Murphy: Satan's Fury MC-Memphis

by L. Wilder

“If you’re planning to keep this thing up, you’re going to have to make some changes, Mr. Nichols. If you don’t, it’s going to bite you in the ass,” I warned.

  It was clear that he was done listening when he snapped, “Look, I appreciate your concern, but I have things I need to tend to. Do you want to see the goods or not?”

  I looked over to Shadow and Blaze, and they each gave their nod of approval. “Yeah. We want to see them.”

  “Then, let’s get this thing done, so you boys can be on your way.”

  When he started towards his storage shed, Gunner nudged me and said, “Look, I know you’re pissed about how this guy is running things and all, but did you check out his daughter? Damn, she was smoking hot.”

  “I didn’t notice,” I lied.

  “Wonder if I could talk her into taking me for a ride,” he joked, but his smile quickly vanished when he noticed my expression. “I meant on one of their horses.”

  Before I had a chance to respond, Nichols returned with a large wooden crate. As he opened it, he said, “Here are five of the Intratec DC-9s with a barrel extension and a 32-round magazine. I’ve got twenty more just like them in the safe.”

  “How much?”

  “I’ll be discussing that with your president.”

  “No,” I growled. “You will discuss it with me.”

  He paused for a moment, considering his next move, but eventually responded, “Fine. Have it your way. I’ll take twenty-five grand for the whole lot.”

  “Twenty-five? You’ve gotta be kidding me,” I complained.

  “That’s a fair deal, Murphy. We both know you can sell them for twice that.”

  “I’m not looking for a fair deal, Mr. Nichols. I’m looking for the deal, so either get right with the price or we’re walking.”

  He ran his hand over his chin and sighed. “The best I can do is twenty. Take it or leave it.”

  I looked over at the crate of guns and studied them just long enough to make Nichols squirm. When I saw that he was becoming flustered, I answered, “We’ll accept the offer.”

  “Good. Glad to hear that.”

  “We’ll be back in the morning to pick them up.”

  “Before you go, I’ve some Colt AR-15 rifles and some Ruger 10/22 rifles, too, if you’re interested.”

  “I’ll need to see them.”

  He turned and headed back into the shed. When he returned, he was towing a second large crate with a dolly. After he opened it, he turned to me and said, “These are some of the best on the market.”

  As I checked them over, I asked, “How many?”

  “Thirty of each. I’ll give you a good deal on ‘em, too.”

  “I’ll let Gus know.” I shook his hand, then we started towards our bikes. “We’ll see you in the morning.”

  He nodded and watched as we took off down his driveway. Heading back home, I found myself thinking about Nichols. He was a good, decent man who’d found himself in a bad spot. I just couldn’t understand why a man like him would’ve chosen to get into gun trafficking—one of the most dangerous industries on the planet. There had to be someone out there who’d persuaded him to give this thing a go and provided him with goods he’d need to make a quick turnaround. Too bad they didn’t take the time to tell him to use some common fucking sense when it came to being safe. If Nichols continued down the path he was on, he was destined for trouble—the kind of trouble that could cost him his life or worse, his kids.

  Once we got back to the clubhouse, we headed to the bar to meet up with Gus. When we walked in, he was sitting at the counter talking to Riggs. It was good to have my brother back. He’d had us all worried, and it was a relief to see that he was doing better by the minute. As we sat down next to them, Gus looked over to me and asked, “Well?”

  “We made the deal, but I have my concerns.”

  “Oh, really? What concerns?” I took a few minutes to share our experience at the farm, and once I was done, I gave him some time to reflect on everything I’d told him. After several moments, he ran his hand over his goatee and sighed. “So, how did you leave things?”

  “I gotta admit. His Intratecs were top of the line, and his AR-15s and Rugers were pretty fucking good too. Since the price was right, I told him we’d be back in the morning. I figured we’d clean him out while we were there.”

  “You think we should do business with him again, or is this a one-time deal?”

