Rider: Satan’s Fury MC-Memphis

by Wilder, L.

  The bartender nodded, then placed six shot glasses on the counter, quickly filling them to the brim. “Anything else?”

  “For now … just keep my tab running.” He lifted one of the shot glasses and asked, “You got a name, kid?”

  “Cade.”

  “Couldn’t help but notice the military cut. You in the service?”

  “I was.” I ran my hand over the top of my head as I replied, “I just got back a few days ago.”

  “Well, here’s to you, Cade. Thanks for your service.” He motioned his hand towards my round of shots and waited for me to lift mine, and then we both threw them back. “So, you got plans to go back?”

  “Nah. Pretty sure that chapter of my life has closed. My shoulder guaranteed that.”

  “What’s up with your shoulder?”

  “Bullet fucked up my rotator cuff.”

  “Damn.” He shook his head as he reached for a another shot. “That’s a tough one, but you’re young, you’ll be back like new before you know it.”

  “You sound pretty sure of yourself.”

  “That’s because I am,” he said, then he pulled back the sleeve of his t-shirt, revealing a wound similar to mine. “Hurt like a bitch, but eventually healed and so will yours.”

  “Good to know.” I took another shot, then immediately reached for the next. “Thanks for the round.”

  “Least I can do. After all, you seem pretty damn determined to get tanked tonight, so I thought I’d help you out.”

  “Needed to clear my head.”

  “Vodka isn’t gonna help you with that.”

  “Maybe not, but after the day I’ve had, it’s worth a try.”

  “Been one of those days, huh?”

  “Yeah,” I muttered. “You could say that.”

  “Life has a way of throwing some pretty hard punches … some harder than others.” He looked me dead in the eye. “You’ve just gotta take the hit and find a way to get back up.”

  “I’ve had one too many hits, man. Not sure I see the point in getting back up anymore.”

  “Put your hand on your heart.” He waited silently as I did as he requested. “You feel that? As long as your heart’s beating, then you’ve got a purpose. You’ve just gotta figure out what it is.”

  “I’m trying, but it’s just so damn hard.” I ran my hand down my face and sighed. “Every fucking thing is exactly the same as it was when I left … my folks, my house, this whole damn city, but it feels so different. How is that possible?”

  “Because you’ve changed. You can’t expect things to be the same when you’re not the same man you were when you left.”

  “I’m still me, though.”

  “Yeah, but now you’re a different version of yourself.” His eyes narrowed as he asked, “You ever ridden before?”

  “A motorcycle?”

  “Not talking about a fucking moped, son,” he scoffed.

  I shrugged. “Ridden a couple of times when I was younger but never actually had one of my own.”

  “Might be time to try again.”

  “Maybe so.”

  “Maybe isn’t an answer, son.” Then he leaned towards me and said, “If I’ve learned anything in this life, it’s that we only regret the chances we didn’t take. It’s time for you to take that chance.”

  “I hear ya.” I reached for my last shot and added, “But I don’t own a motorcycle, and even if I did, I couldn’t ride with this shoulder.”

  “That’s two problems, son.” He chuckled. “Both can be solved with time.”

  He reached into his pocket, pulled out a card, and offered it to me. “The name’s Gus. When you get back on your feet, come by the clubhouse. We’ll take that ride together.”

  “Sounds good. I’ll do that.”

  “I’ll be looking forward to it.” After finishing off his last shot, he stood up and started to walk away. “Drink to your heart’s content. Just be sure to get a ride home, son.”

  “Will do.”

  There was something about the way he’d called me son that got to me. As odd as it seemed, it felt like he actually meant it. Until that moment, I hadn’t realized how much I needed to hear it. That one word had me looking down at the card Gus had given me, and I knew at that moment I would be taking that ride with him. What I didn’t know was how that decision would change my life forever.

  Gunner

  “Give me a second,” I called out to Blaze. “I’ll be right back.”

  “Whoa … Where are you going?” His eyes narrowed as he watched me start across the parking lot. “We’re going to be late.”

  I was following Blaze, Shadow, Murphy, and their ol’ ladies into the gas station when a gorgeous brunette in the parking lot caught my attention. She was pacing back and forth in front of her car. I couldn’t tell for sure, but it looked like she was crying as she talked to someone on her cell phone. When we came back out and she was still there, I figured something must be wrong. There was something about a woman in need that got to me, especially when she was smoking hot with curves made for sin. As I continued walking towards her, I glanced back at Blaze and said, “No, we won’t. I’ll just be a minute.”

