by K E Osborn
He nods at Penetrator, who’s behind the bar serving. Lookout hasn’t found two new prospects as of yet.
Mad Dog wraps his arm around my shoulders and pulls me to him leaning in toward my ear. “Steel liked and trusted you. So I’m gonna trust you, too. You’re to sit in on all the club meetings from now on. I’m taking you under my wing. You can be my new protégé.”
Opening my eyes wide, I flinch back in shock at his words while glancing at his face. He’s smiling like he’s proud of himself. I take a deep breath wondering how easily this is all happening, and it’s all because of Steel.
“Well, thank you. I’m honoured!”
Mad Dog chuckles and slaps my back again letting me go, turning back toward the bar where our beers are now served. “Now drink, boy!”
Mad Dog walks off leaving me on my own a little shocked and slightly in awe. I fit in here so well.
I love being a brother.
I love this club.
I love this life.
And that’s what makes this so fucking hard. Since I’ve infiltrated undercover, I’ve had to tell my handler things about this place I actually didn’t want to. Things about my brothers I don’t want to confess, that will have the law coming down hard. It doesn’t help when your handler is your best friend and a man you’ve known for the last twenty-five years, growing up next door to each other and going to school together.
Hudson Stone. He’s a brilliant detective. Ruthless when it comes to bikers, but he doesn’t get that these guys are not all bad. Sure some are, like Chops and Penetrator. But guys like Techie, Lookout, Jigsaw, Ryder, Crash and Behemoth, not to mention Steel, are all decent men. They don’t deserve what I’ve done to them. Or will do, given time.
Then there’s Hannah, beautiful Hannah. My wife. The one who told me if I went undercover one more time, she was done. I thought being pregnant with our third child it was all a cry for attention—it wasn’t. She left me. I wasn’t even there for the birth of Molly, and I haven’t seen her or my twin boys Lucas and Logan since I started my job with this club. I’m too scared someone will follow me home and then they’ll be in danger.
I miss Hannah and my kids more than words can say, but this job is important, or so Sentinel keeps telling me. I’m not so sure anymore.
It’s been three days since Steel up and left, and Mad Dog is on edge. That’s why he decided on this gun and drug trade. He needs a distraction. It was a shock when he announced Steel went Nomad and left without saying goodbye. I guess he must have his reasons. I figure something went down because he said no one is to go after him and Willow or to harm her in any way. Chops didn’t seem too happy about that decision, so I’m assuming them leaving has something to do with him. In a way, I’m glad he’s gone, to be honest. It’s one less brother to be taken down in the end. Steel was good to me, bringing him down would have been the hardest of all.
Someone sits down next to me distracting my thoughts. Looking up, I notice it’s Skye and she’s looking at me, her eyes a perfect blue spring sky and her smile warmer than the summer sun. Her blonde hair cascading perfectly over her shoulders in waves like a Grecian goddess. The makeup on her face is just enough to make her skin flawless and epically beautiful. My eyes fall on her left arm to see her black and grey sleeve of tattoos covering the length of her arm. I lick my lips as my gaze drops to her thighs barely covered by short shorts proudly showing her coloured tattoos that read, live on her right leg and life on her left, with flowers and birds surrounding the lettering. For a club girl, she has the sultry look down pat, but she isn’t slutty like Jess or Emma.
She is perfectly gorgeous.
The total opposite to Hannah, not that Hannah isn’t gorgeous. She’s a natural beauty. Skye is too, and I’m sure without the makeup and tattoos, she’d be just as stunning. But with the added extras, it just gives her an edge. She’s striking and my cock is twitching in my pants just looking at her. Since the moment I first saw Skye when I walked into the Virginia Satan’s Savages clubrooms, I was drawn to her. She has a spark, an energy, a beauty, that pulls me to her. But I feel like even though everything in me wants to get to know her physically, my thoughts of Hannah are stopping me.
“So Stealth, heard you had a rumble with the heat. That’s a hard day’s work. You need something to take the edge off? Are you ready to mingle with the club girls yet?” she asks with a cute little smile that makes my balls ache.