  “He’s a good enough guy, and I think we can trust him. It’s his other buyers I’m not sure about. Either way, I’m just relaying my concerns. The final say is up to you, Prez.”

  Gus turned his attention to Riggs as he asked, “You think you can find out who Nichols is doing business with?”

  “I already tried, but at the time, I wasn’t at the top of my game. I’ll do some more digging and see what I can find out.”

  “Good.” Gus patted him on the shoulder. “Sure is good to have you back, brother. I don’t know what we would’ve done without ya.”

  “Glad you don’t have to find out.” Riggs winced as he started to stand. “Guess I’ll get to it. I’ll let you know what I find out.”

  “Hold up, Riggs. It’s late. This thing with Nichols can wait until tomorrow. Get home to Reece and that boy of yours,” Gus urged. Like me, he knew how concerned she’d been. Those nights when he was hanging in the balance did a number on her, and it would take her some time to get over it.

  “You sure? I don’t want to hold you up.”

  “Positive. You’re still on the mend, and I don’t want you pushing it.” He chuckled. “Besides, Reece would raise all kinds of hell if she thought we were working you too hard.”

  “I’m good, Prez. You don’t have to worry about me. It’d take a lot more than a few bullets to put me down.” As he started for the door, he told us, “I’ll be back first thing in the morning. I should have something by the time you get back from the Nichols’ place.”

  “Sounds good, brother.”

  When he was about to pass by me, he stopped and placed his hand on my shoulder. “I haven’t had a chance to thank you for all you’ve done for Reece and Tate. I know it was a group effort and all the brothers had their part in looking after them, but Reece told me how you went out of your way to make sure she was keeping it together while I was laid up. I really appreciate you doing that.”

  “No need to thank me, brother.”

  “No. It needs to be said. You went above and beyond, Murphy. You always do.”

  “You would’ve done the same for me.”

  “No doubt.” He patted me on the back as he continued forward. “I’ll see you in the morning.”

  After he was gone, we each had a beer and discussed the plan for the morning’s pickup. Once we had it all sorted, I decided to call it a night. Even though I had my own room just down the hall, I wasn’t up for staying at the clubhouse. After the long day, I was ready for some peace and quiet, and the ride over to the house would give me a chance to clear my head. I said my goodbyes, then headed out to the parking lot to my bike. In a matter of seconds, I was pulling out of the gate and onto the main road. The weather in Memphis was usually fairly mild, but on this particular night, it was downright frigid. The cold wind nipped at my flesh as I rode down the streets of downtown. I wasn’t surprised to see that there weren’t many folks out barhopping. Nights like these were meant to be enjoyed by a fire with a drink in one hand and a smoke in the other. As I continued towards the house, I found myself thinking about Riley. I had no idea why my mind had wandered to her. I’d only seen her for a few brief moments, but there she was, dancing around in my thoughts. I couldn’t stop myself from wondering how she was spending her night. Was she out in the stables with the horses she loved, or was she up in her room studying? Was she alone, or was she with someone? It seemed odd to me that I even cared.

  I knew what became of relationships and love, and I wanted no part of either. I refused to put myself through the bullshit—not again. It just wasn’t
worth it—not even for a girl like Riley Nichols.

  6

  Riley

  I couldn’t sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him—the enigmatic, hot biker with the intense blue eyes. I tried to force myself to think about something else, an old movie I’d seen or a crazy night I’d had with Grady, but I kept coming back to him. I would imagine him lying next to me, and as I lay there curled up in my bed, I would think about all the wicked things he would do to me. His lips on my neck. His possessive hands on my body. The glorious orgasms he’d give me over and over again. It wasn’t like me to have such fantasies. Not like these. Not with a man like him, so rough and demanding, and certainly not in such fevered detail. I didn’t understand my enchantment with him. Not only was he intimidating with his fierce exterior, he was also rude. It just didn’t make sense. There was a good chance that he’d come to see my father to buy illegal weapons. I couldn’t understand how I could be so upset with Dad for selling them when I wasn’t troubled by the fact that he was there to buy them. He was a criminal, involved in who knows what, and yet, I couldn’t stop thinking about him in the most sinful ways. I was always one who liked to play it safe, never getting involved in things where I wasn’t in complete control, but for one reason or another, a part of me liked the idea of him having a bit of control over me.

