by Sam Crescent
Evernight Publishing ®
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2014 Sam Crescent
ISBN: 978-1-77130-943-1
Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs
Editor: Karyn White
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
DEDICATION
I want to thank all of my wonderful readers for their constant support with The Skulls. I love writing them and I'm so pleased to see others enjoying them as well.
The Evernight team, and Karyn (my editor), you're all amazing and I'm so proud to be one of your authors. Thank you so much for making this a wonderful experience. X
BUTCH
The Skulls, 7
Sam Crescent
Copyright © 2014
Prologue
“You’re a stupid fucking cunt. Why did you do this?”
Neal Coal stayed in the background looking at his parents as they fought. His mother was high again, but this time there were tears in her eyes. Whatever had happened, it was bad. His father was clearly pissed.
“What? Had some fun? You have your fun all the time with your fucking whores. What do I get?” His mother sounded bitter, angry, terrified. “I get their sloppy fucking seconds. You’re no good.”
“You’ve no idea what you’ve done.” His father looked scared. In all the years he’d known his father not once had Neal seen him scared.
“I don’t give a fuck. You got your pussy, and I got what makes me happy.”
He gasped as his father slapped her around the face.
“You’re a fucking whore. Heroin, crack, weed, you name it, you’re on it. You’ve got so many fucking infections you’re a talking petri dish.” His father sneered at her. “You’re not fit to be anything, let alone a fucking old lady and a mother to my kids.”
The front doors slammed open, and Neal was thrown against the wall as large men he’d never seen entered the room.
A kick landed to his ribs, and Neal grabbed his chest, panicking. His sister was dragged into the sitting room. He heard the screams along with the shouting. Neal curled in a ball trying to dodge the blows that came his way. His father was part of the club called Savage Brothers MC. It was an exclusive biker club, and Neal knew no one hurt the Savage Brothers and got away with it.
“You see, son, there is only one way to deal with scum.” Neal heard the booming voice over all the pain and male grunts. Toward his left he saw a large man using his younger sister. Other men were taking turns on his mother, and others were holding his father down. His father was fighting with all of his might, but nothing he did released him from being held down. Neal tried to fight harder than ever before. His family needed him. For many years his father had told him the place Neal would be expected to take at the Savages’ table. He couldn’t embarrass his father now.
“You little shit.”
Pain, excruciating pain unlike anything he’d ever felt exploded inside him. Putting a hand to his stomach he felt the wetness of his blood.
“Dad, he shot the boy.” The small boy looked toward him. Neal saw the confusion on the other boy’s face. Fear pulled at him with tears falling down his face at the pain and his failure. No club would ever rely on him. He was weak, pathetic, and he couldn’t protect his own family.
“He’ll die like his family. This is what you’re going to have to do, Frederick. You’re going to have to make choices you hate. Men need to learn to respect you, which means hurting people you shouldn’t. Women and children are the best source of getting to a man. Find a man’s weakness and use it again him. You must always be willing to pull the trigger.”
“I understand, Dad.”
Neal watched the older man smile down at his boy. “You listen to me, Fred, and you’ll never have a care in the world. You’ll know that you can take what you want without a care in the world. I’m building you up an empire, son, one that is going to give you the world on a plate.”
Minutes passed, and Neal started to shake. This morning he’d woken up excited about his holidays. Now he was on the verge of death.
“Now, with these decisions you need to know when to end them.” In quick shots the older man fired his gun killing everyone in the room. There was no emotion on his face, only determination to see an end to what he was doing.
The boy known as Fred stared around. “There’s blood everywhere.”
“But no signs of us around. Earn respect by being willing to kill. You will learn with time it’s the only way to go. What I’m doing for you will cement your life in years to come. Only allow men you trust to do your dirty work. Everything else, you do on your own. Always, Fred, be willing to do whatever it takes. Everyone will be eating out of the palm of your hand.”
Opening his eyes, Neal stared into a pair of brown eyes.
“Dad, this boy is alive.”
The older man looked over at him. “He’ll die before the ambulance comes. We need to go now, Fred. Your mother will bitch if we’re late for lunch. I’m not interested in listening to her moan.”
He watched the two people who’d taken everything from him, leaving the house. The pain was getting worse, and he closed his eyes, wishing for the pain to end. He started to see lights and along a line he watched each of his family heading toward the light. They were all beckoning for him to join them. It would be so easy to cross that line. The moment he did, the pain would be gone. He didn’t know how he knew this, only that he did.
****
“We’re losing him. Come on, kid, don’t die on me.” Someone was touching his neck. His family was disappearing from sight. The pain increased as if he was being ripped open. They didn’t look sad for him to be going. “We’ve got a pulse. Come on, son. Get your ass back here.”
The female doctor was stern, demanding his return.
Coughing, Neal opened his eyes seeing the white of the room. “Come on, we need to get these stitches in.” Warm eyes smiled down at him. “Hey, kid, you’re back, and I can promise you, you’re not going anywhere.”
