Satan’s Fury MC - Memphis

by Wilder, L.

  After he was gone, we each had a beer and discussed the plan for the morning’s pickup. Once we had it all sorted, I decided to call it a night. Even though I had my own room just down the hall, I wasn’t up for staying at the clubhouse. After the long day, I was ready for some peace and quiet, and the ride over to the house would give me a chance to clear my head. I said my goodbyes, then headed out to the parking lot to my bike. In a matter of seconds, I was pulling out of the gate and onto the main road. The weather in Memphis was usually fairly mild, but on this particular night, it was downright frigid. The cold wind nipped at my flesh as I rode down the streets of downtown. I wasn’t surprised to see that there weren’t many folks out barhopping. Nights like these were meant to be enjoyed by a fire with a drink in one hand and a smoke in the other. As I continued towards the house, I found myself thinking about Riley. I had no idea why my mind had wandered to her. I’d only seen her for a few brief moments, but there she was, dancing around in my thoughts. I couldn’t stop myself from wondering how she was spending her night. Was she out in the stables with the horses she loved, or was she up in her room studying? Was she alone, or was she with someone? It seemed odd to me that I even cared.

  I knew what became of relationships and love, and I wanted no part of either. I refused to put myself through the bullshit—not again. It just wasn’t worth it—not even for a girl like Riley Nichols.

  CHAPTER 6

  Riley

  I couldn’t sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him—the enigmatic, hot biker with the intense blue eyes. I tried to force myself to think about something else, an old movie I’d seen or a crazy night I’d had with Grady, but I kept coming back to him. I would imagine him lying next to me, and as I lay there curled up in my bed, I would think about all the wicked things he would do to me. His lips on my neck. His possessive hands on my body. The glorious orgasms he’d give me over and over again. It wasn’t like me to have such fantasies. Not like these. Not with a man like him, so rough and demanding, and certainly not in such fevered detail. I didn’t understand my enchantment with him. Not only was he intimidating with his fierce exterior, he was also rude. It just didn’t make sense. There was a good chance that he’d come to see my father to buy illegal weapons. I couldn’t understand how I could be so upset with Dad for selling them when I wasn’t troubled by the fact that he was there to buy them. He was a criminal, involved in who knows what, and yet, I couldn’t stop thinking about him in the most sinful ways. I was always one who liked to play it safe, never getting involved in things where I wasn’t in complete control, but for one reason or another, a part of me liked the idea of him having a bit of control over me.

  I was lost in a world of lustful desire when it hit me. I was fantasizing about a guy who would never be interested in a woman like me. He would want a woman who was beautiful and confident. A woman with experience—real experience. A woman who would know exactly how to satisfy a man like him. A woman who wasn’t me at all. The thought made my stomach twist into a painful knot, making it impossible to think about him any longer, so after a long night tossing and turning, I got out of bed. After I put on my bathrobe and slippers, I headed downstairs to make myself a cup of coffee.

  When I walked into the kitchen, I found my father standing at the sink. He was staring out the window, watching silently as the sun just started to rise over the back pasture. He was lost in his world of thoughts when I walked over to the coffee pot and said, “Morning.”

  “You’re up early.”

  “I couldn’t sleep.” After I poured my coffee, I went over and sat down at the table. “What about you?”

  “The same.”

  “You have something on your mind?”

  He shrugged. “No more than usual.”

  I knew he was lying, but I was scared to push, fearing that his sleepless night might have something to do with the hot biker and his friends. Instead, I sipped on my coffee and asked, “Has Hunter already gone out to the barn?”

  “Yeah. He wanted to get an early start, so he left a few minutes ago.” After several long moments, he finally asked, “What about you? Do you have class today?”

  “No. My professor is sick with the flu or something, so it will be Monday before we meet again.”

  “So, what are your plans for the day?”

  “I don’t know. I guess I’ll get some studying done. I also have a paper that I have to work on, and if get that finished, I was thinking I might take Anna Belle out for a ride.”

