Chapter 2
Idaho
As I sat down, both Static and Riptide pushed their way into the room, past Lock, who was trying to shut the door.
Shaking my head, I grinned as I watched my brother interact with his friends.
He'd changed so much over the years, and yet was still so much the same.
I wondered what things would be like if we hadn't been estranged for ten years.
"You two sure you want to do this?" Lock growled out, glaring at them. "You're already in deep shit."
"It's not Static's fault," Riptide admitted as they moved farther into the room. "I was the one who ordered him to call Idaho."
"After he told you what his plan was," Lock surmised.
We'd known Static since we were all in high school.
He'd been a few years younger than us, but we'd clicked and had become inseparable until Lock kicked me out of his life.
Daphne had been older than us and out of school by the time we hit high school, so she never had time for the likes of us.
Not until she got older and wanted to reconnect with her baby brothers.
Riptide gave Lockout a wide smile as he flopped down into the chair next to me, a slightly bored look on his face.
Static—I was trying to get used to using everyone's road names, because I knew they'd get pissed if I used their given names in this environment—looked like he was going into the courtroom.
His face was set in grim lines as he pulled up another chair and sat on the other side of me.
Lock sighed and went around the desk. He ruled over this place like a king. It made me grin inwardly. We both ruled our kingdoms, but mine was far different from his. "Can you help us with our problem?"
"Sure," I said, voice neutral. I wasn't about to rub it in. "It might take me a few phone calls, but I can get it all sorted out."
Lock narrowed his eyes. "Do you even know what it is we need help with?"
He had me there. My eyes slid over to Static. "Do I need to?" I shouldn't be antagonizing him, but he made it so easy.
"I haven't had a chance to fill him in on all the details-"
"You fucking came here, not knowing why Static needed help?" Lock asked, interrupting Static, who fell silent in the face of Lock's rage.
I shrugged. "Yeah."
Lockout was dragging in deep, angry breaths. He looked like a bull about to charge. "You didn't even know why."
Ignoring his bellowing, I held his gaze. "He asked. Said you needed help-"
"I don't fucking need your help!"
"Didn't you just-" I broke off when Riptide put a hand on my shoulder. Glaring at Lock, I tried to rein in my own temper. "I didn't come here to fight, Liam."
"It's Lockout." He was visibly trying to control himself.
"I know," I sighed. "Look. I just want to help. I doubt Static would have called me unless he thought I could. So, whatever it is, I'll do my best to sort it out."
Lock rubbed his hand over his face. "Thanks." It was said through clenched teeth, but at least he said the word.
Riptide and Static were grinning at each other around me. I wished I could give them the momentary triumph, but I was about to shatter the mood...again.
"I want something in return."
It was fascinating the way every individual muscle in my brother's shoulders could tense up one at a time like that. I watched in amusement as he slowly raised his eyes to meet mine. "What? You want my first born son?"
I chuckled. "I'm not fucking Rumpelstiltskin. What would I do with a kid?"
"Eat it, probably," he muttered.
"You really don't have a high opinion of me."
"Why should I?" he shot back. "You fuck over your family."
I winced, looking away from him. "Never going to let that go, huh?"
"No. I'm not," he growled. "What the fuck do you want from me?"
Here it was. I prepared myself for the fireworks. "I want to take you up on an old offer."
His mouth dropped open. Static and Riptide waited silently while Lockout processed. "You don't mean-"
"I do," I replied. "I want into the MC."
All the anger drained out of him. He just looked stunned, and perplexed. "Why?"
Shrugging, I leaned back in the chair. "I have my reasons."
"And as the president I have a right to know those reasons."
"Brotherhood."
"Bullshit. You don't give a fuck about family. About brotherhood."
I kept my gaze on his, steady, unblinking. "That's my answer. You offered when you first took over for me to join. You going back on that offer now?"
He looked like he wanted to say yes, but couldn't quite bring himself to do it. "No," he finally ground out. "You're not getting patched in."
"What?"
