1. Take A Shot With Me
TAKE A SHOT WITH ME
KASH
Landing in Texas had been a huge adjustment from Magnolia Valley. After the fallout at the gravesite, I really didn’t know where I would lay my head. My only goal was to hop on my bike and leave the Valley behind.
Gang of Roses stayed on the move, with each one of us having our own safehouse.
It was a rule we made when we started making bread.
I ended up in the opposite direction of mine, which was in the Carolinas.
Going to the clubhouse in the Valley was off the table since neither one could stand the other at the time.
If I knew my best friend well enough, nine times out of ten, that was where Dice went to be alone.
One thing about the gang, we all knew to back up during a heated argument. However, this wasn’t no ordinary argument; this shit was different. This time, we all needed to grieve… alone. We lost a sister. One that created a different bond with each of us.
How the hell is the person that started this shit the reason we fell out?
Her being six feet under and not on top created more damage and hurt than any of us ever felt before.
Rose wouldn’t have wanted none of that shit, though.
That’s why I had to make my bitches remember the club law we created before peeling out.
We don’t leave sisters.
Not on the road. Not in prison.
Not in the ground.
Pulling in the local bar near the Airbnb I was tucked away at, I saw a lot of bikes in the parking lot. I really wasn’t in the mood for a crowd, but I liked the vibe here. Climbing off my bike, I walked into the usually laid-back establishment, but it was far from it tonight.
“What the hell? Who all these damn people?” I muttered under my breath. Walking over to the bar, I was glad to see a familiar face.
“Wassup, Kash?” Meekie, the bubbly-ass bartender asked.
She was cool, just too damn happy all the time, or maybe I was just too damn depressed. These days, I really couldn’t tell.
“Hi, boo. What’s going on in here tonight?”
“Bike rally. They do one every year around this time. Folks come from all over Texas and a few surrounding states.” Meekie grabbed a glass from underneath the bar. “You want your usual?”
“Please and make that bitch strong.”
“I got you.”
I turned around and leaned my back against the bar, taking in the crowd. Leather cuts, loud mouths, and enough testosterone floating around the bitch to choke on. Now all the bikes outside made sense.
“Here you go.”
Turning back around, I grabbed my drink and took a sip.
“Damn.”
The voice came from beside me.
Hell, when did his ass come up?
I ignored it because I really wasn’t in the mood for entertainment. One man held my attention, and he damn sure wasn’t this negro beside me.
He continued. “Nah, for real. You fine as hell.”
I took another sip of my drink and zoned him out. It was clear I didn’t want to be bothered.
A large hand landed on the bar, making me give him my full attention because what was his angle?
The nigga attached to it was tall, broad, and wearing a grin that told me women probably entertained his shit more than they should’ve. He wasn’t that bad-looking, so he probably wasn’t used to rejection.
Welp! There’s a first time for everything.
“You hear me talking to you?”
Rolling my eyes, the irritancy he caused was overbearing.
I sighed deeply before saying, “I did.”
His grin widened. He had a nice set of teeth; I had to give him that. “So, what’s your name?”
“Not interested,” I responded quickly.
“Damn, I ain’t ask you allat.”
“And I saved us both some time.”
Meekie snorted behind the bar before quickly finding something else to do.
The grin he was once sporting dropped.
I lifted my glass to my plump lips and took another sip, thinking that was the end of this lil’ convo. I was wrong because this nigga got stupid.
“Bitch, I was just trying to talk to you,” he sassed.
I turned my head slowly. “Who the fuck you calling a bitch, bitch? And I just told yo’ tall ass I wasn’t interested,” I stated while turning on this clown, but then he grabbed my arm.
Wrong fucking move, playboy.
I twisted out of his grip and drove my elbow into his chest, sending him stumbling back against the bar.
While he was still trying to catch his breath, I snatched the beer bottle sitting beside him and cracked it against the edge of the counter, shattering the bottom.
Before his ass could straighten back up, I grabbed a fistful of his shirt and yanked him toward me, pressing the jagged end of the bottle against his muthafuckin’ throat.
His entire body froze. He didn’t expect my small ass to do all that.
What a big ass pussy.
“Now…” I spoke calmly. “I told yo’ crocodile looking ass I wasn’t interested, but you just had to put yo’ fucking dick beaters on me.”
Reaching down with my free hand, I grabbed a handful of his balls.
“We can end this right here.”
He swallowed hard.
“Or I can make sure you never grab another woman with that hand again. The choice is yours, I really don’t give a fuck,” I stated, squeezing his balls tighter.
“Fuckin’ bitch!” he yelled as his knees buckled and his voice jumped about three octaves.
I added a slight twist to my grip.
“Aight, aight. Damn!”
“See, there go that bitch word.” I tightened my grip, damn near crushing whatever he was working with, and if I had to guess, it wasn’t much.
“I-I said aight!”
“What type of apology is that? Meekie, do that sound like an apology to you?”
“I didn’t hear one,” she said giving him attitude.
I added another twist to my grip, damn near ready to detach his dick from his body. He winced in pain while he tried to stand on his feet. He was trying so hard to get away from my hand.
“Kash, shit! I’m sorry!” he cried out.
“How the fuck you know my name, bitch ass nigga?”
“I heard the bartender say it!” I stared at him for another second before releasing him.
He immediately cupped himself and folded over, whimpering like somebody’s pussy ass son had shot his ass. I tossed the broken bottle onto the bar.
“Crying like a hoe over some balls that didn’t hold no weight is crazy work, don’t you think?”
A few people around us laughed at the fact that I was calling his dick small. I was so zoned out I damn near forgot they were here.
Meekie stood behind the bar with her mouth hanging open.
I picked my drink back up and threw the rest of it back.
Seeing that Meekie hadn’t taken her eyes off me, I questioned, “What?”
She blinked steadily before answering with, “You just…”
“I don’t do all that touching me bullshit. I take that as a threat and on my best bitch life I’ll always choose me.”
She threw her hands up saying, “I understand.”
“Then why you looking surprised?”
She shook her head and reached for the bottle to refill my glass. “Nothing, just… Girl, remind me never to piss you off.”
“Don’t let the small frame and blonde hair fool you, love,” I said, throwing the drink back.
So much for a sip and chill.
It was time for me to get back to Magnolia Valley and route some shit up before my ass caught a charge in a place I didn’t know. I grabbed two crisp hundreds from my crossbody and slapped them on the bar.
“I didn’t see any property damage, but here’s your tip for the drink and the mess I made.”
She waved me off. “Girl, I got you. This was the highlight of my night and for damn sure less mess than a brawl. You good.”
“I’m gon’ catch you later, Meekie,” I said throwing up the deuces. She prolly wouldn’t ever see me again, but I appreciated her company while I was in her city.
“Okay. See you next time.”
I doubt it.
I made my way through the crowd of partygoers and exited just as quick as I entered.