The rest was a blur, his mind struggled to pull up what happened no matter how hard he’d concentrated. It was as if someone else had taken over his mind and his body. He knew what was on video, so there was no denying he’d entered the apartment and ruffed up Luke’s...lover. Hell, at the time, none of them knew Luke had been gay. Well, King and Duke may have suspected but they hadn’t mentioned it to anyone else. Even though the next day his knuckles hadn’t been busted up, that didn’t mean shit. He could beat the shit out of someone without using his fists. He’d accepted what he and Groot had done, and the shit that had gone down because of it. King and the others thought he was sweating and nervous when King had questioned them, because he was facing the Prez, which was somewhat truthful. Yet the real truth was, he was still recovering from whatever he’d been slipped that had made him almost zombie like. If it hadn’t been for Pete, who was only too excited to tell him what they’d done, in detail, Mick would’ve denied any part of the attack, until the video footage.
Fuck, he hated not remembering, as much as he hated the memories sometimes.
“Come on, boy, sitting out here ain’t getting you anywhere.” King clapped him on the shoulder.
Mick took a deep breath before he swung his leg off his bike. There were a lot of things about Groot that hadn’t added up, but he’d brushed them off. Hell, his one-time friend had seemed different, and even proclaimed to be one thing or another but had been none of them. He hadn’t even owned the bike he’d ridden, which was weird as fuck. Pete had money, there was no denying that. Pete’s cousin had a place on the beach that was worth a fortune, and none of the vehicles Mick had spied them driving were anything but high dollar rides. Pete had tried to get Mick to join another gang before introducing him to the Royal MC, but he hadn’t felt right even partying with Pete’s cousins, let alone joining anything they were into.
Pete had been the one who had strong ties to California more than he had, knowing a lot of the locals, but they’d been men Mick didn’t want to associate with. He’d been on the verge of leaving the state when Pete had introduced him to the MC. Mick hadn’t thought to question how Pete had come to find the Royal brothers, but when he’d come to the clubhouse, he’d felt a bond with the men who were hard, but they also had an inner core of good that Mick wanted to find within himself.
Mick should’ve realized something was wrong with Pete from the beginning, hell his bullshit meter was usually better, but he’d gotten used to taking care of Pete during their military time together. Afterward, it was Mick who was floundering. They’d been in the service together for years and Pete had latched onto the fact Mick didn’t have family, using it to his advantage. While Mick had built a nice little nest egg, which Groot had said was what he’d been doing as well, he had real doubts about the other man. Although, Mick didn’t have anything to brag about in the financial status like some of the brothers, or be all ‘hey look at me, I’m a fucking millionaire’ but he had enough that he could buy his Harley, some nice clothes, and put money down on an apartment. All he cared about was being able to start life without being in debt. Big fucking goals, not. Pete didn’t have any such plans from what Mick could tell. When he’d died, if he’d had money stashed, someone would’ve wanted access, surely.
He shoved the memories back into the box where he put all the shit he didn’t want to think about, and entered the clubhouse. Once he had his shield firmly in place that kept people from seeing what he didn’t want them to see, he worked to be the man he’d become, the man they knew. Not the man or boy that he would’ve become if he’d stayed on the fucking mountain.
Silence greeted him.
Mick stopped and looked at the grim faces that were ringed in a half circle around the huge room. King stood in the middle of them with Duke and Traeger on each side. The same uneasy feeling he’d had the night he and Groot had been called in, slithered down his spine. Years of being beat into the perfect Child of The Order kept him from sweating.
“What’s going on?” he asked, keeping his arms at his sides.
“See, I like that about you. Not an ounce of fear in them eyes. He’s not even shaking, and I bet he’s cool as a cucumber.” King nodded toward Mick.
Mick shrugged, figuring there wasn’t a question he needed to answer.
“Frog wasn’t the right name for him, brother. You know, Frog’s jump when you tell them to, right?” Wheels asked.
“Ah, no. Frog’s aren’t trainable,” Keys said.
“Well, who came up with that name then?” Charger growled.
“Why the fuck are we discussing his name like it fucking matters?” T-Rex asked.
“Ah, ‘cause it’s fucking important, asshole.” Traeger glared at the other man.
T-Rex folded his arms over his chest. Mick tracked the men he felt would give him the biggest run for his money. T-Rex, Traeger, King and Duke. Yeah, he was so fucked, but he wouldn’t go down without taking a couple with him.
“Are you girls done arguing?” King sighed when the others went quiet.
Mick stayed where he was, his back to the door he’d come through, close enough he could make a run for it, if he chose. They’d catch him, maybe.
“I see the wheels working in your head, brother. There’s no need to try to get away. Come on in, we got some business to discuss, and yes, your name is one of them. You see, Frog, that name doesn’t suit you. Maybe as a prospect it did. But today, you proved your worth. Today, you saved me and probably these other assholes.” King hiked his thumb over his shoulder.
Mick wasn’t sure what to say. He hadn’t done anything spectacular.
“I said to come on in, Mick Richardson. Don’t make me repeat myself.” King’s voice went hard.
Fuck, Mick had known King knew his name, since he’d had to give all his info to the club when he’d joined, but hearing him say it out loud, brought a flush he couldn’t hide to his face. “Listen, I only did what any of these guys would’ve done.”
“You’re right, brother, but not all of these guys would’ve had the skills you did. Frog is not a brother’s name, but Archer is. Mick, there’s a lot that goes into becoming a brother. You think you’re good enough to be a full Royal?” King crossed his arms over his chest after he asked.
Mick looked from King to Duke then the other brothers. For the first time, he noticed there were no other prospects in the clubhouse. He’d done everything the club had asked of him, went on rides, missions, and done things that needed to be done, all with the end goal of becoming a brother. Either they were going to kill him and bury his body, or burn it more than likely, that way there was no trace of him, or...
“I think I see a little perspiration on his forehead,” Traeger said with a little chuckle.
Mick lifted his right hand, flipping him off. If he was going to be killed, he wasn’t going out a pussy.
“Nah, you ain’t my type. I like my women, or rather woman to be female and sweet. You ain’t any of those things. Besides, I think my ole’ lady would slit both of our throats. So, you gonna come into the room, or you gonna continue to stand over there like you got a chance of bolting?” Traeger tipped his head toward the door, a little evil grin gracing his lips.