Satan’s Fury MC - Memphis

by Wilder, L.

  “Maybe.” She glanced around the apartment and smiled. “But if I can’t, I could always pay him back when I start making more.”

  “Doubt he’d let ya, but yeah, you could.” I walked into the kitchen and leaned against the counter. “So, what do you think of the place?”

  “I love it.”

  “Good. I thought you would.” I gave her a quick wink. “You ready to go see the others?”

  “Absolutely.”

  She followed me back to the main office, and after I’d returned the keys, we went over to our next stop—a small rental house in a fenced in backyard. As I’d hoped, she really liked it, even more than the other two apartments, which made her even more excited about seeing the last place I had to show her. As soon as we got back into the truck, Alyssa turned to me and said, “I really appreciate you doing this for me. I don’t know how I’ll ever thank you.”

  “I can think of a way.”

  “Oh, really?”

  I could tell by her tone that she thought I had some inappropriate in mind, and even though it was tempting to play along, I decided against it. “Once you’re moved in to your new place, you can fix me one of those fancy dishes of yours.”

  “Oh… yeah. I could definitely do that.”

  “Great. I’ll look forward to it.”

  We were getting close to the house I wanted to show her, when she turned to me with an odd expression. “Hey…Can I ask you something?”

  “Sure. Whatcha got on your mind?”

  “You told me that your road name is T-Bone, but you never told me your real name.”

  “It’s Beckett. Beckett Walker.”

  “Hmmm…I get why the guys call you T-Bone and all. There’s not many people who can eat a steak that big and win dinner for the entire group, but Beckett is a great name.”

  “Thanks. Glad you think so.”

  “Do you mind if I call you Beckett instead of T-Bone?”

  “Baby, you can call me whatever you want.”

  Before she could respond, I pulled up into the driveaway and parked. When she saw the quaint, yellow house centered in the middle of the historical distract, she gasped, “Oh my…Is this it?”

  “Yep.”

  “Seriously?”

  “Do you want to see inside or what?”

  “Are you kidding me? Of course, I want to see inside!”

  We got out of the truck and went up on the front porch. Excitement was radiating off of Alyssa as she watched me reach into the mailbox and unlock the door. When we stepped inside, I was impressed to see that it looked even better than I expected. As she started to walk through the living room, I said, “They just renovated the kitchen. It has all new, granite counter tops, new cabinets, and tile floor. There are hardwood floors throughout with two bedrooms and…”

  I stopped talking when Alyssa started to giggle. “You sound like a relator.”

  “Is that right?”

  “Um-hmm. But, you don’t look like any relator I’ve ever seen.”

  “What exactly are you trying to say?”

  Her brows furrowed. “Nothing… I..uh…”

  “You don’t think I could do the whole snubbed-nosed, suit-wearing sales guy thing?”

  “Wait a minute. I didn’t mean it like that,” she stammered. The freckles that dappled her nose crinkled as her brows furrowed with worry. It was clear that she thought she’d actually offended me. “I just…”

  “Don’t sweat it.” I chuckled. “I was just messing with ya.”

  “Seriously?” She raked her teeth across her bottom lip as she smiled and shook her head. “That’s just wrong.”

  “Sorry. Couldn’t help myself.” I chuckled as I headed into the kitchen. “So, what do you think of the place?”

  “You were right. This is definitely my favorite, but how much is the rent? It has to be insanely high.”

  “Actually, it’s fifty a month less than first place I showed you.”

  “Really?”

  “Really. There’s a fenced in backyard and a full security system, but you gotta keep in mind, there’s no pool and no fitness center.”

  “Yeah, but this place is incredible. It feels like home.”

  “Well, then. It’s yours.”

  A bright smile crossed her face. “Thank you…thank you… thank you.”

  Before I had a chance to prepare, she rushed over and wrapped her arms around me, hugging me tightly. I couldn’t deny that she felt good in my arms, too fucking good, and she felt even better when I hugged her back. Damn. This just being friends thing was going to be harder than I thought.

