❥ EVERETT'S POV

Having hot and smutty sex with a rugged biker recently jumped to the top of Everett's bucket list.

It's all he can think about while getting dressed for his date tonight with Shaun, a member of some motorcycle club. This will be their seventh outing together, another opportunity to build their buzzing connection. Everett is ecstatic. He's finally ready to go all the way with the foul-mouthed, tattooed hunk.

Shaun has proven he can be patient and sweet. The man definitely has a soft side that balances out his rough exterior, and Everett can't wait to reward him for not being a disappointing waste of time.

"I'm going for 'fuck me in the backseat of your car' vibes. What do you guys think?" Everett steps out of his bathroom and back into his bedroom where Alissa and Michael are waiting. "Yay or nay?"

Alissa raises both thumbs in high approval. "If I weren't a raging lesbian and your best friend, I'd totally have a lady boner right now. Like, a massive one."

"Why are you like this?" Michael shakes his head, playfully rolling his icy blue eyes. "My only complaint is the choker. We aren't going to a kink club. Save that for another outfit."

Everett nods and removes the choker. He heads back into the bathroom to apply some lip balm and make sure that every dark brown curl on his head is alert and popping.

He rarely goes above and beyond with how he dresses, but tonight he really wants to impress Shaun. He's wearing a red leather jacket with a fitted white crop top, high-waisted fishnet tights under black skinny jeans with tears, and combat boots.

If this outfit doesn't get Shaun's dick hard, Everett may have to reevaluate their situationship.

"Your phone just went off with a new text! Want me to read it?" Alissa calls from the bedroom.

"Go ahead. It's probably Shaun," Everett replies. "He told me he'd be picking me up on his motorcycle tonight. It'll be my first ride! I hope that isn't him texting to bail."

"Nope. Just him reporting he's about fifteen minutes out," Alissa says. "How do you want to respond?"

"With a few suggestive emojis, please." Everett smirks at his reflection. "I want him to know how excited I am about tonight."

At twenty-four years old, Everett continues to get carded at clubs and bars. With his short curly brown hair, light brown eyes, pouty lips, and freckle-kissed face, he used to hate not looking his age. These days, he takes full advantage of it, especially when trying to ease his way out of trouble with his parents.

It isn't easy having them as roommates.

He'll be glad when summer ends so he can return to college with his friends and finish up his bachelor's degree. Right now, though, his home for the next couple of months is a 70s themed styled basement. Better than nothing.

"Thanks again for coming with me tonight. Figured I'd need backup in case things don't pan out with Shaun." Everett joins his friends on the bed, settling into the center. "He really hyped this new club up, so I can't wait to check it out with you guys."

"And I can't wait to meet your bad boy biker soon-to-be boyfriend. Feels like he's all you ever talk about lately." Alissa grins mischievously.

"No surprise there. Everett wears his heart on his sleeve and falls hard for damn near every hot guy he dates," Michael teases.

Everett laughs, shoving Michael. "Fuck you for reading me off!"

"At least Everett is out here getting ass, Mikey. What exactly have you been doing in these streets?" Alissa raises a dark brow, tossing her chunky faux locs over her shoulder. Michael's pale cheeks tint pink as he remains silent. "Yeah, that's what I thought."

Everett smiles, looking at them in adoration. "I don't know what I'd do without you two idiots."

When Shaun later arrives to pick up Everett, Alissa and Michael head out soon after they pull off.

"You're squeezing the life out of me, baby!" Shaun, a hot blonde with a ripped body, yells to Everett while racing through traffic. "Are you enjoying this?"

"Hell yeah! This is so much fun!" Everett refuses to submit to fear and welcomes the danger instead, laughing and feeling high off adrenaline.

He grips Shaun tighter around the middle as they weave through cars of various sizes. The scenery around them flies by in a colorful blur. The freedom Everett feels is unlike anything he's ever experienced before. He frowns when Club Inferno later melts into view, the bike ride officially over.

"A lot can be told about a man from how he handles his ride." Shaun places Everett's helmet on the handlebars before pulling him in close, kissing him silly. "Give me a letter grade, baby. How'd I do?"

"A+ for sure!"

Shaun laughs. "I'll take that."

Everett mirrors Shaun's wicked grin, then grabs him by the hand and leads the way inside the club.

Shaun never talks about his MC with Everett, or what his position within it even is, but evidently his reputation is enough to keep them from getting harassed by the bouncer and security. Stares and whispers float in the duo's direction as if Shaun is a celebrity. It's enough to have Everett internally question just how notorious Shaun and his MC are.

