Page 1 of Prospect
Chapter one
Sam
If anyone had told me a few years ago I'd be where I am today, I would have laughed in their face. That's the funny thing about life though; it never goes according to plan. I learned a long damn time ago to stop trying to map out my future, because the moment you think you have it all figured out, you're thrown a curveball. That curveball usually leaves behind a trail of destruction more times than not.
Something else I learned is there is always a reward waiting for you on the flip side of said destruction. We have to walk through hell on earth every now and then to claim the reward our maker has destined for us. My reward—The Kings of Retribution MC. The club is more of a family to me than the one I share blood with. The Kings have become my home. I left Texas the moment I graduated high school. For as long as I can remember I knew I didn't want the same things in life as my father. I also knew he didn't give a damn about what I wanted and had been planning my future since the day I was born.
One thing my father didn't count on was his only son had no desire to be his puppet. I busted my ass in high school playing football; a sport I didn't particularly like but discovered pretty quickly was good at. I used my skill to award me a full ride scholarship to three different colleges of my choosing. Picking the school furthest away from home, I chose Montana State University. To say my dad flipped his shit would be an understatement. My father took little interest in my football career and had no idea how good I was. He always assumed I would do what was expected of me and attend his alma mater Texas State University. Once he learned of my scholarship and that I no longer needed him or his money he sang a whole different tune. My dad played off my going against his will was me needing to sow my wild oats before coming back to Texas and taking my place in the family business alongside him. I walked out of the house I had grown up in, climbed into the truck my mother had bought for me a year before she passed away and made the two-day drive to Bozeman Montana. I haven't looked back since.
Looking back now, I can't believe I made it through my last year of high school and my first year of college. The way I allowed my life to spiral out of control the two years following my mother's death fills me with regret. It was the summer before my second year at Bozeman University that things changed for me. My drinking had gotten out of control. I was showing up to my classes and football practice every day hungover. Hell, sometimes I was still drunk. I was on thin ice with my coach, and my teachers had long given up on me. I didn't care though. I wanted to forget. I tried to drown out the pain of losing my mom. My mother was the most important person in my life. She was a constant—the one person I could always depend on. The truth was, I didn't know how to cope with her being gone and forgetting seemed like my best bet at the time. The tipping point of my downward spiral was the night I decided to mix my booze with coke. The entire night was a blur. I woke up the next morning naked in a stranger's bed, two strangers to be exact; some guy and his girlfriend.
I knew then my drinking had gone too far. Sure, I had bedded more girls than I can count; girls I never bothered to remember their names. But waking up with another guy? Let's just say that was a massive eye-opener for me. The guy and his girl assured me that yes, we had shared his girlfriend, but nothing happened between him and me, and I believed them. It's not just the waking up naked next to a man, but the fact that I was engaging in sex without having any memory of it and not knowing whether or not I was using protection. The first thing I did after sobering up was get myself checked at the clinic. The following week while waiting on my test results was the longest week of my entire life. Luckily my tests came back clean. From that moment on the heavy drinking and the random sex stopped. I had to take back control of my life.
It was when the new semester of school had started I met Alba. I don't know what led me to walk up to her and strike up a conversation that day in class. All I knew was there was this shy girl who looked like she was somewhere she didn't belong, kind of like me. So, I guess that's why I was drawn to her. But not in a way that said I was attracted to her, but in a way that said she was just the kind of friend I needed. I could tell by the very first moment she looked at me she wasn't like the rest of the girls at school; the kind of girl that sniffed around us athletes looking to score. No, this girl needed a friend, same as me. And that's what we became—friends. Although, I would say Alba is more like a sister. I believe it was fate that led us to becoming friends. It is because of her that I am where I'm at today.
Circumstances in Alba's life led her to leave college and return home to Polson. Not long after she left Bozeman, I quit school and followed her. Like my best friend, school wasn't for me. Alba introduced me to her family, who happens to be bikers. She is now married to one of them, Gabriel Martinez. Gabriel is the Enforcer for The Kings of Retribution MC. Then you have The Kings President, Jake, their Vice President, Logan, Srg. At Arms, Quinn and their Road Capitan, Reid. You also have Bennett and his wife, Lisa. Bella is Alba's sister, and she is married to Logan. Reid is married to Mila, Quinn is married to Emerson and Jake is married to Grace. A few of the other guys like Blake, Grey and Austin are still single. Toss in all their rugrats, and you have the entire King family. Then you have the single most important member of The King family. The girl who has become my obsession.
