Butch Read online

“I like hanging out with you.” All of his friends were part of the club, and if they weren’t part of The Skulls, they were part of Chaos Bleeds. He wanted a clean slate with no danger. Cheryl was his only true friend in the world. “You and Matthew are awesome.”

  “I’m sure you’re used to excitement and living life. I’ve never been to a Skull party, but I sure hear about them. I also serve some of you boys with flowers.” She pulled the band from holding her hair up. The long thick waves fell around her face and shoulders looking glossy and silky. His cock responded, and he inwardly cursed. The last thing he wanted to be thinking about was sex. Cheryl deserved more than a rough pounding. He’d never leave her when he finished. Cheryl was the kind of woman you stayed around to see. She had lived with a broken heart from being used once before. He wasn’t going to put her through any painful experiences.

  “Yeah, club life is not like real life.”

  “You sound sarcastic. Why?” She pulled her legs up to her chest and stared at him.

  “Are you really interested?” he asked.

  She shrugged. “Why not? It’s not like I’ve got anything to talk about. You know my story. Let me know yours.”

  Turning toward her, he crossed his legs feeling like a teenager. He removed his shoes the moment he walked into the house. “The Skulls is my life, and the parties we have are fun. There is always an available woman, and it’s a family. That’s what I love the most, the family way of life. The Skulls stick together through thick and thin.”

  “What do you mean?” she asked.

  “It doesn’t matter who you are or what you are. You got that patch on, you’re part of the family and the brothers will love you. Don’t get me wrong, you’ll earn that patch. Every night of being a prospect will feel like shit and like you’ve got no chance of ever being trusted or respected. Then, you earn your patch, and the world changes. You’re part of something bigger, amazing.” He smiled thinking about the love the family gave. Tiny and Eva were the parents while all of the others were their children. It was a strange way of looking at it, but it worked for him even if he was a grown ass man. “Tiny doesn’t discriminate against any member over size, color, or even if they’re homosexual. We’re a family, and providing they’ve got each other’s back, no one cares.”

  “Sounds nice,” she said.

  “Doesn’t matter how nice it sounds, it all comes with problems.”

  “You don’t have to talk about them if you don’t trust me. I’ve heard you’re all secretive and won’t allow an outsider into the fold. I won’t hold your secrets against you.” She was caressing the back of the sofa, running her hand along the edge. He wondered what it would feel like having her hands wrapped around his cock.

  “I trust you. Some of the crap that went down, you don’t need to know. We’ve got enemies intent on hurting us. Tiny has rules within the club, no drugs, no underage sex, and no beating on women. He takes care of the town and expects his men to follow those rules.” Butch liked the rules. They were the reason he respected Tiny. Maybe if the Savage Brothers had had more rules, they wouldn’t have ended up dead. Pushing those thoughts back, he brought his focus back to Cheryl.

  “Why did you leave?”

  He turned to look at her.

  “I can see you love the club and your brothers. Why did you leave?”

  Staring down at his full cup of tea he shook his head. “Because we were never out of danger, and it was all we were dealing with on a daily basis. None of us could get away from it. The women were always in the hospital. Lash, one of my brothers, he’s taken his woman abroad to Italy to get her out of danger. They’re not due back for a few months. Every woman in the club has been killed or hurt in some way.” He looked back toward her. “I don’t want to worry about you. This is not the life I want to bring you into. You and Matthew do not deserve to be in danger. I won’t let you be part of it.”

  He reached out to touch her cheek.

  “Butch, we’re friends.”

  “And yet you know how I feel about you.” He ran a finger over her lips. She didn’t pull away. Staring into her eyes he saw the conflict there. “I know you’re not ready for me or for this.”

  “You quit the club for me?” she asked.

  “Yeah, I quit it for both of us.”

  “I’ve got a son by another man. I’m a single mom.”

  He chuckled. “Babe, you’re not upsetting me with this.”

  “We know nothing about each other. I don’t know your parents or who you are.”

  “They’re dead. They died a long time ago. I watched all of them die, including my sister. I ended up in care, and I’ve not looked back since.” He gritted his teeth at the truth spilling from his lips.

