leather cut that sat on his shoulder.
“Or if you do, you will have the same punishment as any other member who goes against the club vote.”
I pushed past him, hitting my shoulder against him as I went to open the door.
“Nice chat, Pres.” I smirked as I walked out the door. Some members called Dad ‘Pres’ short for President, but it wasn’t a nickname I used often.
Haz watched as I left the room and he followed me through the clubhouse and out the main doors leading into the car park. He stood against the wall to give me some space and he watched me kick the metal fence in anger, over and over.
“What’s going on, Ry?” He waited until I stopped my outburst before handing me a beer, and we both sat at the metal table. Haz sat on the table with his feet on the bench whilst I sat with one leg on each side.
“I don’t know what’s going on with him, Haz. He’s losing it. I don’t understand why he would even raise the question of drugs. He says he needs the money but we’ve never done drugs, it’s not our thing and he knows that. He’s the one who made the rule in the first place.”
Haz had been in the Vipers pretty much as long as I had. We were best friends because we both grew up here together and we had the same values and the same opinions on right and wrong. As a club, we weren’t always right and we probably did plenty of shit that would get us arrested, but we drew the line at trafficking, always did and always would.
“Dare I ask how things are going with Lexi? Have you seen her again since the funeral?” Haz asked as he took a sip of his beer.
“Only once. I went over to her dad’s place and started to help clean out the garage. I don’t know how to act around her though. I’m still so angry with her for leaving.”
“Of course you are. Let’s not forget who had to pick your drunk ass up off the floor every day after she left. I didn’t see you sober once for about two months. Look, I love Lexi. She will always be like a sister, but even I hate how she left, Ry.” He stood and threw his empty bottle in the bin next to us and looked over at our bikes that were lined up against the fence.
“Race you to Cove Point?” Haz wiggled his eyebrows and knew I would never back down from a race. We both ran to our bikes and slid our helmets on and took off out the driveway and raced up the roads that led us to Cove Point lookout.
Cove Point sat at the top of the Haven Cove cliff’s and provided the perfect view of the whole town. Lexi always used to say it felt like you were on top of the world and the memories flooded back as I looked at our small town beneath us.