Page 88 of Shadow
“You think Keys is gay?” Pence asked.
“Makes sense.”
“No fucking way,” Monk growled. “I’ve never seen him with a guy.”
“But have you ever seen him with a woman?” I challenged. “Look, I’m only speculating right now. Big Jim was a ladies’ man. Loved to fuck them. From what I know and heard, the man was notorious for fucking club whores for all to see. For a teenage boy living in a biker club, seeing his father, uncles and other brothers fucking women on a daily basis could have seriously messed with his head. Also, consider the area. Oklahoma isn’t the best place to be for a teenage boy who bats for the home team.”
“That’s bullshit,” Pence muttered. “Nobody here gives a shit if Keys is gay.”
“You don’t but what about his father?” I asked. “Big Jim was old school, Pence. How do you think Big Jim would have reacted if his only son was a homosexual?”
“He would have killed him,” Monk whispered. “Big Jim hated the fags, as he called them. Always belittled and tortured them. He believed they were the way they were because they didn’t have a real man to teach them the correct ways. The fucker was a bigot and a homophobe. He blamed society.”
“Exactly,” I nodded. “Now imagine a young sixteen-year-old Keys goes to his dad and tells him he thinks he’s gay. How do you think Big Jim would react, Monk?”
“He’d beat him senseless,” Monk said.
“That’s what I think, too. I think the moment Keys opened up to his dad, he made his life a living hell until Keys couldn’t take it anymore and snapped. I think when he realized what he did, he panicked and went along with all of you, hiding in plain sight. I also think that because he trusted Hanover and Miller, he confessed to what he did, only they were going to turn him in to the police and that’s why Keys killed them. Their murders were gruesome. Damn near identical to what Keys did to the old club.”
“But we don’t give a damn!” Monk yelled. “I don’t care where he sticks his dick.”
“Does Keys know that?” I asked. “Think, Monk. The club today isn’t much different from when Big Jim was around. Are there any openly gay club brothers? No. Every brother here loves the ladies. Hell, man, you have club whores at the club every weekend. You guys party, drink and fuck. In Keys’ mind, this club is no different from his father’s.”
“We’re not like that?” Blackjack muttered.
“Oh, really?” I asked.
Before Blackjack could do anything, I grabbed him and planted a kiss on him. Chairs flew back, as Blackjack pushed me away before punching me in the face and roaring, “WHAT THE FUCK?!”
Rubbing my jaw, I grinned. “There is your answer, asshole.”
My brother chuckled. “Damn, Zeke. Did you have to do that?”
“They wouldn’t have listened any other way.”
“I don’t know, Ghost,” Digger smirked. “Shadow has those soft lips. I wouldn’t mind laying one on him.”
Slaughter rolled his eyes. “Keep talking smack, dickhead, and I’ll tell Stella you secretly crave dick.”
Digger shrugged. “I’ll never apologize for loving Shadow.”
Laughing, I shook my head. “I hate you, asshole.”
“Aww, you love me, and you know it.” Digger winked.
Seeing all the Diamondbacks on their feet, I turned to Kansas, who sat in his chair grinning. “There’s your answer, Prez. You wanted to know why Keys went off the reservation. Why he massacred the club and why he’s on a murderous rampage again. Now you know, and my bet is he isn’t done yet. All of you were supposed to be his brothers. Men he could trust and talk to about anything. But in Keys’ mind, all of you are no better than his father. The way you guys just reacted is exactly how Keys knew you all would.”
“Jesus Christ, Shadow,” Pence groaned. “We don’t care if he’s gay.”
“Really?” I challenged. “Then why do you look sick to your stomach, Pence? It was just a kiss.”
“Shadow’s right,” Blackjack said, leaning against the chair he had just vacated, hanging his head. “I don’t care who anyone fucks. My parents raised me to accept everyone and yet, with how I reacted, I don’t get it. Why would I react that way?”
“Because being gay in a biker club isn’t the norm, Blackjack,” Kansas stated. “I grew up in New York City. Seeing and being around homosexuals is nothing new to me. I grew up seeing men publicly kiss men, women publicly kiss women, but here in Oklahoma, it’s rare. Those folks don’t want the condemnation, the looks of disgust, the bigotry of it all. So, they keep their private life private. Though your parents taught you to respect everyone, you didn’t know how you were going to react because you’d never been around it. Now you know how you truly feel.”
“But it isn’t right, Prez. Shadow is right. It was just a kiss. Didn’t do anything for me but I shouldn’t have reacted that way. I shouldn’t have hit you, Shadow.”
“I deserved it,” I grinned.