Chapter 24: Being An Asshole Hides Truths

The Kandid Bar, Kanid, Iowa....

By the time Brick made it back to the abandoned shack, the lovely lass whom he'd been keeping company with had been long gone. His attire remained untouched since he discarded them in a bid to have his way with the young woman he had picked up in the bar whom had been of barely legal age, without being restricted and least of all messing up his vest. He liked the idea of free ranged rutting as much as the next man, but he wasn't much for relationships. Brick had always made it known to any and all he'd been around that he thoroughly enjoyed his freedom. After getting dressed, Brick made it a point to take a leak on the side of the shack, something in the way of marking his territory as he had still been plagued via the wolfish habits that were brought on by his time spent in beast form.

The sounds of the back woods were something of a comfort to him, as he often recalled spending a good deal of his youth hunting, fishing, and hiking with his father Fitz back home. He was skilled in a good deal of trades, having been taught by various members of the pack back home but he had truly been a warrior at heart and loved a good brawl now and again with or without his beast blood being active. Brick was proud of his father's service in Vietnam even with all the trouble the boys got into over there and back. He didn't like the war himself, but serving his country was always something Fitz had been pleased that he took part in. As a result Brick had served in Iraq and got real acquainted with the ancient sands like his father had the swamps and jungle during his tour of duty.

Brick made his way back toward the bar, a hankering for beef and a cold beer being his most direct reasons but he was also anxious to find new about the upcoming target from Ken. The rest of his crew seemed to have the same idea as they strolled in looking as if they had a long night, some more than others following the effects of the full moon.

The president of The Howler M.C. greeted them warmly raising up a bottle of beer at their arrival and turned it up. Gunther and Rooster seemed to have a less difficult time adjusting after the occasion but the younger weres, were uneasy and some even nauseated. Being blood drunk on top of actually drunk was a new thing for them and Brick was barely even feeling it. Unlike most of the crew, he was born with the beast blood and partying since he'd been a teenager in his own right. His tolerance level was most definitely something to see when he'd really gotten going.

"Well if it isn't the Prez." said Ken narrowing his eyes at Brick. "Fancy meeting you here again Kenneally."

Brick rolled his eyes.

"You got any news for me?" he asked.

"Yes I do." replied Ken with a smug expression. "As a matter of fact I was just on the way to acquiring that fish you wanted."

"Have your boys bring it to me." said Brick, there was an almost dangerous glow of his eyes as he looked upon his rival and former unit member.

"Already on it." replied Ken evenly.

He had the odd sense that Brick was very much interested in this slime ball and it wasn't for reasons pertaining to a paycheck.

"Mind telling me what he did that's got you so amped and ready to take his head off?" asked Ken.

"Target is a woman beater." growled Brick taking a drink from his bottle of beer. "Got the stench of coward all over 'em."

Ken nodded knowing at once that this case was something of a personal thing for him. He and Brick had run into their fare share of woman beaters, torturing a good deal of women when they were in Iraq, be it the men from the towns or some of their own, fools with a wanna be god complex that thought they were above reproach when beating and killing the local women to justify the cruel treatment of them.

Brick took exception to those in their ranks and needless to say they never made it home. The official report was that they died heroically in battle, but Ken knew better.

Ken sighed as he took his leave of the enraged werewolf and climbed on his own bike with his crew among him and they took off toward the last known location of the target.

Brick turned his attention back to turning up his beer, and awaited the outcome before he left in a bid to give chase himself. Of course he and his boys were none too keen on keeping the peace once they'd been out and about, some of the boys had a good deal of bad blood when it came to Badger M.C.

As the hours passed Brick caught sight of the young woman he'd had the pleasure of engaging the previous night. She seemed to avoid him for a time before approaching him not sure what to say or make of what alcohol and boldness had gotten her to do in the light of day.

Brick continued to drink his beer and ignore the sight of her despite her being only a few meters away from him. He had no time for the likes of her, the nights events were largely due to having been drunk and under the influence of the full moon.

"I see you've decided to stick around." she said attempting to make conversation.

"Got business to attend to." replied Brick evenly.

"You know you took off so quickly last night..." she began only for Brick to cut her off.

"Whatever it is that you're thinking, leave it alone...I ain't interested in a relationship passed a one night stand." he replied bluntly. "What we did was fun, but now it's done."

The young woman had been taken aback by the blunt manner of her former lover.

"That's all last night was to you?" she asked apparently heartbroken.

"Pretty much." replied Brick evenly.

The young woman shocked by his rudeness reared back and slapped him across the face. It didn't seem to phase Brick in the least as he turned up his beer and drank the rest down.

"Well if you're done." he replied turning his attention back to the bar as if she held no significant importance.

The young woman took off angry and humiliated as a result of what he had said to her.

Brick rolled his eyes as his crew snickered in the background.

"Man...talk about being cold." said Gunther smirking in reaction to the scene.

"Poor girl." added Rooster with a grin.

"Fuck you both." replied Brick turning up yet another bottle of beer. "She knew the rules when she came here."

"That she did." replied Gunther feeling a bit sorry for the young lady. "But damn if you ain't an asshole for reminding her."

"Better to be an honest asshole than a lying bitch any day." replied Brick once more turning up his bottle.

He held no affection for the poor young fool as he had barely been able to hide the fact that his affections had been elsewhere, a feat that required him to ignore what he felt not only to himself and to those around him.

"Thunderbolt got you good boy..." said Rooster with a knowing smirk. "Why don't you just admit it."

"Fuck you old man." replied Brick getting up from the bar and making his way outside.

"Still in denial?" asked Gunther observing the younger were.

"Most definitely." replied Rooster in agreement.

"It'll only be a matter of time before the thunderbolt wins out." remarked Gunther with a smile. "Poor boy's so lost and he don't even know it yet."

"Couldn't agree more." replied Rooster with a smile of his own.

After all, they had seen this happen all too often even to the best of them.