Doc (The Kings of Mayhem MC Tennessee 2)

She slides her arms around my waist, and I love the way she melts against me. “Baby, I was born ready.”

Outside, we join my brothers and their old ladies in the parking lot, and there’s a real buzz in the warm summer air as we get ready to roll out. Climbing on my bike, I guide Lily behind me and feel a wash of contentment slide through me when she wraps her arms around my waist.

With a roar, we leave the clubhouse behind us and Jack leads the way into town. The designated meetup area is at our local church, where Dolly and TJ have decorated the parking lot with banners of Sofie and Bobbi-Lynn, asking in big letters, ‘DO YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED?’

This year—it’s the biggest turnout yet.

More than two hundred riders have turned up, and Main Street is abuzz with television cameras and media people all broadcasting the event nationwide. It’s good news. It means Sofie and Bobbi-Lynn’s story will again be in the forefront of people’s minds, and who knows, maybe this year it’ll jog someone’s memory about that day.

While it was Jack who led the ride into town, it’s Bull who leads the ride out of town. He’s the King of Kings, and Jack will ride beside him, giving way to him when the road demands it.

Taking off, I feel the spark of excitement in my core. There’s no sound like the rumble of two hundred and twenty-seven motorcycles making their way down a winding mountain road. The bark of Harley engines echoes through the tall trees and disappears into the afternoon sunlight as we ride along the broad-sweeping roads cutting into the mountainside and through the small, picturesque towns dotting the way.

Settling in for the ride, I’m overcome with peace. There’s nothing like the heavy rumble of my bike between my legs and my girl sitting behind me with her body pressed up against me.

In every town we pass through, people line the streets and cheer, and when we reach Sofie and Bobbi-Lynn’s hometown of Gideon Row, people wave banners with the girls’ faces on them and clap as the steady stream of bikers passes by. We stop at the town cemetery and lay a wreath at each of the girls’ graves, standing shoulder to shoulder as we pay our respects with a minute’s silence.

The Mayor of Gideon Row has arranged lunch at one of the rest stops, where the local diner and grocery store have set out plates of sandwiches and burgers.

While Lily uses the restroom, I finish off a sandwhich at one of the lookouts and take in the sweeping view of Big Snake Creek below.

I'm leaning against the railing when a hand clamps onto my shoulder.

“What a fucking view,” Bull says.

“Never gets tiring,” I say.

Bull doesn’t waste time shooting shit and gets straight to it, “So, your girl is Max Stonecypher’s daughter.”

I smile at his directness. “Lily…”

“Yes, Lily.” He takes off his sunglasses. His eyes are legendary, like lightning caught in blue glass. His irises are bright and iridescent, giving him an unholy, demonic look. “Jack hasn’t said much about her.”

“But I’m sure he’s said enough.”

“He did.” He nods in agreement.

My immediate response is to defend Lily. “She left the Inferno years ago. Max forced her to the hotel just like he forced me.”

“I heard.”

“She wasn’t involved with my abduction.”

“I heard that too.”

Bull doesn’t say a lot, and he’s not one for bravado or exaggerations. It’s what he doesn’t say that unnerves people.

“But you have concerns?”

“I’m the president of a motorcycle club. I always have concerns.” His brow furrows. “Your girl, she has the potential to hurt this club, and it’s my responsibility to make sure she doesn’t.”

“She’s no threat.”

His smile isn’t warm and not meant for comfort. “And that’s where you’re wrong. Every old lady has the potential to be a threat. She can be a force to be reckoned with, cause unimaginable chaos, even take down a club if she’s got the right kind of crazy.”

“That’s not Lily.”

“Maybe not. But how well do you know her?”

“I know her enough to know she’s not here to cause trouble for the club.”

“Don’t underestimate Max Stonecypher’s desire for dramatics. Getting his daughter to seduce a club member and work her poison from the inner sanctum of the club isn’t far off his radar.”

“I know what Max is capable of. I spent three days in a fucking abandoned hotel with the asshole.”

“Then you know it isn’t unfathomable that he’d send his daughter in to do some of his dirty work.”

“No. Not unfathomable. If he could get away with it, he would do it.” I give him a pointed look. “But that’s not the case here.”

Bull’s face remains unreadable. “I wish I was convinced.”

“Then why aren’t you telling me to fuck off and take her with me?”