Barbecue.
“Phoe just called, said she’s having a barbecue Saturday, entire clubs invited.” Shee said walking into the clubhouse. Chance raised his head from where he slouched at the bar and raised an eyebrow.
“She say if it was just us or some of her fancy friends?” He asked. Shee frowned.
“She said others would be there.”
“Think they wanna mix with the likes of us?” Pyro asked as he sucked on his vape. Chance hated the damn thing. Chatter grunted his agreement.
“Who the fuck cares, we don’t got no problem with them. If there’s a problem it’s theirs not ours.” Tiny butted in.
“Our girl asked us to go to a barbecue so we’re damn well going.” Big Al spoke up and glared at them all. “Ya’ll like fuckin’ kids. Grow some balls. So what if it’s a fancy schmancy shindig, it’s our girl.” Big Al pointed at all of them and Chance glared at the older man.
“You may be first gen but you ain’t my father.” He growled. Big Al turned an eye to him and Chance wished he had said nothing. Big Al could reduce all of them to little kids in the blink of an eye.
“We’re going. Get over it. Fuckin’ kids!” Big Al grumbled as he lumbered out of the clubhouse. Chance turned to look at his brothers.
“Fancy schmancy shindig? I gotta wear a button up?” Bear asked dejection crossing his face.
“Any fucker puts a tie on me I’ll hang him from the nearest tree.” Levi threatened. Yeah, Chance could agree with that.
“Fucking barbecue, fancy assholes, what the hell has that woman done now?” He asked no one in particular.
​
Chance frowned as he pulled on a black button up. He had on clean jeans that had faded, they looked worn and old but they were clean, dammit! He’d scrubbed his boots and was now struggling with this fucking button up. He wore tee’s, not shirts. He hoped Phoe would appreciate this because he wouldn’t be doing it again for her. He was a biker not a banker!
Next to him looking equally unhappy, his V.P was struggling to calm his hair and do his own button up at the same time. Well, Chance thought with a smirk, at least Bear was as unhappy as he was. That was something. Chance felt his mood lighten as he looked at his brothers. To his glee they all looked fuckin’ miserable.
He struggled to keep a smile off his lips as he studied them all. Pyro was wearing a cream button up, his hair combed neatly back and he was chugging his vape for all it was worth. Shee had cheated and wore a tee with a design of a shirt and waistcoat on. Chance wondered where the hell he’d got that monstrosity from.
Diesel was in the process of ripping buttons of his sleeve cuffs and rolling them up to the elbows. Yeah that made sense, the fucker. Chance looked down at his own buttoned cuffs. Rooster wore a shirt that looked like it dated from the fifties, Rooster sent him a shit-eating grin and Chance chuckled. Big Al wore a checked shirt that needed an iron and the man was ripping a tie from his neck. It surprised Chance the tie had even got that far!
Tiny and Chatter wore matching silk shirts, they had paired them with black jeans and they wore clean boots. Chance eyed them suspiciously, they’d scrubbed up too well he decided. Revenge was a dish best served cold. Levi wore a clean tee with a shirt unbuttoned over the top of it. His hair was pulled back neatly in a man bun and that was his concession for today.
Celt, Roadkill and Shotgun all wore the same as he did although Shotgun had added a handkerchief to his shirt’s pocket. Celt was ribbing him about it and Shotgun forced him into a headlock and proceeded to throttle him.
“Leave him enough air to ride.” Chance called out. Shotgun nodded and gave Celt a noogie. Wonderful. He pulled his cut on, he may have smartened up for Phoe but he was still Hellfire. His brothers followed suit.
“We really doing this?” Celt said looking mournful as if they were off to a funeral. Tiny slid his hand down his shirt and thrust a hip out striking a pose.
“You think I look this good not to go?” He asked high pitched. Levi went after him and before Levi could take Tiny down, Big Al grabbed them both by the neck.
“You fuckin’ behave today.” He warned them, pure menace in his voice. Chance held back a snicker as both of his brothers nodded vigorously. Don’t matter how old they were, Big Al always commanded them.
​
​
The first person Chance saw was Senator Antony Parker-Jones. He was frowning at Chance as Hellfire approached the house. The man wore scruffy jeans, old sneakers and a worn tee. Antony frowned at Chance.
“I miss something?” He asked in his cultured tone. Chance looked him up and down.
“Thinkin’ I did Senator.” He went to carry on but Phoe rushed out the house to launch herself into Bear’s arms and then she turned to them. A frown crossed her face.
“Why are you dressed up?” She asked curiously.
“You got a fancy shindig, little darlin’, not gonna be showing our girl up now are we?” Big Al said rubbing a hand over her head. Chance’s eyes narrowed as he took in her cut-off shorts and a little tank top.
“Fancy shindig?” She asked her eyes going wide as she took in all of Hellfire and their faces. Faces that were now turning dark.
“Shee said you got a barbecue and a fancy shindig.” Bear threw Shee to the wolves. His brothers turned on him and Shee hurriedly put his hands up in the air.
“She said she had her fancy friends coming.” He yelled pointing at Phoe. Phoe shook her head.
“I said my friends were coming, not that we was having a fancy shindig.”
“I asked if your fancy friends were coming you said yes!” Shee began backing away as Hellfire began circling him, like lions around a wounded gazelle.
“I tied my hair back neatly!” Pyro growled.
“I put on a fuckin’ button up and cleaned my boots.” Diesel snarled.
“I borrowed my grandpa’s best shirt.” Rooster ground out. That explained the shirt from the fifties then, it probably was.
“Oh fuck.” Antony whispered.
“She said it was her fancy friends. They all wear suits.” Shee yelled backing away speedily.
“I didn’t say it was a fancy do, I said it was a barbecue. I can’t believe you all thought that I’d ask you to change who you are!” Phoe shouted back, furious, hands on hips. Chance caught the hint of hurt in her voice and turned his gaze on Shee.
Before anyone blinked, Hellfire pounced and Shee throwing punches went down. Chance had hold of his brother’s arm when a voice spoke from behind them.
“The little ones made a mud pit.” Chance caught Jodie’s eye and grinned. Phoe’s beautiful daughter strutted away and Micah came up holding two cheesecakes.
“Mum’s got an abundance of these. Don’t think they’ll get eaten.” He mused. As quick as a flash Celt had one and Bear had the other and they rammed them into Shee. Growling they mashed the cheesecake into his face, hair, clothes and anywhere else they could reach. Minutes later Shee was thrown into the mud pit and came out fighting and cursing.
“You guys have clothes upstairs.” Phoe said to Hellfire as they surrounded her grinning. “I can’t believe you all dressed up for me. That’s the sweetest thing ever!” Tears welled up in her eyes and Chance dragged her close.
“Don’t you know, there’s shit we won’t do for you.” He muttered as Bear took hold of her next. His brothers departed to change their clothes and Shee for a shower while Phoe was held in the arms of men who loved her enough to wear a button-up shirt!
​
© 2019 Elizabeth N. Harris