Page 3 of Rooster's Redemption

I take the leather cut and hold it in my hands. The soft but firm leather under my fingertips feels right. Feels like I’m finally home. I slip it on and look down at the patch. Prospect is on the left breast.

This is how I’ve become a Savage Saint.

Chapter

One

ROOSTER

For years I wondered what had happened to Phoebe. The woman I wanted to spend the rest of my life with. After that dreadful night eight years ago, she left. She was gone without a trace. It hardened my heart and soul. I’ve never had feelings for a woman since. I’ve just fucked and kicked them out when I was done, regardless if they got their own. Until now.

Now, I have a beautiful blonde-haired beauty sleeping in my arms while the rest of my brothers, The Savage Saints, are out there having fun and living it up and I’m in my room, letting the darkness consume my every pour. Eight years ago, a woman destroyed me, and I swore to myself I wouldn’t let it happen again. Now another has managed to worm her way under my skin.

After I found Alyssa sobbing and shaking, scared out of her mind behind the garage earlier, I brought her up to my room and she finally gave in and fell asleep about an hour ago. She kept repeating over and over that she didn’t want to do it but she had no choice. I couldn’t get anything else out of her. Fucking secrets kill me. I knew when Stryker was shot and we were at Doc’s, something wasn’t right. She tried to tell me, but I wouldn’t listen. Being a stubborn asshole has always worked forme and I brushed her off. Then Holly came out of the bathroom and Alyssa left. She’s been gone more than here lately and that worries me too. She says she’s visiting her mom, but no one has that many visitors in rehab. I’m not fucking stupid. Next time she takes off, which I imagine will be when she wakes up, I’m putting a fucking tail on her ass.

My eyes grow heavy as the bass of the music downstairs vibrates my walls and Alyssa’s deep breathing is steady against my chest. I shake my head, being careful not to rouse her and shift slightly. Alyssa whimpers in her sleep and my heart unthaws a little more. Her tiny hand clutches to my leather cut with a vice-like grip. I can’t let her get to me. I can’t let her in. If I do, the secrets she’s carrying will destroy both of us.

When Kayne brought me into the Savage Saints MC, I didn’t quite know what he wanted from me. I would do little jobs here and there from the comfort of my home. He had me track down the President of this chapter daily. Kayne knew before the rest of us what was going down, but he couldn’t say anything until Steam, the President of Savage Saints, Detroit, released him. The day Steam handed Kayne his President patch, was the day our work behind the scenes came into play. He rode right to this Clubhouse with Blayde and dethroned the old Prez. Then took his rightful place at the head of the table. He turned this Clubhouse around and turned it into something people feared but respected, instead of laughed at and ridiculed.

We knew the moment our boots hit the ground we’d have our work cut out for us. Kayne had to play nice with Drex, the President of Deadly Sins, for a little while and do his bidding. But Drex didn’t know the behind the scenes deals Kayne had with the Irish Mafia. Those deals are what dragged our club out of the trenches and we watched as Poison, who Drex thought was his daughter, and Kayne fall in love. They were destined to be enemies but fought their way through it all. Now she hasa ring on her finger, a patch on her chest and a secret Kayne doesn’t know about.

I can’t fight the sleep taking hold and my eyes drift close, sending me into oblivion. I’m in a deep sleep when a pounding vibrates through my skull. I ignore it and try to fall back asleep. The pounding won’t stop. I open my eyes and sit up, rubbing the sleep away. Trying to gather my wits, I climb out of bed and stumble to the door. I’m pissed off and annoyed as fuck at someone waking me up. If there’s one thing I hate more than anything else, it’s being woken up. If someone’s physically touching me, I usually swing first and then ask questions later.

Yanking the door open I’m knocked back on my ass as a large hand comes barreling into me. “What the fuck!” I shout. My body reacts before my mind figures out what’s going on and I tackle the motherfucker who hit me to the floor like a three-hundred-pound linebacker. The asshole grunts below my powerful grip.

“Rooster,” Kayne’s riding boots step into my view. “Let him go. Duke get the fuck up, dickhead.” I sit up and Duke scurries away rubbing his chest.

“Sorry, bro. Don’t ever wake me again,” I shrug my shoulders in a what the fuck do you expect gesture.

“Duly noted.” Duke stands up and leans against the wall, still trying to catch his breath.

My eyes travel to my bed where it’s empty. Motherfucker. She got away again. I clench my fists tight and shift my eyes to Kayne who’s watching me curiously from the doorway. “What’d ya need?” I ask.

