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Prologue
(Bonus Scene in Defiant Dodge - Knight’s Legion MC)
Dante ~ 18 years old
Four Years Ago
Today should’ve been a happy day. I guessed it was for my parents and my MC family when I looked at their smiling faces. They were proud I had enlisted in the army and had thrown me a huge farewell party at the compound.
College had never been on my radar. I was a lot more like my dad than my mom in that regard. My younger sisters, Demi and Dezi, were crazy smart and couldn’t wait to graduate high school to conquer the world.
I wanted to be a Knight like the other boys in the club. After I served my commitment in the army, I’d return to Minnesota to prospect. Dad had promised to sponsor me. Mom wasn’t thrilled about it, but she would never stand in the way of my dreams. All she wanted was for me to experience something outside of the MC life first. She’d always been reasonable. Both my parents were, really.
My mom and dad were the best. Having three kids in four years had been a cakewalk for them, and they’d had an extensive support network. Mom called the other old ladies her tribe. They helped each other out all the time. The kids in the club literally had dozens of aunties and uncles. When I was younger, the clubhouse had been like a daycare, with all the biker brats running around.
For the last eighteen years, my dad and his MC brothers had been busy creating the next generation of KLMC members. It was pretty awesome to grow up with a built-in group of friends. We sort of had our own club. I, of course, was the leader of the pack as the oldest boy, and Birdie was the queen of the girls.
My chest tightened when I noticed my friends getting in place on the built-in stage. I didn’t have a musical bone in my body, but I enjoyed watching from the sidelines… sort of.
Uncle Raul’s son, Ray, played guitar and had taught Storm’s son, Chase, and Hero’s boy, Gabe, to play. Not long after, Boxer’s boy, Max, had gotten a drum set for Christmas.
And who were the lead singers?
Ray and Birdie.
I exhaled a deep breath, then guzzled my beer. I wished it were whiskey in my bottle, but my dad wouldn’t allow it. None of the parents cared if the older kids had a beer or two during a party, so long as we didn’t get drunk. It was impossible to sneak around here with dozens of pairs of eyes everywhere.
“Hey, Little D. Why are you all alone?” Ember asked. She stood in front of me, blocking my view of the band.
I took another swig from my bottle. “Just taking it all in one last time.”
She put her hands on her hips. “Sure you don’t mean taking her all in one last time?”
I cut my gaze to Ember’s. The fire in her eyes matched the color of her red hair. She looked a lot like her mom, Tara. I wasn’t sure what had flown up Miss Attitude’s ass. Probably hormonal-teen-girl shit. The estrogen in the air for the last several years had been suffocating. The girls outnumbered the boys by a few.
“What do you want, Ember? Can’t you see I’m trying to relax before I leave for basic tomorrow?”
She huffed, mumbling something as she sat beside me. “Don’t lie to me.”
The intro of the first song began with Demi, heading it off on the keyboard. The group was honestly amazing. They played everything: country, classic rock, R & B, 80s pop.
My eyes locked on her when the most beautiful voice came through the speaker behind me. I sucked in a breath, burning everything about her to memory. Long, dark hair cascaded down her bare shoulders in soft waves, and the brightest blue eyes lit up the evening sky. I’d never get to caress her fair skin. And her goddamn smile made my heart weep.
When Ray’s voice speared through my ears, he jerked me out of my daze. It was then I realized they were singing a duet—a fucking love song.
My cousin strummed his guitar while looking out at the crowd. A few kittens were fangirling over him. Nothing new there. They always purred around Ray. He’d been patched in five years ago. His brother, Track, had replaced Uncle Raul as vice president over a decade ago. I’d heard rumors that Ray would take Track’s place when he retired.
I wanted to hate Ray, but he was my cousin and a genuinely good guy.
Birdie turned toward Ray as they sang in perfect harmony together. Their performances were flawless. Their chemistry was undeniable.
The way Birdie gazed at Ray wasn’t an act. She fooled everyone off the stage when she gallivanted around with her latest boy-toy of the week.
She didn’t fool me. She wasn’t into any of the dudes she dated.
Birdie and I had been best friends since we were in diapers. We were always together, which meant I knew her as well as I knew myself. Probably better.
It totally sucked that she didn’t feel the same about me. When we turned fourteen, she started noticing the boys outside the club. Then a couple of years later, I’d learned the truth…
