Dice’s Luck (Outlaw Order MC #8)

Chapter 1 - Maddie

The moment I walk into the Outlaw Order clubhouse, the heavy metal music, booze, and testosterone hits me exactly how I like it. I'm three days early for James's release, but I figured I'd scope out his little brother's playground first.

"Hey beautiful, how about I buy you a drink?" Some leather-clad guy with a beer belly slides up next to me at the bar, his breath already reeking of whiskey.

I don't even bother turning my head. "How about you fuck off instead?"

He laughs like I've just told the funniest joke. "Playing hard to get, huh? I like that." His meaty hand lands on my lower back.

"Remove your hand before I remove it for you." I keep my voice sweet, but there's a razor edge underneath that most men with functioning survival instincts can detect.

This idiot isn't one of them. His hand slides lower.

"You heard the lady." A new voice enters the conversation.

I turn to see who's playing white knight and find myself staring at what has to be the most perfect jawline I've ever encountered. Above it: mischievous dark eyes, messy brown hair, and a cocky grin that suggests he's both trouble and the solution to it.

"Mind your business, prospect." Beer Belly snarls, pointing at the bottom rocker on the guy's cut that reads PROSPECT.

"See, that's where you're confused." The newcomer's smile doesn't falter, but something changes in his eyes. "A beautiful woman being harassed in our clubhouse is absolutely my business."

Something about him seems familiar, though I'm certain we've never met. I'd remember that face.

Beer Belly apparently decides this isn't worth the trouble and mutters something about "bitches" before wandering off.

"Thanks, but I could have handled that myself," I say, taking a sip of my drink.

"Oh, I have no doubt." He slides onto the barstool next to mine without asking permission. "But my brother taught me to step in when assholes don't take no for an answer."

His brother. I stare at his face and suddenly it clicks. The resemblance to James is subtle but unmistakable in the shape of his eyes and that troublemaker smile.

"You're Dice," I say, unable to stop my own smile from forming.

His eyebrows shoot up. "And you know that how exactly?"

"I'm Maddie. James's best friend."

The surprise on his face transforms into genuine delight. "Holy shit! Maddie? The infamous Maddie who helped my brother smuggle contraband into Redwood Correctional and nearly got arrested for it?"

I laugh. "That's not even in my top five criminal accomplishments, but yes."

"I can't believe I'm finally meeting you." Dice signals the bartender for two shots. "James talks about you all the time. Says you're the craziest person he knows, which coming from him is saying something."

"Coming from either Thompson brother, I'll take that as a compliment." I accept the shot he slides my way. "Though I didn't expect to meet you until James's release day."

"Came early to surprise him?" Dice asks, raising his shot glass.

I clink mine against his. "Something like that. Thought I'd get the lay of the land first."

We down our shots simultaneously. The tequila burns pleasantly down my throat while I watch him over the rim of my glass.

James always said his little brother was a walking disaster.

Impulsive, reckless, and too charming for his own good.

Looking at him now, I can see all three qualities radiating off him.

"So," Dice leans forward, his eyes gleaming with mischief, "what kind of trouble are you looking to get into while you're in Pine Haven?"

"Who says I'm looking for trouble?" I ask innocently.

He laughs. "James might be my brother, but I've heard enough stories to know you don't go anywhere without finding it, or creating it."

"Fair point." I tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, noticing how his gaze follows the movement. "I'm actually planning to stick around for a while after James gets out. Maybe see what opportunities Pine Haven has to offer."

"Opportunities," Dice repeats with a knowing grin. "That sounds vaguely illegal."

"Only vaguely? I must be losing my touch."

A tall guy with a VP patch walks by, giving Dice a warning look. "Try not to burn the place down, prospect. You're on bar duty in twenty."

"Yes, Ghost," Dice replies, surprisingly respectful, though I catch the slight eye roll once the VP's back is turned.

"Bar duty? So, you're what, a glorified bartender?" I tease.

"Among other things." He leans closer, and I catch his scent. Leather, motor oil, and something distinctly male that makes me clench my thighs. "Prospects have to earn their way in. Clean the toilets, run errands, tend bar. All the glamorous shit."

"And here I thought outlaw bikers were all about the wild life."

"Oh, we are." His eyes darken slightly. "But there's a hierarchy. I'm still proving myself worthy of that full patch."

I study him: the lean but strong build beneath his cut, the restless energy he seems barely able to contain. James always said his brother was a walking time bomb, and I can see it now. Something explosive simmering just beneath the surface.

"James didn't mention you were a prospect." I signal for another drink. "He just said you were in a club."

"Been at it for eight months now." Pride colors his voice. "Another four, maybe six if I fuck up, and I'll be patched in."

"And what happens when James gets out? You think he'll join too?"

Dice laughs, but there's something tight in it. "James? Take orders and follow club rules? Not a chance in hell. My brother's a lone wolf. Always has been."

"True enough," I concede.

"What about you? James says you're like family to him. That makes you family to me too, I guess."

There's something dangerously appealing about the way he says "family", like it's sacred, like it means everything to him. I understand that. When you grow up without it, chosen family becomes the only thing that matters.

"I'm touched, Dice, but you don't know me." I give him my best troublemaker smile. "I could be a terrible influence."

"Counting on it." He returns the smile with interest. "Besides, my brother says you're batshit insane in the best possible way. That's exactly the kind of person I like having around."

A crash from across the room draws his attention. Two massive bikers are squaring off near the pool tables.

Dice sighs. "Duty calls. Don't disappear, Maddie. I've got questions about some of the stories my brother's told me."

"Which ones?" I call after him, suddenly nervous.

He turns, walking backward with that infuriating grin. "All of them."

As he strides across the room, effortlessly inserting himself between the two angry men with a joke that somehow diffuses the tension, I find myself watching how he moves, confident but alert, like he's ready for anything.

James always warned me about his brother. "Two of us in the same room is a disaster waiting to happen," he'd say. "And you're worse than both of us combined."

Looking at Dice now – his easy charm, his barely contained wildness – I can't help but think James was right. Dice Thompson is definitely a disaster waiting to happen.

And I've never been very good at avoiding disaster.

In fact, I tend to run straight toward it.