Less than an hour later, almost everyone is at the clubhouse. We’re all gathered in the main room waiting for Jesse to call the meeting to order.

“What’s up, Toby?” a female voice behind me purrs in my ear. “Any plans for later tonight?”

Before I have a chance to answer, I feel sharp teeth tugging my earlobe playfully while a cool hand slips under my untucked shirt.

I suck in my breath.

“Whoa girl!” I say with a laugh when her hand slides across my stomach and then stops at my belt buckle. “Easy now filly. Calm yourself down.”

I don’t need to turn around to know who the hand belongs to.

Danita.

One of the newer Sweet Butts who always aims to please.

Any way she can.

From making the crew sandwiches in the middle of the night to brewing strong cups of coffee the next day when we’re all hungover. Danita is extra curvy in all the right places, sweet as sugar, and knows how to please a man in the sack.

Or men I should say, if I’m being honest.

She doesn’t seem to have a preference among the crew, and we don’t mind swapping. After all, that’s what the Sweet Butts are here for.

Sharing is caring.

That’s what we like to say.

She’s one of a handful of regular Sweet Butts who hang around the clubhouse as many hours as we’ll let them. The group of pretty girls make our life a whole lot easier. One of the best perks of being a member of the Steel Infidels is having a sexy young thing willing to do whatever you want, whenever you want.

It’s easy to get spoiled by the adoring attention. Who cares if there isn’t any love or even true affection involved?

I’m not all about that anyway.

Love is for suckers.

Her finger makes its way under the waistband of my jeans and strokes lower. My cock starts to stir. I chuckle at her nerve and grab her hand to hold it still. Danita wouldn’t be past pulling my dick out right in the middle of a crowded room to jack me off if she thought it would gain her points with the MC.

“Why do you want to know if I have plans for tonight?” I ask. “Do you have something particular in mind?”

She laughs and nuzzles my neck. “Believe me, I have many naughty things in mind,” she says. “I heard what you did today. Don’t you think you deserve a reward, Toby?”

I chuckle at the thought. “Yes ma’am, I believe I do,” I say. “But not here and definitely not now.” Reluctantly, I pull her hand out of my pants and tug her around to face me. She purses her full red lips up at me and makes a duck face.

Is it supposed to be a pout? Or a sexy invitation to slide my dick between her lips? I can never tell. I’m hoping it’s the latter. Either way, I don’t know why girls are so fond of doing it. I playfully grab her ass cheek with one hand and hang onto the plump flesh. “I’ll catch up with you later,” I say. “Keep it warm for me.”

A shrill whistle rings out and I drop my hand.

When a few of the Sweet Butts in the crowded room keep on talking, Jesse, the Steel Infidels Prez, puts two fingers between his lips and whistles louder this time. The noisy room immediately goes silent. When the President of the MC whistles, everybody had better listen up.

“Is everyone here and accounted for?” Jesse asks.

The crew all glance around the room, mentally taking count and nodding their heads.

“Jodi? How about the Sweet Butts? Are the girls all here too?” he asks.

Jodi, the oldest Sweet Mama, who is officially in charge of keeping the younger Sweet Butts in line, nods back at him. “Anyone who needs to be here is here,” she answers. “And if they’re not, they’re out of luck this time around.”

Jesse motions for Sam to lock the front door to the clubhouse and then makes his way to the pool table located in the center of the big open room.

Everyone involved with the motorcycle club is here for the meeting - the crew, the Old Ladies, the Sweet Butts, the wives, and even the kids. Normally our MC meetings are held among the twelve crew members in a room at the back of the clubhouse where we’re assured complete privacy.

Not this time.

Jesse and Flint thought it was important to make sure everyone knew about the shit storm headed our way and how to handle it once it got here. The Steel Infidels can’t afford to have one of the Sweet Butts running her mouth to reporters in hopes of grabbing her ten seconds of fame.

There is no telling what they would say or how much club business they would be willing to spill with a little prodding. The women that hang around the MC’s clubhouse aren’t always the smartest girls in the world, and it wouldn’t take much to trip them up.

“Alright then,” Jesse says. “Let’s get started. By this time, I’m sure you’ve heard about what happened at the mall today in Atlanta. The details are sketchy. All we know is that at least three men came into the mall and started shooting up the food court. We don’t know who they are and why they did it. All we know is that our man Toby right here…” He points a finger at me. “Managed to take down two of the shooters with a little help from Sam. Unfortunately, one of them got away. But two out of three ain’t bad though, right? I’ll take those odds any day. Who knew we had a real-live action hero right here in our own MC?”