"When were you planning to tell me that you're Mr. Popular?" Everett jokes after they reach the bar. Shaun gives him a puzzled look in response.

"I don't follow," says Shaun.

"Dude, you were the center of attention for two whole minutes as we were walking through the crowd. How'd you not notice?"

"I never pay much attention to that shit. Means nothing to me."

The bartender stops by to take their orders, pausing the conversation. Everett orders a virgin mojito while Shaun settles for a beer. They sit and chat until Everett's friends arrive.

Several minutes later, Shaun excuses himself to answer an incoming call.

"What's the verdict? Are you going to bang him tonight, or what?" Alissa yells at Everett over the loud music playing.

"It's leaning that way." Everett shrugs, playing coy.

"Just be careful with that guy," Michael adds. "I know your preference is bad boys or whatever, but something tells me he's way past that."

Everett nods, taking the words to heart. Alissa and Michael are more than his best friends. They're family, so he doesn't brush off Michael's concerns. It's true that Everett has never dated a guy like Shaun before, someone who probably has a criminal record longer than the Eiffel Tower.

They've only been hanging out for a few weeks, and so far, Shaun has been perfect. Almost too perfect.

"Oh, I love this song!" Alissa shrieks, hopping out of her seat. She grabs the closest thing to her, Michael, and then ventures onto the dancefloor. "Move your ass, Everett!" she yells after him.

"I need to find Shaun first! I'll be right back." Everett stands and walks in the opposite direction.

Who the hell answers a phone call while inside of a club? Everett thought up more questions than he did answers while marching towards the restrooms first. Turning another corner, he stops when he sees Shaun at the end of a dark hallway. The blond is pacing back and forth, still talking on the phone.

"I hear what you're saying, but it's my fucking night off. I'll deliver the package tomorrow." Shaun snaps, running a hand through his tousled hair.

When he spins around, his stony gaze falls on Everett. He immediately ends the call.

"Hey, baby. Sorry for running off like that." Shaun slides his cell phone into his back pocket and then walks toward Everett. "Had some club business to handle. How, uh, much of that did you hear?"

"Only the tail end," Everett confesses. "Is everything okay? Do you need to leave?"

"Not at all. I ain't leaving your side tonight." Shaun wraps his arms around Everette's waist and pulls him flush against his body, kissing him deeply. "I'm all yours again. Want to get back to your friends?"

Everett nods, blushing. "Can we dance?"

"Absolutely." Shaun smirks, patting Everett on the ass as they merge back into the crowd. "Can't wait to feel these hips grinding against me. You look sexy as fuck tonight, by the way. Stripping you naked when we're back at my place is going to be fun."

"Who said I'll be going home with you?" Everett teases.

"Don't play with me, baby. I'm already sporting a semi because of you." Shaun laughs. "Now, show me your best moves."

While on the dancefloor, their surroundings disappear, and their hands wander along each other's bodies.

Everett isn't shy when his confidence is soaring. He rocks his hips and waves his arms to the music, his teeth sinking into his bottom lip while Shaun peppers his neck with kisses and love bites. Everett's heart is pounding so loudly that he swears everyone around can hear it.

"How bold are you feeling tonight?" Shaun's lips are near Everett's ear, and slowly, he cups the tent forming in the front of Everett's jeans. "I want to touch you. Right here. Right now. Will you let me?"

The thought of doing something so raunchy in public makes Everett's cock throb. As he opens his mouth to answer Shaun, a fight breaks out nearby.

"Drunk bastards," Shaun mutters in annoyance. "Come on, let's go upstairs where it's more private."

Holding hands, Everett stays close to Shaun while making their way to the staircase on the opposite side of the club. The night, so far, has been going well. It only takes an abrupt turn after a man with face tats bumps into Shaun, nearly knocking him over. Everett tenses when the men stop to glare at each other.

"Hey, fucker. Watch where the hell you're going next time." The man snaps at Shaun despite being the one at fault.

"What did you just call me, asshole? Are you not aware of who the fuck it is you're talking to?" Shaun pulls away from Everett to shove the man hard in the chest. "You shouldn't even be here. This is Jackal's territory. Need a map to find your way back home, stray?"

Oh, no. This guy must be from a rival MC.

Everett takes immediate notice of how similar the two men are dressed. They both are wearing cuts with their MC's name and logo on it. According to the man's patch, he belongs to a MC called The Fallen Angels. Assuming the worst, Everett takes a cautious step back. This can't possibly end well.

