Page 1 of Striker’s Foul (Shiver of Chaos #3)

STRIKER

T he wind blows against my face as we ride toward town from the clubhouse.

A new bar and grill opened a couple of months ago.

We watched it being built. It’s on a piece of land that was for sale at the same time as ours.

As a club, we decided not to purchase it since it didn’t have the same amount of surrounding acreage as our compound.

Several of the Shiver of Chaos MC guys come here for dinner.

They’ve said it’s got a good atmosphere.

Our clubhouse has a bar, but it caters to bikers, while this place is meant for everyone.

My former team leader, Julian Black—Commander, as we call him—has had dinner here several times.

I don’t really want to be here, but as the VP of our club, it’s my job to step in when the President can’t.

He’s only been back from his honeymoon for a week and is still busy proving to his wife that she’s his.

They got married in Vegas, and I’m happy for them, but I honestly hate seeing people happy in relationships.

I haven’t been in one for a very long time, and I doubt I’ll ever be in another one.

My last one was such a clusterfuck that I ended up in the military and never saw her again.

Her family claimed she’d accused me of rape, and they filed charges against me.

In the end, I had two choices. Go to jail or join the military.

I was a poor kid from the wrong side of the tracks, but I wasn’t stupid.

I joined the Army and never looked back.

Gambit, my best friend and now President, didn’t want to return to where he lived before the military.

So we settled in Eastport, Rhode Island—the place I grew up.

The town that threw me away years ago doesn’t even recognize me now.

Only a few people remember me. My parents are both long gone.

My mom died while I was in basic training, killed by a jealous John. My father was killed in a prison fight.

I have my own money now, and I’m no longer that skinny, too-tall soccer player. I’ve grown into my long legs and bulked up. Men are scared of me, and women want to be with me. If only they knew my secrets, but I don’t share those often.

I pull up in front of the Austin Bar and Grill and kick down the stand on my Harley-Davidson Fat Boy with dirty ape hangers. It’s my favorite of the two bikes I own. The other is a Fat Boy Softail Thunderbike, but I can’t get as relaxed on it as I do on this.

Looking around, I see the parking lot is empty.

They haven’t opened yet. There aren’t even any staff vehicles parked off to the side.

As I stretch my legs and back, two more members pull up and park next to me.

I walk toward the side of the building and see a new BMW SUV parked near the back.

No one else is around. Years on a black ops team taught me to stay alert for anything.

I’m here to apologize after a couple of our patches got into an altercation last night and caused some damage to the place. Gambit wants me to handle it and offer to cover the cost. That’s why Cowboy, our treasurer, and Grim, one of our enforcers, are with me.

Grim’s a mountain of a man, bigger than me in both height and build. He stands at almost six foot eight, while I’m six foot four. Cowboy is about six feet tall. What he lacks in size, he makes up for in abilities. I trust both of them to watch my back, same as any of my brothers.

“Let’s get this over with,” I grumble.

I hate doing shit like this. The fuckers who caused the damage should be the ones apologizing, but Gambit put them on lockdown until they cool off. Apparently, they both have a crush on the owner, and he was worried about her handling them on her own.

We make our way around the sectioned-off outdoor seating area toward the front door. A sign posted by the entrance says the property is protected by Andreason Black Security. Well, that’s good. That probably explains why the bouncers had our guys out before things went too far.

“Yeah, I want to get back so I can watch some rodeo,” Cowboy says with a laugh.

I just shake my head. He’s clearly joking. He gets offended when people assume he’s into cowboy shows or the cowboy network. He says he walked away from the ranch life years ago.

“Sure, just like I have to go lift weights,” Grim adds.

I stop before opening the door and look between the two of them. “Are you assholes okay today? When did you decide to become tag-team comedians?”

“Ha ha, very funny,” Cowboy says as he pushes past me inside, and I follow him in.

A large bar dominates the center, with an open kitchen off to the left. On the right, a glass wall stretches up to a closed-off upstairs. The offices must be up there. The whole center is open to the ceiling, with large wagon wheel lights hanging down.

Tables are arranged around the room, and a stage sits at the back for live entertainment.

The bar gleams with polished wood, evidence that it’s well cared for.

High-end alcohol lines the hanging shelves in the center, while house bottles aren’t visible.

I notice several local microbrewery beers on tap alongside the usual well-known brands.

My eyes are drawn to a petite woman at the far side of the space. She’s wearing dark blue jeans that hug her curves, cinched with a leather belt. A matching denim vest leaves her midriff and back exposed. Soft music plays throughout the restaurant.

“Hey, Julian, if that’s you, come give me a hand and stop staring at my ass,” she says with a giggle.

Her voice has a soft but firm Texan twang. Something about it tugs at the back of my mind. But the fact that she used my former team leader’s name really throws me off.

“Not Julian,” Grim says, his deep voice rumbling.

Her body tenses, then relaxes as she bends down to see us. I take in her long chestnut-brown hair, wide baby-blue eyes, and full lips before I’m in motion.

“What the fuck you want with Julian, babe?” I bark, already knowing who she is.

She teeters on the ladder, so I take the last few steps quickly to steady her.

My hands grip her hips, and without thinking, I pull her down and set her beside me.

Her shocked eyes flare wide, making them look even bigger than usual.

Her mouth parts, and I want to kiss her.

It's been almost sixteen years since I last saw her, but my body reacts like it was just yesterday.

“Luke,” she says my name and steps back, but I move with her.

