Page 24 of Roadrunner

“Shame. Sounds fun,” I said, trying to match his tone.

He reached behind the desk and brought out a second vest, folded, and stood holding it a moment before shaking it out at shoulder height. My throat closed the second I saw it.

Across the back: an upper rocker reading PROPERTY OF, a lower one reading PANZER, and between them the Hard Eights patch—two dice, both showing four.

He turned it around. On the front, near the waist, a small patch read SNITCHES GET STITCHES. Higher up, over the chest, a name patch.

SQUIRT.

My throat tightened. I bit down against it. I didn’t want to be the girl who cried. My throat tightened further.

“You willing to wear this with pride?” He held it up, admiring it more than me. “Given everything we just talked about?”

This was the family. Whatever word they used for it—brotherhood, sisterhood, didn’t matter. I hoped it meant to him even half of what it meant to me right then.

I swallowed heavily. “Yes. I am.”

“Panzer will walk you through the rest, but understand—when you wear this, you represent the club. Wearing it or not, you don’t embarrass Panzer, me, or the Hard Eights. Understood?”

“Understood.”

He handed it to Riley, and Riley settled it over my shoulders himself, tugging it into place. I felt like I’d grown two inches.

“Welcome to the family.” Brisco’s hand landed on my shoulder hard enough to nearly buckle my knees. I caught myself.

“Glad to be part of it.”

“What are you going to school for?”

“Nursing.”

“That’ll come in handy.” He grinned. “They teach you to stitch a wound yet?”

I had no idea. “I’m sure I’ll be good at it by graduation.”

Lackey opened the door to the shop and looked at Price. “That it?”

“That’s it.” Price waved us toward the door. “Let’s go have a beer with the fellas.”

Riley went ahead with Lackey. I straightened the kutte and started to follow.

“Squirt,” Price said.

I turned back. “Yeah?”

“Happy birthday.”

My eyes stung. I wanted to hug him, or say something that meant more than what I actually said, which was the line the men on my favorite show always used.

“Appreciate ya,” I said, with a short nod.

He almost smiled. It was probably as close as he ever got.

Chin up, I turned around and walked back toward my two dozen new brothers.

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Alex