Hook (Brutal Chains MC #1)

Chapter 1

One

Hook

"If you put a hand on me, I promise you will fucking regret it."

This is the part of the job I live for. That one second right before all chaos breaks out. The singular moment in time when I can stare anyone down and see exactly how much guts they really have. I've yet to come across even one person who's got more balls than me. This asshole definitely isn't going to be the first.

"Yeah? You think I'm scared of you? You're nothing. I make more in a week than you make in a year." The entitled jerk snarls at me, but he doesn't take a step forward, even with the group of his cronies behind him.

"That may be true, but I'm not the one getting my Tesla repossessed." I shrug my shoulders and put my hand out. "Now we can do this one of two ways. Either you give me the key so I can get the car on the lift, or I can use the clinchers, and then you'll end up paying for any damages."

"You're not taking my truck," the man postures once again.

"I am. It's about time you get over that." I raise an eyebrow and wiggle my fingers in his direction, waiting for him to drop the key or take a swing. Either way, I'm happy.

"You can just get your car back, and while you're there, you can make sure you leave a complaint about..." The friend leans forward to read my name tag. "Hook? Is that really your name? Figures."

I'm not going to be the one to tell them that Hook is not my government name. Hook is the only name anyone in my life knows me as. It's the only name I answer to anymore. The only one with any meaning to me.

"Are we done here?" I let out a sigh and watch as the ex-Tesla owner drops his keys into my hand.

"Don't scratch it. I'll be getting my car back," he barks at me before I even have a chance to get in the car. A soft chuckle bursts out of my mouth; thankfully, he didn't see or hear me. I don't want to deal with his delusions. I have the paperwork. I know exactly how much he owes the bank. I really don't see anyone who is more than thirty thousand in arrears getting their car back any time soon.

Doing what I do best, I expertly drive the Tesla onto the bed before I secure it and jump into the cab of my tow truck. As I pull off, I see the group of them flipping me the bird. If this were only a few years ago, I'd have jumped out of the tow truck and wiped the floor with those assholes for disrespecting me. But that was the old me, and the old me was nothing but trouble.

After my second bid in the clink, I vowed to turn my life around. It's easier said than done since I'm a two-time felon. Thankfully, I know a group of men who are exactly like me. All ex-cons, all take-no-shit men, and all of us trying to stay the hell out of prison.

I met Brick during my last bid. He was my bunkmate for a while. When he told me about a club he was president of, I thought it was all bullshit. The Brutal Chains MC. When I heard it, I was sure it’d be a bunch of nonsense, but from the first day I joined them, I knew it was exactly where I needed to be. I've been moving up the ranks quickly.

We don't have many rules when it comes to the club, but one in particular that many of the recruits have an issue with is the fact that your patch is stripped the minute you walk back into the big house. Anything more than a misdemeanor means the member drops their rags. Talk about an incentive to keep us out of prison.

I never want to be separated from my family, and that means I can't hop out of the truck right now and knock this little boy out. No, the satisfaction I'd get from cracking a few bones in his face wouldn't be worth it if it meant I'd lose my patch. I'll never go back to jail. I'm going to be free one way or another. Either I'll be free above ground or six feet under.

"What the hell is that smell?" I put my hand up and cover my nose.

"It's not my fault Brick called a mandatory church." Pipe shrugs before he cuts off another piece of apple and shoves it in his mouth.

"What the fuck." I groan and move away from him. Pipe is the plumber of our group, and there are more times than not he's come around smelling like absolute shit. I've never even seen him flinch. It's like he's immune to the smells now.

"Boys, let's go." Brick barks out as he walks through the center of us. Even he stutters a little as he passes Pipe. "Holy hell, Pipe. You need to wash your ass."

"I would've, but that'd mean I'd miss church. You had a fucking cow the last time I did that shit." Pipe laughs before he rushes up next to me, bypassing our president, Brick. I dodge to the right when I feel him trying to lay his arm on my shoulder. I don't know what he's drenched in, but I don't want it on me.

"It's like that? I'm going to remember that the next time you need me to check on the hot water in your place. Cold showers from here on out!" he yells at my back as I laugh and speed up so I can get into the double doors that lead to church.

There aren't many of us. Though we all make promises that we're not going to do anything that's going to get us thrown back into the clink, quite a few of the Brutal Chains have found themselves on the wrong end of getting some easy money. Right now, the only members of Brutal Chains are myself, Brick, Pipe, Light, Semi, and Torch. Surprisingly enough, I see another person in the corner at church. That must mean we've got a new prospect.

"Oooh, fresh fish." Semi grunts out and stares at the new recruit. Instantly, I watch as the prospect stiffens up and glares at Semi. Anyone who's been in the clink for any amount of time knows what it's like when a predator walks in. Semi may look like a wolf, but his old ass doesn't have any bite. He just talks a lot of shit.

"Cool it, Semi. He just got home; we don't need to traumatize him any more than he already is." Brick puts his hand up to get Semi to back down and hopefully the new recruit.

I keep my eyes glued on the kid. He looks like he might be in his forties, but from the scars on his face and the scowl painted on his expression, I could be wrong. The man could be in his twenties and just had a rough life.

"This here is Vinny, and he'll be working out of Torch's shop. As a prospect, he doesn't have a road name yet. When he proves his mettle, then we'll name him. Until then..."

"Until then he's new fish," Semi barks out again, ending with a laugh. One day, someone is going to take Semi seriously, and it's going to be a fight. Honestly, I'd love to see that. I'd pay good money to watch someone put Semi in his place, even if I have to beat them down for touching my brother afterward.

"Welcome, Vinny. Anything else we need to be worried about, Brick?" Light asks with his hand over his mouth and nose. Apparently, Pipe's smell is getting to him, and being in this confined space isn't doing anyone any favors. Pipe is the only one who doesn't seem to be concerned with the smell. It's like he can't smell how rank he really is.

"No, word on the street is the Seven Oh Sevens are on the rampage for some reason. Now we don't have any problems with them, but if there's a street war about to go down, we all need to make sure that we steer clear. I don't want to hear anything about any of you needing bail. Remember, if you give up your freedom, you give up your patch." Brick glares at each one of us before he stops his eyes on Pipe and visibly gags.

"Dismissed, Pipe, get the fuck out of here. You smell like rotten shit." Brick bangs his cuffed wrist on the table. The higher-ups in the Brutal Chains MC all wear one half of a pair of broken handcuffs on their wrists. It's a sign of power and a reminder of where they've been. I got mine three months ago when I was promoted to VP.

Now not only do I have to worry about my business, which is by far one of the most confrontational, but I also have to worry about the other members of my MC. It was never the job I saw for myself, but being a felon, there aren't many jobs out there for me. At least with this crew, I can do something I'm proud of. Being part of the Brutal Chains MC has changed my life for the better, and I refuse to let anyone come in and take it away from me.