Knights of Silence MC: Books 1 and 2 Page 3

  Surprised, he replied, “It’s yours. I know you don’t have the experience we are looking for, but we can teach you what you need to know. You come from good stock, son, it will be my pleasure to show you the ropes personally. But first of all, cut the “Sir” crap. Name’s Ace.” He held out his hand and I shook it. I had a job, and from what I gathered, a mentor. What had started out as a shit day turned out to be the best day of my life.

  They hired me to work in their office, checking in customers and keeping up with the jobs that came in. As he’d promised, Ace took me under his wing right from the start. He was the club’s VP, and he always said I had potential. He taught me all about the bikes: how they ran, and how to repair them. I soon got to know the other members of the club who worked in the garage. After a year, I was working in the garage on repairs with the other guys and definitely knew my way around a motorcycle, thanks to Ace.

  I made it a point to make myself indispensable to the shop and the club. I worked hard and learned everything I could in the shop. If a repair needed done by a deadline, I made sure it was done early. If that meant working long hours, I did it. I loved my job and wanted to keep it at all costs. I even helped the club outside the bike shop.

  One night, I was walking home from work when I heard a woman scream. I turned toward her voice and saw a punk kid trying to take the lady’s purse. I immediately stepped in; thankfully he was not armed and he ran off. I walked her home to ensure her safety. We got to talking and as it turned out, she was a club member’s old lady. She was so grateful and over the next few days, she made sure that the entire club knew what I had done for her. After that, the old ladies in the club really stepped in and took Ari and me under their care. They helped me out with Ari so that she was not left alone when I was working late. They made sure that Ari and I always had meals and looked after us. I soon realized that I was rapidly becoming more than just an employee, I was a member of their family.

  One afternoon, the club President approached me. I didn’t see him around the garage much, so his presence surprised me, especially when he came directly to me. “Hey Cade, got something I wanna discuss with you.”

  I immediately stopped working on the bike in front of me and replied, “Hey Red, whatcha got?”

  “Me and the brothers have been talking … well, we are real impressed with you, son. You wanna prospect for the club? Ace says he would sponsor you.”

  A year ago I would not have had any idea what he was talking about, but hanging around the guys for over a year now, I knew he was asking me to become a potential member of the club. I was honored and wanted to say, “Hell yes!”, but I had Ari to consider. Not only that, I had to think about Emma’s feelings in all of this as well. We had not spoken much over the last year and a half, but I knew how she felt about the club and my working for them. I was sure that joining the club would probably sever what was left of our relationship. I just couldn’t answer him without taking all of this into consideration. So, I replied, “Wow, Red, I am honored. Really, I am. But, I can’t give you an answer right now. Can I think about it and let you know?”

  He knew my situation, and he understood that I had an underage dependent to take into account. To my knowledge, he didn’t know about Emma. “Yes, of course. I know you have that little angel of a sister to consider. How about we do this: you come to the clubhouse Saturday night. We’re having a club picnic. The brothers and their families are welcome. We start around four, but around seven, the party is for adults only and the kids are sent home.” He winked and nudged me, then continued, “If you know what I mean. I’ll make sure we have someone to take Ari home and stay with her so that you can stay and enjoy the party.”

  I knew exactly what he meant. I had never been invited to a club party, but I had always heard a lot of stories from the guys about the club’s parties; they always talked about the drinking and the women. I didn’t hesitate. “Thanks Red, I’ll be there.”

  Red nodded, “Good, and I hope you really give the idea of prospecting for us some serious thought. It isn’t easy finding good, loyal people to be members of the club. You will be an asset to this club.” He patted me on the back and started to walk away, but then turned and added, “See you Saturday.”

  The party was like nothing that I had ever experienced before. Red was right, it started out as the perfect family affair, but when the kids were sent home all hell broke loose. They guys hadn’t exaggerated their stories; the party provided more alcohol and women than I ever imagined. In that one night, I felt more connected to that club than I did with anything else in my life, except Emma. The next day I accepted Red’s offer to prospect.

