Chapter 2
Since my dad’s funeral, I had been at war with myself about taking over his position with the Dirty Strykers motorcycle club. No matter how much I ran from my past, motorcycle oil ran through my blood. I removed my helmet as I climbed off my bike to head into the club. The haze of cigar and weed smoke met me as I pushed through the doors. A few of the guys were lingering around, playing pool or having drinks at the bar. Most of them were at the club in anticipation of the monthly meeting.
For decades, the Dirty Strykers had been known for transporting narcotics and weapons under Amar’s watchful eye. The guys felt like that was the most lucrative way to bring in some extra income. They had been fairly lucky to fly under the radar, thanks to his connections.
I shared his connections but not his beliefs. I didn’t feel comfortable putting their freedom at risk unnecessarily. There was no reason for us to transport guns and drugs in and out of our own neighborhoods where we knew they would, in the long run, only be used to kill people who looked just like us.
After a whole fucking lot of push and pull between the sitting road captain Gino and me, I finally made some headway with getting the guys to see things my way. He felt like since he oversaw and conducted the logistics of the drops, he should be able to make decisions about how things went.
Amar had allowed him full autonomy over how the trafficking side of the business worked. That wasn’t going to work for me. For that reason, I felt the glare of his eyes on my back as I moved toward my office. He could look all he wanted to. He could even talk his little shit and make snide comments under his breath.
At the end of the day, he knew better than to touch or say too much in my presence. The shit he talked was primarily reserved for his group chats and side meetings. Everything always got back to me, but talk was just talk. Everyone knew they could get in line or be ready to face the consequences of stepping out of line. Just like everyone else, Gino knew well enough to step lightly.
Even though the Strykers had an enforcer when I came, I trusted my personal guy more than anyone in the world. Not saying that Amar didn’t have a solid team in place. Ruben was good at what he did, but I needed to have my own muscle close if these fools decided to stage a coup against Amar Senior’s prodigal son.
I had been making a lot of noise about the changes I wanted to make, and naturally, everybody wasn’t on board. It wasn’t up to them to decide who held the position, so I brought Lade in as my sergeant of arms. I didn’t demote Ruben, but he wasn’t my right hand. Someone appointed by Amar could never have my complete trust.
Once I accepted my position, I moved my brother AJ to the position of vice president where he belonged. Amar thought his namesake was weak because he lacked the killer instinct that he had instilled deep down in my core. It was the reason that my dad refused to leave the club to AJ.
He felt like as the youngest child, he had been coddled and turned into a pussy by our mom. I didn’t agree with my dad about AJ being weak. Putting up with Amar when he could have easily gotten the hell on like I did made him stronger than most. My mom’s nurturing side brought him the necessary balance that he needed to become a well-rounded individual. Having a heart made him perfect for the position as second in command.
AJ came out to me when we were teenagers. Finding out that my younger brother was gay didn’t come as a surprise to me, nor did it change our relationship in the least. If anything, it brought us closer. It felt good that he trusted me with something so personal. I loved AJ unconditionally, even if I didn’t fully understand some parts of his life.
Although he told me about his sexuality when he was fifteen, he waited to disclose it to our parents after he graduated from high school. In our father’s eyes, confirmation that AJ was gay further confirmed that he wasn’t fit to lead the Dirty Strykers. As a matter of fact, Amar wanted to ban him from the club altogether.
Fear that news of his son being gay would get out prevented our dad from making that decision. That didn’t mean that Amar didn’t make his life harder out of sheer unwarranted hate and disgust. It was yet another reason that I harbored such deep-seated hatred for my father. Even in his death, I found it hard to forgive him for his multitude of trespasses. Taking over the club was a start.
“What’s up, Maze?” AJ gave me a head nod as I passed the table where he was shooting pool with another member.
“Come holler at me before the meeting,” I said, motioning with my head for him to follow me.
I needed a quick debriefing on how things were going. Without missing a beat, he dropped his pool stick and fell in step with me. We didn’t speak until we were behind the closed doors of the office. I sat on the edge of the desk and turned to my brother to see what kind of update he had for me. I needed my plan to work in order for the guys to learn to trust me. There was a lot riding on this phase of my plan for transition.
“They all passed!” he declared with a huge grin.
“All six of them?” I asked, just to verify if his news was as good as it sounded.
“Yep. They are going to make their announcement in the meeting. Then we have six more that are going to sign up for the next session. Maze, man, you know if this goes according to plan, we can go legit by the end of the year.”