Smirking, I chuckle slightly, but then Hannah’s face comes into my mind and I wince slightly. “No thanks, no offense.”
“None taken. I can spot a broken heart a mile away. I wanna help. I’m here when you need me, Stealth.”
I nod and she smiles patting my shoulder before she turns walking away from me. I can’t help but watch her arse as she struts off. My cock twitches again, and I shake my head at myself. It’s too soon.
The thing about Skye is she’s apparently keen on me. She talks to me all the time, flirts like a trooper, but she always understands when I turn her down. She never forces herself on me and I respect her so much for that. She’s a great chick, and I really want to get to know her better.
“Emergency church, brothers!” Mad Dog bellows out from the other side of the clubroom.
Turning, I look around as everyone stands up and begins to wander off to the assembly room. Staying seated, not knowing what I’m supposed to do right now, Mad Dog looks right at me and waves gesturing for me to come over.
Standing up and striding over toward the assembly room, Mad Dog looks at me shaking his head and I furrow my brows in confusion.
“What did I just say, dipshit? You’re in on the meetings, remember? Or are you drunk already?”
Half laughing, I nod and walk through the giant wooden doors that I’ve never been through before, to enter into a rectangular room. It’s fairly bare, with just some filing cabinets and a large wooden table—the Satan’s Savages logo etched into the middle—with some chairs around it. It’s actually quite a buzz kill for me. The room is always out-of-bounds, I thought there’d be more to it than this. Walking in, I’m not really sure what to do or what the protocol is in here. Lookout points to the spare seat next to him, so I nod and sit down on the wooden chair as the other men take their positions around the table in their obviously designated places.
Mad Dog bangs his gavel, as Jigsaw sits to his right and the seat to his left is empty.
“Church is now in session. Right first things first… Chops, you’re a fucking idiot.”
Chops chuckles. “Why, thank you.”
Mad Dog frowns and sits up a little straighter in his chair. “I’m being serious you fucking cock. Doing a burnout? Normally I wouldn’t give a shit, but at least be fucking smart about it and check there’s no fucking heat around before you do it next time you moron.”
Chops smirks and sighs. “Yeah, yeah. It was dumb, so sue me. We all got back in one piece. Sure there was a little carnage that will make the six o’clock news, but so what. People eat this shit up for dinner. The world loves chaos, and we’re merely here to give it to them.”
Mad Dog raises his eyebrow and shakes his head. “Not at the cost of getting arrested. If Stealth had gotten caught, that would be on you.”
“Meh, I could live with that,” Chops declares. Furrowing my brows, I curl up my lip at his blatant disrespect for me.
Mad Dog slams his fist down on the table, the loud bang resonating through the room. “Damn it, Chops. Will. You. Take. This. Seriously.”
He huffs and nods. “Okay, right. It was a dick move, and I should’ve checked for the heat. Or better yet, not have done it at all. I just hate being wrong you know that.”
Opening my eyes wide, I chew on the inside of my cheek. I’ve never heard Chops admit he was wrong before. It’s actually quite refreshing.
“Thank you. It’s interesting to know you can be sensible sometimes considering what we have to do next,” Mad Dog states. I turn facing him wondering what he means. “We gotta vote in a n
ew VP. I need someone who’s been with the club for a long time and knows the ins and outs. I realise most of you are happy in your placements at the moment, and others are too inexperienced to take the position. So in my eyes, there’s really only one candidate that suits the position if he’ll stop being an egotistical cock face.”
Chops sits up taller in his seat and grins maniacally as a shiver runs straight down my spine.
“I nominate Chops for the position of Vice President. What say you brothers?”
Everyone’s quiet and Chops furrows his brows as silence reigns the room.
“Well, I’ll start… aye,” Mad Dog calls and Chops smiles.
Chops glares at Behemoth and he winces and swallows hard. “Aye,” he murmurs.
“Aye,” Lookout says next followed by Crash, then everyone starts to slowly say it, but their voices are hesitant like they’re only saying it because there’s no other option.
