Twisted Tales of Mayhem: 2019 MMM Special Edition Anthology

by Sapphire Knight

  “We’re here to see Ryder Chase.”

  The big one, with the blonde hair that hung past his shoulders, grimaced as he said my name. As if it disgusted him to use it. Good. I liked to think my name alone could aggravate them. It would make kicking their ass a lot easier. I narrowed my eyes on both of them, not really knowing what the fuck they wanted, but willing to find out.

  “Whatcha’ want him for?”

  “That ain’t your business…”

  Taking the gun out of the holster, I aimed it right at his head. “Oh, believe me, it is.”

  Nick and Bear had gone out about an hour ago and they would be back any minute. All I had to do was stall.

  The blonde took a step back, the man behind him raised his hands and spoke. “We just want to talk to him.”

  “I’m pretty sure he ain’t got nothin’ to say to you fellas, so I suggest you move along.”

  I rounded the bar just as Jack, the Hellbound Lovers’ Gunner, stomped down the stairs. “What the hell is going on down here?”

  The blonde turned around and eyed Jack. “You Ryder?”

  Jack looked at me and I shrugged. Frowning, he turned to the man. “I should be askin’ the questions here. Who the fuck are you?”

  “Name’s Saw, this is Ratchet.”

  “Saw? As in Sawyer Williams? VP of Devil’s Syndicate?”

  He turned his eye on me. His gaze narrowed and he took a step towards me. Cocking my gun, I let him know I was in no mood for games. He was smart enough to keep his distance, but not enough to keep his mouth shut. Smirking, he leaned back on his heels and took a long look at me. “You done checkin’ me out?”

  “You’re Ryder Chase, aren’t you?”

  “What if I was?”

  “You did somethin’ real bad, Sargent. You fucked with the wrong family.”

  I cocked my head to the side and smiled. “Did I? How’s that?”

  “You gotta’ tendency of creepin’ into women’s rooms. Women that don’t belong to you.”

  The light bulb went on as I realized this asshole was talking about Regina. How the fuck they had figured out that I had snuck into that house, I had no clue. I made sure to watch my back, checked for cameras. These fuckers must have had a hidden camera placed somewhere. God knows where, the only other place was…

  My eyes met his and rage flowed through me. “And you’ve got eyes where they don’t belong.”

  He smirked. “Stay away from my woman, Chase. We’ve been at peace so far, but I’m willing to go to war for that pussy. She ain’t yours.”

  I tilted the gun and smirked back. I watched as Jack focused his gun on Ratchet. He knew me too well not to prepare himself for the inevitable. This fucker continued an all-out war would break lose.

  “What I do, or do not do, with Regina Chase is my own goddamn business. You got balls coming in here, VP. I could put one right between your brow and it would be justified for coming onto private property.”

  “Property you stole!”

  I let out a hard chuckle. “You know, this is starting to grate on my nerves. Everywhere I turn it seems the Devil’s Syndicate has got a stake on somethin’, yet this place seems to be their favorite thing to talk about.”

  I took a step closer and I could feel my features darken. “I’m done playing games. We came here in peace, but if it’s war you want, we can make that happen. I hold no barriers on that.”

  “I’m not here for club business, I’m here for personal reasons. Regina Chase was promised to me by the President of the DSMC.”

  “Walker Thorn has no business giving out his daughter like cattle. I’ve only known him for a short time, and I very much doubt he gave any type of order to do so. If there’s anything that matters to that man, it’s Regina Thorn.”

  “You’ve done your homework.”

  I shrugged. “That’s my job.”

  “Stay away from her.”

  I shook my head. “I don’t think you’ve comprehended what I’ve just told you. Regina Thorn has a mind of her own. I go where she goes.”

  “Well she ain’t going far with you.”

  “That’s up to her.” I sighed and put my gun down. I was done with his foolishness. Jack stayed put. He knew that men like this could snap at the drop of a hat.

  “Get out, I ain’t got time for this bullshit.”

  Sawyer took two steps toward me, and the sound of Jack’s gun being cocked echoed in the silence. I smirked. “We’ve got eyes too, Saw. Be careful there.”

