Savage Sons MC Boxed Set: Troubled Son; Prodigal Son; Freedom's Son; Sinner's Son
Troubled Son
Prologue
I
never thought I'd end up here. Smart, well-educated girls don't. Everything I've worked for is gone, and all of my degrees, training, tears...nothing makes a difference. I feel like the walls are going to close in on me, and the only consolation for living in this shitty apartment is that it's better than living back with my parents.
Chapter 1
I
was a little nervous as I looked at myself in the mirror, though I'd never have admitted it to anyone else. A little smile tugged at the corners of my mouth as I realized what the date was and imagined the ridiculous scenario of walking in to what was probably the most important meeting of my life, only to be greeted with laughter and the calls of, "April Fools!"
Chapter 2
I
heard my phone ring while I was working out. I was pissed that I hadn't turned the fucking thing off, but I made myself focus and keep going. I finished the bench press strong and took my time with the rest of the circuit before I went to see who'd been bugging me. I picked up both of my prepaid phones before I realized that it was my shop phone. It was a hassle juggling all of the cell phones, but in the long run, it made things much simpler.
Chapter 3
I
headed for my desk as soon as I was inside the building so that I could drop off my briefcase, hoping all the while that no one would realize that the case held little other than my cell phone, a handful of pens, and a blank notebook. I greeted folks on my way to get a cup of coffee, and I was just about to head into the meeting room that I'd reserved when I saw my Assistant Special Agent in Charge waving at me from her office.
Chapter 4
I
parked the bike and took my helmet off. I didn't have any appointments until the afternoon, but I had some things I needed to take care of around the shop. I'd known that it was gonna be hard to balance everything once the undercover fed came on the scene, but I had to admit that I was a little worried now that it was just around the corner. She was gonna dress up and play a part to put some bad guys away, but this was my family I was setting up. I knew that I was taking the only chance I had to get out � to live a life I could be proud of � but that didn't make it any easier. Knowing that if things went according to plan that my aunt and uncle could do time in prison, that the guys I'd ridden with for my whole life would be going down � it was a lot to shoulder.
Chapter 5
I
walked through the door of my apartment feeling like a wrung-out, overloaded mess. I'd studied Tombley's files and been stunned at the scope of the Savage Sons� operations. Not only had the size of their prostitution business grown substantially, but their crank trade had grown to overshadow everything else. It was huge, and it was locked up pretty tight. According to what Moses had told us, there were very few folks who knew all of the details, and even the people who handled just portions of the operation were loyal SS members. While there was always the possibility of lousy security or loose-lipped junkies, the SS had done a remarkable job of building their business and staying under the radar. Moses was the only reason we had a case at all.
Chapter 6
I
nodded to Tombley as I slid into the chair across from his. He'd picked a table in the corner, and we both had a pretty good view of the entire room. He and I didn't have much in common, but we clearly thought about a few things the same way.
Chapter 7
I
spent most of the morning lounging in my pajamas, drinking coffee and reading through the files on the members of the Savage Sons. Ho. Ly. Shit. They were nasty folks, every last one of them. Every member � including the prospects � had been in trouble with the law at least once, and one of the members had even served time in a federal prison. Drug charges, prostitution, vandalism, failure to pay child support, assault, unlawful possession of firearms...there was even a mail fraud charge against one of the old timers along with an assortment of domestic disputes. I'd spent plenty of time with criminals, but I'd never seen such a comprehensive list of offenses before.
Chapter 8
I
wasn't used to feeling uncertain, and I fucking hated it. So far, Max seemed to be pretty solid. She was gonna fit in just fine with the new hair and shit, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't worried. We were heading out for what could be a disaster. I'd talked about the new chick I was seeing, but tonight was the start on the massive web of lies I was about to start telling the men I'd trusted with my life. The men I'd lived with, gotten drunk with, gotten rich with, whored with. They were my family, and tonight was a big step toward betraying them. I believed that I was doing the right thing, but I had to call it what it was. It was a betrayal.
Chapter 9
T
he sun was just about to hit the top of the Rocky Mountains to the west, and I was struck by the contrast of the spectacular natural beauty of Denver and the sleazy shop I was about to enter. I'm not a prude, but I was really glad that we weren't heading into the strip club. I felt only marginally better about going into the store. Assuming that the lingerie and hooker heels in the window were the tamest of their inventory, this shopping trip was about to get interesting.
Chapter 10
I
walked back inside to find Kitten ringing up a fortune in slutty shoes and underwear. I'd thought the stop at the lingerie shop would be a good way to see how Max handled being in an unfamiliar situation, and she'd been cool as a cucumber. I was the one who'd gotten so hot and bothered by the thought of the thongs and heels that I had to get some air. Even just hearing her bra size gave me half a hard-on. I couldn't help thinking about what it would be like to watch her put on and then remove some of the things Kitten and I had picked out. Even the thought of Max in the dressing room made me unable to focus on anything except what her ass might look like in the red lace panties I'd picked out to match her shoes. I had to stop.
Chapter 11
A
s Moses and I crossed the parking lot, I realized that neither of us had a wire on. I nearly pulled back on his hand, but I figured that there was nothing to do about it at this point. It was probably unnecessary to worry about the Savage Sons spilling their illegal secrets to me the very first time I met them. As we got closer to the door, I was a little nervous. I didn't want to screw up, and I didn't want Moses to think I was an idiot.
