Chapter 3 Raven
Thirteen days ago—
“You need to tell him what Rook wanted.”
“I know,” I agreed, spinning the beer bottle in my hands, watching as the amber liquid splashed around inside.
Lou scratched along his neck, leaning back against the seat of the booth we’d taken in the corner of the room.
Around us, packing the joint as far as the eye could see, were dozens of bikers.
Brothers I shared a bond with, and so did Rook, our president.
Men we’d fought beside, shed blood with, and shared beers and stories with over the years. Outlaws who had become family.
“Rook would be proud of this turnout. Even the Graven Bastards from Tonopah are here.”
He was right.
I spotted Grim, the GBMC pres, next to his V.P. Mammoth, the Sergeant at Arms Rael, and a few others.
They came as a show of respect for my best friend. The man who helped build this club into what it was today, and without his influence, it wouldn’t have grown or become the fucking fierce force of nature it was today.
Grim knew that. He’d seen it twenty years ago when he was a new member in the GBMC, and Rook became our pres, taking the reins from his father, Jackdaw. Our eyes met, and he dipped his chin before lifting his glass of whiskey.
Lou lifted his beer, and those around us did the same, toasting Rook as we filled the night with memories of the past, jokes, lewd stories, and every other fucking thing in celebration.
It might be a sad day since we buried one of our own, but the party proved we loved the gruff old crow and hoped Rook found peace in the afterlife, whatever awaited him.
My throat felt tight as my hand clutched my own beer, lifting it high as a few members of the club hollered at the top of their lungs—caw caw...caw caw.
My head tilted back and a loud Kraa rumbled from my throat, adding to the chaos.
Lou belted out a laugh, damn near coughing up a lung before the shouts died down and music blared through the speakers in a playlist of Rook’s favorite rock and metal tunes.
I couldn’t help grinning at the old man across from me.
Lucky Lou, as we all called him, was an Army veteran and one of Rook’s closest friends and allies.
Lou knew everyone in the Vegas area, and if he needed a favor, half the damn state would show up, no questions asked.
He held a lot of clout with the locals but was also on a first-name basis with every prominent figure in the area, whether they wore a patch or not.
Most days he sat in his wheelchair or demanded one of the club girls to help him settle into one of the booths at The Roost’s bar.
He didn’t much care for growing old and often complained about having wasted his youth since he didn’t fuck near enough women or party hard enough to have enough stories to tell.
But Lucky Lou was a pillar of the biker community, and not a soul on this earth would disrespect him unless they wanted a beat down from the entire club.
“Not gonna lie, Raven,” he drawled in his southern accent, made all the more apparent from his inebriated state. “Not likin’ that Crow hasn’t showed his face yet.”
Yeah, I noticed that too. “I reckon he’s got a lot of shit to settle in his mind and heart,” I mused. “Crow will come. I don’t doubt it.”
“You think he’s gonna take his daddy’s place?” His voice slurred and he hiccupped. “That boy is a Holmes, and his ass belongs on the throne.”
“You speak the truth, Lou.”
“Don’t I always?”
I couldn’t help my smirk. “Usually comes out more when you’re hammered.”
He flipped me off. “I like it. Makes all the pain go numb.”
Shit. I didn’t like hearing that. The club should look into taking care of him, not that we didn’t already.
Rook insisted we paid for his medical care and the part-time nurse that cleaned, cooked, and put up with his ornery ass.
Jackie was a saint. She had to be storing up points in heaven. This old crow was a handful.
“Well, fuck, Lou. You need to go back to the doctor? More pain meds?”
He waved his hand in dismissal. “Don’t ya fuss over me. Ain’t shit you can do over me being ancient.”
I couldn’t help chuckling. “If you’re ancient, we’re both in trouble. I’m not far behind you.”
Lou snorted. “Ya got plenty of good years left. Trust me.”
I didn’t doubt it.
He finished his beer and scanned the bar. “Before you go, pick up a nice piece of ass and get yer dick wet. Life is too damn short for missed opportunities.”
Fuck. That hit me right in the chest, especially with Rook’s death. I thought of my Sarah and the years she’d been gone. The good ones died way too early in life. “I might,” I conceded.