"You don't get a straight shot into the club. You can be a prospect though. The rest of my brothers will have to agree to have you join when the time comes."
"No problem."
He looked shocked. As though he'd expected me to rage and demand I be invited in immediately.
Technically he was doing that by letting me prospect.
"I have no problem starting at the bottom," I told him, folding my arms over my chest. "I know all about paying my dues, Brother.
" This was one of my many tricks in negotiations.
You had to expect a certain amount of arrogance and ego from your opponent.
They never expected you to be humble. Completely disarmed them.
Honestly, this would be a nice break. I usually ran everything. Taking more onto my plate right now would be defeating the purpose of scaling back at my business. This way I could just do what I was told and slowly worm my way back into my brother's life. That was all I really wanted.
"Whatever," he muttered. His eyes landed on Riptide. "You told Static to call him. You can get him set up. Get out of my office."
Static and Riptide were smiling as we left my twin's office, so I figured this was a win. It was for me, for sure. Prospecting with the club gave me the chance to hang around and hopefully, eventually, fix what I broke.
"Hey Priest," Riptide called out. "What apartments are available?"
"I have my own place," I told them.
"Everyone connected to the MC is staying here for now," Priest said as he walked up. His eyes studied me for a moment before he turned back to Riptide. "Put him in six."
"Will do. Thanks."
I followed Riptide and Static up the stairs, aware that all the men were still in the downstairs area and they were all watching me like I might steal their valuables.
Hopefully they'd eventually loosen up. "Why is everyone staying here?
" I asked. That wasn't consistent with the information I'd gotten on the club over the years.
Static looked at me over his shoulder. "Long story. I'll fill you in later."
I shrugged, going with the flow, and followed them up to my new apartment.
As soon as Riptide opened the door, I frowned.
"This is my 'apartment'?" It was more like a dorm style room from a college than anything.
There was a bed, a dresser, and an ensuite bathroom. At least I had my own fucking bathroom.
"This is it," Riptide said with a wide grin.
"Welcome to the club," Static said with a slap on my back that knocked me forward a step. Without another word, they turned and left me alone.
I looked around the room and sighed. "This had better fucking be worth it."
* * *
"You realize being in a motorcycle club requires you to have an actual bike, right?" Static grunted as he picked up a box and rested it on his shoulder. He was helping me move some shit into my new room at the clubhouse.
"Careful with that," I told him, eyeing the bag he picked up in his free hand.
It had some of my electronics in there. Those bastards were both my life and the bane of my existence.
The phone being the worst of them all, but it was stuck in my pocket.
"Yeah, I got that, thanks," I replied to his question.
Holding up a remote, I hit the button and we watched as the massive garage door to my house opened.
Static let out a low whistle and set my stuff back down before he walked through.
The place I bought was out in the Catalina Foothills and it was a veritable mansion.
The living area of the home sat on top a story of the house that was dedicated solely to a garage.
I had my various vehicles parked inside.
A few had made the trip with me from Idaho, the others I'd bought when I'd come to town a few weeks ago.
I had a thing for gorgeous machinery. Sitting near the back was a brand-new Harley.
"That's what you're going to be riding?" Static asked, pointing at it.
"Yeah."
He laughed, shaking his head. "It's not even broken in yet."
I rolled my eyes. I'd been riding since we were kids and he knew it. "Fuck off."
"She's a beaut." He paused then looked over at me. "It's really good to have you home, Bro."
I leaned back against my Jag and grinned at him. "Thanks. Feels damn good to be here." Leave it up to Static to be that kind of friend. He always had been. He was the only one who knew what had really happened between me and Liam. And he'd never let the truth slip because I asked him not to.
"It's going to take some time," he warned.
"I'm aware. I don't have anywhere to be.
All my obligations are wrapped up and anything that comes up I can deal with here as easily as I can in Boise.
" We'd kept in touch over the years, and I'd kept close tabs on him, but I wanted to hear it from his own mouth.
"Why'd you wait so long to join the MC?"
He sighed. "Been fucking busy. You know?"
