finger guns at Raven.
“Seriously, is she coming to pick you up? Because I’m not gonna let you fire up your ride.” Raven was concerned for Trask. She saw how much he drank that night, and it worried her. Between the blood loss and the meds, he probably should have been in the ICU.
“Yeah. She’ll pick me up when I call. I stayed tonight for a reason. You and me need to have a sit-down.” Trask was slurring his words pretty bad, and Raven wanted to get him off the stool before he fell.
She nodded and pointed to a table. “Why don’t you grab a seat, and I’ll be there in just a second?”
He turned, his eyes half-open. He managed to make it the short distance to the table before falling into a chair. Raven finished sealing up the garnish tray and tossed the bar rag into the sink. She shook her head and laughed to herself as she came out from behind the bar.
“All right, Trask. What exquisite wisdom does a high, drunk, and short-on-blood biker have for me?”
He seemed to find a bit of clarity, because his words came out clearer than any others in that last hour at the bar. “I’m leaving.”
Raven was confused. “You’re calling Hope?”
“No. I’m leaving Bakersfield. Hope’s got a few more years of school in Davis, and Bear wants me to start a new chapter up there. I’m gonna do it. Bear’s right. We’re gonna need to spread out our territory, and he chose me. It makes sense. I get Hope, I get the top seat.”
“Why are you telling me, Trask?”
He leaned back, and Raven thought Trask was going to pass out. Instead, he kicked a foot up on a chair to his left. “Look, my pop’s a great man, but he’s getting old. You weren’t in Beezer’s place with us. He’s gettin’ slower. He’s still as strong as an ox, but damn if I didn’t see the age in his body. He knows it, too. I can see it on his face.”
Raven shrugged. “So what? He could lead this place well into his sixties.”
“Nah, he couldn’t.”
She waited for him to explain, but he didn’t. “Care to go into detail?”
Trask let out a sigh, and Raven could smell the alcohol on his breath. She thought about calling Hope for him, but she wanted more information. “Yeah, Bear could lead this place for another ten years. But the brothers won’t let him. They’ll pull a vote of no confidence… if he’s lucky.”
“What does it matter to them?”
“You know damn well. You’re just like the rest of them. They’re bloodthirsty. They all want to be president.” He stared right at Raven. Her desires were clear to him. “As soon as he can’t knock a guy out or shoot a gun straight, they’ll ditch him. Boss, Trigger, your boy Gunner—they’re all salivating at the thought of Bear retiring to a fishing boat on Lake Tahoe. And you .”
“What about me?” Raven hadn’t overlooked the comment about her boy Gunner, but she didn’t want to talk about that.
“Jesus, drop the act, Raven. You’re practically the old man’s shadow.” She gave Trask a hurtful look. “Ain’t nothing wrong with it, though. That’s why I’m here talking to you right now. You could do it.”
“I could do what? Be the president? Um, are you forgetting the fact that just about everyone in the club resents me for being a woman?” She could envision all the bikers that had made her work like a dog for their respect staring at her.
Trask shook his head. Raven tried to picture the club without him. She saw Trask as the keystone—a man in the background for the most part, but integral. Thinking of the club without Bear was about the same: unimaginable.
“Raven, you are a leader. I’ve seen it, and I’ve heard about it from Tanner. He sees what kind of man you are. Woman.” He let out a vaguely nervous laugh. “You know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested. I just know that I‘m brand new. What right do I have to even think about the
“Seriously, is she coming to pick you up? Because I’m not gonna let you fire up your ride.” Raven was concerned for Trask. She saw how much he drank that night, and it worried her. Between the blood loss and the meds, he probably should have been in the ICU.
“Yeah. She’ll pick me up when I call. I stayed tonight for a reason. You and me need to have a sit-down.” Trask was slurring his words pretty bad, and Raven wanted to get him off the stool before he fell.
She nodded and pointed to a table. “Why don’t you grab a seat, and I’ll be there in just a second?”
He turned, his eyes half-open. He managed to make it the short distance to the table before falling into a chair. Raven finished sealing up the garnish tray and tossed the bar rag into the sink. She shook her head and laughed to herself as she came out from behind the bar.
“All right, Trask. What exquisite wisdom does a high, drunk, and short-on-blood biker have for me?”
He seemed to find a bit of clarity, because his words came out clearer than any others in that last hour at the bar. “I’m leaving.”
Raven was confused. “You’re calling Hope?”
“No. I’m leaving Bakersfield. Hope’s got a few more years of school in Davis, and Bear wants me to start a new chapter up there. I’m gonna do it. Bear’s right. We’re gonna need to spread out our territory, and he chose me. It makes sense. I get Hope, I get the top seat.”
“Why are you telling me, Trask?”
He leaned back, and Raven thought Trask was going to pass out. Instead, he kicked a foot up on a chair to his left. “Look, my pop’s a great man, but he’s getting old. You weren’t in Beezer’s place with us. He’s gettin’ slower. He’s still as strong as an ox, but damn if I didn’t see the age in his body. He knows it, too. I can see it on his face.”
Raven shrugged. “So what? He could lead this place well into his sixties.”
“Nah, he couldn’t.”
She waited for him to explain, but he didn’t. “Care to go into detail?”
Trask let out a sigh, and Raven could smell the alcohol on his breath. She thought about calling Hope for him, but she wanted more information. “Yeah, Bear could lead this place for another ten years. But the brothers won’t let him. They’ll pull a vote of no confidence… if he’s lucky.”
“What does it matter to them?”
“You know damn well. You’re just like the rest of them. They’re bloodthirsty. They all want to be president.” He stared right at Raven. Her desires were clear to him. “As soon as he can’t knock a guy out or shoot a gun straight, they’ll ditch him. Boss, Trigger, your boy Gunner—they’re all salivating at the thought of Bear retiring to a fishing boat on Lake Tahoe. And you .”
“What about me?” Raven hadn’t overlooked the comment about her boy Gunner, but she didn’t want to talk about that.
“Jesus, drop the act, Raven. You’re practically the old man’s shadow.” She gave Trask a hurtful look. “Ain’t nothing wrong with it, though. That’s why I’m here talking to you right now. You could do it.”
“I could do what? Be the president? Um, are you forgetting the fact that just about everyone in the club resents me for being a woman?” She could envision all the bikers that had made her work like a dog for their respect staring at her.
Trask shook his head. Raven tried to picture the club without him. She saw Trask as the keystone—a man in the background for the most part, but integral. Thinking of the club without Bear was about the same: unimaginable.
“Raven, you are a leader. I’ve seen it, and I’ve heard about it from Tanner. He sees what kind of man you are. Woman.” He let out a vaguely nervous laugh. “You know what I mean.”
“Yeah, I know what you mean, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t interested. I just know that I‘m brand new. What right do I have to even think about the
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