Page 6 of Primal Urges (Bikers of Mayhem #1)

CADEN

S unday afternoons at Ride ’em Hard were always dead. Most people were too busy nursing their Saturday night hangovers to even consider slinking their way back into the dingy biker bar.

Cade didn’t mind. He got paid for doing easy work.

Usually, Marcus got the team to work on remedial tasks that hadn’t gotten done during the week or used the time to discuss other crew business.

So it wasn’t any surprise when Marcus asked them all to gather at the center of the bar shortly after three.

“Afternoon, assholes. Glad to see you’re all still standing and not whining about your little headaches or why your knees hurt when you bend them.

” Marcus turned a knowing eye toward Damian, who was sitting in a booth with a hand on his forehead.

Damian straightened up when he realized that Marcus was talking about him.

“Hey, I’m not whining. Just massaging my head,” Damian explained, trying to reclaim the balls he once had before he decided to go shot-for-shot with Big Al, one of the locals who ran the town’s auto shop, last night.

Big Al was six-four and three hundred pounds, while Damian was a meager five-ten, one hundred and sixty pounds. It was no wonder that the man got his ass handed to him.

“Massaging your head, licking your wounds. Either way, you got your ass pummeled by Big Al last night. I’m amazed you're still able to sit with the pounding he gave you.”

The group around them chuckled.

Damian gave his boss the finger.

“Love you too.” Marcus blew him an air kiss. “Next, I wanted to officially welcome Lucas Braden to the team.” Marcus motioned for Lucas to step forward, then put his arm around the boy when he approached.

The size difference was comical. Marcus was a towering six foot four, while Lucas was a petite five-eight.

It was like staring at David and Goliath or a bodybuilding porn star and his newby twink scene partner.

There was no doubt in Cade’s mind that if the two of them were ever to fuck, the boy would be torn in two.

Lucas raised a shy hand and waved. He glanced around at all his new coworkers before his gaze settled on Cade. They both stared at each other for a lingering moment before Lucas eventually called chicken and diverted his eyes.

“Lucas is new in town and will be working here as a busboy, cleaning off tables and helping Alexis at the bar. I want everyone to make Lucas feel welcome and show him how things are done around here. Any questions?”

“Yeah. Where are you from?” Ace asked, taking a step forward and crossing his arms against his chest.

Ace was not like most of the other members of the Shadow Vipers. He was slim and smaller in stature and always smiling even when customers were being dicks.

It was sickening, really. How could one person be so goddamn cheery all day, every day?

Perhaps, he was popping some happy pills when no one was looking…

or maybe he was getting some really good dick on the side.

It’s amazing what taking a thick eight-incher will do for a person’s mood, or so he was told.

But whatever the cause, he couldn’t help but love the little piece of shit.

Lucas’s eyes darted around the room, looking like a scared little bunny that had just been surrounded by a pack of coyotes.

“I… I…”

Why did he look so nervous?

“I’m from the West Coast,” Lucas finally managed.

Okay. Vague much?

Caden leaned back with his ass pressed up against the table. He studied their newest addition.

The boy was slim and clean-cut, with light-brown hair that was neatly styled. He wasn’t like the rest of them. He didn’t exude confidence or give off that bad-boy vibe. He wasn’t covered in tattoos—not that Cade could see, anyway—and he didn’t strut around like he owned the world.

Instead, he appeared shy and nervous and definitely uncomfortable being gawked at by a room full of testosterone-fueled men who pumped iron and were addicted to inking their bodies.

If the guy was so uncomfortable around rough-looking dudes, why was he working at a biker bar?

Ace continued to gawk at Lucas, confused and clearly wondering if he should follow up with another question or just let things go. Ace was a talker and enjoyed getting to know people.

Not being able to converse with someone who fascinated him must be driving Ace crazy.

Caden tried not to laugh at Ace. The boy had issues.

Marcus placed a hand on Lucas’s shoulder, no doubt sensing the discomfort emanating from the boy.

“It doesn’t matter where he’s from or what brought him to this shithole we call home. What matters is that he is here now and part of our brotherhood. The Shadow Vipers take care of their family, so we are all going to look after him and make sure that he settles in nicely.”

Caden smiled.

That was one of the things he loved about his boss. The man knew when to back off and when to give people their space. He was their leader, their protector, and also their friend.

While their crew might be filled with intimidating-looking men, deep down, they all cared for one another.

The Shadow Vipers were a big, messed-up family who always had each other’s backs—even when they were being vague and shifty as hell.

“That’s enough lovey-dovey bullshit for one day,” Marcus continued. “Get your asses back to work and make me some money.”

Around the room, people mumbled curses and made sarcastic comments as they all moseyed back to their assigned duties.

They all loved their boss and fearless leader, but they also had images to protect.

Feigning protest was one way that they could all pretend that they had the balls to actually stand up to their boss.

“Tough, macho biker who sucks boss’s dick” did not have the same effect as “smart-ass tough guy who doesn’t let anyone tell him what to do.”

One scenario would get you laid; the other would make you some man’s bitch in a federal penitentiary.

Yes, that was what they all told themselves, but deep down, they all knew that if it came down to it, they would all get down on their knees and open wide if Marcus asked.

Sunday nights were never busy at the bar. That meant that Caden and Nikolai could alternate working the Sunday shift. They didn’t need two bouncers working the door, so Cade was free to hang out inside the bar most of the evening, helping with various tasks.

“So, what do you think about our newest addition?” Cade asked Alexis, who was wiping out the inside of a pint glass.

She glanced over at Lucas, who was trying to hang a dartboard that had fallen at some point during last night’s battle of the drunken dart masters .

Looking all masterful and determined, Lucas held a hammer in one hand, a nail in his mouth, and was propping the dartboard up against the wall with his other hand.

