Chapter 1

Stone– 5 years ago

"Keep your fucking hands off of her!"

I throw a punch at this handsy asshole who thinks he's free to touch any pretty girl who makes his dick twitch. His head snaps back, but he's a big fucker. He doesn't budge, so I hit 'em again, a well-placed uppercut that makes him grunt in pain, and he finally releases my best friend, Ivy.

But the stubborn bastard hasn't had enough. He grabs Ivy's arm and yanks her back to him. "Hey man, she's with me," he barks while Ivy struggles to break free of his hold. She bumps into a table, and a beer tips over, pissing off the cowboys sitting at the table.

"Let me go!" Fear shines in her blue eyes; her face grows redder by the second.

"You heard her," I growl. "Let. Her. Go." My hands twitch with the need to punch this asshole again, but I worry he'll hide behind Ivy like the punk-ass bitch he is.

He snarls, "Or what, pretty boy? What the fuck you gonna do?"

I'm itching for a big fucking brawl tonight. We're celebrating Ivy's eighteenth birthday at Hornet's Nest, a piss-soaked dive bar miles outside our town of Opey. The place never cards and their well drinks pack a punch that'll leave you staggering and ready to kick some ass.

This greasy-haired punkass leers at Ivy, undressing her tight denim curves and cowgirl blouse with his beady eyes. "Well, well...so the little cock tease belongs to you, pretty boy?" He licks his chapped lips slowly. "Gotta say, she's just begging for a real man to show her a real good time. How much to take her out for an hour or two?"

I get right up in his ugly mug, fists clenched, ready to splatter his face across the concrete floor. "Keep running that fucking mouth and you'll be sucking through a straw for a month, dickbag."

No one talks about my Ivy like that, objectifying her like she's just a piece of meat to be disrespected. She might look like a total knockout, all tanned legs and wild curves, but she sure as hell isn't anybody's plaything. "Pissed off now, pretty boy?" He tosses his head back with a nasty donkey laugh.

That's it. I slam two vicious haymakers into his gut, dropping him hard against a nearby table. Ivy scrambles back, eyes wide, as the asshole crumples up, wheezing.

A brick shithouse bouncer the size of a Buick suddenly appears, wearing a skintight black shirt that can barely contain his biceps. He grabs us both by the scruff with meaty hands. "You two are out!" He tosses us toward the door like rag dolls without a second thought.

"That asshole grabbed my ass and tried to drag me into the bathroom!" Ivy protests, voice trembling with anger and fear. But the bouncer isn't hearing any of it.

"No fighting! Out now!" He shoves us out into the harsh glare of the parking lot lights.

As soon as we're outside, the greasy punk ass bitch starts running his nasty trap again. "Aw, what's the matter, princess? Not so tough now that you're out here, huh?"

I crack him hard across his big mouth, putting some teeth on the dirty parking lot. "Shut your fucking pie hole before I shut it for you!"

He staggers back, that same slimy grin returning as he works his jaw. "Don't be like that, man. We were just getting started. I promised you we'll have a real good time when I'm done showing your little bitch her place."

Tears of rage burn in Ivy's eyes as she spits square in his face. "Try it and you'll die, fuckface!"

A wolfish grin splits my bloodied lips as I shove the punk away from her. "You heard the lady, bitch. Keep that up and you'll be eating through a new dick hole."

His beady little eyes turn murderous in an instant. "I'm sick of these fucking games. I'll teach that little whore some fucking respect!"

"I don't think so, fuckwad." I don't waste any more time with words. I drop him with a blinding flurry of body blows, putting every ounce of my strength into punching him out. This motherfucker is a big dude but he's slow, unable to stop me from absolutely wrecking him.

The air rushes out of him but he springs back up quick, those dead convict eyes looking to fucking kill now. He lowers his shoulder and blasts me in the gut, dropping me hard, the back of my head bouncing off the gravel parking lot.

I scramble to get up.

The mud and gravel grind into my knuckles as I grapple with the punkass in the dirt. His rancid breath hot on my face, I slam my elbow into his ribs, feeling them crack under the impact. A feral growl rips from his throat and he lashes out, teeth snapping at my cheek. I jerk back just in time, his teeth catching my eyebrow instead and opening up a jagged gash. Blood pours down my face in warm streams.

Neither of us let up for a second. I drive my knee up into his breadbasket, forcing out what little air remains in his lungs. He wheezes and retaliates by grabbing a fistful of my hair and slamming the back of my skull into the ground.

Stars burst across my eyes, but I blink them away, clawing and punching like a rabid dog until I finally create an opening. My next few bone-crunching strikes connect with sickening thuds against his jaw and nose, relentlessly until I feel something finally give way beneath my knuckles.

The bitch goes limp. I stagger upright, the world still spinning, ribs screaming from the non-stop barrage. One thing"s for sure—this sorry-ass mother fucker is down for good. I turn back to check on Ivy, her beautiful face streaked with tears and my own blood. "It's over, baby girl. Let's get back on the road and put this shithole in the rearview."

"Dumb fuck." I turn to check on Ivy, seeing the horror on her face. "Don't worry about him."

