MC: Callahan (4 page)

“I agree,” Pres says, looking at Danny.

“The issue is ‘we take care of our own’ and how these newer members don’t get that. I for one, don’t feel the need to prove myself to fuckin’ Brothers. That’s not going to teach them taking care of our own.”

Little Ben looks at him. “Uncle Danny, you’re right about part of that. The new Associates and Brothers don’t get what the Officers do, they don’t see or hear what High Security does. There are a lot of Brothers that are clueless because we keep them that way. That will eventually become a problem; the training videos will address and erase a future threat. We didn’t come up with anything to deal with the ‘we take care of our own’ issue.” Danny looks at him for a minute. He visibly relaxes and throws him chin.

“Patches, Rich, little Ben, Cloud, and Danny, I want you to work together on how to address and promote ‘we take care of our own’. Our payroll is fuckin’ astronomical, I’d rather not add to it creating jobs that are nonproductive. Something’s happening between Prospecting and membership to change what they’ve learned. We need to find and fix it.” He looks at them, they all nod. “If anyone else has an idea get with one of them, anything that you think that can help, give it to them. Is there anything else we need to go over tonight?”

“Yeah, we need more requirements for Associates. Some of these guys are assholes,” Alan says.

Pres looks at Patches. “Get with Tiny, Alan,” he looks around, “and Bull. Come up with requirements that would promote ‘we take care of our own’, make sure you get with the group working with that. I want the cuts that don’t belong on the Associates. If they want in, they need to prove their respect for what we believe. Anything else?”

No one has anything. “Sam called. He couldn’t be here because Lana is pregnant and having a rough time of it. Make sure you let him know you’re around for him. Danny is at the Diner again this weekend. Open to twelve he’ll need some help. If you can help, or know someone that can, send him over. That’s all I have, I’ll see you at Church.” He takes his folder, throws chin, and leaves. Driscoll, Doc, Digs, Geek, and Chet follow.

“That was nerve-wracking,” little Ben says, making us all laugh.

“Get used to it. You’ll be taking part in more of the Officers’ meetings. You’re doing a good job, little Ben, you shouldn’t be nervous about these meetings,” Cloud tells him.

“Proud of you, son, do your job, be honest. Can’t go wrong that way,” VP tells him.

Little Ben blows out a breath. “Thanks, Dad, Cloud.”

Danny stands and slaps him on the back. “I can meet tomorrow after six, the women are taking the kids to the Little Sister barn fire; we can meet over dinner if you don’t mind missing it, little Ben.” Rich laughs.

“I don’t mind.”

“You and fuckin’ food, Dad, I’m in,” Rich says. Cloud and Patches nod.

“Good, I’ll ride over with you.” He looks at VP.

“Can’t leave town,” VP says and Danny nods.

Fuck, that sounds like a good time. I look at Alan and Bull. “Patches has to be there anyway, can you meet then?” They both nod. I look at Danny. “Six-thirty?”

He looks around, everyone nods. “Yeah.”

I get up. “I’m out. Later, Brothers.”

Bob follows me out. “You need any help tomorrow?”

Good fuckin’ Brothers. “Cloud, CJ, and the Little Brothers will be over for lunch, you can come over, can’t hurt. I don’t know what to expect, so I’m not turning it down.”

“Fuck, told Danny I’d help him.” Fuckin’ VP scares the shit out of me coming up behind us.

Bob laughs. “I’ll be over after I get breakfast at the Diner, this ought to be good.”

“Fuck off, Brother, helped Jess before.”

I clench my jaw so I don’t laugh. Fuckin’ Bob is laughing harder and little Ben has his hand over his mouth. I turn and walk away before I piss him off. “Later.” I want to go have breakfast too; I need to find out when the kids will get here.

I’m so glad he went to breakfast. I’m nervous. Tiny is handling this better than I thought he would. He was a nervous wreck when I got pregnant with Sandy. He agreed to having her then went a little crazy when he found out I was actually pregnant. He stayed at the Club for almost two weeks. It took Danny talking to him for him to come home. It was freakin’ crazy. When he came home he did everything as if I was an invalid. Then when I was in the hospital he didn’t want anyone to come up. It was like he was guarding her. He only let certain people hold her for the longest time. He’s still protective but let’s the Officers hold her or pick her up to play. Now here
I
am the crazy one worried about kids. At least I’m not hiding at the Club.

Kate comes over with Bakery food. “I wanted to go to the Diner, that would have made my week, but I don’t think you’re up for Steve’s crazy right now. What are your questions?”

