Total pages in book: 42
Estimated words: 39046 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 195(@200wpm)___ 156(@250wpm)___ 130(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 39046 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 195(@200wpm)___ 156(@250wpm)___ 130(@300wpm)
Motorcycle gangs were the perfect way to land my ass right back inside lock up. No fucking thank you.
Turning on my heel, I began walking in the opposite direction. “Malik,” I paused, my muscles bunching at the use of my name, “I know you heard me.”
Gritting my teeth, I turned back to face them. Something in my gut told me I wasn’t getting out of this conversation. “The fuck you want?” I demanded.
“For you to come with us,” Trick said. He had a sort of baby-faced look about him with olive skin and dark brown eyes. His hair flopped over onto his forehead. He was clearly of some kind of Asian descent, and he was only about half my size.
“You can fuck off,” I told him.
“You walk away again,” Satan warned when I turned to do just that, his voice cold enough to freeze hell, “and we’ll take you by force.”
The muscle in my jaw ticked, and tension rode my shoulders hard. I eyed Satan, taking in his paler skin, the curls on his head, and the shadow of a beard on his jaw. He was even slimmer than Trick, but there was something about him that warned me not to let his size fool me. There was a darkness beneath his impassive mask. Something cold and heartless.
He had the gaze of a predator.
“What do you want?” I snapped. “I don’t have time for bullshit and games.”
“You made quite the name for yourself in there,” Trick said, jerking his head toward the looming fortress behind me that’d kept me captive for three hundred and sixty-five days. “We’re offering you a chance to prospect with our club. You’ll have a home. A job. Steady income. And we’ll help keep your reckless ass out of trouble.”
I snorted and rolled my eyes. “I’m just supposed to trust the word of two strangers sitting out here waiting for me like fucking creeps?”
Satan shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest. “We’ve got people who have interests in our club that want to see you part of it. We’re giving you an option—”
“The illusion of an option,” I corrected, making him scowl at being interrupted. “If you’ve got people who want to see me part of your bike riding shindig, I don’t have much of a choice, do I?”
“Bike riding shindig,” Trick snorted.
“Not really, no,” Satan answered, ignoring the man at his side. “You come with us now, or they’ll show up in a few days and force you. I promise you don’t want them forcing you.”
I gritted my teeth, looking around the lot. Suddenly, the inside of that fence topped with barbed wire seemed like a better option. Joining any kind of organization—like a motorcycle club—was a lifetime deal. Take that oath and the only way out was death.
“What’s it going to be?” Trick asked, arching a brow at me.
I had no fucking choice. Satan was right, I didn’t want anyone forcing me. I had no idea whose attention I’d snagged while I was inside, but I wasn’t keen on finding out the hard way. Most people inside had been affiliated with some organization or another. Guessed it was better whoever was tracking me wanted me on their side rather than wanted to eliminate me… at least, not yet.
Silver linings and all that bullshit.
Because if I got out of prison just to find myself in a casket, my mother would bring me back from the dead just to kill me again herself. No fucking thank you.
“I’ll be there tomorrow morning,” I bit out.
“You don’t even know where you’re going,” Trick called after me as I began to walk off.
I scoffed. Did he think I was a fucking idiot or something?
“I’m sure it won’t be hard to find you.”
I had a feeling I was trading one prison for another type of prison, but I didn’t have much choice in the matter. I lived in a city full of criminals, most of whom answered to people with deep pockets and fingers dug into many pies.
I’d keep my cool for now and follow their lead. But eventually, I’d make sure they knew there was no bringing me to heel.
I was Malik fucking Carter. I bowed down to no one.
1
Malik
TWO YEARS LATER
Ipeered one eye open when someone loomed over me, blocking the sunlight from beating down on my face. It was cold outside, but the cooler temperature combined with the sunlight felt damn good, and I was trying to enjoy it.
Couldn’t when some fucker was standing over me, though.
“What?” I snapped at Chet, also known as Trick. He knew I hated being disturbed when I was trying to get some alone time. Wasn’t much of that in a club though. Sure, I had a brotherhood to belong to now. And part of me would always be grateful that Chet and William, also known as Satan, had forced my hand, even if they were doing it under the orders of someone else.