Rocky Road: Sequel Book Three

Chapter 12

Mike

“Damn you, Michael!” Jace shouts when he walks through the doors of the gym connected to the auto shop.

“Yeah, what the hell?” Ron bellows from Jace’s heel.

I stop after hitting the punching bag one more time, feeling the leather pound into the knuckles. Sweat runs downs my forehead, so I use the bit of fabric left on my shoulder from my cut-off shirt to wipe it off.

“I know, I know.” It’s near irritating at this point. Perhaps it’s best that I don’t come around the clubhouse anymore. I was almost positive that she wouldn’t come back here.

She proved me wrong.

Again.

“I really don’t think you do know! You put us all in jeopardy.” Jace leans against the ropes of the boxing ring.

As I glare at him, he backs down, but Ron speaks up, “She could have seen you right before you dove behind the pool table. That was some close shit.”

Too close.

“Look. Randall is gone. Why can’t you come back?” Jace asks. Stupid Jace… he knows the answer.

“Because… I just can’t.” Everyone will flip a cap and my mother may actually kill me. Not to mention, everyone is better off without me. All I ever did was cause pain.

“Then you either need to leave this state or this country because this is a small ass town. You stick around here, she’s gonna see ya eventually.” Ron nudges his glasses up his nose then folds his thick arms over his broad chest.

I turn around and inspect my raw knuckles while grabbing a water bottle from the bench. “She’ll be leaving for college in the fall, I’ll stick around until then.” I take a swig of the cold liquid and face them. “Besides, there’s this guy I’ve been seeing around town – I can never get a glimpse of his face, but he doesn’t seem to be causing any trouble. Have any of y'all seen him? Know who I’m talkin’ about?”

Ron’s eyes grow a size. “Yeah. I’ve seen him. He was at your funeral, wasn’t he?”

I nod and give them a serious look. “So, you can understand why I’ll be sticking around town for a bit. I want to make sure Elena and Viper will be left alone by that guy.”

“Understood, Prez.” Ron nods and keeps eye contact.

The title catches me off guard as I run a hand through my hair. “I’m not your Prez.”

Ron doesn’t hesitate. “Red… you never stopped being our Prez.”

Taking a seat at the bench, I stretch my legs out then pull them back in. I sigh with irritability and give Ron a warning glare. “A dead man can’t be a president of an MC, Ron.”

He swallows for a moment and turns his sights to Jace, who is quiet in the boxing ring. His eyes don’t give much away, but his shrug does. Ron then glances at me and says. “But you’re not… dead.”

With that statement, I close my eyes and pinch the bridge of my nose. No. No I am not. But I’m not living, either…

****Short chapter, I know. But things are going to start getting intense here real soon! Thank you for reading - I appreciate every one of you!****