Wiping my forehead with the back of my hand, I drop the shovel to the mound of freshly patted dirt and fall to my ass. Out of breath and shirt sticking to my sweaty chest, I pull my top off and throw it to the side.

“Fuck, it’s hot.” Digging in my back pocket, I pull out a smashed joint. With everything that has happened in the last twenty-four hours, I need something to take the edge off. Licking my fingertips, I try and straighten it back out as much as I can. The smell of skunk and green making my mouth water, I light the fucker and rip the biggest drag from it and blow it into the night sky. Falling back on the grave of the professor, I look at the stars.

Me as the president of the Shadow Keepers. I smile, the image of Harley by my side as I sweep the streets of Arizona with sin and respect. Moods will rise and dark waters will pass when I take the gavel. Taking another drag, I sit up. The desert bare of any life, no animals, no brush. It’s just dry fucking ground.

Things are about to get a lot fucking better, at least they will be when I eliminate Grudge. If none of my brothers have the balls to do it, I will. Standing with hazy eyes, I grab the shovel and head over to June’s Range Rover. I’m going to drive it back to the club and strip it of any evidence before having it crushed.

Climbing inside her car, that stupid self-help CD starts playing again.

“Jesus, shut the fuck up!” I slam at the buttons on the dash until the radio kicks on. “Thunder” from Imagine Dragons fills the speakers. I prefer something a little heavier, but this will do for now. Better than that shit before.

Taking the back roads my eyes bounce between the windshield and the rearview mirror, smoking that joint has me paranoid as fuck that a cop is going to catch me in a stolen vehicle with blood-stained clothes. My nails are caked with dirt and the smell of metallic is strong. I’m so ready for a hot shower and my bed with a naked Harley smelling of bubblegum. Her pink nipples pressing into me and wetness rubbing on my thigh as I keep her warm. Shifting in my seat, I situated my dick, and take a breath.

I got a lot more shit to do before that can happen though.

A car just ahead stops, it’s taillights illuminating the empty road. A nervous sweat beads my forehead. What if it’s a cop.

“Calm the fuck down,” I tell myself. This Range Rover being nicer than anything I’ve ever driven and doesn’t help with my discomfort. Leather everywhere, the smell of new car scent making me sick. I’ve never been in something so expensive in my life. Big ass motherfucker like me in the front seat is a dead giveaway I stole this damn thing.

Driving past the stopped car, which is not a cop, I exhale a large breath.

Needing a better distraction, I flip the radio until a decent song comes on. “Nightmare” by Avenged Sevenfold plays and I thumb my fingers against the steering wheel. Now we’re talking.

Finally pulling up to the club, a prospect sits outside with a beer in his hand talking to Tickles. She’s wearing a corset and shorts that could pass as underwear. She looks like a hooker hanging by the street. Hanging out the window, I wave my hand to get his attention.

“Open the garage!” I demand.

Noticing my eagerness, he runs to the garage and pulls the door open. The tires squeal as I pull it inside and turn the engine off.

“Where did you find this!” The prospect looks at the Range Rover with admiration. Dumb fuck wouldn’t know what a good-looking car was if it ran over him. My El Camino is better in my opinion.

“Don’t let anyone in here,” I instruct him. Milking his beer, his eyes fuck the expensive car.

“You got it,” he nods.

Heading inside the clubhouse, the wind shifts, and my spine stiffens. Viper is sitting at the bar with an icepack on his head, the back of his shirt spattered with blood. Grudge sits beside him drinking a beer, his green eyes darker than ever as he glares at me. My chest constricts. Something happened.

“Where is Harley?” I demand, looking around frantically.

Viper turns on his stool and looks at me with regret swimming in the depth of his eyes.

“I don’t know, man. We got here, and next thing I know, I’m waking up on the fucking ground?” His statement more of a question than an answer.

I look to Grudge for more of an explanation.

“She did this. She ran off again,” he explains.

“Did what? Hurt Viper?” I shake my head in disbelief. She wouldn’t hurt Viper, no matter who she thinks she is, she would never hurt any one of our members.

“Yes. I told you… She’s sick, son.”

“No, she wouldn’t leave.” I shake my head and look at the door. Not again, she wouldn’t leave without me.

“She did, she’s not well and you know it. The sooner you fucking respect that, the sooner we can get back to club business. Where our focus needs to be.” His words grate on my last nerve.

He reaches over the bar and grabs a plastic bag filled with buds of weed and tosses it at me. I catch it, a puzzled expression on my face.

“What the fuck is this?”

He looks at me like I should know what this is about. “We need better shit.” He looks to Viper, who looks to the floor. His hand drops holding the icepack.

I cannot believe Grudge is wanting to discuss this now when Harley is out there somewhere.

I throw the bag of hash back at him.

“Maybe if you used Bud as our farmer, you wouldn’t have such shit crop,” I growl. It’s the same thing I’ve been telling him. Even I don’t smoke the club’s shit and I can get it for free.

“I told everyone you turned against your kind if this isn’t proof enough—”

I stomp forward and Viper stands in between us.

“Easy,” he mutters.

“Why, because I care about Harley?” My chest pressed against Viper’s hand, I raise my head slowly and glare at Grudge. “If I find out you did something to her… I will kill you,” I threaten. The entire clubhouse goes silent as I just threatened my president. My teeth grind, my jaw tight as I stare at his soulless green eyes.

“Dude,” Viper scorns me. But I don’t back down, I know who the real untrustworthy person is in this room, and it’s Grudge.

“You think I did something to my own blood?” Grudge scoffs, a stupid fucking look crossing his face.

I know he did something to her, and when I find her… I will be back and taking that fucking gavel.

Turning, I slam the doors to the club open and stomp outside. The air is so hot and thick I feel like I’m not even breathing. Without Harley, I’m not.

“Where are you going?” Viper hollers.

“To find my ol’ lady.”

“I’m coming,” he hurries up behind me.

“No, if you do, Grudge will out you,” I try and protect him.

He looks away, blood staining his forehead.

“Man, Harley is like a sister to me. I’m coming with.” He hits me with serious eyes. Bud steps up behind him. His hat lowered, but stance telling me he’s breaking his loyalty to the club too.

“Let’s do it then.” I jerk the car door open.