“I need you in Church in ten. We had something come up last night that needs addressing.” Kayne cuts his eyes to my messy bed then turns and leaves. That’s one thing about Kayne. He says what needs to be said and then leaves. Duke follows behind him, leaving me alone. I pull my body off the floor and walk into thebathroom. I turn on the shower and let the steam fill the room, fogging up the mirror. I wipe the condensation off and stare at myself in the mirror. My shaggy black hair flops against my forehead. My beard is scruffy from not shaving in a few days. Intricate tattoos cover my chest and crawl up my neck and down my arms.

Back when the pain of losing Phoebe was too much to bear and Club Bunnies weren’t doing it, I’d meet up with Tex and he’d ink me. Most of my tattoos represent what I was going through at the time. The jagged heart being held by a bloody hand with blood dripping down was my first ink. Then the fire-breathing dragon with its tail sneaking its way up my neck, ready to strike was my second. Then after that, were the skulls and crossbones. But my most meaningful tattoo is my Savage Saints tattoo covering my whole back he did on the night I was patched in officially. That bitch hurt like a motherfucker but I sat there through the entire process and let him make me an official patch member.

I climb into the shower and wash away the previous night’s events. I let the hot water pound on my muscles and relax my mind. I push all thoughts of Alyssa away and focus on what’s going on here and now. I don’t have time for childish games. There are more important things going on that my focus needs to be on rather than a leggy blonde with those fucking secrets I hate.

I hurry down the stairs and come flying into the kitchen, not paying any attention to who’s around me. I snag a coffee cup from the little wooden tree holder Holly insisted we have and pour myself a cup of coffee. Holly is Stryker’s Ol’ Lady and she’s a little sister to the rest of Savage Saints. She loves to cook and the kitchen is her domain. We don’t fuck with anything in here and we live to see another day. We protect Holly at all costs and will never let anyone do to her what her old MC did again. Theman who tortured and abused her for years is currently six feet under.

The bacon and pancake aroma make my mouth water so I snag a handful of bacon and a pancake, shoving it into my mouth while I head into Church. I close the solid wooden door behind me and sit in my respective chair. Snickers surround me as I swallow my food. My eyes cut to my right where Duke and Ace are sitting.

“Did you even taste that food, dickhead?” Ace snickers. Ace is the Savage Saints Secretary. He handles all the business adventures and is surprisingly good with the tech stuff. He helps me out from time to time when I’m drowning in research. He’s one of the brothers I’m closest with and he loves to fight. When he’s in a ring or a cage, he’s in his full element. I flip him off and swallow my coffee. The hot liquid burns my throat but damn, Holly can make a mean cup of coffee along with food to die for.

“Did the pig enjoy it at least?” This comes from Tex sitting across from me. Tex is one brother I can’t get a read on. He’s the Road Captain and any rides we go on or charity runs we do, he plans them all right down to the fucking T. He loves the women who come around and has a different one on his dick almost every night. But one thing he’s never changed is the cowboy hats he wears. A grey one is sitting on his head today. He’s also wearing a blue bolo-tie for some reason. Probably to be a smartass. I reach across the table and yank it, so he’s leaning across the scarred oak table.

“I don’t know, why don’t you ask your mama? She was squealing like a pig when I fucked her last night, Southern boy.” I release his tie and he slides back into his seat, stunned. I lean back into mine with a smirk on my face. The room erupts in laughter.

“Enough!” Kayne’s voice bellows through the room. Those of us who were laughing or joking around stopped. It’s quiet enough that you can hear a pin drop.

Everyone is here today. Even Poison is sitting in her respective seat. Her vibrant porcelain skin lacks the glow she normally has. Dark bags are under her eyes from lack of sleep. I don’t think she’s told Kayne what’s wrong with her because he keeps on looking at her with concern in his light blue eyes. Kayne swings his eyes around the room, landing on each of us.

He slams his gavel on the oak table and begins the meeting. “Last night, I received a phone call from Krimson. We’re going to have visitors here in a few days. Capone and a few of his brothers from the Royal Bastards in Los Angeles are heading here. They have word the Bloody Scorpions are heading our way and they’re a nasty group. Dealing in the Black-Market Railroad. We finally have a lead on the list of missing girls that we discovered in Holly’s parent’s house. They’re part of the Black-Market Railroad. Have any of you ever heard of it?”

The room grows quiet while Kayne waits for someone to speak up. I raise my hand, “Aye, Prez. I have and I think I know who in our area is a part of it too. You’re not going to like it.”

“So, spill it, Rooster.”

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