In the Arms of the Beast (Kings of Hell MC 5)

Hell, Beast himself had prospected at sixteen. Growing up in the clubhouse, he’d been accustomed to the Kings of Hell MC dealings by that time. He’d considered himself an adult. Nick wasn’t even all that many years younger than Laurent who, while cute, was most definitely a man in his own right. Nick was a good kid, but having to follow orders without question wasn’t what drew him to the Kings of Hell. Only time could tell how he would take to the less glamorous side of club life.

Back in the day, when Beast had been an arrogant young man, who could get away with a lot on his good looks, he hated doing what others told him to. He’d even considered quitting altogether and following his then boyfriend to Hollywood where Derek had had grand plans of stardom as an actor. But after the accident that had left Beast’s skin badly burned, Derek had drifted away, while the club stood by him. Even King, though that had all been for show.

Beast got patched in as a member as soon as he could ride his motorcycle again. He remembered the endless months of rehab with that one light at the end of the tunnel. It had given him something to look forward to in the darkest days of his entire life. Now the club was his life.

Fox often complained about his son’s unwillingness to study harder, but Nick wasn’t stupid. He was just not made for school and the kind of learning it offered. Instead, Nick needed a strong hand and the authority of someone who wasn’t his dad. Everyone had to learn rules at some point, but high school teachers weren’t exactly equipped to handle Nick’s tendencies to be a violent shit. If strength was what Nick respected, the club members could sure as hell be the role models he needed.

Unless he fucked up tonight, Nick would become their brother one day, the same way the club would be Marcel’s family—an extended network of uncles and aunts. Beast’s kid would grow up with the club as his rock, and maybe one day he would want to become a member himself.

When King had still been alive, Beast was always pushed to the sidelines despite sharing a strong bond with the other members. Now, with Laurent at his side, the prez patch on his chest, and a kid on the way, the dedication he felt for the club wasn’t just about belonging. He not only had to, but wanted to build the club so that it prospered and provided for everyone. It would be there for the generations to come, an anchor and a place to call home under the umbrella of freedom where rules of regular society didn’t always prevail.

But for that to happen, they needed to survive Baal’s plans and lock him away forever.

“If you live with us, you gotta earn your keep,” Beast said to Nick, who instantly sat up.

“Yeah, for sure. I’ve been pulling plenty all-nighters with Jake this past month.”

Jake nodded. “He’s showing dedication.”

Knight knew where Beast was going with this. “And he’ll be working even harder if he wants to stick around.”

Nick frowned, trying to keep himself straight, despite the vehicle constantly shifting on uneven ground. “I don’t know what my dad’s been saying, but I’ll do whatever it takes.”

“But can you keep your mouth shut when it matters?” Beast asked as they slowed, approaching the clearing where the tree grew out of damp black moss.

“I can keep secrets.”

Knight patted Nick’s back. “You’re gonna have to prove it.”

“I can’t exactly prove it yet, because keeping secrets means you wouldn’t know that I’m keeping them. ‘Cause they’re secrets.”

Joker barked out a laugh. “What a smartass!”

Beast grabbed the edge of the bed of the pickup as it stumbled over a large rock. “Knight means that you’ll have to do as we say without asking why, and keep your mouth shut about what happens here tonight.”

Nick might have stopped breathing altogether. He finally understood that this was more than just an errand. That it could be what brought him a step closer to that coveted Prospect status. “You can count on me.”

His chest was working faster now, and even in the low light Beast noticed the muscles of the boy’s arms tightening. Since Nick had no idea about the real issue the club was up against, he was surely convinced that there would be blood where they were going. That he’d have to deliver a beating in their name. Threaten someone. Beast believed Nick could do all that, but would he stay as calm if he knew the truth? They would have to find out the hard way.

In the pale glow of the moon, the slope had an eerie enough appearance to send shivers down Beast’s spine, and his brain transformed the mundane into something out of the ordinary. Each small tree was a masked man watching their passage, each pair of eyes glinting in the dark—a spy about to alarm Baal to the upcoming danger. They were out of the demon’s jurisdiction, and for all he knew, he had no guardianship over the land around the trees the same way he had over the club grounds, but their friends and families were back there. Vulnerable to the creature’s wrath.