  “Um-hmm. I’ve heard that shit before,” he complained. Murphy, the club’s sergeant-at-arms, was a good guy, always played by the rules and never let a brother down, so I wasn’t surprised when he said, “We still gotta drop the girls off, and if we’re late for church, Gus is gonna be pissed.”

  “I already told ya … We won’t be late.”

  As I made my way closer to the woman, I heard her say, “Are you sure about this?” A gust of wind whipped passed us, and I quickly became mesmerized by the way her long, dark hair fluttered around her face. Damn. It was like I’d been pulled into some romantic, chick flick where everything was moving in slow motion. I needed to shake it off before I made a fucking fool of myself. She tucked her hair behind her ears as she continued, “I’m not certain. I think I’m close, but I took the wrong exit. Don’t worry, I’ll figure it out.” After another brief pause, she said, “I’ll let you know.”

  When she ended the call, I put on my best smile and asked, “You lost, darlin’?”

  The gorgeous brunette glanced up at me for a moment, and her dark eyes quickly drifted over me. Clearly unaffected by my dashing good looks, she looked down at her phone and replied, “No.”

  “You sure about that … ‘cause you’re a long way from heaven.”

  I cocked my head to the side and smiled, hoping she’d find the humor in my corny pickup line. Sadly, she was totally unfazed. Instead, my words just hung in the air, completely disregarded as she stared down at her phone. “I’m sure you’re a nice enough guy and all, but I really don’t have time for this right now.”

  “Okay, then. Tell me how I can help.” I wasn’t sure what to make of her. I knew she wasn’t from around here, otherwise she’d know how dangerous it was for her to be standing out in the parking lot with every thug around checking her out. I couldn’t blame them. Hell, she looked like a knockout in those hip-hugging jeans and low-cut t-shirt. I could only imagine what she’d look like wearing nothing at all. Just the thought made it difficult not to readjust myself. Unfortunately, I didn’t have the same effect on her. In fact, she seemed unimpressed by my southern charm and was doing her best to disregard me completely. I could’ve just walked away, kept what was left of my ego intact, but that would have been too easy. “Seriously … you got any idea where you are?”

  “Actually, I do. I’m in Memphis and”—she glanced up at the store front sign— “at the Citgo gas station on Frayser Road.”

  “So, you know you’re in Frayser?”

  “Umm … Yeah.” Her eyebrows furrowed as she asked, “Why?”

  “Not exactly safe around here, darlin’.” I lifted my chin, motioning my head towards the hood-rats smoking dope at the side of the building. “There are some real bad folks around these parts.”

  Her gazed drifted downward as she took a moment
to study my torn jeans, leather cut, and tattoos. She shook her head, then clipped, “And what about you? Are you one of them?”

  “Depends on who you ask.”

  “Um-hmm. If had to guess, I would say you and your friends are just as dangerous, if not more so, as those men over there.” With a cocked brow and a half-smile, she sassed, “Regardless, I’d already be gone if you weren’t here … you know, distracting me.”

  “Well, that’s as much your fault as it is mine.” I let my eyes slowly drift over her, taking my time to study every gorgeous inch of her, as I said, “If you weren’t so damn beautiful, I wouldn’t be over here talking to you. Besides, I had to at least try and see if there was something I could do to help. Wouldn’t want anything to happen to you while you were out here all alone.”

  “You’re good. I’ll give you that.” She shook her head and scoffed, “A regular knight in shining armor, but you’re wasting your time with me. I’m fine.”

  “I don’t know about that.” A smirk crossed my face as I added, “This is no place for someone like you, so if you’re lost, I’ll be glad to help you find wherever it is you’re trying to go.”

  “Thanks, but I think I’ve got it figured out.” She got in her car, and just before she closed her door, she looked over to me and said, “Maybe you’ll have better luck with your next damsel in distress.”

  Before I had a chance to respond, she started her car and drove out of the parking lot. I watched as she pulled out onto the main road, and moments later, her tail lights disappeared into the traffic. When I turned around, I found the guys sitting on their Harleys with their ol’ ladies, watching me with goofy grins plastered across their faces. Doing my best to ignore them, I walked over, got on my bike, and started up my engine, revving it several times. My brothers never moved. They just sat there staring at me like three jackasses. “What?”