Sofia Torres.
My Firefly.
The first time I laid eyes on Sofia was a few weeks after I moved to Polson. Bella, Alba's sister, was having a family dinner at her and Logan's house. The sun had just set, and everyone was milling around the backyard tossing back beers and engaging in conversation. I was sitting on the deck next to Alba when a lone figure standing alone by the edge of the lake caught my attention. The girl with her back to me stood at 5ft 2in and had long dark hair that hung almost to her waist. There was something about this girl that called to me. On autopilot, I stood from my seat and strode across the yard in her direction. I faintly remember hearing Alba tell me her name was Sofia. At that moment all noise around me ceased to exist. The only sound that could be heard was the beating of my own heart. It was when I was about ten feet from Sofia I stopped and stared at her.
With her back still facing me, all I could see was her profile. I watched as she watched with wonderment the fireflies dancing over the lake. A minute later was when she felt my presence and looked over at me with the brightest smile. I felt as though I had been punched in the stomach. It wasn't just Sofia's beauty that had rendered me speechless; it was the way she lit up at something as simple as watching fireflies.
Letting off the throttle, I pull up to Grace's bakery, park and climb of my bike. What can I say, the club has worn off on me. I bought my Harley last year, and my bike has become an extension of me. In high school, I had a Kawasaki Ninja 300. My friends and I used to race them on the weekends. It was more of a hobby back then. I haven't ridden a bike in years, but being around the guys made me realize how much I missed it. The guys at Kings Custom had bought the bike when it was a piece of shit scrap of metal. They like to find old treasures, fix them up and sell them. When the bike was finished, I knew the moment I saw it I wanted it to be mine. Jake and the rest of the men didn't rib on me when I came to them about it. I figured they would since I knew how most of the people around town saw me. I was the college kid, the guy who was best friends with one of their old ladies. But to my surprise, Jake clapped me on my back and said, "you got it, son."
It was then I realized the guys hadn't made any assumptions about me. I wish I could say the same for my best friend. Not that I'm mad. It's pretty fucking funny. It was Jake who came to me one day at a family party and told me Alba and our friend Leah had told the guys I was gay. I nearly choked on my damn beer when those words spilled from his mouth. But the President of The Kings of Retribution wasn't there to confirm my sexual preference; he was there to threaten my balls if I hurt Sofia. It seems my interest in my Firefly hadn't gone unnoticed. I told Jake and the rest of the men they had nothing to worry about. I'd die before I ever allowed anything or anyone to hurt Sofia.
Striding into the bakery, the bell over the door alerts Grace to my arrival. "Good morning, Sam."
"Mornin', Grace."
"The usual?" she questions.
"Yes, ma'am." Grace gives me a warm smile as she places two chocolate croissants into a small bag and hands it over. Once I've paid for my purchase, I tip my head. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye, Sam."
Climbing on my bike, I start her up and make my way toward New Hope House. Sofia has been doing amazing things with the foundation. So much so she is having additional rooms build on to the place. Kings Construction is in charge of the project. I was hired on at Kings Construction when I moved to Polson. I worked for a contractor in Bozeman for a few months after I dropped out of school. It turns out I have a knack for working with my hands. I love my job too. Reid is my boss at Kings Construction. He and Logan's brother Nikolai run the company. They both have been impressed with my work since I started and decided to put me in charge of the job at New Hope House.
I arrive at Sofia's early every morning. I'm always the first one here. My crew should be arriving any minute now. Just as I'm making my way around to the back of the house my cell rings. Pulling it from my pocket, I answer. "Yeah?"
"I need you down at the office," is Reid's curt reply.
"On my way."
Hanging up the phone, I continue up the steps to the back porch and place the bag with the chocolate croissants on the railing.
Fifteen minutes later, I'm strolling into Kings Construction when I'm greeted by my friend and roommate Leah.
"Reid is waiting for you in his office," she says in a low tone. Alba and I met Leah at the University. She is the main reason I moved to Polson. Long story short, Leah is hiding from her father. Leah's story is hers to tell, but she lives here in Polson under the protection of the club and myself.
I knock on Reid's office door. "You wanted to see me?"
"Yeah, come on in," he nods, and I sit on the chair across from his desk.
"We signed off on a new contract yesterday. You remember the guy who's resort we did some work on?" Reid asks, and I nod. "Well, he's decided he wants a house built. It turns out he bought some land out by the lake and wants us to head up the project."
