Page 2 of Vex & Suki (COSMIC CROWS MC #1)

L ife was good for us in Malimoor.

I rode up the road towards our clubhouse, my motorcycle hovering an inch from the road.

Shaped much like the motorcycle images I’d seen from Earth, except we had no wheels.

Instead, ours had sliders that our bikes rested on when not running, sliders that slid up and under the carriage when they were operational.

We’d modified ours to sound like motorcycles of old from Earth, but like all motorised vehicles on Malimoor, ours ran on geodes mined by our allies, the Revolute Vultures MC.

Not all had motorised vehicles on Malimoor, as they were costly to run and maintain.

Most preferred wagons and carriages drawn by beasts of burden, of which this planet had several species.

Slowing down, I wait for the prospect to open the sliding gate we keep closed at all times.

It gives them something to do, along with watching the screens that show footage taken by the hidden vids along our property boundary.

If they can’t monitor the basics of our security, then they aren’t any use to me as brothers.

Nodding to Squeak, the prospect on duty today, I ride slowly up the avenue to the road to the clubhouse.

The shade is a welcome relief from the relentless sun.

In the distance, the clubhouse appears. The front has a high-pitched roof and a wide porch, wide enough for a table and chairs.

My closest brothers, those who hold a position of authority in the club, and I purchased this property fifteen years ago in our early twenties after we had a good night gambling in the capital city of Hyperia.

We’d come back to Malimoor, where we’d grown up, and decided to do something about the crime and how little the enforcers did to stop it.

Witnessing a woman and her crying child being accosted in a market alley, with an officer nearby doing nothing, was my breaking point.

I’d gone on a rampage, and to this day, I’m not sure how I ripped his arms off, but I did.

I’d viewed the vid of the attack. Having shown the prosecutor how close the enforcer had been and that he’d done nothing, I’d gotten off with a warning.

When I’d been cleared, we’d set up the Cosmic Crows MC.

Xanderix/Rix, our now Enforcer, had been fascinated by human motorcycle clubs, and he’d read everything he could get his hands on.

We’d gone through what we would have to do to start one, and the first thing we’d done was buy this property with our winnings, then we’d designed and built a clubhouse that was easy to defend from all four sides.

We’d built it in a square with small windows only at the top of the walls and one entrance at the front.

In the building’s centre was a garden and a courtyard.

Each of the rooms on the courtyard side had wide doors and a covered walkway around the entire building.

The only way into the clubhouse was either through the walls, the one lone door, or from above.

Easy to defend while we grew our club.

I’d never expected to be voted in as their President, but like Rix said, I’d been in charge of them since boyhood. Why would they mess with that now? Astronos/Stron was voted as VP, with Brakkar/Brak as Sergeant at Arms, and last Vornak/Vorn as Treasurer.

We’d added Kragor as a member when we’d found him drunk and comatose from grief.

His daughter had been a childhood friend, and he’d been one of those parents that had time for all of us.

We’d brought him in, cleaned him up, and given him a business to run.

Over the years, we added a few more members and carefully selected prospects.

I didn’t want just anyone in our club. They had to want the brotherhood more than they wanted to breathe.

Pressing the button for the sleds to lower, I glide my bike into my designated space with the President’s badge carved into a wooden plaque. All my brothers are already here and waiting for me.

Swinging a leg over the back, I dismount and push my shades to the top of my head. Stretching my shoulders back, I shake my hands out, trying to ease the tension from my neck. I had to call Church early to go over finances for one of our businesses that has raised flags with Vorn.

We maintain tight control over our operations on the trading post and made more credits than we knew what to do with. It’s a good position to be in.

As President of Cosmic Crows MC, I oversee all our operations but rely on my brothers or managers to oversee the day-to-day running of our businesses. While I don’t micromanage the brothers, there isn’t much that happens on my watch that I don’t know about.

So, you can imagine my surprise when one of our businesses, a business that’s steady and well run by one of our older brothers, unexpectedly brought in considerably more credits than it usually did all in the space of a few weeks.

That coupled with the mulish look on Kragor’s face when questioned and him not being very forthcoming other than mentioning he hired a new cook and business manager, leaving him more time for serving.

