WRAITH (Iron Kings MC, #1)

by Franca Storm

  “I get that.”

  “Sergeant-at-Arms,” he mused, trying it out. “We’re gonna be working together again, just like old times. You wanna keep Wraith as your road name? Suits you.”

  I smiled. “Yeah. Yeah, it does.”

  “Wish you’d taken my offer years back. You never would’ve met Hammer and his team and—”

  “I wouldn’t be relegated to this off-the-grid existence.”

  “You ain’t gotta worry about that if I patch you in as one of us. You can get a real life, no more hiding out and letting everything pass you by. You’re gonna have the whole club watching your back. We protect each other. We got a few of the boys who ain’t exactly model citizens and they got a new start by joining the club. You’ll be safe all the while you’re inside Ridgefield’s borders. That’s a hell of a lot bigger than some safehouse.” His gaze hardened as he added, “I’m guessing you’re gonna want that more than ever now that you made Ashley a part of your life. And, Finn, my baby girl don’t belong in the dark. It ain’t something I’m ever gonna allow. She deserves the best.”

  “I agree.”

  “You’re way overqualified, more hardcore than all of my guys combined. But with the way shit is right now, it’s exactly what we fucking well need.”

  “What about club protocol?”

  “We fought together, Finn. Know you real well and there ain’t no question you got the values we live by at the club. Respect, honor, loyalty. Know you got a shitload of self-discipline and can commit hardcore to things. You wouda never joined the army if you didn’t have that in you. It’s gonna be unconventional, but we’ll consider you running protection detail on Ashley as your prospecting period. Shortest ever. I’ll sponsor you, kinda like you’re a probate, cuz I still gotta get you up to speed on the workings of the club you don’t know about and can’t know of until you’re one of us.”

  “You think that’ll fly with your boys?”

  “Yeah, I do. Things right now ain’t normal. We’re at war. Sometimes, as you know, it means we gotta think outside the box and adapt to the normal way we do shit. They all know you, know about your work, your skills and all that, know you’ve had my back many times. There ain’t no question you’re gonna be an asset to the club, big time. And there ain’t no risk to bringing you in. Works for everybody.”

  “Your current Sergeant-at-Arms is gone, a massive whole in club security, a danger even without the Rogues coming at you. As long as that’s true, Ashley will remain at risk. Putting me in the role will fix that. With my know-how and skillset, no one will get close to you again. My intention, if Ashley agrees, is for the two of us to move to Ridgefield. I’ll safeguard the club and her, by extension. Ashley will set up her own tattoo parlor, like she’s always wanted, but has been unable to do because of all the security threats against your club. But if we do that, you back off and let her live her life, explore what she wants to. You know she’ll be safe with me, so you can take comfort in that. If you want to be a normal father to her again, that’s fine, but you won’t suffocate her.” I folded my arms across my chest. “So, do we have a deal?”

  He grinned. “I knew it.”

  “What?”

  “Knew you were into her. I saw it when you were laid up recuperating at the clubhouse a little ways back. And she was a dead giveaway too. My baby girl’s never been good at hiding her feelings.”

  I started in surprise. “You’re saying you engineered this, that you were pushing for us to get together?”

  “Can’t think of nobody better for her.”

  “You know my history and you’re comfortable saying that?”

  He shrugged. “Past is the past, ain’t it? No matter what happened after we left the army, you’ve always been a good guy.”

  “I’m also a dangerous man.”

  “Not to her, you ain’t. You being a dangerous fucker to others is what’s kept her safe. It’s what’s always gonna. I ain’t gotta worry about her if she’s with you. Know you’ll look after her. You’re bringing her back into my life and I never thought nothing would do that after she had to leave her last place of work cuz of me and my club shit. You’re making her real happy. Noticed a spark in her now that I ain’t seen for a long while. You bring out that fire in her too. You’re good for her. She’s good for you. You ain’t so miserable now.”

