Keyes eyed the different groups as he rolled past, following the numbers high on top of the buildings. He drove all the way around to the back of the complex before he found the building he was looking for. He popped the curb, driving his bike along the sidewalk dividing the individual apartments. He dropped his kickstand in place directly in front of Cummings’s door.
He centered himself. He hadn’t needed his inner badass biker in a long time, and he wasn’t sure he needed him now. If the guy wanted in his club, he’d have respect for a patched brother. Maybe he could skate on intimidation, effectively threaten this douchebag with just his status. He could then follow up with the prez in the morning. The club wasn’t opposed to slapping around their old ladies, or their kids for that matter, but they also didn’t need any more trouble right now. He could ask Fox to reinforce his message with this guy.
He took the three or so steps to the front door and balled his fist, beating on the dingy metal barrier. He heard someone right on the other side and paused, fist still in the air. The door opened, and a half naked dark-haired chick stood on the other side. Keyes ground his jaw, hating the sudden trip down memory lane—his mother had looked just like her. Keyes furrowed his brow.
“Where’s Cummings?”
“Whoa,” she said, her brows lifting as she looked Keyes up and down then stepped back, opening the door wider. Keyes stayed on the threshold, scanning the small living space. Cummings lay sprawled out on the sofa maybe fifteen feet away. Keyes took the step inside, the strong smell of weed hanging heavily on the air. This Cummings looked different than his mugshot, his head was shaved and he’d put on some muscle. He had that menacing prison vibe and a stare aimed directly at Keyes.
Keyes ignored the hard stare, scanning the rest of the room until he spotted the Disciples of Havoc prospect patch hanging on the back of a chair, letting him know he’d come to the right place. He’d apparently been elevated to a prospect at some point. His irritation spiked as Cummings broke the number one cardinal rule of all prospects when he didn’t show respect as Keyes entered the room. The disrespect crawled all up his spine. Prospects always acknowledged when a patched brother entered any goddamn room.
“You need to get to your fuckin’ feet,” Keyes commanded. All Cummings did was lift the leg hanging off the edge of the sofa to cross his ankles.
“Dory, get me a beer,” Cummings drawled in a lazy redneck kind of way, ignoring Keyes altogether.
“He need one?” she asked, stepping a little too closely to him as she twirled her wannabe mermaid hair. The smell of cheap perfume stung his nose when she stepped past him toward the small kitchen.
“Nah, he ain’t stayin’. This is Smoke’s queer boy.” The room grew still as the words scraped through the air like nails on a chalkboard. The girl stopped in her tracks, staring between both men. “Remember the dick suckin’ fag Smoke used to talk about all the time?” The prospect’s gaze remained locked on his. “This is him…in all his cock-sucking glory.”
“Donny, I don’t need no trouble,” she cautioned, edging her way to the opening of the kitchen.
“Ain’t no dick here for you to suck, queer.” Cummings’s voice dripped with disdain, but it was the sneer curling his lips that grated up his spine.
He took a deep breath and stepped closer to the smart-mouthed prospect. “I’m here to tell you to stay the fuck away from that kid of yours before you fuck her up.”
“Pussy.”
“What’d you say?” Keyes growled, his intentions imploding in that five second pause.
“I said you’re a fuckin’ pussy.”
Keyes shook his head, biting back his anger as the thought of a sweet little girl being terrified by this pig ripped at his heart.
The prospect jumped off the couch, catching him by surprise when Cummings grabbed a Lucille-style baseball bat from a spot behind the couch. The guy was smarter then he’d anticipated, with all his fake lounging around and shit. A mistake Keyes wouldn’t make again.
“I’m gonna make a special visit to see my little girl just as soon as I beat your homo ass.”
Over his dead body. Rage fueled Keyes’s steps as he stalked across the small room toward Cummings. The stupid fuck had a lot to learn, and Keyes figured today was just as good as any to take him to school.
“That’s right. Come get some of this, fag.” The dumbass hauled the barbwire wrapped Louisville slugger over his shoulder, readying to swing.
Was this loser serious?
Keyes’s level of pissed off shot through the roof.
“You sorry son of a bitch, I came here to fuckin’ warn you to stay the fuck away from your kid, but you’re pissin’ me the fuck off,” he roared.