Rebel (Savage Raptors MC 5)

Rebel (Savage Raptors MC 5)
Harley Wylde
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Copyright ©2024 Harley Wylde

Rebel

The scent of stale beer and cigarette smoke clung to the air, setting the perfect tone for a typical night at the Savage Raptors MC clubhouse. I sat perched on a worn-out barstool, nursing my drink and taking in the rowdy chaos around me. The clubhouse was alive with the sounds of laughter, cursing, and the clinking of glass as my brothers let off some steam.

I could have gone to a bar in town, but the beer here was free. Sort of. The club treasurer took a percentage of the club take for any jobs and funneled it over to an account used for stocking the bar. Even though we hadn’t had a lot of runs lately, we’d picked up two local businesses. Bought them cheap when they were about to close up, so now we had a gas station and a honky-tonk. Both brought in good revenue.

I wasn’t much for country music, so I avoided the honky-tonk unless I had no other options. It was always lively. Lots of pretty girls there too. Unfortunately for me, I apparently looked more like the good-time guy than boyfriend material, because they only ever wanted one night. There were times that was perfectly fine. Most of the time I was looking for something else. Not that I’d admitted as much to anyone.

“Fuck yeah, man!” Stinger shouted from across the room, landing a winning shot on the pool table. Ever since Atilla decided to follow the Dixie Reapers’ example and ban club whores from the compound, our clubhouse had changed quite a bit. Of course, we were a smaller club, so we’d never been as rowdy anyway.

Now, instead of women, we had a pool table, dartboard, and a poker table. I had to admit, I much preferred it this way. The women who came here were nothing but trouble. Although, Truth had kept them in line before. He’d disliked most females, and certainly hadn’t respected them, until he met his wife. He’d changed a lot since Madison came into his life. They’d even adopted a son, which mellowed Truth even more.

When he’d wanted to claim Madison, I’d thought for sure Atilla would tell him no. The way he’d always treated women, he was the last one I’d expected to settle down. Now my brothers were all falling, one after another. We’d gone from all being bachelors to four of us having families.

I couldn’t help but crack a smile at my brothers’ antics as I watched them. We were a family -- a ragtag group of misfits bound together by brotherhood and loyalty. But beneath the camaraderie and wild nights, something gnawed at me, leaving me restless and itching for more. It wasn’t precisely a new feeling, but one that was steadily growing with each passing month. It started a few years ago, and clearly wasn’t going away.

“Nice shot, Stinger!” I called out, raising my own bottle in a toast before taking another swig. My gaze drifted around the room. Even though I sat by myself, I wasn’t alone. Not here.

General and Spade were locked in an intense arm-wrestling match, veins bulging and sweat pouring down their faces as they strained against each other. A few brothers had gathered around them, placing bets on who would emerge victorious.

“Come on, Spade, you got this!” someone yelled, egging him on with a slap to his back.

“Fuck that, General’s gonna wipe the floor with his ass!” another voice countered, earning a snarl from Spade. Yeah, probably not the brightest idea to piss off the club’s VP. Whoever had made the comment was most likely going to get the shit jobs for a while. Or forced to scrub toilets both here and at our businesses.

I’d been living this life for years -- the booze, the bikes, the women -- but it all felt so hollow now. Like I was missing the one thing that would make it all worthwhile. I still hooked up with women sometimes, but not recently. In fact, I hadn’t been with anyone in over three months. I always got tested afterward, just to be safe. Being with random women wasn’t the smartest thing to do. Even a condom wasn’t foolproof.

The feeling I’d had wasn’t one I’d been able to label until recently. Helping out Cowboy’s son, Jackson, in the past few weeks had certainly made an impact on me. He’d been willing to do anything for his wife and kid, and it had taken me a few days to realize I was jealous as hell. I’d had no reason to be, until I came to the conclusion the restless feeling inside me was because I wanted a family of my own. Not just a brotherhood, but a wife and kids.

“Hey, Rebel!” Stinger called out, snapping me from my thoughts. “You want in on the next game?”

“Maybe later,” I replied, tossing him a grin before taking another swig of my beer. My mind refused to let go of the thought there should be more to life than this -- something deeper, more meaningful. And I was determined to find it, whatever the cost. Not that the town of Bryson Corners was crawling with women I’d want to claim for more than a night. If it was, they’d all given me a wide berth. Maybe I wasn’t the kind of man they thought would want a lasting relationship. I needed someone who could handle living with the club, accept this way of life. Some might think it sounded amazing, but the reality would most likely send them running at some point.

My gaze drifted across the clubhouse, finally landing on Lynx and Atilla, who were seated nearby, beers in hand, deep in conversation.

“Man, I never thought I’d see the day when Grizzly would let his daughter be part of our world,” Atilla chuckled, taking a swig from his bottle. As the President of our club, he’d never backed down from a challenge, and always kept us in line. “It’s too bad he’s not here to see how much progress Meredith has made. She’s almost like a different woman these days. May Grizzly’s soul rest in peace!”

“I honestly thought he’d lose his shit and demand I send her home,” Lynx said, running a hand through his reddish hair as he smiled. “But Meredith’s been a true blessing in my life. Wouldn’t trade her for anything. We have a good life here, and I hope he’s watching over her and sees that she’s right where she belongs.”

“Damn straight,” Atilla replied, raising his bottle in a toast. “To love and brotherhood.”

