Tyre (Redline Kings MC #8)

Chapter 1

TYRE

My boots hit the concrete as I stepped outside of the clubhouse and walked toward the wrought iron fencing that protected the brand-new pool we’d built on the Redline Kings MC compound.

As I stepped through the gate, the low murmur of brothers and their families mingled with the excited squeals of kids splashing in the sparkling water.

It seemed like a long time ago that this compound was all hard edges and grit.

Then our president, Kane, met his old lady and life around here and took a drastic turn.

Not for the worse, though. There was a kind of domestic joy our club had carved out of blood and sweat, and it always settled something deep inside my chest when I saw it.

Until my eyes landed on her.

I froze mid-step, every muscle going stone hard as my gaze zeroed in on the petite redhead standing at the edge of the pool.

My entire world shifted abruptly, narrowed down to the woman wearing a sleek black one-piece swimsuit, her fiery hair tumbling in damp waves around her shoulders.

Her skin glistened with water droplets, highlighting the sun-kissed freckles sprinkled across it.

She smiled gently down at Nitro’s—our sergeant at arms’s—daughter, Nella, carefully peeling off floaties from tiny arms. Her movements were easy, as though she'd spent her whole life in the water.

Fuck, she was beyond beautiful. Elegant and strong, every delicate movement a blend of grace and precision.

Her swimsuit hugged her body, the black fabric modest but highlighting curves I had no damn business noticing so intently. It hadn’t taken more than a moment to know this woman was too damn young for me. Yet there I was, unable to look away. Lust roared to life with sudden, relentless ferocity.

My hands fisted at my sides, possessive rage flaring hot and irrational in my gut.

Several of my brothers stood nearby in swim trunks, oblivious to everything but fatherhood, laughing with their kids.

Their eyes never strayed toward her, but the primal instinct in my blood didn’t give a fuck about logic or reason.

My jaw clenched so tightly it ached, the territorial hunger in me rising sharply as I watched the scene. I had the overwhelming urge to toss every single one of the men into the deep end, married or not. Not because they’d done a damn thing wrong—but because they might.

“Careful, brother.” Jax’s amused voice cut into my thoughts, his sudden presence snapping me out of the haze. “Looking like you’re ready to tear somebody’s throat out.”

“Who the fuck is she?” I grated, not bothering to hide the possessive growl in my tone. “The woman with Nella.”

If anyone knew about her, it would be Jax. The enforcer was a tech genius, and Kane didn’t let anyone within miles of the kids without them being thoroughly checked into. I was positive he’d have done her background check. Plus, Jax’s six-month-old daughter was one of the infants being taught.

Jax’s lips twitched with humor, but he wisely didn’t push too far.

“That’s Cecily Hayes. She’s been doing swim lessons for club kids since Kylan was barely old enough to crawl.

Grew up here, parents live in Crossbend.

Been teaching swimming around here for years, when she was around.

She’s an artistic swimmer, serious about the sport, too.

Almost made it to the Olympics at the last games. Real sweet girl. Everyone loves her.”

I frowned, wondering how the hell I’d missed her. Though, to be fair, the kid thing wasn’t exactly my area.

“She’s been away a lot for training camps, and then the time she spent living in California to train. She probably wasn’t around often enough for you to notice.”

I shot him an annoyed glance, irritated that he’d basically read my mind. Which did nothing but cause his smirk to widen into a full-blown smile.

“She was too young for you then anyway. I think Lark mentioned that she just turned nineteen.”

My brow furrowed. “Didn’t you say she almost made the Olympics?”

That was damn impressive at only nineteen.

He nodded. “Prodigy.”

Fuck. I was too damn old for her. I would probably be a distraction from her training. And odds were good we had nothing in common.

But none of that logic cooled the raging possessiveness building in my chest. My eyes locked onto Cecily again, watching as she turned, smiling warmly at something Savannah said. Her laughter drifted toward me, the sound hitting me square in the gut like a fucking sledgehammer.

“Fuck it,” I growled under my breath, already stepping forward before my brain had fully caught up.

“Easy there, Romeo.” Jax clamped a hand on my shoulder, effectively stopping me in my tracks. “Kane needs you first. Gonna drag your ass inside before you scare the shit out of Cecily.”

I glared at him, but Jax just shook his head and gestured toward the clubhouse. “Won’t take long. She’ll be here when you’re done. Maybe let the homicidal gleam in your eyes cool down before you introduce yourself, though.”

I exhaled through clenched teeth, giving her one last glance as I turned toward the building. “Fine.”

But when I emerged twenty minutes later, the meeting finally finished, Cecily was nowhere to be found. The pool deck was quieter now, with Savannah cleaning up leftover snacks, and the kids bundled in towels as the other moms herded them toward the clubhouse.

I strode toward Savannah, and the question came out harsher than I intended when I asked, “Where’s Cecily?”

She glanced up, surprise flaring in her eyes before her lips quirked into a knowing smile. “Had to cut today’s lesson short—she’s leaving for a two-week training camp tomorrow morning, so she headed home to pack. But she’ll be back after that.”

Two weeks.

The growl escaped before I could stop it, my frustration growing as I stalked back inside, my boots heavy on the tile floor as I headed straight for Jax’s office. The man glanced up from his monitors, eyebrows rising in mild surprise at my entrance.

“I want everything you can find on Cecily Hayes,” I demanded, getting right to the point. “Everything, Jax. Background, training schedules, connections. If she’s ever stubbed her damn toe, I want to know.”

Jax leaned back slowly, his lips curving into a knowing smirk. “Not wasting any time, are you, brother?”

“You would know.”

Jax adjusted the ball cap on his head, turning it backward before picking his black-rimmed glasses up off the desk. “True.”

Not one of my married brothers could claim to have wasted a fucking second going after their women.

I leaned forward, planting my hands on the edge of his desk. “She’s leaving town tomorrow. If you don’t keep me occupied with every scrap of intel, I might just end up chasing her and doing something stupid like kidnapping her.”

His grin widened into something darkly amused. “We can’t have you catching a charge this early into your obsession.”

“Damn straight. Get me what I need.” I shoved away from the desk, heading back toward the door. “Now.”

I stalked out of the clubhouse into the unseasonably hot Florida sun, thanks to a late October heat wave.

My blood simmered with a territorial ache I couldn’t shake.

Cecily Hayes had walked into my life for thirty fucking seconds, and she already had me twisted up in knots.

Now she was completely beyond my reach for two damn weeks.

I climbed onto my Harley, the engine roaring to life beneath me as I pulled out of the compound and onto the open road.

I rode hard and fast in an attempt to outrun the possessive hunger clawing at my chest. But the longer I was on the road, the clearer it became—I wasn’t escaping this.

The obsession had already taken root, the fierce need to claim and protect burning hot in my blood.

No matter how far I rode or how much time passed, Cecily was mine.

And I wasn’t about to let her go.