Prologue: Fever
Spotter
Four Years Ago
I scanned the surroundings of the dimly lit parking lot of the highway pub Briac, Hamlet and I are about to enter. I never had to tell myself to check my surroundings, it was always a reflex that the military perfected. There is something in my gut, a feeling, not the type of feeling for when something goes wrong but something that told me something will happen tonight.
Is it real though?
Am I feeling now or am I trying to feel for an enemy, a spy, informant that will tell me of any threat to the unit. My body began to buzz as I kept looking around, we were wide open to any threat right now.
“Spotter you good?” Briac, the brother I followed overseas and the one I joined an MC to follow, asked breaking my thoughts from going to a downward spiral.
Knowing that he could see me winding myself up, from whether I feel something or paranoid thinking I am back overseas, I took a breath to calm myself as I nodded to him. Thankfully he didn’t question me and began to lead Hamlet and I to the entrance of the pub. I needed to get my head back on straight, I am no good to anyone if I keep myself in my head rather than in the here and now.
Walking into the pub I immediately scanned the room, my eyes reading what was in front of me and what they mean. In the army I looked to see bombs, traitors. Here I just see patrons of the pub sitting at different tables drinking as a woman in a black dress sang jazz on stage.
“Come on.” Briac said motioning with his head to an open table where Hamlet and I followed him to sit down at.
Walking over I appreciated the weight of the cut I was wearing, a final patched in member of the Riders of Silence MC. As I said, Briac and I were in the same unit when our service was up I followed him here to his club. I want to do what is right and his club can help me make sure that the skills and dark I have can be used in the right way. When you do the things I have, seen the things I have, there is no perfect life after. As much as I wished it were true.
The only good thing about my prospect time was that it only had to be 6 months since I already proved what I can handle over in war.
Sitting down I glanced back over at the woman singing, her voice drawing my attention more than I would like but I couldn’t help it. It was captivating.
“Never know how much I love you.” She sang into the mic, her voice sending waves right through me making me shake my head, I needed to focus on the mission not the woman. Looking up one more time I found her eyes only pulling me more, “I get a fever that’s so hard to bear.”
“Man, I can’t wait to see him again, it’s been a fucking year.” Hamlet said taking a seat and motioning with his hand to the bartender.
Briac chuckled. “You sound like a girl mad at her boyfriend for not calling.”
Hamlet snorted. “Speaking of which why didn’t you write to me? You wrote to Princess, I am your best mate.”
Sensing movement, I turn to the table watching the bartender drop some whisky in front of us. My eyes scanned over his body but didn’t find him to be hiding a gun or a knife on him. Needing a distraction to keep my body buzz down I took a sip of the whisky to regain composure while scanning the room again looking for any possible threat.
“Spotter.” I looked over to Hamlet, he is a good man fucking hooked on doing stupid shit for a rush but he did have a brain, somehow, he hasn’t left it across the pavement. “Would you have written to me?”
Not saying anything I turned back to the woman on stage, my eyes trying to find who she is but finding a blank slate.
“Dam not even Spotter would write to your needy ass.” Briac said laughing.
“It’s Spotter he never says anything. Probably didn’t even write to anyone.” Hamlet mumbled making me smirk.
Still looking at the woman I said. “Wrote to Princess.” And my parents but not the point for him.
Hamlet let out a string of curses making me chuckle. During my time with the club I have grown fond of the family they have in the MC, each brother being different in his own way but all would put down their lives for each other.
“Smoke!” Hamlet got up to hug a biker who showed up at our table, their hands thumping their backs before the man turned to look at Briac.
“Smoke brother.” Briac said standing up and hugging the man who I noticed wearing the same cut as us. It was the first time I have seen Smoke, he is a nomad of the cub. Always traveling across the country meeting up with different chapters and being close to the ground to hear any threats on the horizon. “Good to see you man.”
Smoke bumped his fist on Briac’s back as they separated, the man had a wild look to him I’ll give him that. “Welcome back, how was war?”