The genuine smiles spread across their faces struck a chord within me. There was a depth to their happiness I had yet to find in my own experiences. It gnawed at me, a hunger no amount of drink or late-night escapades could satisfy. Family. What those two had with their women was more than I’d ever thought to have for myself. Except now, I wanted it more than anything. I was only in my thirties, and I knew a lot of brothers my age who weren’t ready to settle down. Some would say I still had my entire life ahead of me, but why spend all those years alone? Easy pussy wasn’t as satisfying as it had been a decade ago.

“Rebel, you all right?” Lynx called out, noticing my stare. I hadn’t realized how long I’d been watching them.

“Uh, yeah. Just thinking,” I said, offering a half-hearted grin. “Guess I zoned out for a minute.”

“Careful, brother. Don’t wanna strain that little brain of yours,” Atilla teased, his laughter echoing through the room as Lynx joined in.

“Fuck off, old man!” I shot back. Thankfully, he knew I was joking, otherwise the Pres would have put me on my ass.

I couldn’t help but envy their camaraderie. I’d noticed those who had settled down with a woman and kids seemed closer than ever before. It made me feel left out.

“Seriously, though,” Lynx continued, his expression sobering, “if you ever need someone to talk to, we’re here for you. Looked like you had something heavy weighing on your mind.”

“Appreciate it,” I replied, giving them a nod. But as their laughter resumed and they dove back into their conversation, my thoughts continued to churn. If I was going to find a woman around here, I would have by now. I’d lived in Bryson Corners most of my life. But unless I ran into her on a run to another city or state, it wasn’t likely I’d have the chance to search for my one and only. Not anytime soon.

My eyes flicked back to Lynx and Atilla, the sight of their contentment only deepening my desire for something more. And as the noise and chaos of the clubhouse washed over me, I swore to myself that I wouldn’t settle for anything less. I needed to find that missing piece, the connection that would make my life complete.

Lynx’s phone went off, and he stood to go outside to answer. He’d only been gone a few minutes before he returned, his face pale and his hands clenched into fists. I wondered what the call had been about, but I wasn’t going to pry. He sat down and leaned closer to Atilla. Whatever he’d said made Atilla check his phone as well. The Pres let out a curse and disappeared down the hall to his office.

As curious as I was, I knew if it was anything club related, I’d find out eventually. I only hoped it wasn’t anything too bad. With the way Lynx looked, I knew it wasn’t good news, though.

As the night wore on, I slouched on my barstool, arms braced on the bar top in front of me. I twisted my empty beer bottle, trying not to feel sorry for myself. No one had approached me so far. Probably thought I was drunk off my ass, and honestly, I was getting close. How many beers had I had already? I’d lost count.

“Another round?” Benjamin asked. The Prospect held out a bottle toward me, and I nodded. He popped the top and handed it over.

“Rebel, you ever think about settling down?” The question came from Ace, our newest member, who sat two barstools down from me. His eyes sparkled with mischief, and I wondered if he was about to try setting me up with a stripper or some stranger he’d just met. Wouldn’t be the first time. He’d done it to every single man here at one point or another. Last time he’d tried it with me, she’d been a no-show. I counted myself lucky.

Poor Knuckles had ended up with a stripper who’d been high as a kite. He’d caught her shooting up during their date and walked out. Good thing too since she’d OD’d later that night. If Knuckles had been with her at the time, the police would have given us hell. Last thing we wanted was a spotlight on us.

“Me? Nah, not my style, man,” I replied dismissively, unwilling to share my true thoughts with anyone just yet. I knew my brothers would give me shit if I admitted I wanted a wife and kids more than anything.

“Fair enough.” He chuckled. “You’re older than me but still young. Plenty of time for that I guess.”

“What about you?” I asked. “Since you brought it up, do you have your eye on someone? Or were you just trying to unload some unwanted attention?”

He laughed and shook his head. “No, to both, but I have to admit, Atilla, Lynx, Maui, and Truth all look pretty content these days. Makes me wonder if they’ve figured out the secret to happiness.”

“Hey, Rebel,” a sultry voice whispered in my ear, snapping me out of my reverie. I glanced over to see Raven, a dark-haired beauty who frequented the club, sliding her hand up my thigh. When the hell had she gotten here? “Wanna have some fun?”

She wasn’t a club whore, and never had been. Which was why Atilla allowed her to come to the clubhouse sometimes. However, she had a tendency to hang out with a few of my brothers and seemed to worm her way into this place on occasion. Like now. I didn’t know why she kept targeting me, but she wasn’t my type. Too high maintenance.

I’d be willing to bet it took her over an hour to get ready every day. I’d seen her around town often enough to know she fixed her hair and makeup like this all the time. Had to admit I wondered what she’d look like fresh out of the shower, but I doubted she’d ever let someone see her like that.

“Thanks, Raven, but not tonight,” I muttered, brushing her hand away. Her pout did little to entice me. The move was too practiced.

“Suit yourself,” she huffed, stalking off to find another willing participant for her games. Of course, there was always the chance she was angling for a property patch. If that was the case, she’d be better off trying to con Stinger into taking her.

“Damn, Rebel. You turning down Raven?” Ace whistled, his eyebrows raised in surprise. “You must be going soft. I know the two of you have hung out a few times. Not to your taste anymore?”

“Shut the fuck up,” I growled, taking a swig of my beer, welcoming the bitter taste. I’d played pool with her twice, and on a night I’d been too drunk to stand up straight, I’d fucked her in the bathroom. No one wanted to let me forget it either.

I’d always been fiercely loyal to my brothers, but as the night wore on, the truth became clear: I needed something more -- someone who saw beyond the leather and tattoos, who could fill the void inside me. And until I found her, I felt like I’d never truly be whole.