Masked & Miserable: A Novella of the Sacred Hearts MC (Book 3.5) (7 page)

Squick…

“Alright listen up!” Dragon’s voice boomed through the
common room and the place fell silent. It was go time and if I thought I’d been
nervous about coming out to the club before, well now,
now
I was
terrified. In addition to Dragon, Dray, Trig, Doc, Reaver, and the rest of the
local Sacred Hearts mother chapter there was something like twenty or more
other guys from out of town. Guys wearing the bottom rockers of neighboring
chapters or nomad patches. I swallowed hard, my heart hammering in my chest, my
mouth bone dry as Dragon started speaking and when Dragon spoke, you listened.

“So we got two guys that have been prospecting for us for
the last year and it’s time to put ‘em up for a vote, but first one of ‘em
would like to tell us somethin’. As most of you fuckers know, there’s more to a
brotherhood like ours than ridin’ and fightin’ and what have you. We’re family,
when a lot of us ain’t got no real family to call our own and you don’t hide shit
from your family and your family, they don’t turn their backs on yah for
anything more than the most hardcore of betrayals. So Squick, why don’t you say
what you gotta say and we’ll see how this goes.” Dragon crossed his bulky arms
over his chest in the awkward way he did and leveled me with his dark gaze.

Leather creaked and denim rustled as everyone in the room
turned to me expectantly. I felt like my friggin’ heart was going to explode
but there really was no going back now. I was standing on the edge of the cliff
ready to plunge headlong into the unknown, scared as fuck about what was under
the water but it was now or never, it was sink or swim and it was time to take
the plunge and so I did… the only way I knew how.

“I uh… I didn’t know what to do, I um, I never wanted to
keep this from anyone, I mean
I did
but…” I coughed and took a deep
breath to steady myself. “I never wanted to lie to you guys and I can’t in good
conscience let you guys put it to a vote, let you accept me as your brother and
into this club while I hid anything, especially something this big.” I hung my
head and gritted my teeth. I closed my eyes for a second and took another
fortifying breath and looked Trigger and Zander in the eyes while I said it
because they had known me the longest and because they had brought me here and
because I was almost afraid they would catch the most hell
because
of
that.

“I’m gay,” I said and grimaced, “and I’m sorry I’ve hid it
for so long but… but I didn’t know what else to do.”

Trigger’s frown smoothed into a look of relief and Zander’s
eyebrows went up in a look that screamed that I hadn’t told him anything he
wasn’t aware of already. Dragon nodded and Dray’s expression remained as
shuttered and guarded as I had ever seen it. Our VP gave a damn good poker
face. I couldn’t tell what he was thinking one way or the other. Reaver was
grinning like he’d won the lottery and I shivered inside. I didn’t know if that
was a good or a bad thing but after watching him last Lake Run, coming up the
cabin trail in the dark with his hands caked in blood, his shorts smeared with
it, straining over his boner… Well, I liked my mentor, I really did, but I
really didn’t want to find out what his apparent glee at the situation meant,
especially if it didn’t mean anything good.

“Okay,” Dragon sucked his teeth, and looked out over
everyone in attendance, “Let’s put it to a vote.” He looked at me, “Has to be
unanimous, you understand,” he said and I nodded.

“All in favor?” Dray called and put up his hand and I felt
my chest crush down with emotion. It looked like every hand in the house went
in the air. Dragon nodded.

“All opposed?” Dray asked and all the hands dropped, but two
went up. My heart dropped into my stomach and my shoulders with it. I felt cold
all over and I closed my eyes. Two hold outs did not unanimous make, never mind
that they were out of towners, they were still patched members of this club and
their votes counted, at least I think they did.

“That’s fucking BULLSHIT man!” We all startled and turned to
Zander who was seething next to Trigger. All eyes were rooted to the stocky man
who was just getting warmed up.

“Man fuck you two!” he shouted pointing in their direction,
“You’ve been here what!? A couple of days? Well Squick’s been here for over a
fucking
year
you asswipes! Pouring his blood, sweat and tears into this
fucking club! You cut that skinny fucker and he bleeds Sacred Hearts colors!”
Zander rounded on our cabinet.

“You really going to let these two fucks influence this
decision!?” he demanded. Dray opened his mouth to speak and it looked bad, it
looked really bad.

“Man fuck you! You fucking fucks! Squick is
my brother!
My
fucking family and I don’t turn my fucking back on my fucking family!” he took
a breath to rail on but was stopped short by Dragon’s booming laughter. We
turned to the President of the chapter in a bit of stunned confusion as he just
fucking howled with laughter.

“What’s so fucking funny old man!?” Zander demanded, still
fucking heated.

“Boy!” Dragon cried at Zander, “Look at them two!” Zander
looked back at the two hold outs who were both grinning. Zander’s face
collapsed into a hard scowl.

“These guys aren’t from our chapter and don’t get a say. We
done already fucking voted on you two!” Dragon howled and Zander and I exchanged
looks. Dray was grinning now too and so was everyone else.