  I could tell he was fuming. He thought he could bring his bulky ass in here and intimidate me, but Hellbound Lovers don’t intimidate easily. I was the Sargent at Arms for a reason. I wasn’t known for backing down.

  “You have no right…”

  I stalked over to him, meeting him toe to toe. “Neither do you,” I gritted out. My voice low and menacing. He was treading on thin ice, one more word and I was going to break his jaw.

  “She has her own feelings, feelings that should be respected.”

  “I don’t give a shit about her feelings. Her father gave her to me!”

  I flexed my fist and grimaced. “I suggest you leave if you don’t want things going sour for you.”

  “Ryder!” Nick’s voice boomed across the empty bar. All the men turned to him.

  “What the fuck is going on here?”

  Sawyer smirked maliciously. “Your man here thinks he can take what don’t belong to him. Seems likes that’s the norm around Hellbound Lovers. Stealing shit that ain’t yours.”

  I growled low and Nick held his hand up as he strode inside--Bear looking ominous to his right. His eyes caught mine and I could see that glimmer of apprehension, that and the fact that he was pissed the fuck off with me. He had every right, no one expected this, not even me.

  “I suggest you leave, VP, before shit goes wrong.”

  “What are you going to do about it?” He stepped up to Nick, whose eyes met mine right before he slammed his fist into Sawyer Williams’ face.

  Within seconds, all chaos ensued, and in a matter of minutes both Saw and Ratchet were kicked out of Hellbound Lovers property, instantaneously thrown out. Wiping his hands off, Nick turned to me.

  “My office, now!”

  As I turned to follow him, Saw’s words stopped me short. “This ain’t over, Chase.”

  I turned to him and fixed him with a dark glare. “You’re damn right it ain’t.” I patted the gun that was holstered to my waist. “I got a bullet with your name on it, Devil. Make sure you tread slowly when you come across my path.”

  Bear slapped me on the back and led me back inside. My feet felt heavy as I made my way to Nick’s office, but I knew he needed to know. I couldn’t hide this shit from him even if I tried. I just hoped his loyalty to me was as strong as I thought it was. Then again, my loyalty wasn’t the one on the line.

  CHAPTER SIX

  REGINA

  I paced my bedroom, anxious to hear what was going on downstairs. Sawyer had found out about Ryder earlier this morning. He’d barged in to confront me and instead, gave himself away. He’d somehow snuck into my bedroom, planted a camera in here, and intruded on my privacy. He had no right, yet when I told my father he thought Sawyer had done the right thing.

  Sawyer had been watching me for months, in my own goddamn bedroom. He’d seen my body, been in my intimacy, he’d used my trust to betray me. He’d watched me come undone at the hands of the man I’d come to love. Served him right, that was my revenge for barging into my life.

  Shouts came from below, louder this time. My father was livid. I’d heard that Sawyer and Ratchet had gone out earlier, and it wasn’t good. They’d come back bruised and battered, which is how I’d found out they’d gone to see the Hellbound Lovers. Stupid.

  More shouts and I sneaked out of my bedroom and wandered down the hallway. I could hear them a bit clearer now. I leaned back against the wall and listened.

  “Did I not fucking tell you to stay away from them?” My father
roared.

  “They took what was mine!”

  “I don’t give a shit what they took and she ain’t fucking yours!”

  The room went silent and I froze. My father wasn’t the sort to go back on his word, nor was he the type to protect me.

  “When you asked me for her hand, I gave you my blessing. You were a good man and you seemed to love her. But that did not mean you had staked a claim on her. Regina is a tough woman, she ain’t going to listen to me, or any man for that matter. So, don’t think for one second, you own her.”

  His tone was low and menacing and my heart soared at his words. It was the first time he’d ever shown any pride in me. The underlying meaning was powerful which is why Sawyer kept his mouth shut. He knew my Father was right.

  “What’s done is done,” Sawyer spoke, breaking the silence. “They’ll be expecting us in the morning.”