  I was lost in a world of lustful desire when it hit me. I was fantasizing about a guy who would never be interested in a woman like me. He would want a woman who was beautiful and confident. A woman with experience—real experience. A woman who would know exactly how to satisfy a man like him. A woman who wasn’t me at all. The thought made my stomach twist into a painful knot, making it impossible to think about him any longer, so after a long night tossing and turning, I got out of bed. After I put on my bathrobe and slippers, I headed downstairs to make myself a cup of coffee.

  When I walked into the kitchen, I found my father standing at the sink. He was staring out the window, watching silently as the sun just started to rise over the back pasture. He was lost in his world of thoughts when I walked over to the coffee pot and said, “Morning.”

  “You’re up early.”

  “I couldn’t sleep.” After I poured my coffee, I went over and sat down at the table. “What about you?”

  “The same.”

  “You have something on your mind?”

  He shrugged. “No more than usual.”

  I knew he was lying, but I was scared to push, fearing that his sleepless night might have something to do with the hot biker and his friends. Instead, I sipped on my coffee and asked, “Has Hunter already gone out to the barn?”

  “Yeah. He wanted to get an early start, so he left a few minutes ago.” After several long moments, he finally asked, “What about you? Do you have class today?”

  “No. My professor is sick with the flu or something, so it will be Monday before we meet again.”

  “So, what are your plans for the day?”

  “I don’t know. I guess I’ll get some studying done. I also have a paper that I have to work on, and if get that finished, I was thinking I might take Anna Belle out for a ride.”

  “Do you mind waiting until later this afternoon to take that ride?”

  “Yeah. I can do that, but why? Is something going on?”

  He let out a deep breath before he explained, “I know you don’t want to hear this, but I have some buyers coming in today and it would be better if you weren’t around.”

  “Are they the same guys who were here yesterday afternoon?” When he nodded, I asked, “Why don’t you want me around? Are they dangerous or something?”

  “Yes and no. They seem like decent fellas, but I’ve heard some things.”

  “What kinds of things?”

  “It doesn’t matter. I just don’t want to take any chances where you and Hunter are concerned. It’s better if you just steer clear during the exchange.” When he noticed the expression on my face, he continued, “I know you don’t like any of this, but we’re getting really close. I just need to unload a couple more shipments, and then we’ll be done with this whole thing. We’ll have the money we need to buy Requiem, and we can put this all behind us.”

  “Really?”

  “Really.” He sat down next to me, and I could hear the anguish in his voice as he spoke, “I know this hasn’t been easy for you, and I want you to know, it hasn’t been easy for me either. I’ve always wanted to be someone you and your brother could look up to, but I failed you. I’ve let you both down by getting involved in all this. But I promise to make it up to you.”

  Overcome with emotion, I leaned towards him and wrapped my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. I whispered, “You haven’t failed us, Daddy.”

  “I have,” he muttered. “But I’m going to do whatever it takes to make things right again.”

  “I know you will.” I loved my father, and while I hadn’t approved of his methods, I admired him for doing whatever it took to take care of his family. I gave him a tight squeeze before letting him go. As I eased back into my seat, I looked over to him. “Can I ask you something?”

  He nodded.

  “How did you get started in all this? How did you know where to get those guns? Who to sell them to? How to go about it all without getting caught? It’s not like you could just Google something like that.”

  “I had some help.” He shifted in his seat as he continued, “When things started to go south, I called Uncle Roger. I told him about the situation with your mother’s medical bills and the farm, and you know my brother, he’s got an answer for everything.”

