Railed (Courage MC #2)

E
verybody knows
destruction is my game…

I’m done fooling around. If I want to be the boss of the family, I’m going to have to wise up and act like a man. I need a wife. Stability. A real life.

There’s only one problem: Hope Lawrence promised she wouldn’t end up with a guy like me. Of course, as soon as we locked lips, everything fell apart. They took her away from me. They held her for ransom. My brothers betrayed me.

Now I need my revenge. I’m off to save the most beautiful woman in this damn world. And I ain’t taking no for an answer…

Railed is a full standalone romance novel with a HEA and absolutely NO CLIFFHANGERS!

I
t’s
celebration time and I’m fuming. I can’t help but get loaded and liquored up. It’s what I do when others around me share their happiness. I can’t stand it.

Little Luke got out of prison. Yippee. So what? Everyone was gathered around the table, smashing bottles and getting railed. Not me. No, I was alone, sitting in the corner, eying one hot chick. And boy, did I want to dip my face into her backside. That was the least of my worries though. Luke was back home and I owe him a fortune. Never wanted to betray a brother, but how was I supposed to know he'd get out so early. While he made the rounds, I cautiously eyed his movements, and pretended to drunkenly flirt with this stripper.

“You
are
a stripper, right?” I asked her, smiling lazily and trying not to spill my beer. My eyes were crossed in drunkenness and my balance was slightly thrown off. That didn't mean I couldn't fuck. I could fuck perfectly. It was just the convincing part that was hard, at least at this late of night. It’s like the saying goes: A biker would rather fight than fuck. That’s a saying, right?

“Honey, you keep calling me that and I haven't corrected you. But you have to stop. I'm here with my boyfriend. I'm a singer. Hope Lawrence, you ever heard of me? She reached out her hand for me to shake it. I burped.

“Can't say that I have. What kind of music is it? You sing the gospel or what?” Of course I knew who she was. She was all over the Internet these days. Didn't change the fact that she looked a hell of a lot like a stripper.

She shook her head. “Look, I have to go. My boyfriend’s waiti—” I cut her off.

“Like hell you gotta go. Your boyfriend can wait, baby. You ever been with a guy from the crew before?”

She shook her head, seemingly annoyed, yet intrigued.

“That's right. ‘Cause if you had, you wouldn't be bringin’ your sad sack of a boyfriend to a party like this. I mean, look at him. He looks like he just got done working a 12 hour shift on Wallstreet. You think he belongs here?”

I looked over at him and he gave a childish wave and smile. What a moron. He couldn't even tell I was well on my way to taking this broad home with me.

“I'm the talent here. He came to be there for me. Just in case.” She blushed and looked down.

“Just in case?” I couldn't care less about why he was there. I just wanted him to disappear. My eyes dropped to her juicy breasts. They were practically calling me to them. How was a guy to resist?

“Just in case one of you wanted to take advantage of a little girl like me?” she smiled, still looking a little bashful. But I could tell that she wanted it. She didn't care about her boyfriend. He was a pussy. And no woman wanted to date a pussy.

“How old are you, honey?” I asked, licking my lips. I was just some perverted biker in her eyes. Maybe I really was. Didn't matter to me. Nah, in the life I led, none of that shit mattered. The crew was important. That's all.

“Twenty. How old are you?” she asked. Yep, she was definitely interested.

“Twenty? You sure as hell don't look twenty!” I sipped my beer arrogantly.

“What, do I look thirty to you or something?” She acted embarrassed but I could tell she wasn't. She knew how old she looked. She looked young. I'm sure she got all the guys to tell her that. Not me.

“Look, baby. I'm not here to flatter your image.” Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the boys of the crew gathered around Luke.
I should be there right now. I should be celebrating right now. At least to keep the crew connected…
“I gotta go, sweet cheeks. It was, uh, nice meeting you. Good luck with that boyfriend of yours.”

And that's how it's done. Leave her hanging and she’ll remember you forever. I didn't care. After all, she was another dumb escort, ripe for the taking. She may not have known it yet, but her little boyfriend was practically just her pimp. After you've had 50 or so girls like her, you quickly realize they're all the same.

I walked straight to the rest of the boys and put my arm around the boss and Luke. These parties were always less about the celebration and more about making sure deals went down and that you were next to the right people. I was in a strategic position like this and every one of them knew it.

“Avery! There you are, you bastard!” Bruce, the boss of the crew, yelled. His face was completely red and his beard appeared to be soaked in alcohol.

