Rooster
“She lived in a dump right in the middle of the hood. I told her a hundred times that she needed to move, but she wouldn’t listen.
” Beckett took another slug from his drink and swallowed hard.
“It was her grandmother’s place, and Amy couldn’t stand the thought of walking away. She was just so damn stubborn.”
He was on his third round of drinks, and the more he drank, the more he talked. The angry kid with fire in his eyes and rage in his step had been replaced by a pitiful sight. The poor guy looked like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders as he sat there staring at his drink.
I’m not sure how we got on the topic of his girlfriend, but it was the first time he’d really talked about what happened to her.
Knowing it was something he needed to get off his chest, we all sat back and listened as he said, “She saw them. She knew they were watching her. The Assassins watched everyone, including me.”
His voice wavered with the raw emotions he’d carried with him for much too long, and his eyes glistened with unshed tears of frustration as he added, “They saw me countless times. They knew who my father was. They knew I had connections to Fury, and they knew she was my girl. But that didn’t stop them from... ”
Anguish etched his face as he took the bottle of whiskey and refilled his glass.
He immediately downed it, and I thought that was going to be the end of it until he said, “She was just letting her dog out. She opened that back door like she’d done a million times, but this time, they were there waiting for her in the shadows.
They drug her back into the house and... ”
His voice broke, but he didn’t have to say the words.
We all knew what had happened.
It took him a second to pull himself back together enough to add, “And when they’d had their fill, they slit her throat and left her to bleed out like some animal.”
“Damn, brother,” Torch muttered. “That’s all kinds of fucked up.”
“Yeah, it is.” He filled his glass once again as he grumbled, “And my father is letting them get away with it. I just don’t get it. Those motherfuckers deserve to burn for what they did to her, and he knows it.”
I could see the torment in Beckett’s eyes.
He loved and respected his father, but he was clearly struggling with his father’s decision not to retaliate against the Assassins.
It was a hard call, but I knew Preacher had his reasons for choosing not to go after the Assassins.
And it didn’t matter that Preacher was his father.
He was the president of their chapter.
And his words reigned supreme.
“I know it’s tough, brother,” I started. “But in the club, we gotta follow the president’s rule even when we don't agree or when it goes against our personal beliefs."
Beckett frowned, clearly having some reservations. "But what if he's wrong? What if he’s taking the pussy’s way out?”
“First of all, your father is anything but a fucking pussy. He’s led that club through thick and thin, and because of him, you guys have grown to be one of the most notorious MCs in the south.”
“Yeah, but what kind of message does this send to those assholes.”
“Something tells me this thing isn’t over.” I tried to keep my tone calm and steady as I continued, "You gotta trust in his judgment on this, and if it is a mistake, then you will deal with it as a club.”
Beckett turned to me with a pained expression. “I was gonna claim her, man. She was my whole world, and they took her from me. How am I supposed to just let this go?”
“You take the time your father has given you here, and you do what you can to put it behind you.” I reached over and picked up the bottle of whiskey, slowly pouring him another drink.
“It won’t be easy. It’s gonna take a lot of hard work, but eventually, the burn will start to fade, and you can move on with your life. ”
“You actually sound like you know what you’re talking about.”
“Let’s just say I know a little something about losing someone you care about.” I shrugged. “Nothing as tragic as what happened with your girl, but it hurt nonetheless.”
“I’m being a real dick, aren’t I?”
“Nah, you’re good.” I motioned my head over to Smokey and the others as I told him, “We get it, and we’re glad you trusted us enough to tell us what happened.”
Beckett nodded, then finished his drink and stood. He wobbled a bit as he started for the door. Just before walking out, he turned to us and slurred, “You’re good guys... damn good guys.”
And with that, he disappeared down the hall.
We’d all had our fill for the night, and after a brief goodbye, the rest of us dispersed and made our way home.
The following day, I got up early and was about to head to the construction site when I got a message from Savage asking me and Torch to come by his place.
Back in the day, I would’ve questioned him or even given him hell about asking me to come over at such an early hour. But things had changed, and he was now my VP. You don’t question your VP and you certainly don’t give him hell, so I messaged Torch and told him to meet me there.
