Chapter Nineteen
Blaze
“Bastard.” I scoffed, racing after him.
Rather than heading home, he pulled off at the strip club.
“What the fuck?” It couldn’t have been seven yet. There were like two cars in front of Steel Cages.
When he veered his bike to the building in front of the parking lot, I noticed the far side of it was lined with bikes. Guys were littering the front of the clubhouse.
Mackie and Scottie were huddled up with a phone, looking at something together. Donnie and Makaveli were admiring a bike while some dude I’d never seen before rattled away in front of it.
Easy parked and I followed suit, leaving mine beside his.
Steel Disciple patches were everywhere. Some of the faces I knew, others I didn’t.
Easy went inside, I saw him storm down the length of the windows, only to round back in a hurry. The door shot open, and he came out in a huff.
“Where the fuck is Demon?”
Everyone looked around. The guy that had been chattering with Mak and Donnie suddenly looked uncomfortable.
Mayhem stepped around the corner, adjusting his headband as he approached. Easy instantly started toward him.
The guy in front of the bike turned back to Donnie, “Isn’t it fuckin’ beautiful?”
“It would be more beautiful if my club was on their way to fetch that load. Where the fuck is your old man, Snatch? Is there a reason you're bragging’ like you just got your first piece of tail, instead of that busted-ass bike?”
“Hey, man, it ain’t busted–”
The way Easy turned and charged back said it might soon be.
“Hey, hey, hey, man.” Mak laughed, inserting himself between Easy and the prospect.
Mak steered Easy inside, whispering in his ear with something that seemed to do the trick.
“Fuck,” Snatch scoffed, his shoulders slumping.
Donnie laughed and Snatch puffed up, “He doesn't know man. My bike could take any of you fuckers.”
I snorted, and he spun around to stare at me.
“It can,” he insisted, stepping toward me.
“Easy enough to find out–” I glanced toward the highway and then pointedly glanced back at him.
“Oh, you got time to ride with the big boys now, huh?” Mackie spat in my direction.
I laughed at his pitiful attempts at dominance, “Shit, it’ll only take a minute to smoke either one of you fucks. I’m Anthony Aviston’s son, remember?”
“Fuckin’ A. Let’s do it.” Snatch nodded, hopping on his bike.
I laughed, shocked that he’d taken the bait that easily.
“That ain't a good idea, man.” Donnie ran a hand through his long, blond hair and winced.
“Yeah, Easy will scold you for breaking formation,” I teased. “You better remember your place.”
“Man, fuck Easy,” he barked, before cranking his bike.
Mackie walked off the minute the shit talking turned dangerous. Donnie on the other hand, was all eyes, glancing from us to the clubhouse door like he expected Easy to come flying out to confront the prospect. He followed us to the highway and stood watch.
“Ya’ll sure about this?” He laughed.
“Do it. Say the word,” Snatch insisted.
He was revving his engine and making an unimaginable racket with the throttle.
“Fuck it.” Donnie shrugged, glancing toward me.
I gave him the nod, and he shrugged.
“Go.”
Snatch’s bike screamed, while mine shot forward. I could hear him yelling, but I didn’t make out his words as I raced down the highway toward the cemetery turn. We’d never really said where we were going to stop. He was catching up, but I’d gotten a good look at that bike of his. It was a Crossbones. It would top at ninety. Mine would do the century March promised and a little more if I stroked her nice.
I kept it around ninety-five, letting him think he had a chance. I meant to gun it at the top of the hill and leave him in the dust. The wind rushed over my arms, my sleeves were clinging to me in places and climbing ever so subtly. I glanced down at it and twitched my arm against my torso to fix it. The angle also let me keep tabs on him. His face was tense with concentration, every now and then he gave a quick glance my way and his lips moved in what I assumed was a slew of curses. I looked up just in time to see something shimmery littering the road ahead.
“Stop!” I screamed, instantly letting off the brake when I realized it was grass trimmings.
Snatch didn’t hear me. He shot forward onto the slick surface. His bike weaved violently, then he laid it down ugly-like.
I had a split second to decide if I was going to follow him at fifty or try my luck with the ditch.
“Fuck,” I roared, and swerved into the ditch. I transferred surfaces clean enough, but when I came up the other side of the ditch, I went airborne.
