T-Bone - L. Wilder Page 0,97

too many of them. With one hard blow to the jaw, my head reared back and everything went dark.

Just as I was starting to come around, the faint sounds of police sirens were heading towards Janey’s house. I was still sprawled out on the ground by the fire as kids rushed by, scrambling to get the hell out of Dodge before the cops arrived. I knew they’d be there for me, so I tried to get to my feet, but with my head spinning, I only ended up falling on my ass. Just as I was about to try again, Michael appeared in my line of sight with two officers at his side. As he pointed in my direction, I could hear him shouting. “That’s him. That’s the guy you’re looking for.” They hardly had time to react before he started in again, “He’s the one who attacked Lucas for no fucking reason, and he nearly killed him! Lucas was barely conscious when they took him to the ER.”

“Okay, kid. I’m gonna need you to settle down. We’ve got this,” one of the officers warned.

The two cops started towards me, and once they approached, one of them extended his hand. As he helped me to my feet, he asked, “You got a name, son?”

“Clay Hanson.”

“All right, Clay. Why don’t you tell me what happened here tonight?”

“Nothing,” I snapped.

“Now, you and I both know that isn’t true.” He almost sounded like he was being sincere when he said, “I can’t help you unless you tell me what really went down here tonight.”

“Already told ya ... Nothing to tell.”

“Have it your way.”

Pissed that I refused to answer him, the cop reached behind and pulled out a pair of handcuffs. He turned me around and slapped them over my wrists while reading me my rights. Once he was done, I was led over to the squad car and put inside. Just as he was shutting the door, Michael yelled, “You’re going down, Hanson!”

When Michael said those words to me, neither of us had any idea how true they really were. I got off easy when Brant didn’t press charges, but my luck ended there. I struggled to get a grip on the anger that erupted when I went after Lucas. I couldn’t suppress the rage, the need for vengeance, and all the other intense emotions I was feeling that night. Instead, they lingered on the surface like a parasite, leaving me feeling completely exposed as it waited to rear its ugly head once again.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have to wait long for that to happen. Without ever knowing why I’d had the altercation with Lucas, my father’s semi-truck was hit by a drunk driver, and he was killed instantly. The injustice of his death seemed to bring out the worst in me, and I started on a downward spiral. I completely lost myself. I wasn’t thinking about my mother or sister. Hell, I wasn’t thinking of anyone or anything. I just sank deeper into my own madness, finding trouble at every turn: drinking, fighting, and eventually more trouble with the law.

I was fucking up in every way possible, so it shouldn’t have come as a surprise when Viper, my uncle and president of the Ruthless Sinners MC, decided to step in. Knowing I was making a mess of my life, he reached out to his buddy Gus, the president of Satan’s Fury, then sent me to Memphis to spend some time with the brothers at their clubhouse. He hoped that I’d find my way with them. Turns out, he was right.

1

Chapter 1

“It’s not just about knowing the brothers’ names and their position in the club. You gotta know everything about them,” Rider explained. “Their backgrounds ... where they grew up, jobs they’ve had, past experiences. What their life was like before joining the club … and after—the good, the bad, and the ugly.”

Rider had been chosen by Gus to be my sponsor. It was his job to guide me through prospecting and make sure I knew everything that would be expected of me during the process. Feeling overwhelmed by what he’d just informed me, I turned to him and asked, “I hear what you’re saying, but I don’t get why it matters so much. I mean, what difference does it make if I know what jobs Blaze had as a kid?”

“It’s knowing what your family is all about,” Rider answered firmly. “Knowing that Cyrus and T-Bone were here with Gus when he first started up the Memphis chapter and how they helped him find the clubhouse and build our numbers. And knowing that when our brother Runt was killed, Shadow was the one who stepped up to the plate and saved our asses, earning our vote as the club’s new enforcer. It helps you understand where the brothers have been ... where they’re going. It gives you some insight to what makes them tick.”

“I get that, but how am I supposed to find out all this shit?”

“You listen ... not only to what they say, but what they don’t say.” Rider looked me directly in the eye. “You’ll get it. It’s just going to take time.”

I hoped Rider was right. I wanted to think that I had what it took to earn my patch, but there were times when I wasn’t so sure. If I wanted to be considered family to these men, I had a lot of work to do, and it wasn’t going to be easy. There were over thirty members I had to learn about, all the while doing the other crazy bullshit that came along with prospecting. But I wasn’t complaining. I’d finally found the life I wanted, and I wasn’t going to let anything stand in my way. I gave Rider a slight nod and answered, “I’ll do whatever I gotta do.”

“I know you will.” He lifted his beer. “I’ll help where I can.”

“I’d appreciate that, brother.”

Just as the words left my mouth, Darcy, Rider’s ol’ lady, came walking into the living room. I could still remember the first time we’d met. I’d only been in Memphis for a few days when the brothers hired her to be the garage’s custom painter. There weren’t many women who could handle working in a shop full of strong-willed bikers, but she managed it like a pro. Darcy and Rider had grown up in the same small town and had history. It didn’t take long for them to pick up where they left off, and they’d been inseparable since. Rider and I were sitting on the sofa when she walked over with a concerned expression on her face. “You know, we could go to the Smoking Gun with Murphy and the others tonight. I can hit one of Brannon’s shows another time.”

“I’m good with going to Neil’s to see him tonight,” Rider told her. “With the crowd that’ll be at the Smoking Gun, it’s not like they’ll miss us.”

“I know, but I don’t want to disappoint Riley.”

“I already talked to Murphy. It’s all good, babe.”

Looking relieved, she smiled and said, “Good. I just wanted to be sure.”

“What’s the big deal with the Smoking Gun anyway?”

Rider turned to me as he explained, “Riley and the owner of the bar, Grady, are first cousins and best friends, and he’s having some big shindig tonight for the playoffs. I’m kind of glad we decided not to go. I wasn’t looking forward to fighting that crowd.”

“Okay, then I guess it’s about time for us to head over to Neil’s. Brannon’s show starts at eight,” Darcy said.

Taking our cue, Rider and I got up and followed her outside to our bikes. I waited as she got settled behind him, then we both fired up our engines and headed downtown. As we made our way towards Neil’s bar, I was feeling pretty good about things in my life, and I found myself thinking of the day Viper had come to me about leaving Nashville and staying with Satan’s Fury. I couldn’t blame him for wanting to get me out of town. I was a ticking time-bomb. Every time something didn’t go my way, I’d blow up and do something stupid—get into a fight or be laid-out drunk. When I landed myself in trouble with the law again, my mother freaked out and called Viper for help.

I knew the second I walked out of that jailhouse and found him standing in the parking lot he was pissed. I wasn’t surprised. I’d fucked up once again, and he was the one who’d pick up the pieces so my mother wouldn’t have to.

Once we were inside his truck, Viper turned to me with a fierce expression. “This shit has got to stop, Clay.”