  A year later, I was a full-patched member of the Knights of Silence MC, with my very own Harley. Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t easy. I worked hard to earn that patch. But once I was patched, life suddenly became a hell of a lot easier! Our club was a good club, for the most part. Yes, we were 1%ers, but I learned over those two years that we did more good than bad. We sponsored several charity rides to help Jerry’s Kids and the Make a Wish Foundation, and on several occasions, we held rides against child abuse and even supported several dog rescues. We owned a multitude of legitimate businesses in Edinboro and all across the country. We had several bars, strip clubs, various shops, and trucking companies. While all these businesses provided a steady income for the MC, they also came in handy for laundering money and hiding illegal shipments of guns and sometimes even drugs. The illegal part wasn’t our business of choice, but sometimes, we needed to bring additional money into the club and did what we had to do to make it happen. We made our own rules and lived by them. We rode free and partied hard!

  Over the next eleven years, our club saw many changes. Prospects came and went; some ended up getting patched while others just didn’t make the cut. We had rules, and if a prospect couldn’t abide by the rules, then he was out. To hold an office, you had to be a full-patched member for at least two years. All officers were voted in by the club’s members. To even be considered for an office, one of the elder members had to nominate you. We didn’t mess around when deciding who are leaders were going to be. My first nomination came from Ace, after three years of being patched. After the vote, I then served as the club’s Sergeant-at-Arms (SAA).

  I was responsible for ensuring that the bylaws and standing rules of the club were not violated. It was my job to ensure that the orders of the President were carried out in a timely and efficient manner, as well as policing and keeping order during all club events. I had the authority to enlist any club member or prospect to aid me in controlling any situation and using any means that I deemed necessary in said situation. Basically, I was responsible for the safety and security of the club, as well as the protection and defense of its members and prospects. I was referred to by most as the club’s enforcer, and it was also my job to protect the president, even if it meant giving up my own life.

  It was a job I took very seriously, and I held that office for four years – until the Satans returned to Edinboro. Their arrival caused an all-out war between the clubs, and in the aftermath of all that, they gunned down Red, wounding me in the process. When I saw the gun aimed at Red, my instincts took over and I ran to take the bullet. Unfortunately my timing was off and the bullet grazed my shoulder, but hit Red square in the chest. I may haven’t been able to save him that day, but I made sure the fucker who killed him didn’t live to talk about it.

  As Vice President, Ace took over the club and nominated me to sit in the VP seat. We all mourned the loss of Red, but we also wanted revenge. Side-by-side with Ace, the club and I planned our payback. It was a war between the clubs that lasted four more years. We lost several more club members during that time, with the biggest loss to me being Ace. He was the closest thing I had to a father. After Ace died, the club unanimously nominated and voted me in as President.

  Three years later, I am still the club’s reigning President. The road I have traveled in the last eleven years has not bee
n a cakewalk. I have suffered pain and loss of the worst kind. I paid my dues with blood, but the club that I have grown to love so much has rewarded me tenfold. I have a family, and I’ll protect them until my dying day. Ari has twenty-five brothers who reside in Edinboro that would lay down their lives for her. And if needed, there are 150 members from the many Chapters across the country and Ireland that she could call on if she needed them.

  Never in a million years did I imagine this would one day be my life. However, if I could go back, I would only change one thing … the way I treated Emma.

  Chapter 1

  Caden - One month later

  Rebel rapped on my office door. “Hey Prez, I think you need to come out front. We’ve, uh … got a situation,” he said as he stood in the doorway to my office. I looked up to see my Sergeant standing there looking a little out of sorts. Rebel was rock solid. Nothing ever rattled him. What in the hell was going on now?

  “What’s the problem?” I asked curiously and a little anxious as to what could be causing him to be so unnerved.