I saw the minivan heading in the direction that Snatch and his bike were sprawled on the highway, but I’d lost control of myself and my brain was racing. I clung to the bike, trying my best to not panic, until I knew I had no options. I came down on the back tire and grunted as the air was half knocked from me. I’d done stunts, but fuck they weren’t that rough. The bike came up again, and I held on as best I could as the damn thing decided to go ass over handlebars at the worst possible time.
“Oh shit!” I managed just before the ground caught me flat on my back. I closed my eyes, sure that the bike was going to land on top of me.
I must have blacked out for a split second when I landed. I don’t even know how the bike came down.
Sounds blurred. I blinked and was aware there were people standing around me, but I couldn’t make out the faces. Sirens pierced the chaos, and I sucked in the most painful breath I’d ever attempted in my life.
I let it out in a pained roar and rolled to my side.
“Give him room!” Easy barked. “He needs some fuckin’ air do you hear how he is heaving?”
The world stopped spinning, and the nausea settled, allowing Donnie, May, and Easy to come into focus.
“Get up. Can you get up?” Easy implored. “You gotta get the fuck out of here. Now. You got seconds.”
“He shouldn’t…” Donnie started, only to hush when Easy shot him a look.
I stumbled to my feet and Easy clutched my arm and started helping me across a field. The damn thing had a fence that I seriously didn’t remember clearing, but there it was, undeniably.
“Go with Mak, I’ll tell them I was driving Ant’s bike.” He shoved me toward Makaveli, who caught me, one hand clenching my arm and another studying my spine.
“Come on, then. They’re coming deep,” he murmured, while steering me toward a couple of bikes.
It felt like forever before I reached the fence. I had one leg over it when I heard some middle-aged woman loudly declaring, “There he is. It was him, officer. Him and that boy were racing. I live on the hill and saw the whole thing from my front porch where I sip coffee in the mornings. These bikers have no respect. They speed through here day and night. Now look at them, that kid is missing half his face. I don’t even think he had any lips left.”
She started to sniffle, and I wasn’t sure what to do. I fucking froze, straddling the fence.
“Run,” Mak shoved my shoulder, but I wasn’t expecting it. I processed what he’d said halfway to my ass, which I landed on with a nasty thud.
I groaned and realized just how stiff I was getting in my back.
“Hold it,” Two officers hopped the fence and tackled me, jerking me to my stomach in a way that sent pain reeling through my body.
I cried out, unable to help it and all hell broke loose behind me.
“Racing. Wasn’t nobody racing. Bitch, look at that grass. Who the fuck taught you how to mow, anyhow? Are you trying to fuckin’ kill somebody. Sounds a lot like you don’t like motorcycles or the people who ride them. You know– Us bikers.”
She shrieked like he’d drawn a gun on her and clutched her chest, placing herself behind a few of the other police officers who were quickly joining them.
“My husband mows our lawn. He works hard!”
“Well, fuckin’ tell him to blow the shit back on the lawn next time, not on the road, where it then becomes a hazard. Huh?” Mak roared.
“How dare you speak to me that way. Listen to your filthy mouth,” she squeaked, full of indignation.
I focused on her, willing myself to ignore the pain that was shooting through my ribs.
“Get off of him.” Easy was belligerent, which only seemed to drive their knee into my shoulder worse.
“Yeah. How about no,” the officer growled. “You don’t get to tell us what to do when we get called to scrape up your messes, Eric.”
I felt the metal of the cuffs and heard them click.
“We good?” I heard the officer on the right ask before I was jerked to my feet.
“Weren’t you just in the back of my car?” he asked, once we were face to face.
I shrugged, not wanting to engage in a bigger dick contest.
“Cat got your tongue once you meet something that doesn’t cower, huh?”
I huffed, and closed my eyes, before giving in, “Send something with tits next time if you want me to keep you cocksuckers straight. Fuckin’ county rookies all look the same.” The one on my right opened the door of the squad car and the mouthy one gave me a shove and a quick kidney shot that left me reeling in his backseat and gagging all over again.
I closed my eyes and focused on the memory of the cemetery. I went over the names and dates as the car slowly rolled through traffic. There was no real purpose to my recounting the steps, other than having something besides the pain to focus on.