"I don't give a rat's ass whose territory this is." The man shows no fear while getting in Shaun's face. "That doesn't matter and neither do you."

He's about an inch taller than Shaun and completely covered in tattoos. On his fingers are thick silver rings and the face tats give him a wild look. Shaun, however, is bigger and far more muscular, so he still has the upper hand.

"Now I suggest you get the fuck out of my way before I lay your ass out and embarrass you in front of your boyfriend." The man glances at Everett and winks, smirking. "You can do so much better, gorgeous."

Shaun punches the man hard in the jaw, sending him stumbling back. "No one disrespects me on my own turf. I'll fucking kill you!"

Screaming for them to stop, Everett leaps off to the side as the men tussle on the ground. Shaun transforms into a monster right before Everett's eyes, beating the man to a bloody pulp. He might actually kill him. Why isn't anyone helping to break this up? Where the hell is security?!

"Shaun, stop! You don't have to do this—" Everett is shoved out of the way as a handful of men rush to the scene, all of them wearing the same patch as the man who bumped into Shaun beforehand.

Oh, hell. Shaun is outnumbered! What do I do? Security clearly isn't in a rush to get here. Should I call the police?

Everett takes out his phone with trembling hands, looks in the upper lefthand corner, and then curses. He has no signal. Frozen in horror, he watches Shaun rise off the man and pull a gun out from behind his back. He shoots at his enemies, repeatedly, with no hesitation.

Chaos ensues.

People scatter and scream while running towards the main exit. One man from the rival MC falls to the ground with a clean headshot, dead. The man who started all this returns fire from the floor, covered in his own blood and shouting more threats. Everett's fight or flight senses kick in, forcing him to act. He drops to the filthy ground to dodge the gunfire. Seconds later, so does Shaun... who's now bleeding out from multiple gunshot wounds to his torso.

The Fallen Angels don't stick around. They pick up their fallen brothers and move with the crowd, leaving Everett alone with his dying date.

"Oh my God... Oh, no. No. No. No. No!" Everett crawls over to Shaun, sobbing and shaking violently. There's a distant look in Shaun's clouded green eyes. His time is almost up. "K-keep your eyes open, Shaun. Don't close them, please. Someone help!"

Everett pulls Shaun into his arms to keep him from getting trampled by the many people continuing to run past them, uninterested in lending a hand.

"Everett, y-you need... to destroy it." Shaun coughs, sending blood flying. "Can't let a-anyone have it, especially not t-the cops."

"Have what? Destroy what, Shaun? Tell me!"

Using his remaining strength, Shaun digs into his pocket and pulls out a tiny black USB. Everett takes it without asking questions.

Moments later, Shaun dies in his arms.

Is this USB the package that Shaun mentioned earlier when he was on the phone? Fuck. I don't want to get involved in any of his shit.

Everett shoves the USB into his pocket and then exits out the back of the club, headed in the opposite direction that The Fallen Angels had gone. The sounds of multiple motorcycles roaring isn't that far away, so Everett creeps into an alley, vomits his soul out, and then hides behind a dumpster.

I need to make sure my friends are okay, and then I have to figure out how to safely get home.

Everett checks his phone again.

No signal.

Fresh tears roll down his cheeks, his mind racing a mile per minute. He's cold, in shock, covered in blood, and he can hear loud heavy footsteps approaching. Is this the end? Is he going to wind up the same as Shaun, or worse? 

"I know I saw him come down here," a deep voice grumbles. "Why'd you fools leave him behind when he's the primary fucking witness to all this shit?"

"Nobody was thinking straight, Knox." A lighter voice responds. "Everyone panicked and lost their shit after that Jackal bastard shot and killed Rex—"

"There you are."

Everett's eyes fly open after he's snatched up from the ground. He's shoved so hard against the brick wall behind him that his vision blurs. It takes a minute for his eyes to refocus on his assailant.

The guy is freakishly tall and built like a damn gladiator. He has tan skin, broad shoulders, and a straight jawline. His chin is hidden by a short scruff and his bronze-colored hair is slicked back into an impressively thick man bun. Smokey grey eyes are the standout feature on his face, and they're currently burning a hole into Everette's.

"What's your name, kid?"

Everett remains silent, too frightened to speak.

"Fine. We'll do this the hard way." The man turns around to issue out a command to his partner, his grip tightening around Everett's throat. "Call Sam and tell him to bring the van around. The kid is coming with us."