Page 18 of Flint
Turning his attention to me, he gives me a lopsided smile. “Flint. I want you to know that if you ever wanted to wear a Raging Vulture’s patch, our club would be glad to have you. No prospecting or anything like that would be required. But I know your heart is with Sons, and I’m not asking you to consider anything. I’m just saying you’re welcome to join in what I’m building.”
“I hear what you’re laying down, Mica. For the record, I’m Sons until they pull my patch or put me in the ground.”
“That’s exactly what I thought you’d say.”
We finish our food and head out into the noonday sun. Mica says as we reach our bikes, “No pressure, brother. You call me when you make a decision.”
“I will, Mica. You have my word. And I appreciate that you see me as worthy of being an officer in your club.”
Mica pulls Tommy into a one-armed hug and claps him twice on the back, and then he does the same to me. In the blink of an eye, he’s on his bike and rolling out of the parking lot. Tommy and I stand there for a moment watching his taillights shrink towards the county road.
I think we’re both stunned at this latest turn of events. I know that I sure as fuck am. In a way I’m elated. This is the best opportunity Tommy has ever gotten. We just need to figure out how to make this work.
“Flint,” Tommy says when Mica is out of sight.
“Yeah, bro. What do you need?”
“Let’s get out of here. I need to ride the open road for a bit and get my head straight before I head home to Jules.”
“We can ride down the coast and stop at one of the scenic overlooks and talk this shit out.”
“That sounds fuckin’ perfect.”
***
Nothing feels better than a nice long Saturday ride with a full belly and nothing pressing to do. We ride out through the rolling hills and winding backroads, letting the scent of dry grass, eucalyptus, and warm earth clear our heads. We eventually come upon my favorite scenic overlook. It’s got benches and a sweeping view of the valleys below. The perfect place to help my friend sort his life out. We park up and claim our bench.
He finally asks the question that I knew was coming. “So, what do you think, Flint?”
“For starters, I honestly never knew you had ambitions.”
“Yeah, you never saw it because you were always in the lead position. It was your idea to join the military. You were the one with the idea to open the gun shop. And you joined the Sons of Rage and then invited me. I feel like I’ve spent my entire life drafting along in your slipstream.”
That fuckin’ hurt to hear. “I never knew you felt that way.”
“At first it didn’t matter so much because I didn’t really have a life plan worth mentioning.”
“But when Mica offered you an officer’s spot you realized what you’d been missing, right?”
“I’d be lying if I denied it. When I was prospecting, the plan was to be just another brother, like you. We could ride together, go to rallies together and cover each other’s six if we ever ended up in the shit. It seemed like a pretty good plan at the time.”
“Mica’s not playing you. He sees you like I see you. As a loyal brother with valuable skills. He sees you as a genuine asset, just like I do. I think you can take him at his word.”
Tommy nods slowly, still looking out over the valley. “Mica’s smart. That would be a problem if we decided he wasn’t trustworthy.”
I watch a red-tailed hawk soar through the air and circle around us. Tommy is just staring at the ground, deep in thought.
“He’s right about there being no upward mobility at Sons,” he says finally.
“Yeah,” I agree. “The real question is what you really want out of a club experience.”
He finally looks at me. “I want to be respected for what I bring to the table, not just because I’m your best friend, Flint. I want a seat where my voice is heard and I can help build something meaningful.”
“It sounds like you’ve already decided to accept Mica’s offer. Now, you just need to figure out how to make it work.”
“Jules needs me,” he says quietly.
“She doesn’t need you in particular. She’s a grown woman who just needs someone to look out for her.”