“Thought I'd give my regards to the free man here.” I smiled, squeezing Luke’s shoulder. He side eyed me and lit up a cigarette. I leaned over his shoulder and whispered. “Look man, I gotta talk to you. Got some cash for you now. I'll have the rest soon, I promise.” I handed him an envelope and he shook my hand.

“That wasn't the deal, brother.” he said, spitting into an empty cup. He looked up at me and fixed his brown hair. His eyes were squinty and mean.

“Yeah but I got you. Just give me a week. Don't worry.” Truth was, I didn't owe him shit. This misunderstanding had gone way too far. He got caught during the deal. That wasn't my fault. We've all shared a decent amount of jail time for our crimes. Ain't no thing. But I could tell Luke wasn't gonna budge on this. Sometimes you had to make sacrifices and stay silent about it. The crew was already looking pretty shaky, despite our recent earnings.

The boss slapped Luke on the back. “No talking about work. We’re at a party, you dumb sons of bitches! Start actin’ like it!”

“He's right.” I said, smiling. “Someone get Luke a drink and a girl!” The men cheered as some heavy rock and roll played on the stereo. Some men who were playing pool started fighting and everyone gathered around to watch.

“Where's Adam?” I asked Bruce.

“You know Adam. He's somewhere, bringing us in money. He does well, you know. But I wish he'd be more of a team player. He's got no wife, and he acts like he’s his own boss. It ain't good for our image.” He took another swig of beer and gulped it down loudly.

“Yeah, but what're you gonna do? Can't exactly blame the guy. He's bringing us millions.”

“You know damn well it ain't about the money, padre. It's about commitment and loyalty first. The rest is just the icing on the cake. Look, Avery. You're a good kid. Remember when I took you in? You had nothing. Your parents abandoned you. Now you have us. Now, I'm getting older, and I know what you're gonna’ say, that I'll live forever or some bullshit. But I'm gonna be real frank for a second. You're a strong contender for the top spot if ya want it.” He looked at me all serious-like, and smiled.

“Bruce, I don't know what to say.” I stuttered. Luke was turned away from us but he was definitely listening to every word uttered.

“You don't need to say anything yet. This ain't happening tomorrow or the next day. It's just food for thought. Keep this between us, Avery. Oh, and do me a favor. Get yourself a wife. You gotta’ have a woman. Makes you look respectable.” I nodded and kept my mouth shut.

A woman, huh…
All women were shit to me. They break your heart, take your money, and in the end they all leave you alone with your dick in your hands. But if that's what it's gonna take for me to rise to the top, then why the hell not? There were plenty of dumb sluts willing to marry a hot shot like me.

“Everybody!” Bruce stood up and addressed the rowdy men. “Settle the fuck down! I got a speech, goddammit!”

Everyone suddenly turned silent as the boss was making his announcement. A man in the back turned off the stereo.

“There we go. I don't wanna hog all the spotlight here, so I'll make this short and sweet…” Bruce said.

A bald headed Mexican named Jorge stood up, “Odelay! Now sit down old man!” he smiled and slapped the backs of the men in front of him.

“Fuck you, Jorge!” he called out. “Any other jokers in the room? Shit, man. Who let you in? Ain't they building some wall not too far from here?” Everyone hollered and whistled loudly. “I'm just messin’ with the guy. We all love you, Jorge. But today ain't your day. Now, where was I? Oh yeah. We’re here to celebrate a man of great integrity and honor. Most of all, he showed Courage. This is a dangerous job. We all know this. There's a lot of people who wanna kill us, rob us, and throw us in jail. But in the end, it's our connectedness that keeps us strong. Avery got caught for some shit, he paid his time, and now he's going to get what he's been owed.”

“Here! Here!” a drunken slob in the back yelled.

Bruce sighed. “It's been a good year for us. For all of us. Myself included. But let's not forget who we are. When good things come, remember there's a whole lotta’ bad right next door. Prepare for it. Cause it’s comin’ boys. Anyway, didn't mean to turn this into something it shouldn't be. Here's to Luke Johnson! Best son a’ bitch I know! Cheers!” he raised his glass and chugged the whole thing in three seconds flat. “Now for the entertainment!” he screamed.

The lady I was talking to earlier, Hope Lawrence, jumped onto a table and ripped half of her clothes off.
Yeah, and she's not a stripper,
I thought to myself, laughing. Alongside of her were two actual strippers, for added entertainment. The boys couldn't get enough.

To be honest, her voice was very beautiful. I didn’t get teary-eyed or nothing, but her voice brought me to a place I had never been to before. She looked me dead in the eye and gave me a sly smile, calling me forward with her index finger. Luke scowled, still sipping on his beer.

A wife, huh?
I think I could wrangle something up…