Satan’s Fury MC - Memphis

by Wilder, L.

  EPILOGUE

  Twenty Years Later

  Reece: While I was washing dishes at the kitchen sink, a noise drew my attention over to the window. I looked outside and saw Tate wearing his Satan’s Fury cut and old, worn-out Levi’s. I couldn’t get over how much he reminded me of his father as he worked on Jackson’s old Harley. It wasn’t that he looked just like his father with his dark, shaggy hair and beautiful green eyes. No, it was much more than that. He had Jackson’s walk, confident and proud, and his same smile, so charming it could melt the coldest of hearts. As I stood there watching him, I found myself thinking back on that first weekend I’d spent with Jackson. Even back then, I knew what we had was something special. There wasn’t any doubt that I was falling for him, but at the time, I didn’t realize that he would become the love of my life, that he would be the only man to ever truly own my heart. That revelation didn’t hit me until that night at the cabin—the night he’d put his life on the line to protect me from Navarro’s men.

  I’d always heard that you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone, but I never really understood how poignant those words were until I saw the light fade from Jackson’s eyes. I’d learned long ago that I had no control over fate’s hand. She was the one that had all the power, and she alone would decide my future with Jackson. Even though it was years ago, the fear I felt as I watched him fighting for his life still haunted me, and I couldn’t even think about it without crying. I was lost in my world of thoughts when I heard the door close behind me. As I wiped the tears from my eyes, a set of arms wrapped around my waist and warmth brushed across my neck. “Good morning, beautiful.”

  I smiled as I turned to face him and replied, “Good morning, handsome.”

  While he’d aged over the years and now had headful of salt and pepper hair and tiny crow’s feet around his eyes, Jackson Reed was still just as handsome as he was when I first fell in love with him. His brow furrowed with concern as he asked, “You okay?”

  “Yeah. I was just thinking about Jed.”

  “Oh, really?” He pulled me closer as he asked, “What about him?”

  “I was thinking how different my life would be right now if he hadn’t been there that night,” I added as I wound my arms around his neck.

  “Different good or different bad?”

  “Like you don’t know the answer to that.”

  “I don’t know. You could’ve been fooling me all these years.”

  “You know me better than that, but in case you don’t … I couldn’t be happier.”

  “Now, that’s what I wanted to hear.”

  He leaned towards me, and just as he pressed his lips against mine, I heard Jase, our youngest, say, “Oh, man. Can’t you guys do that somewhere else?”

  Jackson kissed me a moment longer, then turned to Jase and shrugged. “It’s not my fault your mom is so damn irresistible.”

  Ignoring them both, I asked, “Where’s Kaylee? We were supposed to go shopping this morning.”

  “She’s still in the bathroom.” Jase opened the refrigerator, and as he took out a soda, he complained, “She’s been in there for over an hour.”

  “Well, that’s just part of being a sixteen-year-old girl, son, so you might as well get used to it.”

  “I just don’t understand what she’s doing in there,” Jase fussed. “She’s looks exactly the same when she comes out as she did when she went in.”

  He’d barely gotten the words out of his mouth when Kaylee walked into the kitchen, and it was clear from the expression on her face that she’d heard every word he’d said. “I’ll have you know, I was doing my hair.”

  “It’s in a ponytail, Lee,” he replied sarcastically. “How the hell does it take you an hour to do that?”

  “Watch the language, Jase,” Jackson warned, “and lay off your sister.”

  “Yes, sir, but can you please do something about her hogging the bathroom?”

  “We’ll talk about it later. For now, go out and help your brother clean up. We need to get down to the clubhouse and help the guys get ready for tonight.”

  “All right,” he huffed and headed towards the door. As he walked outside, he grumbled, “At least the clubhouse has more than two bathrooms.”

  When the door slammed shut, Kaylee turned to me and pouted. “Mom, can we please just go?”

  “Yep, we can, but I need a minute to finish getting ready and grab my purse.”

  As I started for the bedroom, Kaylee’s tone turned buttery sweet as she asked, “Can I drive?”

  “Sure. The keys are on the counter.”

  Seconds later, I heard the sound of jangling keys as she started towards the door and shouted, “I’ll be in the car!”

  Just before the door closed, Jackson shouted, “Both hands on the wheel at all times. No texting or talking on the phone when you’re driving!”

  “Yes, sir!” she called as the door slammed shut.

  When I got back to the kitchen, Jackson was there waiting for me. As I grabbed my list off the counter, I told him, “I guess I better get going. You know how ‘Princess Pea’ can be if you make her wait too long.”

  “Yes, I do. It’s just one of the joys of having three teenagers. They’re a handful.” He chuckled. “But they’re ours and I love ’em.”

  “And they love you … almost as much as I do.” I gave him a quick kiss before I said, “What about tonight? What do I need to bring?”

  “Nothing. This celebration is for you.”

  “You know all of this isn’t necessary.”

  “You might not think so, but the guys wanna show you how proud they are that you’ve gotten your third big book deal. They think you’re famous.”

