The Iron Predators, Part VI [SAMPLE]

Chapter 2

ACID

I'm at the bar, but I'm not feeling it tonight. I hardly ever do after I've dealt with mom. I visit her at least once a month to see if she's alive or not, and it always ends up with me pouring out and flushing down her shit...and her screaming and cursing at me and telling me what a shitty son I am and that she wishes that I was never born.

It gets to me even after all these years, and even if I try to tell myself that it doesn't. Maybe not as much anymore, but you don't want to hear those words come out of the person who brought you to this world. I wasn't asked to be fucking born.

"Fuck off," I tell the Sweet butt who just tried to sit down on my lap while smiling seductively at me, and her face falls and she walks off.

"No need to be so rude, man," Snake tells me while having a girl on his lap. "They have feelings too, you know."

He might've been a little like me before, but he's grown up a bit. I guess I'm just not there yet...or ever will be. I just want to sit here and grab a beer or two without getting bothered today.

When I drive home later that night, I drive down the street to the clubhouse and watch all the houses I'm passing by. Almost the whole street has been filled with houses on both sides for the members that no longer live in the clubhouse. The most newly built house is a smaller one, and it's not for a member. It's for Bear's younger sister, Nina, and her daughter. She's apparently been alone with her since the dad left a long time ago.

Bear told us that Nina was in a car accident a few years ago and has problems with her neck and back. She worked as a teacher before that, but she couldn't continue working. Now, she needs help to get by, so Bear decided to build her a small house here so he and his old lady, Ava, can help her if needed, and she'll live here for free since he's paid for the house, so she doesn't need to worry about money.

Her daughter, Juniper, is a sophomore in college, just like Lucy, Colt's sister, but she's mostly been homeschooled and taken online classes. Now, she's gonna go to the college in Fort Abner a town over with Lucy. They'll move in tomorrow from what I've heard, and Nina will be helping out in the kitchen in the clubhouse as much as her injury lets her so she has something to do. Apparently, she makes great food, so she's more than welcome.

I might not like people that much, but I like food.

I park my bike outside the clubhouse, then head inside and up to my room on the second floor. I take my cut and t-shirt off, put on a hoodie, then go down again and out on the porch to get a smoke. Everyone's either sleeping, is still at the bar or at their houses. It's quiet and just what I need right now. The only thing I hear is the crickets.

The next day, we're at the warehouse to ship some guns to a buyer. When we're on our way home and are riding through Fort Abner, I see one of the known drug dealers crossing the street further ahead. We've been keeping an eye on them for a while, and I know that it's one of them that mom's buying from. This one is just a few years younger than me.

I clench my hands around the handles and speed up. I ride past the others, even Beast, and stop just as the fucker has crossed the street. I get off my bike, walk up to him, grab ahold of his shirt and punch him before he can cover his face.

"If you or anyone in your little crew sells drugs to my mom again, I'll kill you," I say angrily and punch him again.

I hear the others park behind me.

"Acid, enough!" Beast yells sternly.

I let him go and he stumbles back.

Beast gets ahold of his arm and helps him up. "I'm sorry about him. He's just having a bad day. Get on going."