  “It’s a woman, boss,” he said hesitantly. Really? You’ve got to be kidding me. He is letting a sweetbutt get to him? He continued, “She’s not a sweetbutt, Ice. I’ve never seen this chick before.” How the fuck does he do that? I swear he knows what I’m thinking before I realize I am thinking it. “She’s hysterical,” he added. “Says she needs to speak to Caden.” He said my name as if he knew something I didn’t. What the hell?

  Nobody calls me Caden, except Ari. Hell, half the members don’t even know me as anything else but Ice. Ari wouldn’t have been detained at the gate, so that only leaves one other person. Could it be? After all these years, could Emma really be here? At that moment, I stopped thinking. If it was indeed Emma, then something was up and she needed me. I got up from my desk and rushed out of the office and headed toward the front gate. Our compound was gated and always guarded by a prospect or two. We had to maintain security at all times. Many of our dealings were not on the up-and-up, and we knew we couldn’t be too careful – besides, we were still having some issues with our rival club, the Satans.

  As I approached the gates I almost stopped in my tracks. It was her, my Emma, all grown up and still the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. Don’t get me wrong; I have had women, some more beautiful than others. The sweetbutts were always hanging around, and were more than willing to give us guys what we wanted, hoping that we would make them our old ladies. But none of them compared to Emma. I motioned for the prospect to open the gate.

  When the gate opened, Emma ran into my arms, crying hysterically. “Oh Caden, it’s you! It’s really you! I was hoping that I would find you here.”

  As I held her in my arms, I said with surprise, “Emma, what’s wrong? Did something happen?” I held her away and looked her over: checking for cuts, bruises, blood, anything that would give me some indication as to why she was so upset. “Are you hurt?” Still looking her over, I realized that she was ok physically and I pulled her back into my arms.

  Muffled into my chest, she said through her tears, “I need your help! You are the only one who can help me!”

  I felt that I had died and gone to heaven. Holding Emma in my arms after all this time was like coming home. And she needed me! I couldn’t even begin to fathom what was wrong; she had led such a charmed life. Rich parents, college … anything she could possibly ask for. But as I held her, she wouldn’t stop crying.

  “It’s ok sweetheart, there there.” I wiped the tears from her cheeks and looked into her beautiful blue eyes. “Why don’t you come inside and tell me what you need,” I said hesitantly. I knew how she felt about the Knights and everything that we stood for. She must really be in trouble for her to resort to my club and me. She stepped back and caught her breath, wiping her tears away with the back of her hand and nodded. I reached for her hand and said, “Come,” as I led her inside the clubhouse.

  Once we were inside, I took her to my office and motioned for her to take a seat on the couch. Grabbing a box of tissue from the bathroom, I handed it to her and sat down next to her. “Now, why don’t you tell me what has you so upset.”

  She wiped more of her tears away and blew her nose. Then, she began to speak.

  “My best friend Brianne is missing.” That hurt. I thought I was her best friend. Well, I have nobody to blame for that except myself. “Nobody can find her and she has been missing for days. She left with her boyfriend last weekend to visit her parents. She never arrived home, and her parents called me asking if I had seen her. When I said no, they became really worried. They called the police. The police are saying they are doing everything to find her, but they say that they have no leads. I’m really worried, Cade, and I didn’t know where else to go.”

  “Emma, I am not sure I can help you. Why would you think that I would be able to find a missing person? Why wouldn’t you enlist a private investigator for something like this?” I asked, confused. Why would she think I would be able to help her? Yes, we had shady dealings, but I was not in the business of finding missing girls.

  And then, Emma dropped the bomb. “I thought about a PI, but then, considering her boyfriend’s connections, I didn’t think it was the smartest direction to go.” Now, I was more confused than before. What did she mean about his connections? She continued with her explanation, “You see, Brianne was dating a member of the Satans Rebels MC. I don’t trust the police, because I believe that they are either avoiding the MC or they are in their pocket. Probably the latter, if you ask my opinion, but what do I know?”