  She pressed a hand to her lips, gasping. “Butch, I’m so sorry.” Her arms wrapped around his body, and he enjoyed the feel of her body against his. The softness of her breasts pressed against his chest. He wanted to feel them naked pressing against his chest. Stroking a hand down her back, he simply enjoyed the feel of her close to him. She smelled like citrus fruits, sweet yet tempting.

  “Don’t be sorry for me, baby. I forgot about them a long time ago.”

  “Who was it?”

  “I don’t know, but they’re all dead.” Butch cursed. He shouldn’t tell her what happened. There was something about Cheryl that made him want to be honest. “You can’t share any of this with anyone.”

  “I won’t.”

  “My dad was part of an MC years ago. He didn’t love my mom, but his way of life wasn’t like Tiny’s. The men in The Skulls stay loyal to their women. We don’t stray. My dad fucked everything that walked.” Butch looked down at his lap. He took a sip of the lukewarm liquid, forcing himself to drink it. “The club did drugs, and as time went on and another sweet-butt started showing she was pregnant with my dad’s kid, my mom started using drugs to hide. Over time she got in debt. That debt caused a few problems between the club and my mom’s drug dealer.”

  He’d not spoken to anyone about this. His past would always stay there. Becca’s warning was still firm in his mind.

  “To cut a long story short, the club tried to fuck over the drug dealers, and they all ended up dead.” Butch frowned as he thought about what Tiny and Alex had said to him that afternoon. “I’ve got to go.” He placed the cup on the coffee table.

  “What? You don’t have to leave?” She went with him out to the main hall. It was such a small house.

  “I know, but there’s something I’ve got to do. I’m sorry about this shit.” He leaned down, kissing her cheek. “This weekend is the Fort Wills fair out at the main field.”

  “So?” She was shaking her head. “You’re all over the place. I’m confused.”

  “Will you and Matthew go with me this Saturday to the fair?” He used to go with The Skulls to make sure nothing bad happened to the club.

  “You want us to go with you?”

  “Yeah. We could have a picnic, some fun.”

  “I’d love to go.” Her beaming smile would stay with him for a long time.

  “Good. I’ll be back to see you soon.” He closed the door refusing to leave until he heard the lock going.

  Climbing on his bike, Butch knew he needed to help his brothers. He had information that could help them all.

  ****

  Tiny stared at Devil across from him. His friend had brought a few of his men to come to Fort Wills. In the next couple of days some of the Chaos Bleeds crew would be coming to town to enjoy the fair they had planned. The barbeque they were supposed to have had been cancelled. Tiny wasn’t taking his woman or kids to a town where Gonzalez was.

  “How’s Lexie?” Tiny asked.

  “She’s scared. All the women are scared. He came into my fucking clubhouse, Tiny. Insulted me and my club and now I’m having to deal with this shit. He killed Jerry. I know the bastard was a pimp, but he was a fucking pimp with standards.” Devil’s leg was bouncing up and down, showing his agitation.

  �
��I’ve heard of Frederick. He wants in on the MC action. It’s not unheard of,” Alex said. His former brother-in-law was standing by the window looking out at the night.

  “I don’t give a fuck who wants in on the action. Piston County is my town. No one controls Chaos Bleeds. I’m president of my fucking club, and yet I’m supposed to take fucking orders from a bastard pimp? A foreign fucking pimp at that, bastard!” Devil slammed his fist against the desk.

  “We’re all a little pissed,” Pussy said.

  “He shot Jerry in front of our fucking women,” Vincent said. Tiny hadn’t seen Vincent on the road in years. The fact he was here put Tiny on the alert. Nothing got Vincent to leave his town unless he thought there was a real threat. The man had pulled his act together since meeting Phoebe.

  “This fucker made sure my name was mentioned?” Tiny asked.

  “He made sure to tell me how scary you were.” Devil stood, pacing the small office. All of his men were outside waiting for the news. Devil showing up with six of his men was enough to put them all on the alert. Since Alan, Zero’s enemy, had taken them by storm, the whole club had tried to stay out of trouble. Now, Devil was bringing them a shitload of trouble, and Tiny didn’t like it.

