Read The Bare Bones (The Bare Bones MC) for Free Online Page A

over him.
    What. The. Fuck. Cropper had only given him a beatdown once in his life—when he’d gotten drunk and blabbed to some cartel beaner about a shipment of AKs, which the beaner had proceeded to intercept.
    He had deserved that. He didn’t deserve this, when he’d just been putting the moves on a smoking hot woman.
    Cropper even stuck his fat index finger in Ford’s face as he growled, “You listen to me, and listen good, sonny. Hands off that fucking used-up cunt. You’re in for a world of hurt if you keep hitting on her. I don’t care what sort of a fucking fighter you are. You are riding for one seriously hard takedown.”
    Suddenly it was as though he was in the ring. Ford’s instinctual survival instincts kicked in, and his hand shot up to wrench Cropper’s finger so completely he heard it crack. At the same time he kneed Cropper in the gut. The air was expressed from Cropper with a big “ooph” that was extremely satisfying.
    With Cropper doubled over airless, it was sorely tempting to deliver a double-fisted blow to the back of the neck, but Ford settled for throwing him. Cropper splayed on his back like an old man, actually surprising Ford with how easy it had been to get the best of him. Now it was Ford’s turn to loom over the fallen warrior and make some pronouncements.
    “Never ever stick your finger in my face again. And unless you come up with a damned good reason why I can’t continue playing with Madison, I’m gonna keep doing it.”
    Cropper reached a hand up as if to ask for Ford’s help. Ford was suspicious but couldn’t deny an assist. Sure enough, when he reached down to help Cropper, Cropper threw him too. It wasn’t vicious—it was almost as though all the energy had been sucked from Cropper, and Ford languidly rolled with the punches. They both lay side by side panting like drunk cowboys looking at the stars.
    “Give me your reason,” growled Ford. “And don’t say ‘she’s your sister’ because she’s not.”
    “She’s Ingrid’s daughter.”
    “So? We’ve tag teamed girls before.”
    “She’s going away soon.”
    “So? It’s not like I’m going to make her my old lady.”
    “I just don’t like it. Stick to the sweetbutts, boy.”
    Like a striking death adder, suddenly Cropper was straddling him. All Ford later remembered was a giant fist coming right for his jaw, then a different kind of starry night that sucked up all memory and sensation, like a black hole.
    Cropper’s voice came distantly as though from the end of a long tunnel. “Get your ass down to Mesa. Ruben Ochoa’s moving some serious iron today, so see him in his Superstition Springs mall store. Take little Bobby with you. And don’t you ever grab my finger, son.”
    Different hands helped him up. Ford was too dazed to resist. It was Robert Shellmound, June’s twin brother, and he guffawed in admiration as he led Ford to the couch.
    “Wow, that was some badass fight,” marveled Robert. Robert was a goofy, gangly boy, but his saving grace was his enthusiasm for the lifestyle of the Bare Bones. He took off his shirt so Ford could mop up the blood on his face with it. “He wants me to come to Mesa with you. Awesome!”
    “Okay, first rule,” said Ford. “Don’t say ‘awesome.’”
    “Cool, dudes.”
    “No ‘dudes’ either. We’re brothers now.”
    Robert’s eyes opened as wide as the sea. “Are you saying…”
    “I’m saying nothing. Just saying if you keep your nose to the grindstone and do right by us, we might let you prospect for us. Now get ready. You can take my Glock. No one goes unarmed. You can take my old Dyna. We’ll have to pick it up at the Bum Steer.”
    “ Awesome —I mean, seriously badass, Torino.”
    Ford imparted a last lesson before he went to the bathroom to wash up. “There’s no ‘badass’ either, Bobby. You know why? Because when you’re a Boner you’re much too cool to be amazed by anything.”
    One weird thing stuck in Ford’s brain as he