Taking The Heat (21 page)

TOAD

“I can’t let you go back without me. You know, I had an idea of what I wanted to happen this weekend, but I had no clue where your mind was for sure. I told you I wanted to take you on a date, and I told you how I felt the last time you were here, but I didn’t know how
you
felt about everything,” I paused and rolled my shoulders.

I raised my eyebrows and turned my palms upward, “I can barely feel it.”

She rolled her eyes and shook her head, “The pain’s going to kill you, it’s a ten hour ride.”

“Listen, I’ve been in a lot of pain before. I can handle it,” I assured her.

She shrugged her shoulders and widened her eyes, “What’s Otis going to say?”

I walked past her and gripped the door handle in my hand. After turning around and grinning, I I opened the door to the bedroom and stuck my head out of the opening. Otis sat on the love seat watching television.

“Hey O, I was thinking about riding home with you. Having Sydney follow us in the chase vehicle,” I shouted over the sound of the television.

He glanced over his shoulder, turned back toward the television, and responded, “Have to buy some jeans, I’m not rolling with ya if you’re wearing those sweats.”

“So you’re alright with me riding?” I asked as I opened the door a little further.

Sydney stuck her head under my armpit and into the opening.

“What about his shoulder, Otis? Yesterday it was killing him, today he wants to ride home,” she hollered.

Otis glanced over his shoulder, turned to the television, glanced over his shoulder again, and glanced at the T.V. He pointed the remote at the television and turned it off. After standing and turning to face us, he raised his right hand to his chin and gazed up at the ceiling.

“Well, let’s see…What’s happened since yesterday? Let me see…” he released his chin and cocked his head slightly to the side.

“You two have been fucking in there like a couple of rabbits. My guess is he likes fucking you, and doesn’t want to stop. Be kind of tough to fuck you if he’s here and you’re there. He’s a big boy, Syd. And I’ll give you a little advice…” he paused, smiled, and lowered his hands to his waist, “Don’t get between a Sinner and his desire to ride, you’ll never make it if you do…”

He shifted his gaze toward me, “You wanting to ride that sled of yours, Toad?”

I nodded my head sharply, “Planning on riding it home, O.”

“Well, there you have it, Syd. Man said he’s gonna ride that sled home,” he shrugged.

Sydney pulled her head from beneath my armpit and stepped back into the bedroom.

“Good lookin’ out, O,” I said.

Otis smiled, pointed the remote toward the television, and sat back down on the love seat. I pulled the door closed and turned to face Sydney, wondering what she’d have to say now. I didn’t have to wait long for her response.

“Well, looks like we need to get you some jeans,” she sighed.

“Well, let me lace up my boots, and we’ll run and get some.” I said as I looked around the room for my boots.

“Never been much for riding in a cage; well, unless I had to. I’m sure not looking to have anyone see me riding my bike in sweats, either. Guess we’ll take your car?” I asked as I pulled my boots on.

“Sure. You’ll be styling with those grey sweats and those boots,” she chuckled.

I looked down at the contrast of the light grey sweats A-Train bought me against my boots. I looked like an idiot. At least in Austin no one knew me, and I could make it to the store, buy a pair of jeans, and get home without someone seeing me. Wearing sweats,
not
riding my bike, riding in a cage, and being with a woman buying clothes were all things that were completely different than what I was accustomed to. Strangely, I was comfortable doing it with Sydney. After scanning the room for my cut, and realizing it was in the shop, I exhaled a sigh of almost relief. If a local Sinner saw another Sinner dressed like I was, and wearing a cut, photos would be all over the website. 

“Guess I’m ready,” I sighed.

“You’re going to be okay in a
cage?
” she said with a sarcastic tone.

“I’ll be fine,” I nodded.

“Going out for jeans,” I said as we walked out into the living room.

Otis sat with his eyes glued to the television. As we walked past, I took a second glance toward the T.V. The unmistakable face of Bruce Jenner stared back at me as he stood in the garage arguing with his wife. I shook my head in disbelief. Otis was watching the Kardashian Marathon.

“Is he watching
Keeping up with the Kardashians
?” Sydney asked as we walked by.

“He sure as fuck is,” Otis responded over his shoulder.