  “Have there been any sightings of him in town?” Tiny asked, turning to Alex.

  “None that I know of. Ned refuses to help. Frederick is not a man you fuck over without getting killed. His orders are to stay away. He wants Eva out of the line of fire. If you can’t stay away from him, Ned wants Eva and the kids in Vegas with him.” Alex stood beside his desk.

  “I’d never put my woman in danger. He needs to stop worrying about my woman and start taking care of his boys.” Tiny cursed as he thought about his woman’s father. Ned Walker was a pain in the fucking ass, but Tiny loved Eva, and unfortunately for him, they came together. “What does he want you to do?” Tiny asked.

  Pussy leaned forward. “We’ve got a drug run. He wants us to ship coke across states.”

  “We do that anyway. Our drug runs bring in the cash.” Tiny didn’t do drugs, but he did move them for a hefty price. He moved the product to make sure it stayed out of his fucking town.

  “We’ve got to transfer it out of Mexico, across the border and get it to a contact in Vegas.”

  Leaning back, Tiny cursed. No one in their right mind would ever agree to something that dangerous. If they get caught it would be life in prison easily.

  “He’s insane.”

  “That’s not half of it,” Devil said. “He’s got a shipment of girls as well coming in from Europe. He wants them working in our clubs, and we’re to put them straight to work. Some of them are not the right fucking age.”

  “How do you know this if all you’ve got to deal with is the drug runs?” Tiny asked.

  “We’ve got a woman on the inside. She’s putting her life at risk to get us all the information we need.” Devil rubbed his eyes. “My gut is telling me this shit is bad. The worst we’ve ever faced. Gonzalez will not stop with us. He’s up to something, something fucking big.”

  “This shit is not mine, Devil.”

  “We’ve helped you deal with your own shit for fucking years,” Death said, speaking up. “Do not turn your fucking back on us when we need you.”

  “One of our men fucked up. I’m not going to let him carry this around.”

  Tiny let out a sigh. He knew all about what Curse did. Anyone of them would have killed the bastard for hurting their woman.

  “I’m not backing down from this fight. I promise you, The Skulls will be with you.” He shouted for Whizz to enter. The other brother walked in. The change in Whizz was scary. Instead of having a drink and losing himself in women, Whizz trained daily. The muscles were thick and corded. The other day Tiny had to order a different size jacket just for it to fit around Whizz’s arms he’d gotten so large. He wasn’t overweight, but he could compete with the best of the weightlifters.

  “Fucking hell, you bring him around to Piston County, pussy will be jumping all over him,” Pussy said.

  The Skulls knew that Whizz was not over what happened to him. The scars remained on his body, including the scars no one could see. The fucker from Zero’s past had raped the brother, and since then, Whizz hadn’t touched another soul. From what Tiny heard, no woman could get close enough. The women he whose beds he shared were taken and no risk to the man. He doubted Whizz would ever be the same again.

  Last Tiny heard he shared Kelsey and Killer’s bed as he woke up in the middle of night with nightmares. Tiny wouldn’t admit to anyone that the other man had also shared his and Eva’s bed, after Kelsey gave birth. Whizz was never alone. The brothers wouldn’t allow it, and the women were always taking care of him.

  He moved from bed to bed. Tiny and Eva had taken him in, Murphy and Tate also. The only people Whizz hadn’t been with were Angel and Lash, but they were away on a much needed vacation.

  “What do you want?” Whizz asked.

  “Find me everything you can on Frederick Gonzalez, including every little detail of the people around him.”

  Whizz nodded, turning toward the door.

  “Keep Sandy and Stink with you.”

  The other man didn’t stop. He closed the door behind him, leaving silence in his wake.

  “Fucking hell, he’s dead inside,” Devil said.

  Looking at his friend, Tiny nodded. “Yeah, he’s dead and has been for a fucking long time.”

  “He’s been through enough. Whizz will not be helping anyone out for a long time,” Alex said.

