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“Hey, prospect,” Grimshouted. “Need to show you somethin’.”
His arm slung around my shoulders as he led me into the common room. I didn’t know what he was up to, but I could tell he was full of restless energy as we joined the rest of the club members in the room. No ol’ ladies, no club girls. Just the members as they all held up shot glasses full of whiskey.
“It’s been voted on, kid. You’re being patched in.”
Blinking, I couldn’t believe it was finally happening as I squeaked out an affirmative reply.
“You’ve done good, Shadow. It’s time for you to pledge your oath and allegiance to the brotherhood. We’re a rowdy bunch of motherfuckers, but you’ll never find anyone more loyal than these Royal Bastards.”
Hollers and whistles followed his words. A few men stomped their boots and banged a fist on the bar.
“Need you to follow me.”
Grim led us into the chapel, and I stood inside, pausing in awe as I took in the interior. The table stood in the center, and I could feel the weight of it beneath my palm as I strode forward and placed my hand on the smooth surface. The Tonopah, NV chapter’s logo and rockers were deeply etched into the surface and oiled regularly. That bearded skull with a crown and the dual motorcycles racing out from the sides was the most beautiful thing I’d seen in a long time. Lemon, cigars, cigarettes, weed, and booze combined for one hell of a scent when it mixed with all the leather.
One by one, the members filed in behind us as they held onto their glasses. A few downed their shots and refilled them from the dozens of bottles gathered on a nearby minibar. On the wall around the room were the retired cuts of the men the club had lost over the years, including the original president Keys. The largest frame held the club’s code. The laws that governed our chapter were on display, so no man ever forgot what they meant or the blood that had spilled to maintain them.
My hand went over my heart, and I read each one, proudly declaring my allegiance and promise always to put the club first. Chills erupted along the skin on my arms as I finished the last one, and silence reigned over the chapel.
“Fuck yeah!” Grim called out. “Let’s get your patch.”
Men jostled my body around, and I saw Grim’s knife flick out, barely breathing as he ripped the prospect patch off and then held up the new one. Everything felt surreal as shots were lifted in the air and my name was chanted. Every brother in the club was smiling and downing shots, slapping me on the back and cutting loose as the party began.
I didn’t even know they planned all this. I’d been so stuck in my grief and need for vengeance I missed everything happening around me.
Rael pushed his way through the crowd, and everyone quieted. I could tell he had something on his mind but wasn’t sure if he would break down or do something crazy. Knowing him, it was an easy toss-up between the two.
“We’re goin’ for a ride, brothers,” he announced, placing a hand on my shoulder. “Shadow, you’re with me.”
Pride puffed out my chest as I realized where they were taking me. The Devil’s Ride had a reputation, and I couldn’t wait to see what it was all about.
Lifting my chin, I followed Grim and Rael outside, following their lead as I straddled my bike, revving the throttle a little before we left the lot. Every single member of the Royal Bastards was in attendance. Dozens of motorcycles rumbled next to mine before we began to leave the compound in formation. I rode next to Rael as he requested.
The wind was bitter and shockingly cold tonight, helped along by the precipitation as it lightly began to snow. December was already packin’ a punch, and it wasn’t Christmas for another two weeks.
The ride lasted longer than I would have thought. We didn’t stay on the highway long, venturing into the desert as the bikes formed long rows of iron beasts galloping among the cactus, tumbleweed, and nocturnal creatures. Dust blew into the air, surrounding us in a haze of heat and smoke that billowed behind thick tires.
The moon was high overhead and dazzled the eye with its slightly amber color thrown in with the sparkling white of the stars that reminded me of Stefanie more than I wanted to admit.
“There’s something you need to see, Shadow,” Grim announced.
At first, I couldn’t tell what the bikers were doing as I sat on my hog. Zipping around on their motorcycles, nothing made sense in the darkness as I watched the chaos unfold.
Time seemed to slow slightly, and everything appeared hazy. I felt drunk on the atmosphere and smiled lazily, tilting my head to figure out why my eyesight was playing tricks on me. Whooping and hollering filled the air as the men on the bikes began to rev their engines and spin around faster, their headlights the only illumination besides the shy and distant moon.
One minute, the figures of my Royal Bastards brothers and their bikes were completely normal, and the next . . . holy fuck!
The bikes’ tires caught fire, exploding in crimson and tangerine flames that licked up the sides of the motorcycles and lapped at the riders’ legs. The night lit up with a moving wall of fire that danced across the desert sands, almost like the flames were hopping from one rider to the next.
Mouth gaping open, I gasped at the wild, unpredictable sight and wished I was among them.
Laughter filled the air with a maniacal undercurrent as the faces of the men I had known for over a year began to morph into something much darker and decidedly sinister. One moment I was looking at a bunch of biker dudes in leather. Only a heartbeat later, I was astonished to find the twisted visage of demonic monsters astride their steel beasts. Skulls devoid of flesh stared back, eyes blazing with a feral need that I couldn’t identify. Hollow sockets were nothing more than cold, empty darkness except for the hint of flames within. Oddly at home with the shocking change, I lifted my fist and pumped the air.
Fuck yes!
No wonder Lucifer decided he wanted to pay me a visit. He knew I was going to be patched into the club. It wasn’t more than a second after that thought appeared in my head that I was standing by myself in the goddamn desert without my bike or my brothers.
The devil arrived in style as he leaned against a black mustang that was the sweetest, sexiest ride I’d seen in a long time.
