Moose's Obligation: Mayhem Makers-MMM

Moose Chapter 1

The ride from our compound in Norfolk, Nebraska, to Tenillo, Texas, was a long one—six hundred and fifty miles, to be exact. Averaging sixty-five miles an hour would take you ten hours without stopping. For us, with a couple of stops and going well above sixty-five, we’d do it in approximately eight hours, give or take an hour. It depended on traffic, whether the po-po was out in force, and the weather. Being early March and Nebraska, it would most likely take longer. This time of year, if we were lucky, the temps might hit fifty degrees during the day and drop well below zero at night. There was still the chance of snow, though less in the eastern half of the state where we lived.

We’d also chance hitting inclement weather in Kansas and Oklahoma, since we had to pass through those states to get to Texas. While we all loved to ride and did it most of the year, despite the temperature and weather, we wouldn’t be making this run at this time of year if it weren’t for a good reason. Although, the more I thought about it, the less good it sounded. How the hell did I let myself get talked into this? And as if that weren’t bad enough, I dragged my club into it with me. If I didn’t end up left for dead in a ditch somewhere between home and Texas, it would be a miracle.

This foolhardy trip was what happens when you love someone and that someone had you and your club wrapped around their finger. It was all my cousin Shain’s fault. If she hadn’t fallen for Daredevil in the Ares Infidels MC and become his old lady, we would have remained friendly allies, not family. However, she had gone and done just that, and when it came to family, you did whatever they asked.

We’d made a trip to Tenillo a few months back in December to help the Infidels rescue Shain from the crazed arsonist who kidnapped her. That had been an eye-opener. Everyone assumed he was obsessed with her and was the arsonist who followed her from Norfolk to Tenillo. After all, she was a firefighter. It made sense for one to focus on a firefighter. Well, that was partially accurate. We didn’t know until later that he was trying to pay the Regulators back for what we did to him, which was nothing in truth.

Gilly was an old prospect for our club. He’d gotten a friendly beating for almost burning down our clubhouse. An unfriendly one would’ve resulted in him spending time in the hospital afterward, which he didn’t. We only wanted him to think before he did something stupid or potentially dangerous, like deep-frying a turkey in the clubhouse. Fast forward ten years, and he resurfaced. He blamed us for his running away from the club. We didn’t kick his stupid ass out. Gilly blamed the members and Shain for not becoming a Regulator. Her crime was she’d been the one to help us test the mettle of our prospects. Luckily, Shain had been unharmed.

By the time we found her and rode to the rescue, she’d saved herself. I got to say, after seeing what she did to Gilly, I wouldn’t want to piss her off. Maybe that was why I didn’t refuse her plea for the Regulators and me to do this insane thing. Or that was the excuse I gave.

It was for a worthy cause, without a doubt. We, along with the Infidels, supported worthy causes, especially when it came to kids. We had a soft spot for them. That wasn’t the issue. What we did and were now asked to do in support had me wishing I could’ve said no—or, better yet, found a different way to support the charity.

When we were approached to help raise money for a biker organization that helped abused children, I was all in, and so were my brothers and the Infidels. When we were told how we could support it, I hesitated. Surely, Shain and the other women were wrong. Who would pay money for such a thing? Eventually, we allowed ourselves to be talked into it, thinking it wouldn’t raise much, but we’d make monetary contributions to offset it.

Well, we were the ones who didn’t know shit about women and what they wanted. Big fucking surprise…not. I’d tried to figure them out since I was about three years old. At thirty-five, I was basically as clueless as I was then. Oh, yeah, I knew how to more than satisfy one in bed. Sexual satisfaction was easy as long as you weren’t selfish. However, outside of that…nope.

Who knew that making calendars of shirtless bikers would send women into a frenzy? I figured they’d sell maybe one to each old lady whose man was in them, and that was it. We laughed when Sara, one of the old ladies in Tenillo, said they should be promoted to her readers and other authors who wrote romances. Or I had. It wasn’t until afterward that I recalled the old ladies didn’t, and neither did Sara’s old man, Trident. He’d had a smirk on his face. Bastard knew what would happen, and he let us walk into it like lambs to the slaughter. I’d find a way to pay him back one day. Or maybe not. A former Navy SEAL wasn’t someone to mess with.

When Sara advertised the calendars, which a local photographer had quickly shot the pictures for, they sold out within a day, and more had to be printed. They were still selling, which led to this latest request from Shain and Sara. It seemed that for authors like Sara and their readers, book events were a huge thing. They’d have them all over the country, even the world. Authors from all over would rent a table to sell their books and other merchandise and meet their fans. They’d sign books and let them take photos. Depending on the size of the event, there could be over a hundred authors and hundreds of fans there.

