Bug looked at J.C. and nodded, indicating that he should back off. “So who’s this lawyer?”
“He’s a guy I went to school with, and he’s also one of the guys I used to grow and sell weed with in college. He lives in Colorado now, so he’ll be up on the licenses and permits we’ll need.”
“So I got a question, man,” J.C. asked. “You got this money, and you got a job, right? Why would you invest in this new business with a bunch of guys you don’t even know?”
I laughed. “You know, I’ve asked myself the same question. Two reasons. One, I’ve discovered that I fuckin’ love riding bikes, and two, I’ve never really been part of a group that’s this tight. I like it, and I like knowing that there are people who’d have my back.”
Bug looked around, and I figured he was checking to make sure Joker couldn’t overhear what he was about to say. “You know, we don’t usually vote a brother in before we really know him. I did what the Pres told me to, but I’m gonna be keeping an eye on you, Luke. You can’t just expect to walk in here and take over just because your old man’s the President.”
“I hear you,” I answered. “I’m not trying to take over anything. I’m happy to be a brother, and I’m making a business investment. My plan is for all of us to get rich as shit off this deal.”
“I hope it works out that way, man,” Bug answered. “Hey, I was talking to J. C. earlier. What do you think about setting up the grow operation to have enough to sell outside the store?”
“What do you mean?” I asked.
J.C. spoke up. “There’s no reason why we can’t sell it legally and kinda off the books as well. The weed for sale in dispensaries is expensive, so it hasn’t hurt the illegal biz at all, from what I hear.”
I shook my head. “I don’t know. From what I hear, the DEA had their eye on Moses. I don’t think we should risk it. That’s the beauty of a legal dispensary. It’s all above board.”
“Yeah, I guess.” J.C. didn’t look like I’d convinced him.
“The other thing is that if we can grow a strain that’s in high demand, we’ll be selling all we can produce. Whether we sell it directly, or to other dispensaries, I think we’ll manage just fine all legal and aboveboard.”
Bug gave J.C. a look that clearly meant something to the two of them, but puzzled me. “If we run out of weed to sell, I’m sure we could get some from our amigos south of the border.”
Something about his expression troubled me, but I couldn’t put my finger on what it was. “South of the border?” I asked, confused. “Mexico?”
I could see that Joker was headed our way, and Bug could see it, too.
“Never mind, man, that’s all history. See you around. I’m watching you,” he said, before walking away.
J.C. followed, of course, and I knew that I’d have to be careful about the tension that Bug seemed to create within the club. Joker had told me that Bug and Moses hadn’t seen eye to eye, and I suspected that Bug probably saw me as a rival and suspected that I’d try to take his place.
“Luke,” Joker called as he approached. “Come talk to Sally about getting this ride to Arizona scheduled.”
I’d met Sally, the Road Captain, briefly, and I’d liked him right away. He was soft-spoken, but had asked several pointed questions about the dispensary proposal that revealed that he must have some history in business.
After ordering yet another round of shots from the bartender, Joker led me over to a table in the corner occupied by Sally and one of the young women who were always hanging around the club. I tried not to stare when I realized that Sally actually had his hand up beneath the skirt of the woman who sat on his lap.
“Take a walk, Angel,” Joker said as we sat down with Sally.
She stood up, much to Sally’s disappointment, and sauntered off, the sway in her hips no accident.
“That your old lady?” I asked, wanting to make sure that I knew which girls were single, so I didn’t make any mistakes.
“Nah, man. She’s just one of the girls who hangs around. Mighty handy, if you know what I mean.”
I wasn’t entirely comfortable with the idea of women who just slept with anyone in the MC, and I didn’t really get the appeal of sharing your sex partner with the guys you hung around with. I wasn’t going to rock the boat, though. Just because my brothers slept with all the same women didn’t mean that I had to.
Joker tossed back his shot and slammed the glass on the table. “So when we riding to Arizona?”