Underneath His Armor

  Evernight Publishing ®

  www.evernightpublishing.com

  Copyright© 2015 James Cox

  ISBN: 978-1-77233-281-0

  Cover Artist: Jay Aheer

  Editor: Kerry Genova

  ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

  WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

  This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  DEDICATION

  For my readers. Always.

  UNDERNEATH HIS ARMOR

  Outlaw MC, 2

  James Cox

  Copyright © 2015

  Government File:

  Name: Knox McMann

  AKA: Outlaw

  Affiliations: President, Outlaw MC of Mars

  Description: 40 years old, dark brown hair, brown eyes, very muscular.

  Distinguishing Marks/tattoos: Two old-fashioned guns on his back, this is the MC logo.

  OUTLAW in bold letters on his forearm. Letter D and C over his heart.

  Notable history on file: Both his parents broke cardinal law and were executed.

  Previous prison time: 1 year for attempt at freeing slaves.

  Government File:

  Name: Liam Delacruise

  AKA: Lover

  Affiliations: Vice president, Outlaw MC of Mars

  Description: 38 years old, short brown hair, green eyes, lean.

  Distinguishing Marks/tattoos: OUTLAW in bold letters on back of neck.

  Letter D and C on his calf.

  Notable history on file: None.

  Previous prison time: 1 year for attempt at freeing slaves.

  Prologue

  Earth was considered a desolate planet and is used as a prison. Humanity lives on Mars in a single but always expanding city. Technology being what it is keeps us humans breathing. Our government is ruled by a man named Max Wexmen. He’s a twisted fuck and changed our entire structure. Now it is illegal to drink alcohol, do any drugs, have kinky sex, and, of course, smoke. Homosexuality was a death sentence. Women were to be kept for breeding. Dark-skinned men were used as slaves like back in the darkest days of history. The bad guys ruled the world and the good guys were the outlaws. That’s why we created the MC. We take our hover bikes and fight the injustice on Mars. The battle is going to be bloody.

  I’m Outlaw, president of the MC. I started this club with my best friend, Liam. I’m trying to hold it all together while keeping us out of prison. We needed a fucking miracle to beat the government, but the MC wasn’t used to help. We’d fight tooth and nail, bullets and knives, to take the corrupt empire down. I just hoped we didn’t leave a trail of our loved ones behind us. Hold on to your nuts, things are about to get bumpy.

  Welcome to Mars.

  Chapter One

  “Lawbreakers are a menace to society. They are a dangerous threat that will get innocent citizens killed. They should all be locked away for eternity. You must keep your eyes open, you must be vigilant, and hand over any proof of breaking the rules. Mark my words, if you do not follow our laws you will bring suffering on our majestic nation.”

  I grinned. Wexmen was probably right. I turned off the broadcast that played on my motorcycle and smiled. Then I simply opened my fingers and let a lit wick fall. It tumbled end over end, the flames consuming until it landed in a puddle of accelerant. I shoved my leg over the seat of my bike. It roared to life like a badass lion about to take out a tribe of oblivious prey. I drove away as the flames spread across the dark ground. The building blew up behind me. I was far enough away not to feel the heat, but I heard it and saw the puff of black smoke in my mirror. The second and third building went up. I paused to watch the big plumes of black smoke fill the air. The explosions were so intense the ground actually shook. I was smiling again. My men joined me. One on the left, one on the right. The wind pressing into my body, making my skin feel cooler than it was.

  I’m the lawbreaker that Wexmen was talking about and these were my men.

