Helter Skelter: The River Demons Louisiana MC Book 1

by Brair Lake

  TJ’s windup has done just that. He has wound me up. The idea of another man touching what is mine, just doesn’t bode well with me. I need to think. I need time to come up with a plan. As I turn once more to the bar, a ruckus at the entrance catches my attention. Sinbad and his brothers have arrived. Forgetting about the beer I was about to grab, I follow TJ.

  The game has been in session for several hours. On the table lies several thousand dollars. Over the course of the night I have lost track on how much I’ve lost and won in the game we’ve been playing. Sinbad, Mississippi and Dill are still in the game. Just as Day, Bastian and Alex are. TJ hasn’t joined in and Mace and Coats have dropped out. George Mallard and Clive Sutton are still in the game. Hank was playing, but he has taken his hand out and gone for a stroll. Sinbad glances over to George and Clive, who both receives the unspoken message, folding their hands before leaving the room.

  “Do you have any news on Spanish Pete.” Sindbad’s gaze is on Day.

  Day glances at me as I place my hand on the table. The cards forgotten for a moment. “Clipper paid Jono.”

  “Is he still here.” Not by a flicker does Sinbad reveal how he feels about this. Instead, he drops a couple more chips into the growing pile. Day adds a couple, then so does Dill and Bastian.

  “Yep.”

  “How much?” When I divulge the price, Sinbad whistles. “Didn’t realize the boy was worth so much.”

  “What are you going to do?” Day studies Sinbad. He isn’t the only one waiting for an answer.

  Sindbad keeps his gaze on his cards. “Did Jono do the actual kill?”

  “No.”

  “Have you dealt with whoever it was?”

  “No.” Again, my answer is short as I nod at a fellow River Demon.

  “Do you have a name?” As TJ passes behind Sinbad, he drops a piece of paper. Maria has been working diligently and the information she is coming up with is paying off. Sinbad ignores the piece of paper as he tosses more chips onto the table. Then he turns to Bastian and from his pocket he removes an envelope. “Pass this on to Anna.”

  Chapter 17

  Daisy – The Davaro’s Home Noir Valley

  Tearing at the strips of old wallpaper is turning out to be the best therapy I could have. With each scrape I make against the wall, I imagine it is Leon’s flesh. That I am tearing him out of my life and from my body. I don’t know how it happened or when, but the irritating man has crawled right into to my body. It wasn’t just his touch. His smell or his smile. It was everything about him. Further vigorous scraping over a particular stubborn piece of paper reminds me of Leon. How could he have had sex with my sister and not tell me. As visions of Rosie and Leon entangled in hot sweaty sex plaques me, I tug viciously at a stubborn piece of paper, pulling down parts of old flaky plaster with it.

  “Shit, Daisy. You never mentioned you were extending into my room.” With a deep sigh, I twist towards Herbie. Even his lopsided smile fails to raise my spirits. Climbing down the step ladder, I point at the old wardrobe.

  “Help me move this.” It was a struggle, however; between us we manage to move the large, heavy wardrobe about two feet from the wall. In the process the back panel comes away from the edges. “Fuck. Just like my life.”

  “Sorry, Daisy. What did you say?”

  “You’ll find a hammer and stuff in one of the kitchen drawers.” Herbie glances over at me, giving me one last searching look as he leaves the room. With a squeeze of my finger and thumb, I rub the bridge of my nose. My head is beginning to throb as pincers squeeze my brain and with another deep sigh, I sit on the edge of the bed. The wardrobe blurs as tears well up. Yet I refuse to let them escape. With a hard yank of the back of my hand, I give my eyes a vigorous rub. I refuse to cry over any man. Especially a six foot four biker with dreadlocks and eyes which melt my insides. Shit, life was so much simpler before I stepped on to The Demon’s Lair. I should have stayed away that night. Isn’t that what my instincts were telling me as I drove over that night. Better still, I should have been firmer with Pa and refused to give him money for his addiction.

  Another glance around the bedroom and this time the groan I release is of despair and not anger. I should have left alone. I shouldn’t have started redecorating. After all it was no longer my home. Our lease runs out soon and we’ll be moving on. On the kitchen table is the property page. I’ve circled several houses and managed to arrange appointments to view three of them after work on Monday. More tears build up, attempting to hold them back only causes me to hiccup.