When the car stopped, we were inside the same garage as before. It led into the processing part of the police department. It was much slower moving through the paces this time, but it was more my fault than theirs. I slumped against the counter while they fingerprinted me and asked all the questions.
“You know I just answered this shit like two days ago,” I told the officer.
“I did not, but we have to say it every time. Even if it is twice a day.” She chuckled like it was something she explained often and then led me to the holding tank. “The judge actually has a pretty light schedule, so they might get you in this morning.”
“Great.” I grunted and stretched out on the bench.
There wasn’t any way to get comfortable on them damn things when one was in good shape, being banged up like that? I was fuckin’ miserable. It was the slowest three hours of my life, but the cheerful, cherub-cheeked guard appeared just before lunch.
“Alright, Aviston, you’re up,” she announced with a smile.
“Thanks,” I managed, much quicker than I was able to react. I grabbed the edge of the bench and held my ribs as I righted myself and found my feet.
“You good?” Her voice was so filled with concern, it was like a joke.
“Have you always worked for law enforcement?” I asked, causing her to smile and look away.
“This way, please,” she directed rather than answering me.
I followed her down several hallways that erupted into the courtroom just as I remembered.
The judge glared at me as I rounded to the bench that I’d been instructed to sit on with the other prisoners the last time we entered.
“Over here, Aviston,” the guard instructed, coming to rest beside the defense table.
A tall man in an ill-fitted suit was waiting for me.
“I’m Theo Benetti, your uncle hired me,” the man explained, shoving a small pair of spectacles up his nose.
“The next case is Aviston versus the state of Illinois. Charges being brought are fleeing and eluding, contributing to the delinquency of a minor, reckless endangerment of a minor, and reckless driving.”
“I’d ask how you plea, but before I do– Read me back the record, what–? What was Mister Aviston charged with earlier this week?”
While the court reporter recounted my charges for the judge, I hissed at the attorney, “What fuckin’ minor?”
The judge cleared his throat and glared at me. “I’d appreciate you using a little bit of discretion with your language in my courtroom, Mister Aviston.”
“Yes, Your Honor,” I mumbled, still staring at Theo, and awaiting an answer.
He held up a finger, begging me for a moment.
“Mister Aviston, you’re being charged with racing, which allegedly caused a wreck with significant injuries to the minor you were racing against,” The judge spelled it out for me, “and you tried to flee the scene of the accident and avoid arrest? This was all after you fled the scene of an alleged crime earlier this week and were arrested with a minor, one, Mayhem Aviston, is this correct?”
My mouth went so dry I couldn’t answer.
“Well?” the judge demanded.
It sounded so terrible when he said it like that.
Fuck!
“Your Honor, if I may? I don’t think Mister Aviston was aware of Mr. Moore’s age. They were only acquainted for an hour or two,” Theo interjected.
“How do you plead?” the judge spat.
“Not guilty.” I shot right back.
“I suppose you think there will be bail, and a chance to endanger another minor?” the judge cattily snapped.
I stared at the table, unsure of how to respond, or even if it was wise to attempt to do so.
“Perhaps there is a way forward that would allow Mister Aviston access to college classes online, but not to be in the streets during the course of the trial?” Theo pressed, causing me to give him a bewildered look.
“College courses?” the judge returned.
“Yes, your honor. He intends to pursue a master's degree. He already has two bachelor degrees from a university in Georgia, where he lived until a week ago.”
“I don’t know how a college graduate from Georgia with multiple degrees comes to be entangled with a bunch like the Steel Disciples from Illinois–” the judge began.
“Your Honor, his parents are both federal agents. It is unlikely he has any real connection to the Steel Disciples, beyond the kinship of his deceased father’s brother, Eric Aviston.”
The judge sat back in his chair, relaxing a bit, but never taking his attention off of me.
Theo and the prosecutor took turns addressing the judge a few times, but I could feel his gaze anchored on me all the while. When it was over, he slowly sat up again.
“I’m going to give you one last chance, son. You’ll be released on house arrest, an ankle monitor will be placed, and we will see you back here for trial.”
“Yes, sir,” Theo enthusiastically agreed on my behalf.