Hell's Fire MC: The Full Series

by Erin Trejo

  “You can’t say that to me; you have no right!” Her fists slam into my chest without any warning. She screams louder, slamming into me with more force as she yells, “Go to hell!” Her fists pound against me, and I let her take it all out on me. I know she needs this. I can see all the pent-up frustration in her eyes.

  “Why did he have to ruin me! Why!” When she no longer has anything left in her, she slumps into my arms. She cries in my arms as I drop us to the floor. Holding her there, she sobs uncontrollably.

  “I don’t know what to do with myself anymore, Dragon. I have nothing left.” Nuzzling my face into her hair, I sigh.

  “You have me—Everleigh.” My comforting skills haven’t been challenged in a long time, but I feel it right now with her. I run my fingers through her hair, her sobs beginning to lessen.

  “You might hate me. Maybe I’m a bad person. I don’t like to clean,” she says. Laughing as I hold her tighter, I pull her face, so she’s looking at me.

  “I don’t mind cleanin’, darlin’, and I hardly think you’re a bad person. You’re a good mom; you’re sexy as hell.” Ev’s eyes sparkle with tears, but I can see the hint of a smile in there.

  “I don’t know what I’m supposed to do, Dragon. I’ve never worked, I’ve never done anything. Luke always provided for us.” My thumb brushes over her cheek, her eyes widening.

  “I can’t give you the world, Ev. I don’t have it. What I can give you—is safety. I told you once; I feel things for you. I can’t say that I love you because right now, I don’t. I don’t know you enough to love you, but I think if we give each other some time, we can be good together.” I don’t want to push her. I don’t know where her head’s at.

  “He won’t stop, Dragon. He will come after me. I don’t want to drag your club into that. It’s not fair.” With a smile on my face, I lean down brushing my mouth over hers.

  “Oh, Everleigh. You know nothin’ about me. I can make people disappear if I want to. All you have to do is say the words.” Sliding my tongue into her mouth, I savor the minty taste of her. She feels too good with her arms around me, touching me.

  I don’t want her to leave. I don’t want her to be more than a step away from me. I don’t know how to explain what’s floating around inside of me, but I don’t want to lose it. I want this more than I’ve wanted anything else in my life. I’m pretty sure I’ll do whatever the hell it takes to keep her, too. Killing him would be a fucking pleasure.

  ***

  “Look who it is. We missed you motherfucker!” The cigarette hangs between my lips as I look at the missing link in the murders we committed a while back. Street Demons were smart to find this fucker before Wiley. Not like I gave Marcus much of a choice.

  “They’ll find you. You won’t get away with killing all of us!” His growl pisses me off before it actually seems funny. Chuckling, I lean down closer to his face.

  “Here’s the thing, no one gives a shit about you.” The grin on his face is perfect. He thinks he’s pushing my buttons, but in reality, he’s making me laugh.

  “Mason. His name is Mason,” Marcus says. Dragging my eyes over to meet his, I nod.

  “Mason, huh? Sounds like a bitch name to me,” I say, as I take the license from Marcus’ hand and flick it to the ground.

  Gripping him around the throat, I drag him off the ground, so he’s at eye level with me.

  “No one will miss you. You were supposed to be dead anyway.” Squeezing his throat a little tighter, I watch the color change in his face.

  “He’ll find you. He will kill you.” I figure since I’m about to drain the life out of him, I should at least ask him who it is he’s talking about.

  “Oh, yeah? Who is that?” I ask with a smirk. Cocking my head to the side, I wait.

  “Luke Anderson.” My grip falters only slightly. The shock of what he just said to me threw me off balance.

  “The fuckin’ Captain? I’m waitin’ on him.” Slamming my fist into his face, blood splatters on me.

  My fingers tighten until I watch every last bit of life leave his body. Dropping his lifeless corpse to the ground, I turn toward Marcus.

  “You wanna keep runnin’ my shit, clean that up.” Nodding to the dead fuck on the ground, I head back toward the bikes.