  “Here you are, Daisy.” On his return, instead of bringing the hammer and nails to fix the wardrobe. Herbie has brought us both a beer. The earthy, spicy flavor of the beer reminds me of Leon’s tastes. Of his kisses. As I remember his kisses, my mind drifts to his touch, causing my skin to tingle. With a hard sniff, I hold back my tears, and in the process, I am given a gentle reminder of his musky aftershave and my head turns to the bed. I know I’ve been putting it off, but I know I have to strip the bed. Wash away his scent. “It’s okay to miss him, Daisy.”

  “I want him back.”

  “Ring him.” Herbie’s male logic makes me smile.

  “He slept with Rosie.”

  Herbie’s lips clamp tight as his eyes squint. “When.”

  “I don’t know.”

  Then his forehead crinkles. “Recently.”

  “No.”

  “Then when?”

  My shoulders lift then drop as I swallow another mouthful of the aromatic beer. “I don’t know.”

  Wrapping his arm around my waist, Herbie tugs my body into the curve of his. My head coming to rest on his shoulder. “Are you sure he slept with her.”

  I rub my head against his throat. “She told me herself.”

  “I wouldn’t believe everything she said.”

  “He didn’t deny it.”

  “Talk to him, Daisy.”

  “I’ll think about it.”

  All I do, is think about my relationship with Leon. How it escalated rapidly. How I let him move in after such a short time. By the time I finish stripping the wall, although my body is physically tired, my mind is actively alive. Dropping the scrapper on to the bed, I run downstairs. The television is blaring. Leif and Herbie are engrossed in the game while Poppy flicks through a fashion magazine. “I’m going for a walk.” No one looks at me as I turn to leave.

  I don’t know how long I walked or where I went. All I know, is that I ended up outside the sheriff’s office. For several moments I deliberated about going in. My feet refuse to take those final steps and I find myself sitting on the bench as I study the old red brick building.

  I watch Hank as he comes out of the building. His gaze finds me straight away as he ambles over before sitting beside me. For a brief moment, I curse my body for not responding to his. Life with the Sherriff would be simpler, I’m sure.

  “Evening, Daisy.”

  “Hank. - Any news on my father.”

  Hank slowly shakes his head. With his eyes hidden behind his police standard issue sunglasses, I am oblivious to what he was thinking, “No.”

  “Do you think he’s left Noir Valley?”

  I hope so, Daisy.”

  So do I. The idea of my father’s body rotting in the bayou or in some forsaken hole, sent a shiver through me and I quickly squash the notion he is dead. He’s a coward. It’s more probable he is hiding from Damian and his debt. With a deep breath I turn to Hank. It’s time for me to put my life back on track. “I’d like to report an assault.”

  When I reach Rosie’s apartment I hammer on her door. The stale smell of sex hits me as she opens it, stepping aside to let me in. “I wasn’t expecting you, Daisy.”

  “As they say. I was in the area and I thought I’d drop in.”

  “Did you bring me money?”

  Instead of answering, I turn to face my sister. “Did you fuck Leon?”

  The shrug of her shoulders irritates me as she closes the door, leaning against the
cold metal, her gaze skims over my body. “What is it, Daisy? Don’t you like to share?” The self-satisfactory air emitting from Rosie makes my skin crawl. And as I study her, I decide what Rosie does with her life is not my problem. She’s a grown woman full of self-pity and resentment of others. I also acknowledge I didn’t have to come here. Rosie isn’t a threat to me, and I no longer need answers.

  “Who Leon fucked before me is of no relevance to me.” As the words leave my mouth, I know it’s true. It’s who he is fucking this week which is tormenting me. I was also going to put a stop to it.

  My fingers curl as I watch the smirk spread across Rosie’s face. She pushes herself up from the door and steps closer to me, her eyes going to the bed. “But it wasn’t just before, Daisy. Leon was here this week and he had me on that bed.” Her mouth hovers close to my ear. “His body over mine. His legs between mine.”