"Stone, look." Tears pool in her eyes, but she's pointing at the asshole.

I turn back to him and shrug. "He's just KO'd, Ivy. He'll be fine." She doesn't look convinced, and I roll my eyes. "For such a hard ass, you can be a real softy sometimes."

"Stone," she pleads.

"Fine," I growl and grip his ankles, dragging him out of the parking spot and onto the grass so no one runs the asshole over. "Happy?" He's dead weight, not groaning or moaning. Not moving. "Shit."

"What," she asks with a frown. "Stone, what is it?"

"The fucker is out, Ivy. Like out for real."

"What? No," she shakes her head and rushes to him, falling to her knees to check the pulse in his neck and his wrist. "He's still got a pulse. Think we should get him to the hospital?"

"Fuck." I rake a hand through my hair and let out a harsh sigh. "All right, yeah. Let's go." I haul him into the back of my truck, motioning for Ivy to get inside.

"County General is the closest," she says as she straps on her seat belt. "Twelve minutes if you do the speed limit."

With a sharp nod, I peel out of the parking lot, my heart pounding in my chest. We race to the hospital at breakneck speed, arriving in about eight minutes. I drop him off at the entrance, barely registering the nurse's shocked expression before speeding back home to Hardtail Ranch. Panic runs through me as I think of having to face my dad's wrath.

Ivy slides across the bench seat, her head resting heavily on my shoulder. "It'll be okay, Stone. I'll be right there by your side."

I force out a strained laugh. "Thanks."

"No need to thank me, you were there for me when it mattered most."

Ivy has been my ride-or-die since we were kids, wreaking havoc on the Opey, Texas, chapter of the Reckless Bastards.

As we pull up to the ranch, Ivy says with a wry smile, "Happy birthday to me, huh?"

"I'm sorry. I'll make it up to you somehow."

"Well, you did just save my life, so I guess that counts for something." She chuckles before getting out of the truck. "I'm sure everything will be fine."

"You're probably right... or at least I hope so." It's hard to shake off the guilt and fear gnawing at me now. "Guess we won't hang out at the Hornet's Nest for a while."

"That bouncer was a jerk anyway." We enter the house, and both my parents are in the living room in sweats and PJs, watching TV. My mom's eyes widen with shock as she takes in my appearance.

She rushes over to us, trying to control her panic. "What happened?"

"I'm fine, Mom," I assure her quickly. "This blood isn't all mine."

Gunnar, my dad, stands up from his spot on the couch. "Well, whose blood is it then?" His voice, laced with anger and disappointment, makes my stomach churn.

Ivy stands beside me while I tell my folks that I beat a man bad enough that we took him to the hospital.

"Fuck," my dad spits out. "I told you all this fighting would get you in trouble one day."

My ma, Peaches, rubs my dad's arm, trying to tame the beast, but he's furious. "Let's hope today isn't that day, Gunny." She tries for a smile, but she's not just the old lady of a biker. Ma is a badass in her own right, and the fact that she's not smiling for real is reason enough to worry.

"I'm sorry about all this," Ivy adds. "He was just stepping in to save me. Don't be mad at Stone."

"Not mad," Dad growls.

Ma tugs his arm. "Come on, Gunny." She's been here before. "We need to get to the hospital and check on that kid."

Dad nods, sliding me one last look. "Stay here. Both of you until I get back. Got it?"

I nod, too, mainly to resist the urge to argue that the fucker had it coming. "Got it, Dad."

He stalks off, shaking his head.

Ma wraps us both in one of her bear hugs, first Ivy, then me. "Don't worry, kiddos. This town's got our back. From politicians to the TCA to the boys in blue. We're covered."

I roll my eyes. "I don't think the Texas Cattlemen Association will be helpful right now."

She pinches my cheek. "Oh, you'd be surprised. Half of them double as politicians, lawyers, even cops, my smart-aleck son." She gives me a soft tap, a silent reminder of her unwavering support, and then steps away. "Heed your father's advice. Stay put. I'll take Ivy home later."

"Okay, Mom." Minutes later, both emerge fully dressed before taking off for the hospital.

"Sorry about this," Ivy offers, her head hanging low. "If I hadn't insisted on going to Hornet's Nest, we wouldn't be in this mess. You might get in real trouble for this, Stone. You beat the crap outta that guy."

Trying to lighten the mood, I flash a grin, doing my best to seem unfazed. "He deserved it. My mom and dad will figure this out. They practically own this town. They have friends everywhere."

"I hope you're right. They are pretty resourceful."

"Yeah. I'm gonna head up, shower off the night. Join me?"

The look she gives me is priceless. "Uhm…no."

"Hey, worth a shot. It is your birthday." I say and wiggle my eyebrows.

Her laughter rings out, but clearly, it's a firm no. "Yes, it is. My birthday, not yours, and I told you I don't want to fuck up our relationship, so keep that anaconda to yourself."

Bounding up the stairs two at a time, chuckling to myself. Anaconda.

Ivy always has a way of keeping me on my toes, and despite everything, I wouldn't have it any other way. But man has she kept me in the friend zone for way too long.