Alex

2 months later

"Prez, I hear what you're saying but where the fuck do you think the money for that shit is going to come from? All our income streams dried up when Prime left. We need to eat before we need to worry about trying to fight the fucking Rolling Cobras." Ryder grits out.

"Fucking hell. Fine." I lean forward in my chair to think and Max leans forward as well.

", we need to get some money in. Right now, those assholes at the Rolling Cobras don't seem to be fucking with us. Let's find some cash." Max whispers to me before he leans back.

I nod and look up. "This is what's going to happen. I have a few leads on some work we can do but I have to flesh out the details. Clean and I will go up to the city and check on another lead later today. Ryder, you figure out exactly what we need to keep us afloat. Max, make sure the rest of these bastards here aren't just stupidly running through our funds."

"Heard." Max says and waits for me to call the end of church. I swing my eyes over to Ryder who has yet to say anything. As the Treasurer, he's having a hard time with the lack of funds coming into the clubhouse.

"Ryder, you straight?" I squint my eyes. If he's going to fight me I'd rather him do it here.

"Yeah, I'm good." Ryder says, "I'll do the books again and try to see where we can cut out some expenses." He leans back in his chair and shoots me an ice-cold glance. As long as he doesn't disrespect me, I don't care what he does.

"Great. Get out of here, let's get this shit done." I raise my hand and flick Ryder away. A day after I took on the role of Prez, I asked Ryder if he wanted to be higher in the club, but he refused. All he wants is to control the money, so I'm not really understanding why he has all this animosity toward me.

Max and I watch Ryder leave without saying another word. "You know it's just because Prime left. Ryder's not big on change." Max claps my shoulder before he gets up. The minute I thought about it I knew there was only one person that I would ever make my VP. Max. I'm glad I have at least someone in my corner.

Though everyone is keeping to the protocol I can tell they don't think I'm going to be able to handle this. It didn't help that as soon as Prime was out the door all the perks he had vanished right along with him. I stepped into power just as the shit was hitting the fan. I can't depend on the same connections he had. I have to go out and grind to get everyone's respect. It's no problem. I was groomed to take this seat and now that I have it, I'm not going to let a little work scare me off.

Max and I walk out of church to see Archer, Wire, and Gin in the main sitting area. They look like they're playing a card game or something. "Where's Clean?" I ask and Wire simply gestures to the kitchen. I should have fucking known.

"Clean! What the fuck man. Do you have a fucking tapeworm?" I yell out as I make my way to the kitchen. When I peek around the corner, I see him with a huge tuna and jalape?o sandwich in his hand and a half-gallon of strawberry milk in the other.

"Oh, you ready Prez? Hold on. I'm coming." He says and proceeds to shove nearly half the sandwich in his mouth. He quickly swallows three large gulps of the strawberry milk, then does the entire process again. I can do nothing but stand there and stare at him in revulsion. He's going to be fucked up later. Human beings aren't meant to eat like that. "You ready yet?" I snap at him once I get my stomach to settle.

"Mmmhmmph." He grumbles and uses his shirt to wipe the junk from his face. The man is a fucking mess. The only reason we gave him the road name Clean is because he's the sloppiest son of a bitch any of us know. Hopefully, if we keep saying Clean around him he'll realize that he has to pick up his shit. So far it hasn't worked.

Clean and I walk out to our bikes passing Gin and Crystal, one of our club bunnies. "You alright Prez, you need more backup?" Gin asks, ready to push the woman away from him and hop on his bike with us.

"Nah, stay here. It's just a bar, no affiliation with anyone we have problems with." I tell Gin. I'm not completely sure that there is no affiliation, but I don't want them to think now that I've become the president, I can't stand on my own two feet. Gin smirks at me but he doesn't say another word. He's another one that doesn't think that I'm ready for this position. He may not have said so but I can tell with every fucking glance that I'm right.

Clean and I set out on the road and we make it to the bar in less than twenty minutes. Hector is the owner of a small niche bar downtown. It specializes in Jazz and live music, along with live interactive shows. From what he says they're usually pretty entertaining. I have yet to come down here and see one. The problem is he's so far downtown that he's been ripped off quite a few times and he just doesn't have the funds to keep replacing his equipment.

"I just need someone to keep those bastards away from the bar and my patrons. That's all." Hector says.

"Yeah, it seems like a simple protection detail. Nothing crazy." I say and look over to Clean who is sitting at the table with Hector and I. He hasn't said a word since he got here but his leg is tapping furiously and he's sweating.

"Clean, you good?" I pat his arm and wait for him to look up at me.

"Yeah, I'm fine." He says but the muscles in his jaw are locked up, so it comes out harsh.

"Are you sure? You don't look fine. In fact, you look like you might hurl."

"It's fin…" He stops talking abruptly, looks away and the tapping picks up speed before he looks back up to me. "I'm sorry, Prez." He shakes his head and I squint my eyes. What's he sorry for? Just as I'm about to ask him a loud gurgling sound comes from his stomach and he clenches his hands together on the table.