He sat down with the rest of us, the bartender dropping him a drink as Briac leaned back in his seat. “Ah you know what they say, war is hell.”
Smoke’s eyes shifted on me, my hand going out to his. “Spotter.”
“Smoke. Welcome to the club.” He replied shaking my hand as I gave him a nod, Smoke looking over to Briac. “How’s being home?”
Briac smiled taking a sip of his whiskey. “Good man, missed the club. Fuck Princess grew up when I left she was still wearing two French braids and now she’s the official hacker of the club. Don’t know if I should be proud or scared.”
“Both.” Smoke chuckled dryly tossing back his drink motioning to the bartender for another round.
“Yeah I heard something went down between you and my sister which caused you to go Nomad.” Briac said slowly taking another sip, my eyes shifting between them to see tension rising.
Smoke’s drink got refiled as he looked to his new Vice President. “Wasn’t between your sister that made me go Nomad. Might pay attention to her though, protect her as a brother should.”
The tension grew between them as Briac took another sip of his drink. Hamlet chuckled making me turn to him. “Alright you two, you both got big dicks so put them away yeah?”
Smoke looked at me as I slowly sipped my drink. “How you liking the club?”
I gave him a nod. “It’s great.”
“What made you join?”
I took another sip fighting the urge to look the room over to check for threats. “Duty.”
“You don’t talk much do you?” Smoke chuckled reaching into his pocket taking out a box of cigarettes.
I didn’t say anything but turned my head doing another scan of the room looking for anything of the ordinary.
“You give me fever when you kiss me, Fever when you hold me tight, you give me feverrrr.” I watched unable to take my eyes from the woman, the platinum blond hair cut short giving me the perfect angle on her face.
The singer winked at me as she stepped off of the little stage, her movements slow as she walked around the bar going between the tables and patrons.
“Fever in the mornin’, fever all through the night.” I couldn’t turn away, she was too gorgeous, a voice that went through me and a look that dared to drag me back into the dark where once she came from. A darkness that I don’t want to be apart, I need to be better, make up for what I have done not be tempted to be worse. Her finger traced up my torso as she walked behind me, her fingers burning my skin. “You give me fever.”
Instead of singing that last bit she whispered it in my ear before she disappeared moving back into the crowd to finish her song. Watching her go I turned to do another look around the room, the constant hum and movement has me on edge. Those eyes and voice making my head spin. Plus, me being in the middle of the room was even worse for me, I am used to being in a perch watching everything from afar to ensure I know exactly what we are walking into. Here there are blind spots where anyone could walk up to us.
Hearing a shatter, I looked at my hand, blood slipping through my fingers as the glass from my drink slit in my hand. Lifting my hand, I dropped the pieces of glass on the table making the blood spill on the wood.
“You okay brother?” Briac asked watching me with careful eyes.
Not wanting to see him look at me like that I got up, “I’m going to check the parameter.”
I didn’t wait for them to say anything before turning away from the table to walk out. My eyes scanning the area to find something, see something that wasn’t there before, anything to make this night go faster and I could go home back to peace.
My hand went to grab my wallet to pay for my drink when I felt nothing.
Nothing? I put my wallet there.
Moving my hand around I found that my wallet, my army knife, and keys weren’t on me. What the fuck, they were there when I walked in how or who could have taken them?
Stopping to look around I realize the woman who sang is no longer on the floor, the only person who touched me but how did she pick it off without me knowing?
Oh, right you were too distracted by her to pay attention you fucking fool! Did you learn nothing from deployment where you can’t get distracted by a single variable such as a woman?
Pushing the doors of the pub open, I looked for her near my bike. It didn’t take long for me to see her stopping my movements completely.
“That didn’t take long.” The woman who used to be singing on the stage smirked sitting on my bike in red leather pants and black jacket. I let my eyes roam over her trying to read her but there was nothing. “What? Cat got your sexy tongue?”
Looking her over I needed to see something to know who is this woman and why the fuck she on my bike. But nothing.
“Get off my bike.” I growled, but instead of cowering like people do to bikers she just smiled.