“But you need to talk to Crow first.”
Crow. Rook’s only son.
A young man I loved like he was my own. Hell, I raised him.
Me, Lou, and Rook had a hell of a time bringing up a wild, stubborn boy in the middle of a motorcycle club, but he took to it like the grease and wheels were born in his blood.
Maybe they were. A third-generation Holmes groomed to lead this rowdy group of bikers.
Fate decided he needed to take the throne a little earlier than we anticipated.
Wish it didn’t take Rook’s death to bring him back to The Roost. The falling out between father and son resulted in Crow’s absence.
Hotheaded and ready to take on the world, Crow left to seek his independence.
It hit Rook hard. Not sure they ever got the chance to patch things up right before he died.
Hawk slid next to me, forcing me to scoot over in the booth.
He didn’t dare crowd Lou since he had his portable oxygen tank with him.
Even now, he was hooked up, the nasal tube draped across his face and tucked around both ears.
I’d bet my last dollar that Jackie hooked him up and made him promise not to take it off.
Lou liked using it or he probably would have disobeyed her just for the drama it would cause.
Crazy old coot.
Hawk ticked his head at Lou. “Can I have some?”
Lou swatted his hands away as Hawk reached for the tubing. “Ain’t too old to have me kick yer ass.”
Hawk winked. “Bet you could do it too.”
“Damn straight.” Lou yawned, his eyes fluttering.
“You ready to leave this party?” I asked, stretching as I bumped Hawk’s shoulder. “I got shit to do, and it’s gettin’ late.”
“I see what yer doin’.”
“What’s that?” Sure, I didn’t fool him with the innocent act, but he’d let me get away with it because he was tuckered out.
His chin dipped, and he snored, startling himself awake as Hawk grinned.
Yeah, time to get Lucky Lou into bed.
“Let’s hit the road, Lou,” I announced, shaking his shoulder.
His eyes popped open. He’d already fallen asleep again.
I lowered my voice since the music volume wasn’t quite as loud as it had been earlier. “Text Jackie. Tell her we’ll pay her double to stay with him tonight. Rook’s funeral hit him hard.”
Hawk nodded. “Yeah, I noticed. He never drinks that much anymore.”
“Exactly.”
Hawk pulled out his phone, sliding from the booth to give Jackie a call. I helped Lou stand and led him through the crowd, patiently waiting for him to say goodbye to everyone who had traveled to celebrate Rook’s life.
That was Lou though. He liked to make sure everyone was greeted and didn’t like anyone feelin’ left out or ignored. He didn’t care if you were the pres or a prospect, an ol’ lady or a club girl. He treated them all with the same attention and respect. Said a lot about the man at my side.
I got him settled into the front seat of my truck and shut the door with a click, walking around the front before I paused outside the driver’s side door.
The Henderson city lights lit up the sky and blocked the twinkle of the stars.
I felt a twinge of sadness burrow down in my heart, thinking of Rook and how he loved to ride at night down Hwy 95 and through Las Vegas.
One star burned brighter than the others and blinked, going in and out much slower than the surrounding ones. I slapped a hand over my chest, watching that star for several minutes.
“Gonna miss you, brother. I’ll be sure to watch over your boy. He’s gonna need it.”
The star went out, nothing in the sky for at least several seconds until it returned, blazing so white it completely blocked out the ones surrounding it.
“Yeah, I’ll find all the fuckers responsible for your death and avenge you. Don’t you fucking worry about that. Crow and I will get it done.”
The star faded a little, and I nodded, reaching for the handle as I opened the door and slid behind the wheel.
Lou snored next to me, his head resting against the window.
I always wondered what happened to the crow once we passed on.
Did it linger in this world? Become an ordinary bird without the bond it had forged with one of us?
The thought saddened me.
I preferred to believe the crow found freedom, twinkling up in that Nevada skyline, still protecting its owner’s body even when nothing but dust and bones remained. An eternal flight where their wings spread wide and they floated on the wind, forever gliding with the stars to guide them.
I glanced at Lou, pulling out of the parking lot and heading toward the apartment he kept above Bull’s Saloon.
His father, Bull, had built the place nearly forty years ago, and Lou took it over when his old man passed on.
