Freedom Ride, page 2
“Be thankful you didn’t get flat-time like I did. The chance of parole would have been great, but ol’ Judge Foster decided I just needed to rot here for six years.”
“Thank fuck that ol’ coot retired before I royally fucked up.” Nolan chuckled. “I can only imagine what he would have thrown at me.”
“Flat-time. He threw it at everyone he could.” It sucked, but I looked at it as at least knowing exactly when I would be out of here as long as I didn’t fuck up.
“Again, thank fuck I didn’t fuck up sooner.”
“Yeah,” I agreed. I glanced at the small clock on the desk. “Ready to eat?”
Nolan chuckled and shook his head. “Never ready for that shit, but if I don’t choke it down, I’ll be dead before my time is up.”
Shit was the right word for what they fed us. “Only fourteen more meals for me, and then I’m back with Meg cooking for me.”
“Cruel, man,” Nolan grumbled. “Think of me when you’re chowing down on food that isn’t sludge, beige, and lukewarm.”
I smiled wide. “Will do. And I promise when you get out of here, Meg will throw down in the kitchen for you as she does for me.”
“Yeah,” Nolan cheered. “I knew it was going to be great when they made us cellies.”
Nolan had helped make the past years go by fast when we had been bunked up together. “Just keep your nose clean after I leave, and you’ll be out of here before you know it.”
Nolan stood and stretched his arms over his head. “Nothing is going to get me into trouble. I’m willing to pay my time for the stupid shit I did, and I’m not going to stay a second longer.”
I slapped him on the shoulder and grinned. “Good. Now let’s go to the chow hall so you can mark off a shitty meal from the next three hundred six thousand you still have left.”
“Dick,” Nolan laughed.
“Maybe, but you know you wouldn’t have made it this far without me.”
“Right back at you, Snapper. We both would have been fucked without each other.”
We made our way to the chow hall, and I couldn’t help but be amazed by the fact I had formed an actual friendship while being locked up.
Life had handed me some pretty fucked up cards, but things always seemed to work their way out in the end.
I just hoped they kept going that way.
Chapter Four
Lennox
Dear Snapper,
I don’t even know if this letter will get to you before you’re released, but it’s kind of hard for me to let go of writing you. I’ve done it for so long, and it just seems weird not to do it every few days. Who am I going to tell about my days and complain about Mindy to anymore?
I guess Nolan is going to have to deal with me writing to him again.
I’m still working the late shift. I just don’t like it. The puppies miss me so much when I’m gone, and it breaks my heart to hear them crying when I lock the door. Maybe I need to find a new job? Something I can do from home, maybe?
I don’t know.
It would be a big change, and change is just so scary.
Gah, why does life have to be so hard? If Mindy would just schedule me for the early morning shifts, I wouldn’t even be thinking of getting a new job. I like my job, just not the hours she is making me work.
Here I go again, rambling about something you probably don’t even care about. You would figure by now I would stop the rambling with you, but it always just seems to happen. You’re like my diary I tell everything to, even the dumb stuff. Like me rambling. Now I’m probably going to ramble on about rambling.
I’m going to end this here. I just hope I’m not this rambly when we actually meet.
Four (maybe three or even two, depending on how long it takes this letter to get to you) days until you’re free, Jonas. ;) (You know I couldn’t write a letter without calling you Jonas.)
Lennox
Chapter Five
Snapper
“That’s all you’ve got?”
I looked down at the box of letters in my hand. “It’s the only thing I want to take with me from this place.” This morning I had gotten my last letter from Lennox, and I hadn’t had a chance to open it. I was going to miss reading about her day and the funny rambling she did. Hopefully, now that would all happen face to face. We never really said straight out what either of us wanted once I was released, but I knew she was still going to be in my life. I had never gotten to know someone the way I did Lennox. When all you had was letters, and you couldn’t hide behind lies and flippant remarks, the words on the paper said exactly what you wanted.
King nodded and slid his sunglasses over his eyes. “I’m going to assume those aren’t from Meg or any of the other ol’ ladies.”
“Uh, I wouldn’t say none of them are from Meg or the girls,” I shrugged. Meg had written me a couple of times, and there were a few here and there from the other ol’ ladies. Nothing as consistent as Lennox had been, though.
“You gonna tell me who they’re from, or do I need to ignore them until you’re ready to tell me who they’re from?”
We stepped out the doors of the prison and into the sunlight.
I was free.
Five years and three hundred and sixty days were over. I had paid for the crime the law thought I had committed, and now I was free.
King reached into his pocket and handed me a pair of sunglasses.
I put them on my face and took a deep breath.
“You got some girl out there waiting for you? You gonna be on that one show Meg watches?”
“Show?” I asked. “What the hell are you talking about?”
We made our way over to King’s shop truck, and I climbed into the passenger seat.
“You haven’t been gone that long that you forgot about all of the junk TV Meg watches, have you?”
I laughed and pulled my seat belt over my shoulder. “Well, I wouldn’t really have called the TV shows she watched junk when I was growing up. Though she did have a slight obsession with The Golden Girls when I was in the seventh grade. I still remember when she dressed up as Dorothy and made Cyn, Marley, and Demon be the other chicks.”
