Going Full Throttle

Chapter 47 - Tyler's POV

September 5th

"Dude, what the fuck is your problem?"

I looked up from the whiskey that I'd been lost in and raised one eyebrow at Dane. He had been on my ass since I got back home, constantly needling me about every little thing. When I didn't respond he gestured to the rest of my so-called friends and huffed.

"We are all thinking it. You've changed, man."

My eyes drifted to each of the Goon Riders, the original members anyway. Dane glared intensely, probably just pissed that I wasn't acting like his partner in crime anymore. Fitz shifted uncomfortably in his chair, avoiding my gaze just like he avoided anything serious. Rohan rubbed his chin and shrugged noncomittally. Clearly, in the months that I'd been gone, the stick shoved up his ass hadn't been removed yet.

"Fine, I'll say it then," Dane said with a strict glare to the others who hadn't supported him like he'd wanted. "We have a six-month tour ahead of us and I'm not dealing with your bitch ass the whole time. I don't know what happened to you but you need to buck up."

"Nothing happened to me," I snapped.

Dane rolled his eyes and smirked. "Yeah, right. That's why your Instagram practically became a tribute page to that chick."

My knuckles tightened on my glass as my blood pressure pounded in my ears. "Don't fucking talk about her."

"Perfect," Dane groaned. "Ro already has the pouty heartbroken thing down. We can't have two of you."

"Shut the fuck up," Rohan and I growled at the exact same time.

Fitz leaned forward with his elbows on his knees, running his fingers through his floppy hair. "Guys, C'mon. Why can't we all just get along?"

"Oh yeah," I scoffed, "then you wanna go get manicures together?"

"We'll fucking brunch while we're at it," Dane quipped making me laugh despite myself. Our eyes connected and we both grimaced. We had been in this together since the beginning. Two sixteen-year-old kids who wanted out of their shitty homes. We'd built the Goon Riders from the ground up, figuring out the business end of things and recruiting new riders. Fitz and Ro came first and we'd officially become a team. Then over the years, we brought in younger guys, kind of like our own junior varsity.

Dane and I were too alike to actually apologize, but at the same time, we nodded over our glasses. Well, we used to be alike. He was right, I had changed.

"There we go," Fitz grinned. "One big happy family again. Sort of," he acknowledged Rohan's somber state with a tilt of his head. Ro just held up his middle finger and sipped his drink.

"I'll take it," Dane shrugged. "The puppies are all riled up for a party tonight, so let's not disappoint. We need to rally the troops and get the morale up. It's been a long summer without you, man." He tipped his drink to me.

I nodded, knowing he was right. The young bucks still thrived on the high of our lifestyle. They needed to feel like they were a part of something bigger. It always made our tours and videos better. Our business ran on the principle that we were all friends, if that bond was gone, so was the show.

With a sigh, I readied myself for a loud and long night in some random club. I really wished Scotty was here, but he had gone back to his parent's house for some rest. He would join the tour on our first stop as the official videographer, but that didn't help me tonight.

An hour later I sat in the corner of Dane's house, avoiding conversation as best as I could. For now as least, Dane was happy enough that I'd shown up. He was in the centre of the room, holding court with the younger riders around him. They hung off every damn word that he said like he was a God or something.