otherwise there will be chaos.
“You all know why you’re here, we all want the same thing. Freedom and cash. I’m not your fuckin’ mother. I’m not here to wipe your eyes or your asses. There will be a few rules but not like you’d expect and pretty essential for us to make this work. By the end of this night, you will either still want to join us or you will leave or you won’t be welcome here again.”
I wait for every man to acknowledge this and carry on, “Firstly, you don’t talk our business to anyone unless they are the men in this room. Club business stays in the club, if any of you talk, you won’t like what happens.”
“Goes without saying boss,” one guy calls out. I like it, loyalty already.
“Apart from when you’re needed you are free to do what you want, like I said I’m not your fuckin’ mother, but you will not bring trouble to our door or the fuckin’ cops. Later on, I’ll want to know who of you have been in jail before now too.”
I swing one of the chairs round and take a seat. Most of these guys I have only known for a few weeks but we all have a common goal and I already feel the need to make sure they don’t go off the rails more than what they already have done. All they need is a little guidance from the right sort of person. It’s no good being told by a judge to do this or that because they don’t have any respect for authority but I can guide them without them feeling like I’m being patronizing.
“We’re all in this together, every man here is as valuable as the next, and here with us no one is above you. The work we’re going to be getting may involve some danger so you’ll need to be prepared to fight not only for yourselves but for each other as well.”
At the mention of a fight, they all holler and a few of them bang on the tables in support.
“Okay, okay, quiet.” I wait for the noise to die down before carrying on. “Basically, we get a call for a job, we do it and get paid. The rest of time is up to you how you spend it, this is our home and here is our main base…”
“We need a club name,” Benny calls out, sitting beside Tommy in front of me.
“Yeah and nothing like those fuckers, Raging Riders,” another calls out sarcastically.
“What about The Lost Souls? We’re all fuckin’ lost ain’t we or we wouldn’t be here?”
I turn to look at Oak, it’s fucking perfect. I scan the room and not one man objects.
“Any of you have any questions?” I ask.
“Yeah, where does the pussy disappear to during the week?”
“What are you talking about man, there’s been pussy around every night for weeks.” Benny replies for me.
It’s true, since more men have been staying here, the chicks have been flocking in droves wanting a piece.
Oak steps up beside me and waits for the guys to shut up.
“Every club needs a President and Mark here is a guy who can fill that position well, any objections? No, good.”
I laugh at him not waiting for objections and I am silently shocked that no one did. I hide my smile when he goes back to his seat and turn back to the guys.
“If for whatever reason I’m not around, my brother Michael is the next in line. What he says, goes.”
Both Oak and Michael raise their eyebrows and look to each other to see if they heard right.
Later on I’ll explain to them my reasons, firstly that being my second, it will give Michael something to focus on and give him the sense of being needed. Oak on the other hand will always be my go-to guy for advice but he doesn’t need a title to feel needed. Another reason for making Michael my second is that it will guarantee he will stick around where I can keep an eye on him.
I get up and grab a beer from Michael whose holding one out for me and raise it into the air.
“To the Lost Souls, may we find all the cash we need and never be lost again.”
Soon after AC/DC came on in the background and the guys struck up their own conversations. Michael stares at me for
Nick Brown
Dani April
Mitchell Maxwell
Eric Walters
Cate Ludlow
Shaunta Grimes
Jacob Gowans
Kathy Ivan
Lynda S. Robinson
Andrew McGahan