Satan’s Fury MC - Memphis

by Wilder, L.

  “Nothing we wouldn’t do for you, Prez,” Riggs replied with sincerity.

  “I appreciate that, brother.” Knowing I needed to get down to business, I cleared my throat and said, “I talked to Cotton this morning. The run went better than expected, and the payout will be almost double from our previous one.”

  “Hot damn!” T-Bone roared. “That’s what I’m talking about!”

  “I thought you’d be pleased.” I turned to Blaze as I told him, “Looks like we’ll have the funds to hire that custom painter you’ve been asking for.”

  “I was hoping you’d say that.”

  “Any idea who you want to bring in?” I asked.

  Blaze shook his head. “Not yet, but I’ll ask around and see who’s our best option.”

  “You know, there’s that chick down at Thompson’s Auto Body who’s been doing some pretty cool stuff for them. We might want to check her out,” Murphy suggested.

  “You talking about Darcy Harrington?” T-Bone asked.

  “Yeah. You know anything about her?”

  “No, just that she’s really something.”

  “I’ll see what I can find out,” Blaze assured them. “Hopefully, we can find someone by the end of the week.”

  “Good. Just let me know what you find out.” I turned my attention back to the group as I said, “As some of you know, we brought a guest back with us from Nashville. Her name’s Gabriella. Gunner and Riggs found her locked up at Polito’s place. Apparently, he killed her father and was keeping her there for one reason or another. I would’ve left her in Nashville to fend for herself, but she helped out Harper during those days Polito had her. I felt like I owed it to her to help her get back on her feet.”

  “How you planning on doing that?” Moose asked.

  “I’m open for suggestions.”

  “She could work at the diner,” Blaze suggested. “Maybe stay upstairs at that apartment.”

  “That could work.”

  “I don’t know, Prez,” Riggs replied. “We don’t have any idea who this girl is. Do we really want her working for us?”

  “He’s right,” Murphy replied. “We got no idea what kind of baggage this girl has brought with her.”

  “I’m not throwing her out on the street,” I barked.

  “Then let’s see if there’s someone else who can take her on.” Riggs looked over to Murphy as he asked, “What about Riley’s friend … the guy who owns the bar. You think she could work for him or something?”

  “I could ask him and see what he says.”

  “If we can find her a place to work and a safe place to live, then I’d say our job with her is done.”

  We discussed a few other club matters, and then it was time for the guys to get to work. As we all stood and started for the door, Murphy came over to me and said, “Riley’s birthday is this weekend, and we’re all meeting up at Grady’s place Friday night to celebrate. It would mean a lot to her if you were there.”

  “I wouldn’t miss it.”

  “I’ll talk to Grady this afternoon and let you know what he says about Gabriella.”

  I nodded. “I’d appreciate that.”

  “No problem.” When he started out the door, he said, “Friday night at seven! Don’t forget.”

  He was already out the door, so I didn’t bother responding. I still had a few things I needed to finish up in my office, but I was in need of another cup of coffee so I headed towards the kitchen first. I’d just passed the family room, when I heard one of the guys call out to me. “Hey, Prez! You’re gonna want to see this!”

  When I walked into the room, I found several of the brothers standing in front of the television screen. As I stepped closer, I saw that they were watching the news. Once I made my way over to Riggs and Blaze, I asked, “What’s going on?”

  “It’s August’s ex.” Blaze motioned his head towards the screen. “The cops just arrested him. Looks like there’s been an ongoing investigation into him, and their suspicions were confirmed when an anonymous tip came through last night.”

  “Well, I’ll be damned. It worked.”

  “Sure as hell did,” Riggs answered proudly. “They got him for extortion and possible child endangerment.”

  “Harper?”

  “Yep. Looks like he’s gonna spend some time behind bars.”

  I couldn’t help but smile as I replied, “Glad to see the asshole got what was coming to him.”

  “I’m sure August will be pumped about that.”

