Hammer's Pride by E.C. Land (brene brown rising strong TXT) 📕

“Yeah, Prez, we saw it,” the one who’d stayed outside with me sneers.

Though he’d been nice to me, there’s a coldness about him that sends chills down my spine. His eyes are a speak no lies to what his vest thingy says his name is, Malice. Yeah, I can definitely see it. Coldhearted, but he’s got enough warmth to have cared enough to stand outside with me and keep me close when I’d wanted to runaway.

“Let’s get to the clubhouse; we’ll deal with this shit in the morning, it’s late, and I’ve had enough bullshit for the night,” Hammer declares, getting nods of agreement from the men standing around us. I hadn’t realized until just now how many men were here. Without counting, I know there’re more than ten of them. “Come on, Avery, baby, you’re with me.”

I’m what?

My eyes widen as it dawns on me what he means. “I, uh, I’ve never—um ridden a motorcycle before,” I stammer.

Hammer grins wickedly. “Then it’ll be fun to pop that cherry of yours.” His words cause a round of hoots and hollers.

“I could, um, just drive my car and, uh, follow you. I mean—”

“Sunshine, you’re with me, and besides, I’ve broken the back window of that heap to get you out of your car. It needs to be replaced, and I’m not talking about just the window. That shit is old. Tomorrow, we’ll check into that for you as well as see what the hell’s going on,” Hammer says, interrupting me and making my head want to explode at the same time.

This can’t be happening. Can it?

Chapter Six

Hammer

What the fuck am I doing?

Putting this woman on the back of my bike. Shit, I’ve never in my fuckin’ life had a woman ride bitch with me. We got a rule in the club unless the chick is blood or an extension of the club; we don’t put anyone but our ol’ ladies on the back of our bikes. Not even my niece rode with me when she’d been a kid, and everything was okay.

At that time of my life, I figured when the right woman came into my life, that would be hers and only hers. Then my brother and his wife were murdered, my niece kidnapped, and my nephew left to die in a pool of his own mother’s blood.

Fuck, I don’t need my thoughts goin’ down that road.

But I gotta admit, it felt right having Avery’s tits pressed into my back. With it being her first time on the back of a bike, I decided we’d take the long way to the clubhouse. During the first few minutes, her arms were like vise grips squeezing the shit out of my waist. She’d loosened up somewhat and pressed her front tighter against my back, and I swear to fuck, I’d heard her moan at one point of the trip.

Grinning, I parked my bike, put the kickstand down, and helped Avery climb off, and I followed suit. I grab her hand and hold her to me while lookin’ at my brothers. Unlike the other clubs, when we decided to claim someone as ours, it doesn’t matter for how long that time period is; we simply speak out. “Mine,” I declare, pulling her further into my body.

“No shit, Prez,” Dagger chuckles with a shit-eating grin.

“Pretty fuckin’ obvious, Prez,” Gunner mutters.

Knowing my brothers got the statement, I turn with Avery tucked under my arm and head for the door to the clubhouse.

Inside, I guide Avery through the main room, not giving her a chance to look around and head straight for my room in the back. A few years ago, we’d renovated some of the areas, expanded on others. Since I live here all the time and didn’t have a house outside the club, well, technically, I did, but I refused to live there, and my niece and nephew don’t want the place. None of us want the memories that come with the house, but I can’t bring myself to sell it. So, to keep up with the taxes and shit, I rent the place out. All I need is my room with a bed and bathroom to shower. The clubhouse is my home, so we’d made during renovations, my brothers and I added to a few of our rooms mine.

The clubhouse has a spacious main room with a bar that takes up a good portion of a wall, three pool tables are off to the side with dartboards. Several tables and chairs were scattered throughout the room, along with a few couches and a flat-screen TV. The kitchen is state of the art and is the domain of Bruiser’s mama, Lissa. Whenever she comes in, which is nearly every day, she cooks. She’s the only woman I respect, in all honesty. After her ol’ man passed away from a heart attack, it was like she’d stopped living altogether besides keeping her focus on her son. Didn’t matter to her how old he was; he’s all she has left and, in the process, took all of us on as well. With her being in her late sixties, we all take care of her even if she doesn’t want us to.

The other, more so than myself out there and handle stuff at her house, but if she needs something taken care of financially, I’ll pitch in as much as possible.

Opening the door to my room, I pull Avery in and shut the door behind us. Hitting the light switch, the light comes on dimly. I hate bright light and installed an adjustable light switch, and mine stays in dim mode. If I need brighter light, I’ll change it, but normally I keep it at what I have it on.

I release Avery and move over to my dresser and start emptying my pockets, tossing my wallet and keys along with whatever change on to the top of the wood. I step over to my bed and pull my gun out of the