The Hell Hounds: Landon

Chapter Two: Derrick

        I hated Sundays, they were the last day of the week and usually meant that I would have deal with a bunch of hung-over bikers at church. My pops wasn’t religious but he did have a sense of humor and he and his vice president thought that it would be funny to hold our church on Sundays. We could always call church anytime or day of the week, but we held a weekly one on Sundays at seven am. Rolling out of bed at six-thirty I head to the bathroom to get ready. After church I had to go see my brother Jack and his family, we did Sunday lunch every week.

          For three months there was a little boy that joined us. My brother said that he was the neighbor’s kid and they watched him in exchange for baked goodies since Alex found the teen, she hired partying while joey was locked in his room. I had been mad, there was a few things that the hellhounds didn’t abide by and any type of abuse to a kid was high on that list. Allen my vice president had sent his little sister Andrea to give the girl a good talking to. If you agreed to watch a kid, you watched the kid.

          I hadn’t met the mom yet. She was at work each time I was over there. Alex told me it was the diner on southern, Henry’s Place. I did like her baking skills and wound up eating half them each time. Pulling my head back to the present I finish getting ready and grab my cut from the hook next to my door. I make my way down the hallway and stairs to the main level and back to the kitchen. Allen is there with Varick our treasurer and Zeke our sergeant at arms. We all mumble a hello, I can tell Varick and Zeke are hung over and I shake my head smiling.

          I poor my coffee and make my way over to them sitting down next to Zeke and across from Allen. “So how was your night.”

          “The night was fine it’s the morning that sucks ass. Woke up with Betty trying to cuddle up with me.” I smile at Zeke; Betty was a club girl that has her sites set on Zeke and only Zeke. She made her way around the club more times than any other girl, but she always tried to get with Zeke. Seems she succeeded last night.

          “I thought you weren’t going to go there again?” asks Allen who lives with his wife and kids in a house in the back of compound.

          “I wasn’t I must have had too much to drink the end of the night is a blur, but I swear I thought I with Dee not Betty. I woke up and jumped out of bed told her to get her ass out of my room. She knows the rules no one sleeps over.”

          We all laugh at him. I look at the clock and see we have five before church is called, “Let’s get this done I have to get the shop and then lunch as Jack’s place.”

          They all nod, and we top off our coffees and make our way down to the door in the middle of the main wall in the front room. When pops had this place built, he wanted to make sure that he could see what was going on during church. The main wall is decorated with memorabilia from the start of the club and our parents’ tours in military. In the middle is a door of solid wood that leads to a meeting room. Next to the door is mirror that is a one-way window. The officers can see everything from inside the room.

          Opening the door, I walk in to see Darren the secretary and Brian the road captain already sitting at the table. “Morning guys, looks like we are all here so let’s get settled and start.”

          We all take our seats around the table. Allen’s dad Kevin made the table for the club when it started twenty-five years ago. It is solid wood with the club’s emblem in the middle, a bike with black giant hound in the background with the sun setting. The colors had to be touched up by Deanna Brian’s wife. Not all of stayed single both Brian and Allen married their high school loves and they were both a part of the club life with their kids. They were in charge of working with Darren to set up community events and celebrations with other clubs. We have some enemies, but we have more allies.     

          “Okay, so any updates that we all need to know about?”

          Darren speaks first, “the celebration outside of town next weekend it is going good so far word has spread, and we are expecting a good turnout. The proceeds will go the Arizona Friends of Foster Children Foundation this year.”

          “Good, make sure that the prospects and some of the other members help with clean up and set up. Have you reached out to the foundation?”

          “Yes, they agreed to bring some of the kids from aa group home down. They also sent a flyer out the families that have already had kids placed with them or adopted them that still affiliate with the foundation. The only hick-up is the baker baled on the cakes, but Deanna is working on finding someone.”

          My mind goes to the baker next door to my brother. “I may know someone or more like Jack knows someone. Their neighbor bakes as a hobby its good but I don’t know if she can do cakes. Let me run it by Alex today and see if she can put me or Deanna in contact.”

          He nods his head and we move on to other things. Brian our road captain goes over the next few runs we have; we help transport goods from Mexico to California. We aren’t stupid to what the cartel is shipping but we made it clear that under no circumstances would we help or let people be trafficked. They agreed so for the first few years we would check the trucks but after that we purchased heat sensor goggles and we use those to tell us what’s inside. If we can’t see something then we open it, or if it’s a freezer truck we open it. But the less we know the better right now we are just helping a business transport their merchandise.

          Not all of us including myself want to keep doing it and the cartel is fine letting us go. We have a good relationship and they have already set up some runs with other clubs. The three we are going over are the last ones we have, and they are all next week. After that Varick gives us a run down of the finances we have four legitimate businesses that have started to really make some money. We aren’t rich but each member is financial stable. Allen and I listen closely and then we move on to Zeke.