  “No doubt.” I gave Riggs a pat on the shoulder, then said, “You did good, brother.”

  We watched the screen for a few minutes longer, then headed out to get busy with our day. After grabbing my coffee, I went back to my office and called Gunner. I wanted to check on how things were going with August. As we expected, she was glad to hear about David’s arrest, but wasn’t exactly thrilled that Gunner would be heading back the following morning. I could tell from the sound of his voice that he wasn’t happy about it either, but he knew going in that it wouldn’t be easy. I was tempted to ask him about Samantha. I hadn’t heard anything from her since I’d left and wondered how she was doing, but I decided to leave it, thinking it would be best to hear it from her. After I ended the call, I went straight to work. Between preparing for the next run and getting inventory together, I’d barely had a chance to catch my breath, and the following days weren’t much better. I was thankful for the distraction. It meant I didn’t have time to think about Samantha or the fact that I hadn’t heard anything from her since I’d left.

  By the time Friday rolled around, I just wanted to have a few beers and call it a night, but that wasn’t an option. It was Riley’s birthday, and I’d promised Murphy that I’d run by the Smoking Gun—at least for a couple of hours. When I got there, most of the guys were already sitting at the tables with their ol’ ladies. I went over and greeted each of the guys, and after I paid my respects to Riley, I grabbed a beer and took a seat next to Blaze, Kenadee, and Riggs. After a few pleasantries, I sat back and listened as they talked amongst themselves. I hadn’t been there long, when Gunner came walking up. As expected, they all greeted him by poking fun. He was a good kid, took it all in stride, and just let them have their fun. He was about to sit down next to Riggs when Riley’s best friend and cousin, Grady, came walking up with a guy I’d never met before. Grady motioned over to him as he announced, “Hey, guys. For any of you who don’t know, this is my brother, Jasper.”

  I knew the name well. I learned all about him when Riley’s father got himself in a mess. Using the connections Jasper had given him, he’d started running guns—something a horse breeder had no business doing. When a deal went bad, we almost lost Riley, but she was a smart girl and managed to get herself out of harm’s way. Clearly she wasn’t holding a grudge as she smiled and said, “Hey, Jasper. It’s been a while.”

  “Yes, it has.”

  Sounding almost hopeful, she asked him, “Are you in town for long?”

  “Yeah. Madison and I are actually in the process of moving back, but it’s going to take some time.”

  “Madison?”

  “It’s a long story,” Grady interrupted, cutting Jasper off. “I’ll tell ya all about it later.”

  Sensing it wasn’t a good time for that particular story, she nodded. “Okay.”

  Murphy looked over to Grady and said, “I wanted to thank you again for taking on Gabriella. I owe you one.”

  “Not a problem.” Grady pointed in her direction as he said, “She seems to be fitting in just fine.”

  She was shadowing another young waitress, doing what she could to learn the ropes. I was pleased to see that she was doing okay. I hoped it would stick. Grady lifted his empty beer then announced to all of us, “I think it’s time for another round.”

  “Hell yeah,” T-Bone cheered. “Make it two!”

  “You got it.”

  We spent the next hour talking and drinking a few more beers. While it was good to spend time w
ith my boys, I had a lot on my mind and just wanted to head home. I thought I was the only one ready to go until Gunner stood and announced that he was heading out. The guys used the opportunity to give him hell about August.

  “He’s right. You don’t leave a woman like August behind.” Blaze shook his head. “She can have a life here, brother.”

  “So, you’re saying I fucked up?”

  I’d listened to them go back and forth, but I couldn’t hold back a moment longer. I looked over to him as I told him, “That’s exactly what he’s saying. I can’t say that I disagree.”

  He studied me for a moment, then asked, “You gonna be good with me staying up there for a while?”

  “You gonna bring my girls with you when you come back?”

  “That’s the plan.”

  I gave him a quick nod as I told him, “Then you have my blessing.”

