6 - Fireworks

What are we taking pictures of? – Leo

Leo watched as Priscilla laid out a blanket and then another one behind it. When she had it how she wanted them, she laid down on the second blanket and began to do…. things with her digital camera. He did not understand the fancy cameras that Priscilla and her friend had. He liked the simple camera with the point and press method.

He glanced down at the blanket and pillows that he had arranged at the back of the area where everyone was gathering. The plan had been to get her back here and make out under the fireworks. Obviously, plans change.

Walking up to the blanket where Priscilla lay on her stomach. As he approached, she sat up and sat cross-legged. He sat down next to her on the blanket that she had placed at the front of the group.

“I was hoping that you’d sit in the back,” Leo murmured.

She gave him a coy grin as she asked, “And why would I do that?”

Moving some of her dark hair behind her ear, he told her, “Everyone will be looking up and forward, not down and back.” Moving in close to her ear, he whispered, “And I could finally kiss you.”

Giggling, she shook her head. “Finally? You had me pinned against the wall at Taz’s wedding reception for half an hour.”

“Over a month ago.”

She pressed her lips to his for the briefest of moments before she turned back to her camera. He was so shocked at her actions that his mouth moved but no noise came out. He sputtered for a moment before he hissed out a simple sentence.

“You’re going to get me killed.”

“No,” she grinned at him over her shoulder. “My moms love you, so, therefore, dad loves you. And Tank and Ink will do anything to make sure I’m happy. And no one wants to take on Taz or Knuckles.”

“I understand Taz. Kind of get Knuckles. I’m lost on Tank and Ink.”

“If I’m not happy, their woman isn’t happy and that means they’re not happy.”

“OK,” leaning back on his elbows and stretching out his legs, he watched her adjust the camera settings in the fading light. “What are you taking pictures of?”

“I can’t say. But you’ll know it when you see it.”

“Cryptic.” He teased.

A brother from the Pops Place clubhouse and his date sat down on the first blanket that she had laid out. Priscilla gave a small growl at the back of her throat. Leo sat up and rested a hand on her shoulder.

“Need them to move?”

“Yes,” she growled out.

Leo stood up and approached the couple. Sure, he was a prospect. But he was a Mother House prospect. He was Brute’s prospect. That should count for something. Right?

“Excuse me, brother, but this blanket belongs to someone else.”

“Get lost, prospect.” The older man ordered, and the woman giggled.

“Hi, sorry.” Priscilla said sweetly. “But this blanket is here for a very specific and special reason.”

“Yeah, my ass. Go annoy someone else.” The woman giggled more at his treatment of the teens.

Priscilla’s shoulders slumped in defeat and Leo wondered about it. “Okay,” she gave them a sweet grin but spoke with venom in her voice, “I guess you can tell Tank that you think you need his blanket.”

All the color drained from the man’s face. “Tank?”

Leo tried not to laugh as the man audibly gulped.

“This is for Tank?” the man asked, and Priscilla gave a slow nod. “Come on.” He stood up and drug the confused woman behind him as she objected.

Chuckling, Leo sat back down on the blanket with Priscilla. “That was a hell of a change. Why is everyone so scared of Tank?”

“I’ll tell you later.” Priscilla promised softly as Tank and Ink led Evie to the blanket. She laid back down on her stomach and raised her camera.

“What are we taking pictures of?” Leo whispered.

“Fireworks.”

The lights around the compound went off, and soon the sky was lit up with different colored explosions. Movement in front of them caught his attention and he watched as Tank and Ink proposed to their girlfriend, Evie. He couldn’t help but chuckle when he saw that they had proposed under red fireworks that were in the shape of a double heart. She was right, he knew instantly what she was taking pictures of.

“Told you,” She murmured, and he softly agreed.

Once the show was over, Priscilla grabbed Leo’s hand and led him upstairs to Ink’s room. She powered up her laptop on the desk as she sat in the black and gray gaming chair.

Looking around the room, Priscilla made Leo laugh with her musings. “I wonder if they have sex in here a lot. Oh God. They probably have sex on the desk.”

Against his better judgment, he sat on the bed. “Pretty sure that they fuck on the bed.”

“I don’t think so.” She put the memory card into the computer. “Too boring. Make sure that door is locked.”

He walked over and checked the lock before sitting at the very edge of the bed.

“If you tell anyone what I’m about to tell you, I will deny everything and let you suffer the wrath of Tank.”

“I won’t tell a soul,” Leo promised.

“Tank has killed several people. Bare handed. Snapped a guy’s neck in the bar.”

“Seriously?”

“Yup. Watched it myself. And doesn’t regret it.”

Her program loaded, and a white circle spun on a black background as he asked her, “Why?”

“The guy was an ass. Beat on his old lady, and not the way they do. Tank was fully patched and had just moved Athos in.”

“Not that long ago,” Leo observed.

Since it was a frequent topic of discussion, he knew that Tank had moved his brother, Athos, into the clubhouse the summer before he started high school. There were a lot of stipulations for the musketeers to live there. Leo did not know them all. Nor did he really care.

“I had a crush on him then and followed him around like a little lost puppy dog” Priscilla admitted. “Let’s face it, I still follow those three around.”

“I’ll start calling you D'Artagnan.”

Smirking, Priscilla continued. “Anyway, it was church night, and everyone was coming in. I came in with dad, because I always do.” She shrugged. “The idiot was in the bar bragging about how he almost was going to be a dad. Telling anyone who would listen that he beat the baby out of her.”

“It had already been decided that he wasn’t going to be patched. He wasn’t a Saint. Tank had enough of it. Walked over and grabbed his head and just snap. Church was called, and they left him laying there. A couple of them came out, loaded him in the back of the van and that was that. Never mentioned him again.”

He was shocked at how nonchalant she was. “And Molly just let you see this? You were what? Eleven?”

“Dad doesn’t know I saw it. I wasn’t supposed to be in the bar. Athos doesn’t even know I saw it and he’s my best friend. And if you say anything, you can find out what they did to him.”

Sighing deeply, he agreed. “I won’t say anything. How do you know that he’s killed others?”

“You mean other than the fact that he snapped a neck like he was opening a beer bottle?”

“I guess that does imply that he’s had a little practice.” He grinned as a picture filled the screen. Watching her with amazement, Priscilla adjusted the picture until it was just how she wanted it.

He watched her in silence as she tweaked the pictures just how she wanted them. She was just finishing when someone knocked on the door.

“You want me to get that?” Leo stood.

“Please. If it’s anyone other than Ink or Tank, don’t let them in.” She was already focused back on the computer.

The look that Ink gave Leo made the younger man reconsider every life choice he had ever made. And a few that were not yet made. “I swear, nothing has happened. I just sat on the bed and watched her do the pictures.”

“Go help Nessie clean up the kitchen, prospect.” Ink commanded, and Leo nodded. “And by help, I mean you do exactly what she says, and she doesn’t lift a finger.”

“Yes, sir.” He bolted as Ink chuckled behind him.

He found the main staircase and headed for the kitchen on the first floor. The Scottish woman smiled at him as she took his hand in hers and traced her finger across his palm.

“Yer gonna find yerself at a crossroad. Make a wise choice,” she blinked and gave him a sad smile. “It will be the most important decision yeh ever make.”