  A glass crashed, shattering to pieces, and I held my breath as my father spoke. “They’ll be expecting you! There is no fucking way I’m starting an all-out war with the Hellbound Lovers because of you!” “They’re not backing down! We need to end this, and if you won’t, I will!”

  There was shuffling, and grunts that ensued. I crouched, trying to take a look and sure enough, my father had slammed Sawyer down onto the nearest table and was holding him down, his forearm pressed to his neck.

  “I’m giving you a chance, Saw. Your pride has been hurt and your vision is blurred, I can understand that, but that does not give you the right to put my men in danger. If one of my men, your brothers, gets shot or killed in this shit you’ve put us in, I’ll kill you myself.” He shoved him back, and Sawyer gripped his throat, struggling for air.

  “Get him the fuck out of my sight. Be prepared for tomorrow. It’s time to pay a visit to these goddamn Hellbound Lovers. I’ve had enough of their bullshit. Cards will be placed on the table and decisions will be made.”

  Thoughts ran through my mind as I ran back to my bedroom. My heart wanted to take off, run to Ryder and let him know everything, but I had a loyalty to my Father, one that was stipend by blood. My Father still hadn’t come up to see me, and I knew he eventually would. My nerves were getting the best of me, indecisions running through me. I twisted my hands together and sat on the edge of the bed. I was staring at the window, ready to sneak out of it, when the knock came.

  “Regina?” The door opened, and light filtered in from the hallway. His eyes found me, and his features darkened. “Why are you sitting in the dark?”

  “I think better in the dark,” I looked back to the window, doubts still flooding through me.

  “We have a conversation pending.”

  “Yes, we do.”

  “What Sawyer did was wrong, we all know that. But he’s a good man…”

  “I want nothing to do with that man. He violated my privacy, fucked with my life, I don’t forgive that easily.”

  “Your goddamn pride is gonna get you into trouble!”

  “Your goddamn arrogance is gonna make you lose a daughter!” I shouted back, clenching my fists in anger. I walked over to the window and stared out into emptiness.

  “I don’t want you seeing Ryder Chase again,” he pointed at me as I stood there, and with those words, he decided my fate.

  “Do you understand what I’m saying to you, Regina?”

  His words hung heavy in the silence. “I understood.”

  “If I see him around here again or I hear he’s been lurking around you, a bullet will be waiting with his name on it.”

  I turned to him then, anger pouring out of me. “I see why my Mother left you. She was better off anyway. But I damn her every day for leaving me at your mercy. I’m walking away.”

  “What?”

  “You have no hold on me, Walker Thorn. Handle your own goddamn business, I’m done.”

  Pushing past him I tried to leave, but he was quick to grab me. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?”

  “Anywhere I don’t have to see your face or hear the name Devil’s Syndicate ever again.”

  I tried removing myself from his grip, but he tightened his hold. “You can’t do that.”

  “Watch me!” Tearing myself from his side, I reached for the bag I had lying on the floor. I had unknowingly made my decision earlier. The money I had saved in the bank was enough to hold me over for a long time.

  “If you leave, don’t you fucking dare come back.” “That’s the plan,” I seethed.

  “I didn’t want this for us, Regina. I didn’t want this.” His voice broke, cutting through our heavy silence.

  Tears threatened, and I choked them back. “You should have thought of that before you took everything I had away from me. But you won’t take this, Walker Thorn. I refuse to let you.”

  “Regina!”

  His shout echoed down the stairs and followed me out into the rain. Thunder rolled around me, and lightning filled the sky. There was only one place I wanted to go, and running to my car, I started the engine and made my way to the only man who made me feel like I belonged.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  RYDER

  I was coming down the stairs when she ran in, her eyes darting in all directions until they landed on me. The bar was full, people mulling around, laughing, the lights dimmed. Metallica’s Nothing Else Matters played on the old worn out jukebox in the corner. No one noticed her, they were too busy getting drunk to notice the broken woman that had just walked in.

  She turned to me, her eyes pleading with me. She was drenched, completely soaked from head to toe, her soft breasts outlined in the wet white tank top that clung to her. She dropped her bag to the floor as I approached her, and as soon as my arms came around her, her knees buckled.