  “Do you mind waiting until later this afternoon to take that ride?”

  “Yeah. I can do that, but why? Is something going on?”

  He let out a deep breath before he explained, “I know you don’t want to hear this, but I have some buyers coming in today and it would be better if you weren’t around.”

  “Are they the same guys who were here yesterday afternoon?” When he nodded, I asked, “Why don’t you want me around? Are they dangerous or something?”

  “Yes and no. They seem like decent fellas, but I’ve heard some things.”

  “What kinds of things?”

  “It doesn’t matter. I just don’t want to take any chances where you and Hunter are concerned. It’s better if you just steer clear during the exchange.” When he noticed the expression on my face, he continued, “I know you don’t like any of this, but we’re getting really close. I just need to unload a couple more shipments, and then we’ll be done with this whole thing. We’ll have the money we need to buy Requiem, and we can put this all behind us.”

  “Really?”

  “Really.” He sat down next to me, and I could hear the anguish in his voice as he spoke, “I know this hasn’t been easy for you, and I want you to know, it hasn’t been easy for me either. I’ve always wanted to be someone you and your brother could look up to, but I failed you. I’ve let you both down by getting involved in all this. But I promise to make it up to you.”

  Overcome with emotion, I leaned towards him and wrapped my arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. I whispered, “You haven’t failed us, Daddy.”

  “I have,” he muttered. “But I’m going to do whatever it takes to make things right again.”

  “I know you will.” I loved my father, and while I hadn’t approved of his methods, I admired him for doing whatever it took to take care of his family. I gave him a tight squeeze before letting him go. As I eased back into my seat, I looked over to him. “Can I ask you something?”

  He nodded.

  “How did you get started in all this? How did you know where to get those guns? Who to sell them to? How to go about it all without getting caught? It’s not like you could just Google something like that.”

  “I had some help.” He shifted in his seat as he continued, “When things started to go south, I called Uncle Roger. I told him about the situation with your mother’s medical bills and the farm, and you know my brother, he’s got an answer for everything.”

  “So, he’s the one who got you started?”

  “Yes and no. Actually, it was your cousin, Jasper, who played the biggest part in getting things started.”

  “Jasper?” I gasped.

  “I was just as surprised as you are. Apparently, he’s made some unlikely friends during his stint in the military. He reached out to them and was able to get us in contact with a supplier up north and several potential buyers here in our area.”

  “I can’t believe that Jasper would be involved with people like that.”

  “You know Jasper. He’s always been a little different, especially after the war.” He shrugged. “Regardless, he came through for us, and after Roger fronted me the money for the first shipment, I had everything I needed to get the ball rolling.”

  “You weren’t scared?”

  “I was terrified,” he scoffed. “But after the first few sales, I was able to pay your uncle back, and every sale after that was put towards our debt.”

  “And this supplier … is he going to be okay w
ith you walking away, or is he going to try and force you to keep going?”

  “He knew I wasn’t in it for the long haul, so he wasn’t surprised when I told him the news.” Then he reached for my hand. “Like I said, this isn’t something that I’m proud of, but I was desperate. I didn’t know what else I could do to make this kind of money in such a short time.”

  “I understand.” I gave his hand a squeeze. “I appreciate you taking the time to explain everything to me.”

  He stood up and as he looked down at me, he asked, “So, you’ll wait to take that ride until later this afternoon?”

  “Yes, Dad. I’ll wait.”

  “Thank you, sweetheart.” He stood up and as he put on his coat, he said, “I’ll let you know when they’re gone.”

  “Okay.”

  With that, he headed out the door and towards the barn. As I sat there finishing off my coffee, I thought about my father’s request. While I was a little disappointed that I was going to miss a chance to see my hot biker again, I knew it was for the best. My fascination with him was starting to reach an unhealthy level, and I had way too much going on to waste my time dreaming about something that would never happen. It was time for me to let it go and put him out of my head for good. With a newfound resolve, I grabbed a muffin and headed upstairs to take a hot shower. Once I was dressed, I emptied my backpack and got everything I would need to start on my paper. Thankfully, it was a topic I was familiar with, and it wouldn’t take me long to get it done.

