Page 3 of Kaz
When he told his dads, one had looked at him with pride while the other tried not to cry. He would never divulge who’d done which for his dads’ sake.
The Disciples had created a shelter for kids where he’d ended up after years on the streets. It was because of that and what the Disciples did for others that he found a home and family.
He would be continuing the Kings’ and Disciples’ work. The Kings had long ago allied themselves with a powerful and well-connected man who used that power and connection to help those in need. They took down evil people and saved their victims. He knew it was wrong to enjoy killing those sick pieces of shit more than saving people, but he’d never claimed to be sane, nor honorable. The shit he’d been through? You didn’t walk away from it whole. Miles had wanted him anyway, despite the animosity he’d created between them for years, because he hadn’t been able to express his feelings in better ways. Because if the only way he got Miles’s hands on him was a fist to the face, he would take it. And he had. Many times. Until the day Miles kissed him instead.
A sleek, black motorcycle sped past him, and it was all he could do to shake his head and hit the throttle. They sped down the road, taking the corners just a little too fast, adrenaline coursing through his veins and bringing his whole body to life. The only other thing that had ever made him feel this way was Miles.
They slowed before turning down a gravel road with mature trees lining either side. A smile spread on his face as a two-story white house came into view. It was in a beautifully tragic state, but he had big plans for it. The trees covering the property line all the way around and the long gravel driveway ensured them some much-needed privacy. The property came with a few acres, both field and a bit of forest, and situated just on the outskirts of town, it was perfect for their needs.
He drove around the side of the house to the front, where he parked his bike, Killian pulling up next to him. He tugged his helmet off, then removed his gloves and dismounted. He dropped his gloves into his helmet and left it hanging from the handlebars.
He ran his gaze over the two white buildings. The main house was thirty-three thousand square feet and had one bedroom on the first floor as well as seven bedrooms on the second floor, which he hoped they could split into at least eight or nine. He wanted to have room for as many of their members as possible. He wanted them to know they had a permanent home here.
Gravel crunching to his left had him glancing over his shoulder. Killian ran a hand through his short black hair, his brown eyes shining with excitement. They were doing their patching-in today, most of their members moving in the following days, so they could start work on the house. He wanted it to be a bonding experience for them all, as well as something they could be proud to have accomplished together.
Despite most of them being kids of OG Kings and Disciples, he hadn’t spent much time with the Kings’ kids aside from Kian, Emma, and… Miles. He’d only seen Miles a few times since they broke up. Miles had avoided him, and he’d been too much of a fucking coward to seek him out. Emma liked to give him unprompted updates whenever he saw her. It was as if she wanted to rub salt in his already bleeding wounds.
A few weeks ago, she’d told him Miles had broken up with his latest boyfriend. Yet another man who got to have what was?whatshould’vebeen?his. He’d fumbled the bag big time when it came to Miles, and while he knew Miles had been better off without him at nineteen, he was hoping that once he truly made something of himself, he might have another shot with Miles.
He wouldn’t say that all of this would exactly be for nothing, but over the past many years, he’d found that not much made life worth living the way Miles did. He wanted Miles back in his life and in his bed. He had no right to stake a claim on Miles, and yet… there was nothing he wanted more.
Had he fucked up by letting Miles believe Jane was his girlfriend? Yes and no. He’d been terrified. More so of giving Miles his heart than of losing Miles altogether. He’d always known Miles was too good for him. He certainly couldn’t have been what Miles needed back then, but hopefully, once everything was up and running and he had a modicum of control over his life, he might just be enough. Not that he’d ever stop trying to be better for Miles. He just hoped Miles would forgive him so he could earn back his trust.
A hand on his shoulder had him glancing at Killian. He was only twenty years old, but the kid had ambitions and the drive to see things through. It was the main reason he was putting Killian up for the club’s Sergeant at Arms.
