Total pages in book: 79
Estimated words: 75152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 75152 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 376(@200wpm)___ 301(@250wpm)___ 251(@300wpm)
We had a long day ahead of us, so I cut my ride short and went on to work. Once I was parked, I grabbed my tool belt from my saddle bag, then started up to the front of the coffee shop. I hadn’t gotten far when I found Guardrail talking to Moon—one of our brothers and Big’s eldest. He’d learned a thing or two from his father and used what he’d learned to become the best electrician in the county. He could wire anything, so I knew it was bad when he said, “The wiring in this place is a nightmare.”
“What’s the problem?”
“Too many to count.”
“Surely it isn’t that bad.” I glanced over at Guardrail as I asked, “Didn’t Marlon redo the wiring a few years back?”
“Yeah, he did it right after the fire in 2012.” Guardrail ran his hand over his beard with a grumble. “Always heard Marlon was a good electrician. I was counting on it when I wrote up our bid.”
“Well, if Marlon did it, he needs to take a refresher course.” Moon sounded beyond frustrated as he told us, “The guy’s got too many outlets on one line, wires that are too short and can’t make connections, and the damn box isn’t flush to the wall. It’s a wonder this place hasn’t burned to the ground.”
“Damn. Can you fix it?”
“Yeah, of course I can. It’s just gonna be a fucking pain.”
Eager to get the job done, I asked, “What do you need me to do?”
“I know it’s not a necessity, but I’d like to get all that old wiring out. I just think it’ll make for a cleaner job.”
“You’re right. I’ll start upstairs.”
“Great. I’ve gotta get my tools out of the truck,” Moon replied. “I’ll be up in a minute.”
“Me, too.” Guardrail sounded a little less panicked as he told us, “Just give me a minute to get the others going.”
“Take your time. We got it covered.”
He and Moon made their way out to the parking lot while I headed up to the top floor of the building. I slipped on my tool belt, then got busy ripping out the old wires. It was easy to see why Moon had been so upset. The wiring was a complete mess, and little could be salvaged—which was a big hit for the club. We’d have to eat the added expense, and no one would be happy about that.
I was halfway done with the west end of the building when Hayes came trudging into the room with a soured look on his face. Without so much as a word, he walked over next to me and started jerking wire out of the joist. It was clear he was pissed, so I asked, “Something wrong?”
“Yeah, you could say that.”
“What’s going on?”
“Dad wants me to wait another six months before I start prospecting, and it’s total bullshit.” His dark eyes flashed with rage as he roared, “I’ll be twenty next month. The same age he was when he started prospecting.”
“I’m sure he has his reasons.”
“Yeah, he’s been spouting them off for the past week.”
I hated to overstep, but I could tell this was something he needed to sort. So, I asked, “Like what?”
“He thinks it’ll be too hard for me to take classes and prospect at the same time.” He kicked the wall with his steel-toe boots with an angry scowl. “He thinks I should get my stupid degree first, then see how I feel about prospecting.”
“Makes sense.” When he turned to me with an angry scowl, I lifted my hands in surrender and said, “Hold on, now. Hear me out. I get where you’re coming from. I know you’re eager to become a brother, but prospecting is tough. Hell, it’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.”
“I can handle it.”
“You say that now, but when one of the brothers calls you to clean up Wrath’s puke at four in the morning, or they order you to do a run to Seattle in the middle of the night, it’ll be hard to make it to that eight a.m. class. A few nights of that shit, and I guarantee you’ll be singing a different tune.”
“I’d find a way to get through it.”
His expression softened as he admitted, “I’ve wanted this for as long as I can remember.”
“Yeah, I remember that feeling. It’s tough.” I gave him a pat on the shoulder as I said, “But wanting it for a few more months or even a year isn’t going to kill ya.”
“I was afraid you were gonna say that.” His eyes dropped to the floor as he grumbled, “I hate that he’s always right.”
“Just be patient. One of these days, you’ll prove him wrong.”
“We’ll see about that.” Hayes started prying out one of the knobs that were nailed to the framing, then started pulling the wires through as he said, “You know Dad is planning a get-together this weekend.”