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Cove grinned. “How did you know trouble was my middle name?”
“I can smell it on you.”
She smiled in a snarky manner. “I always knew you were a dog.” Before nodding to his dog tags that he still wore around his neck.
“Cute,” he mocked.
Jace and Cove weren’t fond of one another. He thought she was a bad influence on me, and she thought he was a dickwad that didn’t know how to mind his own business.
Her words, not mine.
I blamed his career. After serving twenty years in the Navy Seals, Jace retired six months ago. He was Elite Forces, and we never knew much about where he was or what he was doing. When he was on leave visiting us, we never talked about his military life. It was as if he was two people, living two completely different lives. Everything he did was top secret. All we knew was he was the best of the best, my brother wouldn’t have it any other way.
He’d definitely seen some shit. He was the brother I was least close to. Mostly because he wasn’t around for my most of my life. By the time I was born, he was already active duty. I only saw him a couple times a year for days at a time.
Despite writing him letters whenever I could, he was closed off.
Private.
Moody.
Never showed any emotion.
I felt like he always kind of kept us at arm’s length. Dad said it was how he kept us safe, whatever that meant.
After I finished opening my presents, we ate cake and Cove and I left. My family understood I’d want to hang out with my friends on the night of my eighteenth birthday. They didn’t give me a hard time for leaving.
Tonight, was the first time I didn’t have to be home by midnight. Now that I was of age, I was able to persuade Daddy I didn’t need a curfew anymore, but I promised I’d always keep him in the loop of where I was and what time I’d be home. It took me a few weeks to get through to him, but I finally did.
My biggest argument was that none of my brothers had curfews, they were all allowed to do whatever they wanted. I was a good student, cheerleading caption, I stayed out of trouble. There wasn’t much say they could have, legally I was an adult and I think my family was all finally aware of it.
My senior year of high school started a couple months ago and I’d yet to celebrate becoming cheerleading caption. A role I worked for. I’d been a cheerleader since middle school while Cove began freshman year. She saw how much I loved it and gave it a try. Come to find out, she was an asset to our team.
“Haven,” Cove coaxed, driving her Jeep.
Once again she tore me away from my thoughts.
“Are you sure you want to do this?”
I smiled at her as she shook her head at me.
“What exactly are you trying to accomplish tonight?”
I didn’t hesitate in responding, “My independence.”
Hayes
My head was fucking pounding by the time I walked through the side entrance of the bar into my office. Once I was sitting in my leather chair, I placed my elbows on the desk in front of me to rest my head in the palms of my hands, mentally preparing myself for the night ahead.
It was still early by bar standards, but the place was already packed to the brim with people like it was every Friday night. At least I was making a shit ton of a money. The Outlaw was the talk of the town. It was the first biker bar in the area. Established in 1902 by my great, great grandfather.
The only reason he opened the bar to begin with was to run the shady shit for his motorcycle club, The Outlaw, that was he was president of at the time. My old man followed in my great, great grandfather’s footsteps. As soon as his father passed the gavel down to him, he also signed over the title to the bar.
I guess it could be said this place was my family’s legacy. Also the MC I wanted no part of, but my old man was still able to persuade me into owning forty-nine percent of the bar the day I turned twenty-one four years ago while his share remained at fifty-one percent. Overnight, this place became my life. Along with all the bullshit that came with it.
Leaning back into my chair, I rubbed my thumb over my mouth, getting lost in my thoughts until there was a knock on my door.
Mark hollered, “Clear to come in, Boss?”
My employees knew better than to barge into my office.
“Yeah,” I called out.
He opened the door, declaring, “We got a problem.”
I looked over at the surveillance monitor, assuming it had something to do with the MC.