Killian brushed his hair out of his face, his brown eyes dancing as he met Kaz’s gaze. Killian looked the perfect mix of his fathers, which made sense considering his aunt was his birthmother. He was as much of a fifty-fifty split between his fathers as he could get.
“You ready for this?” he asked Killian.
“Are you?”
Kaz grinned at him.
A rumbling sound that resonated in his heart filled the air, and that grin only grew as their fellow bikers arrived. Sixteen motorcycles rolled into the parking lot. He crossed his arms and watched as leather-clad men and women dismounted their bikes. The younger ones were easy to distinguish despite the helmets because they were acting like overgrown kids, pushing and teasing each other until one chased the other. He shook his head, knowing damned well he’d never been that carefree at nineteen.
His gaze caught on two pairs of wide shoulders and two heads of curly dark hair, one brown and more wavy than curly, the other black with tight curls cut short. Wilder and Solo had been the first to volunteer to join his new club. In fact, Wilder had threatened him with bodily harm if he as much as thought about leaving without him. He hadn’t, of course. He wouldn’t have done this without the support of his best friends.
When Solo looked up, he was grinning, his dark eyes gleaming. It was rare to get a real smile out of him lately, so he drank it in.
He was just about to look around for Jane when she appeared out of nowhere and jumped onto Wilder’s back, scrambling to hold on as he tried to throw her off. She was wearing tight jeans and a loose-fitted jacket, and one glance toward her bike showed no sign of a helmet, which meant he would need to have a word with her. She was as reckless as any of them, but it had gotten worse over the past few months, and it usually ended in a fight between her and Solo.
Solo’s smile faded as it often did around Jane. Most days, it was as if everything was completely normal, and other days, the two were either fighting or pretending the other didn’t exist. He wasn’t entirely sure when the shift happened, but he knew better than to get involved. Last time he tried, Jane had threatened to shoot his dick off, so if they wanted to be weird with each other,he wasn’t about to get in their way. He was, however, going to shove their bylaws down Jane’s throat if she rode without proper gear again.
A flash of blonde hair caught his attention, and he watched as Emma placed her helmet on the seat of her gorgeous new Fat Boy Gray Ghost. The motorcycle’s sleek gray lines had everyone green with envy. She was a beautiful machine.
Emma unzipped her jacket and looked up as she pulled off her gloves. She caught his gaze and grinned at him, his heart stuttering because her golden-brown eyes were so much like her brother’s. Miles hadn’t looked at him like that since he tore their relationship apart with a lie.
Sucking in a deep breath, he looked around at the future members of his club. There weren’t two people who looked alike except for the actual identical twins. Luke and Liam were nothing but trouble. They were young and reckless, but he was willing to give them the benefit of the doubt because he saw a lot of himself in them. Once they had structure, brotherhood, and a definitive purpose, they would grow into fine bikers.
Nicky had her arm around Ciara?her girlfriend and the twins’ cousin?with a thoughtful look on her face as she scanned her surroundings. He got the sense she wasn’t too happy about being there, but she refused to let her girlfriend join the club without her. Nicky seemed to be the only one the twins and Cooper, Ciara’s younger brother, feared. Granted, her godfather had been an assassin once upon a time, according to Killian. She also had personal history that he knew would fuel her sense of justice. She would be a great asset to them and the people they were going to help.
He couldn’t stop his smile as Emma headed toward him, and he wasn’t surprised when she pulled him into a hug. Despite how much he’d hurt her brother, she’d never treated him anydifferently. He wasn’t sure why, but he appreciated it. He considered her a good friend.
Before they could do more than say hello, they were interrupted by Cooper, who stopped in front of them with a wicked smile. His blond hair was flat against his head from his helmet, his green eyes shining brightly.
“I can’t wait for everyone to get their road names,” Cooper said.
Kaz rolled his eyes while Emma leveled Cooper with a stern glare. He had a feeling Cooper and the twins would be getting their road names before the day was over. They were too much trouble not to.
