Inflamed: A Shadow Riders MC (44 page)

"Jesus H. Christ."

He turned to see a wide eyed Blue coming from around the corner and backed away from the bar the minute Tiny and Wolf came out from the back behind him.

"Mother. Fuck, asshole," snapped Tiny. "Did you up and do this shit?" He shoved Blue aside and stepped closer to River.

River turned on his heel and glared at him. "No, asshole," he said. "Ghost of Motherfuckin' Christmas Past stopped by for an early visit this year and decided that she didn't like the goddamn scenery of the club. And started with tossin' a beer into the goddamn mirror over there." He pointed. "Shit looks just about like your face," he told him. "Cracked."

"Where the fuck have you been?" asked Wolf, who stepped up to River before Tiny could say another goddamn word to him. "You don't answer your goddamn phone anymore? Either one of 'em--?"

"They were turned
off
." He rolled his eyes over to Wolf and glowered. "I know it's been awhile since you and the old fuck standin’ next to you have been inside a goddamn airplane, but they don't really like you havin' that shit on right when you get on and just before you get off. I forgot to turn 'em back on when I got fuckin' home."

Wolf breathed in deep and tapped his hand against the bar; he glanced over at Tiny, who continued to glare at his nemesis and seethe. "How the fuck is Madi doin' up there?" he asked. "You get her shit all settled the fuck into that dorm room?"

"I got her settled the fuck in and I got people watchin' after her--"

"I'm surprised you even bothered to come back home, motherfucker," Tiny interjected. "Last few weeks, you seemed like you ain't even wanted to be around here, the brothers, the club, nothin’. We've all been seein' that shit--"

"We ain't
all
been seein' that shit, old man," snapped Blue. “It’s just you and your yellow eyes.”

Tiny shot his eyes to the corner and shook his head. "Your boyfriend back there’s been too goddamn busy on his knees with your dick in his mouth to tell you just what the fuck needs to be said,” he told River. “Guess he can’t mumble around that shit. But the truth is that you been so goddamn out of it lately, that the brothers aren't sure if we can keep relyin' on and trustin' your judgement anymore, especially now when it's come to this Ricky shit."

"My judgement?" asked River. "My goddamn judgement."

"It's what the fuck I said, asshole--"

“When you’re the one goin’ around and fuckin’ up Chino and his crew--”

"Alright, look," said Wolf.

"No, YOU look, old man!" River shot back as he thrusted a hand in his face. "I'm sick of this assholes, shit. I've been sick of it for a long motherfuckin' time now. I'm sick of him bein' pissed off at ME 'cause he wasn't fuckin' good enough to stand at your side--"

"That's what you think, you little piss ass bitch? That I wasn't fuckin' good enough to stand at his side?" He shook his head again and smirked. "You really don't know
shit
."

"I know this: I know that I'm wearin' a VP patch and you're not. And as long as I’m livin’ and breathin’ the fumes of this goddamn club, I know that you never fuckin' will."

"You're VP in name only, asshole. What the fuck changes have you made around here that have had any kinda goddamn impact whatsoever?"

"If we end Ricky for good, that's one of 'em, you piece of shit--"

"Yeah, Ricky. All for the sake of you finally stickin' your cock inside some black bitch's cunt--"

He lunged forward but Wolf stepped between them before River could attack him as he wanted. And Jesus Christ, did he want to put that son of a bitch to ground already. It had been a long goddamn time coming, but mentioning Mia yet again was enough to make him want to whip out both his nine and his knife simultaneously.

"You keep sayin' that shit," he snapped, lifting his head over Wolf's shoulder and keeping his eyes on Tiny. "You wanna get a rise outta me – constantly sayin' shit to have me beat your ass into the motherfuckin’ ground 'cause you know what it means for me to finally take you down."

"Motherfucker, I sure as fuck would like to see you try."

“No you wouldn’t, ‘cause you’d know the goddamn consequences of it all if I did!” River shoved Wolf back into him and moved over to the pool table.

