Spun (Kings of Chaos 1)

His words are a noose around my neck. I don’t have a choice. I’ll do whatever it takes to keep my family safe. I won’t leave her out there in the wind. Fuck, I never wanted this. I shove my selfishness aside. “I am. She’s under my protection. Anyone has a problem with that, speak now.” I sweep my gaze over the crowd.

The silence holds.

“All right, it’s official. Nevy is your property now. I’m leaving you to answer to Hulk. As for, Fuse… All who move for drawing blood, say aye.”

“Aye.” The approval is thunderous.

Pride swells my chest. Above all, we’re about brotherhood and family. Some of the new kids coming in don’t seem to understand that. They’re looking to be a part of something, but they don’t know how. Most have been fucked up by life and abandoned so much, they can’t get a grasp on the real meaning of loyalty. We take them under our wing, give ’em a chance to fly straight and prove themselves worthy of the title, Kings of Chaos.

“The ayes have it. You gotta pay the piper, brother.” Stone shakes his head. “I won’t stomach one of us doing this shit. You want to be a King? I need to be proud to call you my brother. I take no pride in this kind of shit. Only a coward would corner a twenty-one year old and try to force himself on her. You got a fucking old lady and kids. It’s the only reason I offered you a chance to straighten your shit out. Next time, we’ll be voting to kick your ass out. You feel me?”

Fuse ducks his head, playing the role of someone who’s sorry for what he’s done. “I hear you, Pres.”

I see right through his bullshit. The son of a bitch will do as much dirt as he can get away with.

“Take him to the shed,” Stone orders.

Chairs scrape across the floor of the church. Members stalk over and grab him by the arms, dragging him out of the room like the garbage he is. The room clears, until only Stone and I remain.

“You sure about this? I know we all got a soft spot for Nevy, but taking her on as your property is a move I never thought you’d make for anyone.”

“Me either. But we both know this is about more than one person. It’s about the direction we want this club to go in.” I shrug. “If it has to go down, I figure why not her? She’s never given us any trouble, and it might be nice to have someone keep up my house and cook me something that don’t come out of a bag.”

“All right then, brother. You want to be the one who draws blood on Fuse?”

“I’ll let the others have their turn, and then I’ll finish his ass.” I crack my knuckles on each hand.

Stone frowns. “Keep your eye on that one . He’s got too much feral in him. It’s a good thing when we’re in the midst of conflict with some boys trying to push up. Problem is, this fucker doesn’t seem to know how to flip the off switch.”

I agree with everything he’s saying. I don’t sit on the council, mostly because I never wanted to, but I’ve been enforcing the laws so long it’s become my thing. I don’t mind. I like keeping shit orderly. You lose your structure and your club is out in the wind. We’ve seen it happen over and over with the smaller clubs. We’ve grown to be mid-sized, which is a good place. Too big and you got the cops and feds breathing down your neck. Right now, we’re under the radar and our boys are kept on a tight leash. “Might be a dog that gets put down.”

“Yeah. I just hate to leave Mel and the kids without.” He shakes his head.

I shrug. “Might be better off that way.” Mel was a club kid who turned into a hanger on. She thought she hit gold when she hooked up with Fuse. But I’ve seen the light slowly go out in her eyes since he put a ring on her finger and a property cut on her back.

Stone grunts. “Let’s go see this fuck get what’s coming to him.”

I walk out of the club and spot Nevy sitting at the bar, nursing a beer and watching the door from beneath her long, black lashes. She’s always been a beauty with her dark brown hair, bright green eyes, and heart-shaped face with delicate features. Her lips are pink and pouty while she has curves that would keep a man warm at night.

I stand nearly as tall as her father, Hulk, at six foot three, and she reaches my shoulders. It’s impossible to think of her as a child, but I still feel responsible for her. We helped raise her. Hulk was always wrapped up in this or that, so we stepped up. It’s what you do for your brother. We picked her up from school, shuttled her to dance class and a bevy of other parental shit. It’s why we all have a weak spot a mile long when it comes to her.

Her greens burn me with their intensity. Her face is impassive, but I spy the worry in her jewel-like orbs. I give her a slow nod and hope she understands I got this situation under control.

The tension leaves her face. She offers up a wobbly smile.

It makes me feel like I’m capable of doing something more than destroying. I’ve been in this life so long, I’ve started feeling more hit man than human. I move past her and put my game face on. I’m going to enjoy hurting Fuse. You don’t touch mine and get away with it, and for better or worse, Nevada now belongs to me.

I walk inside the shed out back. The crowd of men part like the Red Sea. The smell of sweat, blood, and violence infuses the air. It’s a cologne I know well.

The blood lust has set in, and the monster lurking in the brothers is front and center. They form a semi-circle around Fuse, who’s strung up by his wrists. His eyes are black and swollen. His lip is busted. Red droplets cover his white T-shirt and the ground. His head lolls, and his chest is rising and falling rapidly.

I stop in front of him. “Look at me.”

The chains rattle as he struggles to obey my command. The defiance is prevalent in his dark eyes.

It inflames me. I deliver a blow across his cheek.

He grunts.