“Squick, c’mere,” Dragon said and crooked a finger at me
still laughing. I went numbly to our president’s side. He put his arm around my
shoulders and I startled.

“Boy, we all talked about it a month or more ago and decided
you were in as long as you would come clean about who you were. Took you a
minute but you finally got there. You do you, and the
you
we know is
loyal to a fault, has always been there for a brother no matter what time of night
no matter what the fucking issue. You are a damned fine asset to this club and
we would’ve been damned sorry to see you go, but we all knew you wouldn’t let
that happen, that we could count on you and sure enough! So that left Zander.
You know we can’t resist fucking with you guys and I can’t say we’re sorry we
fucked with him at your expense.”

I blinked, stunned… “What are you saying?” I asked, my words
hollow in my chest.

“I’m saying,” he said gripping me by the shoulders and
turning me towards Reaver who held a brand new Sacred Heart’s cut in his hands,
“Welcome brother Disney.”

Dragon gave me a little shove in Reaver’s direction, taking
the Prospect’s cut off my shoulders when he did it. I stepped forward, shaking
and turned around so Reaver could slide the new patch onto my shoulders.

“Disney?” I asked incredulous.

“On account of all them fucked up cartoons you got all over
you,” Dragon said grinning. I looked over to Trigger who wore a shit eating
grin and to Zander who looked as stunned as me.

“Zander,” Dray said and Zander looked over to his mentor,
our VP who was shaking out another, larger cut.

“Not anymore,” Dragon said. “Revelator, on account of
getting hit by you
is
one, a revelation, that is. You’ve proven in the
last year that no matter how bad it gets, no matter how sideways shit goes that
you’ve got any man in this club’s back. You’ve gone above and beyond and done
what needs done to serve this club, protect this club and its people and we
couldn’t ask for two better brothers than you and Disney.” Zander shuffled
forward on his red Chuck Taylor’s. He shrugged out of his prospect’s cut and
let Dray help him into his new colors and looked about as overcome by emotion
as I felt.

“Congratu-fucking-lations you two,” Dragon said then roared
like his namesake, “Welcome home!” the room erupted in loud cheering and
applause punctuated by earsplitting whistles of approval. Hugs were handed out
like cigars at a baby shower and by the time it was over my ribs felt loose and
my back bruised from all the sound poundings it’d taken.

“Disney,” I said under my breath, finger tips smoothing
across the ridge of embroidery of my new road name. I felt my face split into a
smile. I liked it. I liked my new name a lot. I swallowed hard and sobered.

“Uh oh, what’s that look for?” Reaver asked. I looked up at
him, Zan- Revelator, Trigger, my Pres. and Vice Pres.

“Is it okay… I mean, is it going to be weird if…” they all
looked at me like they weren’t getting it, Ghost shouldered his way between
Trig and Revelator with three beers in each hand, holding the bottle necks
between his fingers.

“Spit it out Disney,” Trig said amused.

“Is it going to be weird for you guys if I bring my
boyfriend around?” I rushed out, thinking of Aaron. The guys all exchanged looks,
some of them had the grace to look embarrassed by their discomfort but it was
Dray of all people who spoke up first…

“Dis, man, I’m not going to pretend that it isn’t going to
make me uncomfortable at first but that’s my malfunction, not yours. I’ll get
used to it the more I see it,” he said and gave me a nod. I blinked.

“Not sure how we’re going to handle it, I mean does he have
any interest in prospecting? Is he going to be your Old Lady? We’re forging new
ground here, the club has never had a gay member so we’re all on a learning
curve with you boy,” Doc said.

“Um, I don’t know either, Aaron and I have only been seeing
each other for about a week, it uh, it was all real sudden and real new… I’m
uh…” I blushed. I wasn’t used to being so open about all this.

“Where’s he at?” Zander asked, eyes narrowed.

“He plays the Cello for the Philharmonic Orchestra in the
city,” I said.

Ghost put the beers on the bar when Dragon started looking
from one to the other of his chapter.

“It’s a clear night. Why don’t we just go get ‘im and find
out?” Dragon asked, I startled.

“I... don’t know!” I said drawing out the ‘I’.

“Ashamed of us Puddin’?” Revelator asked wrinkling his nose
and smiling a toothy grin. I gave him a flat look.

“Fuck you, let’s go, but you guys have to let me talk to him
first!” I cried when they all started getting rowdy and cheering.

Oh God… how was this going to go?

Squick

Disney…

We rode out in formation, the guys from out of town staying
back at the club house to hold down the fort until we got back. Reaver had
called his wife and told her to get the girls together and their pretty little
asses to the club house if they wanted to meet my boyfriend and had to hold the
phone a foot from his ear as her and Ashton’s ear splitting squeals of delight
had blasted through the earpiece.

“I hate you so god damned much,” I said in a dry, deadpan
tone of voice but I couldn’t keep the smile off my face. He sucked in his
cheeks and gave me fish lips and made smooching sounds in my direction and I
flipped him the fucking bird.