Wolf growled, then turned to a furious Tiny, who tried bypassing him to get to River. He shoved his hand into his chest, forcing Tiny to stumble back and over his heels. He snarled. "That's enough outta you, asshole," said Wolf.

Tiny rattled his head and chuckled, though the motherfucker remained pissed as hell. "You are always stickin' up for this motherfucker even when he treats you like a piece of SHIT!" he replied. "Ever since he was a goddamn kid! And even when he doesn't fuckin' answer his goddamn phone and show up for you when you fuckin' call!"

"I'm fuckin' here, aren't I?!" River balled his fists and pounded them into his chest as he made his way back over to the both of them. “I'm standin' right the fuck here, right the fuck in front of you, asshole."

"Yeah, you're just BARELY here, motherfucker. Just fuckin' barely--"

"I just got off of a goddamn plane less than a fuckin' hour ago! A plane that led me straight from New York fuckin' City, which is where I just left my goddamn KID! Forgive me for not bein' enough of a prick like YOU, motherfucker." He pointed at him. "To not give a flyin' fuck about her goddamn well bein' with a goddamn, fuckin' lunatic on the loose!"

"Fuck you, Riv," said Tiny.

"No, fuck YOU, ASSHOLE!" he shot back. "Fuck you, fuck this shit and the goddamn club right the fuck along with it."

"Riv--" Blue interjected.

"You hear that shit?" snapped Tiny, cutting him off. "Did you fuckin' HEAR that piece of shit garbage comin' outta that fucker's mouth?! Fuck this shit and the entire goddamn club -- that means you, Prez." He cut his eyes to Wolf and sneered. "Yeah, you did REAL fuckin' right in makin' this prick bastard your motherfuckin', goddamn VP and heir to the Shadow Ridin' throne."

"Let's go." Blue stepped up and wrapped one hand around Tiny's neck and the other around the back of his arm and dragged him from the front of the club and into the back of it to cool down.

An incensed River turned to the bar and slammed his hands down on top so hard that it nearly cracked the goddamn wood beneath them.

Wolf moved in beside and looked down at him, his grey eyes darkening the longer he stared. "I don’t know what the fuck has been happenin’ to you lately, son, but this shit, whatever the fuck it is, has been fuckin’ you up somethin’ serious," he told him.

“I’m good--”

“No, you’re not fuckin’ good, asshole. Between Mia, Ricky and now with Madison leavin' town for school, you are
anything
but fuckin’ good. You need to get it the fuck together and take a goddamn walk around the outside of the club. Cool the fuck down and shake this shit off. With everything that's goin' down soon, we don't have time for you to be walkin' around here losin' your shit and tossin' bottles all over the goddamn place just 'cause you're pissed that you're not gettin' laid by who the fuck it is that you're wantin' to--"

"I said I was good."

"And I said you're full of fuckin' shit. Get it the fuck together and a take. A fuckin'. Walk."

River sighed heavily and turned his eyes to Wolf; he stared at him for a few seconds before finally shoving himself away from the bar and heading back outside.

Chapter Thirty-Six

A few hours into the party, and the pussy was flowing just as much and as often as the booze. Bur River couldn't have given even less of a shit about it all if he tried. The last thing that motherfucker wanted or needed at the time was to deal with random pussy when the one he really wanted was barely even speaking to him. And he knew it was his fault; he knew that opening his goddamn mouth was like the kiss of fucking death when it came to this bitch, especially when he was sober. Everything he ever seemed to want to say to her either came out wrong or didn't seem to come out at all. There never seemed to be a goddamn in-between where she was concerned, and he hated that shit almost as much as he seemed to fucking cherish every goddamn bit of it.

As he took a drag from his cigarette and leaned against the garage, he couldn't help but wonder what the fuck she was doing right in that very moment. He imagined the thought of finally going home to her that night only to find her asleep on the couch or better yet waiting for him in his bed. Shit, just the thought made his cock stiff and instantly, he was damn near ready to call it a night.

"'Sup, motherfucker?" Blue came up behind and smacked him on the back while taking a drag from his own cigarette.

