Page 25

Rocky

I was halfway through patching up my old shovelhead when the rumble of a familiar engine cut through the Tennessee heat. The low growl of a Harley, smooth as sin and twice as cocky. I wiped the grease off my hands, squinting toward the road as a sleek, black Dyna pulled into the lot, kicking up dust like it owned the damn place.

The rider swung off with an ease that spoke of years in the saddle. Tall, blond, and grinning like the devil himself. My baby brother, Villain.

“Well, ain't this a sight,” I muttered, tossing the rag onto my seat.

Villain sauntered over, his cut bearing the Nashville chapter's colors, the Sergeant at Arms patch prominent on his chest.

“Rocky,” he drawled, voice dripping with that Southern charm that had gotten him into, and out of, more trouble than I cared to count.

“What the hell brings you to Knoxville?” I asked, crossing my arms.

He smirked, blue eyes glinting with mischief. “Thought I'd drop in, see how my big brother's holdin' up.”

I grunted. “Last I heard, you were too busy playin' possum down in Nashville.”

He chuckled, running a hand through his annoyingly perfect hair. “Can't help it if I’m a wanted man.”

“Yeah, well, keep that shit in Nashville. We got enough trouble without you stirrin' the pot.”

His grin widened, and I knew that look all too well.

“Speaking of trouble,” he said, eyes drifting past me toward the clubhouse.

I turned to see what had his attention and felt my stomach knot. Birdie stood on the porch, sun catching her hair just right, making her look like some kinda damn angel.

Villain took a big whiff of the air. His eyes glowed as he let out a low whistle. “Now, who might that be?”

“Off-limits,” I snapped, shooting him a glare.

He raised his hands in mock surrender. “Easy, brother. Just appreciatin' the view.”

“Appreciate it from a distance,” I warned, feeling the wolf in me stir, not liking the way his eyes lingered on her.

Villain chuckled, but there was an edge to it. “Relax, Rocky. I'm here for business, not pleasure.”

“Then let's get to it,” I said, leading him toward the clubhouse.

We stomped up onto the porch side by side, boots thudding heavy against the old wood. Birdie hadn’t moved—just stood there with that wide-eyed, curious look like she was tryin’ to figure out if Villain was trouble or just pretty.

Spoiler: it was both.

“Birdie,” I said, my voice low but firm, like I was wranglin’ a goddamn tornado. “This is my brother. Villain.”

She tilted her head, ever the polite Southern girl, even when she was suspicious. “Villain? That your real name or somethin’ your mama cried about?”

Villain barked a laugh, clearly delighted. “Oh, she’s got claws. You didn’t tell me she was funny.”

“I didn’t tell you shit,” I muttered. “Birdie, meet the reason I have stress headaches. Villain’s Sergeant at Arms down in Nashville.”

Birdie stuck out her hand like she hadn’t just insulted him. “Nice to meet you. I’ve heard… very little.”

He took her hand and kissed it, goddamn dramatic. “Pleasure’s all mine, darlin’.”

“Alright,” I growled, snatching her hand back like he’d tried to brand it. “We’re done with the courtin’. Let’s go inside.”

Inside the Wild Dog, the place lit up the second Villain crossed the threshold. The boys always had a sixth sense for shit stirrers, and my brother was like throwin’ fireworks into a tinderbox .

“Look what the alley cat dragged in,” Smokey called from the bar, a beer halfway to his lips. “Villain, you bucktoothed cousin fucker.”

“Still ugly, Smokey,” Villain replied with a grin, striding over to slap palms with him. “But at least you smell better than I remember.”

TNT looked up from his usual corner table, flipping his butterfly knife open and closed like he was gonna stab someone just for fun. “Did Nashville finally run outta sins, or are you just bored?”

“Little of both,” Villain said, flashing that wolfish smile.

Chevy didn’t say a damn thing, just raised his glass in a silent toast from the shadows. Typical. The witch blood in him always made him watch first, speak later.

Even Bearcat came stompin’ in from the back hall, eyes narrowed. “Was wonderin’ when the fuckin’ circus would show up.”

Villain gave him a nod. “Always a pleasure, Bear. You still slow as molasses or you finally learn to move that bear ass?”

Everyone chuckled. Even Birdie, who stood behind me, wide-eyed but amused.

“Squeegee,” I called, spotting the youngest of our prospects. The kid perked up like I’d just called roll. “Grab our guest a beer.”

“On it, VP.”

I jerked my chin at the bar. “Birdie, you good?”

She looked at me like she was readin’ somethin’ under the surface. “I’ll be fine. I’ll catch up with Eliza. ”

“Good,” I said, watching her head off, hair swayin’ behind her like a goddamn siren's call. I turned back to my brother. “Let’s get to Knox.”

Villain gave the room a last smirk, lifted his bottle in salute, and followed me down the hallway to the chapel.

