Prologue
The loud crash of a bottle breaking against the wall startled Myles as he walked up to his dad’s bike garage. It was late, and he wasn’t expecting anyone to be there. His dad had sent him to grab his backpack that he’d left there after school. As he got closer, he heard male voices coming from the rear of the building.
“You better get this shit settled with Bishop. The shipment is due in Memphis by the end of the week, and I expect it to be there!”
This was an unfamiliar voice. As he looked in the garage window, Myles didn’t recognize the man, but he knew he was furious. It made him even more uneasy when he heard Goliath’s heated tone. Goliath was the Devil Chaser’s VP, and he was not someone you wanted to piss off.
“What the hell are you thinking, Duce? You know this isn’t the way to handle this. If you have a problem, you take it up with Bishop. You do not show up unannounced and try to conduct business behind his back. This shit isn’t right.”
“He’s been putting me off. I know something’s up. I’m giving you a chance to fix it before I have to handle things myself. If Bishop can’t get this shit done, he’ll be taken out and replaced with someone who can.”
Goliath shouted, “Are you seriously threatening our President? I know you’ve got these gangs giving you trouble, but you don’t wanna go there, man. You don’t come here and make threats without consequences.”
“I expect my goddamn shipment to be made by the end of the week. Either Bishop steps up and gets shit done, or he’s out. No explanation necessary!” the stranger shouted.
Goliath moved towards him with fire in his eyes and snarled, “The shipment will be there. But this shit here tonight does not fly, asshole. Bishop will hear about it, and he’ll expect a meet with you. Plan on it.”
Myles quickly turned and headed back home. This encounter definitely had him freaking out. At only eleven, he’d already had to deal with a lot. After his mother, Cassie, left when he was just four, his dad and the club had been the only family he’d known. His father, Bishop, was the President of the Devil Chasers MC. His dad was an exceptional leader who always thought three steps ahead. His men trusted him and knew that he would lead them with conviction. Bishop believed in his brotherhood, and he was an inspiration to those that followed him. Goliath had been his vice-president for three years and helped communicate the expectations of the club. The Sergeant of Arms, Ace, had been in office for four years and led with an iron fist. He kept the meetings under control and handled any outside issues that came up with the club. Sheppard, Renegade, Pops, Hag, Crack Nut Bobby, and Doc had been members since the club began ten years ago. There were two prospects, Otis and Bulldog, still waiting to get patched in. When Cassie left, these men and several of their old ladies had become Myles’s family, and the clubhouse had become his second home.
Things had been going pretty well for Myles until Cassie had returned after two years hoping to start things back up like she had never left. Myles had known his dad didn’t really like that she was back, but he had tried to hide it for Myles’s sake. Bishop had wanted him to have his mother, and Myles had actually liked having her back. It had made him feel better knowing that his mother wanted him again. Unfortunately, she just couldn’t get her act together. She loved to party and hooked up with different men in and out of the club. She always seemed to be looking for something more. Eventually, one night of partying had gotten out of control, and she’d ended up dead. Myles still didn’t know all the details, but he knew it had pissed his dad off even more.
The conversation he’d just overheard in the garage worried him. Was his dad’s life in danger? Would Goliath protect him? Goliath was a big dude, and no one messed with him unless you wanted to get a fist in the face.
Chapter 1
Tessa
“You know idioms are just phrases that people use to add humor to conversation. They aren’t meant to be taken literally. Actually, you use them all the time. I often hear you all talking about ‘checking’ each other. When you say, ‘Laurie was checking me’, it doesn’t mean she’s actually putting a check mark on you. You know it means that she is saying bad things about someone.”
Tessa had been a 5th grade teacher at Henry County Elementary for almost two years. She loved teaching, and she always felt that she learned more from her students than they learned from her. She had moved to Paris, Tennessee with her two children, Isabelle and Drake, shortly after her divorce. She needed a change of scenery for her family, and the move had been a good choice for them. She had visited Paris Landing as a child, and had always loved being at the lake. She had been excited to come back, and she’d needed the distance from her overbearing ex-husband. Her marriage had not been a happy one, and she’d wanted a new start for her kids. The schools in Paris were some of the best in the area, and she’d been glad to get a teaching position there.