  After my father had died, I started this club. Just me and my friend Liam, trying to get away from the world. Earth became a wasteland and over the years, it was harder to maintain the hope humanity was going to survive. Until a man came along with money and a smooth voice that said he can change all that. Out of everyone on the fucking planet, Mr. Max Wexmen can save our race. I couldn’t believe so many people fell for his speeches. He changed us all right but not in the right direction. Kinky sex was now frowned upon. Hey, the missionary position can get old fast. Pre-marital sex, drugs, smoking, having more than two children, and alcohol were banned. It was illegal to be a free black man. God forbid, you were born a woman. Women, no matter their color, were treated worse than slaves. They’re used for breeding. I once saw a man beat this woman to death. I couldn’t stop it. I’d been a kid, but there were bigger men around me. Men that should have done something. She died in the street and he dumped her body in a pile of trash. I went back later that night and closed her eyes then put a flower in her hands. My mother would have been proud of me. Being gay was punishable by death. For the other lawbreakers, there was the mining colony on Earth. I’d been there. It wasn’t fucking pretty.

  Slowly, through the years, Liam and I started secretly gathering with a few others. We created a group, which we called Outlaw MC of Mars, of simple hover motorcycle enthusiasts. At least that’s what we told the government. I owned one of a thousand bars on Mars. We served fresh water, fresh juice, and occasionally we broke the laws. Someone had to. With Earth a prison, Mars was our only chance at a future and Wexmen was a racist, sexist, fuckhead.

  We became outlaws and as long as no one had proof, we’d keep being the bad guys.

  Chapter Two

  We colonized Mars in early 2000. Took a while, lost many lives, but that’s why the human population gathered up and flew to Mars. It wasn’t so bad. Dirt was red. We had air filters that helped clean the air, forests growing, and manufactured fresh water. I owned a bar, good-sized place right beside a garage where we worked on hover bikes. My beauty was the newest line. It was as black as space with the image of twin guns on the gas tank. Hover bikes had wheels that looked old-fashioned, a kick stand, engine, tank, etc. However, the tank didn’t hold gas, it had the inner workings of solar power. The wheels would shift horizontal and the “hubcaps” would turn into blue-lit wind that would hover. I shifted gears and my two men fell back slightly. I led. Always did. Always would. We were a team. A family.

  I eased to the left and turned, coming upon my place. The three of us pulled right into the garage. The buildings we blew up had been part of Wexmen’s new plan to house unclaimed women so rich fuckers could buy them. My mother would have blown the damn buildings up herself if she were still alive. I sobered at the thought and turned my bike off. She would have been damn proud of me, even if I was branded an outlaw. The bike lowered and I swung my leg off then removed my mask.

  We started these extreme measures to stop Wexmen a few months ago. Another mission gone well. I hung my mask up as Lover walked toward me. Liam was my only buddy to survive childhood with me. We called him Lover because he was way too enthusiastic about getting dick up the ass. Had been since he had his first fuck with a guy. Stupid bastard that left him the next day. Lover was my vice president in this club. I knew without a doubt he’d follow me to Hell. Lover was tough, loyal, and fucking gorgeous. I watched as he took off his mask.

  Okay, so maybe I liked Lover a bit more than a friend and leader sh
ould. Not that I acted on it but seeing his lean body in leather was like trying to stay soft during an aggressive blowjob. It didn’t happen. Lover had short dark hair like mine, long legs that made my dick ache, and green eyes that reminded me of shiny emeralds.

  “What’s wrong?” He glanced behind him.

  “It just struck me, you’re an ugly fuck.”

  Lover grinned. “Sweet talker.”

  “Get your ass in that bar so someone sees you. We need more than just our guys as witnesses.” I watched him walk away, adjusting my growing shaft in my pants. I’d known Lover since we were kids and not once did I tap that ass. Fucking shame.

  “You thinking with your balls again?”

  I glanced at Mayhem. He was a fucking beast and my master of arms. He’s like our enforcer and he was real good at blowing shit up. He had black hair, thick and long, with a dark beard and mustache. He looked like a man about to rip your heart out and sip on the blood. He was all muscle and attitude. I just watched him. His blue eyes locked with mine, then he turned away. He wouldn’t admit my show of dominance over him, but Mayhem was as loyal as Lover. We were all committed to the cause and that was to be the bad guys, break the laws, and take the government down.

