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Prologue
Maceo
Iam half a world away in Spain, learning that Esteban Moreno, the man who murdered my parents, had been in Fort Collins—my home. This is not the news I want to hear, especially when there’s nothing I can do to help my family back in the States.
Three days ago, he dared to be within a hundred yards of where I stood with my wife on our wedding day at our home in Colorado.
“Motherfucker,” I snarl, punching the wall of the villa Josephine and I are renting as we honeymoon in Ibiza. A chunk of stucco falls to the floor, sending shards of white plaster scattering across the porcelain.
Luckily, Josephine is lying out on our private beach and can’t witness me going berserk—she’d rip me a new one if she saw me vandalizing the place.
“He dares show up to my wedding, see my bride and our family celebrating? I’ll kill him,” I seethe into my cell to Chase, my intel specialist. “Is he still in Fort Collins? Do we have a lead?”
“Negative. I already informed the FBI and local law enforcement to be on the lookout, but his location is unknown,” Chase sighs. “I don’t want you rushing back here on a whim, but I have a gut feeling he’s still in here in Colorado.”
Like a raging bull, I huff and puff as I pace the house. “I want headquarters on lockdown. Make sure we install the fence around the entire perimeter of the property before we return. Have Jo’s construction crew be on the lookout for anything or anyone sketchy coming onto the site. We allow no one out alone. Everyone partners up. If the ladies leave for whatever reason, make sure they’re escorted. It may be time for Ziggy to bump his relationship to the next degree and have Jared move in—we keep our own close.”
My orders may sound like I’m a controlling asshole, but as President of the Mercy Ravens Motorcycle Club, it’s my job to protect my brothers and our kin. These demands shouldn’t be taken lightly—they should be enforced immediately for my crew’s safety.
My ears hear thetap, tap, tapof Chase’s fingers flying across the keyboard. “Ziggy may not be ready to take the leap. They’re wild about each other, but I’m not sure it’s reached the level of living together.”
“Then offer Jared a suite,” I say, fighting to keep the frustration out of my tone. “He’s Josephine’s best friend which means he’s Mercy Ravens’ folk. The dude’s apartment is a security nightmare.”
“Got it,” Chase says.
My aggravation builds, but I stop myself from punching the wall again. Josephine will be pissed when she sees the damage I’ve done. She’ll demand I take her to the local hardware store so she can repair it. Keeping my destruction to a minimum is a must. The gym here doesn’t have a punching bag, which is a huge oversight. I need a better way of releasing my anger.
Trying to rein in my temper, I gaze out the patio doors of our master suite to see my wife sprawled out on the sandy shore, waiting for me to join her. Immediately, my temper begins to abate. Josephine’s presence always has a calming effect on me. “Anything else I need to know?”
Chase pauses. Pauses arenevera good sign.
“Spit it out,” I say heatedly.
“Opal had an encounter yesterday when she went to get the mail.”
Ice wraps around my heart. “What?!”
“She wasn’t alone,” he adds quickly. “Eagle was with her and got a first eye account. A car slowed as it was passing the compound. The man called out to Opal using heractual name.”
It’s pure fucking luck our MC brother Eagle was with her—not much gets past his keen sight. The details he witnessed will undoubtedly help us with a character description.
“Was it him? Was it the fucker who molested her as a child?”
“Opal isn’t talking, but based on her reaction, we believe so. Gauge is losing his fucking mind over this.”
Opal is Gauge’s, my VP, old lady, and she’s as precious as the stone itself. I know the extent of the abuse because she allowed Gauge to share it with me. The vile, sadistic shit he did to her is the stuff nightmares are made of. She escaped him by running away from home at seventeen, continually hopping from town to town because he was hunting her like prey. To say she’s scared is an understatement—she’s petrified.
“Sonofabitch!” Frustrated with the extra drama, I run a hand down my face. “We’re coming home.”
“No, Prez. Finish your honeymoon. It’s only been three days. We can handle the ship for another eleven. If I come into anything conclusive with either Esteban or Opal’s case, I’ll call you to get your ass back home,” Chase reassures. “No reason to rush back when we’ll be working on this for a while.”
Right.Like I can relax knowing all this crap is happening at home. “And what about Luca? Where are we with him?”
Lucky Luca was Lorenzo Bianchi’s, the recently deceased mafioso Don, second-in-command. He also is a sadistic pig who gets off on hurting women. Chase claimed dibs on him after he assaulted Simone, his unrequited love. Our other MC brother, Butch, wants in on the action. Chase has no objections, meaning I’m fine with it too.
“You once mentioned grand gestures may win over Simone…” Chase trails.
Oh shit!I’m not the best at expressing my feelings, but even I know this won’t fly. “Not sure if offering Luca in a body bag to the woman you’re trying to woo is the best idea. Am I to assume you’ve got a lead?”