He was no longer in pain, and the female doctor was putting some stitches into his body. “Name?” he asked.
“Do you know your name?” She grabbed his chart. “You’re Neal Coal.”
Shaking his head, he pointed at her. His body felt heavy, but he pointed at her and said her name.
“My name? I’m Becca Stanford. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” She leaned in close, whispering against his ears. “I was a friend of your father’s. I’m going to protect you.”
The warmth in her eyes let him know she was more than a friend. Either way, he was safe, which was more than he could say for his family.
****
Neal was due to go to the foster home they had lined up. He’d been in the hospital for the last three weeks, and he was on the mend. Becca was the only person in his world right now. She kept him protected and made sure everyone else stayed away. His family was all dead, but no one would tell him what happened, not even Becca. The only person who visited him, beside the police, was Becca, the doctor who saved him and his father’s lover.
“Hey, kid, are you ready to go?” she asked, taking a seat on his bed.
“Yeah. I got the pain pills.” He held up the backpack she’d given him. Neal didn’t own anything else to his name. Everything he wore came from Becca. The backpack was filled with all the medication he’d need for the coming
weeks.
“Let me have a look at your wound. I know you like to break the rules, so I’m going to make sure you stay in line.”
He lay down on the bed, and she looked over the wound. She pressed her hands around his stomach looking concerned.
“I almost died, didn’t I?” Neal asked. There was pain in her eyes as he spoke.
“Neal, you died for two minutes on my table.” She sat beside him, ticking some points on his chart. “I don’t want to see you in this hospital again, and I’m sure your father would hate it, too.”
“Did you love him?” Neal asked.
Becca smiled. “I did. He was going to leave his wife after he dealt with her latest problems.” She shrugged. “I guess shit like that was never going to be easy.” She shook her head. “Don’t get admitted to the hospital again.”
“I don’t intend to.”
She turned to him, and he saw the seriousness on her face. “No, what happened back in that room in your house you need to forget, for your own safety.”
He frowned at her. “Someone killed my family.”
Becca took his hands. “And that someone believes you’re dead. They believe a lot of people are dead. I need you to not remember and to never go looking for that person or thinking about your past.” She looked around the room then flashed her inner arm at him. He saw the emblem of his dad’s MC. She was more than his father’s whore or lover. His father had claimed her as an old lady. Neal didn’t know how it was possible, but it apparently was. “The club is gone, Neal. I know who you are, and I’m begging you to stay alive. I’m going to keep an eye on you. I promised your father I would, but I need you to do this for me.”
“I promise.”
She touched his cheek. “The moment you leave this room, you forget everything, and there are documents in your bag as to who you are. Use them and never forget the person you’re supposed to be.”
Neal nodded. “I don’t remember anything.”
Smiling, she stood up. “If you ever need me, let me know. I’ll be around.”
“Wait, I don’t know how to get in touch with you,” he said.
Becca smiled at him, the same smile that must have won over his father. “But I’ll know when you’re looking for me.” She gave him a wink and left the room.
****
At twenty years old, Neal stared around the club in Fort Wills. The party was in full swing, and Tiny was motioning for him to come closer.
“Well, if it’s not Butch,” one of the sweet-butts said, purring.
“Butch?” Tiny asked, smirking. Hardy and Mikey were chuckling at him. He didn’t care. Neal had wanted to be part of The Skulls for a long time. No matter how much he forgot his father’s lifestyle, being part of an MC was in his blood. He was willing to do anything and everything to be patched in. Neal knew how the world of the club worked. He’d get his tag, and then he’d be part of a brotherhood once again.
“Yeah, he’s all big and butch. I like him.” The sweet-butt was caressing his shoulders, chuckling.
“You know what, you’ve got your name already, mate,” Tiny said, laughing.
“What?”
“Butch. You answer to that or nothing else, you got me?” Tiny asked.
“Yeah, I got you.”
“Good. You can be a prospect. It’ll take years for you to earn your cut, but you’ll get there. Follow the rules, don’t doubt shit I say, and be loyal to the club. Respect the patch and you’ll be a member in no time. Do you think you can do that?” Tiny asked.
“I can do that.”
“Good. Butch, the toilets need cleaning. Take Stink with you. It will be entertaining for all of us.”
Turning away from the men, Neal fell away, along with the mistakes of his past, and Butch was born. No one needed to know what happened, and the name Gonzalez fell from his thoughts.
