Chapter 1
Wrecker
Life in the club has changed over the last five years, but it’s not a bad thing, I guess. First, our prez, Rage, met Aspen and they ended up falling for each other. I think we all saw it coming, honestly. The two of them fought so fiercely at first that we knew it would either end with them marrying each other, or killing each other. There was never going to be anything in between with them.
Next came Blaze and Addy, the two of them falling hard and fast, but, once again, it wasn’t really a surprise to any of us. The second she crashed through the doors of his shop, Blaze was so gone for that woman.
What was surprising was having Rage and Aspen welcome their first kid, Remi, just after Blaze and Addy announced they were having a little gremlin too.
I think the biggest shock of all came when Jax and Lexi finally ended up together. We all kind of figured Jax was screwed after she told him she loved him and he practically laughed in her damn face. I spent every day for a whole damn year watching him beat himself up for losing her.
All it took was Lexi’s sister calling for a rescue then dumping Kian on her for them to sort their shit out and, now, the two of them have announced that Lexi’s knocked up too.
Let me tell you, when I joined the club, there were never any kids running around the clubhouse, but it seems like you can’t turn a corner now without running into one of the little monsters. I want to hate it, hell, I tried to…but then one of the little shits smiles at me and I’m screwed.
When Remi was born, I was a little bitter about it, but things have changed…I’ve changed.
I think little Remi just reminded me too much of the life full of possibilities that was ripped away from me twelve years ago. Now, when I look at all the little kids running around…I realize it’s a life I still want. I’m about to be thirty-four, so it’s not like I don’t still have time, but I honestly don’t even know how the hell to put myself back out there.
Hell, it’s only been three years since I stopped having nightmares about the night my Mya died and only a few months since I finally admitted to myself that I’ve been a damn chicken shit…that I’ve been hiding like a damn coward while I pretend to not be too afraid to have anyone rely on me…too afraid I’ll fail someone else the way I failed Mya.
“You’re doing that dark and brooding thing again. I think you need to be Batman for Halloween this year. You’ve got that whole dark knight thing going lately. Come on, talk to me, Wrecker.” Aspen seems to be the only one in the club who notices when I get stuck in my head, but that woman notices everything.
“Nothing to talk about. Same shit, new day…and…really? Fucking Batman?” She doesn’t buy it…she never does.
“Yes…Batman. Let me guess, Mya again?” That’s one thing I’ve learned to respect about Aspen…she doesn’t soften shit just to make it easier to swallow and she’s not afraid to call anyone on their shit either.
“Kind of, but not really.” She nods like she understands and, hell, maybe she does.
“Well, Rage is going to be talking to you boys soon, but, just a heads up, Luciano is calling in a favor…protection detail…his niece.” I won’t lie, she’s definitely got my attention.
We’ve had a somewhat alliance with Luciano and his nephew since Aspen joined us, but it’s always been us asking them for help. This is officially the first time that any of them made use of the alliance for their own shit.
“The Don Luciano’s niece needs protection…and he’s asking for us to handle it?” She shrugs, like this isn’t the weirdest shit we’ve dealt with yet. It is, though…I’m damn sure of that.
“You didn’t hear it from me…but…I think you should volunteer…give you something to occupy your mind for a bit.” I nod my head. It’s not a bad idea and I know I’m one of the last OG members, aside from the relics from the generation before us like Vix, Tank and Loco.
“Yeah…I might do that. Thanks, Aspen.” She gives me that mischievous smile of hers then tosses a wink at me before heading to the other end of the bar to serve her man.
“Alright, I want all your asses in church in five minutes!” Rage’s voice explodes the way it always does, silencing every damn person in the bar.
Blaze, the loyal VP of the club, is already heading into the chapel with Tech following right behind him, so I take that as my sign to get moving. As one of the club’s enforcers, I know I need to be one of the first in and the last out of every damn meeting.
“Hey, man. I’m sure Aspen already told you, but we’ve got a big job coming our way from Moretti. Top priority shit.” I nod, letting Blaze know that she did, indeed, inform me.
“She mentioned it.” He nods and drops his ass into his chair as the door opens and more members walk in. We’re silent as the rest of our brothers file in, everyone finding their usual seats until Rage bangs the gavel on the table.
“Alright, let’s get to it. Luciano reached out and is asking for help hiding his niece while he handles the shit she got dragged into. She’s been through hell, spent three weeks in the hospital under heavy guard, both mafia and law enforcement, then was released into Luciano’s care almost four weeks ago. Luciano said she’ll cooperate, but she’s not fragile and won’t tolerate being treated like she is.
“We’re going to need someone to volunteer to handle shadowing her. She’s not our prisoner, but she’s not a guest. Moretti is trusting us to keep her safe…to keep her alive.” Rage’s eyes stop on me and I know he’s expecting me to be the first to stand…and I am.
“I’ll do it.” Seeing how none of my other brothers stand, I realize this was their plan and I walked right into it.
“I was hoping you would. Luciano warned me that she’s…spirited…at least vocally. If she causes you any trouble, you let me know and we’ll handle it.” I nod my head, not sure what the hell else I can even do since I was just played by these bastards.
“Well, that’s everything. Anyone else have shit to bring to the table?” Everyone grumbles their many variations of the word “no” then Rage bangs the gavel and the others file back out of the room, leaving me, Rage, Blaze, Tech and Jax once the dust settles.
“Alright, so what the fuck’s with all the cloak and dagger shit? You all clearly wanted me to take this, so why post it up like a fucking choice when you already decided?” Blaze smirks, Jax and Tech cover their mouths to hide their smiles, but Rage…his expression is as serious as ever.
“Now that it’s just us, Jax, lock the fucking door.” My brow furrows as I hear Jax stomp over to the door and the lock click into place.
“The hell’s going on, Rage?” It’s not very often we talk without the patched brothers present, only twice in my fifteen years in the club so far, which tells me this is more than what they’ve let the others think it is.
“The people who attacked her…it’s the Vipers. She ID’d Poe.” My whole fucking world stops…then everything fires back up at lightning speed. The Vipers are the fuckers who attacked me and Mya…Poe is the bastard who pulled the trigger, firing the single shot that ended her life…and they’re after Moretti’s niece?
“Why are they after her?” Rage’s mask slips and I see everything he hid from the others. I see the worry, the fury and the damn exhaustion that tells me he’s known about this long enough that it’s had time to eat away at him.
“She was helping track down someone for a friend and she found some shit she wasn’t meant to. It painted a target on her back and she didn’t even realize it. Those fuckers hunted her down, tortured her and nearly killed her.
“They seemed pretty sure that she had told someone else what she found, but Luciano said she didn’t tell anyone shit until she woke up in the hospital…that’s when she spilled everything.” The day Mya died, I swore I’d find those bastards and that I’d kill every last one of them, but they went into hiding. Now I get why I was pushed into this and, I can’t even lie, I’m suddenly very interested.
“If I do this…I want Poe.” Rage nods, not looking at all surprised.
“I told Luciano you would and he agreed.” I let out a sigh that’s part relief and part fury then nod my head as I stand up.
“When’s she getting here?” Rage and Blaze stand too, leaving Tech as the only man still comfortably lounging in his chair.
“She’ll be moved at night and Luciano is flying her straight here. She should be here by five tomorrow morning.” With one last nod, I get my ass out of the chapel and head out of the bar, deciding to head home and get some rest since tomorrow will have me getting up before the damn sun.
