Page 48 of Prospect Year

“Your hands get dirty, you call King. Tell him you need a kickstand,” Mac explained.

Lola’s lips straightened into a thin line as he took another look at the limp body and pulled his phone from his pocket.

“Lola, what’s up?” King answered immediately.

“I need a kickstand,” Lola told his president as he kept his eyes focused on his father, his club brother.

Silence filled the line for a long moment before King’s surprise was evident in his voice as he demanded, “Say again.”

“I need a kickstand,” Lola said, slower this time.

“Where are you?”

“Mac’s Garage.”

“Mac?” King wanted to know.

“He’s here,” Lola told him.

“Alright.” Lola could hear the relief in King’s voice as he assured him, “We’re on our way.”

Lola pushed the phone back into his pocket. “I need to clean up this mess.”

“You just did.”

“How’s that?”

“Cleanup crew is on the way. Something learned only after being patched.” Mac pulled a bucket holding chemicals and towels from under the sink. “Although we can clean the floor from staining any further. You’ll help Brick with the barrel.”

“Brothers don’t kill brothers,” Lola stated as they scrubbed the spot.

“Just us. I’m your father, and I’m not lost to the fact you hate it.”

Lola rocked back on his heels and focused on Mac. “I do hate the fact, but I recall wishing for a dad like you once. I think I just put all that hate to rest.”

Mac grinned and stood. He tossed the evidence in a plastic bag and returned the bucket to its place. “Thanks,” he told his son.

Lola only nodded.

Within minutes, Brick and King arrived, and as Mac had informed him, he received a full lesson on handling club wet work.

Chapter 22

Lola stood at the window of the tiny apartment above Mac’s Garage. Watching Heather walk to her car and leave, an amusing realization struck him. Just a year ago, he stood here amazed at the direction his life had taken. He had sworn to avoid the dangers of trusting women and live for the club. Now, he enjoyed the company of three women he trusted. And yes, he had come to trust each of them.

Heather was the most recent. She was straight forward and no bullshit. They had deep conversations, and he was learning a lot from her. She would stop by the garage when she had time and they would sneak away here, to the uninterrupted privacy of the apartment, for what small amount of time he could steal away from work and the club. He was looking forward to the day he could reveal their secret meetings.

Amber . . . well, Amber was just Amber. That was his best explanation of her. Her presence was known before she reached the room. She wasn’t shy. If she ever hesitated around someone, as soon as they acknowledged her, she took it as permission to be herself. And she did. Or at least, she was with him. She had no problem telling him to fuck off, which only amused him. So at times he made it a point to push her buttons. But when they worked together, they learned they we’re more alike than they imagined. Together, the two of them made a great team

Mia was the complete opposite and the most complicated of the three and full of surprises. She was usually flitting around the kitchen or meeting with her therapist when not in her room. She loved the outdoors. She spent evenings on the swings she built and at times, he would see her strolling along the driveway when he came and went. She was quiet, and not just due to her inability to speak. No, she moved around so quietly, one would swear she floated across the floor like a beam of light silently bringing life to what it touched. She seemed to always add a bit of sunshine to everyone she met. He knew she had brightened his life.

Pushing from the window, he turned to head back down to the garage when he spotted the sign hanging next to the door. True Brothers Stick.

A smile lifted his lips as he stared at it, recalling walking in here and seeing it for the first time, nearly four years ago now. He had not fully understood the meaning that day. Now, he did. It had been a hard lesson, but a lesson worth learning.

The club brothers stick together, no questions asked. That is the lesson he has been taught this past year. Your brothers depend on you, no matter the time of day or night. No matter the situation, whether you understand or agree with their decision, they know you’ll back them. They trust you to be there. Your loyalty puts you there.

Loyalty and trust. Loyalty was the glue that bound them as a club. Trust was the freedom that bound them as a family.