King let out a roaring laugh. “I still have the picture of all four of them together on the damn fridge, Snapper. There isn’t a damn way I will ever let Demon forget about dressing up as Blanche Deveraux.”
“Maybe we can see if those four want to recreate that picture this Halloween,” I suggested.
“If you ask them to, you know damn well they will. Hell, if you ask anyone in the club to do something for you, you know they will do it. You’ve got at least six years of favors to make up for with everyone.”
“Bullshit. You know everything is going to go back to the way they were before I got locked up.”
“I don’t know about that,” King drawled. “There is a hell of a lot more babies and kids running around the clubhouse now than there were before.”
“Seven?” I asked.
King shook his head. “Eight, and I’m pretty sure there are a couple more on the way, but they haven’t fessed up to it yet.”
“Who?” I asked.
“Marco and Royal, for one. And I also think Greta and Bear have another one in the oven. I swear to Christ, those two are trying to make their own basketball team, with a few on the bench.”
“I’m going to have a lot of catching up to do,” I murmured. I knew through the years who were having babies and whatnot, but none of it felt real. None of it stuck with me. I wasn’t there for any of it, and now I was going to be thrust right into the middle of babies and happy couples.
“Yeah, but you’ll pretty much have the clubhouse to yourself at night now.”
“All the guys running home to their families now?” I guessed. “Probably for the best. Not sure I’m up for kids running circles around me twenty-four seven.”
“Oh, don’t worry. You’ll get your fill of all the kids while trying to work at the body shop, club, or pole dancing school.” King cranked up the truck and backed out of his parking spot. “You did a hell of a job dancing around who sent you all of those letters.”
I tucked the letters on the floor next to my feet. “Just someone who helped me keep sane the past couple of years.”
“Someone I know?”
I shook my head and watched the walls of the prison pass by. “Nah, she’s not from around here.”
King groaned. “My god. This totally sounds like those shows that Meg watches. You better not tell her about your prison pen pal unless you want her giving you the fifth degree about the girl.”
“Pretty sure she would give me the fifth degree about anyone I date.”
“You’re dating letter chick?”
“No. Maybe.” I looked down at the letters. “I don’t really know. She just helped me to keep my head afloat while I was in there.”
“You mean to tell me my visits didn’t help you?” King smirked.
“Your visits helped me to know the club was fine without me.”
King glanced at me. “We survived without you, Snapper, but we weren’t whole with you gone. You each are a part of the club, and when one part is missing, we all feel it. Time moved on, but that doesn’t mean the club still doesn’t need you.” He nudged me with his elbow. “You’re already Uncle Snappy to Kane and Peyton.”
“Kane is Marco’s, and Peyton is Zag’s, right?” I asked. I was going to need a quiz to make sure I knew whose kid was whose.
“Yup. And pretty soon, Greta’s twins will be running around asking for Uncle Snappy.”
“Uncle Snappy was the best you guys could come up with?” I laughed. “It couldn’t be Uncle Snapper?” It really wasn’t that much harder than Snappy.
“Nah,” King shook his head. “Uncle Snappy sounds like the cool uncle who knows how to have a good time and will sneak beer to the kids when they’re teenagers.”
“So you mean like Rigid was for me?”
King grunted. “I guess, though, Rigid should have waited a couple of years before he gave you your first beer. Thirteen is a little too young.”
It had been too young, but it was just like Rigid to do it. “I’ll wait at least until they are fifteen.”
“How grownup of you,” King chuckled. “I’m sure Marco and Royal will appreciate it.”
I sighed and leaned my head against the seat.
“You good?” King asked. “You do know I had to fight everyone back to not show up outside of the prison and act like idiots, right? I didn’t think you’d want some craziness right when you got out. I figured we could save that for when we got to the clubhouse.”
I was fine. Or I at least knew that I would be fine. It was going to be an adjustment being back with the club. “I’m good. It’s just pretty crazy to be driving down the road with you. I’m used to constantly being watched and no freedom.”
King leaned over and patted my knee. “You’re free now, son, and nothing is going to change that. You know the club is here for you, no matter what.”
“Family,” I whispered. I hadn’t forgotten that while I was locked up. The club was my family, and they would always have my back.
I was a free man, and I always had my family.
That would never change.
Chapter Six
Lennox
Dear Jonas,
I’m not really sure why I’m writing this. It just feels right. You should be out of prison now and hopefully back with your club. Your day of freedom!
I have your phone number, but it feels strange to be able to just call you whenever I want. Maybe once you call me first, it might not be so weird. Or it will be weird, and you’ll just have to get used to me being weird and rambling.
My job still sucks. I’ve been looking for something else, but nothing seems right. There don’t seem to be any receptionist jobs I can do from home. LMAO How strange, right?
I need to figure out how to be a stay-at-home doggie mom and still make money to pay my bills. Doc and Marty aren’t exactly cheap. Though that might be more of a me problem and not a them problem. I am the human in this, right?
