Chapter 2

Gio

“R oad Captain, hell fuckin’ yeah!” My best friend, Cole, clapped me on the back, his smile was damn near as big as mine. “Congratulations, brother.”

“Thanks, man.” I shrugged my shoulders and turned around to show off the patches, freshly done for tonight’s patching ceremony. “I’m official.” It felt like I’d been a prospect for years and there were times I wondered if I would ever get patched in.

“How does it feel?”

My smile grew wide. “Fucking amazing, man.”

“You earned it,” Cole assured me. “Been a long ride but it paid off.”

My brother and my sister-in-law, Petyon, stopped beside me and clapped me on the back a little harder than necessary but that’s what annoying older brothers were for, pissing off their younger brothers. “You earned it, brother. You stepped up every time we asked.”

“It’s what we do.” Although I’d grown up with Cole and Rocky—so I knew what it was to live with brothers and to have their backs—this was a whole new level. This was a lot more than just the three of us against the world.

“Damn straight,” Rocky grinned.

“You did great, bro.” Peyton stepped in front of me and wrapped me in a hug. “Congrats, Gio.”

“Thanks, Peyton.”

She flashed a smile and turned to Rocky. “Come on, let Gio enjoy his night.” She tugged him away with a smile for me because she was now family too. Her and the baby.

“Every time we turn around, another kid is being added to the family.” Cole laughed and shook his head. “Better them than me.”

“Amen, brother.” The last thing that was on my mind was finding a woman to settle down with. “But I thought you were looking for a nice girl?”

Cole snorted. “Where the fuck do you find nice girls around here who aren’t already tangled up with one of our brothers?” He shook his head. “I’m happy about this fucking road trip.”

“You are?” Road trips could be fun, but they were always hellish. Traveling to a new territory that was unfamiliar where you knew you’d be surrounded by enemies and potential threats everywhere.

“Fuck yeah,” he nodded and took another sip of his beer. “I’d rather have a shipment of guns and weed on the open road for the chance to experience something new. I’m bored with the club bunnies and the Vegas nights.”

“Bullshit,” I laughed. “Maybe you need to hit up the apps and find that elusive nice girl you secretly dream about.”

He finished his beer, and his brows shot up. “That’s rich coming from the guy who won’t fuck a woman for more than three nights.”

“Hey, it’s not my fault that all get attached.” It was a problem, especially with the easy pussy on demand in the form of MC bunnies. They were easy but every last one of them wanted to become an old lady which meant I went through them quickly. “I’m not ready to settle down yet. Hell I’m not sure if I’ll ever be ready. She’ll have to be one hell of a woman to make me even consider it.” Thoughts of women turned my gaze towards a group of bunnies where Teesa and Toni, sisters, stared back at me.

“Don’t tell me you’re gonna fuck the crazy sisters?”

“I’m not. Too much trouble. Sisters fight like enemies and after one hot threesome they’ll be fighting over me.”

“We used to fight like that. Remember?”

I threw my head back and laughed. “How could I forget? That right hook of yours is a menace.” We grew up together and we fought hard, loved hard, and always had each other’s backs. “And we were still in high school.”

“You should see my left hook,” Cole offered. “You’ll never see it coming. Nobody does.”

“Asshole,” I grumbled just as Cindy, a stacked blonde bunny walked past us, making sure her double-D tits pressed against my chest.

“Hiya, Gio.”

“Hey Cindy. Busy later?”

She shook her head. “For you? Never.” Her pink lips pressed into a pout and all I could imagine was those lips wrapped around my cock later.

“Once we get the shipment loaded up, I’ll come find you.”

“You know where I’ll be,” she purred and headed to the bar to grab beers for some of the brothers.

“Cindy has stars in her eyes, you know that don’t you?”

I shrugged. “Don’t rain on my fuck parade.”

“Not raining, warning.”

Yeah, Cindy did have stars in her eyes but that was her problem, not mine. “She knows the deal.”

“One day this shit is going to get you in the kind of trouble you can’t charm your way out of. Can’t wait.”

“You wish for my downfall?”

“Nope.” He shook his head. “I can’t wait for you to fall in love.”

“Not today, Satan.” Not tomorrow either.

Diesel, Maverick, Rebel, and Slate joined us, and Hawk approached from the other side with a tray of shots. Diesel turned to me with a grin. “You got everything all mapped out for this trip?”

Part of my new job as road captain was to handle all road trips. Planning and routes, dangers on the road, and all the rest of it. Even though I wasn’t going on this trip, the responsibility was all mine. Usually the position went to older brothers, but apparently, I’d impressed them so much when I was prospecting that they decided I’d be perfect for the role. “Yep, all done, Prez.”

“Good.” Diesel nodded, satisfied even though he was a man of few words. “When the guns are with the Mexicans and the weed is with the Russian dispensary owners, I want Rebel and Cole to head to Lompoc to pick up Hollywood. He was paroled and he gets out in seven days.”

“Holy shit, no way!” Hollywood did a half-dime in Lompoc for a fight that went sideways, and I loved that asshole. He was big and burly and grumpy as fuck, but he was a damn good shot.

“Yep. Got word an hour ago.”

Rebel nodded. “Got it. We leave in two and a half hours,” he said to Cole. “Just enough time for one more drink and to pack a bag.”

Cole nodded and the group dispersed. “I’ll see you in a week or two,” he said to me and fist bumped me. “Congrats again. Try not to celebrate too hard without me.”

“I make no promises, man. How about I party for you while you’re gone?” We shared a few more laughs and one more drink before Cole hit the road and I hit the sheets.

With Cindy.