Cuffed (The Untouchables MC 1)

“Jealous?”

“No- he just- he doesn’t want me to be part of this world. But I am. This is who I am. If he doesn’t want that then… he doesn’t want me.”

“You’re much more than this world, Case. You know that. You’re going to get out.” He sat on the edge of the bed. “College and then the world.”

I shrugged.

“Maybe. But it doesn’t change the fact of who I am now. And it still felt like he was… looking down on me.” I lifted my eyes to his. “On us. In a way.”

“Yeah, he’s a pompous ass sometimes. But he has a good reason to hate bikers. His partner-“

“I know. But- he said that all bikers were killers.” I looked at the gentle giant sitting at the foot of my bed. “Even you.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah.”

He took a deep breath. Then he shook his head.

“It was a long time ago.” I swallowed nervously and waited as he heaved a sigh. “You deserve to know, Case. It’s not a short story though.”

I leaned back and nodded.

“Okay.”

“Connor’s right. I have a record. Manslaughter charges that were brought and then dropped.”

I exhaled, feeling the world tip upside down. Mason? A killer?

“Things were so different back then. The Untouchables were my family. I was one of them. Just like them. A lot of people expected me to take over someday.”

He closed his eyes, tilting his head back against the wall.

“I was in charge of the new recruits. It was a testament of Sawyer’s trust in me. Sawyer ran the Untouchables before Cain took over. Before Cain came back from Iraq, everyone thought it would be me. I was second in command. I wanted it. And then things got out of hand.”

I pulled my knees up to my chest. I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear the rest of this. I’d always known Mase had a past. I just didn’t expect this- any of it.

It explained why the Untouchables and the Raisers treated him with so much respect though.

“You know how the new recruits are- they do anything and everything we ask. The guys push them- fuck with them- sometimes too hard.” He ran his hands through his long brown hair. “But this kid, he had a condition or something. No one knew about it. I don’t know if the kid- Pete- even knew.”

He exhaled and covered his face.

“Such a fucking waste. They were hazing him and the other new recruits at the Blue Light. I was there but I wasn’t paying attention. They were feeding him beer through a funnel. But they took it too far.”

The Blue Light was another biker bar, much rougher than The Jar. I’d never been there and never planned to.

“All the other recruits puked or passed out. But Pete just- he fucking died. It was gruesome. His intestines burst.”

“That’s awful. But that wasn’t your fault.”

“It was. I was in charge. I tried Case, but it was too late.” I could see the remorse in his dark eyes. “I took him to the hospital. I took the blame for feeding him the booze. He was just a fucking kid, barely old enough to drink. I should have protected him.”

“Mase-”

“It was my fault Case. It was. Yeah, it’s a dangerous life to ride with the Untouchables. But this wasn’t anything like that. It was fucking frat boy shit. And I was in the back, fooling around with another man’s wife.”

My eyes got wide.

“You were-”

“I was busy getting my knob shined.”

“Is that why you don’t- go out with anyone?”

He laughed harshly.

“Yeah, I gave up women. It wasn’t her fault, even though she was a pretty fucked up human being. I let her talk me into the affair, and I went in the back to get my rocks off.”

He sighed and I wanted to hug him. But Mason didn’t look like he wanted a hug right now, so I let him be.

“So yeah, I stopped chasing women. I couldn’t enjoy it, knowing how bad I fucked up. I don’t know if I even believe in love anyway.”

My heart broke as he laughed bitterly and shook his head.

“But I know I don’t deserve it.”

Connor

“Answer my damn calls!”

I hung up, swearing as I paced around the outside of the building. I was at work, trying to distract myself from the fact that Casey left me last night.

Left me.

And now she wasn’t taking my calls or responding to my texts. I’d sent a dozen texts at least since leaving last night. I’d sat in my car, demanding that she come out. I’d called. Multiple times.

I’d slept with the damn phone on the pillow next to me! But nothing. And I’d barely gotten more than a few winks.

Mickey waved at me as he came out for a smoke but thankfully left me be. People were giving me a wide birth today.

Everyone knew the shark was back.