Page 1 of Raven's Spectre

PROLOGUE

1993

The rain poundeddown on the pavement, the wheels of my bike barely able to withstand the turbulent winds. But I pushed on, I let it wash my sins away. I wanted it to take me. To send my bike off this mountain so I’d never awaken again. Instead, I pushed on through the heavy raindrops, barely able to see the road before me. Just a little more, and I’d get to the place where demons lay waiting on lost souls. But I wasn’t lost. I was a willing participant. I’m sure they’d eat up any deal I made.

I’d left the clubhouse an hour ago. My brothers’ not believing the rumors, not until Bulldog spoke up.

“I’m telling you, they speak to fucking Lucifer!”

Guardian, one of our Enforcers, smirked. “Dude, I don’t think that’s the way shit goes down.”

“I was just with Mammoth, he fucking told me that they speak to Lucifer.” Mammoth was the newest Enforcer of the Tonopah Valley Chapter and he was a fucking Reaper.A Reaper!

Hart, our Road Captain, shook his head. “Listen man, I mean I know it sounds reasonable, to you, but…”

“It’s true.” Bulldog’s voice rang out and every one in that entire room focused on him.

Guardian leaned back in his chair, propping his feet up. “Hell Prez, if you say it’s true…” his words trailed off.

“What I’m about to tell you doesn’t leave these walls. We will never talk about it again so don’t ever ask me again.”

“I’m listening,” Guardian’s voice rang out as he tipped his chair back.

Bulldog grunted and kicked it forward. The chair nearly toppled and Guardian struggled to regain his balance. “Shit, Prez.”

“I’m not playin’ around with you. Sit up and listen or get the fuck out.”

Running a hand across his head, he looked at him sheepishly. “Yes, Sir.”

“What Spectre says is true. Every one of those guys up in Tonopah Valley have come across Lucifer. If you’re a current member, you’d done the Devil’s Ride.”

“What the hell is that?” Hart asked.

Bulldog hesitated, putting his forearms on his knees and leaning forward as if he were about to tell us a ghost story, which technically, it kind of was.

“The Devil cuts deals with our boys. He offers them a contract in lue of vengeance. If they survive the Devil’s Ride…” His voice trailed off and I took a step forward.

“If they survive they get possessed.”

He looked back at me. “That’s right. They turn into the Devil’s Reapers. Each one has a bounty to collect.”

“That’s fucking crazy, Hart shook his head.”

“Crazy or not, it’s true. Ain’t it, Saddle?”

Saddle, our VP, stepped into the room. He pulled his hat up off his eyes and looked at each of us. “If you ever get to ride with them, be prepared. Those fuckers are scariest sons of bitches I’ve even been around.”

“So why hasn’t the devil chosen us? You found the Royal Bastards, Bulldog. Don’t you think he’d come after us too?”

Bulldog nodded. “He tried…once. When you believe in God, you’ve got to believe in the Devil. But I denied him, Keys has too...I’m just not sure how long he can hold out for.”

Keys was the Tonopah Valley Chapter President and he’d been around with Bulldog from the start. They were close, and I believed that they’d kept each other’s secrets as long as they could have, until now.

“So Lucifer is real?” I asked him.

He looked back at me and nodded. “He’s as real as they come.”

“Well, fuck me sideways.” Guardian uttered.

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