Page 1 of Rattler's Revelation
CHAPTER ONE: RATTLER
“Max, come with me. Wildcard called. He wants us at 1%,” Chill says from the doorway into the reptile room Viper and I built within the clubhouse. I don’t question my SOA, but put away the tools I use to milk the venomous snakes. Chill uses the venom when she wants to give a victim a painful death, with the bonus of Medical Examiners usually labeling the deaths as accidental.
I follow Chill through the common room. When Viper spots us, she follows. Outside, I head to the SUV while Chill and Viper mount their bikes.
I follow Chill and Viper through the streets of Las Vegas until we reach our casino, 1%. Puma, our President, had the idea to build a luxury casino to generate a steady income stream for the club. It was a huge success. The casino features a biker theme that appeals to bikers, wannabes, and the average tourist seeking a thrill.
“Wildcard sounded pissed. What did you do?” Chill asks me as we walk inside the casino.
I shrug. “No idea. I haven’t been here since the day that asshole kidnapped Angelica and my sisters.”
As we ride the elevator, I consider the possible reasons for Wildcard wanting to see me, but I’m drawing a blank. Seems like he’s always finding a reason to bust my chops. Fuck, allthe members do, except for Viper. Comes with the territory, though, when you’re a prospect. Not for the first time do I consider handing in my prospect kutte. I only joined the club to be close to Viper and to protect her from our asshole father and his friends. But now that she’s a patched member and with Rafe, I can focus on my future. Better than focusing on the past. No. Fuck. Not going there. I shake my head and stop myself from thinking about the asshole who fucked up my childhood. Literally. Nope, not thinking about him.
Instead, I consider my options. My favorite part of being a prospect is taking care of the kids. Being around them gives me hope. Their chaos and laughter keep me from losing myself in thoughts I’d rather forget. Without the club, I don’t know what I’d do, but I also feel trapped. All around me, I’m watching the brothers and sisters fall in love and start families. What about me? I’ve yet to feel attraction to anyone. In some ways, I’m still a virgin. In other ways, I’m not. NO! Shit. I’m not going there! Besides, I need to focus on why Wildcard wanted to see me.
What’s going on?
I find out as soon as Wildcard sees me. He wraps his fist in my shirt and slams me up against the wall. “You attacked that girl?” He yells at me. I glance around the room, my eyes landing on a stranger. She’s gorgeous, no denying it. She’s close to Viper’s height, with skin the color of coffee, and eyes the color of gold. The kutte she’s wearing tells me she’s an employee, but I’ve never seen her before. Not surprising since I spend little time at the casino.
“I didn’t attack anyone!” I choke out.
“Don’t fucking play dumb,” Wildcard snarls.
“Wait. That’s not him.”
Her soft voice draws our attention. She’s staring at me as I stare back. The hint of fear in her eyes is a jolt. She shouldn’t beafraid of me. I’d never hurt her. Wildcard questions her, but my focus is only on her as she explains.
“That’s not him. He looks like him. But that isn’t the same guy. The guy who attacked me has blue eyes, not green.”
“Wait, I know you, you’re name is Bianca, right?” Chill says. “You came to file a complaint against—” She turns slowly and looks at me. “Max.”
“Fuck that, I didn’t attack her!” I protest. “You know me. I’d never hurt a woman.”
Chill nods. “That’s what I said. I assumed she was lying. How do we know she isn’t?”
I tune out the argument between Brigit and Chill as I consider the girl’s comment. Someone who looks like me? Fuck, could it be? Did my bastard father have another kid out there? I glance at Viper, but she’s focused on the conversation.
“But, he said his name was Max?” Brigit asks, drawing my attention back to the room.
“Was he wearing a kutte like mine or like the one he’s wearing?” Wildcard asks, nodding toward me.
“Umm, neither, he wore a casino kutte,” she replies, then her eyes go wide. “I’m an idiot. I’m sorry, I didn’t put that together until now. If he were a member of the Demon Dawgs, he would have been wearing your kutte.” She shifts closer and stares up into my face. “You’re not him. I got a good look at him when he had me up against the wall with his hand up my skirt.”
The room explodes, as does my temper. I don’t know who the fuck hurt her, but I’m going to find him and destroy him. He assaulted this goddess, touched what wasn’t his to touch. I see the curiosity in her eyes as she looks at me, but I also see a remaining flicker of fear. I hurt knowing that she fears me, even though I did nothing to harm her.
After she leaves, I’m lost. What the hell is going on?
My mind stays on Bianca. I half-listen to Chill, Viper, and Brigit as they identify the man who has been impersonating me, Walt Turner. They also figured out that Walt and the temporary HR Manager, Pamela, had been stealing from us.
I stay with Viper and Brigit while Chill and the others hunt down Walt. They’re hoping to find him and take him to the Pit so Chill and Viper can get answers. I’m not a fan of watching my sister torture people, but I think I might enjoy watching them demolish Walt after what he did to Bianca. So, I’m thrilled when Chill calls me to bring the SUV so we can transport the asshole.
In receiving, I grab a trussed-up Walt and dump him in the back. He’s out cold, probably Chill’s doing. On the way, I call Splint and ask him to meet me outside with an empty vial. When I reach the clubhouse, Walt is just waking up. I pull up next to Splint and circle to the back of the SUV, where he hands me the vial.
“What’s this for?” he asks.
“You’ll see.” I pull Walt out and hold him by the shirt. I punch him hard and break his nose. Blood pours out. I scoop some up in the vial and hand it back to Splint. “Can you test the DNA?”
Splint frowns at the blood, but then takes a hard look at Walt. “Fuck, he could be your brother.”