  I walked through our garage, which smelled faintly of mechanic fluids, and to the large open door. It led to our housing, which was one large floor that we each bunked in. There was no one that dared to live outside our walls or with anyone. It was dangerous being an outlaw nowadays. There were rooms for each of us on either side as I made my way down the hall. All doors closed. The light here was dull and didn’t show our stellar cleaning skills. I smiled at that joke. Then the hall opened up into our main gathering area. There was a private bar, seats, and a table. A couch with a television projecting news about the building being blown up and another room where we had our meetings. I shoved my leather jacket off, which hid my MC cut during the run and rushed up the steps. This level had its own entrance, all gaudy and brightly light. The stairs on the street would lead here to our bar. I could hear the banter before I reached the landing. Lover’s laughter echoed as I slipped behind the counter like I’d been there all along.

  It wouldn’t take long for the peacekeepers to stop by. They’d try to pin more shit on us, but nothing really stuck. We were careful. I worried one day our luck would run out. I heard the rumble of Lover’s laughter again. It made me glance his way. From here, I could see the way his smile lit up his face. He had a few lines around his eyes and between his eyebrows but still looked damn perfect to me. I had a moment to stare at him. The bar fell away and I thought about our lives together.

  We meet on the street. It is before we graduate school. There are only two built on Mars and don’t you know we never crossed paths sharing the same building. School for kids is restricted to age fifteen and they teach lessons that didn’t make sense to me. I remember being utterly confused when they talk about women. Females don’t go to schools. The human race needs females for breeding not rising up and causing trouble. I am sitting in class frowning, thinking. My mother is a woman. She reads me stories, teaches me things that no man has ever known. Did this asshole teacher know that Earth had dinosaurs on it? Did he know that we had a female president that created the first peace treaty with all the nations? And then there is my father. He loves me. He loves my mother. Never once did he beat her, or talk down to her like this teacher is suggesting we do. Confusion fills me with doubt that leads to me wandering my dark yard after sunset. Tonight I have a few cookies I take from the kitchen. I am climbing a tree, sitting there and staring out. Our house faces red dirt hills that make me aware I’ve never seen Earth.

  I can taste that cookie in my mouth and for a moment, I stop thinking about school. The treat is sweet, chewy with a hint of something perfumed like lavender or something. I finish one when I hear the soft footfalls of another person. People. Perched high in my tree I follow the sounds with my gaze. Three men, one woman, and she’s crying. Why is she so sad? When my mother cries my father hugs her and rocks her until she goes silent. I don’t think I’d mind hugging a woman. Okay, I want to feel her boobs. Hey, I’m fifteen and Dad says that’s natural. I climb from my tree and follow them far from my yard. Hiding behind a dune, I see another figure a few feet away. I didn’t know it at the time, but it’s Liam.

  We listen. The woman is crying louder, begging. I fist my hands and think of my mother then step from hiding. “What are you doing?” My voice is steady which surprises the hell out of me. The woman is in the shadows, blood splatters onto the sand, each drop silent. “Why are you hurting her?” It makes me angry. Really fucking angry. How can they hurt her like that? She can be somebody’s mother. I’d beat the shit out of anyone that harmed my mom.

  “Come join us, kid. It’ll feel real good.” There are only two guys now, both taller, more muscle with clean shaven faces. They could have been brothers they look so much alike.

  “You should leave her alone.” I stand my ground. Don’t ask me where all this courage comes from. Maybe the anger.

  The man laughs and stands. He is taller than I thought. “Oh, what’s wrong kid? You afraid to dip your dick in this bitch?” He smiles.

  “If you don’t leave her alone...I’m going to get the peacekeepers.” I have such naivety.

  The man just laughs. “Go ahead. This bitch is mine.”

  “She has a name. She has a family.” This woman isn’t a pair of shoes or jacket or some kind of property.

  “Beat it.” He turns toward her.