  Now, I understood. The Satans Rebels MC was our biggest rival. We were constantly feuding over territory, guns, and especially women. Specifically, the way they treated women. They’d come back to our area hoping to get their territory back and expand their club. We had prime territory, only a short distance from Lake Erie. It gave us an advantage in receiving all kinds of shipments. Our club was bigger, but they had big dreams of taking us down and have tried several times to no avail. It was never going to happen – not on my watch. It is my job as president to protect this MC. All our members and Chapters depended on me to keep us all whole. We have hundreds of legitimate businesses that employ members of the MC as well as civilians. I will not let the Satans take over any of our territories. Well, now it was starting to make sense as to why Emma came to me. But now that I know the connection, Emma needs to give me more.

  “Ok, so she was dating this guy. What makes you think she is in any kind of danger?”

  “Oh, Caden!” she started to cry again.

  I needed to get Emma to calm down. She was still very upset and I had to get her to focus and give me all the details. “Emma, I can’t help you unless I know everything. Why do you think this guy is the reason that your friend is missing? If you want my help, you need to be honest and tell me everything you know.”

  She nodded in agreement and took a deep breath getting her tears in check. “About a month or so ago, Brianne started dating a guy that she said was the vice president of the Satans Rebels Motorcycle Club. That threw up all kinds of red flags for me.”

  I interrupted, “Really, why would the idea of your friend dating a biker be a cause of concern for you?” I looked at her knowingly, and she knew I was baiting her.

  “Caden, really, do we need to go there now?” She was right, this was not the time or place to have this conversation. I just couldn’t help myself. It had always hurt me that she could never accept the life I had chosen for myself.

  “Fine, continue with your story.” I was not happy about the fact that she had called me out as being childish without even saying the words. Damn woman!

  “A few weeks ago, she brought him to our house for dinner. She introduced him as Skid. What a stupid name. I assumed it was a nickname, but she never introduced him or spoke of him by any other name except for Skid.”

  “If she only knew,” I thought to myself.

  Emma continued, “She said that she thought she had foun
d the one, and she wanted me and Mark to meet him.”

  Mark? Who the fuck is Mark?

  “From the minute I saw him, I didn’t like him or trust him. I knew he was bad news right from the start. He was dressed in leather from head to toe and was covered in those nasty tattoos.”

  There she goes again.

  At her last comment, I looked down at myself. I wasn’t in leather from head to toe, but I did have my leather cut on and had several tattoos of my own, though she couldn’t see all of them. For now, I preferred it that way.

  She immediately realized what I was thinking and quickly said, “Oh Caden, I didn’t mean … I’m sorry, really. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

  I had to laugh at her prejudices against all MCs in general. Boy, her mother really did a number on her, feeding her all that bullshit about us when she was younger. Well, at least I know that she still feels the same about my choice of career. She’s made it perfectly clear that she still hates the Knights. But you can make damn sure that when all is said and done, her mind will change. I’ll make sure of that. Actually, I find it humorous. Now that she needs us, bikers aren’t so bad. But who the fuck is Mark? This conversation was only making me angry. Her uppity attitude toward us made my blood boil, and I so wanted to set her straight. I was not good enough for her to call her friend anymore, but now that she needed me, she didn’t want to offend me. Really? But instead of laying into my anger at her, I decided to let it go … for now. I needed to get to the bottom of this first. I would deal with her later on a more personal level.

  Still, I had to ask, “Emma, wait. Before you go any further, let’s get clear on a few things first. Is it fair to assume that you still hate bikers?” She opened her mouth to speak, but I was not done, and stopped her by saying, “I’m not finished. Whether or not you hate us, it’s easy to see that you don’t trust us. It has been years since we have spoken and now that you need help, you decide to come and find me like nothing bad happened between us. Help me out here darl’n, ‘cause the last thing I remember hearing from you was that you hated me. I assume that is still true – or has that pretty little head of yours had a change of heart? And who the fuck is Mark?”