  Lifting Regina and taking her bag with me, I walked us up the stairs. I heard Nick call out my name, but I didn’t give a shit anymore. He’d warned me before that I could lose everything for this woman. But I didn’t care. This woman meant everything to me, and she needed me now. This wasn’t about club business or rivalries. This was about her heart, a heart she had given me. She trusted me, and there was no way I was going to ruin that trust.

  Laying her on my bed, I silently began to undress her. First her boots, caressing her cold, damp legs as I went. Her denim skirt came next, tugging on it and dragging it off her hips. She shivered, her teeth chattering as the cold air hit her. I leaned over her, my hands rubbing her flesh, warming her up. Gently, I helped her sit up and removed her damp jacket.

  There was a moment between us, a heated one where we both understood one another. My hands ran up her arms, fingertips grazing stiff areolas. Her hands slowly raised above her head as I dragged the soft material off her, my hands dragging along her cold skin. She hadn’t worn a bra tonight, and her breasts hung heavy and full.

  Her arms came around my neck while my hands covered her plush pillows, tenderly caressing them, trying to soothe her with soft circular motions. She raised up onto her knees and straddled my lap. I opened my arms and she simply molded herself to me, hugging me tight. Comfort was what she was searching for, and she came to the right place for it.

  Running my hands down her back, I hummed quietly. She only wrapped herself tightly around me, my shirt wet from her silent tears. After a long time, I finally broke the silence. “What happened?”

  “I love you,” she whispered against my neck. Nothing else was spoken, just those three words that now hung heavy between us.

  I wasn’t sure what I’d been feeling, voicing was out of the question. But now that I knew what she felt, now that I knew I wasn’t the only one, I couldn’t hold back anymore. Hugging her tight, I confirmed it all.

  “Goddamn, do I love you.”

  She leaned back and looked at me. Her eyes brimmed with tears, but her smile said it all. “Make love to me, Ryder.”

  I cradled her head, leaning in for a kiss. Our mouths belonged together, sealed in a passionate kiss that took our breath away. There was no turning back from this, neither of us
wanted to. Nothing else mattered but us.

  She tugged on my shirt, ripping it off my back in desperation while I tugged myself out. A cry rang out of her lips as I dragged her onto my cock. Shoving her panties aside, I lifted her and settled her onto me, my dick twitching at the elation of sinking into her. She looked at me in shock, her mouth parted, her eyes hooded in lust. “This is where you belong, baby. With me inside of you.”

  I slammed her back onto the mattress, her body arching as my hips rammed into her. Rough, hard thrusts warning her that this wasn’t going to be sweet. I was going to take what was mine. Taking out my own needs on her. She whimpered while her pussy pulsed around me, and I knew she was close.

  Dragging myself out, I crawled down between her legs, tearing off those damn panties. My tongue dragged along her swollen center and she shook beneath me as I ate greedil,y, my hungry moans making her shatter on my tongue, my name ringing in my ears.

  I licked her gently, my tongue slowly circling around her clit while her lips jerked from the sensitivity. She tried to shove me away, but I was far from done. Massaging her entrance with my thumb, I finally lifted my head to her.

  “Ryder…”

  “You’re a dirty girl, Regina. This pretty pussy just can’t get enough of me.” I slid my thumb across her clit, teasing her, and she lifted her hips up, nearly reaching my lips.

  I chuckled at her neediness. She wasn’t ashamed of showing it to me, she wasn’t afraid to beg. And fuck, if I didn’t love to listen to her whimpered begging.

  “What do you want sweet girl?”

  “Ryder, please.”

  I smiled as I brushed past her clit again, and she threw her head back in frustration. “Please, Ryder.”

  “Hmmmm, you can beg all you want, Regina, but until I hear you say it, I can’t do nothin’ about it baby.”

  “For fuck’s sake!” She shouted as I dipped a finger into her honey hole, flicking at her clit once and then smiling up at her again.

  “This is what you came here for, isn’t it? To cum at my hands. To be mine.”

  I flicked her again on my tongue and she moaned. “Yes.”