  “So, this?” I said, gesturing to the stitches beside my eye. “What was this for, if you’re apparently on board with us?”

  “Hands off the President’s daughter and all that.”

  “Fine,” I muttered.

  “So we doing this?”

  I held out my hand. “Count me in, Prez.”

  He smiled and we shook hard. “Fucking right.”

  18

  ~Ashley~

  “RIGHT HERE.”

  Luke “Deviant” Reilly knelt down beside my chair and pointed to his eagle wings tattoo on his right shoulder. “To join with the wings.”

  He flexed his arm for all it was worth and gave a devilish grin.

  It was clear his flirty ways hadn’t calmed at all in the couple of years that I’d been gone. At thirty-two years old, he’d joined the club right out of his teen years and been with my dad and the Iron Kings MC since its founding. He was as loyal as they came, the club being everything to him. He’d actually whisked me away to safety that awful day twelve years back when the Rogues had waged war and killed my mom. My dad rewarded loyalty big time and he’d personally mentored Deviant for the VP role.

  “So, a full sleeve?” I asked.

  “Yeah,” he confirmed, easing himself onto the arm of the leather armchair that I was curled up on, his leather pants creaking as he did. He flashed that infamous panty-dropping grin of his, his amber eyes burning into mine, as he asked, “You up for it?”

  I burst out laughing. “Not your best stuff.”

  “Dumbass,” someone called out and I looked to see another familiar club member striding through the lounge toward us. Aaron “Tricks” Marshall, the Road Captain, who’d been with the club as long as Deviant. He slapped Deviant around the back of the head. “Her man’s ex-SF, black ops. Real hardcore.”

  Deviant rolled his eyes. “I’m just playing.” He beamed at me. “Missed you, Little A.”

  “I missed you all too.” I hadn’t realized just how much until I’d walked back into the Iron Kings clubhouse a few days ago with Finn and my dad.

  The safehouse and all the hiding was over thanks to a plan that Finn had engineered.

  He was going to join the club and become the Sergeant-at-Arms. It was a bold move and it certainly wasn’t what I’d expected when he’d told me the other night about a plan that he’d floated my dad’s way. But he seemed really into it. He seemed… happy.

  It was incredibly strange.

  The last time I’d been back here had been for a Christmas visit, the same time that Finn had been here recuperating actually. My dad and I used to spend every Christmas together, no matter where we were or what was going on between us. With Mom gone, we’d stuck together closely. But aside from that bright spark of getting to spend some time with Finn and becoming close, the rest of the visit really hadn’t gone all that well for me. In just that short time, my dad and his club members had been so overbearing and overprotective that it’d been downright suffocating. There had also been pressure from him to move back home where it was safe, where my family was. It had all been way too much, far too much control exerted over me. So, I’d left and gone back into the world with my freedom, vowing never to risk it again and I hadn’t been back for the most recent Christmas, purposely skipping the visit after what my dad had pulled the time before

  But being back here now was so different.

  There was no awful sense of suffocation. My dad wasn’t consistently checking up on me in that invasive way of his. He’d actually left me and Finn to it. He’d even given us a room in the clubhouse to share and he hadn’t made one disparaging remark about it.

  There�
��d been only love from him and from the boys.

  It had given me the chance to enjoy the camaraderie and interactions with the boys who were like surrogate big brothers to me. I’d been able to walk around Ridgefield freely.

  My dad had kept his word to Finn about everything Finn had filled me in on when they’d had their discussion at the safehouse where they’d laid out their plan of action.

  It was just a shame that I’d come back when things were so dire and there was a huge threat hanging over the club.

  The sting of Lou’s defection was felt by everyone. I wanted to tell them that I was sorry, to offer my sympathies, but I knew better than to bring it up. That wasn’t how things were done, especially when the club was in the middle of a brutal, dangerous war. They would grieve once it was done with. Until then, keeping morale up was key.

  And the guys seemed to be working hard on that with their light-hearted banter. Just like right now with Tricks and Deviant.