  “You all heard that shit. Everleigh’s husband is the goddamn Captain. He’s an abusive fuck that used her. Wiley thinks he’s into some other shady bullshit. I don’t need to take a vote on her bein’ at the clubhouse, but I do need a vote on what to do with him. It tore me up to think about killin’ Haylee’s father, but Ev made it clear he won’t stop lookin’,” I say to all the guys. Devil grins like the lunatic he is. Roc nods, knowing what his decision will be.

  “You got my vote. Captain or not—I don’t give a fuck about killin’ a cop.” I knew that was coming from Devil. He’s always all-in, no matter what.

  “We’re in Prez. No questions asked. Besides, the girls all love havin’ Everleigh and Haylee around,” Roc says, agreeing once more.

  “Ok. We get Christmas out of the way first. Obviously, he isn’t gonna be an easy target. Devil, get your guys on Intel. We need to make sure we can figure out his schedule.” Devil nods before Ghost speaks.

  “We keep her safe. We keep our eyes open. Wiley knows she’s missin’, he doesn’t know we have her. We need to keep it that way.” I nod, as I look at the guys. These are the ones I trust the most. They are my family.

  “We’re all in.” Devil walks closer, throwing his arm around my shoulder.

  “Can we go the fuck home now? I’m dyin’ for food,” I say, looking at Devil with a smirk.

  “You got that girl cookin’ and shit now?” Devil gives me a grin that tells me I’m right.

  “Fuck yeah I do. She’s damn good at it too.” Chuckling, I slap a hand on his shoulder.

  “Yeah, let’s get the fuck back. Tomorrow we have to set Hell’s Country up with some shit.”

  Chapter 15

  Pulling into the clubhouse, I feel good about this shit. I think we’ll be able to get to Anderson without any problems. I mean, the fucker does have to go home at some point. It will give me a great fucking feeling to take his ass out. It’s not that I love Everleigh, I don’t. Not yet, anyway. But I think we could be good together. Just that thought alone sends shivers throughout my body. I cut the engine and climb off my bike when I see Haylee. She’s bobbing and weaving her way through the bikes, coming straight toward me.

  “You came back!” She screams and just as she leaps, I put my arms out to catch her.

  “I live here, remember?” Her smile couldn’t get any brighter. I love it.

  “You were gone for a long time.” Her fingers poke at my helmet before I reach up and pull it off. Placing it on her head, it swallows her head up. I can’t stop the laughter that erupts out of me.

  “Haylee!” I hear Everleigh hollering as I walk toward the front doors.

  When she spots her in my arms, she stops and stares.

  “I’m sorry. She took off when she heard the bikes.” She isn’t smiling. Is that a bad thing?

  “Hey, Ev. It’s ok.” Her eyes move over my face before her hand reaches up. Her fingers trace over my cheek.

  “You’re bleeding.” Shit! I forgot that I had blood on me.

  “No, it’s not mine.” Her hand falls before she reaches for Haylee. Pulling her out of my arms, I know this is going to be bad.

  “I... We need to get inside.” Everleigh walks away from me with Haylee in her arms. Running my hand through my hair, I know I fucked up. I know she wouldn’t want to see me like this, but this is who I am. This is me. Walking down the hallway, I see her standing in front of my door with her arms crossed over her chest.

  “Hey,” I say. Her eyes come up to meet mine. I can see just how unsure she is about me and all of this.

  “Hey, sorry about earlier,” she says as I glance around. I don’t see Haylee.

  “She’s with Ghost,” Ev says, knowing I’m looking for Hay
lee. Nodding once, I open my door and head in. I hold the door, waiting for Everleigh. When she doesn’t move, I look at her. Her eyes find mine; she slowly walks in. I close the door before I turn to face her.