  Usually when a brother became useless he was voted out. Whizz’s case was not the same. He wasn’t on drugs or drinking too much. Whizz had been tortured in the club’s name. No one was ever going to kick him to the curb.

  “I don’t give a fuck what people think about him. Whizz stays.” Running a hand down his face, he jerked at the knock at the door. “Who is it?”

  “It’s Butch.”

  He frowned, turning toward Alex. “What the fuck is he doing here?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe he listened to us.” Alex took a seat to the left of the office desk.

  The door was opened, and there stood Butch. Tiny didn’t know whether he wanted to beat the shit out of the bastard or give him a hug. Ever since Butch had left a month ago, this place hadn’t been the same. Every time the door opened, he expected Butch to be standing there wearing his jacket.

  The leather cut was still in Tiny’s bottom drawer. He didn’t want to burn the jacket. Tiny wanted his man to wear it.

  “I thought you left,” Pussy said, standing up to shake hands with Butch.

  During one of their visits to Piston County, Butch and Pussy had hit it off.

  “I’ve left, and I’m not coming back.” Butch looked at Tiny. “I’ve got shit to tell you. I don’t know if you’re going to like it or not.”

  “Private or not?” Tiny asked.

  “Private for now.”

  Turning to Devil, he opened his mouth to speak. “No need, Tiny. We’ll wait outside for you.”

  The Chaos Bleeds men walked out of the room, closing the door behind him.

  “You still got a nut on for a woman?” Alex asked.

  Butch glared at the other man.

  “Do you want Alex out of the way?” Tiny asked, glaring at his friend.

  “No, he can stay. I don’t give a shit what he says about Cheryl. She’s a sweet woman, and I’m not going to let him get to me.” Butch took a seat. “Frederick Gonzalez, I’ve heard of him.”

  Leaning forward, Tiny was listening.

  “I don’t have any family. My dad was part of an MC a long time ago. You might have heard of it, Savage Brothers?” When Tiny and Alex shook their heads, Butch shrugged. The two clubs may never have interacted as there was quite a distance between them. “I don’t know everything that happened or why exactly. All of the club is dead.”

  Tiny frowned. There was no way an entire club could be dead.

  The Darkness
is dead.

  But The Darkness was taken out by them. Surely, an entire club, a functioning club couldn’t be taken out so easily. There were men, even part of The Skulls, who didn’t reside in Fort Wills, like Mason Perry.

  “My mom got caught up in the drugs. Her supplier wanted to make a deal with the MC. They didn’t want to do a deal, and war broke out. At least, that’s what the news reports were saying. A drug bust gone bad or something like that. It was a long time ago, and I learned not to look back.” Butch rubbed his temples. “I was fucking thirteen years old when all this shit went down. I can’t remember what happened or why. I only recall the bloodbath that happened. My dad’s club fought tooth and nail to stay alive, but everything went to shit one morning. I think they tried to get rid of my mom, put her in rehab, I can’t remember. I only remember one day waking up and being dragged downstairs by my hair, and it was my mother screaming. My dad walked in, and then they started arguing. It was the fight that ended in their deaths.”

  Tears were in Butch’s eyes as he told his story.

  Tiny’s gut tightened.

  “I had never seen the men before, but I figured they must have been connected to the drug dealers. I do know that my family was killed by one man, and his name I overheard and remembered. I watched them rape my sister. She was only ten, and they took turns on my mother. They made my father watch. They shot me in the gut.” Butch gritted his teeth. “My family was killed by a Frederick Gonzalez. The name stuck, I don’t know why.”

  Tiny shook his head. “It couldn’t have been him, Butch. He’s too young to have been around. He’s only in his thirties like you.”

  “I was shot by Frederick’s father, but his son was standing right there beside him. I remember the two of them together. They watched those fuckers who came with them kill my family and the entire MC club, and then Frederick killed the men. It was a bloodbath, and he got away.” Butch rubbed at his temple. “I completely forgot about it until now.”

  “What made you remember?” Alex asked.

  “I was talking with Cheryl. It was easier to forget about it than bring it all up. I don’t know what information this is going to help you with, but it’s there for you to know.”