"What the fuck! You got a fucking alien trying to get out of your guts or something?" I laugh at him. "I knew that sandwich and milk was going to fuck you up."

Clean groans and taps harder. He looks like he's really in pain, fuck I guess this shit isn't funny anymore. "You need a hospital?"

"Bathroom." He spits out.

"Straight back." Hector gestures and Clean surges up with his hand over his mouth, running in that direction.

For thirty minutes Hector and I shoot the breeze while Clean vomits and shits his life away. Seems like he has food poisoning but he's refusing to go to the hospital.

"I'll be good Prez, just need a few seconds to get my head right. Little dizzy." Clean says weakly.

Hector pushes a glass of juice in his hands, "You should be, you don't have anything left in your system. You're going to need to rest for a little while."

"Yeah, I will when I get back to the clubhouse." Clean tries to get up from the bathroom floor where he's been laying down.

"You think I'm going to let you ride anywhere like this?" I push him back down. "Last fucking thing I need right now is for you to fucking wipe out."

"I have a cot in the back room. It's yours if you want to take a nap, get some food and drink. You can leave after that." Hector offers.

"That sounds like a good idea. I have to get over to the trailer manufacturer to check on our order, but I can get Wire to come up here and sit with you." I help Clean up to his feet.

"You sure Prez, I can ride. I can do it." Clean tries to tell me but from the dead weight I'm trying to lift, I know he can't.

"Yeah, Clean. Just get yourself together. I'll be fine riding twenty minutes on my own."

"Okay, a bed sounds nice. Fuck, I'm tired." Clean sways as Hector and I help him to the small cot. He's asleep before his head hits the pillow.

I should have known.

Shit always fucking happens when you're alone. I look over my shoulder again and just as I suspected, those guys are still back there. Four guys on motorcycles are about three blocks away. I can't see who they are or if they're a threat to me. They've kept their distance and haven't done anything threatening, so it could just be four people out for a ride. Unfortunately, my anxiety is ramping up big time. I can't call the club and tell them to come guns blazing if I'm not sure, but then again, I don't really want to find out if I'm right.

I look behind myself again and the four of them must be laughing about something because they are still at the light joshing around. One of them hits the other and throws his head back in what I can only assume is a cackle. I'm being fucking paranoid. They aren't Rolling Cobras, and no one is after me.

I pull off and ride back towards the clubhouse, but I go the long way just in case. The four of them rode in a different direction and just as I'm about to speed back toward the clubhouse the four of them skid back onto the road behind me. Aggressively picking up speed and getting close enough for me to see their patches.

Rolling Cobras.

I should've fucking known.

"Shit!" I hunker down and go faster. I reach into my pocket as best I can, and try to pull out my phone so I can call for backup. The small cellphone slips out of my hand and onto the ground when they start shooting. "Fuck! You dead motherfuckers!" I roar in frustration but keep focused on the road. Right now, I need to outrun them.

The way back to the clubhouse is completely deserted, with no usual traffic, so it's just me and them. They've got no reason to back off. I reach to my side and pull my weapon out. I can't afford to aim. I look back for a second and shoot as best I can while keeping the bike on the road.

The four of them easily swerve out of the way and one of them speeds up to get alongside me. He tries to aim his weapon, but I kick his handlebars and get him off balance. He tries to right himself but as he's trying to do that, I pull off my lid and slam it into his face causing him to fly off his bike. The men behind him don't react in time so instead of going around, they roll right over their downed comrade.

They continue to pursue me and instead of someone stopping to check on their man they are focused on me. They're not going to just let me get away.

Another bullet zings by me and I swerve again. More bullets fly in my direction and one hits the side of my bike causing a loud pop followed by a deep grinding sound to erupt in the air. My speed drastically slows. I look around in a panic for a way to defend myself. I have a gun but there are three of them and one of me. No back up and my bike is about to be out of commission.

I look to the side and I see down the hill on the other side of a slow-moving brook is a small patch of woods. I know on the other side is a suburban complex. It's a few miles but I can run it. I have no choice. There's a decline I'm sure I can ride down coming up. At the last second, I turn my bike and basically skid down the side of the cliff.

My bike twists and groans but my bitch gets me down safely. If I could promote an inanimate object, I'd give my bike the title of VP, Max would just have to deal with it.

Finally, I make it down to the small rushing water and hop off my bike. It's still early in the day so It's not like I can hide in the shadows. I have to run.

The second my bike hits the ground I'm sprinting towards the trees. The water comes up to my thigh and I'm grateful it's not faster than I thought it was.

"Don't run now, bitch!" Someone screams out from behind me. When I chance a glance, I see they have followed me down the side of the hill and are still chasing me.

I don't bother to reply, I need to save my breath.

Reaching down to my side, I look for my gun, but it's gone. "God dammit!" I bark out at no one in particular. It must have fallen off when I was coming down the side of the cliff.