Dragon came to me and handed me a Pillion pad for my back
fender. I smiled and took it and pressed the lick and stick seat’s suction cups
to my back fender and I really,
really
hoped that it would get used.
Adrenaline coursed through my veins, thrumming with a low hum through every
nerve ending. A mixture of excitement and anxiety played the insides of my ribs
like a xylophone, my heart hammering a bass beat against the underside of my
breast bone the closer we got to the city.

The night was clear and the sky which was shot through with
stars over the clubhouse was merely sprinkled with them the closer and closer
we got to the lights of the city. It was almost an hour’s ride and it honored
me that my brothers would take it with me. We pulled up to the taxi waiting
area along the curb in front of the Orchestra house and waited. I checked the
time and the timing couldn’t be more perfect. The performance had ended a half
hour ago and the musicians were just coming out the side door. I blew into my
icy hands to warm them, looked back at the guys who all sat astride their bikes
and waited.

“Well go get him!” Trigger barked and laughed. I shot a grin
over my shoulder and walked towards the mouth of the alley where the performers
were coming out a side door and watched for Aaron. My heart nearly stopped in
my chest when he came out. He was between a girl who carried a slim case for a
clarinet or a flute and a guy who carried a violin. Aaron’s cello was in a soft
case that he wore like a back pack and he looked up sharply at the girl’s
startled “Oh my!”

His liquid dark eyes locked with mine and all the tension
I’d felt on the way out here eased marginally. I held out my hands to either
side and laughed a little incredulously. Aaron blinked behind his sexy as hell
lenses and looked past me to the gleaming line of chrome and dusky black
leather at the curb.

“Andy?” he asked, “What’s going on?”

“Well, uh, my brothers thought it might be a good idea if we
came out and picked up my boyfriend so he could celebrate me patching in with
me,” I said and pursed my lips. My heart was fucking hammering in my chest as I
waited for Aaron to say something.

“Oh… well um,” he smiled softly and his eyes glinted with
mischief, “What’s your boyfriend’s name? I’ll tell him you’re here,” I stepped
closer, slowly, and shrugged my shoulders nonchalantly.

“You uh, really want to play this game huh?” I asked and put
a smile on my face that would make Reaver proud. Aaron gasped and I smiled a
little bigger and before he or his friends could react, shot out my hand,
hooking it around the back of his neck and pulling his face to mine in a fierce
kiss. Aaron smiled against my mouth and kissed me back and any fear or
apprehension I had been feeling about coming here evaporated.

The girl gasped and his male friend said “Damn!” like he was
impressed and meanwhile
my
guys cheered and hollered from back at the
bikes. Some clapping and an odd whistle or two split the city air and Aaron
pulled back from the kiss.

“Um, guys, I’m going to have to catch you later, my
boyfriend’s come to give me a ride home. Drinks next week?” he asked.

“Absolutely,” the girl said, smiling.

“Thanks Anya,” Aaron said and nodded to the dude, “Mark.”

“No problem man,” Mark said, smiling, “I’m happy for you.”
He linked arms with Anya and they went up the alley and turned down the block.

“Glad I car pool with Anya,” he said, his breath frosting the
air. I smiled.

“Come and meet the guys? The girls are waiting for us back
at the club house,” he nodded and we went toward the line of bikes hand in
hand.

“Hey!” Trigger called as we got near, “Disney’s told us
nothin’ about you!” he said in the tone reserved for meeting someone and saying
‘oh so and so has told us
so
much about you!’ and then the bastard gave
us a shit eating grin. Aaron tripped on a laugh and winked.

“Well he’s told me enough about you to tell me you’re
Trigger, and that you must be Reaver,” he said turning to my mentor, “and
Zander, and Dragon and Dray.” He said turning to each of them in turn, “I’m
assuming you’re Doc and that makes you Ghost, and you Data.” He said. Everybody
smiled broadly as he recognized them from their descriptions.

“Gypsy prolly would have been here but it’s cold and dude is
getting older, so his joints don’t much like ridin’ in it. It’s nice to meet
‘cha.” Dragon said and held out a meaty hand to shake.

“Hey!” Revelator called from down the line, “I’m freezing my
balls off and I want a beer, can we get this show on the road!?” Aaron laughed
and I took him over to my bike. Reaver held out a spare helmet to me on the way
by and I gave him a grateful look. Aaron was in a Pea coat and had traded his
fancy duds for jeans and Converse inside, before he’d come out. I nodded and
went through what I needed him to do for me as a passenger. He listened and
once I had my bike kicked to life got on behind me.

“You should call her Devi!” Aaron called over my shoulder
and I looked back at him and smiled. He was talking about a female character
from the Johnny the Homicidal Maniac comic books. The only one to ever get away
from Nny.

“The one who got away!?” I called back over the roar of more
bikes starting up.

“The one who lived!” Aaron called back and I laughed.

“Put your hands in my pockets if they get cold and hang on!”
I yelled and fell into the place among the pack of motorcycles pulling out.
This was easily the best night of my life. Hands down.