  Tricks was known for being the joker of the boys and Deviant was a big flirt when things needed to be kept light.

  Tricks ran a hand through his mohawk. “So, what’s going on?”

  “Nothing you’d be interested in,” Deviant said, taking in the ink covering every inch of exposed skin in his jeans and black tee. “You’ve got enough. I don’t think there’s a single space left for another tat.”

  Yeah, Tricks was inked from the tips of his toes all the way up to the sides of his face.

  “Well, there’s one part of me that ain’t inked.”

  “Where?” I asked, under the impression that he was completely covered.

  The two of them exchanged a look.

  “Yeah, where?” a voice called out.

  I jerked my head up to see Finn striding up to us. He cocked an eyebrow at Tricks as he came to a stop the other side of me, folding his arms across his chest. “Go on then, spill it.”

  It was a challenge, but I could tell by Finn’s relaxed tone that it was more joshing than serious.

  Deviant burst out laughing. “Now who’s doing the unsanctioned flirting with the club princess?”

  Keeping his eyes on Finn’s, Tricks said, “Wasn’t flirting, just about to state a fact.”

  “Well, I can tell you right now, she won’t be inking your dick.”

  “Eww!” I cried, eyeing Tricks. “That’s where you meant?”

  All of them burst out laughing, including Finn, much to my surprise. From the absolute sincerity of his throaty, full-body laugh, it seemed to be much more than just faking it to keep up morale. It seemed that he was really enjoying being around the boys, being part of a brotherhood again. I figured it was very similar to what he’d had in the military, back when he and my dad had first met. It had to be nice after so long being forced to be a loner and to remain detached from everyone and everything.

  “Fuck that,” Tricks went on. “Ain’t no way I’m torturing my cock with a tattoo needle. According to Prez, getting it pierced is bad enough. A needle would be way worse, way longer, more intense. No fucking thank you.”

  “Urgh,” I said, cringing. “I didn’t need to know that about my dad.”

  Finn chuckled and gave my shoulder a gentle, comforting squeeze. “Why don’t you show them your design?” he suggested, gesturing to my notebook in my lap. He ran his hand up my neck and into my hair, stroking my hair in a very couple-like gesture that had me smiling.

  I noticed the boys watching with an eagle-eyed focus. Although it was unnecessary, it was also sweet that they were looking out for me.

  “Go on,” Finn coaxed, tapping his finger on my closed notebook.

  I could feel myself blushing and I hesitated. Finn had already brought me out of my shell in so many ways, but it was still instinctual so far to shy away in certain situations, especially being put on the spot. But I knew Finn was just really impressed and proud of my work and me in general. He wanted me to feel the same way about myself. And I wanted that too, I wanted to see myself the way he did.

  One step at a time.

  I opened my book and flipped to the page with my TRUE INK logo.

  Holding it up for Deviant and Tricks to see, I explained that it was intended for my own tattoo parlor that I’d planned on owning and running one day.

  Tricks whistled.

  “That’s fucking ace,” Deviant said, his shoulder-length brown hair falling forward as he peered down at my design.

  I looked up to see Finn smiling widely, happy for me at their positive reactions.

  He leaned in and kissed me chastely on my cheek.

  Deviant winked at me and Tricks gave me a chin lift, letting me know that they approved, that they felt Finn was good for me, that we were good together. It was an absolute first. Never had that ever happened with any guy before that I’d taken an interest in.

  It not only said a great deal about Finn, but also about how well he automatically fitted in with them, with the club.

  “So, you’re back for real now, for good?” Deviant asked. “You’re gonna set up your own shop in downtown Ridgefield?”

  “Yeah,” I said, grasping Finn’s hand and giving it a squeeze.

  “When are you gonna launch it?” Tricks asked.

  “When things are… uh… stable.”

  A tense silence descended at my words.

