Originals Ride: Hellions Motorcycle Club (Hellions Ride Book 8) Read Online Free PDF Page B

contender to hit the track if that is the client’s intention.
    Tommy and I didn’t bother to learn anything about the car. We simply took the first opportunity we had to take her out for a spin. Only, we had to wait for Clive to get off work and go home, which left us to take this beast out at night.
    Small town, quiet roads with a loud, fast race car … Well, we should have known we would get caught.
    It wasn’t long before the cop had the car parked on the side of the road and Tommy and me on our way downtown. He calls Clive who comes and picks us up at midnight.
    “I should have left you two in there. A night behind bars, sleeping on a hard rack, might get through to your hard heads.”
    “Clive,” I start to explain as we get to his old truck.
    He throws his hand up to silence me. “You boys have so much potential. Don’t do stupid stuff that takes away from that. Gotta remember business is what keeps ya going for the fun stuff like racing your own car. Working ain’t about the fun stuff; it’s providing for it, boys. Don’t confuse the two.”
    Without another word, Clive drives us home. Knowing we disappointed him upsets me; his quiet burns deep.
    “Don’t fire us, Clive,” Tommy says barely above a whisper.
    “Fire you? If Mr. Johnson wants to, he can practically shut my business down with this stunt you two pulled.”
    “Shit,” I mutter.
    “Fifteen-year-old boys and you think you know everything. If you would have wrecked that car, who would have paid to replace it? Huh, boys? Was your fun worth costing me everything?”
    “No, sir,” Tommy says, hanging his head in shame.
    “Integrity, boys. What you do when no one else is watching is what really makes you a man. Supporting the people who have taken a chance on you and not taking advantage of them makes a real man. So you tell me, what should I do with you?”
    Clive could have beaten our asses, fired us, and even more, he could have marched into our houses and told our parents. He did none of it. Instead, he left us to have the integrity to tell our parents ourselves. When we both showed up for work the next day, he made sure we cleaned up the Plymouth and did all the work on it after hours at no charge. We also had to tell Mr. Johnson ourselves what we did and give him free service for life from Tommy and me. To this day, ten years later, I’m still changing the man’s oil regularly and not getting a dime.
    Clive could have sent Tommy and me away. He should have turned his back on the two young boys who made a mess of his business more times than I care to admit, but he didn’t. Somehow, he’s here, giving it all to us.
    “The time has come, son,” Clive explains. “Do right by your customers; do right by your partner, Tommy here. The shop, the land, the business, it’s all yours. The lawyer’s drawing up the papers. Tommy, you get a thirty percent lifetime ownership so Blaine can’t do anything fully without you.” A lone tear falls down his face. “Man’s gotta know when he’s not in the best shape to keep on keepin’ on. Yesterday, they got the best of me. I’m slipping. Age is catching up to me. I went in blind to them and had not one damn thing on my side but God and you boys. That’s all the warning I need to let go.”
    “Are you …? Are you …?” I can’t seem to get the words out as I choke on so many emotions. “Are you really sure? We can leave things alone, Clive. You take some time off then come back.”
    “Never been more sure of anything, Blaine. I’m leaving it in good hands.”
     

California Kid
     

    Tommy and I talked. Until Clive gave us paperwork, and honestly, even after, we would treat things as business as usual. We didn’t save him to push him out of his shop. We did it because it was the right thing to do. Never leave a good man to struggle alone.
    The sound of a Harley pulling in not long after we opened the next morning causes Tommy and I both to go straight outside. After everyone came