Chapter 1

CHAPTER ONE

ECHO

How long is it socially acceptable for me to stay at this clubhouse party before I can leave?

"You better not be thinking about leaving, Echo. I swear to fuck, if you leave I am going to kidnap your kindle," Fizz says, throwing himself onto the seat next to me. Little shit. Now I'll never get to duck out.

It's not that I don't enjoy spending time with my club brothers, I do. These people are my family. It's just that tonight there are also a lot of randoms and I don't have the energy for small talk. I spent all day renovating a safe house for the domestic violence shelter and then had a two-hour evening class at the local community college. I've been up since five am. I need to read a chapter of my book and sleep, damnit.

"If I have to stay here and watch Booker and Nicky dry hump, so do you, Echo." Fizz eyes the happy couple assessingly. "If only our parents weren't cunts to us, Echo, and were cunts to each other instead. They could have remarried and we might be sitting here with sexy stepbrothers."

"If only. Want to talk about it?" I mumble. Fizz only brings up his parents if he's sad about something else.

He sighs, running a hand through his curls. "Nah, I might need to watch some step brother porn though."

There's a squelching sound, and Nicky unlatches from Booker's face.

"You know we can hear everything you're saying, right?" Nicky says, while Booker just starts kissing his neck.

My cock twitches. I'd defy any allo queer man who doesn't get even a little hot and bothered at the live foreplay show these two put on the regular.

Fizz shrugs. "You know I don't give a fuck right?"

Nicky laughs and latches back onto Booker's face.

"They are disgusting," Fizz says, not taking his eyes off of them. I snort. He's jealous. "Don't start, Echo, or I'll start asking you all about your study buddy."

"Nothing to tell." I state. There really isn't, but I fucking wish there was.

I'm taking a few community college classes to get some of my construction licences, but Kenny also suggested I take a literature course because I love books so much. He thought it would be good for me to be around people who are also into reading. Fizz likes books but Kenny didn't suggest he take classes.

It's an okay class. The required reading is a bit light on gay romance, but the fact it has any queer books is sadly impressive. The main attraction is my classmates.

Well, classmate. Singular.

Joey.

I'm a twenty-seven-year-old man with a crush. It's ridiculous. Half the time I'm in his presence, I can do nothing but bask in any attention he gives me. Which admittedly is a lot. Kind of. He spends most of the class talking to me and then I walk him to his car and he still talks. I know more than I ever expected to know about soccer and the history of burgers. I like it though. Whenever he talks about anything, his eyes get all sparkly.

He's also beautiful.

Joey has silky chin length blond hair that looks like Rumpelstiltskin himself spun it. I'd give anything to run my hands through it. To grip those strands as he wraps his lips around my desperate cock.

Fizz snorts, pulling me from my dirty thoughts. "You're thinking about him, aren't you? You look turned on as fuck."

I don't get the chance to answer him because at that moment our VP's voice cuts through the room. "Turn off the music. Party is over."

Booker and Nicky stop squelching. "Fuck, we're not going to be getting off any time soon now are we?"

"Stop thinking with your dick," Nicky says, standing up and readjusting himself.

"I didn't need to see that," Fizz mumbles. "C'mon, no doubt we're heading to church."

The first time I heard Kenny talk about church, I thought I'd accidentally joined a religious cult or something. It's actually what MC's call their meeting rooms because it's a sacred space. It's where we discuss club business, which is usually to do with the survivors of domestic abuse we help.

Sure enough, Kenny pipes up.

"All non club members need to leave now. Partners and family can stay."

No one bothers to argue with Kenny. Even the townies who aren't members know to respect what he says.

Fizz and I head straight there. This place was a grand hotel at some point before Kenny's father bought it in the eighties and turned it into a clubhouse. We're called the Fallen Gargoyles because the original members were all ex first responders and armed forces. Disillusioned by the government and how they didn't really do a lot to help. They wanted a new way to protect their community.

And thank fuck they did, otherwise I would probably have not made it out of my teenage years.

"Why are you thinking so much today?" Fizz asks, sitting down in his seat at the table.

I just shrug.

"Well, stop it. I don't like it." His eyes brighten. "Do you have any more book recs?"

"I have plenty."

He looks at me expectantly, but I just smirk at him. Fizz is like my little brother even though he is three years older and a shit tonne scarier than me. No one knows exactly what he does for the club, but he gets an evil little smile when he's asked.

"Are we all here?" Kenny asks, looking around the full table. "Great. Mac, what is the fucking problem?"

"Remember Gary Mahon?"

"Laura Brand's piece of shit, ex? Has he resurfaced?" Kenny frowns. We help a lot of people escape domestic abuse. Nearly all of them are women. What Laura was a particularly rough case from a few months ago where her ex nearly killed her.

"He resurfaced, and he brought friends with," Mac says grimly. "He's joined forces with the Red Devils MC."

The room explodes with curses. The Red Devils are nasty pieces of work that we've had run-ins with over the years. We don't get involved in drug and gun issues, but when they are knocking their women about, you bet your ass we step in.

"This can't be about one woman, surely," Booker says, looking pained. "We've helped dozens of women escape the Red Devils and they've not given a shit. Why Laura? Why is this woman so important to them when the misogynistic fuckheads usually don't give a shit?"

"You're right. There has to be something else at play," Kenny says, cracking his knuckles.

"We'll need to ramp up protection on Laura. Nicky, I know you weren't here when we helped Laura, but can you do a deep dive on her, Gary, and the Red Devils?"

"Sure thing, dad. Booker can catch me up." Nicky says pulling his phone out, missing the smile that briefly flashes on Kenny's face. Kenny and Nicky only found out the other existed a few months ago, so Kenny is still getting used to his son calling him Dad.

"Great." Kenny turns to me. "I want her protection ramped up to a thousand."

I nod. "She's at the safe house. Dai and Jonas are watching her now, but I'll head there after the meeting. I think bringing her in here could be our best bet at protecting her. Could also be a good way of finding out if she knows why Gary is so intent on finding her."

"Good lad. Head over in one of those shitty cars. We don't want to wake the house up with your bike engine."

Sniggers break out around the table and I can't help smiling as well.

"Dad, they aren't shitty, they're electric cars." Nicky rolls his eyes.

"Same fucking thing. Only reason I agreed to them is because I don't want my grandbabies living in a hellscape."

Nicky and Booker look at each other in alarm, but Kenny doesn't give them the chance to say anything else.

"Bring her in here, in the morning. There are always brothers about, but we'll assign someone to her."

"We should ask Toni. My daughter is here most of the time and is as good as any brother. I don't understand why she doesn't just officially join," Mac huffs.

Fizz locks eyes with me.

I guess Toni hasn't explained her plan to her dad yet.

"Get Toni onboard." Kenny says. "Folx, I want you to stay vigilant, okay?" These guys might come for us, and I don't want any fuck caught unawares."

There is a chorus of agreements, and Kenny leaves the room. Effectively dismissing us.

"I'm going to get some crap and head out. See you tomorrow," I tell Fizz, Jet, Rex, Nicky and Booker, who are the only ones who remain.

"Keep your location on," Fizz says sternly.

I nod and head to my room to collect my kindle and some fresh clothes. The safe house has a small cabin at the bottom of the garden for male MC members to have a wash, get some snacks and a coffee, and a cot in case we need to sleep. That way, these abused women don't have to wake up to scary looking men in their kitchen.

My job here is important and time consuming.

This is why I need to not think about any golden haired men in my bed.