I glanced down at my sweats and eventually focused on my boots. I turned toward Sydney, shrugged my shoulders, and grinned; two of the most solid Sinners to ever don the cut, one watching the Kardashians, and one wearing sweats and riding in a cage.

If the real world ever knew…

TOAD

Leaving Austin proved to be far more difficult than I ever imagined. The hospitality of the people I had met, the honest unfiltered opinions of Ripp, and walking away from a fellow 2/7 Marine made riding home an emotional journey. The pain in my shoulder throughout the entire trip settled into a dull thud after the first hundred miles, and surprisingly never got much worse. Pain, according to Marines, was the weakness leaving my body. With each hundred miles traveled, I felt stronger. When we finally reached Wichita, I felt relieved, relaxed, and as if I had made a journey not only back home, but to an entirely different place and stage in my life.

A stage I was eager to enter.

Now headed to an emergency call of the Executive Committee, I felt a little nervous about my return, what happened to me, and seeing the Committee. As I rounded the corner of the street toward the clubhouse, it was apparent not only was this a meeting of the Committee, but the entire chapter.

And it looked like I was the last one to show up.

Oh fuck.

I glanced down at my watch as I turned into the parking lot. The 5:50 p.m. time confirmed I should be ten minutes early. I nervously parked my bike and stepped into the empty garage. The fact the shop was vacant, and everyone was already in the meeting room strengthened my suspicion I had either misunderstood the time of the meeting, or something was wrong with my watch. After walking through the empty shop and opening the door to the room, I was greeted by the entire chapter cheering and clapping their hands.

“Alright fellas, make a path and make it wide. Let the man in the God damned room without bumping that left shoulder,” Axton growled.

“Settle the fuck down fellas,” Axton said as he raised his hands into the air, “Good to have you back, Toad.”

Filled with a strange awkward feeling, I wiped the sweat from my brow and wrapped my arms around Axton, hugged him, and slapped my hand against his back. As I pulled away, I reached out and shook his hand firmly.

Axton turned toward the cabinet, opened the door, and pulled what I suspected was my cut from the shelf. As he carefully placed it on the table in front of him, he positioned it perfectly with the edge of the table, and when satisfied, held his hands in the air again.

“Alright fellas, this time I mean it,” he shouted, “I need silence.”

The entire crowd fell immediately silent. Still somewhat nervous, and uncertain of the need for a welcoming committee such as what he had assembled, I stood a few feet from Axton and nodded at the fellas as I scanned the group.

“This is something I’ve never had to do, and to be quite fucking honest, I hoped I’d never have to do. There’s no President of a club who ever wishes for this day to come,” Axton began.

The tone on his voice and the expressed emotion made his state of emotion very apparent. Axton was upset. Slowly, my mind began to work through all of the possibilities. The fact Axton had kept my cut, and his emotional condition could only mean one thing. He was removing me from the Executive Committee and possibly from the club due to his belief of my physical condition. After swallowing heavily, I attempted unsuccessfully to speak. During another attempt to swallow the lump in my throat, Axton continued to speak.

“Fuck, fellas this is tougher than I thought,” Axton sighed as he glanced down at the floor.

“Well, there’s no better way for me to…to get through this…but to…but to just fucking say it,” he said as he glanced up from the floor.

As I finally found Otis in the crowd, I shrugged my shoulders and slowly raised my hands in the air. Otis lowered his chin and winked.

Axton crossed his arms, and scanned the crowd. After inhaling a deep breath, exhaling, and glancing in my direction, he began speaking again, “For the first time in the history of the Sinners, a man has made a commitment to a fellow Sinner, and acted in a manner expressing courage and heroism, risking his life for the safety and the security of his brothers.”

He reached down, picked up my cut, and held it in his shaking hands.

“You all need to know this man’s name if you don’t. Cambio Todelli, known by his brother Sinners as Toad, on August 16
th
, did hereby save the life of one Axton Bishop, otherwise known as Slice - the President of the Wichita chapter of the Selected Sinners - by willfully and knowingly stepping between a gunman and his intended target, risking his life in the process. For this selfless act, I hereby present him with the first presentation of the Selected Sinners patch of Valor. This patch,” Axton paused and unfolded the cut.