  Once I pulled my laptop out of my backpack, I took it over to my desk and sat down. I had every intention of finishing the assignment in record time, but I couldn’t seem to concentrate. I was too intrigued by what was going on outside my window. From where I was sitting, I could see the entire farm, and it only took the slightest movement or sound to distract me from my assignment. Knowing I couldn’t afford to procrastinate, I started to move over to my bed, but stopped when I noticed Travis entering the training ring with Starlight, one of the younger mares. Even though we’d been working with her for months, there were times when she could still be cantankerous and difficult to handle—especially when it came to men. I was busy watching Travis lead her slowly around the fence when my attention was drawn over to a black SUV that was coming down the driveway. I wasn’t sure if it was the same bikers who had been here the day before until they parked and got out of the vehicle. When I saw that it was them, I leaned towards my window, trying to get a better view as they approached my father. One of them offered my father a thick envelope, and once he’d put it in his back pocket, he and Hunter started for the shed. It wasn’t long before they came back out with several large crates. Just as one of the men knelt down to examine the contents, there was a commotion over at the training ring, drawing my attention over to Travis and Starlight. I had no idea what had happened, but Travis was sprawled out on the ground with Starlight bolting and bucking around him. I looked to see if Hunter was around, thinking he might’ve seen what happened, but he was nowhere in sight.

  Without thinking, I rushed out of my room, down the stairs, and put on my boots before racing out the back door. When I got out to the ring, Travis was still laid out on the ground. Worried that he was either seriously wounded or he’d been knocked out from the fall, I raced over to him and knelt down beside him. Just as I’d feared, he was out cold. Starlight was stomping her feet with annoyance as I gave him a gentle nudge. “Travis? Are you okay?”

  When I got no response, I nudged him a little harder and shouted, “Travis!”

  After blinking several times, he mumbled, “Fucking horse.”

  “Travis … I need to get you out of the ring. Are you okay to move? Do you think anything’s broken?”

  “Nah, I’m good. I can get up,” He eased himself into a sitting position and was about to try and stand when Starlight started galloping in our direction. “Watch it, Riley!”

  “It’s okay. I’ve got her.”

  I slowly moved towards her and could see she was rattled. Her head was raised high with her ears pinned back, and she was swishing her tail back and forth as she rounded her back. When she neighed with a high-pitched squeal, it was clear something wasn’t right, but I had no clue what had gotten her so agitated. Knowing things could go from bad to worse very quickly, I eased closer to Starlight and kept my eyes on hers as I reached for one of the reins. When she squealed again, I whispered, “Easy, girl. I’m not gonna hurt ya.”

  She continued to buck and jolt as Travis warned, “If you aren’t careful, she’ll rear up on you.”

  Ignoring him, I gently eased the rein down, forcing her to lower her head. I knew there was a chance she could intentionally run into me or ignore my commands, but I tried my best to remain calm as I stepped even closer to her. When she didn’t try to jerk away, I whispered, “That’s my girl. Easy does it.”

  Knowing she could sense it if I showed any sign of fear, I continued to speak softly but firmly as I ran my hand down the length of her nose. It wasn’t long before she’d settled back down, but I was worried it would be short-lived the minute Travis came up beside us. When she gave him a defiant snort, he grumbled, “I know, I know. You don’t like me right now.”

  “You might want to check the saddle or the bridle. Something seems to be bothering her,” I suggested.

  “I was thinking the same thing.” As he ran his hand under the saddle straps, he chuckled and said, “There had to be a reason for her to send me flying.”

  “I would give you a hand, but I’ve got a paper to finish.”

  “You’ve already done enough. Thanks for helping me out.”