  “Thanks, Prez.” With a look of determination in his eyes, he started for the door. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

  Not long after he was gone, I decided it was time for me to head out as well. I said my goodbyes, then made my way back to the clubhouse. Even though I was tired, I wasn’t ready for bed, so I went to the bar for a drink. When I walked in, I found Moose and Rider sitting at the counter taking shots. I walked over, grabbed my favorite bottle of Scotch, then sat down next to them. As I poured myself a glass, Moose said, “You’re back early.”

  “I’m getting too old for late nights at the club,” I scoffed. “Too fucking crowded and the music is too damn loud.”

  “You’re right. You’re getting old,” Moose joked. “What about the others? Were they having a good time?”

  “Yeah, I’d say so.” I shrugged. “Well, Riley seemed to be enjoying herself.”

  “That’s good. Glad to hear it.” He downed another shot, then looked over to Rider. “We were thinking about heading over, but by the time we finished stocking supplies, it was already after nine.”

  “Don’t worry.” I took a pull from my drink, then said, “With all that was going on, I doubt they missed you.”

  Our attention was suddenly drawn to the back door when Grinder stuck his head in and shouted, “Hey, Prez. There’s some dude here to see you. He said Viper sent him.”

  Figuring it was his nephew, I told him, “Send him on in.”

  Seconds later, the door opened wider, and I watched as a man ducked his head down so he could step through the doorframe. When he stood upright, I was surprised to see that he was even bigger than Viper had described. He was at least six-seven, if not taller, with shoulders that were even broader than my own. The kid looked like a fucking lumberjack with his oversized biceps and long, muscular torso. While his size might seem daunting to some, it was the look of indignation in his eyes that concerned me. Grinder led him over to me and said, “This is Gus.”

  The man extended his hand and said, “I’m Clay. My uncle sent me here to see you.”

  “Good to meet you, Clay.” I shook his hand. “Welcome to the Satan’s Fury’s clubhouse.”

  “Thanks. I really appreciate you having me.” Something told me he wasn’t exactly thrilled about being here, but he was doing his best to hide it. “Viper spoke very highly of you.”

  “Viper’s a good man. He clearly thinks a lot of you. He’s hoping you’ll get a fresh start here.”

  Sounding sincere, he replied, “I’m hoping for the same.”

  “We’ve got a room set up for you. I’ll have Rider show you where it is, and tomorrow we can talk about how you can pull your weight around here.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Rider stood and motioned for him to follow as he headed down the hall. Clay hesitated for a brief moment, then followed him out of the bar. As soon as they were gone, I poured myself another glass of scotch. I quickly tossed it back, then placed the empty glass on the counter. Moose looked over to me with a concerned expression as he asked, “You making it all right?”

  “I’m fine.”

  “You sure about that?”

  “If you’re going to start in on me about Samantha, don’t,” I warned. “I don’t wanna hear it.”

  “Never understood why you gotta be so damn stubborn.”

  “Not being stubborn, brother,” I argued. “I’m still trying to wrap my head around the shit that went down.”

  “What’s there to wrap your head around?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe the fact that Samantha never told me about August, even after her folks died,” I huffed.

  “That’s a tough one to swallow, but damn, Gus. Can you imagine the kind of courage it would take to come to you with that kind of news after all those years?” He shook his head as he continued, “It would’ve been a lot easier to just take that shit to the grave, but she didn’t do that. She sent August here, knowing that it would come out that she was your daughter.”

  “Maybe, but …”

  “Enough, brother. Stop making shit so damn difficult,” Moose snapped. “You love this woman. Hell, you’ve always loved her. Stop focusing on the shit you can’t change and remember that.”

  Before I had a chance to respond, Jasmine, one of the club’s hang-arounds, walked into the bar. The second she spotted me, she started towards me with a mischievous smile. I knew exactly what she had on her mind as she purred, “Hey there, handsome.”

  “Jasmine.”

  She slipped her arms around my neck as she made herself comfortable in my lap. “You up for some company tonight?”