  CHAPTER 4

  Alyssa

  When I agreed to have a drink with Beckett, it was like some task I needed to complete for myself—a way to prove that I could face my fears. I never dreamed it would lead into anything more than just a brief conversation, but the big, muscular biker with the intense eyes surprised me. Not only was Beckett easy to talk to, he was charming and funny, and in a matter of minutes, I’d all but forgotten that I was a party with a room full of bikers. It was the same way today when we went to look at apartments. Without even trying, he helped set my mind at ease, and now, I was actually looking forward to moving. I absolutely adored the house he’d found for me, and I couldn’t wait to get moved in and start my new life in Memphis—and maybe, just maybe, spend a little more time getting to know Beckett.

  Hoping to prolong our day together, I turned to him and asked, “Would you like to come in for a bit? Maybe grab a bite to eat or something?”

  “I wish I could, but I’ve gotta get back to the garage.” As he walked me up to the front door, he said, “I’ll get the relator to send the rental papers over later today.”

  “Okay.” Trying to hide my disappointment, I smiled at him and said, “Thank you for all you help. I can’t tell you how much it means to me.”

  “Glad to do it.” I watched as he walked down the steps and back to his truck. Before he got inside, he gave me a quick wave. “See ya around, freckles.”

  “Bye, Beckett.”

  Once he was gone, I went into the house and was surprised to find Clay waiting in the kitchen for me. He reminded me of our father as he stood there, leaning against the counter in his work clothes. They were covered in grease and grim, but he didn’t seem to mind. He was too focused on devouring his peanut butter and jelly sandwiched to even care. When Duchess came racing towards me, Clay looked over to me and asked, “Well? How’d it go?”

  “I found a place.”

  “Really?”

  “Yep.” I knelt down and rub Duchess’s head. “I think you’ll agree that it’s pretty great.”

  “Glad to hear that.” His brows furrowed as he asked, “Things go okay with T?”

  “Actually they did. He was a perfect gentleman” I gave Duchess one last rub, then stood up and went over to the fridge for a soda. “I really enjoyed being with him.”

  There was a mix of surprise and concern in his voice as he asked, “You did?”

  “Yes, Clay. I did, but don’t worry.” I feigned a smile as I told him, “We’re just friends.”

  I felt a twinge of disappointment as the words left my mouth, but I forced myself to keep smiling in hopes that he wouldn’t push the matter. Thankfully, he didn’t. Instead, he said, “Well, tell me about your new place.”

  “It’s really something, Clay.”

  I went on to describe everything about the house and the area surrounding it, and when I was done, I walked over and wrapped my arms around him, hugging him. “Thank you.”

  As he hugged me back, Clay asked, “For?”

  “T-Bone told me about you offering to help pay for my place.” I took a step back as I told him, “I’m going to try to do it on my own, but if I can’t manage it, I’ll let you know.”

  “I don’t want you worrying about money, Sis.”

  “I know and I really appreciate it, but I really think I can manage, especially if I get a part-time job and…”


  “What? You’re not getting a part-time job, Lyssa,” Clay argued. “You’ve finally gotten your chance to try this cooking thing, and you need to focus on that, not busting your ass to pay the fucking rent.”

  “But…”

  “No, buts, Lyssa. I’m gonna help you pay for the rental house, and I don’t wanna hear any more about it.”

  “Okay, but once I start making more, I’m gonna pay you back.”

  “We’ll figure that out later, for now, let’s focus on getting you moved.” He took a drink of his sweet tea, then said, “I’ll talk to the brothers and see if they can give us a hand.”

  “That would be great.” I glanced down at his half-eaten sandwich and asked, “You mind if I make myself one of those?”

  “You don’t have to ask, Sis.” He pushed the jar of peanut butter towards me. “What’s mine is yours.”

  “Thanks, bro.”

  “I’ve gotta get back to the garage, but I’ll be back early.”

  “Okay. I’ll just hang out here until you get back.”

