Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 125517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 628(@200wpm)___ 502(@250wpm)___ 418(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 125517 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 628(@200wpm)___ 502(@250wpm)___ 418(@300wpm)
“Let Blue become a Last Rider.”
CHAPTER 5
THE COUNTER
Arden gaped at him. “No.”
Wizard cocked his head to the side, his arms crossed over his chest in an intimidating stance. “What shit Blue has been experiencing isn’t going away unless it’s dealt with full stop. The one being bullied needs to be removed from the situation, or the bullies need to learn what it feels like when the shoe is on the other foot, preferably when the shoe is shoved up their fucking ass.”
She thrust her chin out angrily. “Violence won’t solve—”
“What do you think Blue has been dealing with? Those fuckers aren’t playing patty cake with him. They’re beating the fuck out of him. Kid can’t even take a piss unless they’re drowning him in their crap. Those pampered asses don’t take him on man to man; they gang up on him four or five at a time. The only way it stops is if Blue learns to fight. Are you able to teach him that?”
“No, but I can hire someone who can.”
“Anyone you hire will teach him basic self-defense. With Blue, it’s gone past that point. They’ve made him into their bitch. Anytime they get pissed off, regardless of who or why, they take it out on him. What he needs is what we can give them without us having to lay a hand on their punk asses. All they would need is to see Blue has a show of force standing behind him, coupled with a few techniques we could teach him, and they’ll leave him the fuck alone without any of us having to raise a hand to them.”
There was no way she wanted Luc to join The Last Riders, yet she didn’t want him being continuously beaten by his classmates.
“What do you mean by a show of force?”
“The whole club could be there after school instead of just Puck or Jesus. He could point out who fucked with him that day, and a few of us would trail them home. It’ll scare them shitless.”
“You wouldn’t touch them?” she asked, trying to decipher if Wizard was being truthful.
“We wouldn’t have to.”
Arden licked her dry lips. “The Last Riders could do that without Blue having to join your club. You could also teach him how to fight—”
The group of men started laughing.
Arden stared at them, not understanding why they were laughing at her.
Wizard clued her in with a mocking smile.
“And how would that benefit The Last Riders?”
Arden flushed, darting her eyes away from Wizard to see why Doom wasn’t laughing out loud at her. She could see he was just as amused as the others.
She tried another tactic. “On television and in news articles, I’ve read stories about motorcycle clubs helping out bullied kids.”
Arden gave Jesus and Puck pleading glances. Both men maintained their focus on Wizard. She brought her eyes back Wizard’s unsympathetic expression.
“Yeah, well, that wasn’t The Last Riders,” he said with a sarcastic curl of his lips. “Maybe you should look into one of those clubs and ask them for help.”
Wizard dropped his arms back to his side. “I’ve got more important shit to deal with. This is a waste of club time.” He moved around the bar counter. Expecting him to pour a drink, she was surprised to see him take a coffee cup and fill it with coffee from a pot sitting to the side.
“Doom, get Blue.”
The chair Doom was sitting on scraped across the floor as he rose.
“Wait. What are you going to say to him?”
“I’m going to throw his ass out of the bar and tell him not to come back. He has no value to me as a Last Rider, and if I catch him on club property again, I’ll call the cops and have him arrested for trespassing.”
Arden jumped up from the chair to approach the bar counter, standing across from Wizard. “If you do that, Luc will run away as soon as my back is turned.”
“Why should I care? I made the offer to make him a Last Rider,” he said nonchalantly before taking a drink of his coffee.
“Please. I could pay you…” She wasn’t above begging, not where Luc’s safety was concerned. He had threatened to run away, and she believed it wasn’t an idle threat.
“We’re too lazy—remember?” Doom said as he moved behind her, heading toward the hallway.
Arden grabbed his arm. “I’m sorry. I apologize. Is that what you want to hear me say?”
Doom shrugged his arm out of her grip then leaned against the bar next to her. “We don’t need your apology. Do we, Wizard?”
“Speak for yourself.” Wizard shot her a glare from over his coffee cup. “I wouldn’t mind hearing it.”
Arden gave Wizard what he wanted. “I apologize. Luc wanting to drop out of school and join The Last Riders threw me for a loop. I reacted by saying things I deeply regret. Please don’t take your anger toward me out on Luc.”