Chapter 12
I
was trying like hell not to laugh as I talked to Zeno about what was going on and watched Max at the same time. He told me exactly what I'd expected � fuckin' Bug had promised some hot girl-on-girl action in exchange for an extra five dollars at the door. I planned to bring the matter up at our next club meeting, but looking around the room, I knew my chances of finding support were shit.
Chapter 13
I
pulled the cork on a bottle of Albarino and poured myself a glass.
Chapter 14
I
wasn't surprised that I thought about Max before I even opened my eyes. I felt pretty good about her ability to handle herself with the Sons, but the problem was that I was attracted to her. Really attracted to her. Like, I couldn't stop thinking about her � clothed, in the underwear I'd bought for her, naked � Max occupied my thoughts in a way that pushed everything else out. That was dangerous, and I knew it. I had to find a way to get it under control.
Chapter 15
I
couldn't believe it while I was getting ready, but I was actually looking forward to shopping at Goodwill. I had my beater car, and I needed clothes to go with it. Since I wasn't supposed to meet Moses until the afternoon, I had the morning free to pack up the few things I wanted to take with me when I moved into his place temporarily. I had to keep reminding myself that it was just temporary, because the thought of being under the same roof with Moses Hall was making my temperature rise.
Chapter 16
I
was working on finishing the outline of a jaguar that would be the last big section of a full sleeve I'd done for a good customer of mine. Since the guy was paying as we went, I planned to do the outline in one day and fill in with color in a couple of weeks when he got paid again. I heard Krystal's voice before she knocked, 'cause she knew I didn't like sudden loud noises while I worked. A steady hand is essential to good line work.
Chapter 17
I
followed Moses back out to the front of the shop, telling myself to get my shit together. When he'd leaned over to whisper in my ear, I'd nearly passed out. He smelled like something earthy and clean and dangerous all at once, and I wanted to kiss him. It was all I could do to back away. My job would have been a whole lot easier if Moses had looked like Butch or any of the other Sons I'd seen. As it was, he was just magnetic, and that was a problem.
Chapter 18
I
felt better after I said my piece to Max. I actually liked her, which surprised me. I didn't think that I'd find a fed as easy to talk to as she'd been. I wanted to make her understand why I'd gone to the FBI, and why I was willing to betray my brothers. I knew I'd feel that guilt for the rest of my life, even though I believed that I was doing the right thing.
Chapter 19
I
felt great. The Mexican food had been fantastic � a real treat for an east coast girl, and the margaritas had been exactly what I wanted. I knew that I was a little tipsy, but I also knew my limits. I was in good shape, but I couldn't drink much more and stay completely in control. And as it was, I was having trouble resisting the urge to push Moses up against the wall and kiss him. I knew that I was about to walk into a serious den of iniquity, but Moses had every one of my nerve endings humming. I felt like I was spring loaded and the slightest provocation could send me over the edge. Even though I'd told him that I could handle his fake public displays of affection, in truth I was a little worried. Being close to him was intoxicating � even more intoxicating than the margaritas had been.
Chapter 20
I
figured that Bethany would be the best pick to show Max the bathroom. I didn't expect her to be nice, but I expected that Max would return with all of her limbs attached. I probably sound like an arrogant ass, but the girls had been falling all over themselves for years, trying to tie me down. I'd had more than one of them tell me I didn't need to bother with a rubber, but there was no way I was falling for that line. The last thing I needed was a hooker knocked up with my kid.
Chapter 21
K
ris set my glass of water on the bar, and I drained it and asked for a refill. I couldn't for the life of me figure out how all of these people managed to drink nothing but alcohol without getting sick as a dog.
Chapter 22
W
hen I woke up with ridiculous morning wood, I could tell that Max hadn't been up long. I slid my hand under the covers and I could feel the warmth from where she'd been sleeping. I realized that she might have felt my hard-on, and I also realized that there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it. If she hadn't slept in that soft, sexy nightgown, it wouldn't have happened.
Chapter 23
M
oses hadn't been kidding when he said he lived pretty far out of town. It had taken us about fifteen minutes to get to his driveway, and when we turned, I was surprised that I didn't see a house. After about a mile-and-a-quarter, the house came into view. And what a house it was.
Chapter 24
M
usic cranked, I pushed myself a little harder than I usually did in my workout. Between having Max in my house and being pissed at Tombley, I was all out of sorts. I couldn't actually figure out what had me so mad. I just felt like Tombley should have told me that he had informants in the Vandals.
Chapter 25
I
wasn't in shock, but it was taking me a little while to process everything that had just happened. Moses stowed the paper bag with the meth � or whatever it was � in the saddlebag.
Chapter 26
W
atching Max's face as I kissed the inside of her wrist was a turn on all by itself. I liked the fact that she'd thought she had me figured out and I'd been able to surprise her. I also realized that this � being in front of my fireplace with a woman who was sexy and smart � was way overdue. I'd realized from time to time that just banging a girl and moving on wasn't the most satisfying way to live. Don't get me wrong. I'd had a lot of fun, but Max had made me realize that I'd really been missing out. Maybe if I could start fresh, I'd end up with a woman who would enjoy conversation