I called her as soon as Tiny left, panicking; what made me think I could do this? “What if they hate it here? What do I do when they hate me? All the kids love the parents that are leaving.”

She smiles like I’m cute, this is happening today. I need advice not smoke blown up my ass! I’m going to have a damn heart attack here. I put my head in my hands. “Nancy, you are the most even keeled out of all of us. Let’s think about this with some perspective.” I give her a look. Perspective? Five kids will be showing up to live in my damn house for who knows how long and they love the old parents! “You’ve spent time with the kids, had dinner over there a couple of times. They know you, they know Tiny. Some adjustments will have to be made on everyone’s part but you know these kids and they like you. CJ said they’re excited about the move today. They thought they’d get split up and shipped around. Just being able to be together already has them appreciative.” She touches my head and I look up. “You’re going to be great, the kids like you already. You can do this.” I see she believes it, it’s in her eyes. She thinks I can do this. She would tell me if she didn’t think I could. I take a deep breath; my head is playing ‘I can do this’ over and over. She smiles. “You can.”

I nod, still playing the words through. “I can do this. Why am I so nervous? I’ve been waiting forever to do this.”

She laughs. “Stage fright, completely normal. I would have been a wreck if I had to wait for a move in day. It’s a good thing my kids all came as emergencies; I wouldn’t have made it waiting.” She’s right; she took five as emergency shelters then kept them.

“The waiting is making me crazy, that’s got to be it. Classes, background checks, inspections, moving, the damn book of rules and regulations. Everything was a rush, then I wait. The wait is going to kill me.”

She laughs, pulling the box from the Bakery to her. “Yep, now let’s eat. I’ll get coffee, you get plates.” She gets up and makes us coffee. I’m happy to get the plates and napkins. Having something to do eases the stress.

“I need you to order some clothes for me and Ally. She’s growing so fast and I need some new to add to what I have.” She sits, putting a cup in front of me.

I look at her, she’s keeping me busy. I could use something else to focus on. “Joey and CJ are coming in next week for new clothes. I’ll order some things for you and Ally so the girls can come in together.”

She nods, taking a sip of coffee. “That will be good. We need a new girl. Who do you think is next?”

I laugh. “I’m usually pretty good at picking them, but I’m not sure this time. I want to say Penny, but I don’t know who she’d be paired with.”

“We have Karen, Penny, Heather, Nina,
and
Brenda will be back for the next semester.”

I wince. “Mary will lose her shit if Brenda goes in with a biker or cop.”

She rolls her eyes. “Mary is hurt. Casper was a good man, but he was biker through and through. He taught his kids to respect that. Mary’s not going to change a belief those kids have grown up with their whole lives. They loved and respected Casper too much to believe being a biker is bad.”

I put my lemon square down. “You’re right, but Mary is going to lose her shit over it. She thinks Casper was her one shot at love and happiness. Petey dying the same day doesn’t help. He was her father figure for so long.” She looks shocked. “Petey was tight with Casper, especially after he made chief; he was so damn proud of him.” I smile, remembering. “Mary used to have him to dinner a lot. It’s a lot to deal with when you just lost your man.”

“I had no idea, Danny was close to Petey too, he never said. When we got the kids Petey didn’t come over as much, really, hardly ever anymore. I didn’t realize it was because he was over there.”

“Yeah. Hey, thanks for coming over today. I was panicking.” I finish my square thinking she’s always the voice of reason. Unless she’s on a shopping drunk, then she’s just freakin’ crazy.

She just smiles.

*  *  *

Walking in the first thing I hear is a huge crash in the kitchen. I hit the kitchen doors running. Danny and Baker are looking at the pieces of the toaster strewn across the floor, apparently where they bounced after hitting the wall. I look from the pieces to Steve and smile. He’s pissed.

“You don’t like toast?” I ask him, Danny and Baker laugh.

He points to the side prep table. “Burnt every fuckin’ piece. Was broke, need a new one.” He’s serious. I clench my jaw and nod, then look at Danny.

He stopped laughing, but he’s still smiling. “VP, you’re going to need to fill in for Balls so he can get me a new toaster. All we have is Texas toast to go on the side.” Steve looks at him like he’s nuts. “Tiny, get Balls on the toaster and tell Lucy VP will take all the Brothers’ tables. He should be able to get through that without destroying any more appliances and the Brothers know him, so they won’t give him shit.” I smile and hit the doors. This is going to be entertaining as hell.

I poke my head back in and see Danny hand VP an apron, ticket book, and pen. “Can you get me a plate? I came for breakfast before all hell breaks out at my house.” Danny nods and pushes VP my way. I talk to Balls and Lucy, then make a pot of coffee.