The organizer of such an event in Texas had asked Sara, or as she was known to her fans, SK Tennison, if she could get the bikers who posed for the calendars to make an appearance at the book event. It was called Motorcycles, Mobsters, and Mayhem. I liked the title, at least. My cousin said it was a more genre-specific book signing than most. Also, according to the old ladies in Tenillo, women were crazy about what they called MC romances and loved bikers.

The hope was that by being there, we’d help Sara sell even more calendars and books, increasing the amount she could donate to the cause. When they put it like that, none of us could say no. That was what had us riding for hours in March. Shain owed me. I didn’t know what I’d ask for as repayment, but it would be significant.

We were taking the fastest route, I-81 to I-135. We made stops in Wichita, Kansas, and Oklahoma City. We’d left the clubhouse early, and the temperature was still bitterly cold. Thankfully, I’d listened to Shain a long time ago, and I had not only a heated seat but also heated grips. Fender had only recently listened to her and gotten them after complaining that his balls had frozen to his seat for the umpteenth time. He was my best friend, but there were times I had to wonder about him. He had a screw loose or maybe more. As the day warmed up, we shed layers to keep from overheating.

It was almost six in the evening when we rolled up to the gate at the Infidels’s compound. One of the prospects was manning it. You couldn’t just ride into their compound like you couldn’t do it to ours or most MCs’ territory. We kept them enclosed in fences or walls, and you had to have a key or code to open a gate or be allowed in by someone like a prospect or member. I had to think a moment before recalling this guy’s name, Cullen. On our prior visits, we’d met him and Colton, another prospect.

We all raised a hand to him as he opened the gate and waved us through. We wasted no time pulling into parking spots in front of their clubhouse. It was a Wednesday night, so while most, if not all, would be home from work, a party wasn’t happening. The Infidels weren’t as wild as they had been, with only a handful of single guys left in their club, including the prospects. Although, with us coming into town, they might have some women stopping by later. They’d be an excellent way to warm up and de-stress after a long ride.

I figured everyone, including Daredevil and Shain, would be gathered in the clubhouse. If not, I’d find them at their trailer after saying hello to whoever was inside. It was their temporary home until their house could be built. The last I heard, it was due to be finished in a couple of months. Shain was excited to decorate it but not as thrilled as she was for their wedding, which was due to happen at about the same time. We’d be making another trip to attend it. At this rate, we’d spend more time in Texas than in Nebraska. As much as I enjoyed the state, nothing would ever get me to leave my home.

We were getting off our bikes and shedding our helmets and gloves when the clubhouse door opened, and several people came out. In the lead was a beaming Shain. She squealed as she saw us and ran ahead of Daredevil and the others to greet us. Of course, she came to me first. I lifted her off the ground and hugged her.

It always made me smile and warmed my heart to see her. She might be my cousin by birth, but she was my little sister in my heart and mind. Her dad and mom were killed by a rival MC when she was seven. Her dad and mine were brothers, so she came to live with us. She was raised and protected by the entire club. She was a princess. When she grew up and decided to become a firefighter, we’d been terrified and tried to talk her out of it, but she was adamant. I’d become the man of the family when I was twenty-two and my dad died. I’d tried to lay down the law. She’d laughed at me and did what she wanted. My mom told me not to do it, but I didn’t listen.

“Put me down, you big moose,” she gasped. I knew I wasn’t squeezing her that tightly. Her pun calling me moose wasn’t missed. I gave her an extra squeeze, making it slightly tighter. She pretended to be choking. Her old man put an end to it.

“Hey, stop trying to kill my old lady. You know, even if you do, it won’t get us out of this weekend,” he joked.

I slowly sat her down. Daredevil snatched her immediately into his arms. She smiled up at him with a goofy, loving look.

“It might. And for God’s sake, wipe that look off your face. What self-respecting biker’s woman would look like that?” I teased.

She gave me the middle finger, as expected. “Screw you, Moose. You wait. You’ll fall for a woman and wear the same expression one day. When you do, I’ll remind you of it. Along with you having a vagina when you begin talking about your feelings.”

I shook my head. “That’s never happening, so don’t hold your breath. Go annoy someone else so I can talk to your old man.”

She grinned, bounced up on her toes to kiss him, and then ran over to Fender, standing there with his arms open, waiting for his hug. Being my best friend, he was more like her brother than the rest of our club. They were more like cousins and uncles.

Daredevil and I shook hands and gave each other a back-smacking hug. It was good to see him. When we’d first met the Infidels, I’d found he was the one I gravitated toward the most. Not to say the others weren’t great guys or that I disliked them because I didn’t. There was something about him that I felt more drawn to. He, Fender, and I had gotten tight. On our second trip to see them, I’d been comfortable enough to bring Shain, and that’s when he saw her and decided she was the one for him—goddamn bikers. You could never trust them.

