So, as soon as the vicar finished his speech, I braced myself, ready to grab Dante before he could run off anywhere.
Crash’s bike was placed next to his headstone, and a few of the men gave speeches. All the while, my fingers drummed against my thigh impatiently, waiting for the ceremony to end.
Dante moved forward when Vienna had finished his speech and stood next to Crash’s headstone. I expected him to give a speech of his own. Instead, he climbed on the bike, nodded at the men, and rode off.
My mouth fell open as I watched all the men leave, heading towards their own bikes.
“Where are they going?” I asked Jenna.
“Did no one tell you?” She asked, a shocked look on her face.
“Evidently not.”
“Well… They’re going for a ride. Crash’s bike belongs to Dante now. Trent has been organising the ride for the past two weeks. A sort of ‘breaking it in’ ride, so to speak. They’re riding to celebrate Crash’s life, and the new chapter of the Devil’s, with Dante in charge. It’s why they’ve not been on their weekly ride as a club since he passed away. All rides are cancelled as a mark of respect, and the first one after the president dies is always after the funeral.”
“No one tells me anything around here.”
“I’d have told you if I knew you didn’t know,” Jenna replied, a hurt look on her face.
“Shit. I know. I’m sorry. I know you would have.”
“It’s okay, Rachel. Sometimes it’s easy to forget you haven’t been here long. You’ve become such a huge part of my life, what with Sin and everything else. It’s hard to remember you don’t have all the knowledge some of us other old ladies have. Shit, even I forget until it's needed – like the riding ceremony today.”
“Do you know when they’ll be back?”
“I’ve no idea,” she shrugged. “Hey… Rachel?”
“Oh, God. I don’t like the way you just said my name. What? What now?”
“What have you heard about tomorrow?”
“Tomorrow?” I said, my voice coming out as a squeak.
“It didn’t even occur to me that you wouldn’t know. Shark told me two days ago. I just assumed Dante would have told you, too. But, if he hasn’t even told you about the ride tradition…”
“Bee, go and see Grandma,” I said to the little girl still clinging to my hand.
“I want to stay with you,” she replied, tightening her grip.
“I’ll be right with you, sweetheart. I promise. Just go and see Grandma and make sure she’s okay, yeah?”
She nodded, and I breathed a sigh of relief as she walked away. I already knew I wasn’t going to like what Jenna had to say.
Chapter 58
Rachel
Two hours later, I was in my bedroom, throwing everything into a suitcase.
I had taken Jenna to the half-rebuilt clubhouse, knowing that nobody else would be there, and demanded she told me everything.
The Devils were planning an attack on the Riders tomorrow. They had guns; they had grenades – grenades which they had sourced from some pretty sketchy fucking places, earning themselves a debt in the process. A debt that wasn’t to be repaid with money, but with favours. I could only fucking imagine what they would be.
They had men, Monster was preparing the dogs, they had Molotovs, throwing knives, axes, and even bows and arrows.
I asked Jenna why the hell she was staying, and she said there was nowhere else for her to go. Her job was to be at her man’s side, or back at base, waiting for him to return. And when asked, “what if he never returns?” she didn’t have an answer for me.
Jenna had been drinking too much of the cool aid. I wasn’t staying here, and I was certainly not going to put my baby and Bee at risk.