Knox sat at the head of the table, leanin’ back like a coiled spring. His expression didn’t change when Villain stepped in. Didn’t offer a greeting either.

After a good long minute. He spoke.

“You bringin’ trouble to my door, or you just slummin’ it with family?” Knox asked.

Villain didn’t blink. “Little of both, Prez.”

I dropped into my chair with a groan as the two caught up, all laughs and smiles.

I wasn’t in the mood. “Let’s get it over with.”

“So,” Knox began, steepling his fingers. “What brings Nashville's Sergeant at Arms to my table?”

Villain reached into his cut, pulling out a manila envelope. He tossed it onto the table, the sound echoing in the quiet room.

“Kingpin sends his regards,” Villain said, referring to Nashville's president. “Wants y'all to know there are changes comin' in the MC world. Thought it best you hear it from family first.”

Knox eyed the envelope but didn't reach for it. “What kind of changes? ”

Villain's expression turned serious. “Nashville's lookin' at patching away from the Royal Bastards.”

The room went fuckin’ still. No more jokes. No more smiles.

Just business.

I felt my jaw tighten. “You're talkin' about mutiny?”

Villain snorted. “Can’t take what’s already yours. Talkin’ ‘bout a new alliance. Things ain't what they used to be. Kingpin's got his reasons. He wants Knoxville to consider doin' the same.”

Knox finally picked up the envelope, opening it to reveal a stack of documents. His eyes zipped across the pages, and I saw his jaw jump.

“What the hell is this?” Knox muttered, anger flickering in his eyes.

Villain leaned forward, resting his hands on the table. “Proof. Of things that could drag us all down.”

Knox's eyes glowed hot, a sign his fox was close to the surface. I didn't know what was in those papers, but it was bad enough to get under his skin.

I turned to Villain. “And if we decide to patch over, who are we joinin'?”

Villain shrugged. “Once you make the call, details will follow. But trust me, it's a better deal.”

I ran a hand through my hair, frustration boiling beneath my skin. “This ain't a decision we can make lightly.”

Villain nodded. “I get that. But family looks out for each other. And I ain't about to let my brother and his club go down with a sinking ship.”

Knox took a deep breath, trying to rein in his temper. “We'll discuss this. But understand, Villain, this ain't just about club politics. It's about loyalty.”

Villain's expression softened just a fraction. “I know. But sometimes, loyalty means knowin' who deserves your loyalty.”

Knox slammed the envelope onto the table. “Kingpin expects an answer by when?”

“Next full moon,” Villain said, meeting Knox's gaze without flinching.

The weight of his words hung in the air as we sat in silence, each of us grappling with the implications.

After a moment, Villain stood. “I need a drink. Mind if I help myself to the bar?”

Knox waved him off, already engrossed in the documents.

I followed Villain out, my boots thudding on the hardwood as we stepped into the barroom, the sounds of laughter and pool balls crackin’ louder now, makin’ my damn ears ring. He was already behind the bar, leanin’ like he owned the place, pourin’ himself a whiskey in my favorite glass.

“Really?” I growled, jerkin’ my chin at the tumbler. “ That one?”

He grinned, smooth as a fox in a henhouse. “C’mon, brother. She’s a beauty.” He sniffed the air. “Marked but not claimed. My little brother. Always doing shit half-assed. But you always did have good taste.”

I yanked the glass from his hand, sloshing the drink onto the bar top. “Not for you, I don’t.”

He didn’t miss a beat. Just grabbed another glass, poured again, and raised it in a mock salute. “To everything we share. Good looks. Blood. Our taste in women.”

I didn’t drink. Just leaned there, arms crossed, eyes pinned on him. “You show up here havin’ the balls to flirt with my woman?”

His brows lifted, that smug expression never changin’. “Flirt? I said hi.”

“You looked at her like you wanted to eat her alive.”

His smirk faltered for a second. “Maybe I’m hungry. I don’t see no claim on her. Not one tat. Not even those vests you boys give out to the ladies when you’re too pussy to ink ‘em.”“

I stepped in closer, chest to chest now, noses damn near touchin’. “Try it, and you’ll be leavin’ here with a few less teeth.”

Villain’s smile dropped. And I saw it, that glint of real darkness that lived behind his easy charm. “So, it’s like that, huh?”

“It’s not like you have dick-all else goin’ on in your life.”

Villain raised his eyebrows. “I know you like to think about my dick.”

“I don’t give a goddamn about you.”

“How ‘bout you stop being a little bitch.”

“You’re nothin’ but trouble.”

“Trouble?” He snorted. “That your word for the truth?”

“No, trouble is you,” I snapped. “Always has been. Since you ran off to Nashville, leavin’ this club and your pack behind.”

Villain’s jaw flexed. “You think I had a choice?”

“You had a thousand choices,” I said, my voice low and mean. “And you picked the one that put you in bed with a bunch of humans who don’t even know what you are.”

