BANE: A Devils' Due MC Romance Novel (25 page)

Read BANE: A Devils' Due MC Romance Novel Online

Authors: Ora Wilde

"Then, why did ‘ya remove my..."

"I'm not kicking you outta the club," he repeated without allowing me to finish. "But I'm kicking you out of Wyoming."

"What?!" I exclaimed in shock, echoing the sentiments of the rest of the people in the room.

"You're wrong, Bane. You said that you've got nothing else but this club? That's not exactly true. You've got her now. And if you want to keep her safe the same way that I do... the same way that
we
do... then you'll understand that this is what should be done."

"What does this mean, Loco? I'm being exiled now?"

"No. You're still a member of this club... but you're no longer a member of this chapter. You're a
nomad
now."

"Loco... this is... this is fucking crazy, man! Where should I go?"

"Far, far away from here, brother... somewhere the Italians won't reach you. Your choice. We've got chapters in Northern Cali and Minnesota. They'll keep you safe there. Or you can go somewhere else. You're no longer beholden to any territory, brother. You're still a part of us... but you're free."

Everyone was at the sidewalk just outside the clubhouse the next morning - the brothers, the prospects, the girls... everyone! Even Old Man Ducky was there. He kept blowing his nose on his damn hankie like he was dying from Tuberculosis or something. Some of the girls were equally as weepy. Fuck, even Pip and Bear were fucking teary-eyed. Pip, I’d understand... he was always such a wuss. But Bear? Jesus! That guy’s as tough as nails and to see him all girly like that made me want to laugh.

When Lana came out carrying her things - just a backpack and a medium-sized luggage though - the girls crowded around her. Some started to wail. She was showered with apologies like they were drops of rain.

“I hope you understand, we’re just protective of what we have,” someone said.

“You’re really a nice girl, sorry we misjudged you,” another uttered.

“I hope you can stay longer, we can be good BFFs,” one of them cooed with an annoyingly crude voice. What does BFF even mean?

It was Cherry who shared the most telling and heartfelt goodbye, though.

“If it wasn’t for you, we’d be preparing everyone’s funeral right now.”

Lana was a marvelous sight as she returned their kind words and well-wishes with refined grace and unbridled warmth. I observed her for the longest time as she accepted everyone’s hugs and kisses and dished out some of her own. Seeing her among them made me remember that she was, indeed, a cut above the rest. She was not like any of the girls. She was very different. And this... this was never the life that she deserved.

Loco playfully strangled me as he wrung my neck with his arm. I felt a lil’ bit of pain as he caught me by surprise, but I just thanked my lucky stars that it wasn’t Bear or K.O. who did that. Those guys are massive, they could’ve easily broken my neck.

“So this is it, brother, huh?” he mentioned with a laugh and a tap on my gut.

“I guess so,” I told him. “Not because I want to. ‘Ya expelled me, remember?”

“Yeah,” he continued to chuckle. “I must admit, though, I’ll miss your ugly face desecrating this holy ground.”

“Fuck ‘ye, Prez! I look like
Andy Garcia
compared to you!”

“Wha?! Andy... Andy who? Fuck, man! Your references are so much dated!”

“Hey, I’m an old guy. But this old guy can still go.”

Prez’s eyes glided towards Lana who was still mingling with the girls.

“Oh, I have no doubt, brother,” he chortled. “I have no fucking doubt!”

Just like how the girls crowded around my ol’ lady, the brothers began to form a circle around me.

“We love you, Bane,” Mason said. “Don’t you ever forget that.”

“Shit, bro!” I yelled at him. “Spare me the drama.”

“This isn’t a goodbye, though, right?” Pip asked, sniffing. “It’s just a...
see you later
kind of thing, right?”

“Yes. Yes it, is, rookie,” I answered with a smile as I placed my hand over his shoulder and gave him a tight squeeze.

I looked at everyone’s faces: Loco’s, Mason’s, Bear’s, Romeo’s, Ducky’s, Talon’s, Pip’s, K.O.’s, even Bumbux’s and Dimwit’s... I wanted to let them know that I’d never forget them, that I hold our brotherhood ever so dearly in my heart.

