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  Grizzly (Devil’s Fury MC 8)

  The Beginning

  Harley Wylde

  All rights reserved.

  Copyright ©2021 Harley Wylde

  BIN: 009715-03150

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  Publisher:

  Changeling Press LLC

  315 N. Centre St.

  Martinsburg, WV 25404

  www.ChangelingPress.com

  Editor: Crystal Esau

  Cover Artist: Bryan Keller

  Adult Sexual Content

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  Table of Contents

  Grizzly (Devil’s Fury MC 8)

  Prologue

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Epilogue

  Dedication and Acknowledgments

  Harley Wylde

  Grizzly (Devil’s Fury MC 8)

  The Beginning

  Harley Wylde

  May -- I know what everyone sees when they look at him. A rough biker from the wrong side of town. But they don’t know John the way I do. He’s kind, protective, and there’s no one I’d rather be with. Unfortunately, he’s keeping me in the friend zone. He’s saved me multiple times, but when he finds me being attacked by the town’s golden boy, I see the Grizzly his club has named him for… but even at his most vicious I’m not scared of him. I don’t care that he’s a little older than me, or that people whisper when he walks past. I love him, and I know I’ll keep loving him until the day I die.

  Grizzly -- She’s too sweet, too good. Too perfect. May deserves the best life can offer, a respectable guy. That isn’t me. She might see me as some cuddly teddy bear, but there’s blood on my hands. I earned the name the Devil’s Fury gave me, and I wear it proudly. So I push her away, keep her at arm’s length, and make sure she thinks I don’t desire her even a little.

  It’s a lie. Biggest one I’ve ever told. There’s only one thing I want more than my club, more than my next breath -- and that’s May.

  Prologue

  Grizzly -- Summer, 1982

  I ran my hand over my cut, proud as hell that I’d earned my patch. As the newest member of the Devil’s Fury MC, I should have been at the clubhouse enjoying the party. Instead, I found myself hiding in the shadows by the pond on the outskirts of town. If anyone owned the property, they were long gone. The land had grown wild with weeds. The tall grass around the pond blocked it from view of anyone driving past.

  I heard May giggle and a splash. Jealousy ate at me. I had no right to feel any sort of emotion about her at all. She wasn’t mine. Never would be. May was a good girl. Sweet. Angelic. Not at all for the likes of me. I’d noticed her in school, even though I’d kept my distance. Until I’d discovered she liked to come swim here. The first time I saw her in her two-piece swimsuit, I’d had to pick my tongue up off the ground. Who’d have thought little May had curves like that? She’d only been fifteen at the time, and I’d had no business looking.

  “Stop it, Mike.” I heard another splash. “I said no!”

  My heartrate kicked up and I crept closer, quietly shifting the tall weeds aside for a better look. The dumbass jock she’d come with seemed to be copping a feel. The way May squirmed and shoved at him, I knew she wasn’t just playing around. When she’d told him to stop, she’d meant it. Dickweed didn’t seem to understand.

  When he tried to work his hand down into her swimsuit bottoms, I knew I had to do something. I wasn’t about to let him molest her while I stood idly by. Even if I did belong to a club that didn’t exactly walk on the right side of the law, there were lines I’d never cross. Hurting a woman was one of those.

  I stepped out of my hiding spot. The moment May saw me, hope sparked in her eyes. Yeah, I wasn’t walking away. Not without making sure she was safe.

  “I think she said no.”

  He turned to look at me, a sneer on his lips as he eyed my cut. I knew all about Mike Malone. Star forward for the basketball team. Just the sort of guy May should be with, if he weren’t such a douche.

  “Let her go, Malone.”

  “Or what?” he asked.

  “Or I’ll make you, and then you’ll have to run crying home to your mommy. She said she wasn’t interested, but you must have too much wax in your ears.” I folded my arms. “Or maybe you got hit in the head with one too many basketballs. You should catch those passes with your hands and not your face.”

  I honestly had no idea how well he played, or what the fuck his position on the team even did. I’d never been into basketball, and I sure as hell hadn’t been to any of the games at school.

  He backed away from May and made his way toward me. He slogged through the water and onto the shore, slicking his hair back from his face. We were nearly the same height, but I had a bit of muscle on him. And I knew how to fight. Prissy boy here didn’t stand a chance.

  “You lay one finger on me and my parents will sue your ass.”

  “And what exactly do you think they’ll get? I don’t have a house. My bike is a piece of shit. Even I can admit that, but one day it won’t be. I don’t have a damn thing you’d want, Malone.” I held my hand out to May. “Come on, angel. I’ll make sure you get home safe.”

  May hurried out of the pond and grabbed her towel, wrapping it around her. She came straight for me, giving the jock a wide berth. Couldn’t blame her. He didn’t seem like the type to lose gracefully. Now that he’d decided May should give him what he wanted, he wouldn’t back down. Not until he was forced to.