VP is at a table telling the Brothers what number they can talk so he can keep them in order. Balls is laughing going through the doors. “No toast, Texas is it.” The Brother asks for an English muffin. I laugh at VP’s expression. “No fuckin’ toaster, Texas toast.” He writes it down and looks at the next Brother. “Don’t ask for fuckin’ toast,” he tells him before he starts.

“Whatever you want to give me, VP,” he says scared, making me laugh more.

VP gives me a look. I bring cups and a coffee pot over. The first guy looks at me. “Can I get orange juice?”

I don’t have a chance to answer. “Didn’t order it! You want somethin’ you give it to me when it’s your turn.” He takes the next guy’s order and the table behind cracks up. He hands me the ticket and goes to the next table, telling them their numbers. I get the ticket to Baker and bring more cups to his new table.

He’s on the third Brother. “Eggs Benedict with sausage instead of ham.”

“No, you get eggs and sausage with Texas toast, samethin’.” He writes it and hands me the ticket. The Brother doesn’t know what to say. I shrug with a smile while VP goes to the next table. Chet and another Brother walk in. VP tells them to sit on the other side with the Brothers so he doesn’t have to walk back and forth; Chet smiles and sits like he’s going to enjoy this.

I make another pot and bring coffee and cups. He hands me another ticket. “You give the ticket to Baker. You have food up. You need to get it to your tables.” He rolls his eyes at me. I grab my plate and hand Baker the ticket. “You might want to put condiments on the tray from back there,” I tell him, grabbing a fork and eating from behind the counter.

I turn when I hear VP yell, “Sit the fuck there or ain’t servin’ you!” Brothers are laughing, neighbors are smiling. They’re enjoying this. Baker is running food out to the other side.

I look at who he’s yelling at. Fuck. You would think Dennis would stay away from this place. “You’d think the service would get better not worse than yesterday,” asswipe says, not realizing who VP is without his cut.

“Oh fuck!” Chet says. “Sit where he tells you and shut the fuck up.”

VP throws chin at Chet and goes back to his table. A Prospect from the Garage comes in and walks straight to me. “I’m supposed to bring food out,” OB says. I point to the window where food is still piling up. He washes his hands and pulls the first tray, putting condiments on it. Good, he knows what to do.

I go back to my plate and hear Dennis giving VP shit. “I said white toast not Texas!” he yells. The whole fuckin’ place goes quiet.

VP recognizes him from the video. “Dennis?”

Moron looks all proud of himself. “That’s right.”

“Stand up!” VP tells him. I walk over, standing behind him. Dennis laughs at him. Chet stands up with a couple of other Brothers. VP isn’t seeing anything but Dennis. “Stand the fuck up!” Dennis looks around and stands. VP turns him around and takes his cut. “Can’t help a fuckin’ Brother, givin’ shit when someone needs help, you’re out.” Little Ben takes the cut. I didn’t even see him here. I throw him chin. He smiles.

Dennis tries to grab it back. He pushes little Ben and grabs for the cut. “Give it back, asshole, you can’t take my fuckin’ cut. Fuckin’ Brothers all think you’re more than you are!”

Little Ben holds the cut back and all Brothers take a step back. Dennis puts his hand on little Ben’s chest then he’s in the air and on the floor. Everyone is laughing. “My father deserves respect. He fought for this Club, making it something you wanted to be a part of. To me he is Dad, to you he is VP. If you don’t even know who you’re talking to, you have no right to wear our cut. Get out!” Little Ben stands and everyone claps and slaps him on the back.

VP throws him chin and goes to his next table like nothing happened. Chet and Jax take Dennis out, one on each arm. They whip him out when they hit the doors, and he sprawls on the walkway, looking back pissed.

When I turn around Danny is watching from the doors with a smile. OB is refilling coffee and talking to the Brothers smiling. Everyone settles. I go back to my breakfast and watch for what’s next.

Geek comes in and sits at the counter, smiling. “Got the text, what did I miss?”

I point to VP, who’s telling an Associate, “Can have eggs or pancakes, nothin’ else.” The Associate just nods. Steve writes something on the pad and looks at the next guy who has a menu in his hand; he takes the menu and throws it over his shoulder. “Number two, eggs or pancakes?” The guy just looks at him and nods.

Geek is doubled over laughing. “He’s like Seinfeld’s ‘Soup Nazi’!” he yells. The whole Diner explodes in laughter. VP looks over at us and rolls his eyes, making us laugh more. Bikes are pulling into the Diner lot with nowhere to park. Geek smiles at me. “I guess everyone got the text.” Oh fuck!