“This patch is only awarded to a man for clearly risking his life to save to the life or lives of a fully patched member or members of the club, and must be witnessed by another member of the club. Additionally, it must be voted upon by the president of every chapter. Having met all of this criteria, I now present with tremendous gratitude,” he held the cut by the shoulders for all to see.

“The first patch of Valor to your Sergeant at Arms, Toad.”

A red and gold patch in the shape of an ornate star with a ribbon around it had been sewn on the left upper portion of my cut, where the bullet hole probably was. As I gazed at the cut, and the men began to clap and cheer, I filled with emotion.

Receiving the patch, the assembly of all the men, the voting by each chapter president, and Axton’s emotional state were more than I was prepared for. Now clearly recalling what happened on that particular day, I began to shake as I reached for the cut. Having the men see me in anything but a stable state of mind was not acceptable. I was their Sergeant at Arms, and I needed to act the part. I straightened my stance, pulled my shoulders rearward, and held the cut in my hand.

Axton held his hands in the air, and the room immediately fell silent.

I swallowed the lump which had formed in my throat.

“As the Sergeant at Arms,” I hesitated and scanned the crowd.

“I was advised my responsibility was for the safety and security of the club, as well as
the protection and defense of all club Members and Prospects. I was uhhm, I was just…”

“I was just doing my job,” I said under my breath.

“Let me help you with that cut,” Otis said as he took the cut from my hand and slipped it over my shoulders.

“And that, fellas, is why
this
man is your Sergeant at Arms,” Axton growled as he nodded his head my direction.

“Now I need every one of you to get your asses out into the shop, and give this man some fucking breathing room. I need one minute alone with him in here, and then we’ll be out there,” Axton howled.

Slowly, all the men walked out of the room and into the shop. As the dull roar of the crowd became muffled by Otis pulling the door closed behind him, Axton turned toward the cabinet and reached inside. As he turned to face me, he opened his clutched hand. A copper colored, but horribly disfigured bullet mounted to a small swivel and attached to a chain was in his palm.

“I got this from the surgeon in Austin. I know it isn’t much, and I understand if you don’t want it, hell I got mixed emotions about it,” he hesitated and held it from his fingers, allowing the bullet to dangle at the end of the chain.

“You know I make the cuts myself. I take pride in that. Well,” he cleared his throat and stared down at the necklace.

He glanced up and narrowed his gaze, “Brother, I didn’t know if you were going to make it or not. I truly didn’t. I got this bullet, and I brought it home, and I made this damned thing myself. I told myself if you didn’t pull out of the coma, I’d wear it for the rest of my life in your honor. Well, you did. So, I guess I’ll give it to you; if you want it that is.”

Now an utter emotional wreck, I nodded my head and bent at the waist. Without speaking, Axton raised his hands and draped the necklace over my head and onto my neck. I stood, reached for the bullet, pinched it between my finger and thumb, and nodded my head once.

Axton opened his mouth as if to speak. After a few groans and swallowing heavily, he nodded his head and cleared his throat.

He shrugged his shoulders and extended his arms wide. As we embraced, we patted each other on the back. The sound of his hand slapping against the leather cut was music to my ears.

“I love you, Brother,” we both said simultaneously.

As I released him from my arms, I realized my gratitude not only for him, but for the club, each of the men, for my ability to have lived through the shooting, and for Sydney’s having entered my life in the capacity and at the time she did.

Still filled with tremendous emotion, I turned and reached for the door. After a short hesitation from the uncertainty of whether or not I was ready to face the club, Axton spoke.

“Hold up a minute, Brother, I think I’ve got something in my eye,” Axton said under his breath.

I faced the door and waited. After a short reflection, I began to fill with gratitude, and gave silent thanks for everything I was fortunate enough to have in my life.

“Alright, let’s get out there,” Axton sighed.

As we stepped out into the shop, I realized for whatever reason, my life, my outlook, and my perception of all things around me had truly changed. I struggled whether or not to attribute the changes, as a whole, to having Sydney in my life, or being shot. I raised my hand to the pendant and pinched it in my fingers.

And quickly all doubt faded.