When I pulled up, I was surprised to find Londyn’s dad standing outside with Savage, but I wasn’t surprised to see that they seemed to be in the midst of a heated discussion. The two weren’t exactly on the best of terms.
Back when they were both a good bit younger, Londyn’s father managed to convince Savage to break things off with his daughter.
Of course, her father never told her what he’d done.
He didn’t approve of their relationship, and even when he saw how heartbroken she was over the breakup, he held on to his beliefs and his secret.
And he kept holding onto them even after she had Savage’s son.
Five years had come and gone before the truth had come out, and they found their way back to each other.
Since then, they’d been inseparable. Londyn and Dalton moved in with Savage, and they were becoming the family they were always meant to be.
But neither of them had forgotten the part Londyn’s dad had played in their initial breakup. It had been months, but they were still pretty unsettled about the whole thing. Londyn had kept her distance from her father, and until today, Savage had done the same.
And from the looks of it, things weren’t going so well.
Savage was standing just inches from Londyn’s dad, his jaw clenched and shoulders tense, and he looked like he was about to punch the guy in the throat. The vein in his neck pulsed as he shouted, “You stole five years from me! There’s no getting that back.”
“I thought I was doing the right thing!”
“How could keeping my son away from me be the right thing?” Their eyes locked for a moment before he said, “Oh, yeah. That’s right. Because I’m a dangerous criminal, and your daughter and grandson should steer clear of me. Isn’t that right?”
“We’re going in circles here.”
The tension between them were running high and only grew more intense as I listened to Savage shout, “Because you’ve yet to admit that you were wrong!”
“I was wrong, and I’m sorry. How many times do I have to say it?”
“Until you actually mean it!” Savage snapped. “And then, only then, you say it to your daughter.”
“She won’t talk to me. I’ve tried calling, and I’ve even sent flowers, but she won’t let me in.”
“Because she trusted you, and you lied to her over and over again.”
“I know neither of you get why I did what I did, but you just wait and see how you feel when you have a little girl of your own. You hold her, love her, and do everything you can to protect her. Then, and only then, will you truly understand why I did what I did.”
Londyn was standing at the window, her eyes filled with concern, as she watched their exchange. I thought Londyn’s father was starting to make some leeway until Savage said, “Daughter or not, I don’t think I’ll ever get it.”
“So, we’re never going to get past this?”
“I can’t answer that.” Savage glanced over at Londyn and sighed. “That’ll be up to her.”
“So, what am I supposed to do?”
“You back off and give her some time to sort this thing out on her own.”
“But it’s been months... I miss her. I miss Dalton, too.”
“I don’t know what to tell ya. There’s no easy fix for what you did, so you’re just gonna have to be patient and pray that she comes around.”
He nodded, then said, “I appreciate you talking to me today, even if it didn’t change anything.”
“Maybe it did. Only time will tell.”
Londyn’s father looked over to the window and gazed longingly at his daughter. He gave her a quick wave, then turned and headed for his truck. Before he got in, he turned back to Savage and said, “I’m not giving up on her.”
Without giving Savage a chance to respond, he got in his truck and pulled out of the drive. In all the excitement, I hadn’t noticed that Torch had come up until he said, “Holy shit, brother.”
“Yeah, sorry about that.” Savage shook his head with a sigh. “I had no idea that he was coming by here.”
Torch sounded concerned as he said, “I didn’t realize that you guys were still on the outs.”
“It hasn’t been good.” Savage motioned his head towards the house. “Especially for Londyn. She’s all torn up about it, and it doesn’t help matters that Dalton keeps asking about seeing his grandfather. She keeps putting him off, but that’s only going to last for so long.”
“That’s gotta be tough, especially for the kid,” I interjected. “But time has a way of sorting things out.”
“I hope you’re right.” Savage started up the front step as he said, “Come on. I need help moving some stuff for Londyn.”
“I thought you two were done with all that.”
“I did, too.” Savage glanced over his shoulder. “But I’ve learned that when the wife wants to move the furniture, you move the furniture.”
“Understood.” Torch and I followed Savage into the kitchen, and I made a beeline for the coffee pot. “If we’re moving stuff, I’m gonna need coffee and lots of it.”