“Rage Against Boredom,” Wheels said, clearly proud.
“You’re cut off,” Podge told him.
I laughed.“Alright, alright.Enough throwin’ spaghetti at the wall.Let’s vote.”
Hands raised around the table as I called out the final contenders: Saints’ Smash and Smash City.It was dead even.
I leaned forward and braced my hands on the table.“Looks like it’s down to me.”
The room waited.I gave it a beat, then nodded.“Saints’ Smash.Feels right.”
Swift nodded approvingly.“Clean.On brand.I like it.”
“Alright,” I said.“Next.Buildout.We going full DIY, or we hiring some muscle?”
“Do it ourselves,” Hodge said immediately.“Keep outsiders out.”
“That’ll take months,” Podge pointed out.“And we’ve got enough on our plate with the clubhouse still under construction.”
Gramps cleared his throat.“We’ve got the cash.You boys want this done in under six months, you better think about hiring out the big shit.Demolition.Framework.Electrical.Then we go in and make it ours.”
“We can be there the whole time,” I added.“Supervise.Make sure no one pokes their nose too far in.”
Swift nodded.“That makes sense.We don’t need a bunch of drywall dust clogging up our engines while trying to drywall at midnight.”
“Vote,” I said.
Hands rose, and they were more than enough to carry it.
“Alright.Demo and structure go to outside help.Finish work and design, that’s on us.”
Podge scribbled in his notebook and mumbled to himself.
“Anything else on the table?”
Silence.
I leaned against the table edge and scanned the room.“How do we feel about Madison so far?”
Wheels lifted his bottle.“City’s nice, beer’s cheap, women are hot.What’s not to love?”
“People watch us,” Hodge said.“Noticed that last night and this morning.Eyes on us, and not just curious ones.”
“That’s good,” Swift said.“Means they’re already worried.”
Magnum snorted.“Or it means we’re about to have company.”
“Let ‘em come,” Rev murmured.“Steel sharpens steel.”
I looked around the room.The boys were grinning.Calm.Ready.Comfortable in the chaos.
“Clubhouse is almost done,” Podge noted.“Drywall’s up on the main floor.Painting starts tomorrow.Upstairs, we’re halfway through flooring.Bedrooms will be done before the week’s out.”
“Three more weeks and this place is home,” Swift added.
“It’s already home,” I said.“Just needed the walls to catch up.”
Chairs scraped back as guys stood, conversations sparking up again.Church was done.
