Chapter 1
Ironhead stood on the edge of the club’s meeting room, watching the guys laughing, drinking, and joking around like they always did. His leather jacket felt heavier than usual, and he wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep living two different lives.
The truth? Ironhead was gay, something no one in the Wild Ridge MC had a clue about. And to make things more complicated, he’d been seeing someone — a guy he’d met a few months ago — in secret. Their relationship had been kept hidden, away from the eyes of his brothers.
His family.
But here, at the club, he wasn’t Ironhead the man who could love freely. Here, he was just another guy, expected to have girls hanging off him after every run. He kept his distance, played the role, and buried himself in his bike and the road.
As he sat at the bar, Snake came over and clapped him on the back, grinning. “You alright, Iron? You’ve been quiet lately.”
Ironhead grunted and took a sip of his drink. “Yeah, all good. Just got a lot on my mind.”
Snake raised an eyebrow but didn’t push further. “Well, don’t get lost in your thoughts, brother. You know we’re always here.”
Ironhead nodded, feeling the knot in his chest tighten. He wanted to tell them. Tell Snake, Nick, the rest of the crew. But he couldn’t. He didn’t know if they’d look at him the same way after.
Later that night, after the club settled down, Ironhead slipped out. He had somewhere to be, someone to see. As he rode his bike through the quiet streets, the wind in his face, his mind raced with thoughts of his two worlds colliding.
He pulled up to a small house on the outskirts of town. The front light flickered, a sign he was expected. Ironhead knocked once and the door opened to reveal Jack, his boyfriend. They smiled at each other, the tension from the club melting away as Ironhead stepped inside.
Jack pulled him into a kiss. “You good?”
Ironhead nodded, feeling more at ease. “Yeah… just the usual stuff.”
Jack wrapped his arms around him. “You don’t have to hide here, you know.”
Ironhead leaned into him, wishing for just a moment that life could be as simple as this. But he knew better. The club would never understand, and that’s what kept him from being completely free.
But for now, with Jack, Ironhead could breathe. Even if it was just for a little while.
