Nobody ever said life in an MC would be easy. Not even close.

Outside, the sky had turned heavy and bleak. As they walked back to their bikes, Jaxson turned to Dino. “Fuck. He’s pissed as hell. If right now is anything to go by, shit’s going to hit the fan on Friday.”

“Forget that asshole. Let’s go for a drink. There’s always a good woman at Juanita’s. A few beers and some female company is what you need. It’ll take the edge off,” Dino advised.

“I don’t feel like it. Not tonight. Anyway, I like a woman with some self-respect.” Jaxson scoffed. “You know I don’t like those girls being passed around by all the guys, it just isn’t right to me.”

“Come on just to ease the pressure. Have a little fun.” He cocked an eyebrow at Jaxson, a devilish glint in his eye. “You’ve been working too damn hard. You’ll get yourself burnt out.”

Jaxson thought for a moment. “Fine, but just a quick one.”

They rode side by side. Jaxson watched from the rear view of his Harley for any sign of Antonio following after them. By the time they reached the biker’s bar, a light rain had begun to fall. The sky had become overcast and grey, the clouds heavy. As he cut the engine and jumped off his bike, he could hear few drunken revelers pile out of the place.

“Looks like we made it just in time,” Dino remarked.

“Yep,” Jaxson agreed, as they tossed their cigarettes and hastened towards the bar’s entrance.

Walking in, the room felt warm and stuffy, filled with the sound of the regular band who sang a perky tune, and the phlegmy laughter of hardened smokers. It was a typical biker’s bar inside – burgundy plush, stale-odor, smoky – and it was busy, mostly with young men with abundantly tattooed arms and chests who wanted to be taken on as prospects.

Antoinette, one of the two blonde and heavily made-up barmaids, recognized Jaxson’s face as he stepped through the door. Eagerly, she made him a drink then made a b-line for his table, whiskey, and coke in hand…since she knew it was his favorite. “It sure has been a while, Jaxson. We’ve missed you down here,” she said, cheerfully, with a seductive grin. Jaxson turned to her, just about to sit down, and she gazed back, handing him his drink.

Dino arched an eyebrow in Jaxson’s direction, encouragingly.

“Missed you too Ann, but not tonight ok? I’ve got too much on my mind. Thanks for the drink, honey.”

Undeterred, she sat down in the chair beside him, resting her head on one hand and leaning downward slightly, giving him a good show of her breasts. “Why so blue baby?” she asked.

Taking a sip of his drink, Jaxson sat back in his chair, two fingers pressed against one the side of his head as he rubbed his temple.

Dino joined the conversation, “Give yourself a break, Jaxson. We’ll talk to you later Ann. Gotta get this guy smiling again.”

“Oh, alright. See you later then Jax.” She jumped up and swept a finger through Jaxson’s hair as she walked away.

Unable to break his mind away from the situation with the club, Jaxson shifted the conversation back, “Bruno is certain he wants me to take over. Antonio sure is pissed that he isn’t getting the credit he thinks he’s due.”

Dino burst out laughing and nearly spat out his drink. “Credit he’s due! You gotta be kidding. For what? For being a lazy, dumb-ass coward? Antonio spent his past six years at the club shying away from work, then blames you for every last one of his failures. You know as well as I do, the only reason Bruno don’t kick him out is that he’s his son. Sure, Bruno’s not your father, but he took you in for a reason; wouldn’t surprise me if he had this planned from day one. So, to hell with that shithead loser.”

Jaxson couldn’t say anything to counter that. Dino was right. “I guess.”

Dino frowned. “You practically run this club anyway. Let’s hope you do become president brother. Otherwise, the club won’t survive, if you’re going to worry about anything that should be it…not that fucking clown. Just think, in a year or so, you’ll be worth a goddamn fortune.”

Jaxson sighed thoughtfully, “I guess I’ve just been thinking on shit recently, that’s all.”

“About what?”

He went quiet for several seconds. “Well, you ever think about a life outside of the club?”

Dino laughed. “Our life is the club. Fucking great isn’t it!”

“Yeah. But it’s no place to settle down. Like say a guy had a wife and kids, is it?”

Dino stared at Jaxson wide-eyed, in disbelief. “You’re pulling my leg, Jaxson Coltrane! Don’t tell me you’re going soft on us.”

“No! I didn’t mean anything by it. But you can’t tell me it hasn’t crossed your mind at least once. Don’t get me wrong, I love my club, and I love my ride. But maybe it would be something I would enjoy.”

“I suppose. Well, De Luca has a family too, don’t he?”

“I guess. But the hell some of those kids have been through. It’s not safe or right. It’s no wonder Antonio turned out broken.”

Dino paused for a few seconds, and then nodded in agreement. “I think he was always just fucked up in the head.”

Jaxson chuckled in his throat then cast an eye to the door. “It wouldn’t surprise me if that cocksucker flies through that door, any second now, looking for a fight. Knowing that son of a bitch, he would have followed us here looking for trouble.”

“If that little clown thinks he can take you on, good luck to him. You’d wipe the smile off his weasely little face so fast. Shit. He’d be so embarrassed, he’d never set foot in here again. So quit worrying.”

Jaxson smiled.

“Boy, are you cute!” Kim, the second barmaid, interrupted and sat down on Dino’s knee. The two of them started chattering and giggling, leaving Jaxson alone with his thoughts.

He would be damned if he’d let Antonio ruin this for himself, the boys, and this town. He cast a proud eye around the bar, packed with locals, enjoying their evening. To an outsider, the club was a low-life, unwanted subclass. But the boys had always treated this town with the respect it deserved. The reign of Bruno’s MC had lifted Coronado and defended it from its surrounding territory, silently. If it ceased to exist, the outcome for these people would be pretty much beyond imagining. Although the Brothers lived in a world that didn’t altogether seem to want them around, each of them could be quietly proud of what they did—and they were. Adjusting to life with a new president would never be easy, but for the sake of everyone involved, himself and the brothers would have to make it work.

Just as Jaxson started to contemplate leaving for an early night, he spotted a young woman standing in the foyer. He liked what he saw and couldn’t take his eyes off of her. As she entered, it was obvious that she hadn’t just caught Jaxson’s eye. “Damn Girl.”

Caught off guard, her cheeks flushed.

He watched from a distance as every damn vultureous dog in the bar noticed her. The faces of the men at nearby tables lit up as they straightened themselves up and puffed out their chests. Every last one of them eyeing her up and down, licking their lips, wanting to fuck her brains out.

Fuck no. She’s mine. A fiercely possessive feeling came over him.

Jaxson pulled his lower lip in between his teeth. His cock throbbed in his pants, and his breath hitched. Who is she? He was sure he would have noticed her before unless she was from out of town. But what did it matter? She’s here, and she’s damn fucking hot.

Moving his eyes up, down and across every sweet curve of her body, his cock raged between his legs. She had the perfect hips, the ass, and the titts – the perfect hourglass. Her long, wavy brunette hair pulled to the front, caressing her breasts in her low-cut top. Those killer hips in that skirt teasing every damn guy in the room. He could barely control himself; desire throbbed in his veins. What he wouldn’t give right now to …

Holy shit. That’s Chloe!