  “Good deal.” As he started towards the door, he looked back over to me and said, “Make yourself at home. Landry should be home soon.”

  “Sounds good.”

  Once I finished my sandwich, Duchess and I went into the living, and she laid down on the floor while I sprawled out on the sofa. As I nestled into the cushions, I thought back to the moment that I found out I’d gotten my internship at Chez Phillippe and how I had immediately envisioned myself fulfilling all my childhood dream. Sadly, it didn’t long for reality set in. I had years of hard work ahead of me, and not only that, I had to move to a big city where I didn’t really know anyone—except my brother. I was feeling completely overwhelmed by it all, but then, Beckett came into the picture. I couldn’t help but smile as I laid there and thought about our morning together.

  I was lost in my thoughts when Duchess suddenly got up and bolted towards the kitchen. Seconds later, Landry walked through the door, Duchess started pacing back and forth, waiting eagerly for Landry to pet her. “Hey there, sweetie. Have you been a good girl?”

  “She’s been a very good girl.” I sat up on the sofa as I told her, “She’s been great company all afternoon.”

  “I’m glad to hear that.” Landry dropped her things down on the counter, then walked into the living room. “Clay told me that you found a place to live.”

  “I did, and it’s perfect. I can’t wait to get moved in.”

  “We’ll have to plan a moving party… get all the brothers and their ol’ ladies to help.”

  “Do you think they’d be up for that?”

  “Absolutely.” She giggled as she said, “They’ll use any excuse to have a get together.”

  “That would be awesome, but I really don’t have all that much to move. I barely have any furniture.”

  “I’ve got some things in storage that you might be able to use.” Landry sat down on the sofa next to me. “They’re just a few odds and ends from my old apartment, and if I had to guess, they will be others who have some things you might be able to borrow.”

  “That would be incredible. I don’t know how to thank you all for everything you’re doing to help me.” I could feel the emotion building inside of me as I said, “It means so much to me.”

  “You mean a lot to Clay, Alyssa. There’s nothing he wouldn’t do for you.”

  “I know. He’s a great big brother, and I’m so happy that he’s found you and the brothers.”

  “You and me both.” She smiled as she stood up and started towards the kitchen. “I was thinking about making some dinner. Are you hungry?”

  “Starving.” As I joined her in the kitchen, I asked, “What can I do to help?”

  “I was thinking we could make up some spaghetti… Could you brown the hamburger?”

  “Sure thing.”

  The days that followed that dinner went by in a blur. It was like everything in my life shot into high gear the second I signed my rental agreement. It was like one minute, I was signing on the dotted line, and the next thing I knew, I was standing in my new house with all this amazing furniture and it was completely decorated. It was absolutely perfect, and I owed it all to Clay and his brothers. With their ol’ ladies help, they turned my place into a home, and I was ready to start my new life in Memphis. I was standing in the living room, looking at the pictures we’d just hung on the wall, when Clay came up behind me and asked, “Well…what do you think?”

  “Oh, Clay. love it. Thank you so much for doing all this.”

  “You gotta stop thanking me, Alyssa. I wanted to do it, besides… the girls did most of the work.”

  “They’ve been amazing.” I looked around my living room, noting the sofa Murphy and Riley had given me, along with the oversized chair Darcy and Rider had given me, and smiled. “I can’t believe they were willing to give me all their old furniture like this.”

  “It’s not like they were using it anymore. Most of it was locked away in storage.”

  “Maybe so, but it was still very sweet of them.”

  He nodded. “The burgers are ready, and the beer ain’t gonna get any colder.”

  “Well, then. We best get to it.”

  I followed Clay into the backyard where everyone had gathered to make their plates. While the entire club hadn’t come, there was enough of them there to see that they were all enjoying themselves, especially my brother. When Viper first suggested that Clay come to Memphis to prospect for Satan’s Fury, I had my doubts that it was the right move for him, but as I looked around at Clay’s brothers sitting around, talking and eating like they were family, it was clear that it was the right move for him. I hoped the same would hold true for me and my move to Memphis.