“I’m planning to go legit even sooner than that.”
To gain the guys’ trust, I had offered to put up my own money to send six of them to school to get their commercial truck driving license. AJ and I had already mapped out a plan to purchase four trucks to send the guys on the road in groups of two. I wanted to show them how to earn some real money the right way.
I used some of my connections at the university to get some agricultural contracts. The department head had even hooked me up with some contacts of people in the fishing trade in Florida and along the Georgia coast. I had some lucrative deals on the table. I just had to get my guys up and running in a timely manner.
Galvin’s conniving ass had a good idea when he decided to use truck drivers. He was just going about it the wrong way. I wanted to show the guys a better way. Better didn’t mean easier, which was the reason for the constant push back from long-standing members.
“I hear you, big bro. I’m glad you came back.” AJ’s mushy smile caused me to shake my head.
“I don’t know how I feel about it yet. You know there is always a method to my madness.”
“Don’t I know it.” He shook his head. “How is she doing anyway?”
“I don’t know. I’ve been keeping my distance and spending as much time as I can with Anthony while trying to avoid her. That shit is hard, bro. It’s taking my mind some time to catch up with what my heart already knows. If that makes sense.”
“It’s hard accepting that she’s still here.” He sympathized.
“Precisely.”
“I hope things work out for you, bro. You deserve it.”
“I’m trying to make things right for her first. I don’t want anything standing in the way when I bring her back into my life. Hell, I don’t even know if she still wants me at this point. I’m not the man I used to be, bro.”
“Mourning over your wife changed you. While you struggled to find your way, I feel like you have made the best out of a fucked-up situation. If you ask me, you’re a better man than you used to be.”
“That doesn’t change the facts, bro,” I noted.
“But the facts changed, Maze. She’s not dead.”
“You’re right. Everything changed. Now what?”
“Go get her. What are you afraid of?”
“I’m afraid that I’m too hardened to love her right. I’m afraid that I’ll fuck things up and still end up alone. I’m afraid that she doesn’t love me anymore, not like she used to.”
“The only thing you can do is try. You have gone through more pain and heartache than the average man, but you’re still standing. That counts for something, Maze. The fact that you’re fighting for her behind the scenes counts for something. She knows how much you love her. All you have to do is keep showing her.”
“I hear everything you’re saying. I swear I do. None of that will matter if Zach gets to her before I can rectify the situation, bro. You know that coldhearted bastard isn’t going to take his defeat lying down. I’m sure word of Galvin’s death has gotten back to him down in hell or wherever he’s residing right now. How long do you think it will be before he connects the dots back to me?”
“We don’t even know if he knows you’re alive yet.”
“We don’t need to know that. I don’t give a damn about him coming for me. I’m trying to protect my family. If he gets word that me and Wesley have reconnected, he’s going to go ballistic.”
“That’s why you have to get the drop on him.”
“That’s why I need the council to lift the truce. I can’t make a move on him without going against the council. For my family, I’ll lay it all on the table.”
“The council and all of the founders are going to be in the meeting today. Let them know the deal and the strides you’ve taken to make this club better. You might be able to sway them in your favor.”
“Just know that I want their support, but at the end of the day, I’m going to protect my family no matter what. Let the chips fall where they may.”
The meeting was called to order, and all the preliminary things were laid on the table. The secretary concluded, and the treasurer informed us on the financial status and goals for the quarter. We had a food and clothing drive scheduled for the upcoming quarter and had been taking donations for the community.
Typically, our club matched whatever financial contributions we were given and donated them to the local food bank. Club business seemed to be running smoothly, despite the resistance to my being here.
I didn’t say much during the meetings because, for one, I wasn’t a huge talker. I preferred action. Whatever needed to be said was said, but I didn’t offer more input than necessary.
“As you all know, we are moving away from weapons and into the agricultural arena. My brother and I have been leveraging deals that will put many of us in a new tax bracket. I’m excited about the changes that are coming our way,” AJ declared, before pausing for reactions to his statement. “On that note, we have six new commercially licensed truck drivers among us. As you all know, our club president, Amaze, funded the training for our guys this time. For the next batch, I want to submit a request to the treasurer for funding. I’ll have those forms to you by the end of the week.”
I watched the faces of the founders and council members as AJ spoke. They appeared to be pleased with the new direction of the club. I wanted to show my guys a new way of life. Like I said, everybody wasn’t on board.
