Raging Barons MC – Book Nine – Knuckles

-:- KNUCKLES -:-

Taking a seat at a table in the kitchen, Meat places a bowl of oatmeal and a plate of scrambled eggs, bacon, and toast in front of me. I give a chin lift of thanks and a grunt before starting to eat.

Mav takes a seat next to me and I look at him, waiting for any nonsensical chatter he may have. I like Mav. We work well together but the man can talk if you let him.

“Morning Knuckles. You’re at Club Whisky tonight with Fist and I’m at TJs. Chaos, Wings, and Target are all at the range, and Winter will start teaching a lady’s class. Basic Weapon Awareness she’s calling it.” Nodding his thanks to Meat when he places Mav’s breakfast in front of him.

BS walks over when he’d poured himself a coffee. “Knuckles, you and Fist are at Club Whisky tonight. Silver needs you to be a little earlier than usual, as he’s had trouble with a group of assholes going in and disturbing regulars and as the meals are drawing customers in, he wants the assholes stopped before they cause too much trouble.”

“Okay, did he say how much earlier?”

“An hour would do it.” BS steps away before rinsing his cup and walking out of the kitchen.

Colton is a good prospect, and he’s learning to work the door of any of the club’s properties, and in time, he’ll make either another good bouncer or an extra enforcer for the club. His eagerness to fight is well known now amongst the brothers and on the club’s fight nights here, he’ll take on anyone and held his own against Tank, Nell’s man from the boarding house, much to everyone’s surprise. Well, except mine as I knew he could hold his own. He still has to learn to control his temper, but he is still young and it takes time.

I can imagine Colton is going to be pissed when he finds out he’s not working with me tonight, and I smirk at the thought because he’s gonna be moody as fuck with whoever he’ll be with instead.

Finishing breakfast, I head to my room, freshen up, then quickly make my way back downstairs and out the front door where I parked my hog last night.

Twenty minutes later, I park outside the shooting range and walk inside, check who’s on the desk, and seeing Chaos, I walk over. “Morning Chaos. I’ve a slot booked to use the range this morning.”

“Morning, let me check.” Chaos checks the system, logs me in attendance, and hands me a visitor’s card, which means I don’t have anything to pay. Tucking it into the back pocket of my jeans, I walk to the right side of the reception area and press my thumb on the lock. Hearing the beep, I push the door open and walk through, making sure it closes behind me. Security here is paramount with the weaponry we stock.

“Morning Knuckles, how are you today?” Turning, I give a small smile when Winter walks towards me.

“I’m good, but I’m pleased you’re here, as I wanted to ask either you or Target about giving lessons to me with a sniper rifle.”

“I didn’t know you were interested in that?”

“Well, I’m interested in all weapons and trying to expand my knowledge. That will include a sniper rifle and crossbow. I’ve done archery in the past.”

“Oh, that’s so cool.” Rubbing her hands together with excitement. “I’ll teach you to be a sharpshooter. Don’t you worry.”

“No, you won’t. He’s a brother of the club and I’ll teach him.” Target says, as he appears from somewhere behind us.

I can see Winter is annoyed, but I’m not getting into the middle of this argument, so I shrug and lean against the wall, watching these two get into it.

The door opens behind the two of them and Wings walks in, gives me a questioning look, then grins when he realizes what’s happening.

“You’ll not get a lesson today, so if I were you, I’d get out of here until they decide who’s gonna teach you. But if they don’t decide soon, I suggest you talk to Axel. He’ll sort the pair of them out.” Chuckling, Wings ambles away and I look once more at Winter and Target and decide maybe Wings is right. I’m wasting my time waiting here.

Back at the reception, I catch Chaos as he’s walking away from the reception. “Hey Chaos, when those two decide about my lesson, let me know, will you?” I don’t waste any more of my time as I have a session with Colton, Billy, and Reuse.

Walking into the clubhouse, I hear Meat beating the shit out of something in the kitchen but decide I don’t want to know what the crazy fucker is up to.

Mia walks into the common room and gives me a huge smile. Shit, she’s gonna want something, but before I can get past her, she grabs my forearm.

“Will you carry one of the babies into the kitchen for me, Knuckles, please?”

Closing my eyes for a moment, I nod and grunt because we both know I can’t refuse. After following Mia through to the playroom, she hands me a baby. I’ve no idea which one it is, and she doesn’t say, so I don’t speak to it at all. I’m probably looking at it like it’s an alien of some kind.

Holding the baby as she showed me because it’s still asleep, I follow her through to the kitchen where Meat takes it out of my arms. I must have a look on my face or speak without thinking as Meat scowls. “Not an ‘it’, ‘he’ is what it is. He is Hunter.”

Blinking at him, as I’ve no idea how he can tell which baby is which. They are twins and look the same to me.

Mia giggles and I give her a disgusted look before walking out of the kitchen before she can involve me in anything else.

Amelia walks over to me as she’s just entered the common room from the front door. “Morning handsome.” She sing-songs and I can’t help the half-smile I give, which of course has my dimple in my cheek pop.

“Morning Amelia.” You can’t ignore Amelia because she’ll just follow you until you respond, and I’ve seen her do this with Stitch a couple of times.

My phone rings, cutting any further conversation and, seeing its Byron, I take the call. This could be a fight and I’m okay with a fight if the opponent is worthwhile.

“Yeah?”

“I’ve got a fight if you’re interested. It’s a new man on the block, calls himself ‘The Hammer’.”

“When?”

“Next Friday.”

“Send me his details that you know, and I’ll do it.” I don’t give a fuck who they are, but I need a little information, as I won’t fight anyone that is with another MC. The last thing I want is to cause a problem between clubs.

“Ok.” Byron clicks his tongue before chuckling. “He’s a big fucker, but I’m sure you can take him.”

