by Wilder, L.
“In hopes of keeping you from dozing off, I’ll give ya the basics.” I took a drink of my beer as I settled into my seat. “I grew up in Washington with my folks and younger brother. Pretty simple life growing up, but it was a good one. Had two parents who did what they could to give my brother and me a roof over our heads and food on the table. When I turned eighteen, I ventured out to make a life of my own, and that’s when I met Saul and some of the other brothers of Satan’s Fury.”
I went on to explain how I ended up prospecting for the Washington chapter only to end up coming to Memphis with Gus to set up the club here. I didn’t go into any great detail. Just gave her enough to understand that a lot of work went into getting things the way they are today. When I was done, she took a moment to mull over everything I said, then said, “You never mentioned a girlfriend or a wife.”
“That’s because I don’t have one.” I wasn’t sure if she was just curious about my relationship status, or if she was asking because she was actually interested in me. As I sat there looking at her, I had no doubt that I could fall head over fucking heels for her. Hell, any man would. She was smart, beautiful, and easy to talk to, but there were simply too many variables that stood in our way. Not only was she Hyde’s sister, she was simply too young. Even so, I was enjoying my time with her and wasn’t ready for it to end. I glanced over to her with a smile as I said, “Don’t get me wrong. There’s been plenty of women in my life, but none that really made a lasting impression.”
“I see.”
“What about you? You got a boyfriend?”
Her brows furrowed as she shook her head. “No. Not since high school, and even then, I’m not sure I’d call him a boyfriend.”
“Seriously? I figured a beauty like you would have guys crawling all over ya.”
“It’s not that there aren’t guys who are interested. I’ve just…” Her expression quickly grew troubled as her voice trailed off, and I could tell there was something big weighing on her mind. I gave her some time, hoping she might reveal what was on her mind, but after several moments of silence, she simply said, “I really haven’t had the time to invest in a relationship.”
“I understand.” I knew there was more to her story, but decided not to push, hoping, in time, she’d realize I was someone she could trust. “Maybe that’ll all change when you get moved and start your new job.”
“Maybe?”
We were both so enthralled in our conversation neither of us had noticed that Hyde had walked up. “Hey… is everything alright?”
“Yes. Why wouldn’t it be?” Alyssa asked.
“You tell me,” Hyde scolded. “You’re the one who disappeared on me.”
“What’s the big deal? We were just out here taking a break for a minute!”
“A minute?” Clay argued. “You two have been out here for hours.”
Alyssa sighed with frustration. “This is your party, Clay. You should be celebrating. Not keeping tabs on my every move.”
“Just looking out for you, Lyssa.”
“And I appreciate it, but I’m not sixteen anymore. I can take care of myself.”
“Not sure I agree.” Just as she was about to rear back at him, Hyde announced, “Mom’s wiped. I think she’s ready to call it a night.”
“Okay. I’ll take her back to the hotel.”
“No.” Hyde glanced down at the beer in her hand as he said, “You’ve been drinking. I’ll get one of the prospects to drive you.”
“Fine.” Alyssa stood, then looked over to me. “It was really nice meeting you. I hope we can do this again sometime.”
“Definitely.”
With that, she turned and followed Hyde back into the clubhouse. Moments later, she and her mother were on their way back to their hotel. I considered going back inside to join the party, but decided against it. The only person I was interested in spending time with was no longer there, so I decided to call it a night. I walked out to the parking lot, got on my bike, and as I started driving towards my place, I thought back to my conversation with Alyssa.
I was surprised by the fact that she was so easy to talk to. Most women I’d met were only interested in the whole bad-boy biker bullshit and cared very little about getting to know me as a man, but it wasn’t like that with Alyssa. I felt no pressure to try and impress her, and yet, she seemed interested in everything I had to say. That wasn’t something that I was accustomed to, and I liked it. I liked it a lot. I had to keep myself focused on the fact that the chick was too young, too beautiful and innocent, for a man like me. Unfortunately, that was easier said than done.
CHAPTER 2
Alyssa
When my uncle Viper came to the house to tell us about Clay earning his Satan’s Fury patch and the upcoming celebration at their clubhouse, I was more than a little apprehensive. I wasn’t one to do the whole party thing, especially after what happened on Homecoming night. I was just sixteen at the time-a sophomore with a with a head full of fairy tales and school-girl dreams. When Lucas Brant, the star football player and one of the most popular guys at school, asked me to go to the Homecoming dance, I couldn’t have been more excited. I’d thought I’d found my prince charming, but instead, I found a monster who stole my innocence. I blamed myself for what happened. I hadn’t been careful. I was so caught up in the moment that I hadn’t realized that I was putting myself in a precarious situation. By the time I figured it out, it was too late. The damage had been done. I could’ve gone to the police, told them what had happened to me, but decided against it. I knew what would happen if I told the people in my small town that the star quarterback had raped me. They would’ve turned against me, blamed me for tempting him or called me crazy for not wanting to be with him in the first place, so I kept what happened a secret—only sharing the details of what happened with my brother.