“How long do you think it will take him to realize he needs another hand to hammer the nail into the wall?” Cade asked, amused by the hopelessness of their newest addition.

“Yeah. He does look a little lost, doesn’t he?”

They both watched as Lucas fumbled around, trying to balance both items while attempting to grab the nail out of his mouth with the hand holding the hammer.

The boy looked confused.

“You may want to go give the kid a hand before he hurts himself,” she added, still watching him struggle.

Cade let out a snort before straightening up and making his way to the back of the bar.

“Having trouble, sweet cheeks?” Caden asked as he stepped up behind the boy.

“Huh? Wh-what?” Lucas asked, startled and nearly dropping the items he’d been carefully balancing.

“Looks like you could use a hand.”

Blushing, Lucas lowered the dartboard and held the hammer out to Caden.

“Know how to use one of these?” Lucas asked, looking all cute and innocent.

Something about the boy made Cade want to take the hammer and build him something. He usually felt this way when he was trying to impress a woman with his superior man skills and capabilities.

Caden chuckled.

“Yeah, I think I know my way around a hammer.” He took the tool and held out his hand, waiting for Lucas to give him the nail.

The boy just stood there staring at his palm.

Cade tried not to laugh. The boy really was hopeless when it came to fixing things.

“It works better if you give me the nail as well.”

“Oh! Shit, sorry,” Lucas rushed, his face quickly turning a deeper shade of red before dropping the nail in Caden’s massive paw.

“No worries. You’re a little bit uptight, aren’t you?” Caden asked, turning to face the wall and trying to visually judge where the dartboard should be hung.

He didn’t need a measuring tape or level because… well, hey, he was a guy and had a penis.

No self-respecting man needed assistance from some pansy-ass construction tool.

Yes, he was raised in a world where toxic masculinity still ruled. Add that to the expectation that all male bikers be rough and tough men, and Caden did his best to live up to those expectations.

From the corner of his eye, Lucas shrugged his shoulders but didn’t say a word.

After double-checking his position on the wall, Caden placed the nail in its proper position and gave it a few taps with the hammer before giving it a stronger whack. The nail went in perfectly, protruding just enough to hang the board.

He turned and took the dartboard from Lucas.

“There. How does that look?” he asked, adjusting the dartboard before taking a step back and admiring his handiwork.

He felt a swell of pride in his chest.

Man one. Dartboard zero.

“Wow, looks perfect!” Lucas cheered, his face brightening with a smile that could win over a room full of cobras.

Wow, that smile was intoxicating.

It was nice seeing Lucas’s face light up. He was kind of cute when he wasn’t all nervous and looking like he was about to get eaten by a mountain lion—which made Cade wonder, once again, why someone as shy as Lucas would choose to work at a rough place like this.

The boy looked like he belonged in a coffee shop or perhaps a pet store where he could play with fuzzy animals and give them kisses all day long. Ride ’em Hard didn’t exactly seem like the right fit for the boy.

Cade glanced around at the array of tools spread out on the pool table. He hoped that Lucas hadn’t attempted to hang the dartboard with a screwdriver or a wrench. However, considering the hopeless look in the guy’s eye when he first approached, he very well could have.

“So, is there anything else that needs fixing?” Cade asked, taking a final look around the space.

“Nah. I think Marcus was testing me, trying to figure out exactly what my skill set is and where I truly belong,” Lucas said, offering him a half smile.

Over Lucas’s shoulder, Cade spotted Marcus talking to Ace but watching the two of them. It wasn’t like Marcus to be so petty.

“No. Marcus isn’t like that. He asked you to fix this because it needed fixing. He might come across as all mean and angry, but deep down, he really is just a big fluffy love ball.”

Lucas chuckled, lowering his gaze.

It was a shame that the boy didn’t have more confidence when speaking with others. His smile alone could warm a room.

“Don’t tell the boss I said that. Otherwise, he’ll have me scrubbing toilets for a month,” Caden joked, leaning in closer and breathing in the boy’s scent.

He kind of smelled like cherry blossoms—or what he had been told cherry blossoms would smell like because, once again, he had balls.

They both chuckled.

“Well, I guess this is the second time that you’ve come to my rescue,” Lucas noted.

“Yeah, well, let’s keep that between us. I have a reputation to maintain. Let’s just say that fear and intimidation make working as a bouncer much easier when trying to keep guys in line.”

“Given the size of your arms, I’m sure you will always be intimidating.

” The boy’s eyes widened, and his cheeks flushed when he realized what he had just said.

“Your secret’s safe with me,” he quickly added before making his way around the pool table and throwing the extra tools back into the tool case used by the bar for minor repairs.

Bending over the pool table, Lucas’s shirt rode up, exposing a tiny bit of flesh on his lower back and just a hint of tiny butt crack.

Caden stared at Lucas’s exposed skin and wondered what it would feel like to grab the boy by the hips and fuck him hard, bent over the pool table.

What was that?

Caden took a step back, his heart pounding in his chest.

He’d never once fantasized about fucking another dude!

Sure, he could admit when a guy was good-looking or physically attractive, but he never once thought about caressing a man’s skin or dragging his fingers along another man’s pouty red lips.

Whoa! What the fuck was happening?

He was straight and had never before wondered such things.

Suddenly, he felt nervous.

What’s going on?

“Umm, I should probably get back to my post,” Caden rushed without looking up at the boy. He was too afraid that Lucas might see all of the dirty thoughts currently racing through his brain.

Dirty, rough, and nasty things.

He tried to swallow, but his mouth was suddenly bone dry. He needed to get out of there.

Before his thoughts had another chance to ambush him, he rushed toward the front door as quickly as possible.