“Whatever.” Closing out the call because him and me are never going to be friends and he’s not going to rope me in on his side of the business.

Heading to Axel’s office, I knock, and hearing ‘come in’, I walk inside, give a chin lift to Buzz and Drag who are sitting in the easy chairs near the window.

“What’s up Knuckles?” Axel places his pen down and looks at me with a slight frown.

“Nothing wrong, Pres, but you said you wanted to know when my next fight was and it looks like next Friday.”

Rubbing his hands together, he grins, and turns to look at Buzz, “You should fight now and again, it would be good for your street cred.”

“My street creds fine, Pres, every fucker knows to stay out of my way,” Buzz responds with a deadpan expression on his face.

Drag chuckles. “I’m in to watch if we’re going for a night out.”

“Okay, let me know if it’s a definite and we’ll make it a boys’ night. It’s been a long time since we all had a good fight night.” Axel’s grinning and it’s the one that I know means he’s really into this happening. Giving them all a nod I leave the office and head out to meet Colton, Billy, and Reuse.

Walking into Club Whisky early evening, I nod at Silver and Eden, who are sitting at a table, eating.

Silver shouts me over. “Get something to eat before you start, Knuckles. When the fuckers come in that have been causing trouble, I’ll point them out.”

“Okay.”

“Fist is coming over to help out. He said he’s ready to live up to his name.” Silver chuckles. “Mav is at TJs and Axel thinks he may need someone too, so Colton’s heading there instead of here.”

“No problem, but Colton wasn’t comin’ here, anyway.” Giving them both a nod, I head into the kitchen and see what Tony has to offer. Fiona sets a place for me on one side of the kitchen and gives me a large smile.

“I’ll bring it over. Sit down while you have the chance.” She bustles over to Tony and he makes up a large basket of fries, chicken in his special coating, and a side salad.

Placing a cold drink of soda in front of me, Fiona fetches the meal, pats my head, and moves back to Tony, who is serving up portions, which she takes out to the servers.

Forty minutes and two basket meals later, I walk to the restroom, freshen up and get myself ready for door duty. It can be as boring as fuck, but Fist tends to start drama when he’s bored, so it may not be a bad night after all.

Watching people enter the club, I particularly watch groups of men, even patting some down if I think they are suspicious. One or two knives I collect and thankfully no guns.

“Knuckles, sorry I’m a bit late.” Fist grins as he takes his place opposite me at the door.

“No problem,” I respond easily because it’s been fairly quiet up to this point.

Fist is 6’ 2”, lean but fit, brown hair with blond pieces. He’s also Carrie’s brother and Fox’s brother-in-law, even though they are not officially married. Carrie is Fox’s Ol’ Lady.

Fox and Fist have a good relationship and often run together when they have time. Fox works long hours at the Bespoke Furnishing Shop, so to be able to get out into the fresh air is good for him. I’ve joined them a few times myself, but the fuckers are competitive and we end up full-on running for miles instead of the nice steady pace I actually enjoy running at.

“Look at these fuckers walking this way!” Fist comments and, following his line of sight, I see five men who look more than a little rough around the edges.

“Go ask Silver if these are the ones he told me about. Be quick about it, Fist.”

I keep my eye on these five heading our way while Fist rushes to speak to Silver, but they get to me before Fist returns.

“Need to check your pockets.” I eye the one in front of the others and he gives me a scowl, shakes his head before snarling. “Not likely. You’ve no right to check anything.” The others, of course, agree, giving attitude.

“You either empty and let me check or you don’t come in.” Fist steps to my left and Silver to my right.

Silver places a hand on his hip and slides the other behind his back, showing me he has a knife sheathed in his belt at the side of his spine. “I told you last time, you are not coming in here without being checked out. We don’t allow any form of weapon to be carried into the club.”

“And you think you’re gonna stop us from coming in? We only want a drink, man; I don’t see why it’s a problem.” He’s a sleazy fucker, that’s for sure, and by the smell of him, he needs to meet a bar of soap.

“As the manager and owner of this establishment,” Silver states, sounding like a businessman and taking me by surprise, I side-eye Fist grinning like a fool, a feral fool at that. “I can refuse any and all of you, and since you refuse to be checked for weapons, I refuse you entry.”

I’m sure none of us expected the first punch that lands on Silver but the fuckers sure didn’t expect Fist to bellow first and then throw himself into a fight laughing and hooting, but he has two on the ground and out of it before I can lift my fists from my sides. Silver has the leader in a headlock, and I throw one punch and that asshole is out of it.

Hearing a girly giggle, we all three turn and see Eden standing with a bottle in her hand and the last of the five on the ground groaning and holding his head. “That’s my girl.” Silver croons.

Fist laughs with his eyes twinkling and is literally buzzing. “Shit, they need to wake up so we can do it again.”

Silver chuckles and I see he’s got his man in a hold he’ll never get out of. “Calm yourself. Fist, go ask Tony to call a cab and we’ll send them on their way.”

“Awe Silver. Can’t we just wake them up for another round first?”

Silver shakes his head and I notice he’s now holding his man up as he’s put him out with the sleeper hold, he had on him. “Get a damn cab, Fist. Let’s get this done.”

Fist grumbles, taking out his phone from his jean’s back pocket, and kicks one of the assholes as he walks away a short distance to call a cab.

Once the cab arrives, we bundle the fuckers in and Silver pays the driver. “You think they’ll come back?” Fist asks and has this hopeful look on his face.

“Fuck sake, Fist calm yourself.” Silver turns to me. “Can’t you get him a fight? Then maybe he’ll calm his ass a bit.”

The rest of the night I have to listen to Fist asking about fighting and when can he get one. He’s like a child waiting for a new toy, but I’m arranging nothing without Axel’s permission.