Clay didn’t understand why I didn’t want to tell anyone else about what happened and ended up taking matters into his own hands. He went to the party, found Lucas, and beat the hell out of him. I’d like to say that it helped knowing that Lucas paid some small penance for his crime, but it didn’t. Every time I saw his stupid face, I would find myself thinking about that night—the way he held me down and how I fought him as he inched my dress up over my thighs. Most of all, what he said to me. I’d just gotten off the bed and was fixing my clothes when he came over to me and shoved his hand between my legs, gripping me tightly as he taunted, ‘Damn fine pussy you got there, Lyssa girl, and I gotta tell ya…Popping that fucking cherry of yours was the icing on the cake. Hell, I can’t wait to come back for seconds…If you’re lucky, I might even come back for thirds.’
And just like that, all the feelings of fear and helplessness I’d felt would come rushing back, making it difficult to breath. I’d hoped that over time it would get better and in some ways, it did, but I was never able to truly put that night behind me. I couldn’t let myself trust anyone, so I didn’t have a lot friends—just my roommate, Nicole, and Hannah, my best friend from high school. I didn’t really date, at least not of my own free will. Nicole and Hannah were constantly trying to fix me up with guys they knew, but it didn’t take long for them to lose interest, especially when they realized I wasn’t going to jump into bed with them. The same held true for guys I’d met at parties. When I cringed at their touch, they quickly figured out that I wasn’t an easy lay, and they’d move on to their next target. It wasn’t their fault. It was me who was damaged. I was the one who was unable to make a personal connection in fear of being hurt again, but over it. I was done letting Lucas Brant take from me. I wanted a normal life, and even though it meant facing all my fears head on, I was going to have it.
When Viper came to tell us about the party Satan’s Fury was going to have for Clay, I was more than a little apprehensive, but I was determined to take life by the horns, and I couldn’t think of a better way to do that than to go to a party at an MC clubhouse. Besides, the party was for Clay, and after all he’d done for me, I owed it
to him to be there.
Mom and I rode down to Memphis with Viper and a few of his brothers. Viper was my father’s brother, and after my dad died, he’d taken it upon himself to keep an eye on us, doing whatever he could to keep our family going. It was actually his idea for Clay to go to Memphis to prospect for Satan’s Fury, and there was no missing the proud look on his face as we drove through the main gates of their clubhouse. As he glanced around at all the cars and motorcycles, he smiled and said, “Looks like one hell of a turn out.”
“I didn’t realize that there would be so many people here.”
While he’d never heard what had happened to me, he could tell from the tone of my voice that I was feeling apprehensive about the large crowd. He glanced over his shoulder, looking me in the eye as he tried to reassure me. “These are good guys, Lyssa. I can almost guarantee that you’ll have a good time, and if not, I’ll get one of the boys to take you over to the hotel.”
“Okay. Thanks, Viper.”
Mom gave me a little pat on the leg as she said, “It’s going to mean a lot to Clay that we’re here.”
“I know. I’m really looking forward to seeing him.”
“Me, too. It’s been too long.” Her expression grew solemn as she said, “And now that you’ve gotten that internship at Chez Phillippe, and I’ll have both of my kids living in Memphis. I don’t know what I’ll do with both of you gone.”
“You can come visit any time you want to, and you know, you could move down here with us. There’s nothing keeping you in Nashville.”
“True, but I don’t want to be one of those mothers who isn’t able to let go and smoothers her kids.”
“You would never smoother us, Mom.”
Mischief crossed her face as she asked, “So, you’d be okay with me moving in with you?”
“Umm…I don’t know if I’d go that far.” I giggled. “But, it would be nice to have you close by.”
“Well, it’s definitely something to think about it.”
Our conversation had distracted me momentarily, but as soon as we’d parked and started inside the clubhouse, my anxiousness quickly returned. I knew the second I stepped through the door, that this wasn’t going to be like any party I’d ever been to before. The bar was packed full of burly bikers and scantily dressed women, drinking and talking as the loud music roared in the background. The room was filled with tables and chairs, along with several pool tables and a long, wooden counter with stools in the side corner. Most of the seats were already taken, but after stopping several times to speak to some of the men he knew, Viper managed to find us a few empty spots for us to sit. As soon as we were settled, the girl behind the bar brought us over a round of drinks. I was looking around, taking in my surroundings, when Mom leaned over to Viper and said, “Everyone seems so friendly…they’re nicer than I expected.”
“I doubt the Fury brothers would consider themselves nice.” Viper chuckled. “But, they are good men. I wouldn’t have sent our boy down here if they weren’t.”
“You’re right. I guess I’m just a little surprised. I would’ve thought they would been more ferocious or something, especially with a name like Satan’s Fury.”
“No different than the Sinners. We know how to play nice when we need to.” He cocked his eyebrow as he continued, “But that doesn’t mean we take any shit. You fuck with us, then you’ll pay the price.”
“I would think someone would have to be pretty crazy to mess with you and your boys.”
“You’re right about that.” He took a sip of his beer before saying, “Clay’s going to have a good life here with these boys. You’ll see.”