  Movement over by the bar area a few feet away caught my eye and I saw, Kyle, one of the prospects, stagger from the booth he’d been lounging in for the last couple of hours. He was relatively new to the club. He hadn’t been around last time I was here.

  He brushed his straggly dark hair away from his face as he stalked up to us, the chains hanging from his jeans rattling with his every step. His eyes looked wild, like he was on the verge of losing his shit. Finn stepped in front of me, a clear protective move, given the state of Kyle. I wasn’t surprised that he was three sheets to the wind, because he’d been tight with Lou, closer than any of the other boys, so the loss and betrayal ran all the deeper. In fact, Lou had brought him into the club and sponsored him.

  He got in Finn’s face, glaring fiercely at him.

  “So, you’re the guy Prez has brought in to replace Lou, yeah?”

  I tensed. Deviant pushed off the arm of my chair and rose to his feet on high-alert. Tricks clenched his fists, readying himself if things went south.

  But Finn remained completely calm as he answered simply, “Yes.”

  Kyle looked him up and down. “It true you took down a bunch of those Rogues fuckers?”

  Finn shrugged. “Kill, or be killed.”

  He was playing it off like it’d been nothing and he was damned good at putting on that act too. But I knew it had taken a lot out of him, that he was having a hard time reconciling it and shaking it from his every waking thought.

  Kyle took his words in, his fierce glare unwavering for several moments.

  The longer it went on, the more the tension ramped up.

  I could barely stand it a second longer.

  And then it finally shattered with Kyle stepping back and muttering, “Guess we’ll see if you’re the right guy for the job, huh?”

  It was a bitter challenge and it was clear that Kyle didn’t believe it, that he wasn’t on board with Finn, or the fact that Lou had a replacement at all.

  With a nasty glare at everyone, he cursed under his breath, then stalked back the way he’d come.

  Thankfully, before the awkward uneasiness could settle, my dad’s voice cut through the room. “Let’s do this!” he called to the fully-patched members. “Church, fuckers!”

  As the boys jumped into action, Finn leaned in and kissed me. “We’ll catch up in about an hour, okay, sweetheart?”

  “Sure,” I said, smiling up at him.

  The three of them took off and followed after my dad who had that all-business stride of his going on. He was incredibly stressed out about everything, extremely on edge. He was in mission-mode, big time, his focus on the threat only, shutting out all else, like emotion and
the need for pleasantries.

  “Where’s Anarchy?” I heard my dad ask the boys.

  “Coming,” Tricks answered. “He stopped off to grab a coffee. He’s been awake all night helping me out at Wheels Up.”

  “And Wrecker?”

  Yeah, he really needed his two top enforcers to be present at Church right now. They were more vital than ever with what was going on at the moment.

  “Wreck’s finishing up dealing with that tagging situation down by the post office,” Deviant told him. “He should be up in the next few minutes.”

  My dad nodded and led the way to his office.

  As I watched them go, the boys all over Finn, chatting away, joking with him, it was clear they were fascinated with him. The guy they’d heard so many legendary stories about, the man my dad always raved about was finally here in the flesh and one of them. When he’d stayed at the clubhouse to recuperate from his wounds a couple of years back, my dad had kept them all away, giving Finn the space and peace he’d needed.

  But now he was in the thick of it.

  And he was fitting in so well in such a short timeframe.

  I’d thought it would be hard being back here again in such a permanent fashion too, let alone having Finn become an integral part of the world I’d fled. But his presence, his involvement, had shifted things in such an incredible way.

  There was no pressure bearing down on me anymore.

  Of course, I wasn’t fool enough to believe that I was free of it completely. I knew Finn was watching my back, protecting me, but he didn’t do it in anything resembling the heavy-handed way my dad and his other club members always had. In fact, he really was proving himself worthy of his long-time nickname, Wraith. Moving undetected. So incredibly stealthy, like a ghost.

  And, sometimes, the illusion of freedom was enough.

  For a time.

  Once this dark time had passed, it would be a different story.