  “This is me, Ev. This is who I am. I can’t be anything else. I don’t want to. This is what I’ve been from the day I was fuckin’ born. You wanna back out on me? Do it now. I stand by what I said. I will protect both of you. I will make sure he doesn’t lay a hand on you. But you need to tell me if you don’t want shit with me.” The words leave my mouth, and my chest wants to explode. The words ripped my own heart in half. Everleigh stands there watching me. She doesn’t speak or move, just watches me.

  “I thought that was your blood. Something in my chest hurt when I thought you were hurt. I’m so confused, Dragon.” The tears fall before I step into her space. Leaning down, I press a kiss to her lips before pulling back.

  “You don’t need to decide right now. I’ll be here.”

  Turning on my heel, I head into the bathroom. Pulling my cut off first, I keep stripping. I know I made the right choice as far as killing that asshole. I know my choice to kill Anderson is the right one, too. But Ev? I don’t know what the hell I’m doing there. Am I fucking making a mistake bringing her into my world? Aside from protecting her, I should walk away from her. I should let her go.

  But I don’t want to. Everything inside of me calms and feels sane when Everleigh is near me. Like now. My stomach cramps. The thought of her not wanting to be with me, wanting to leave me is crushing me inside.

  I wash my face, watching the red-tinged water as it slowly leaks down the drain.

  “I’m scared, Dragon. I don’t know what to do.” She stands on the other side of the shower curtain with her head down. Pulling the curtain back, I reach for her. Clothes and all, I drag her into the shower with me. My wet hair hangs in my face as I force her to look at me.

  “I know you are. I know this is new to you. I know that this isn’t the perfect fuckin’ life either, Ev. I grew up in this lifestyle, and it’s always gonna be a part of me. These guys, they’re my family. This is all I have. You have to take it or leave it, darlin’. I can’t be anyone else. I’m gonna do things that scare the shit outta you. I’m gonna come home lookin’ like I took a beatin’ but I will do everything in my power to keep you safe and happy.” I press my lips to hers, but she doesn’t kiss me back. I pull back and look into her eyes, the eyes that are digging into my deep dark soul.

  Everything inside of me is screaming to hold onto her, but there is that one sane part that knows her and Haylee deserve more than this.

  I just don’t want to listen to that part.

  ***

  “Dragon, can we go see Santa?” Haylee follows behind me as I run a perimeter check. It’s a strange feeling having her trail behind me like this. However, I like it.

  Looking down at her I ask, “Santa?” I furrow my brows as I think that one over.

  “Yeah, and why don’t you have a tree here? Will Santa know to come here to bring me presents? We didn’t leave him a note at our old house.” She suddenly looks sad, and that isn’t something I want to see.

  “Santa will know where to find you. We’ll talk to mom when we’re done out here about goin’ to see Santa.” That seems to make her happy, which in turn makes me content. She grabs my hand quickly. I glance down in shock. It’s not that she hasn’t done that before. It just makes something inside of me click.

  “What are we doing out here?” I keep us moving while trying to think of something to say to her.

  “Makin’ sure no one is out here that shouldn’t be.”

  “Like who? Bad guys?” Damn this girl is smarter than I thought she was.

  “Yeah. We always make sure it’s safe.” Haylee and I walk around checking into everything. Once I’m satisfied, we head back inside.

  “Can we ask Devil to come, too?” Haylee’s eyes are brighter than I’ve ever seen them. She’s practically glowing.

  “Devil? Why him?” That one confused the hell out of me. I don’t think Devil is going to a mall to see a damn Santa. If he did, I’d need a picture of that.

  “He’s funny, and he said he would buy me a new bunny for Christmas.” Oh, he did, did he?

  “A bunny? Are you fuckin’ kiddin’ me?” Devil laughs, throwing his head back.

  “Not a real one! A fuckin’ stuffed one like Marissa’s,” Devil says as I shake my head.

  “She asked if Santa would bring her one. I told her yeah.” Shit! Now I have to go shopping for shit. I never did that before. I’ve never bought Christmas for a kid. Maggie and my mom shopped every year for Emily. I have to control my laughter when I say, “She wants you to go see Santa, asshole.” