As promised, a few days after I turned eighteen two months ago, I was patched in as a brother. The members went to Church that day, taking a vote on which prospects had earned the right to be patched in. The decision was unanimous. I signed my life away with my fucking blood, how my father always wanted it. Signifying my right into the Devil’s Rejects. It was announced at the National Run that I was a fully patched in member. My father ripped off my Prospect patch and handed me my colors, which consisted of the club logo, the crescent-shaped red patch with “Devil’s Rejects” on it, and the other crescent patch that read Southport.
Patching me in, a look of pride spread across his face. Eagerly awaiting my reaction.
I met his eyes, shook his hand, and just fucking nodded, showing him exactly what it meant to me.
Not one fucking thing.
The brothers all pulled me in for hugs, patting my back. Dousing me in beer, welcoming me with open arms, committing my life and loyalty to the club. Beginning a new chapter in my life when all I wanted was to end the last one. The moment I put Luke to ground was the last time any of the brothers, including Pops, spoke about what happened. About what I had done, as if Luke never even existed. The only reminder I ever had were my mother’s tears and ramblings when she was shit-faced. Everyone who witnessed that night go down was sworn to silence. Threatened to keep their fucking mouths shut.
Using violence to cover up injustice by any means necessary.
After I received the official tat on my back, branding me as a member, it was official. I was a Devil’s Reject. I had the logo etched into my skin for life to fucking prove it. The night went on with its usually festivities of drugs, booze, and whores, as I sat at the bar alone. Wanting nothing more than to get the fuck out of there. Still seeing Luke’s lifeless body lying right beneath my feet. It didn’t matter, nothing did anymore. I was stuck there whether I liked it or not. Pops even gave me the pick of the litter of whores, but I didn’t give a fuck about that. No matter what I did or said, it wouldn’t stop him from throwing pussy in my lap. Making sure I got my dick wet. I had my first threesome that night, two fucking chicks at once. I should have been on top of the world, not hoping I was buried under it.
After driving around aimlessly for hours, I decided to pull off the road, just after one o’clock in the afternoon. I knew of a small restaurant, on the water, in the heart of Oak Island, North Carolina, a small beach town just outside of Southport, where my kind never drifted. That never stopped me before, locals could judge me all they fucking wanted, and I wouldn’t ever give a shit.
I pulled into the lot, parking a few spots from a black SUV, where a woman with long brown hair stepped out, arguing with someone in the back seat. Catching my attention. Suddenly the back door opened, revealing a little girl that couldn’t have been more than eight or nine years old. Throwing her hands up in the air, mumbling under her breath, as her momma came around to get her.
I cut the engine on my bike, took off my helmet and grabbed the pack of smokes from my cut. Smacking the bottom of the new pack, I pulled out a cigarette and lit up. She was wearing a light yellow summer dress with bathing suit straps peeking out underneath it. Her hair was in braided pigtails, with matching yellow bows. What caught my attention the most, were the huge aviator sunglasses on her tiny face, sporting them like she was grown.
“Momma, why couldn’t I just buy the pink bikini? I hate this stupid black, one-piece bathing suit, Daddy said I had to buy,” the little girl whined. “I was perfectly happy with the bikini. It was pretty and cute, and now I just look like a boy. This isn’t fair! Totally sucks balls.”
“Mia Ryder! How many times do I have to tell you not to talk like that?” her momma reprimanded her.
“Apparently more than once. Mason says it all the time and you don’t yell at him.”
“Ugh, what am I going to do with you?”
“You can start by letting me buy that bikini. I’m not a baby anymore. Daddy needs to understand I’m going to be ten soon. That’s almost two whole hands. Double digits,” Mia emphasized, holding up her small fingers in the air.
Her momma chuckled, shaking her head. “You’ll always be your Daddy’s baby girl.”
“He’s never gonna let me grow up. He already scared off all the boys in my class. Even the cute ones, Momma. Uncle Dylan and Uncle Jacob aren’t any better, telling my reading partner, Phil, I couldn’t come to the phone cause I was poopin’!” She held her arms out to her sides. “I wasn’t even poopin’! Who is the mature one here? Me. No one lets me do anything. It. Sucks. Balls,” she sighed and I resisted the urge to laugh my ass off.
This kid is a spitfire.
“You are too young to be this boy crazy. Now stop your fussin’. We’re short staffed today. Lori called in sick. Aunt Lily is even coming in early to wait tables.”
Mia hopped out of the SUV, shutting the door behind her.
“Well, you going to go surf or stand here and pout all day?” her momma asked, cocking her head to the side.
“I’ll think about it,” she replied, sitting on the curb pouting.
Her momma just shook her head, ruffling up her hair as she walked inside.
I got off my bike, taking a few more drags off my cigarette before throwing it to the asphalt, using the toe of my boot to stub it out. When I looked up, I had two, big, bright blue eyes staring me down. Her head cocked to the side with her arms resting on her knees. Her sunglasses were now hanging in her hands.
“You some sort of celebrity?” Mia questioned.
I chuckled, shaking my head no.
“Wow, you look like one of those guys from a television show my daddy watches. Sons of a Bitches or something like that…”
I laughed so hard my head fell back. I couldn’t remember the last time I laughed like that.
“Anyway.” She shrugged me off. “He doesn’t know I watch the show. I sneak down into the theater room and peek through the door crack. The guy with long blond hair is cute. I really like him.”
I just nodded, trying like hell not to bust out laughing again. Thinking to myself, damn her parents have their hands full with this one.
“Do you have a voice? Or do you just do the shake and nod thing, like you’re too cool?”
I grinned, walking over to her. She looked up at me, shielding her eyes from the sun. Waiting for my answer.
“I talk. I just don’t talk to strangers, sweetie.” I winked, walking past her, opening the door, leaving her there wide-eyed.
I found a table in the far corner, away from judgment. The place wasn’t too busy yet, but I still had suspicious eyes on me.
“Hi, there,” the waitress greeted. “I’m Lily. The entertainment turned waitress today. What can I get you to drink?” She eyed me up and down.
“Water.”
“You’re not from around these parts, are you?” she asked, tapping her pen on the order pad.
“What gave me away? The motorcycle out front, my cut, my tattoos, or is it just my overly rugged good looks?”
She laughed. “Actually, it was the Southport patch on your vest. Dead giveaway.”
“Entertainment, huh? What sort of entertainment do you do? From the looks of the place, you ain’t a stripper. Could be comedian… But I’m gonna go with musician, you’re tappin’ the hell out of that pen to the beat of the music playin’ right now,” I paused, arching an eyebrow. “Hot or cold?”
“Very hot.”
“Why thank you.”
She laughed again, throwing her head back. “You’re good. Well played, Creed,” she said, pointing her pen to my name patch. “You best contain that flirting around here, though. I’m a married woman, and this is my sister-in-law Alex’s place. I’d hate for you to have a run in with the good ol’ boys. My brother, Lucas, will lose his shit, and my husband won’t be too far behind.”
“Is that right? Thanks for the warnin’, darlin’, but I can hold my own.”
She smiled. “I’ll be right back with that
water.”
I spent the next hour eating, bullshitting with Lily, and watching the surfers come in and out the back. Wondering if the little girl, Mia, was out there. I wandered out the back, finding a place to sit. I removed my socks and boots, digging my toes into the sand, trying to remember the last time I was at the beach. It had been forever.
Ma used to take us all the time when we were little to play with Autumn. She was the daughter of my mom’s best friend, Laura, and they lived in Southport, just a few miles away from us. My mother, Laura, and their other best friend, Stacey, were all originally from New York. Growing up together in Manhattan until Stacey moved to North Carolina her sophomore year of high school.
Autumn’s parents’ got a divorce a few years back. That’s when Laura decided to move her and Autumn to Southport to be near my mom and Stacey, needing the support while going through a nasty divorce. Autumn’s father, Carl was a chief for the New York Fire Department. He still lived there in Manhattan, so she went back to stay with him often. She had always been a daddy’s girl, even though her parents’ weren’t together. That never changed.
I’d known Autumn all my life, we’d grown up together. Our birthdays only a few months apart. We spent family vacations, summers, and holidays with one another in North Carolina, or New York, every chance we got. It was the only time I ever felt somewhat like a normal kid. I always looked forward to hanging out with her. Ma wasn’t the only one thrilled when they upped and moved here.
I sat there in the sand for I don’t know how long, watching the waves crash on the shore. Spotting Mia, the little girl from the restaurant, fucking slaying the waves. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her, mesmerized how something so small could ride the waves like she did and not be swallowed up by the ocean. She clearly had no fucking fear, beating grown ass men, stealing their waves, and cutting them off without blinking an eye.
Paddling way out beyond the safe points, owning the waves like they were her bitches. Falling and getting right back up. She had me grinning like a goddamn fool, laughing every time she’d fuck someone over, making them crash and burn. It was probably the first time in six months I’d felt something more than remorse, shame, and sadness.
That nine-year-old killing waves was the breath of fresh air I needed.
Even if it only lasted for a little while.
After about an hour of kicking ass, the short stack emerged from the water, dragging her huge-ass bright pink board that was easily twice her size under her arm. Pigtails bouncing in the breeze as she made her way up the beach headed in my direction. I couldn’t help but laugh at the sight of her.
“What you laughing at, punk?” Mia stopped right in front of me, dropping her board to the sand as she placed her hands on her little hips, cocking her head to the side. Barely blocking the sun with her tininess.
I raised my hands in the air, surrendering them as I continued to laugh my ass off. “Not the shrimp that just carted an adult-sized board up the beach. Most likely not the little spitfire who is blockin’ my sun, and definitely not the baby girl who has a sticker on her board that says ‘Surfer bitch’ with bright pink lips.” I pointed to one of many stickers that covered her board. “Your momma know you have that?”
“Whoa! You do speak.” She shifted her weight to her other hip, sassing me. “I guess we’re not strangers anymore.” Ignoring my question, plopping down in the sand next to me.
“How long you been surfin’ like that?”
She tapped her index finger to her lips, thinking. “Since forever. It’s in my blood. My daddy had me on a board as soon as I could walk. I’m better than both of my brothers. I’m better than all my cousins. I’m pretty sure I’m better than anyone in Oak Island. Maybe even the world.”
I struggled, trying not to laugh again, nodding my response. Looking back out at the waves. I liked her confidence, cocky but in a sweet way. There wasn’t enough of that in the world.
“Why are you so sad?” she questioned out of nowhere. Randomly shifting gears like most women did. Unable to focus on one subject at a time.
“Why you so nosey?” I glanced over at her.
“Duh… I’m a girl,” she replied, rolling her eyes. “Do you collect patches?” She pointed to my cut, once again moving onto her next question.
“Not collect, I earn.”
“Oh, like a Girl Scout! How cool! I have over one hundred on my sash. My momma says I have to stay in Girl Scouts because it will build me into a courageous, confident girl, even though I already have all that. I was born awesome. Plus, I don’t know how sitting around a campfire, singing Kumbaya-whatever will give me anything but mosquito bites, but hell, what do I know?”
“You kiss your daddy with that mouth?” I chuckled.
She shrugged. “My brothers talk like that all the time. My first word was shit.” She smiled, proud of herself. “Daddy yells at them, but they never listen. They get away with everything because they’re boys. Personally, I think that’s stupid. Girls are way better than boys. We’re smarter. We smell nicer. And… if it weren’t for girls, boys wouldn’t even be here. So, boom,” she exclaimed, making her hand explode. “Anyway, I’m a Brownie now so I have so many patches. I have the perfect one for your sash.”
I threw my head back laughing. This kid was too much.
“What? You don’t like brownies? I know for a fact, boys like brownies. My daddy loves them, my brothers love them, and my uncles love them, too. Even that boy who picks on me in class loves them. He’s always trying to steal mine. Daddy says if I ever give him my brownie he will hurt him. He said he used to eat all kinds of brownies all the time, and Momma didn’t like that very much. So then he started to eat just hers.”
She had me laughing so damn hard my sides started to hurt. “Don’t think he meant… nevermind. You always talk this much?”
“Oh! Let me get you my patch before I forget.” She grabbed her pink backpack that was nestled in the sand next to her.
It didn’t take much to realize that this baby girl liked pink. She rummaged around for a few seconds, finally finding what she wanted. Throwing her backpack to the side, she turned to fully face me.
“This is from me to you.” She beamed. “So you can always remember me. I’ll always remember you. Okay?” She handed me her patch. “That’s my courage patch. You can have it since I already have enough of that to go around. Can you put it next to this one?” She pointed to my honor patch. “I think they’ll look good together.”
I was taken aback. I didn’t know what to say, or what to fucking feel. No one had ever given me anything like this before. No one ever cared enough. I looked from her to the patch in my hands, fumbling it around and just nodded. Unable to form the words to express the sense of love I felt from this little girl I had only just met.
“You gonna answer my question?”
“Naw, you’re a baby girl. Wouldn’t understand.”
“Who you callin’—”
“Creed?” A familiar voice interrupted Mia.
I looked up to see Autumn walking over to me. I stood, brushing the sand from my pants. “Damn, ain’t you a sight for sore eyes,” I greeted, pulling her into a hug.
I hadn’t seen Autumn since before Luke died. I’d been avoiding her, not wanting the sympathy and compassion I knew she would provide.
I didn’t fucking deserve it.
“I’m so sorry about Luke,” she whispered in my ear, squeezing me tighter.
My happy mood quickly seeped into the sand between us. The mere mention of Luke’s name threatened to bring me down, but I wouldn’t let it. I quickly shook off the unease and pulled away, giving her a half smile.
Mia cleared her throat from behind me, bringing my attention back to her. She was giving Autumn the evil eye, a look I was more than familiar with when it came to women. She may have been just a kid, but that didn’t stop the jealousy she may have been feeling. I winked at her, for a reason I couldn’t explain. I wanted her to have the reassurance she needed.
Immediately feeling protective over her.
“MIA!” a voice yelled out, causing her to startle. “How many damn times do I need to tell you not to cut off other surfers?”
I turned, following the voice. Seeing Mason come running up behind Autumn.
“It isn’t my fault y’all are slower than molasses,” Mia responded, shrugging him off.
“You’re lucky you’re a little girl. Stealing waves like that could get your ass kicked.”
“Well, lucky for me I can out run your asses.”
“Watch your mouth!” Mason shouted, coming up to her. Turning his attention away from her when he saw me. “Creed, I didn’t know you were heading down today.” He dropped his board, pulling me in for a side hug, patting my back. “Been too long, brotha’. I see you met my baby sister, Mia,” he said, nodding to a very pissed off little girl.
“She your baby sister? Makes sense now. Got a mouth on her, like you.”
“Baby? Who are you all calling a baby?” Mia stood, placing her hands on her hips. “Creed, this is my big, but not better brother, Mason,” she declared, rolling her eyes.
“Don’t like your brother?” I chuckled.
“No, he is mean to me.”
“Not mean, Mia. I’m just watching out for you like any big brother would.”
“I don’t need anyone looking out for me. I can take care of myself. Where’s Giselle? Go find your girlfriend and let me be,” she countered, only looking at Autumn.
I shook my head, stifling a laugh. I’d known Mason as long as I’d known Autumn. His mom was Stacey, my mother’s other best friend. I’m not going to lie. At first, we fucking hated each other. Trying to prove who was the alpha dog before our fucking balls had even dropped. It was touch and go for the longest time, but as we got older we became close friends.
We went to the same school, that was, when we decided to actually go. Mason was the poster child for being a fucking rebel. A punk ass that did the opposite of everything his parents told him to. Other than school, Mason and I would hang out when he’d be at his mom’s. Smoking weed, drinking, fucking around with girls, and getting into trouble. Autumn was never too far behind us, joining our festivities. Giselle, his girl, came into the picture a few years ago. She was the daughter of a narcotics detective who had more than a few run-ins with the MC. Her father was tight with Mason’s old man, Lucas.