  If he kept bothering her, I’d have to pay him a special visit. Make sure he got the message loud and clear. May wasn’t for him to play with. Or anyone else for that matter.

  “This isn’t over,” Mike said. “I’ll ruin you!”

  “You can try.” I smirked. “Your parents might be well-off, and maybe this town thinks rainbows shine out your ass, but you don’t scare me. You’re just a little boy pretending to be a man. Men don’t hurt women, numbnuts.”

  I backed up, keeping my eyes on him until we were far enough away I felt safe turning away. I wouldn’t put it past him to try and stab a man in the back. Seemed like the chickenshit sort of thing he’d do. I led May away from the pond and stopped next to my bike. She only had on flip-flops. There was no way she could ride on back like that.

  I straddled my bike and motioned for her to come closer. I lifted her, making her squeal, and settled her sidesaddle across my thighs. It wa
sn’t perfect, and I’d have to go really fucking slow, but at least I wouldn’t worry about her burning her legs or feet on the pipes. I didn’t even give a shit that her suit and towel were soaking the thighs of my jeans and my shirt.

  “I live in the Willow Brook Apartments,” she said.

  “I know.” I winked at her. “I make it a point to know where the pretty girls are.”

  Her cheeks turned pink, but she smiled. I started up my bike and slowly pulled out onto the road. I crept along, not wanting to take any chances with the precious cargo in my lap. When we reached her building, I parked my bike and walked her up to her apartment. I didn’t trust Mike not to have followed us and wanted to make sure she got inside and locked the door.

  “Thank you,” she said. “I don’t know how you happened to be in the right place at the right time, but I’m glad you were. I don’t think he’d have stopped.”

  I reached out and traced her nose with my finger. “Anytime, angel. Glad to have been of service. Now, lock up. I’m not leaving until I hear that deadbolt.”

  She gave me another smile, then shut the door. Once I heard all the locks click into place, I finally pulled myself away. If she’d known why I was there, she wouldn’t have been thanking me. She’d probably have been terrified she had a stalker. I’d never hurt May, but it seemed I needed to keep an eye on her. Whether she liked it or not, she’d just gained a bodyguard. No one would put out the light I saw in her. I wouldn’t let them.

  It just never occurred to me that sweet little May would be such a magnet for trouble, or that she’d need my services several more times.

  Chapter One

  May -- Spring, 1983

  I flipped my hair out of my face and glanced at the boy lying in bed next to me. My parents were out of town so he’d spent the night. Even though he’d pushed for more, I hadn’t given in. Something felt off. We’d been talking for a few months, but Seth got more and more aggressive with each day that passed. It was time to break up with him, but I wasn’t sure how. The few bursts of temper I’d witnessed worried me.

  I quietly slipped from the bed and grabbed some clothes from the dresser, then went to shower. I’d thought he was different from the others, but I’d been wrong. He’d put on a good show, but his façade was starting to crack. Not trusting him, I locked the door before I undressed. I should have listened. My friends told me he was bad news, even if I’d thought he’d seemed so sweet. If anyone should know better than to believe the lies people told, it was me. My father was a professional liar.

  Saturday should mean a fun day for a high school girl like me. Instead, I had to figure out how to ditch the boy in my room. There was a lake party tonight, one I’d been invited to. If Seth was going, I wasn’t sure I should. He’d been bad enough last night. Adding in alcohol seemed like a recipe for disaster.

  I finished my shower and pulled on my clothes. After braiding my hair and brushing my teeth, I slipped out of the bathroom and tiptoed through the bedroom. My stomach rumbled. I wasn’t the greatest cook in the world, but breakfast I could easily handle. When I got to the kitchen, I pulled out eggs, milk, bacon, and the bread.

  I’d just started the eggs when a throat cleared behind me and I whirled, spatula in hand. Seth leaned against the doorframe, a smirk gracing his lips. At one time, I’d found him sexy. Even now, the girls in school squealed when he walked by. If they wanted him, they could have him. I’d give them my blessing.

  “Nothing prettier than a girl in the kitchen,” he said.

  I tried hard to hold back the sneer. Right. He’d be the type to want me barefoot in the kitchen. Maybe with the right guy, I wouldn’t mind it so much. I’d always wanted kids. A big family. Just not with a guy like Seth. And I sure as hell didn’t want to start that family my senior year of high school.

  “You should probably head out,” I said. “I have some stuff to handle today and a project to work on.”

  Anger flashed in his eyes as he pushed off and came toward me. “You’re kicking me out?”

  “Yeah, I am.” I lifted my chin, hoping he didn’t notice my hands were trembling. If he came after me, I wouldn’t be able to defend myself. Not for long. “Besides, I’m meeting a friend for lunch.”

  “Friend?” Seth pressed in closer. “You don’t mean that filthy biker scum, do you?”

  “John isn’t scum.” My hand tightened on the spatula. I knew what everyone thought of him. The boy from the wrong side of town. The troublemaker. The kid who’d already patched into the Devil’s Fury MC. I saw a different side of him.

  Seth laughed in my face and pressed his lips to mine. I backed up, but he reached out, wrapping his arm around my waist, refusing to let me go. He forced his tongue into my mouth, and I swung as hard as I could, hitting his head with the spatula. It was enough to make him release me. He stumbled back.

  “Stupid bitch! Do you know who I am?”

  “Yeah. A dick.”

  He snarled and advanced on me. “I’m Seth Cartwright! My father owns this fucking town, and by association, so do I. Which means I own you.”

  “No one owns me,” I said. I backed up until I hit the counter. I could smell the eggs burning, but I didn’t dare turn even long enough to shut off the stove.

  Seth gripped my hair and shoved me to my knees. “I do. I fucking own you, May, and I’m tired of waiting. You want to run your mouth? Fine. How about I give you a better way to use those lips and tongue?”

  I screamed and beat at his legs, thrashed in his grip. I heard a roar like a damn bear and the wood door splintered. One minute, Seth was reaching for the zipper on his pants, and the next he crashed into a wall. I looked up, tears blurring my vision, as John went after him. He landed blow after blow, not stopping until Seth fell to the floor. I stood, my legs barely holding me, as I went to my savior.

  I placed a hand on John’s arm. “Stop. He’s done.”

  John’s chest heaved. Even at nineteen, he was a force to be reckoned with. I couldn’t really call him a boy, not at six and a half feet tall and a wall of solid muscle. He’d grown up. Become a man. We’d been friends since last summer, and he’d become my protector. My confidant. My best friend.

  “You so much as fucking look at her again and I will end you,” John said, then spat on Seth. “I’m getting May out of here. I want you gone. Immediately. Understood?”

  Seth groaned but nodded.

  John herded me toward my room and shut the door behind us. “Shoes, May. Now.”

  “You’re going to get into trouble. You know his family is powerful. They’ll come after you.”

  He took two steps, closing the distance between us, then reached up and cupped my cheek. His touch was gentle for such a large guy. “May, he was going to rape you. If I’d gotten here any later…”

  He took a ragged breath and I wrapped my arms around him. John hugged me, and I felt his heart pounding. Until he’d graduated, he’d gone to our school, but I hadn’t taken much notice of him. That changed when he’d saved me this past summer. He seemed to be making a point of it. I didn’t know how he kept turning up exactly when I needed him to, but I wouldn’t question it. This actually made the fourth time he’d been my knight in shining armor.

  I drew back and scanned the leather cut over his shoulders. He’d earned it in the last six months and wore it with pride. I traced the name Grizzly stitched on one of the patches. It made me smile, since he did sound a lot like a pissed-off bear when he got angry. John made me feel safe. Cared for. But I’d already made the mistake of trying to get a kiss from him. It hadn’t gone well, so I’d backed off, and decided to accept his friendship. I couldn’t blame him for not wanting more. I’d heard about the women at the clubhouse. Why would he want an inexperienced virgin like me?

  I’d given up all hope after seeing the women one night. I’d been out with friends and we’d driven past the clubhouse. A group of scantily clad women were going in, their hair and makeup done, their nails painted. I’d known then I couldn’t ever d
are hope to hold his attention, not compared to women like them. Not plain little May.

  “Come on, May. Get your shoes and whatever else you need, but take your backpack. We’re leaving on my bike and I don’t have room for a bunch of crap.”

  “Okay. Just give me a minute.”

  He ran his fingers over my cheek, then stepped back. “I’ll make sure Seth is gone and turn off the stove.”

  He left, and I sank onto the edge of the mattress. Why couldn’t a guy like him want me? No, I attracted the assholes like Seth instead. I knew John would come back if I didn’t hurry. I got up and grabbed an empty backpack from my closet. I put the notes I needed for my project in there, in case I had a chance to work on stuff for school, as well as my favorite paperback. Maybe it was optimistic of me, but I also threw in a change of clothes and a pair of pajamas. The sexiest ones I owned.

  I zipped it up and put on my shoes, then hurried from the room. John had shut off the stove and cleaned up the mess. Seth was absent. The front door to my apartment stood open, the frame splintered. I wondered if I should stay here. What if someone stole everything while I was gone?

  “I borrowed your phone. I’ve got a Prospect coming to watch the place,” John said, as if he’d read my mind. I glanced at him, and he winked. “Your face is expressive as hell, May. Can’t keep any secrets from me.”

  I hoped he was wrong about that, or it meant he knew exactly how I felt about him. It would hurt too much if he knew I was falling in love with him and still wanted me only as a friend. I didn’t think my heart could handle it.

  “Come on, angel. We can go to my place for a bit.”

  “Your place? I thought the clubhouse was off-limits.”

  He rubbed the back of his neck. “Well, it is, but I thought we could hang out in my room. As long as you’re not around the other guys, I don’t see it being an issue.”