“Aye,” I say even though having Chops as my VP is one of the scariest thoughts I could possibly imagine. Having him being able to make decisions in Mad Dog’s absence is not something I’m okay with.
Chops smiles wide as Mad Dog bangs his gavel and grins along with him. “Chops, it’s taken three decades. But finally, you’re my VP. Come grab your chair, brother,” Mad Dog announces pushing out the chair to his left with his foot.
Chops stands abruptly almost pushing over his chair and hoofs it over to the VP position. My stomach is twisting on itself as he takes a deep breath standing in front of Steel’s old spot and plants his disgusting arse in Steel’s rightful place.
“This feels so good,” Chops says running his hands over the chairs arms and smirking widely.
I glance around the room at everyone else and they’re all frowning. No one else is impressed with this rank shift either. I’m glad it’s not just me.
“This should’ve been me in the first place,” Chops grumbles.
“What?” Mad Dog asks.
“Steel was never the right man for the job, was he?”
Mad Dog stiffens in his seat and clenches his jaw. “Watch it!”
“Seriously, at the first sign of trouble he left chasing pussy. What kind of brother does that?”
Mad Dog slams his fist onto the table and glares at him. “He left because of you. If you don’t watch your fucking mouth, I’ll take this position back off you as quickly as I gave it to you, you little cunt.”
“Just remember who started this club with you, Mad Dog. Remember who had this vision with you. That little traitor wasn’t even a twinkle in your balls when we started this. I deserve this patch.”
Mad Dog huffs and shakes his head. “Don’t think you’re entitled just because you’ve been here from the start. That don’t mean shit. You earn your place here. So shut up and act like a VP, not like a fucking spoiled arse. Stop talking about the kid, or I’ll have you strung up and sent to Jigsaw.”
Chops smirks and nods. “Okay, old man, keep your knickers on. I just like to wind you up. Keep you on your toes and all that. I’ll be the best damn VP you’ve ever had. Don’t you worry your pretty little head about a thing.”
Mad Dog huffs shaking his head, then rubs his beard. “Just keep it in line, Chops… Right, to other business. Lookout where you at with finding us some new prospects?”
He huffs and rubs the back of his neck. “I have two lined up, brothers. But they’re pretty bad arse motherfuckers. They have tempers on them and like to hit motherfucken women. Not sure we want them to be honest.”
Mad Dog purses his lips and tilts his head. “Brothers worked out for us last time with Stealth and Sentinel. Bring them in so I can meet them. Women bashing isn’t that big of a deal. They probably deserved it… stupid bitches.”
Furrowing my brows at Mad Dog’s derogatory comments, I glance at Lookout, who’s also furrowing his brows. I look to Techie, and he has the same look on his face too. That bit of news doesn’t sit well with most of the guys here.
“So if that’s all we have to discuss, church is adjourned.” Mad Dog bangs his gavel, the crash of wood hitting wood, blasts like thunder through the room. Everyone stands up, so I follow suit and take a deep breath not liking how Mad Dog has changed since Steel’s departure.
The room quickly vacates. As I go to leave, I stride up to Lookout and nudge into his side. He looks at me and smiles wide.
“Hey, fucker.”
“Hey. Has Mad Dog always been okay with violence against women?”
Lookout frowns and shakes his head pursing his lips like he’s pissed off. “I don’t know. All I know is he better not touch any fucken woman I’m involved with.”
I smirk and raise an eyebrow. “You’re involved with women?” I tease.
He pulls back and then pushes me on my chest forcing me back a step as I chuckle. “Fuck off motherfucker. You’re an arsehole. You know what this motherfucker does to arseholes?”
I smile and shake my head shrugging, waiting for the inevitable answer.
“I pound ‘em so hard then I lick ‘em all better. Rub ‘em with some baby oil and slap ‘em again till their nice and red. How’d you like that, hey?” Lookout nods his head like he’s proud of his comeback, as I smirk at him. He strides off looking like a meathead with his arms out to his sides, strutting his stuff.
He really is a strange one.
He sure told me!