He slammed his glass down, eyes flashing. “I picked survival, Rock. You weren’t the one with a fuckin’ bounty on your head.”

“You think I don’t remember?” I barked. “You think I forgot how you dragged the Smokey Rollers name through the mud? How you cost us half their chapter before Knox rebuilt what we got?”

Villain turned away, pacing like a caged wolf. “It ain’t that simple.”

“No,” I growled. “It’s that selfish.”

He stopped, head hangin’ low for a second. Then he turned back, voice quiet but sharp. “I didn’t come here to fight you.”

“Then stop makin’ it so damn easy.”

We stood there in the bar, the hum of voices fading behind us. Tension coiled like barbed wire between us. Same blood. Same bones. But damn if we weren’t always inches from tearin’ each other apart.

Finally, he looked up. “You really love her, huh?”

The question knocked the wind outta me.

I didn’t answer.

Didn’t need to.

He nodded like he already knew. “Then don’t fuck it up.”

“I ain’t the one sniffin’ around where I don’t belong.”

He chuckled, low and rough. “I ain’t here to steal nothin’. Just wanted to see the man my big brother’s become.”

That jab felt like a knife slid under the ribs.

But I let it go.

Barely.

He swirled the whiskey in his glass. “What’s Knox gonna do?”

I leaned on the bar, watchin’ the door to the chapel room. “No tellin’. Whatever he saw in that file... it shook him. Worse than I’ve seen since the day Mark came back from the dead.”

Villain’s expression darkened. “You think he’ll flip? ”

“I think he’ll burn the world down if it means protectin’ Eliza and that baby.”

He nodded, serious now. “Kingpin ain’t askin’ for a mutiny, Rocky. Just a new chapter. Clean, quiet, away from all the shit the mother charter’s been rollin’ in.”

“You believe that?”

He met my eyes. “I do. For once.”

I took that in, chewed it over like old jerky. There was always a lie buried somewhere in Villain’s truths. But tonight, somethin’ in his voice told me he meant every word.

Still didn’t mean I trusted him.

Just meant I’d have to keep a closer eye on the shadows.

Later that night, church was called again, just us three: Knox, Villain, and me.

The doors were locked. The room stank of smoke. Knox sat at the head of the table, that envelope still spread out before him. His fingers were steepled, brows drawn low, like he’d aged ten years in the last two hours.

He didn’t look up when he spoke. “This shit’s deep.”

Villain nodded. “Told you.” He took a breath. “Kingpin got wind of it months back. Started diggin’.”

Knox’s knuckles cracked as he clenched his fists. “And we’re tied to that by name.”

“Not just name,” Villain said. “Paper trails, bank accounts. Stuff that could bury us if it goes public.”

Knox stood so fast his chair flew back. His eyes glowed, that eerie fox-fire gold that lit the dark parts of him. “And they used us?”

Villain shrugged. “If the feds come knockin’, they ain’t gonna care who knew what. We’ll all go down.”

Knox lowered his head. “I wasn’t gonna say nothin’ but I was shut out of the last meeting. Don’t know why.”

Villain nodded. “A lot of presidents were shut out with no communication.”

“What did I ever do to him?” Knox asked the room.

“To quote my brother, he’s a man with dick-all goin’ for him. Pure jealousy man,” Villain said.

I stood too, feelin’ my wolf stir like a storm on the horizon. “So, what’s Kingpin offerin’?”

“A way out,” Villain said. “We burn the old cuts, patch into somethin’ new. Clean charter. Our own rules.”

“Who will lead us?” Knox asked, who would replace the national president.

“You. Kingpin. Murder. Y’all lead your own chapters. Answer to no one. Under the same colors as equals, not subordinates.”

Knox stared him down. “And you trust Kingpin not to change his mind about that? We were offered freedom with the Royal Bastards too. Just to end up in one man’s chains. ”

Villain’s face was dead serious. “I trust him. He’s kin to me, now, in the way this club will always be to me. You know what he said when he gave me that file?”

“What?”

Villain’s voice dropped. “He said, ‘Some empires are built on bones, on the backs of others. Time we build ours with blood’.’”

Silence fell heavy.

Knox rubbed his face. “We’ll talk to the table. But no decision till I read every word in this file.”

Villain nodded. “He wants an answer soon.”

Knox didn’t flinch. “He’ll get one.”

After church, we stepped outside into the night air. Villain lit a cigarette, leanin’ against his Harley like he hadn’t just threatened to turn our world upside down.

I looked his way. Same eyes as me. Same instincts.

But goddamn, we were worlds apart.

“You stayin’ in town?” I asked.

“Few days. I’ll be out at the homestead.”

“You keep away from Birdie, you hear?”

His face softened. “She’s got your scent all over her, Rock. Even if she don’t know it yet. ”

That made me growl low in my chest. Birdie wasn’t his to talk about. She was mine to protect.

To earn.

And to keep.