“Glad you’re here. How was the ride? Run into any trouble?” he asked after we were done hugging.

“None. Although there were a few cops in Kansas who thought it would be fun to try to slow us down by driving on the highway below the speed limit. We blew by them, and they didn’t give chase.”

“Don’t you hate when they do that? It’s good to see your ugly mug,” he said with a grin.

I shoved him, which made him laugh. I let him greet the rest of my club while I did the same with his. They had a lot more members than us, so it took a bit. When we finally entered the clubhouse, I discovered the women had remained inside with the kids, where it was warm. There were more greetings there. It wasn’t until Sara came up to hug me that I realized Trident hadn’t been outside. He was with her.

“Moose, I can’t thank you and your brothers enough for helping out the way you are,” she said.

I patted her lightly on the shoulder. It was awkward to hug the ladies in the Infidels. You never knew if their men would be okay with it or not. Trident was eyeing me. Although he wore a smile, I didn’t take that to mean he was alright with me doing it. Knowing him, he was lulling me in, and then he’d stake me out back and torture me.

“We’re glad to help, but can you find something else we can do next time you want us to?” I asked her, trying not to whine.

She laughed. “You’re as bad as Sin and these guys. It’s not going to kill you. One weekend, and you’re off the hook. Who knows? You might enjoy yourself and want to do it every time. Motorcycles, Mobsters, and Mayhem, MMM for short, is every two years, you know.”

“Sara, you’re sweet, but there’s no way in hell that’ll happen.”

I turned to Trident. “As for you, you knew what would happen when they made those calendars, didn’t you?” I accused.

Maybe it wasn’t wise to poke a tiger, but I did it, letting him hear the growl in my voice. Perhaps if I were lucky, he’d kill me before Saturday. The bastard threw back his head and laughed heartily. When he was done, he answered me.

“You’re goddamn right I did. What can I say? Going to those events and having all those women go wild for me gets tiresome. I needed a break, and I thought this was a good way to get one while making a shitload of money for our charity.”

“Asshole,” I muttered before walking off. They chuckled. Sara appeared all sweet and everything, but I had to remember. She was Sin’s mom and Trident’s old lady. That should’ve warned me not to trust her right there.

“Did you threaten his ass?” a man asked behind me.

I nodded when I turned around to face Sin. “I sure did, not that it did me any good. Do you think you can get us out of this?” I asked him.

“Has hell frozen over? Wait. Even if it had, my mom would drag us there kicking and screaming anyway. I’m afraid we’re going to have to endure. When we return, we’ll have one helluva party and drink until we can’t walk.”

“Deal.”

It was about fifteen minutes later that we were offered drinks and food. I was thankful for that. We hadn’t stopped to eat dinner, wanting to get here before dark. As we chowed down and rehydrated, I sat talking to Shain, Daredevil, and a few others. We were scattered around the room at various tables.

I was about halfway through my plate of food when Morgan approached me. She was a cute thing, who was eleven or twelve. She was turning into her mom more every time I saw her. I pitied her dad, Rampage. He’d have his hands full in a few years, not that he didn’t already.

Until my cousin came along and claimed Daredevil, Morgan had been planning her wedding to him. Despite the twenty-seven-year age difference, she was sure they’d get married when she turned eighteen. She was so sure that she had a whole notebook dedicated to their wedding.

Somehow, Shain talked Morgan into giving up Daredevil, but not without making a couple of promises. One was that she’d let the little girl help plan their wedding. Second, if they had a daughter, Shain and Daredevil would consider giving her the middle name Morgan. This compromise had appeased Morgan.

However, when we came to visit, somehow, I became Morgan’s newest crush. Shain teased me that at least she went for a younger man than Daredevil. Yeah, if you called four years significantly younger.

She patted my knee, which I knew was my signal to scoot my chair back so she could sit on it. She did the same thing to her dad and Daredevil. I smiled at her. It might make me a smidge uncomfortable to be the focus of her affections, but I’d never hurt her feelings.

“Hi, sweetheart, how’re you?” I asked.

“I’m great, Moosey. How are you?” she asked sweetly. I heard the snickers from those close to us. I gave them the evil eye. I might not love the nickname Moosey, but as long as she wanted to call me that, they’d better shut up.

“Good. What’ve you been up to?”

This question launched her into a twenty-minute spiel about Shain and Daredevil’s wedding and her work on it, complete with pictures. She had her ever-present notebook with her. I made an occasional affirmative sound so she’d think I was enthralled. Every so often, I’d nod or smile. When she was done updating me, she hit me with a whammy.