  “Is your bike burning oil?” Blaze poked with a shit-eating grin on his face. “Oh, no. That’s just you.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “Your ass just got smoked.”

  “What the fuck are you talking about? I didn’t get smoked.”

  Shaking his head, Shadow asked, “You get her number … or even her fucking name?”

  “No.”

  Shadow was the club’s enforcer. He was usually pretty quiet, keeping to himself and remaining eerily intense. He wasn’t normally one to fuck around, but that didn’t keep him from joining in. “Then, your ass just got smoked.”

  “Fuck y’all.”

  Rider shrugged. “We’re just calling ‘em like we see ‘em.”

  “Well, you saw this one wrong. I wasn’t trying to pick that chick up,” I argued. “I was being a Good Samaritan.”

  “Um-hmm … You know, we aren’t buying that shit for one minute, brother,” Shadow taunted. “Just admit it. You’ve lost your edge. Hell, it’s gotten so bad you can’t even pick up a chick in the fucking hood.”

  “Give the guy a break,” Alex fussed. She was Shadow’s ol’ lady and a real sweetheart of a chick. I’d always thought a lot of her, especially now. “At least he tried.”

  “Tried and failed,” Blaze joked.

  Kenadee leaned forward as she looked over to me and said, “Don’t let them get to you, Gunner. You can’t win them all.”

  “Thanks, Kenadee.” Before the guys had a chance to respond, I started to back out and said, “I thought we had to get to the girls home.”

  Blaze looked over to Shadow and Murphy as he said, “He’s right. We better get going.”

  With a quick nod, they each started up their engines, and one by one, we backed out of the gas station. As we pulled out of the lot, I thought back to the beautiful brunette and cursed myself for not trying harder to get her number. I could tell just by looking at her that she was one of those once-in-a-lifetime kind of women. I hated that I’d let her slip through my fingers, but in truth, I knew it was all for the best. I didn’t need the distraction, especially with a run coming up. Since the day Gus became president of the Memphis chapter, he’d worked his ass off to make it what it is today—one of the most notorious clubs in the South. It hadn’t been easy. Shit, it took one hell of a fight to take claim to such a dangerous territory, but he’d done it. More than that, he’d managed to do it without compromising his beliefs. He always remained loyal to his brothers, always putting us above all else—even if that meant putting his needs second. It was no wonder that we all respected him and followed him without question.

  I tagged along as Murphy and the others dropped their ol’ ladies off, then followed them over to the clubhouse. By the time we arrived, the others had already started to gather in the conference room. Gus had called us all in to go over the final details of the run, ensuring that we all knew exactly what was expected before, during, and afterward. This particular run meant a great deal to us all. Gus had worked with Cotton, the president of the Washington chapter, to create a pipeline among several of the other chapters, enabling us to distribute twice the product in half the time. Since its creation, our shipments had almost doubled in size, making this one of our biggest deliveries to date. It was important for us to make sure that everything went exactly as planned.

  Once everyone was seated, Gus stood up and said, “I want to make something clear with you boys. I know this isn’t the first time we’ve done this particular run. By now, you should be feeling pretty comfortable with the way things are run, but I don’t want you letting that get in your head. This is no time for any of you to be getting comfortable. You gotta keep your head in the fucking game. Stay alert. Be looking for problems before they arise. Watch your back. Always assume that someone’s watching, ’cause if we don’t stay vigilant with this thing, we’re gonna lose everything we’ve worked for. You got me?”

  “Understood. We won’t let you down, Prez,” Riggs assured him.

  “I know you won’t, son. None of you will.” His expression softened as he added, “We all had different reasons for joining Fury. The way of life. The freedom. The ride. Whatever brought us here, we all stayed for the same reason … Family. There’s not a one of us in this club who wouldn’t take a bullet for the other, and that alone is what keeps us going. Even when shit gets hard … so hard you think it’ll break ya, you always know you’ve got a brother who has your back. So, remember that as you get ready for this run. I want every one of you doing your part to make sure this goes off without a hitch.”

  For more, be sure to check out Gunner: Satan’s Fury MC-Memphis on Amazon.