          “The Dawgs have started to try to push in on Tempe. Some of the guys chased two members out of town on Thursday night. Nothing to bad right now but definitely need to keep our eyes out. I spread the word to report to one of us when or if there is any other incidents.”

          “Good not sure why they are trying this s**t now. We have lived side by side for ten years with out any problems if it becomes persistent, we will set a meet up.” They all nod their heads in agreement, and we end the meeting. Making our way back to the main room we see Betty, Dee, Amber and Tiffany cleaning up. Betty smiles at Zeke and stops what she is doing to walk over and Dee and Tiffany glare at her. Amber is newer and doesn’t know how Betty can get.

          “Zeke, I was hoping to see you. You want to get out here?”

          “Hell no, you need to get back to cleaning the clubhouse and stay way from me. I ain’t sure what happened last night but you know I didn’t want you back in my bed.”

          “Oh, come on we had fun.” She says in what I think she tries for a sexy light whisper but loud enough for the whole room to hear.

          “Funny I can’t remember” and with that he heads to the kitchen. Betty moves to follow him, and I stop her. “You need to stop Betty. This is the second time he has told you to leave him alone. If he has to tell you again your gone.”

          She turns back to me ready to defend herself in what she feels is her right. Seeing my face is stone and my voice was firm she huffs and goes back to work. I don’t meddle with the club girls anymore and any that I did had long since left. As president if I gave them attention it would go to their heads, so I didn’t. I had a few drinks at the party’s but went to my room before it got crazy. Some girls tried and failed to get me to sleep with them and other didn’t take the hint, so I booted them.

          I made my way to the kitchen and Tiffany followed me. “Hey Derrick, you got a second?” I nod and sit at the table to Zeke and Allen while the others start to get their food. “Betty is getting bad; she is trying to say she is the lead club girl because she has been here longer, and we all know you don’t allow a hierarchy. She’s being extra mean to Amber since Zeke helped her with her car last week. She didn’t want to come to you but when you all leave, she is bitch.”

          “Really, thanks Tiffany. Let me think on what to do. She technically has one more strike before she leaves and being mean unfortunately isn’t going to cut it. Make sure that you and Dee are with Amber when she is here and keep Betty away from her. Keep showing her the ropes and we will talk about Betty.”

          She smiles, “Thanks I appreciate it Amber is sweetheart she doesn’t deserve that.”

          She leaves and me and Zeke speaks, “She needs to go she obviously has gotten too comfortable for her own good.”

          Allen is next, “Maybe we can get her to cool it off and giver her to Astrid and Deanna to help with the festival?”

          I think about it and decide against it. “No, I think that will give her an even larger sense of priority with the club. Let’s have her stay here to clean and tidy up and send the others to work with the old ladies. That she let her know what her place is and that her s**t won’t be tolerated.”

          Allen comes over and whistles low, “That would do it and if it doesn’t it will push her to cross the line that we need her to get the boot.”

          Zeke smiles big, “Thank f**k cause I ain’t drinking like that again till she is gone.”

          Brian comes over and teases Zeke. “Oh, does Zekey feel violated by the club girl?”

          “Shut it s**t face.” We all laugh and finish our breakfast. I head out to my bike and climb on making my way to the mechanic shop that have. Last year we expanded it to be a small car dealer ship too. So far business was good, and I only stopped in after church on Sundays for a few hours to do the payroll. I handled the payroll for all the business with Varick’s help. He reviews it all Mondays and Tuesday to that our staff can be paid weekly on Thursdays. This the only business that I have to stop at since we use the same system for each one.

          It’s quiet at nine am on Sundays, no one works Sundays it’s my mom’s family rule and when I took over as president, I made it a business rule too. I make my way back to my office and get started. I make a huge dent before I realize that it’s eleven forty-five and I have lunch in fifteen minutes. Logging out and shutting down I lock my office then the main door get on my bike and head for Jack’s.

          I get to Jack’s a few minutes late but still in time. As I walk in joey runs up to me holding a toy bike that Gregory must have let him play with. “ook errick”. He must be really excited today; he usually speaks clearer. I laugh and bend down so he can show me his bike. “Where did this come from? It a handsome bike for handsome boy.” He laughs and runs back to Gregory.

          “I got it for him at the store yesterday. He likes cars and trucks figured I would expand his horizon to two wheelers.”

          Alex chimes in “and when his momma wanna kill someone for it I am sending her your way. Son or not.” Gregory and I laugh at that and my brother hid his. I walk the rest of the way into the kitchen and give Alex a hug and a kiss on the cheek then slap my brother on the back and just to be the annoying uncle I ruffle Gregory’s hair. “Hey, Hey, don’t mess up the hair I have a date later.” This kid dates more than me or his dad did in high school.