  My article on the cartel had drawn a great deal of interest, and even though it hadn’t been my intention, my career had taken off. I received a promotion, and it wasn’t long before I’d become the lead investigative reporter for the paper. Several years later, I followed Myles’s lead and decided to try my hand at free-lance writing, focusing solely on topics that truly meant something to me. After I’d received my first book deal, I decided to use everything I’d learned to write a mystery-suspense novel involving the mafia, and to my utter surprise, it made the New York Times Best Seller list. Seeing how successful the first book was, my publisher offered me a second, and now a third, book deal. “I’m far from famous and I’d really like to bring something, so …”

  “Well, you know how the guys love your apple pies. You got time to make one?”

  “Uh, one is definitely not gonna cut it. I think I better make at least three.”

  “Yeah, what the hell was I thinkin’? Good call. I’ll see you two over at the clubhouse at six.”

  With that, I turned and headed out to the car. Kaylee and I watched as Jackson and Tate got on their bikes, and as they started down the driveway with their Satan’s Fury cuts and decked-out Harleys, I couldn’t help but smile. My oldest was following in his father’s footsteps in so many ways, and while I had my concerns about the dangers he’d face with the club, I knew he could handle whatever came his way—Jackson and his brothers had made sure of that. They would always have his back, as he would theirs. It was the way of the club—brotherhood through and through.

  Riggs: When Tate and I pulled up to the clubhouse, I wasn’t surprised to see that Blaze and Shadow had beaten us there. They’d already gotten the bonfire going and were gathered around with several of the other brothers and their wives drinking a beer. Like all of our gatherings, the music was blaring, and the guys were cutting up as they shared their tall tales about this and that. It was good to see that some things never change. I wished I could say the same for other aspects of the club. Over the years, we’d faced some pretty trying times. We voted in a new president, patched in new members, and mourned the loss of others. While Satan’s Fury had been through a lot over the years, our brotherhood still stood strong. We took care of our own and made no excuses for our outlaw way of life. We were family, a
nd I was lucky my son and I were a part of it.

  Tate and I got off our bikes, and as we started towards the others, my mouth started watering the second I smelled the BBQ cooking on the grill. I looked over to Tate and smiled as I asked, “You smell that? Moose is making ribs again.”

  “Hell, yeah. I could smell ’em a mile down the road,” he scoffed. “You think he made his brisket, too?”

  “A man can hope.” I chuckled. “You go check in with Murphy, and I’ll see if the guys need a hand with anything.”

  “Will do.”

  As he walked away, I found myself thinking of how proud I was of him. In a blink of an eye, he’d grown into a man, and I was damn lucky to witness the transformation, especially after I’d almost died in that fucking cabin. Hell, if it meant protecting Reece and Tate, I would’ve done it all over again, but I sure was glad Jed was there to pull me from death’s door. It’s fucked up to think that not only would I have missed the last twenty years with the people I cared about the most. As soon as I made my way over to the others, Blaze asked, “Where’s Reece?”

  “She’ll be here soon. She had some running to do with Kaylee.” I glanced around the yard as I asked, “Is there anything else that needs to be done?”

  “Yeah. We need to get your ass a beer and a chair. The rest is taken care of.” He turned to his son, Kevin, who’d also become a brother and shouted, “Yo, Kevin! Get this old timer a chair and a couple of beers.”

  “Will do!”

  Seconds later, Kevin appeared with a fold-out chair and two cold ones. “Thanks, Kev. How you liking the new bike?”

  He reminded me so much of his old man as he said, “She’s a sweet ride. Like riding on air.”

  That made me chuckle. “Good to hear. Glad you like her.”

  Just as he was about to say something else, he spotted Moose walking towards the grill. A mischievous smile spread across his face as he said, “I’m gonna see if Moose needs a hand.”

  “Um-hmm. Save some for the rest of us!”

  We were all still sitting around the fire when Reece pulled up with Kaylee and Jase. When they got out of the car, I was surprised to see that she’d made three pies instead of two. I walked over to see if they needed any help and asked, “You need a hand?”

  “Absolutely.”

  Jase handed Kaylee the pie he was holding and took off. I followed along with Reece and opened the door to the clubhouse, and we were just about to head inside when I heard T-Bone ask, “Are those what I think they are?”

  Reece turned to face him and smiled as she answered, “Yes, T-Bone. I brought you one of Sue Ellen’s apple pies. Kaylee will leave it inside for you.”

  She looked down at the extra pies in her hands as she told T-Bone, “But the other two pies are off limits.”

  “And that’s why you’re awesome.” She smiled and told him, “I think you’re pretty awesome, too.”

  “You want me to carry those inside?” he asked with a mischievous grin.

  She shook her head as she answered, “No way I’m gonna trust you with these pies, T-Bone. I know better than that.”

  “Now, that just hurts.” Before she could respond, Alejandra called out to her. “Reece!”

  We both turned and found Alejandra rushing towards us with her daughters. All three gathered around Reece, hugging her tightly, as they chanted, “Congratulations!”

  She laughed as she replied, “Thank you, but really, it’s not a big deal.”

