Clutch: Satan's Fury MC (27 page)

My heart swelled with pride as I watched my brother walk up to the podium. He’d worked so hard, and I knew it meant the world to him that he’d made valedictorian of his class. He stepped up to the microphone and smiled when he spotted us all sitting out in the crowd. The only thing missing was our parents. It was days like this that I missed them the most. They would have been so proud to see him standing up there in his cap and gown. Their children’s education meant a great deal to them, so with the inheritance money, I’d paid Charlie’s college tuition in full and bought him a safe vehicle to drive back and forth. I planned to do the same for Hadley when she graduated. As they stepped out to make their mark on the world, money would never be an issue for either of them; Dad made sure of that.

When the graduation ceremony was over, we all headed over to the clubhouse. The guys had a big barbeque planned and everyone was excited to celebrate Charlie’s success. The brothers of Satan’s Fury were our family, and they never failed to be there at our side whenever we needed them. With all of them, we’d found our home, and there was no other place I’d rather be.

The End.

Smokey’s book is coming soon. And Blaze will also get his own book in the near future!

Marci Ponce – Your dedication astounds me. Thank you for always being there to give me that little push I need to make the book even better. I can’t wait for you to publish your own book so I can do the same for you.

Amanda Faulkner – You are the world’s best PA. I can’t begin to thank you for all that you do. Please know that it means so very much to me and I couldn’t do this without you.

Natalie Weston – Thank you for always being there to listen and give advice. Your friendship is truly a blessing.

Daryl and Sue Banner, The Dynamic Duo – Thank you for being patient with me during the editing process. I am sure I drove you both nuts, but you were always so very sweet. I love your work, and I loved your formatting. *If you haven’t checked out Daryl Banner’s books on Amazon, you are missing out. Here is the link to his latest book:
http://amzn.to/1YzMn9p
It’s awesome!

Monica Langely Hollyway – Your teasers and banners are awesome. Thank you so much for bringing my quotes to life.

Neringa Neringiukas – You are the teaser guru. Thank you so much for sharing my book and teasers, and all of your kind words of support. You rock!

Ana Rosso – You’ve been with me since the beginning, and your support has meant so very much to me. I am so proud of you for writing your first book, Reaper’s Creed MC. I’m sure it will be a smashing success.

Kaci Stewart, Danielle Deraney Palumbo, Tanya Skaggs, Lisa Cullinan, Terra Oenning, and Patricia Ann Bevins – Thank you so much for always being there with your kind words and support. You ladies are awesome.

Wilder’s Women – I am always amazed at how much you do to help promote my books and show your support. Thank you for being a part of this journey with me.

A Special Thanks to Mom – Thank you for always being there to read, chapter by chapter, giving me your complete support. I love you so very much, and it means the world to me that you that you love my characters as much as I do.

Satan’s Fury MC

Book 3

My father always said it took a strong man to admit his mistakes, and an even stronger man to learn from those mistakes. The crazy thing was I never saw him make a mistake. Everyone looked up to my father, especially me. He was the kind of man who thought a handshake was enough; and where he was concerned, it was. He never broke his word, even when it was difficult to follow through. He never failed to provide for his family, giving us a life where we all felt safe and loved. He adored my mother with a passion that never seemed to waiver, making us all love him even more. I wanted to be just like him, but it just wasn’t in the cards for me.

Born
towheaded and full of mischief, I was the oldest of three sons. My dad got a kick out of my snow-white hair and nicknamed me Cotton, saying that one day I’d prosper just like the cotton fields in Tennessee. Even when my hair turned dark brown like his own, the nickname stuck. There was no doubt I held a special place in my father’s heart; we could all see it. His eyes gleamed with pride whenever I was around. I knew he had high expectations for me, wanting me to be a good role model for my brothers, Joseph and Lucas; but more times than not, I found myself in some kind of trouble I had no business getting into. I just couldn’t stop myself. It was nothing for us to sneak off in the middle of the day when we were supposed to be helping out at the house; or in the middle of the night when we should’ve been sleeping soundly. There was nothing better than running amuck with my brothers; and with them falling close behind, I sought to discover all the secrets the world had hidden within her. There wasn’t a tree tall enough or a cave dark enough to deter my curiosity. While Joe and Luke would stand by watching, I’d slip into the dark depths of a cave, unaffected by the voice inside my head that screamed for me to turn back. I got a rush from the danger that lurked inside, drawing me in, deeper and deeper into the darkness. Maybe it had something to do with being the first-born son, or maybe it was just a part of who I was, but nothing could stop that restless feeling I felt stirring in my gut. More times than not, my brothers and I found ourselves in a heap of trouble, and there was nothing worse than seeing that look of disappointment in my father’s eyes when we screwed up. Unfortunately, it happened a lot; but it didn’t prevent us from doing it time and time again, knowing our father would always be there to help pull us out of trouble… until the day he wasn’t.

When my father died, a part of me died with him, and the direction of my life changed forever. As I grew older, I always tried to remember what he said about being a strong man… a good man. In the life I’ve lived, I have made my mistakes—lots of them—but I’ve never had a problem admitting when I fucked up. The hard part wasn’t learning from the mistakes I’d made; it was finding a way to fix them.

Sophomore Year of High School

I was fourteen when my father shocked us all by dying of a massive heart attack. His death damn near destroyed our family, ending the safe and secure world I’d always known. My mother hadn’t worked in years, making it difficult for her to find a job that could sustain the life we’d grown accustomed to. When she’d finally managed to find a few odd jobs, it just wasn’t enough, and I was overcome with the need to protect my mother and brothers. I loved them and couldn’t stand to see the worry in their eyes. I knew I had to do something, anything to make things better for them. I started mowing lawns and running the local paper route, helping out the only way I knew how. I was doing all I could, and we were still barely able to pay our bills. That’s when my Uncle Saul stepped in, helping out in a way I couldn’t.

Until then, I really didn’t know much about my uncle, other than he was the president of some motorcycle club. I didn't know why we never spent time with him or his family, but I’d gotten the impression a long time ago that it had something to do with my mother. A look of disgust would cross her face whenever my dad mentioned his brother’s name or his club, and eventually, he just stopped talking about him altogether. It was obvious to all of us she didn’t care for him or what he represented, but at the time, she was in no position to turn down his offer to help. I never did understand her distaste for him. I liked Saul from the start. I could see my father when I looked into his eyes or heard his voice, reminding me of that secure feeling I had whenever my dad was around. I felt a pull to my uncle, and each time he’d come by the house, I’d stare out the window and watch as he pulled up on his motorcycle. There was a mystery to him that intrigued me, making me want to know more about his life and his club that existed on the outside of town.

Years passed, and even though I knew my mother wouldn’t approve, I asked my uncle if he could help me find a more substantial job, thinking the money would help out with the bills. I’d heard him talking about a house renovation the club was doing for one of their members, and since I was good with my hands, I hoped he’d be able to find a place for me. When I brought it up to Uncle Saul, I figured he would say no because of my age, but I knew I had my father’s build which made me look older than I really was, so I took a chance. At first he hesitated, but after I explained it would really help us out and promised to keep up my grades up at school, he finally agreed. It didn’t take me long to realize the job I so desperately wanted wasn’t exactly what I thought it would be. Since I was much younger than any of the club members, they had me doing all the grunt work that they didn’t want to do themselves. I’d never worked harder in my life, but I liked being there, working with all of those men my uncle called his brothers, and soon began to feel like I was a part of something more than just a work crew. I felt like I belonged, especially when they’d let me tag along on some of their rides to blow off steam after work. Being on a bike with them was all that I thought it would be and more. The only thing better would have been having one of my own.