          “Oh, yea will this one make it past the first date?”

          He half smirks at me and shrugs. “I have been trying to get this girl on a date with me for two years. I plan to make it the first of many.”

          “Good for you so when does she get to meet the family?”

          “Not till after the wedding.”

          I laugh so hard my ribs hurt and Joey followed my lead. His dad choked on his soda and his mom slapped the back of his head while trying not to laugh. It was a good day, a good lunch but I realized that I didn’t smell the usual baked goods today. For three months every Sunday this place smelled like a bakery s***h restaurant.

          “Hey, did the neighbor bake something this weekend.”

          Alex laughs this time and turns to me, “Her name is Allison and yes she did, but she forgot them and had to run she was running late this morning. I told her to bring them over after.”

          I see Gregory try to hide smile. Wondering what he thought was funny I started to ask him when I remember the conversation from church this morning. “Hey Alex, would you be willing to see if Allison would be willing to back some cakes for the celebration next week. I think there was supposed to three huge ones, but Astrid or Deanna would know for sure.”

          “I don’t know I can ask her maybe offer to help to with Joey. I know that she usually doesn’t work Saturday or Friday but the rest of week she does. The baker bailed out?”

          “Yea something like that. Well we will pay her if she says yes you can give her my number or one of the old ladies. You guys still planning on making it out that way? I am planning on staying with mom for the weekend helping her around the house Friday and Sunday and dragging her to the celebration on Saturday.”   

          Jack moves to sit by me and takes Joey from Gregory. He really is a cute kid. “I was thinking about doing the same thing and just staying the weekend hanging out with everyone and staying at moms. We could manage till Saturday, but we would have to be here for Joey in the morning.”

          “Any way she could find another sitter?”

          “Absolutely not.” I looked to Alex to see her staring at Joey and Jack. “I ain’t trusting anybody with this little boy.”

          I look and Gregory and Jack who smile at Alex. “Is this one of those weird surrogate grandma things?”

          I duck before Alex can manage to land a slap. We all laugh as Alex finishes lunch and Joey plays musical laps landing in mine most. Not sure why the kid likes me, but he is really adorable. I asked Alex once if she knew why Allison was a single mom, but she told me that she never asked, and Allison never offered. Alex serves up lunch and we all eat laughing and joking for the rest of lunch. By the time we are done it is almost one thirty and Alex’s phone rings.

          “Hello”

          “Oh no that’s fine. We are okay no big deal……No you go to your dad’s Joey is good here for a little while long…...Yes I am sure he is with Derrick and Gregory right now…...Okay see you in twenty to thirty.”

          She hangs us the phone and looks over at Jack. “She is running a little late the waitress that was supposed to relieve her was late again. She is running by her dads to let the dogs out.”

           “She knows I hang out here on Sundays with Joey?” Most moms try to keep us far away from their kids or they don’t care enough to notice we are there. I hate the latter I can live with them trying to protect their kids from what they feel may be a danger.

          “Of course, the first few times you were here Joey couldn’t stop stalking about you. I told her that you were my brother in law and came over every Sunday.”

          I get a little suspicious, “Did you tell her that I am member of Hellhounds?”

          “We didn’t talk about your career choices. Besides she loves Joey and if he likes you your in. She is a really great mom and wouldn’t do anything to hurt Joey’s feelings.”          

          A little worried about what she may do when she finds out what I do for a living I decide that I should leave before she gets here. “Alright but let’s not push it today from the sounds of it she had a s**t day. I am going to head out.”

          We say our goodbyes and I throw Joey in the air one last time then set him down. I wasn’t fast enough though when Jack moved to open the door and walk down with me, there she stood, and I have to say that she is a beautiful woman. Dark brown hair pulled back to a ponytail, petite with hazel but mostly green eyes. She had to be about five foot and she was in blue jeans and green shirt that had ‘henry’s place’ in the top right chest. From the look on her face I could tell she was confused. I moved aside and she walked past us and looked up at me.

          “Hey Ally, this is my brother Derrick. Alex and Joey are in the kitchen if you want to head that I will be right back.”

          I knew that my brother was trying to not be here for that conversation, so I walked out ahead of him pulling me away from hers. I walked out the door with my brother and took my first breath from the moment that I saw her. “Wow brother she is gorgeous.”

          “Yea that why Alex hasn't pushed about Joey’s dad. She said he’s either dead or dumb and either isn’t a story she wants to hear.”

          I laugh but agree with Alex completely. “Let me know if Alex talks to her about the cakes. I’ll see you later in the week little brother.”