Chapter One
Butch wiped the sweat from his brow as he dumped the latest bag of trash in with the rest around the back of the shop. Working at the coffee shop was not easy, not by a long shot. It was honest work, and he wasn’t afraid for Cheryl’s life. He’d gone from working in the front of the coffee shop serving people, to being asked to work around the back doing dishes so no one saw him. The owner told him he scared too many people with the reputation of the club. Since quitting The Skulls a month ago he’d been working odd jobs trying to find one that actually stuck. He refused to work as a mechanic as that kept him in the MC life. The Skulls were the only mechanic shop in town. Butch didn’t want to leave Fort Wills. Cheryl was here, and he wasn’t ready to leave her or her son, Matthew. It was a nice name for a nice kid. Matthew Barnes, father unknown, or at least he was to him. Cheryl knew who the father was to her kid, but no one else did.
Staring up at the blazing sun, Butch couldn’t help but think about the club. He wondered what they were doing. The last he heard Lash was still away with Angel and their son. Sophia and Nash were spending time with their daughter. Life was going on around him, and not once did he have a clue as to the dangers lurking. Blaine was still keeping up with his woman and child. Curse, from Chaos Bleeds, had brought in a new enemy or business partner. Butch didn’t know the answer as he was no longer part of their world. There was something about the name of the new possible enemy that made his gut tighten.
You walked out. Now you stay out.
The Skulls were no longer part of his business. His cell phone rang, and he saw it was Lash calling.
“Hey, man. It must be costing you some to be calling me,” Butch said, leaning against the brick wall in the shade.
“Are you fucking shitting me, man? You quit the club while I’m away. What kind of shit is that?” Lash started yelling over the line. Closing his eyes, Butch listened to his friend’s tirade. He’d tried to leave without any of the brothers finding out. Tiny had made sure everyone knew the truth. It didn’t matter. Butch wasn’t going back no matter how much he missed the club. Sweltering days like today were a nightmare. He missed the banter, the drinking, the partying, and feeling like part of something. The MC life was in his blood; it was his destiny.
“Where’s Angel?” Butch asked, cutting into all the yelling and tried to change the subject.
“She’s at the beach with our son. Don’t fucking change the subject. Why the fuck are you leaving? Did you hand in your cut?”
Letting out a sigh, Butch felt a pain bloom inside his chest. He’d given up his cut, and he also had an appointment to have his ink changed so he didn’t hold any symbol of his involvement with The Skulls. In a few weeks’ time all of his involvement with the club would cease and his past would be dumped like his childhood.
“Who told you I was out?” Butch asked.
“Nash let it slip ten fucking minutes ago. You’re out, and you’ve got no plans of coming back.”
“It’s not the life I want anymore.”
“Bullshit. This is the only life you’ve ever wanted. I remember when you were a prospect, Butch. You’re five years older than me. You wanted in the life. It’s in your blood. You told me back then that you’d do everything to get patched in, and you did. You cleaned more shit toilets and whores off the floor than any other fucking brother. Every shitty assignment Tiny gave us, you took. All of that hard work for nothing?”
“Not anymore. Time has changed, the fun has gone, and I’ve got nothing but pain to look forward to.” Butch looked toward the door knowing he needed to get back inside. He didn’t need the money, but he refused to sit on his ass all day while Cheryl was out working. Butch was not the kind of man to sit on his ass all day while the woman worked.
“What made you quit?” Lash asked.
“I found a woman. I’m not willing to risk her life being part of a group who has enemies as magnets.” He started walking back to the door as Lash cursed over the line. “She’s got a kid, and I can’t ask her to be with me at the risk to her kid.”
“We can’t have your back if you’re not part of the club.”
; “I don’t need you to have my back. Unlike most of you I don’t actually have a past with enemies.” He had a past filled with pain, but no enemies. No one knew he was alive. He was dead to the whole world. The Skulls didn’t need to know what his past was all about. Butch held the memories close to his chest, where they’d stay.
“This is insane. I should come back and beat the crap out of you.”
Butch laughed. “Angel wouldn’t be happy. She wouldn’t say anything to you, but you’d only hurt her by cutting your vacation short. Leave my decisions with me. I’m not going back to The Skulls. It’s over, and you all should realize I’m happier for it.”
Hanging up the phone didn’t ease the tension inside him. He missed the life already but he was determined to create a new life. Butch knew from harsh experience what it was like to have his loved ones torn away because of a bad decision. The Skulls were getting more dangerous, and there was no hope for Cheryl if he continued with the same kind of crap. For all of his good intentions, it didn’t stop him needing more, the curiosity to know what’s going on with Tiny and his brothers. It had been a month, and already he wanted to know what was going down so he could help his family. The Skulls gave him back the family he’d lost so many years ago, yet he’d pulled away from them for love.
Closing his eyes he recalled the screams of his sister when he couldn’t save her. The curses his father yelled, threatening all the men who were hurting them. All of his family was dead, and there would be no chance of them coming back. Watching his sister get raped and killed was just par for the course at the age of thirteen. Butch knew when he saw her brains getting blown apart that his life was never going to be the same. There was nothing he could have done, not even at thirteen. Going from one foster home to another until he was out of the system at eighteen, he’d already been on the path set for The Skulls.