I made a point not to look in Ruben’s direction because I already knew that if he screwed his face up in the least, I was probably going to have something to say. I was trying to stay in the good graces of the rest of the riders. I didn’t need 100 percent cooperation. I only needed the majority on my side.
“I know that there are a few people present who don’t think I deserve to sit in this seat. My decision to forge my own path was the cause of dissention between me and Amar. With that being said, he still knew I was a capable leader. As the founding member and president of this club, he groomed and appointed me as his replacement. Many of you may not want me here. Understand, in no uncertain terms, that I don’t give a damn if you like it or not. I’m here now. Whether you like it or not, you’re lucky that I’m here because the last thing in the world I want to do is run Amar’s business. I have a life that I made without his backing, but in honor of his wishes and my own agenda, I sit before you.” I made my statement before looking out at the sober faces of the crowd. There was shuffling and mumbling amongst themselves. I wasn’t surprised when no one spoke up.
“It’s no secret that the changes I wanted to make within the club were highly criticized. My plan for transition has been met with a lot of resistance. I grew up in this club. So, although I’ve been absent over the years, it’s near and dear to my heart. I want to give you guys and even your families options to go legit. We don’t have to live a life of crime just because it’s expected of us. Hell, I’m a prime example of that. I’m the almighty Amar’s oldest son, but I went to college and became a professor. I want this club to be one that sets the standard for the community, not the thing that tears it down. Since we’re so influential, we have the potential to be pillars of this community. Now, my primary reason for taking this position is because I want to break the truce with the Black Rider Gang.”
“Amaze, your father called that truce before your time. I respect your seat as president, but you have to understand that some things aren’t up for negotiation,” one of the founders spoke up.
“You’re right. My uncle Man was murdered when I was five years old. Months of bloodshed led to the leaders calling a truce. The truce with the brG has been in effect for the past thirty years, but I have on good authority that one of the founding members conspired in a plan to assassinate me and my wife. That move negated the truce. I don’t want permission to go after him. I am letting you all know that it’s what I’m going to do. I will avenge my wife. I need you all to back me, but understand that I’m moving forward with or without your support or approval.”
“How do you even know it was one of their founders?” someone asked.
“Amar left me the information when he died. As part of that truce, he and Zachariah agreed to never do business together unless it was mutually beneficial. They didn’t want their lineage intertwined due to the history of bad blood between them. Me marrying Zachariah’s daughter was a breach of that agreement.”
“So you want us to believe that your own daddy helped a founder of the brG to kill your wife?” Ruben asked.
“I do.” I confirmed. “They worked together.”
“So your daddy and her daddy tried to have y’all killed? That’s preposterous,” Rujo, who happened to be a club founder and Ruben’s daddy, tossed out.
“I’m not speculating. I’m telling you what I found in the documents that Amar left for me. You and him were close. Did you help him blow my house up?” I asked, tipping my head to the side to wait for his answer.
“You know I would never do no shit like that.”
“You wouldn’t think my dad would pull something like a double assassination attempt just to spite me, but unfortunately, he did.”
“What do you need from us?” Mike, the lead enforcer, spoke up.
“I need you to either stand down or support me as I take him out. Point blank. I have the checks and documents that my dad and Zach exchanged. I have the voided check from the hit. I’ve already come in contact with the people who carried out the attack. I just need to take care of the man who helped initiate the whole thing.”
“I don’t have any qualms about you taking action against him, as long as you have your facts straight, Amaze. I find it hard to believe that Amar would do such a thing to his own son, knowing that he was grooming you to take over,” Rujo stated.
“It has been a hard pill to swallow for me as well. I didn’t run right in here with this information. I’ve been conducting an investigation for the past few months. You wouldn’t believe the secrets and lies that I’ve uncovered just looking for the whole truth. I’m not opposed to sharing my findings with you all, but I also have a few things that I need to keep close to my chest for personal reasons. I think I have more than enough information to prove my case.”
“Give us time to speak among ourselves, Amaze. It shouldn’t take us long to come to a decision,” another founder requested.
“Let us see that information you have,” Rujo added.
They could take all the time they needed. My mind was already made up. I just needed to know if I was going to have to duck shots coming from both directions or just the opposition. I wasn’t concerned about my own safety. The only thing I needed to do was remove the direct threat to Wesley and Anthony. They were my number one concern.