  “Thanks, doll, but I’m wiped tonight.”

  I realized I should’ve been more direct when she said, “That’s okay. I can help you relax.”

  “As much as I appreciate the offer, that’s not gonna happen.”

  Before she could respond, Rider came in through the back door and announced, “Hey, Gus. You’ve got someone here who wants to see you.”

  “Oh yeah?” I reached for my glass and downed what was left of my drink before I asked, “Who’s that?”

  Moose nudged me as he looked towards the door. I quickly turned around, and I felt the air rush from my lungs when I saw Samantha standing there. The moment I was hoping for had finally come. The woman I loved had finally found her way back to me, but I had to go and fuck it up by having Jasmine sitting in my lap. I could tell by her pained expression that Samantha was thrown by the sight. Sensing that something was up, Jasmine eased off of me and whispered, “Is that her?”

  Caught off-guard by her question, I asked, “Her?”

  “Is she the one?”

  Then I understood what she meant. Jasmine was a smart girl. While she never had any idea who it was, she’d always known that my heart belonged to another. As I sat there staring at Samantha, I nodded and said, “Yeah, she’s the one.”

  “I thought so. I’ve never seen you look at anyone like you’re looking at her now.” There was a slight sadness in her voice as she said, “She must mean a lot to you.”

  “She does.” I didn’t take my eyes off of Samantha as I said, “She always has.”

  “Then, what are you waiting for?” With a warm smile, she gave me a nudge and said, “Go get her.”

  Samantha was still standing by the door when I got up and started walking towards her. I could see the uncertainty in her eyes as she watched me coming towards her, and I’d give anything to take away all of her doubts. When I stood in front of her, I said, “I didn’t know you were coming.”

  “I know. I should’ve called or something, but,” her eyes drifted to the floor, “I just hope I didn’t interrupt something or whatever.”

  “You’re kidding me, right?” I reached out and placed the palm of my hand on her cheek, gently forcing her to look at me as I asked, “Do you have any idea how long I’ve been waiting for you to walk through that door?”

  “But …”

  “No buts, Samantha. You’re the only one I want. You’re the only one I’ve ever wanted.” There had always been a fire in Samantha’s eyes—one that shined bright, esp
ecially when she was looking at me. Seeing her now, I couldn’t help but notice that the flame wasn’t shining as bright as it used to. Hell, it was practically non-existent, but I had every intention of bringing that flame back. I was going to do everything in my power to make it burn brighter than it ever had. I leaned down and pressed my lips against hers, claiming her with a kiss that was filled with promise. Her mouth was warm and wet, and I immediately got lost in her. I could’ve stood there kissing her all fucking night. Unfortunately, we weren’t alone, so I reluctantly released her from our embrace. “If you can’t tell, I’m glad you’re here.”

  A soft smile spread across her face as she replied, “I’m glad I’m here, too.”

  “Where are your things?”

  “I left them in the car.” She paused for a moment, then said, “I’m going to look at an apartment in the morning. I was kind of hoping I might be able to crash here until then.”

  “An apartment? For who?”

  “For me,” she scoffed. “I’ll need a place to stay while I’m here.”

  “Before you go looking at apartments, I’ve got something I want to show you.”

  “Okay.” I took her by the hand and led her out into the parking lot. When we got over to my bike, I offered her a helmet. As she slipped it over her head, she asked, “Where are we going?”

  “You’ll see.”

  I helped her get on behind me. Once she was settled, I put on my helmet and started up the engine. As I pulled out of the parking lot, she wrapped her arms around me, and I’d never felt anything better. It brought me back to those first rides we’d taken together when she was still terrified of being on a motorcycle. It didn’t take her long to figure out that she had nothing to be afraid of. Thankfully, tonight was no different. After a couple of miles, Samantha loosened her grip and her body started to relax. It felt good to have my girl back. Damn good. Now that she was back where she belonged, I had every intention of keeping her here.