Page 1 of Savage Protector

Chapter One

Houston

The one place Houston hoped to never return to again loomed in front of him.

Home.

The old cliche about how there was no place like home might be kind of true, but that didn’t mean you had to return. Except in his case he did because at the moment there was no where else to go.

Despite the sick sense of dread sitting in his gut, he admired the view from his seat as the train entered the Sultan city limits. Rich, green trees with yellow-tipped leaves surrounded an eclectic mix of old and new buildings. While only a short ride from the busy city of Seattle, Sultan felt like a completely different, slower paced world. With the mountains as a breathtaking backdrop and a well-preserved, old-fashioned town set below, it was still as pretty as any postcard. Early fall meant no snow yet, but before long it would blanket the higher elevations.

If not for the heavy cloak of the past weighing on his shoulders, he would enjoy the beauty in front of him. As it was, the only decent thing about his arrival would be getting out of this cramped seat and stretching his aching leg. Getting hit by a stray IED six months ago had done more than leave scars on his body. He rubbed the soreness surrounding his right knee. The accident ended his career in the Marine Corps too soon and left him with no choice but to return to his childhood home.

After cutting ties when he was eighteen, he lived free of his father’s legacy, the Sins of Wrath motorcycle club, for ten years. For once his life had not included drugs, illegal weapons or the constant threat of a raid that could lead to a stint in prison.

The violence and death on the other hand, escalated. War wasn’t easy, nor was it pretty. But it had felt right clear to his bones. Enlisting in the Corps was exactly the path he needed when he was eighteen years old, and it was still the path he needed at twenty-eight. That it could be yanked out from underneath him with no warning and in the space of a breath, still made him angry.

The train eased into the station, blocking his view of the town, and came to a stop. Houston stood and grabbed his C-bag, stretching his arms and legs as he moved. The final segment of his trip that started in Oceanside, California was only a couple of hours, but that’s all it took to tighten him up.

He exited the train and breathed in the cool, clear mountain air, surveying the surrounding area. No smog or festering decay to deal with here. From outward appearances, Sultan seemed quiet, peaceful and clean. It wasn't the outside that concerned him. Eventually he'd have to dig deeper and revisit the underbelly he chose to forget.

First things first. He needed to find a ride. With his father incarcerated and his brother God knew where with his super secret FBI shit, Houston was on his own to get home. Fortunately, flocks of tourists made their way through the town this time of year and cabs were easy enough to come by.

“Yo, Hawkeye.”

Houston froze, every muscle going on high alert. He recognized that voice like he’d heard it last only moments ago, not ten years ago. He also hadn’t been called by that name since his last ride on his way out of Sultan. He slowly turned and came face to face with Alexander “Axel” Carver, his best friend from childhood and current member of Sins of Wrath. Make that Vice President of Wrath as evidenced by the prominent patch he wore on his black leather cut.

Well, that answered one question he’d been contemplating the entire ride home. The club was alive and well.

He stared at his former friend, who’d filled out with more than his fair share of muscle. Fucker must spend hours in a gym these days. Despite the changes over the years, time fell away.

“Hey,” he returned, warily closing the space between them. They hadn’t parted on the best of terms so he didn’t know what to expect from this unexpected reunion.

Axel eyed him up and down. “The prodigal fuck up returns. Damn, been a long time, brother.”

He stiffened at Axel’s use of the word brother and the implications it implied. They were no longer brothers in any way.

“How the hell did you know I was here? I thought I was coming in under the radar.”

“You really think anything important happens around here Wrath don’t know about?”

Houston rolled his eyes. “I hardly think my arrival ranks on the important scale. I’m not part of the club.”

“Uh huh. You think the favored son is going to roll back into town and no one’s going to sit up and take notice? Fuck that. You’re lucky I kept my mouth shut or a bunch of the guys would have been here to greet you.”

The idea made him shudder. “Yeah, not ready for that yet.” First he had to face an empty house full of unwelcome memories he didn’t want to touch before breaking the news to the club that he had no interest in returning. “Thought I’d head out to Pop’s place and get things settled first.”

“That works. I’ll give you a ride.”

Houston waited a couple of seconds to hear the catch before hefting his bag across his shoulder. “Appreciate it, I think. Figured on taking a cab. Didn’t expect a committee to welcome me home.”

Axel shrugged, turning toward the parking lot. “Don’t get too comfortable. We’ve got a lot to talk about.”

Oh joy. Not even back five minutes and Houston had a bad feeling he was going to have to deal with the club sooner rather than later.

Axel led him to the parking lot and an expensive dark blue four-door pickup truck. “Nice ride.”

“Not my preference, but it’ll do under the circumstances.”

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