Steel My Heart Read Online Free PDF Page B

me."
    Teach nodded and wandered back to his catalogs. J. dropped his riding leathers into a heap behind the counter and stepped through the back doorway and into the garage.
    The bike he was building for the doctor in Rittenhouse was nearly complete. The weekend warrior had wanted all the bells and whistles J. offered him. J. wondered if he really was interested or if he was just intimidated by the color of his skin.
    J. had seen it a billion times. Teach's shop was famous throughout the Philly biker world as the best place to go to get custom work done. Rich suburbanites ventured nervously into the no-man's land under the Frankford El, and then were startled when they met an old black biker behind the counter. They were doubly startled when the head mechanic was a tall, broad-shouldered, bare-chested young black man in a patch covered cut.
    "Hey asshole, what're you doing trying to sneak off to work like that?"
    J. grinned at the voice booming over his shoulder. "Some of us actually work for a living, you lazy piece of shit."
    "Ha!" J. grunted when the impact of Case's bear hug nearly knocked him to the floor. Before he could react, his best friend had his arms pinned at his sides.
    "Put me down you Viking-looking motherfucker!" J. yelled, kicking his feet as Case lifted him off the ground.
    "Or what, you think you could take me?"
    "You snuck up on me."
    Case dropped him unceremoniously onto the floor of the shop and struck a fighting stance. His pale cheeks were flushed under his blond beard. He quickly tied back his dirty blond ponytail and raised his fists. "Go ahead, I'll even let you have first hit."
    J. balled his fists threateningly, then burst out laughing. Case yanked him into another bear hug and clapped him on the back with his huge hands so hard J. started to cough. "You're done right? Free man as of today?"
    J. coughed again, trying to catch his breath. "Yup, I'm done. Official parole documents filed with the county and all that shit."
    "You're done?" Crash's sleepy voice floated out into the shop from the bunk area. "For real?"
    "Way to pay attention, asshole," Case grumbled.
    "I pay attention. I just forgot!" Crash whined. "You know I can't remember shit, asshole."
    They heard the creak of springs as Crash heaved himself painfully out of his bunk. He appeared in the doorway rubbing his stubbled head blearily and squinting his pale blue eyes at the sunlit glare of the shop. "We gotta celebrate!"
    "You look like you did enough celebrating last night," Teach rumbled, taking in Crash's pale, puffy face and squinting eyes.
    "Just because you forgot how to have a good time, old man."
    "Don't look like you're having such a good time now," Teach shot back. He rifled through the drawer under the counter and came out with a flashlight, which he promptly shone in Crash's eyes.
    "Ow, fuck!" J. and Case laughed as Crash flailed his arms trying to escape the beam of light.
    "That idiot does have a point." Case poked J. in the ribs. "We need to celebrate. How long has it been since you had a drink anyway?"
    J. gulped and thought for a second. Imprisoned at eighteen, six years behind the walls , and then a year of parole. "I've never had one legally."
    Case whistled softly. "Yeah, that needs to change."
    Crash managed to dunk behind a wall of accessories, hiding from Teach's persistent flashlight.
    "Ya wanna go down to the Dog?" he called from his hiding place.
    The Black Dog Saloon was their normal hangout, a place to grab cheap whiskey, cheaper women and the cheapest beer.
    "Nah that place is a shithole. This is an occasion ," Case scoffed. J. looked at his tall, blond friend and ducked when he saw the pride in his blue eyes. "We're going somewhere posh tonight."
    Case flung his beefy arm around J.'s shoulders. "Mister Jeremiah Johnson is now a fully rehabilitated member of society. He needs to be reintroduced properly." Case grinned. "Let's go tear up this town."
    "Yeah!" Crash shouted from behind the accessories wall. He