  “So, he’s the one who got you started?”

  “Yes and no. Actually, it was your cousin, Jasper, who played the biggest part in getting things started.”

  “Jasper?” I gasped.

  “I was just as surprised as you are. Apparently, he’s made some unlikely friends during his stint in the military. He reached out to them and was able to get us in contact with a supplier up north and several potential buyers here in our area.”

  “I can’t believe that Jasper would be involved with people like that.”

  “You know Jasper. He’s always been a little different, especially after the war.” He shrugged. “Regardless, he came through for us, and after Roger fronted me the money for the first shipment, I had everything I needed to get the ball rolling.”

  “You weren’t scared?”

  “I was terrified,” he scoffed. “But after the first few sales, I was able to pay your uncle back, and every sale after that was put towards our debt.”

  “And this supplier … is he going to be okay with you walking away, or is he going to try and force you to keep going?”

  “He knew I wasn’t in it for the long haul, so he wasn’t surprised when I told him the news.” Then he reached for my hand. “Like I said, this isn’t something that I’m proud of, but I was desperate. I didn’t know what else I could do to make this kind of money in such a short time.”

  “I understand.” I gave his hand a squeeze. “I appreciate you taking the time to explain everything to me.”

  He stood up and as he looked down at me, he asked, “So, you’ll wait to take that ride until later this afternoon?”

  “Yes, Dad. I’ll wait.”

  “Thank you, sweetheart.” He stood up and as he put on his coat, he said, “I’ll let you know when they’re gone.”

  “Okay.”

  With that, he headed out the door and towards the barn. As I sat there finishing off my coffee, I thought about my father’s request. While I was a little disappointed that I was going to miss a chance to see my hot biker again, I knew it was for the best. My fascination with him was starting to reach an unhealthy level, and I had way too much going on to waste my time dreaming about something that would never happen. It was time for me to let it go and put him out of my head for good. With a newfound resolve, I grabbed a muffin and headed upstairs to take a hot shower. Once I was dressed, I emptied my bac
kpack and got everything I would need to start on my paper. Thankfully, it was a topic I was familiar with, and it wouldn’t take me long to get it done.

  Once I pulled my laptop out of my backpack, I took it over to my desk and sat down. I had every intention of finishing the assignment in record time, but I couldn’t seem to concentrate. I was too intrigued by what was going on outside my window. From where I was sitting, I could see the entire farm, and it only took the slightest movement or sound to distract me from my assignment. Knowing I couldn’t afford to procrastinate, I started to move over to my bed, but stopped when I noticed Travis entering the training ring with Starlight, one of the younger mares. Even though we’d been working with her for months, there were times when she could still be cantankerous and difficult to handle—especially when it came to men. I was busy watching Travis lead her slowly around the fence when my attention was drawn over to a black SUV that was coming down the driveway. I wasn’t sure if it was the same bikers who had been here the day before until they parked and got out of the vehicle. When I saw that it was them, I leaned towards my window, trying to get a better view as they approached my father. One of them offered my father a thick envelope, and once he’d put it in his back pocket, he and Hunter started for the shed. It wasn’t long before they came back out with several large crates. Just as one of the men knelt down to examine the contents, there was a commotion over at the training ring, drawing my attention over to Travis and Starlight. I had no idea what had happened, but Travis was sprawled out on the ground with Starlight bolting and bucking around him. I looked to see if Hunter was around, thinking he might’ve seen what happened, but he was nowhere in sight.

  Without thinking, I rushed out of my room, down the stairs, and put on my boots before racing out the back door. When I got out to the ring, Travis was still laid out on the ground. Worried that he was either seriously wounded or he’d been knocked out from the fall, I raced over to him and knelt down beside him. Just as I’d feared, he was out cold. Starlight was stomping her feet with annoyance as I gave him a gentle nudge. “Travis? Are you okay?”