  My stomach curls as bile rises to my throat. “You need to clean up, Rosie.” Without looking at my sister. I leave the flat and close the door quietly. Leaning against the flaking wood as I breathe in deep.

  After leaving Rosie’s it takes a while to find a cab. And now I am standing outside The River Demon’s compound. Alex is at the gate. His green eyes carefully watching me. “Is there a secret password I should know?”

  His lips quirk, flashing white teeth in the dark. “There might be.” My hands clench as my stomach rolls. Alex isn’t going to make this easy for me.

  I refuse to look at the boat although my brain tells me to. “Is Leon working?” I couldn’t ask if he was in the club, crossing my fingers as I wait for his answer. Since arriving, Alex’s gaze finally left mine to drift towards the lake where I see a body in the shadows, leaning against a tree.

  “The password, Firebird.” My mouth waters as I continue to watch the man in the shade. I can do this. I can walk over and tell the biker I love him. For a moment I hesitate. Have I ever told Leon I love him? I give my head a weary shake as I come up blank. “Firebird.”

  “Helter Skelter.”

  My mouth is dry by the time I reach Leon, who hasn’t moved from the tree. His gaze still focused on the still water of the river. Before making my final approach, I study his profile, wondering what’s going through his mind. Has he missed me as much as I have missed him? I also wonder if I am doing the right thing. As Leon drops his arm, I follow the bottle he is drinking from, and pray he isn’t too drunk. “Can I have a drink?”

  Apart from a slight stiffening of his body, Leon’s doesn’t move. “I didn’t think you were going to speak.”

  I glance over my shoulder, looking towards Alex, whose attention has returned to the road. “How long have you known I was here.”

  “Since you arrived.”

  “Are you going to look at me.”

  He raises the bottle to his lips as I lick mine, desperate for a drink. They say when you’re dying time becomes suspended. As I watch Leon slowly turn towards me, I understand what they mean. His movements are deliberate, and I bite my lip to prevent myself from yelling at him.

  “Hello, Firebird.” Firebird. He has called me Firebird, and my heart leaps as hope grows in me.

  “Did you visit my sister?”

  The way Leon’s eyes linger over my body, his gaze slowly traveling up and only coming to rest when our eyes meet has the heat in my pussy increasing. “Yes.”

  “Did you fuck her?”

  Using the flat of his foot, which is touching the trunk of the tree, Leon pushes himself away from the tree, moving closer to me. With his body so close to mine, I am able to inhale the aroma of his aftershave as it envelopes me. His forefinger and thumb reach out to cup my chin as he leans into me. “What do you think?”

  His voice is no louder than a whisper. His eyes caress my face as a small flame glows in them. The security lights from the boat may be bright, yet they manage to keep Leon in the shadow. “Have you ever fucked her?”

  He takes another step closer, and I refuse to step away. My heart overloading as it pulses rapidly. “I don’t know. I may have when she first hung around the club. The women come and go, Firebird. I don’t remember all the ones I’ve fucked.”

  “Will you remember me when you move on.”

  Leon’s mouth swoops down to mine. Our lips barely touch before he steps back, dropping his hand. His lips quirk at one corner. “Firebird, I’ll never forget you.” His lips come down once more. This time they are a little more insistent. “- And I have no plans to move on.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “That you’re stuck with me.”

  My heart slows, however the fire in my stomach is going nowhere. “Oh.”

  “You believe me about Rosie?”

  I hesitate before offering a slight nod. Rosie isn’t a problem for me as long as she stays away from the house and the club. “Does she ever come to the club now?”

  “No. Most of the club women work for us.”

  My giggle escapes involuntarily. I couldn’t remember the last time Rosie worked. “Will I have to work for the club?”

  The low growl Leon emits has my fingers curling into my palm. Although he is touching me. I refuse to touch him. No matter how desperate I crave to soothe his flesh. “No, Firebird. I’m keeping you all to myself.” There’s a relish in Leon’s voice which slivers along my spine, and with one foot, I take a step closer to the biker. My finger hooks into the buttonhole at the chest of his leather cut.

  “What about Pa? Are you keeping me close because of him?”

  The touch of Leon’s lips as they brush over my hair, has my ability to think, sinking fast. “No. Your Pa is Day’s problem.”