Anyway, I guess I’ll just have to keep looking for a job or just suck it up with Mindy lording over me.
I can’t wait to hear from you. Just call me when you’re ready.
And I hope it’s okay I sent this to the clubhouse. You’re home now, Jonas. I’m so happy for you.
Lennox
Chapter Seven
Snapper
“No.”
King peered out the windshield and smiled. “Uh, yes. I do have to say, though, that even I am surprised by this, and I’ve been with Meg for a long time.”
“How old does she think I am?” I asked.
“Well,” King drawled. “You and Remy will always be Meg’s babies to her.”
I glanced at King. “I’m twenty-seven years old, King, and just got out of prison. Do you really think it’s not hammered home to her that I am not a baby who likes bouncy houses and waterslides?”
“Oh shit!” King called. “Troy is going up the slide.”
Before King and I had pulled into the parking lot, we spotted the large waterslide and bounce house looming before us. At first, I thought it had to be someone else throwing a party for a little kid, but nope. It was smack dab in front of the clubhouse.
How else do you celebrate getting out of prison than with a waterslide and bounce house? At least that’s how Meg wanted to celebrate.
“There has to be a weight limit on that thing,” I muttered.
Troy got to the top of the waterslide and raised his hands over his head like he just climbed a mountain. Hell, that probably did feel like climbing a mountain for his old ass. Troy jumped up and landed on his ass on the slide. He rocketed down, his arms flailing and water splashing anyone within ten feet. He splashed into the pool of water at the bottom and fully went under the water.
“My god,” I laughed. “I’m sure Meg got that for the grandkids. Troy needs to get his butt off it before he pops it.”
“None of the grandkids are old enough to go down that thing besides Kane and Peyton.” King opened his door and hopped down. “You damn well know she got that for herself and all the parents. Let’s hope you’ve still got a swimsuit.” He smiled wide and slammed his door shut.
“They’re here!” a female voice screamed.
Everyone surrounding the waterslide turned toward the truck, and I knew chaos was going to happen in about thirty seconds.
All of these people were my family, but I felt pretty fucking overwhelmed. For years I had been in such a routine in prison, and now I was free. Free to do what I wanted, whenever I wanted, and no one would tell me no. Well, within reason, I was free to do whatever. No more breaking the law or going off the handle without thinking about what the hell is going to happen.
I had wasted enough of my life behind bars. I wasn’t going to let that happen again.
Hero was the first one to the truck. He swung open my door and pulled me from the truck. “Fucking hell,” he called. “Your free, brother.”
I wrapped my arms around him and held back the tears that were brimming in my eyes. “I’m home,” I croaked.
“God damn, I missed you, Snapper,” he whispered.
I had missed him, too. I had missed everyone.
I lost track of the hugs and whispered words of happiness by the time everyone had greeted me.
“Come, come!” Meg called. “We’re ready to eat, and then you have to go down the waterslide!”
“You didn’t have any of that set up when I left,” King accused.
Meg tipped her head to the side and smiled. “That’s because I told them not to deliver it until I knew you would be gone. I know when my ideas are crazy and when to keep them under wraps.”
“I tried to send them away,” Troy called.
“Was that before or after your ass took a trip down the waterslide?” Gambler laughed.
“No,” Slider argued. “He told Meg to send it back as he was helping the guy set up the bounce house.”
Troy flipped off Slider and put his arm around Marley’s shoulders. “I guess I’m just supposed to forget about you two grandpas in the bounce house trying to see who could jump the highest, huh?”
“I guess I should expect you ratting on us since you’re not a club member,” Slider grumbled.
Fayth rolled her eyes and held Kane in her arms. “You all didn’t argue about the bounce house or slide. I’m just hoping Kane can get a chance on them before you guys pop them.”
“We’re not going to pop them,” Slider argued. “They’re heavy duty and meant for twenty kids to beat them up. They can handle a few adults on them.”
Fayth rolled her eyes. “Right. I can only imagine what is going to happen when Leo and the guys get here.”
“I would pay to watch Leo go down the waterslide,” Royal laughed and turned to Marco. “Even you, I would pay to see bounce around.”
Marco swung Royal up in his arms and pressed a kiss to her lips. “Well, you better get your wallet out, babe, because we’re both going down the slide.” He took off for the slide with Royal screaming to stop.
“You really think he is going to go down the slide without changing?” Meg laughed.
“I’m pretty sure changing is not on Marco’s mind,” Fayth laughed.
Marco made it to the slide and urged Royal up the side to the top. She loudly protested that she didn’t want to get wet, but once they made it to the top, there was only one way down.
“I hate you,” Royal screamed before Marco grabbed her around the waist and knocked them both down the slide.
They splashed into the pool of water at the bottom, and Royal came up laughing. She threw herself at Marco and tackled him.
“See,” Meg called proudly. “This was a great idea. We’re all having fun.” She folded her arms over her chest and beamed proudly.
“Not quite yet,” King grunted. He swooped Meg into his arms and jogged over to the bottom of the waterslide.