Chuckling to myself, I stroll back out to the bar to get a drink. I need one. My head is all over the place. I need to focus. Get my mind on the job. It’s just so hard when you love these guys, the brothers you ultimately have to bring down.
CHAPTER TWO
It’s the day after we voted Chops in as VP. To celebrate, Mad Dog has brought us all out to the local gun range for target practice. It’s an indoor range, and we’ve been here a couple of hours. The place is booked out to the club, and we’re in the indoor target area—all just hanging around after a set of shooting, talking and having a break before another round.
“I can’t believe I got so many right in the cock,” Crash says holding up his sheet of the man showing all the bullet holes which are right in the groin area. I chuckle to myself as the others punch him in the arm and rough him up a bit. Ryder grabs his earmuffs, which are wrapped around his neck, pulling on one side and letting it go forcing it to snap back quickly slapping his neck with a thud.
“Ouch! Fuck! You cock head!”
We all chuckle as he rubs his neck and shoves Ryder with his other hand. Techie smirks widely then looks back to Crash. “You know Crash, I’m not sure they have the proper ventilation where you’ve been standing.”
Crash furrows his brows and shakes his head. “What do you mean?”
Techie looks up to the ceiling. “Well, when a gun range has proper ventilation it pulls the smoke and lead particles away from the shooting line, and discharges them from the building to minimise the risk of lead poisoning.”
Crash shakes his head and pouts. “So?”
“Well, when the range lacks proper ventilation, you can be exposed to lead dust from bullets or cartridge primers. It can permeate the skin or clothing or worse, be inhaled. I think you might be getting lead poisoning, Crash.”
Crash’s face drops instantly to a pale white. “Oh, shit, really? I do feel a bit hotter than normal and my throat’s a bit dry. Shit!”
Shaking my head, I punch a smirking Techie in the arm. He chuckles and shakes his head. “Fuck, it sounds like a mild case of hypochondria. Hopefully, that’ll settle down given time.”
I burst out laughing as do the other guys around me, but Crash creases his eyebrows and shakes his head. “Why the fuck are you laughing? That sounds nasty?”
“Techie chuckles and nods. Only hurts for a while, but it’s worse for us, trust me.”
Crash furrows his brows and pouts. “What’s that fucking mean?”
“It’s hard watching you suffer,” Techie replies.
Chuckling at poor Crash, who’s oblivious to us teasing him, I b
ite my lip trying not to burst into fits of laughter.
“Okay, right.” Crash’s eyebrows scrunch together.
“You’ll be fine, you cockhead, I’m just fucking with you,” Techie replies making us all laugh that little bit harder.
Unexpectedly, the lights all shut off, throwing the range into complete darkness. My heart rate spikes as I look around the room. The only light, a green emergency exit sign turns on, sending a dull hue over the area. We all grab for our weapons, pulling them out and wracking them. Lights don’t just turn off on a place full of club of bikers for no reason, trouble is coming, we just have to wait for it to walk through the door in its size eleven boots. Aiming our guns at the door the silence is deafening. I can only hear the heavy breathing of my brothers in the room, and the footsteps stepping toward the door from outside the room. I’m not sure what the protocol is here, shoot first ask questions later, or see who the intruders are first then shoot. I have no idea. I’ll follow Mad Dog’s lead on this one.
The door swings open with a creak and four men saunter in the room. They all appear to be Mexican in race, sporting black moustaches and ponytails, in contrast to their expensive designer suits. A cold shudder runs down my spine as I glance to Mad Dog, who’s furrowing his brows obviously wondering who these guys are just like the rest of us.
Chops points his gun right at their heads clicking off his safety. “Who the fuck are you?”
All four men raise their hands placing their weapons on the bench to the side. We all stiffen targeting our guns with precision aim. Taking some harsh deep breaths, I watch the guys at the back just to make sure they’re not hiding a weapon while everyone’s distracted with the guy at the front, who takes a step forward raising his hands in surrender and looks right at Mad Dog. The tension in the air is so thick you couldn’t even cut it with Wesley, Steel’s knife.
“We’re just here to talk,” the lead Mexican guy announces in his thick accent.