Before she could respond, the front door opened, and Clay appeared in the doorway. I’d never seen my brother look more proud as his brothers surrounded him, congratulating him with hugs and pats on the shoulder. We all watched in awe as Gus, the large, very intimidating looking president of Fury, presented him with a leather vest that had been embroidered with the Satan’s Fury logo. My heart melted as I watched Clay put on that vest like it was his most prized possession. I’d never seen my brother look so proud, so utterly happy, and it brought tears to my eyes to watch his new brothers share the moment with him. We gave him a few minutes to speak with everyone before getting up and going over to him. His eyes lit up when he saw Mom and I walking towards him with Viper. “You came.”
“Of course, we did,” Mom answered. “We wouldn’t miss it for the world.”
Viper crossed his arms as he looked at Clay and asked, “Well, you gonna say it?”
“Say what?” Clay questioned with a smirk.
“You know damn well what.” Viper narrowed his eyes. “Come on. You know I’m not gonna let it go until you say it.”
“Fine.” Clay chuckled as he replied, “You were right.”
“Damn right,” Viper boasted. “Always am.”
“I don’t know about that,” my mother scoffed before turning her attention to Clay. A bright smile crossed her face as she said, “You look good, Clay. I wish your father was here. He would’ve been so proud.”
I could tell by her tone that she was about to tear up, so I slipped my arm around her, giving her a tight squeeze. “He is here, Mom. There’s no way he’d miss this.”
“She’s right. He’s definitely here.” Clay reached over and hugged us both. “Damn. It’s good to see you.”
We were taking a minute to catch up, when one of his brothers caught my attention. I’m not sure exactly what it was about him, but there was something about the burly, bald biker covered in tattoos that had me intrigued—which surprised the hell out of me. Normally, a man his size and intimidating physique would completely terrify me and I’d do whatever it took to steer clear. Unsettled by interest in him, I quickly turned my attention back to my conversation with my mother and Clay. I tried to keep my focus on what they were saying, but only after a few seconds, I found myself glancing over my shoulder for another peek at the handsome biker. He was tall, broad shouldered with a dark, brown eyes, and there was a kindness to his smile that you wouldn’t expect from such a fierce looking man. I watched as he started laughing at something one of his brothers had said, and a strange warmth rushed through me. I didn’t understand my body’s reaction to him, especially considering how I usually shied away from men in general. It was one of the very things I was trying so hard to change about myself, so I dug deep, gathered all the courage I could muster, and turned to Clay and asked, “Who’s he?”
Typical Clay, he started looking around the room as he asked way too loudly, “Who?”
“Him.” Trying not to draw any more attention to the situation, I motioned my head to the back of the room. “The bald guy in the corner?”
When he realized who I was talking about, he quickly looked back to me with a stunned expression. “You gotta be fucking kidding me.”
“What?” Clay had always been protective of me, even more so after what had happened with Lucas, and while it was sweet of him to look out for me, it was time for him to learn that I could take care of myself. Besides, if I could gather the nerve to talk to a big, tough biker, then I could do anything. I knew my brother would never understand, and as I stood there looking at his horrified expression, I couldn’t stop myself from teasing him a little. With a mischievous grin, I shrugged innocently and goaded, “He’s hot—”
“Lyssa, no,” he warned.
“Well, I happen to think he—”
“Nope! Not gonna happen, Lyssa.”
I was so caught up in giving Clay a hard time, that I hadn’t noticed that the man had come up behind us until I heard her ask, “What’s not gonna happen?”
When I looked up and saw the smirk on his face, I couldn’t help but smile. As he stood there, towering over me, I didn’t feel threatened by him—not in the least. Instead, I found a kindness in his eyes that I didn’t expect. “Nothing. Clay is just being Clay.”
“Oh, really?”
It was clear from Clay’s expression t
hat he wasn’t pleased that I’d blown off his warning, and his disapproving expression only grew more intense when the man smiled down at me and asked, “Why don’t you let me get you a drink, and you can tell me all about it?”
“Okay.”
Before Clay had a chance to talk me out of going with him, I gave my overprotective brother a quick wave, then followed the stranger back over to the bar. After I sat down next to him, he quickly introduced himself and ordered us both a drink. As I sat there waiting on the bartender, I was feeling quite proud of myself. I was actually sitting next to a man who belonged to one of the most notorious MCs in the south, and I wasn’t freaking out. Instead, I did my best to remain cool, calm, and collective. To my surprise, it was much easier than I thought it would be. Then again, T-Bone made it easy. The entire time we talked, he didn’t put on any airs and try to impress me. He simply treated me like I was an old friend, and we were just taking some time to catch up.
We’d just started talking about the fact that I would be moving to Memphis when he leaned towards me and said, “The music is a little loud in here. You want to continue this outside?”
I couldn’t remember a time when I’d enjoyed a man’s company so much, so without hesitation, I answered, “Sure.”
Once we’d found a spot on one of the picnic tables, T-Bone looked over to me and asked, “Is it just me, or is this your first time being at a clubhouse party?”
“What makes you say that?”
“I don’t know. Just a hunch.”