I had to call Church earlier than usual so that I could find out what the feck was happening with my brother and his business The Laughing Crow.

Briskly jogging up the steps of the clubhouse, I pushed open the door, nodding at some of the brothers and shaking the hands of those closest to me.

Walking up to the bar, I accepted the bottle of local alcoholic brew the prospect handed me and took a deep swallow to get rid of the dust from my mouth.

“We all here?” I check with Stron, who nods.

“All here, Pres,” he affirms.

“Let’s do this then,” I say, putting my fingers to my lips.

I let out a loud whistle before bellowing, “Church.” Walking towards the carved doors we keep shut at all times, I enter the combination to open them and walk to my chair and take a seat.

The rest of the brothers file in, and when we’re all seated, only then do I pick up the gavel and bang it down on the table.

“Church is now in session. I’ve called Church to discuss our businesses only.

Vorn is going to go over the income, and then I’ll take over.

Vorn, over to you to bring us up to speed. ”

Vorn goes through every business that we own, and while they are all doing well, I can see the raised eyebrows when we get to the Laughing Crow.

It’s been a while since I’ve been there.

I spend the majority of my time at our strip club, Promis, overseeing finances and aiding in enforcing our no-touch policy to idiot clients who don’t always adhere to the rule.

When Vorn winds down, I turn towards Kragor and ask, “Anything you want to tell us, Kragor?”

“No,” he utters the one word and stares me down. I shit you not, my brother looks ready to rumble with his President. This is not like him at all.

Leaning back in my chair at the head of our table, I contemplate him, “Mmm, are you absolutely sure, Kragor? I know you’re keeping something from us.”

He glares at me, demanding, “Is it not enough that I’m making us money and declaring it? I’m not hiding that I’m making more this quarter than ever before.” He grumbles, and I swear to the gods he’s pouting. Not something I’d ever thought I’d see on the usually grumpy, taciturn male.

Definitely something going on, but I also know that Kragor is as trustworthy as they come, and with our history, he gets more leeway than most.

“None of us are complaining about the extra credits we’ll all have in our pockets because of you,” I reassure him.

“But you’ve got to know that we’re curious as to why and how it’s happened so quickly.

Vorn had every right as Treasurer to ask you.

You’ve had a cook before and never raised this type of credits.

You’ve also hired two new bouncers, females, and not of this planet instead of brothers.

That alone raised a flag, but now that I know you’re hiding something, I want to know what. ”

Kragor looks away, and I just know he’s going to refuse. I wasn’t one to boss my brothers about, but I’d throw my weight around as the Pres when need be, and I had a feeling this was going to be one of those times.

He surprised me, though, by telling me, “The girls needed jobs and they’re both trained and more than capable of handling a few bar fights.

They handle the riffraff with little issue, and since they’ve been on the door, we’ve had a lot less fights which means less breakages to pay for.

Seems the males don’t like my girls beating their asses,” he smirks at me.

‘Ah, and there it is. Kragor’s weakness.’ Girls! He’s had a soft spot for them ever since his daughter passed away. At least this lot’s not fleecing him but is actually making him money.

From the corner of my eye, I catch Stron hiding a smirk. “Is that right? Seems I may have to come and see these girls myself, maybe test them out.”

Kragor springs to his feet, his chair hitting the floor as he glares at me. “They’re good girls who have lived through hell and come out the other side. If you lot come to the tavern, then you’ll be nothing but respectful to my girls. I may be old as feck, but I’ll still teach you a lesson.”

The silence is deafening. Most are surprised; I don’t think they’d ever seen Kragor like this. Those of us that had known his daughter had though, which means these girls are to be protected and not messed with.

Rix makes to stand, not looking happy with the way Kragor has spouted off, but I hold up a hand.

“Kragor,” I order, and his eyes swing back to me. “You know we don’t allow females to be treated badly, but if your girls need protecting, then it’s something the club needs to know about. Relax,” I tell him and motion towards his chair. He slowly sinks back into it.

Only once he’s seated do I ask, “Now tell me, how many girls are we talking about?”