Page 19 of Caged Hunger

Now, here he was, ripping down the road with Marcus, the leader of the Shadow Vipers, and Caden following at his back.

He zipped and zagged, floored his engine, and made dangerous turns even the most experienced riders should never attempt.

It was like coming home to a long-lost love. He and his bike, together once again. How had he survived all those years without the steady hum of his girl between his legs?

“She rides like a dream,” Marcus said, pulling up to where Basher had stopped to give his baby a rest.

“Yeah, she feels so good to be riding once again. Didn’t realize how much I missed having my bike and hitting the open road.”

“They took good care of her while you were gone,” Caden said, nodding toward Basher’s bike.

“Yeah, the guys are the best. You learn who your real friends are when you head off to prison,” Basher said as he looked off into the distance.

“Ain’t that the truth. Years ago, I did a stint myself. These motherfuckers came to visit me every week and even made sure that all my shit was taken care of until I was released,” Caden noted, nodding toward Marcus.

“Well, you did go to jail protecting Ace and me,” Marcus joked. “That was the least we could do.”

Basher got the sense that even if Caden hadn’t gone to jail to protect Marcus and Ace, he still would have done everything he could to remind Caden he was still part of their family and that his absence was truly missed.

That was family.

That was the love he always hoped for.

“So, was that a Death Cruiser’s MC patch I saw one of those guys hiding under his vest?” Caden asked, glancing up at Basher curiously.

“Yeah. Basher’s a member of the Death Cruiser’s MC. He’s hiding out with us until some shit gets settled back in Vegas. Be discreet with what you tell the guys. The fewer people that know Basher is here, the safer it is for him,” Marcus explained.

Once they got back to the bar, they all spent the next few hours drinking and catching up. The guys were going to spend the night at Basher’s before heading out first thing in the morning.

Listening to the stories about the guys back home made Basher feel homesick. They weren’t as close as perhaps Marcus and his crew, but the Death Cruisers were the closest thing to family Basher had, and even though he’d never admit it to anyone, he kind of missed having them around.

When morning came, he helped Marcus load the delivery into the SUV he had been driving since his release from prison.

Six cases of illegal contraband, including brass knuckles, switchblades, high-capacity magazines, and even grenades and a rocket launcher. Apparently, Bradly had a buyer interested in the launcher, and Marcus, of course, knew a guy who was selling.

This partnership between the New Mexico Shadow Vipers and the Las Vegas Death Cruisers was proving to be a lucrative one, bringing in a shit ton of money.

9

CAMERON

It was a Thursday night, and Cameron was on closing. Alexis had already gone home, leaving him to finish up. The mugs were loaded into the washer, the bar wiped down, and all that remained was to replenish the stock.

He glanced down at his phone on the bar counter. It was too late to call her. By now, she would be fast asleep, and there was no point in waking her. He would go see her later in the week. There was nothing he could do at this point.

“Okay, I’m heading out. You okay on your own?” Marcus asked as he walked past the bar, heading to the door.

Cameron nodded.

“Say hi to Gavin for me.” Gavin was Marcus’s boyfriend and better half. He was the sunshine to Marcus’s storm clouds.

“Will do.”

Once Marcus had left the bar, Cameron locked the front door, then headed into the back to grab the last of the stock that needed replenishing.

He frowned as he stepped into the basement. The place was a mess. Half-open boxes were strewn across the floor, bottles scattered between them and the shelves as if someone had started putting everything away and then suddenly given up. It looked like the kind of chaos left behind when something—or someone—had pulled their attention away.

Probably Ace and Blade. The two had a tendency to pop a boner, then run off to fuck in the nearest closet or restroom.