River looked over at him, wrapped his fingers around the middle of his cigarette, and nodded. "Hey."

"You been MIA all goddamn night since that shit went down with Tiny earlier, asshole. You alright?"

"Do I fuckin' look alright?" he shot back.

“Actually, you look like fuckin’ shit that’s been dumped from a goddamn garbage bag and left in the goddamn street, but I was tryin’ to be nice given your ‘feelins’ as of late.
Motherfucker
.”

“Shit,” he grumbled.

Blue made a face and lowered his head. "Look, brother, since you been gone, Tiny ain’t the only motherfucker that’s been havin’ issues where you’re concerned. Wolf's been wonderin' about where the fuck your mind's been at too, more than the others. With the shit that went down tonight, he's startin' to wonder about it even more."

"Tiny instigated that shit like he always fuckin’ does,” he said. “Motherfucker stays tryin’ to get a rise outta me, ‘cause he knows I’d damn near kill him if he succeeded.” He turned his eyes to the ground and shook his head. “What the fuck is that old man wonderin' about?"

"Aside from thinkin' you might've had Eightball offed since he's been MIA--"

"How the fuck have you been able to get around that shit, motherfucker?"

"I've all but convinced him that the asshole cracked and got out. He keeps tellin' Tiny that he's on special assignment or some shit so he doesn’t flip his goddamn lid over it--"

"What about Slim?"

Blue pulled back. "Motherfucker, even
you
ain't still told me about what happened to that asshole after the night you said you’d take good and fuckin’ care of him. So I've got shit to go on there."

River grunted. "What'd the old man say?" he asked again.

He paused and took another drag from his cigarette. "He's startin' to think you might be up to some shit outside of the club, maybe even with some other charters that you're not lettin' the rest of us in on, again."

"Is this some shit he's actually thinkin' or did he just send you out here to ask me that
now
?"

Blue frowned. "No. But Tick from the Manhattan charter called him up--"

"Jesus," he muttered. "So he knows I got Tick and a few others to keep an eye out for my baby girl. That's why he was askin' about her. Not 'cause he gave a flyin' fuck about her goddamn well bein'. Prick's no better than Tiny."

"Does Madi still not know about Ricky?"

"No." River peeked over at his friend and arched his brow. “I don't know what the fuck Tick told that son of a bitch, but I ain't made any other dealin's with anybody else outside of the club. Wolf's just bein' an old paranoid motherfucker 'cause he's got more bones hangin' inside his own goddamn closet than any of the rest of us combined. Shit like that is what keeps that old man thinkin' that way more often than he fuckin' should."

"That may all be true, motherfucker, every goddamn word of it. But fact is, he's still wearin' that goddamn Prez's patch, which states that he's in charge."

"Yeah," he groaned. "Shouldn't be havin' it for too much longer though."

"What's that mean?"

He shook his head. "Nothin'." He inhaled deeply, then blew the smoke out around the cigarette before yanking it from between his lips.

Blue stood straight and glared at his friend. "River, what in the fuck is really goin' on with you tonight, asshole? You said your girl is good out there at that college, right? You weren't just bullshittin'?"

"She's good, just as I said."

"Then what the fuck? Is this some shit that's got to do with Mia and why she's not here tonight and makin' googly eyes at you from across the goddamn room?"

"It's a goddamn pussy party, asshole."

"So? She's free pussy 'til you officially lay claim to it."

River slowly sucked in air and held it tight before releasing it and speaking again. "Even if I had invited her to come out here, ain't no way in fuck she'd have come. She'd rather sit at home alone all night than spend any more fuckin' time with an asshole like me."

"What? She's at home alone?" asked a puzzled Blue. River nodded. "Where the fuck is her kid or Jolene?"

"Avery's gone 'til Tuesday 'cause she's spendin' the weekend with Meghan and her kid. Jolene's out on another goddamn date with that random motherfucker from the bank and won't be back 'til the mornin', maybe."

"Wait a goddamn second here, Riv. Jesus, no wonder you're fucked up in the head, asshole."