I make it into the trees and do my very best to stay ahead of them but they're not giving up. As the trees get more dense it's harder to see where I'm going. I keep running and they seem to stay right behind me.

The world spins in the opposite direction as I plant my foot and the earth gives way. I slip forward and before I can stop myself the momentum forces my body to roll down a hill I didn't see. I don't know how far up it is. I don't know if there's a free fall. All I can hope for is I fall unconscious before I die.

Trees and rocks jab into my body and I do my best to stop myself. When I realize I'm going too fast to do that, I just pull my arms up to protect my head.

It feels like forever but shortly after the fall I land with a thud on the ground. I open my eyes and look up through the trees trying to find the sun.

"He fucking fell! Go down that way! No asshole, that way! We'll catch him before he gets to the town! Hurry the fuck up!" I hear someone scream out in the distance and my mind clears. They're still fucking coming for me.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" I roll over to my stomach and quickly do an assessment. I don't know if I fucked myself up from the fall but right now, I need my body to work with me, so I don't die.

I push up and my arms ache but nothing serious. My eyes stay focused so I'm thinking I don't have a head injury. As soon as I get up to my knees, I have to slam my hand to my mouth to keep from screaming out. Looking down I see something sticking out of my leg right below my knee.

Fuck, I broke my leg.

I reach down and feel for the bone but instead of a bone I feel wood. Just as I hear branches snapping and something rushing in my direction, I grab hold of the wood and yank. It's not a large piece but it hurts like a motherfucker coming out. If there's any splinters still inside of me that's going to be a fucking problem for a different time.

Using my other leg to push myself up, I start to run again but I'm nowhere near as fast as I should be. They're going to catch me without a doubt. I need to get somewhere I can lay low. The small suburban complex should be close, but I don't see any houses.

As quickly as I can, I push my way through the rest of the trees and wade through another small brook only to come through on the other side to see an open field.

"No, no, no!" Searching furiously, I look for somewhere to hide. I came out next to a playing field. On the other side I see a gathering of people. Little kids in neon colors running around kicking a soccer ball and parents on the sidelines screaming at them. Luckily, I'm so far away that they don't notice me. I can't hear the Rolling Cobras behind me but that doesn't mean that they aren't still looking for me.

I do my best to walk inconspicuously across the field, but I see the kids getting ready to turn back around in my direction. Thankfully, it seems like it's toddlers playing so it's not moving very fast.

I make it to the other sideline just as they get to the goal and am instantly surrounded by parents trying to keep up with their children. They'll hide me for a few seconds while I catch my breath.

"Hey, man, are you okay? You look like you need a hospital." Someone says and just that one comment is enough to get several people to look at me. I don't need a crowd of people bringing attention to me, I need to hide.

"I'm fine, thanks." I grit out and walk away from the crowd. There's a parking lot and I see quite a few cars there. One of them must be open. I don't really want to steal someone's car, but I will.

I look back and sure enough, I see three adults coming out from the tree line. These motherfuckers are persistent as fuck.

I'm bleeding, I'm slow and I don't have anything to protect myself with. I'm fucking screwed.

Making sure I don't set off any alarms, I quickly sneak around the parking lot trying to find a car with the door open. I find an old Camry with the back doors open and I slide in. I have to lie down because the Rolling Cobras have already made it to the parking lot and are looking for me. I cover myself with a dark blanket the person has on their back seat and hope it's enough to camouflage myself.

As I'm worried about being caught the most amazing smell of spices and citrus fruit hits my nose and my mouth begins to water. It smells like a home cooked meal.

"I know, I know, I'll just pick up the oil and cornmeal and come right back." A woman yells out.

"Please don't be this car. Please don't be this car. Please don't—"

*Chirp*

"Fuck," I mutter to myself.

The driver's side door opens, and a woman sits in the front seat. She doesn't look behind her, but I know the minute she does, she's going to scream. If she screams, that's it for me. I use the blanket and wrap it around my hand to make it look like I have a weapon and press it to her side.

She jumps in fright and just as she opens her mouth to scream, I reach up and clamp my free hand over her mouth. "If you scream, I'll kill you. Do what I say, and everything will be fine."

Hot tears hit my hand and I look up into the rearview mirror to see fear in her eyes.

"Don't be afraid. I don't want to hurt you. Just keep quiet, okay?" Making sure to keep her gaze, I admit this to her. She nods her head and I let go of her mouth.

"What…whh... what do you want?" She whispers shakily.

"Just drive. You see those guys searching cars. They're looking for me. Drive me out of here and I'll let you go."

She looks around at the Rolling Cobras who have now split up and are still searching the cars. She looks back at me and then back to them before she starts her old Camry up and slowly starts to drive out of her space.

She's going too slow.

I'm too visible.

I try to hunker back down but it's too late.

Just as she drives onto the lane that goes to the exit, one of the Rolling Cobra's looks inside the car and makes eye contact with me.

I'm fucked. No, we're fucked.