Nodding, I watched the emotion spread over his face before he locked it down. I knew all about being busy. There was more to the story, but I'd let him spill that information when and where he was ready. Shifting, I tugged at the jeans I was wearing.
"The fuck are you doing?"
"I haven't worn jeans in..." I tried to think back. It had been a long fucking time.
"Totally get the three-piece suit thing, but didn't you wear them on your days off?"
The smirk was there before I knew it was forming. "What days off?"
Static's eyes narrowed. "I was working sixteen hour days for years, but I still had days off."
Shrugging, I shoved off the car. "Too much to do."
"Fuck, Levi."
"Idaho," I reminded him. "Seriously? The man from Idaho?"
He chuckled. "Most of the guys didn't know who you were and I had to call you something. Lock about loses his shit if I even mention your name so it seemed easier that way."
Shaking my head, I picked my bags back up and headed out to toss them in Static's car.
He'd brought it so I could drive the bike back to the clubhouse.
On the way over he explained everything that was going down with Fremont and how they'd disposed of their mafia problem.
I was impressed with what my brother had accomplished.
He was a damn good MC President and he'd done well for himself.
I was proud of him, but I wasn't sure if I'd ever be able to tell him that.
When we got back to the clubhouse, Riptide was waiting for me. He handed me a cut and grinned. "You're going to need this."
Static laughed as I took it from him. Turning it around, I looked down at the patch that read: Prospect.
I hadn't been lying before. It didn't bother me to be starting at the bottom.
It was how I began my career in the military.
How I started in business. This was just another thing I was going to conquer.
I just had to make sure these men liked and trusted me when it was all said and done.
"Welcome home," Static said, echoing his welcome from before. He slapped a hand into mine and pulled me into a hug.
"Thanks."
"You won't be thanking us when you're scrubbing toilets," Riptide said with a laugh.
"I've scrubbed worse."
Riptide's brows shot up. "Really? You were in the Army, right? What did you do?"
"Special Forces. Mountain Warfare."
"Shit, Green Beret here."
My brows shot up. I eyed him up and down.
He always looked relaxed, was usually smiling, had longer hair.
Didn't strike me as the special forces type.
"Damn. That's impressive." I'd have to go back through everyone's file.
I remembered bits and pieces here and there, but I didn't know that Riptide had been a Beret.
"Same," he said.
"You said it was a lot harder to impress you than that when I told you that's what I did," Static complained.
"Didn't know you then. Didn't need you getting a big head on me."
"He already has one," I joked.
They both laughed at that. "It's weird," Riptide said, raking a hand through his hair. "I feel like I already know you."
"I get that," I told him. "But he and I are pretty different."
"A lot alike, too," Static argued. "You'll figure out how pretty quickly. This one here is trouble."
I laughed, but he wasn't wrong. I'd always been the one who suggested we do things that could get us into deep shit. Liam had gone along to make sure I didn't get killed and Static had just been happy to be included. We'd been an intimidating trio, even as kids.
When we enlisted Liam had gone the pilot route, which never surprised me.
He loved that kind of shit. Lived for the dare devil type stunts that involved motorized vehicles.
I preferred to be in the thick of the action.
Static and I had always clicked, so I hadn't been surprised when he'd gone right along with me into the special forces.
We stuck together during training, since we could, and met up with Liam whenever possible.
"Who do I talk to about figuring out my duties as a prospect?" I asked.
"Priest will get you squared away," Riptide told me. "But not tonight. You're free to get unpacked and settled in."
"Appreciate it." My assistant, Andrew, had texted me on the way over.
I had an emergency conference call in an hour.
Waving to both of them, I went into my apartment and shut the door.
It was going to take some time to figure out how to balance my—still busy—work life and the MC, but I'd manage.
That was something I did incredibly well.
So far, I knew I was going to like Riptide.
Between him and Static they wouldn't let me fuck up too badly.
The jury was out on the rest of the guys, but I knew I'd win them over eventually.
Static was right, my brother and I were alike in the ways that counted.
If his men liked him, they'd like me. I'd make sure of it.