  “Will he hurt him if he finds him?”

  “I don’t know. Like I’ve said before. I don’t know what your Pa did to Day for him to behave the way he is doing.”

  “But you’ll not stop him if he does hurt him.”

  Leon’s finger traces the flesh over my cheekbone, coming to rest close to my mouth. If I push my tongue out slightly, I would taste the salty texture. “No, I’ll not stop him.”

  “And you’re not keeping me close because of the house. Because if you are. I can find somewhere else to live.”

  “The house has nothing to do with you and me. It belongs to the club and you’re the club’s tenant’s, not mine.”

  I draw my breath in. “I spoke to Hank.”

  “And.”

  “I told him what happened with Al.”

  Leon’s lips brush against my nose. “Good.”

  “What if Al makes counter charges?”

  “I have an excellent lawyer.”

  “Oh.”

  *****

  Leon – Demon’s Lair Noir Valley

  The minx may not know it, but once we return to our cabin, she is getting her ass slapped. The days without her were unbearable and I wasn’t sure how much longer I would have resisted before going to collect what is mine. When the taxi pulled up, I had ignored it. Assuming it was just another client. It had been Alex’s warning whistle which had made me look in his direction. Alert for any trouble, in case it was The Skull Collectors. When Firebird, framed by the overhead security light had come into view. My heart stopped pumping and I had to turn away to control my breathing.

  The way her mouth hangs open is begging for me to take it. To kiss her and mark her as mine. When Alex let her pass, her scent had wafted down, and I sensed her presence long before she stopped behind me. That was when I’d used the beer as a controlling mechanism and the thing hadn’t worked. The silence while I waited for her to speak was deafening. “Firebird. I’ve told you I want you. But you’ve not told me what you want.” At the slight hesitation, a part of me wishes I was able to confirm if I’ve ever fucked her sister. However, when I said I cannot remember, it is the truth. The club and its women were an active part of my life for nearly twenty years and in that time span I was never short of women to fuck. Over time, their names were forgotten, their faces blurring over the years.

 
; “You. I want you.” Firebird’s hand rises to rest on my shoulder whilst her eyes lift to mine. A hot shot of arousal assaults me. With a lick of my lips, I wonder how much longer Firebird is going to keep me out here.

  “For how long?”

  “For as long as you want me. And maybe even longer than then.”

  “Do you love me?” Firebird’s eyes skitter all around me. First, they go to the lake, then they shift to the boat. They even travel over to Alex before her gaze returns to me. And still without looking at me directly, she mumbles something incoherent. “Do you like my chest?” Firebird’s head bobs. “I like your chest too.” To prove my point, I cup her perfectly formed tits, squeezing the nipples through the cloth. “But do you know what I like more.”

  “No.” Another mumble and head wobble.

  “Your eyes - Now look up at me.” When Firebird’s golden eyes finally land on my face, I smile. “Do you love me, Firebird?”

  “Yes, Leon. I love you.”

  A chuckle escapes me at Firebird’s desolate tone. “Am I that bad a person to love?”

  Firebird stretches up on her toes. Her lips meeting mine, opening slightly as she nibbles on my lower lip. “No, Leon you are not that bad a person to love.”

  “Good, Because I love you.”

  “Really?”

  “Really.”

  “Since when.”

  With ease I drag Firebird’s body in close to mine, hugging her tightly as my fingers lightly stroke her spine. “Since the night you came storming into The Demon’s Lair.”

  “Good job my Pa’s a bad man then.”

  “Yes, it is.”

  Chapter 18

  Daisy – Demon’s Lair Noir Valley

  “Are you ready?”

  “Yes.”

  Leon pushes the door open and as we walk through the saloon doors, his grip on my waist tightens. When we pause, my gaze instinctively skims the room until I lock eyes with Damian. Damian and I are still not friends. I doubt if we ever will be. Since Leon and I officially became a couple over a month ago, I have asked the biker several times why he hates my father. To this day he refuses to give me a straight answer. Thinking of my father reminds me that Hank still hasn’t located him, and I still worry about him and where he is. Until his body is found I will continue to believe he is alive. That he is living well, outside Noir Valley.