A loud chorus of yells and clapping erupts. Rocco, one of the oldest crew members, reaches over to slap me on the back. His brother Donny grabs my hand tightly in his and shakes it.

“You did good, buddy,” he says.

After a couple of minutes, I hold up my hand to get them to hush. “Just doing what any of you would have done,” I say, more than a little embarrassed by the attention. “Nothing special.”

“I don’t know about that,” Jesse says. “According to Flint, your quick thinking and actions saved a whole lot of people today. We’re proud of you, Toby. And I’m honored to call you a Steel Infidel brother. You made us proud.”

For a brief second, my gut is filled with a warm, fuzzy glow. A nice change from the way I usually feel.

Then I remember.

I’m not a fucking hero.

Nobody should be proud of me.

Not with the things I’ve done in my past.

And maybe even worse, the things I didn’t do.

As much as I would love to have the admiration of Jesse and the rest of the crew, I don’t deserve it.

Not today.

I don’t want to be an ass, so I try to act normal and accept their congratulations while inside I feel like a big fucking fraud. I’m relieved when the attention turns back to Jesse.

“That was the good news,” he says. “Now onto the bad. Since we have a national hero in our midst, the media is going to come calling. With a little luck, it will take them a couple of days to find us. Flint says we shouldn’t count on it, especially with social media being what it is now. Photos are already being posted of the scene and crazy rumors being shared. People are marking themselves ‘safe’ on Facebook even if they’re two hundred miles from the mall. Why the hell do people do that?”

“To let their mamas know they’re safe,” one of the Sweet Butts pipes up to say.

Jesse hides a smile. “I know. I wasn’t really asking for an answer. Thanks anyway, Jessica. Here’s the deal. No one is to talk to anyone, especially the media, about what went down at the mall.” He slowly scans the room, taking the time to make direct eye contact with each person.

“If you run your fucking mouth and I find out about it, you’re history. No questions asked and no excuses. This goes for everyone in this room. No exceptions. I don’t care how long you’ve been with the MC or who is doing the asking. I don’t care if it’s Diane Sawyer calling your house ten times a day or the New York Times. Nobody talks until me or Flint gives the okay.”

The room is so quiet that I can hear Rocco’s steady breathing from several feet behind me. I can’t think of a time before when Jesse threatened to throw people out of the MC. He means business.

I hope the Sweet Butts are listening and paying attention. I glance over at our two newest girls, Madison and Chloe. Twin girls in their early twenties with long blonde hair almost down to their asses. Their blank blue eyes are as big as saucers. Hopefully that means they’re absorbing something. At least a few words maybe. While I’m watching, Chloe casually extends a manicured hand and checks out her nail polish. Then again, maybe not.

Jesse suddenly turns in my direction. “Toby, you’re going to be the one in the spotlight, so be prepared.”

“You don’t need to worry about me,” I say. “Because I’m not talking to nobody.”

Jesse nods. “I’m not worried about you,” he says. “Now Sam on the other hand…” he gives his youngest brother a stern look.

“Why are you always worried about me?” Sam asks in exasperation.

“Do I really need to explain why?” Jesse says. “Everyone in this room knows why considering your past history of getting into trouble.”

Sam holds up his hands. “Okay, okay. Not one word from me either. I swear. Nada, nothing. Mum is the word. I don’t know anything, didn’t see anything. Hell, I’m not even sure I was there. In fact, I’m fairly certain I was in Victoria’s Secret picking out Lila’s Valentine’s present when it all went down. A red lacy bra with matching panties. Except I don’t think you can call them panties because the crotch is missing. Lila, what do you call those things? Bloomers?”

Lila slaps him hard on the forearm. He laughs before pulling her tight against him. “Don’t worry,” he says. “Reporters can come sniffing around here all they want, but they’re not getting anything from me either.”

“Good,” Jesse says, looking relieved. “I’m glad you all understand. Flint, do you have anything to add to the discussion?”

Flint runs a hand through his brown hair and shakes his head slowly. “Not really. Just be prepared when the media shows up and let me do all the talking. Which there will be very little of. I’m the club’s spokesperson and the only one with permission to talk. We still haven’t worked out exactly what we’re going to say or when to say it. Everybody got it?”

When everyone agrees, Jesse claps his hands together. “Alright then. This calls for a round of drinks. I know Valentine’s Day plans were spoiled for many of you, and I appreciate you all showing up. Jodi, can you and the girls get some drinks going around? Make sure our man Toby gets the first shot. Hopefully this will all blow over and things will be back to normal in no time.”

I hope so too.