“When there’s some shit ‘ya fags can’t handle,” I began to say, “remember... I’m just a phone call away, alright?”

“We’ll be counting on that, brother,” Loco replied.

“Aye!” everyone agreed.

Everyone placed their arms around each other’s necks as the circle got smaller and smaller, jostling me in the middle until I couldn’t see shit and all I could hear was the sound of their jolly laughs as they yelled my name.

“Bane! Bane! Bane!”

Their chants got louder and faster with every repetition, until they were like cracking noise that a bike makes when it’s at neutral.

“BaneBaneBaneBaneBane...”

Eventually, they exploded into a wild cheer as the circle closed up on me and everyone tried to give me a damn hug.

“Fuck off, boys! I can’t breathe!” I screamed as I pushed them away.

They dispersed like a swarm of ants trying to avoid a falling foot, clearing the way for my eyes to see Lana at the other side of the crowd. She was looking at us. She was looking at me.

And she was smiling.

It wasn’t a smile that conveyed her amusement about seeing a bunch of grown men acting like sentimental kids at the playground. No. It was a smile of contentment... of excitement... of wonderment...

About the life that lied ahead of us.

A life that we were to live together, with each other, however way we wanted to spend the days that came with it.

With a grin of my own, I went to her as my brothers looked on. They were smiling, too, like a line of groomsmen witnessing their friend as he was about to lay claim to his bride.

I took her hand and grabbed her luggage.

“Time to go, kid,” I said, to which she replied with a frown.

“I told you to stop calling me that,” she reminded me with a pout that was too naturally adorable to be feigned.

“Heh! New tricks, old dog... ‘ya know how it goes. Let’s scram.”

I rode my chopper and she took her seat behind me. I pushed on the ignition and revved up the engine.

“See you soon, Bane!” Mason yelled amidst the blaring thunder. “But hopefully, not too soon,” he added and the rest of the brothers laughed.

I could’ve answered back with a witty reply that would’ve sounded funny or banal. I could’ve at least looked back to acknowledge their well-wishes. I could’ve said goodbye just to be polite.

But I couldn’t do any of those.

I pressed on the gas and my bike roared towards the streets to another round of cheers. Smoke filled the road. Less than five seconds later, the fog cleared, but I could no longer see them from my side mirror.

I was gone... on my way to God knows where... with a little bit of heaviness in my heart made bearable by the joy of being with the girl whose hands were clasped around my waist.

As we passed by Sturton and saw the sign that read
Route 25
, I knew that we had to make a choice. Going left with lead us south. Going right would lead us north. Going straight would take us west.

“Where to, kid?” I asked Lana as my ride stopped in the middle of the intersection.

“Anywhere you want,” she replied softly.

“‘Ya want some sun and sand for a change?”

“Sure!”

“I heard Florida weather’s fuckin’ fantastic this time of the year. Plus, I got an ol’ war bud there whose wife teaches in a school. Maybe she can help us with ‘yer transfer this close to summer... assuming they ain’t divorced yet, of course. Robbie’s quite a bore... I actually pity his bitch.”

“Florida’s great,” she said. Her voice trembled with a tinge of sadness.

“What’s wrong kid? Don’t like sunburns?”

“No... it’s just that... well... I haven’t really left Wyoming... I mean, ever. This... This is all new to me...”

“Jesus Christ!” I tried to dismiss her worry. “Just a little over two more months of high school, kid, and you can chase your dreams... wherever they may be. So leavin’ Wyoming... this is gonna be good practice for ‘ya.”

She giggled.

“What’s wrong?” I asked her. “Did I say somethin’ funny?”

“No,” she answered while still sniggering.

“Then what?”

“Well... you said that soon, I’ll be chasing my dreams...”

“Yeah. And?”

“I don’t have to wait two more months to do that. I don’t even have to do any chasing.”

“You know... metaphysical bullcrap gives me a fucking headache. What’re ‘ya gettin’ at, kid?”

She tightened her grip around my waist and pressed the entirety of her body on my back.

“I don’t have to chase my dreams,” she said. “They’re already in my arms.”

Heh!

This girl really has a way of melting my stone-cold heart.