Amelia

I look up at the man who broke me. The man who left me alone and pregnant at sixteen. I take a step back and glance over my shoulder to see who else is here. I need to get him out of here before everything blows up.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, taking another step back. He follows again, keeping close.

He’s so handsome, sexier than I ever could have imagined. When he was nineteen, he was tall and slender. Now he’s taller and built like a brick shithouse, as my gramps would say. His hair is pulled back into a man bun.

The two men with him wear the same cut he does.

I spot the patches on Luke’s vest that mark him as VP and Striker, Shiver of Chaos MC.

When I first heard the name Shiver, I didn’t understand it.

Julian explained that a shiver is a group of great white sharks.

It seems fitting now. Luke is a shark. I can see it in his eyes.

His blue gaze holds a lot more than it did when we were teenagers. He’s seen the world. It reminds me of my best friend, Julian.

“Tell me how you know Julian Black?” Luke barks at me, and I retreat a step. He intimidates me now. I shouldn’t be scared. He left me with a note that basically said good riddance.

“That’s none of your business. Now, what can I do for you?” I find some of my sass and push down the naive teenager still hurting over Luke. The woman I am now has accomplished so much, including running one successful business and on the verge of launching a second. I won’t take shit from him.

“Heard you left town, got married, and moved on.” His words are bitter and full of pain.

“Heard you couldn’t cut it professionally,” I shoot back.

He steps in closer, his chest so broad I can’t see past him to the other men.

“We’re here about the fight last night.” One of his friends steps up, elbows Luke, and holds out a hand. “This is Striker, that’s Grim, and I’m Cowboy. What’s your name, lovely?” he asks me.

As I take his hand, Luke strikes. He hits Cowboy, sending him to the floor.

“Don’t fucking touch her,” Luke growls and grabs my arm. He drags me against him, and just like that, my world goes from messed up to completely fucked in two point seven seconds.

A shotgun racks a round into the chamber.

“Get your hands off my mom,” Jude says, voice cracking as he tries to sound deep and dangerous.

“Your mom?” Luke drops my arm like it burned him.

“Jude, clear the gun and go upstairs. Now,” I order him, not wanting him to come any closer. Grim, the huge man, has a gun aimed at my son.

“I called Uncle Julian. He’s on his way,” Jude says, his voice cracking again.

“Jude, go. Now,” I bark, raising my voice.

“But, Mom?—”

I turn to him, looking him in the eye to let him know I’m okay.

“I’ll be fine, son. Please, go.”

As soon as he steps through the door, I turn back to the three men.

“Get out of my bar. Now.”

Luke glances between me and the door, a puzzled expression on his face. My son is extremely tall for his age. He takes after his father. I’m glad he kept to the shadows on the far side so Luke didn’t get a good look at him.

“You have a son?”

“I do. Now leave.”

“Is Julian Black his father?”

“No. Please leave.”

“We need to cover the costs for any damage our men caused last night,” Cowboy says.

I shake my head. “Nothing. Just leave, please, and keep your men away from here unless they can control themselves.”

“Lia?” Julian’s voice rings through the empty bar, and once again my life is thrown into a spin.

“Commander,” Luke growls, striding toward him.

His fist flies out and connects with Julian’s face, sending him stumbling back. Julian’s business partner, Ridley, jumps between the two men, unfazed by the fact she’s smaller than both of them.

“You only get that one, Striker,” Julian says.

“You went after my Amelia,” Luke shouts.

And just like that, everything falls into place.

Julian has been my friend since Jude was two and I was nineteen.

I met him one day when I was at the park with Jude.

He stepped in when another child’s father wouldn’t take no for an answer after asking me out on a date.

Later, Julian came to my papa’s place for dinner and asked me to sit with him.

I told him I wouldn’t date him, and he just chuckled, saying he only wanted to be friends. And that’s what we’ve been ever since.

But now I’m worried. Luke called him Commander. I know Julian was in the military, but as I look closer at Luke, I realize he was too. It’s not just the tattoos covering his arms. It’s the way he moves and carries himself.

“Wait.” I can’t keep the hurt from my voice as I rush over to them.

Grim grabs hold of me before I get too close to the two men who’ve hurt me so badly. Luke broke me in ways I still haven’t recovered from, and if what I suspect is true, Julian has been lying to me for years.

“Let her go,” Luke yells, and Grim releases me.

I step closer and look up at Julian.

“You know him?” I whisper, holding back a sob, afraid I’m breaking again.

Julian nods, and my hand flies to my mouth as the sob breaks free.

“Get out. All of you. Get out of my bar. Now.”

“Lia, please.” Julian reaches for me, but I cringe back, and Luke grabs his arm.

“Is that your son? Did you betray me?” Luke’s voice is sharp, filled with an anger I’ve never heard from him before.

“I’d never betray you. You’re my family, but so are they. Jude isn’t my son, but he needs his father.”

“Julian,” I scream. “No!”

“That’s enough,” Ridley says loudly. “Everyone out.” She directs the men toward the door, then hits the locks behind them, locking her and me inside.

I curl into myself and fall to the floor as the sobs escape me. Julian knows Luke.

Ridley wraps her arms around me, and I feel grounded. “Striker and Julian have been friends since before I met them. I don’t understand what’s happening, but I’ll help you.”

“Why?” I look up at her.

“Because that’s what we do for family. If you’re the girl from Striker’s past and a friend of Julian’s, then you’re my family too.”

“I can’t.” I stand on wobbly legs. I’ll have to shove this into another box inside my mind until I have time to break down.