“I don’t want you to worry. I haven’t forgotten about our wedding. I have a new notebook for it. Later, I’ll show you what I’ve done. Mom says I should wait until after this wedding is over. We have time. I wonder whose wedding I’ll do next?” she mused.

The amused look on the faces around us made it almost impossible for me not to laugh. “I don’t know, but whoever it is, they’ll be lucky,” I told her.

This assurance made her happy. She sat there asking me about the ride. She already loved to be on a bike, and I had no doubt that Rampage would have a hard time keeping her off one when she was older. If she were anything like Shain, she’d have her own. When my cousin insisted on learning, it scared us to death. We knew she'd do it herself if we didn’t teach her, so we made her as safe as possible.

After she wandered off, Fender had to put his two cents in. “Hey, Moose, you’d better get on your future father-in-law’s good side now. From what I heard, he kept wanting to kill Daredevil. I’d do it if you don’t want to meet a grisly end.”

Everyone who heard him burst out laughing. Even though I tried not to, I chuckled.

“Laugh all you want, but a girl’s first crushes are important. At least she’s showing good taste,” Ryan, Howler’s old lady, admonished them. Lainey, Clutch’s woman, nodded in agreement. Out of current Regulator members, only those two had women and kids. Their children were running around with the Infidels’ horde. The noise made it louder in the common room, but it didn’t bother me. It was a change from ours.

While they were laughing, Daredevil and Shain came over to join us. “Are you all set to head out Friday?” he asked me.

We were spending tomorrow here, and then on Friday, the two clubs would make the short eighty-mile trip to Frisco, north of Dallas. That was where the book event was. Not everyone could go, but those who couldn’t would stay behind. They’d be entertained with stories by those who did go when they returned. Several of the Infidels women were staying at home. They had offered to watch the kids for Lainey and Ryan so they could enjoy the book signing since they’d never been to one. Both of them were stoked to go. Apparently, they were huge romance readers. We had to get there early so Sara could set up the night before and do some meet-and-greet stuff. I wasn’t sure why that meant we had to be there, but I knew better than to argue. We’d be on our way back here on Sunday.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

“Come on. How bad can it be?” he asked.

I heard someone snort, but I had no idea who. When I glanced over at Shain, she wore a mildly interested look. “What’ve you been up to? Besides, no good, that is,” I asked her.

She gasped and placed her hand over her heart. “I can’t believe you’d say something like that. I’ll have you know, I behave. I’ve been working at the fire station, picking out furniture and stuff for our house, and focusing on the wedding. My dress is ready, and everything else has been booked. Morgan is very organized. I couldn’t do it without her.”

This remark got ahs from the women and grins from the men.

“She is a force to reckon with. Maybe she’ll grow up to be a wedding planner. But I have a hard time believing you’ve been good. The last time you were good was when you were three,” I informed her.

“Hey!” she loudly said before she punched my arm. “Ow, do you have to be made of granite?” she muttered as she shook her fist.

I flexed my meaty arms. “I can’t help it if I’m all muscle. Maybe if your man put a little effort into his workouts, you wouldn’t be used to softness.”

This jab accomplished what I wanted. A debate broke out between me and Daredevil. The truth was, it was an excuse to harass each other, something bikers loved to do. As he defended himself unnecessarily, more guys and their ladies got involved. None of the Infidels were soft. Even Trident, the oldest in his mid-fifties, wasn’t weak, soft, or going to seed. Another thing it accomplished was a showdown in the gym the next morning. We all agreed to gather and see who was the strongest.

The rest of the evening flew by. After the women and kids left for the night, hang arounds were allowed in. A few of the Infidels who weren’t single stayed to chat, but the women who came in for a good time knew to give them a wide berth. A catfight broke out between a couple fighting over Carnage. He was our president. While none of us suffered for female companionship, he attracted even more as president. It was mildly entertaining to watch.

Surprisingly, I wasn’t feeling too amorous after the ride. Instead of taking one of the women back to my room and fucking her, I let her give me a blowjob in the common room before retiring for the night. I didn’t want the smell of a strange woman on my sheets.

I’d been given a bed in the clubhouse. There were a few there and more in the trailers out back. The members lived in those trailers when they didn’t have a house yet. I could’ve stayed with Daredevil and Shain, but there was no way I wanted to hear them having sex. I’d made that mistake once and never again. With the number of us here and the number of open trailers, there were plenty of beds without me having to do that.

I took a long, hot shower. It helped to release the knots from riding and made me relax enough to sleep. I turned out the light. As I began to fall asleep, I wondered what this Motorcycle, Mobsters, and Mayhem event would be like. My only wish was that it wouldn’t drag, although I wasn’t betting on it. It’s just two days. It’s just two days, Moose , I kept repeating as I fell asleep.