“I like bikes,” he said after a few silent moments. “I really like them, actually. They make sense to me.”

“Then stick with them, yeah? And once you’re a fully patched-in member of the club, you’ll get a cut of the Hangmen profits too. You’ll be fucking golden, kid.”

He clearly liked the idea of getting patched in, because he beamed with pride. “Now, get back to those dishes,” I said. “Until you’re patched in, you gotta do the grunt work.” I shrugged. “Just the way it is.”

“Yes, sir,” the shitbag said, knowing I hated his young ass making me feel old.

Fucking sir.

I reached behind me to the cabinet, took out two Advil and knocked them back dry. Just as I went to stand to shower and shit, the front door slammed open, and a fucking ginger beast strode in.

“Mornin’, cum-sluts! It’s a beautiful fuckin’ day!”

I groaned loudly as Viking’s godawful voice sliced through my skull. I looked up at him smiling at me like an ugly giant. He sniffed the air. In a flash, he was storming to the stove and checking out the food that was left over.

“I’m starting to think I should get me a fucking live-in rent boy too. He cooks, cleans . . . fuck!” He turned to Ash, who was trying his best to ignore our asshole of a brother. “You suck cock too?”

I opened my mouth to tell him to shut the hell up, but Ash said, “Even if I did, I wouldn’t be sucking yours. Heard it’s no bigger than an inch.”

Vike’s mouth dropped open, before he threw his head back and dove forward to put Ash in a tight headlock. “Fucking little shit!” he shouted, gracing us all with his thunderous, booming laugh.

Ash pushed him off. “You can have the food. It’s what’s left over anyhow.”

Vike scooped up the food, brought it to the table and sank down into a seat. He stuffed the food into his mouth like a damn wild animal. His eyes fell to my chest, and smiling through a mouthful of eggs, he winked at my scratches.

Fuck. My. Life.

Ash brought him a coffee, and Vike drained it in one go, tapping the mug on the table for more. “You get the message from Styx?” Vike said.

“No. Just got up.” I looked around for my cell, but fuck knew where it was.

“Gotta be at church in twenty. Tanner finally got us a lead.”

My pulse started slamming in my neck as my heart tried to cope with the sudden rush of adrenaline.

“Thought you’d like that.”

“He’s found her?” Phebe. A picture of the redhead rushed to my mind. Not that I hadn’t been thinking about the bitch non-stop since we’d found out she was missing.

“No idea.” Vike leaned forward, running his hand down his beard. “But I’m getting real fucking bored lately of standard runs and all the talk of Prez’s damn wedding. Who gives a shit about that? I want Klan scum to hunt.”

My fingers twitched on the tabletop at the thought of tracking Phebe down, of taking out the fucker who had her. Too many nights I’d stayed awake, imagining cutting that fucker apart. Slitting his stomach open and watching as his blood and guts spilled at my feet. And I’d smile. I’d smile through it all with Phebe by my side, watching the asshole die a slow and painful death.

It had taken Tanner longer than he’d thought to get any kind of shit on this Meister dick. And I was restless. I agreed with Vike. Things had been too quiet. I may have been out of the Marines, but I still needed the fucking rush of the fight, of the kill, in my life.

With the Hangmen that shit came in spades.

And it looked like it was about to kick off again.

Fuckin’ A.

“I’ll get dressed.”

I got up and threw on my shirt, cut and boots. We were out of my cabin in minutes, Ash behind us. If it was church, the prospect would be pouring drinks and whatever the fuck else Styx told him to do. I leaned against my cabin and lit up a smoke as Vike hammered on Flame’s door. “Get the fuck out, Flame! Gotta go!”

Through the window of Flame’s cabin, I saw Flame head to the door, Maddie rushing behind him. He turned back to her, and the closest thing Flame had to a smile spread across his face, then he leaned down and kissed his bitch.

My chest tightened. My smoke burned away, untouched, in my hand. I couldn’t believe Flame had something like that.

“AK!” Vike’s voice cut through my thoughts. “You ready?”

I nodded, seeing Flame walk outta his door.

Flame flicked his chin at me, then his eyes tracked around the yard. I knew who he was looking for—he did this every day. Only I noticed. I was the only one trained to not miss a thing. When he saw Lil’ Ash, Flame’s shoulders relaxed.

Ash waved his hand. “Hey, Flame.”

“You good?” Flame asked curtly, running his gaze over every inch of his brother.

“Yeah,” Ash said. He was smiling a little. I knew he had recognized Flame’s attempt at affection. I winked at Ash to confirm that what he thought was true.

Maddie’s small frame appeared in the doorway. “Viking, AK.” Flame instinctively moved toward her, like they were fucking magnets or some shit.

“Madds,” I said.

Vike smiled. “Mornin’, sugar tits.”

Flame’s lip curled at our brash brother, but it was Vike. Weren’t no one stopping that car crash.

“Hello, Asher,” Maddie said to Ash. She nudged Flame’s arm, her eyes urging him to do something.

Flame’s jaw clenched, then, without looking at Ash, he said, “You’re comin’ to dinner tonight.”

Maddie shook her head in exasperation. She wasn’t pissed at the possessiveness. She knew he wasn’t being a dick, he was just . . . fuck, he was just being Flame.

“Ash, what Flame was trying to ask was would you like to have dinner with us tonight? I will cook something special.”

Ash looked to me, and I flicked my chin, urging him to accept. “Yeah. Thanks. I’d love to,” Ash replied, and Maddie smiled at him so big.

Flame backed her into the house. He came back a couple of minutes later and stood beside me.

“You good?” I asked. Flame nodded without meeting my eyes. We did this every day, hell, several times a day. You good? was more than just a passing question. It was Flame telling me that his head wasn’t full of fucked-up shit. Shit from his past.