  “No problem.”

  I had hoped to get back inside before anyone noticed me, but it was too late. As I made my way back over to the entrance gate, I spotted my hot biker leaning forward against the fence with his arms crossed and his attention focused solely on me. Those gorgeous blue eyes never left mine as he said, “Man, that was really something.”

  “Thanks, but it really wasn’t a big deal. She was just a little rattled and needed some help settling down.”

  “Regardless, you handled her like a pro.”

  “I’ve had a lot of practice.”

  His eyes skirted over me as he said, “I’m sure you have, but that doesn’t make it any less impressive.”

  “Thank you, but really … it was nothing.” When I reached the gate, I smiled as I said, “But you being all nice and giving me compliments? Now, that’s really something.”

  “Hey, I can be nice,” he replied sounding slightly wounded.

  “Um-hmm.” I shrugged as I stepped through the gate. “Could’ve fooled me, especially with that whole badass biker thing you’ve got going on.”

  His lips curled into a smile as he asked, “Badass biker thing?”

  I thought he was hot from the start, but when he smiled, I nearly lost my breath. It just wasn’t fair for a man to be so damn good-looking. “Yeah. You know what I mean.”

  “No, I’m not sure that I do,” he lied.

  I let my eyes quickly skirt over him as I continued, “Let’s just say you’ve got a look about you.”

  “Oh, really?” Clearly amused, he asked, “And what kind of look is that?”

  “A kind of look that says, I’ll kill you in your sleep, but I’ll tuck you in all nice and cozy before I do. There’s not many who can pull that off … but you certainly can.”

  “Thanks for clarifying.” He chuckled as he extended his hand and said, “My name’s Murphy, by the way.”

  “It’s nice to meet you, Murphy.” As I shook his hand, I found myself questioning my sanity. He was a member of a biker club, and if I had to guess, I’d say it was a bad one. And on top of that, he’d come to my father to buy weapons, and not just any weapons, he and his buddies were buying big, powerful, illegal assault rifles that gangbangers used. To make matters worse, I had a feeling he wasn’t there buying weapons because he was worried about financial woes like my father. I should’ve been terri
fied, completely and utterly terrified of him, but I wasn’t—not in the least. Standing next to him, I felt safe and secure, like there was nothing in this world that could harm me as long as I was close to him. “I’m Riley.”

  “You were at the Smoking Gun the other night, right?”

  I found it interesting that he’d asked when he already knew the answer. I’d spent most of the night staring at him like a horny teenager, and there were many times when he was doing the same to me. Feeling a little embarrassed, I replied, “Yes, I was there.”

  “I thought that was you.” He paused for a moment, then asked, “But you weren’t alone. Was that your boyfriend or something?”

  “Boyfriend? Um … no.” I chuckled as I told him, “I was with my cousin, Grady. He actually owns the bar, so I go there sometimes to hang out with him.”

  “Grady Nichols is your cousin?”

  “Our dads are brothers,” I explained. “Why? Do you know him?”

  “Not personally, but I’ve heard of him. I’m sure you know he’s made a name for himself.”

  “Yeah. He might’ve mentioned it a time or two. He’s not exactly humble.” The way he was looking at me made it difficult to function. Since I couldn’t think of anything else cute or flirty to say, I figured it was best for me to go before things got awkward. I motioned over to my father and his friends as I said, “Well, I guess I better get going. I wouldn’t want to keep you from your business.”

  He glanced over his shoulder and grimaced when he saw that they were almost finished loading the SUV. “Looks like business is just about done.”

  “So …” Trying not to sound desperate, I asked, “Does that mean you won’t be coming back?”

  “Not exactly sure. That decision isn’t really up to me, but if I make my way back, maybe you could show me around.”

  “Sure. I’d love to.”

  “Why don’t you give me your number, and I’ll call sometime.”

  Before I could respond, my father came up behind me and fussed, “Riley … I thought you had a paper that you needed to get done.”