Page 35 of Haze
With glossy eyes, she nodded and got into the car. He closed her door for her and tapped the hood twice before he took a few steps back. As he watched her pull out of the parking lot, his mind felt heavy. Life would never be the same again, but he welcomed it.
“That nigga gotta die.” Haze snapped as he paced the length of the meeting room. It had been three days since he’d seen Devyn and Hazel, and he was on edge. He’d spoken to them both every day. Things between him and Devyn were still strained, and they had yet to really talk, but the longer he went with holding all his emotions in, the more irritable he got. He knew he needed to speak with her soon.
Currently, he was attending church, which was just club-talk for having a Vicious Kings meeting.
The Blue Boyz were now causing unrest in the shopping district near downtown, and the locals confused their gang with the Vicious Kings. It was all over the papers, and Haze was quite literally over it. His motorcycle club was supposed to be fun, and the illegal weapons operation should have been the one giving him a damn headache. Somehow, everything in his life had gotten so complicated, and Haze was ready to take a step back.
“Azul might be a dumbass, but he has some smarts about him. He knows enough to not show his face. I have a feeling that’s gonna change soon, though. He’s been trying to get at us for too long, and he’s losing everyone he recruits to his fuck ass club. I know he’s getting tired of the shit and is going to want to lay eyes on us in real time. I think we just need to keep moving how we been moving, maybe put on a fundraiser in the shopping district or some shit, remind everyone we cool peoples, and bide our time. We gonna get him,” Gideon encouraged.
Haze knew Gideon was right, but everything in him wanted to take some of his pent-up anger and go on a rampage.
“Y’all need to keep ya ears to the streets and find that nigga. I don’t want it to be a situation where he finds us. That ain’t gonna fly wit’ me. Only other thing we have to talk about is the big race next month. The Obsidian Riders are hosting this year in Ellwood. Make sure you put ya bets up and sign up to race if you want. I need at least ten VK members reppin’ for us. I got one slot, so I need nine more. New recruits, y’all are gonna sit this one out. Make it past initiation, and you’ll be required to race next year to rep ya club. Meeting adjourned.” Haze walked out of the meeting room before anyone could ask him any questions.
Gideon wasn’t letting him go so easily, though. He caught up to Haze with long, quick strides. “You good, bro?”
Haze plopped down on one of the couches in the main area of the compound while club members filed out of the meeting room. Some left through the front door, and others milled about, waiting to see what the night would bring.
“I got a kid,” Haze blurted out. He hadn’t talked to Gideon or anyone in the club yet about what was going on in his personal life.
Gideon sat across from him and furrowed his brows. “I ain’t hear you, man.”
“Why everyone act like they can’t fuckin’ hear when I say that shit?”
Gideon blinked slowly at him before he responded. “Like I said, I ain’t hear you. Say that again.”
Haze ran a hand down his face in frustration. “I got a kid, man.” Gideon stared at him like he still couldn’t hear him. “Say something, shit,” Haze snapped.
Gideon shook his head. “My bad, bro. I just can’t picture it. You, a father? How that even happen? Who the baby mama? How old is this kid? I’m lost as hell right now.”
“You and me both, G, but she’s the prettiest little girl I’ve ever seen. She’s two years old and looks just like me. And check it . . . Devyn is her mama.”
“Get the fuck outta here,” Gideon roared. A few club members looked at them, but Gideon waved them away, and they went back to whatever they were doing. “How in the fuck that happen?”
“The night we met. She got pregnant and then ain’t ever tell me,” Haze said. He couldn’t keep the bitterness out of his tone. He wanted to forgive Devyn, but he knew it would take time and a lot of conversation for that to happen.
“That’s wild. How you feelin’ wit’ this shit? How you even find out?”
“I don’t know, G. I’m kind of fucked up behind it. I mean, we got all this shit goin’ on in the club, and then you know my hands ain’t the cleanest . . . I first laid eyes on her at her mama’s job, and I swear to you it was like I wanted to wash my damn hands for the first time in my life. I’m talkin’ I damn near want to shut all this shit down.”
It was the first time Haze admitted it out loud, but it had been heavy on his mind for the past few days. Ever since he cut up at Chuck E. Cheese, he felt like a change needed to happen, and quick. His temper was too quick, and the line of business he was in wasn’t built for his kind of attitude. He’d fuck around and start a war on accident, and he had everything to lose at this point.
“That’s deep, but I get it. I promise I do.”
“What I’m ’posed to do, G?” Haze asked, seeking some of Gideon’s calm wisdom.
“Whatever you have to do for yo’ peace of mind. You know we ain’t gonna let ya legacy die. Me and the crew will keep shit runnin’ in yo’ honor if you decide to take a step back.”
Haze knew that was true too. He knew the niggas he kept around were loyal and would keep shit running. All he would have to do was sit back and collect money. He couldn’t lie, though. He would miss the fast life. He thrived in chaos. Wasn’t no chaos in being a daddy and possibly a good man to Devyn.
He wasn’t sure what he was going to do yet. He needed more time to process.
They sat in silence for several moments, allowing their thoughts to wander, before Gideon asked with a smile, “My daughter gonna have a best friend?”
He and Glimmer had a baby girl, and Haze hadn’t even thought about how their kids could grow to be best friends, just as he and Gideon had.
Haze grinned back. “Yeah, man. I guess so.”
“That’s beautiful,” Gideon said.