The joint was open twenty-four hours a day, and it spoke volumes that it was closed tonight.
Rook’s death had shaken all of us, and I worried for the old man at my side.
I parked close to the door, waving at Jackie as she stood at the entrance. That woman was tough but a bighearted softie when it came to Lou. She didn’t take his shit, but she spoiled him. He loved that about her and flirted to get his way often, not that it ever worked.
We got Lou inside and up the stairs located in the back behind the stockroom. Once he was settled in bed and his oxygen in place for the night, I walked with her back to the entrance.
“I sure do appreciate you staying with him tonight. He might wake up disoriented or upset, and I don’t want him alone.”
“You didn’t have to ask. I planned on being here, but it’s no problem. I love that cantankerous old man. He makes me smile.”
“And throw shit,” I chuckled.
She laughed. “Yeah, that too.”
I reached inside my cut and pulled out my wallet, yanking out a few hundred dollar bills and handing them over.
Jackie shook her head. “No. I don’t need that, Raven.”
“Yeah, you do. Your boy is in college, and that shit’s expensive. Besides, you’re family to Lou. Hell, to all of us. We look out for our own.”
She sighed but nodded, taking the cash and stuffing it into the front pocket of her scrubs. “Thanks. I appreciate it. All of it.”
I squeezed her shoulder. “Don’t know what we’d do without you. Lou is a fucking terror.”
She snickered, shooing me out the door. “Get some sleep. I’ll text if he wakes.”
Flashing her a grin, I left the bar, hearing the locks click into place behind me. The alarm beeped, and I knew she set it, returning to the apartment to watch over Lou for the night.
As I drove back to The Roost, I finally let the sorrow that had tugged on me all day have a few minutes of control. My fingers gripped the steering wheel tight as my eyes burned with unshed tears. The emotion nearly overwhelmed me, but I was back in control when I returned home.
The party was still in full swing, but I didn’t feel up to it. I grabbed a bottle of Jack and headed to my room, tossing a shot back for Rook before finally closing my eyes.
THE NEXT MORNING, I held my phone in my hand, staring at the screen.
After Rook’s funeral, I didn’t feel like dragging this shit out and hoped Crow answered my call.
I swiped across the surface and found his name in my contacts, dialing his number.
It rang twice before I heard his familiar baritone.
The same voice as his father, and that rubbed a little too raw.
“Hey, Raven.”
“Crow.”
Silence followed, stretching until I heard him cough. “You bury Rook yesterday?”
“You know we did, kid.”
I almost called him son, but that didn’t seem right, given the context.
“I’m barely hanging on,” he managed to choke out.
“I get that,” I replied honestly, “but the club needs you. It’s time to come home.”
“I know.”
“We can mourn him together. You don’t have to do this alone, Crow.”
“Fuck, Raven. This fucking hurts.”
“I know, Austin. I know.”
“I should have been there for him. And now . . .”
“Just get here. We’ll figure it out.” I fought back a sigh and decided to give it to him straight. “We can’t sit on this much longer, Austin. Your father deserves retribution, and the club wants blood. Our crows are restless.”
“As they should.”
“I had to put my best friend in the ground. Watch the whole fucking club mourn his loss. It’s hittin’ everyone hard. They need to see you to know this is gonna be handled, and a Holmes is still gonna lead them.”
“Raven.”
“Yeah?”
“I’m already on my way.”
Relief swept through me so hard that I felt a flash of heat sweep a fiery blast through my veins. “When will you arrive?”
“Within the next few days. Have them ready.”
“Alright.”
“And Raven?”
“Yeah, Crow?”
“You’ll address me as pres from now on.”
The strength I heard in his voice, the conviction, melted the last of the worry that had taken root since Rook’s murder.
“You got it, Pres.”
He ended the call, but not before I heard him start up his Harley. The welcome rumble brought a smile to my face. With Crow’s return, the club would finally have the justice they hungered for.
I slid the cell into the pocket of my cut, rising to my feet. Once I had some coffee in my system, I was calling for church. The last one where I’d use the gavel. I’d only been borrowing it anyhow. The real king was returning to take his place on the throne.