  Alejandra looked at Reece like she’d grown three heads. “Are you kidding me? It’s a huge deal. People are loving your books. I can’t even keep them in stock. They’re selling like hotcakes.”

  “Well, I gotta admit … that’s kind of awesome.”

  “Of course, it is. Don’t you think so, Riggs?”

  “Absolutely, but keep telling her. Maybe one day she’ll actually believe it.”

  Alé looked down at the pies in Reece’s hands as she asked, “Are those what I think they are?”

  Reece nodded. “Yes. I brought a couple of extra just in case.”

  “Kenadee and I were hoping you would. Neither of us got any last time thanks to T-Bone and Shadow wiping them out” She suddenly leaned to the side, looking around me as she started to wave. “Hey there, Aunt Janice and Uncle Roy.”

  “Hi, Alejandra,” Roy answered. “It’s good to see you.”

  “It’s good to see you too! It’s been ages.”

  Reece’s mother nodded as she said, “Yes, it has. Y’all need to come over and visit soon. I’d love a chance to catch up.”

  “I’d like that.” Alé smiled as she said, “I better get inside and help the others.”

  “I’ll come help out in a minute.”

  “Take your time, girl. This night is about you!”

  As Alé headed inside, Reece’s mother told her, “Let me give you a hand.”

  She followed Alejandra, leaving Reece and me alone with her father. It had taken some time, but he’d had finally let go of the grudge he’d held against Reece for getting pregnant and dropping out of law school. He’d even gone so far as to tell her he was sorry for not being there when she needed him most. I wasn’t surprised when Reece accepted his apology. We both wanted him to be a part of our lives, and it meant the world to her to hear those words from him. He put his hand on her shoulder as he said, “You’ve done good.”

  “Thanks, Dad.”

  “I mean it, Reece.” His expression softened as he continued, “You’re everything I ever hoped you would be, sweetheart. I’m just so proud of you. Not just for the books, but for everything you’ve accomplished. I don’t know how you do it all. You’ve created a great life for yourself. You’re a wonderful mother, and I got some pretty amazing grandkids out of it.”

  I slipped my arm around Reece’s waist as I said, “Couldn’t have said it better myself, Roy.”

  He smiled as he said, “She’s really something. I’m glad we’re here to celebrate with y’all. Thanks for inviting us tonight.”

  “Of course. I knew you’d want to be here.” Then I told him, “You should come by the house this week and spend some time with the kids.”

  “I’d love to.” He paused for a minute, then looked back over to Reece and said, “I guess I better get over here and see what I can do to help out.”

  As she reached up and gave him a hug, she whispered, “Thanks, Daddy. Love you.”

  “Love you too, sweetheart.”

  Once he was gone, I reached for Reece, pulling her close as I wrapped my arms around her. “How’s my beautiful author doing?”

  A bright smile crossed her face as she answered, “Really good, actually. How about my handsome biker? How’s he making it?”

  “Better now.” I smiled as I leaned forward and pressed my lips to hers. Even after all this time, her kisses still got to me, making me want more than a simple touch, and she clearly felt the same. When my tongue brushed against her bottom lip, she whimpered against my mouth, urging me on. Right when I started to deepen the kiss, we heard Jase, who just happened to walk in the room, start to complain, “Oh, man … Y’all are back at it again?”

  Without releasing her from my grasp, I turned to him and shouted, “Not gonna apologize for loving your momma like I do.”

  Jase smirked as he said, “Maybe you should love her a little less.”

  “Not gonna happen, son. Not now. Not ever.”

  Once Jase had done an about-face, Reece gave me a quick squeeze as she said, “Thank you.”

  “For what?”

  “For being you.” Her expression softened as she continued, “I love you more every day, Jackson Reed.”

  As I brought my hands up to her face and gently caressed her cheek, I replied, “No more than I love you.”

  The End

  MURPHY

  Satan’s Fury MC – Memphis

  L Wilder

  Murphy’s Law – Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.

  Captain Edward A. Murphy
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br />   PROLOGUE

  Whether it’s been a mishap, a heartbreak, or an unexpected turn of events, we’ve all had at least one of those defining moments that have marked us in one way or another, changing us forever. I’d like to say that I’d only had one of those moments in my life, but sadly, there’d been more than I could count. Each time it had taken a piece of me, scarring me right down to my soul—the first one was the day my old man packed up all his shit and walked out on my mom and me.

  My father was a lowlife asshole who took advantage of my mother and anyone else who’d let him, so I figured we were better off without him. My mother didn’t agree. His leaving had gotten to her in ways I’ll never understand. She started going out at night, partying and sleeping around like a fucking teenager. By the time I was sixteen, I’d stopped keeping track of the men who my mother moved in and out of our house—all of them had bolted as soon as she mentioned the word marriage. I figured she’d give up on men altogether, but she never stopped trying. She was continuously on the hunt for her Mr. Right, leaving me to my own vices—which suited me just fine. I’d have rather been with Amy, my best friend and future fiancé, than anyone else in the world anyway.