  I reached into the cooler for a beer, and I’d just popped it open when Beckett came walking up. He was wearing a fitted t-shirt with the sleeves cut off and a pair of jeans, and I couldn’t help but stare at his enormous biceps covered in tattoos. The man looked like some kind of Greek god, and I found myself wanting to reach out and touch him. Thankfully, he pulled me from my inappropriate thoughts by asking, “Mind grabbing one of those for me?”

  “Oh, yeah. Sure.” I stammered. I quickly reached in a grabbed him a cold beer, then handed it to him. “Can I get you anything else?”

  “I was about to grab a burger. You want one?”

  “Sure.”

  I followed him over to the table, and we each made ourselves a plate. We carried our food over to a couple of empty chairs, and we’d just sat down when Rider and Darcy came over to sit with us. A big smile crossed Darcy’s face as she said, “You’ve got a great place here, Alyssa.”

  “Thank you.” I hadn’t gotten a chance to get to know many of the ol’ ladies, but the ones I’d met had been very sweet, including Darcy. She was so creative and had a real eye for decorating. “I really appreciate you helping me decorate today. It looks even better than I imagined.”

  “I’m glad I was able to help.” Darcy took a bite of her burger before continuing, “I think you’ll really like living in Memphis. There’s so much to do here.”

  “I know. I can’t wait to check out the Pyramid and maybe Mud Island and the zoo.”

  “Those are all awesome. It’s been a while since I’ve been to the Pyramid. Maybe we could all go one day.”

  “I would love that.”

  “So, when do you start your internship?”

  “Thursday will be my first day, and while I’m excited to get started, I’m actually pretty nervous about it. I haven’t had much experience with cooking French cuisine before.”

  Rider’s brows narrowed. “Not sure I’ve ever eaten any French food before.”

  “You probably have and just didn’t know it. Like fondue, meringues, crème brûlées, mousses, and crepes. And a good roux has become an American staple.”

  “What the fuck is a roux?”

  “It’s a fat and flour base that cooks use to season their dishes.” I could tell by his e
xpression that he had no idea what I was talking about, so I added, “You know… like what you use for a good gumbo or a gravy.”

  “Or a chicken pot pie,” August added.

  “Exactly.”

  “Damn.” Murphy complained. “I just ate, but hearing y’all talk about all this food has got me hungry again.”

  I looked up at the club’s sergeant at arms and smiled. “Well, thanks to you, there’s plenty of food. Go back for another round or take some with you when you go. I’ll never be able to eat all that.”

  “Don’t mind if I do.”

  Several followed Murphy back over to the table for another helping, but even after they’d each made another full plate, there were enough leftovers for an army. I was staring over at all the mounds of burgers, chips, and beans, when August, Gunner’s ol’ lady, leaned over to me and whispered, “Don’t worry. By the time the guys finish grazing, most of this will be gone, and whatever’s left, we can always carry back over to the clubhouse.”

  “Well, that’s a relief. I had no idea where I was going to put all this.”

  “Just leave it for now, and come have another drink. We’re celebrating after all.”

  “That we are.”

  I followed her back over to the cooler, and after we each grabbed a drink, we headed back over to the others. Clay had started us a fire in the small firepit one of the brothers had given me, and while it was nothing like the big bonfire they had at the clubhouse, it was cozy, especially with all the little white lights we’d put up around the trellis. I sat down next to Clay and Landry, and started to sip on my beer. We hadn’t been talking long when August announced, “I think we need to take a trip somewhere.”

  “I would love that,” Darcy agreed. “Where should we go?”

  “I have no idea.” August shrugged. “The weather has been great, so maybe we could do something outdoorsy?”

  “Have you ever floated the buffalo?” I asked. “I’ve heard it’s a lot of fun.”

  “Yes! That’s a great idea,” August replied. “We could take a cooler with food and drinks, and spend the entire day on the water. What do you think, Darcy?”