  “How about I beat you?” Again, my voice is strong, sturdy. I am damn proud of myself. Then the third guy comes out of the shadows and charges me. I’m not stupid. My father taught me how to fight. Not dirty though and when this man throws dirt in my eyes, I realize fighting fair is only a way to lose. My eyes water and sting. I wipe at them while he kicks me. He damn near hits my nuts, but I move in time so the strike is on my thigh. Nobody tries to hurt my nuts. No. One.

  I kick him, crawl under his legs, and then jam my knee between his legs. I am short enough to be the perfect height. He goes down. That’s when the others come forward and so did that other kid.

  Liam and I fight them off. We keep them busy while the woman runs. I never saw her again. We take off soon after that. One guy is still holding his balls, another is bleeding, and the third takes off after the woman. I don’t hear her scream so I think she got away. I hope she does. Liam and I go back to my house sporting wicked-looking bruises. I remember being nervous, telling my parents what happened. The words my mother spoke I’d never forget.

  “You wear those bruises proudly, baby.”

  Liam stays over and we sort of form this bond. His parents work all the time. Liam starts coming over to my house every day. I know we have something good there. It isn’t until a few years later that I start getting a hard-on every time I see him.

  That’s where I was when about ten minutes later, snapping from the memory as two armed peacekeepers entered. We had about five patrons in and all my guys were either hanging out or working. I smiled at both of them. Okay, it was a bit smug. “Welcome.”

  They both scowled under dark eyebrows. “You and your boys have been here all night?”

  “Yes we have.” I crossed my arms over my chest, looking formidable. I wasn’t a small guy. There was a reason I worked out every single day. My muscles were bulging and if I punched someone, they would be knocked the fuck out. I clenched my abs to keep from getting snarky with these fuckers. The last time I did that, they broke all my windows and called it an accident.

  The taller of the two eyed me. He had tried to catch us before but we were too careful for that.

  “We have witnesses in the bar, peacekeeper. Would you like to check our bikes?” Our bikes had the GPS deactivated. Hey, it wasn’t illegal.

  He growled something then turned around.

  I waited patiently as they eyed each of my guys. Of course, we would all stare back with a smile except for Deviant.
Fuck. He showed his teeth and balled his fists. His reddish-blond hair belied how much of a dark fucking animal he was. The peacekeeper stared at him closer. I saw Lover place an arm on Deviant’s shoulder. Everyone stilled, then they walked on out of my bar. They’d come back tomorrow, check statements and our bikes like they did every time one of Wexmen’s plans went wrong. They wouldn’t find anything. Score one for the bad guys.

  The bar closed after their little visit. We ushered everyone out with a free shot of juice. “Prospect?” He’d only been with us a few months doing menial tasks and generally getting picked on. Hey, if he wanted to be a patched member then he had to work his way up the ranks. We all got this far because we wanted to see change and we weren’t afraid to spill blood to get it. We had one more member in training, Beau, but he was already claimed by Chaos. Those two were either practicing fighting, sucking each other’s tongues, or using the bed to make my sleep a little harder to come by. I usually heard the soft banging and then Beau getting real loud. You try sleeping with that when you’re sexually frustrated all the fucking time.

  “Yeah?” Prospect turned the corner, all five feet three of him. He was the shortest in our club with wide, blue eyes and blond hair styled with gel. His first day here we replaced his jar of gel with cum. Ah, that had been funny as hell. He was what we gay men call a twink. Not much muscle, more pretty than handsome.

  “Clean up this place.”

  He nodded.

  “Church downstairs in twenty,” I rattled off. That meant we had a meeting, not any actual praying going on. However, if anyone was listening in we were just going to pray to the motorcycle gods. I grinned. I made my way to the bar downstairs. Behind it was a shortwave radio. It was blinking which meant one of our underground friends needed to talk. I took the call in the chapel. There were bug detectors on the door frames so nothing could get through. “You rang?”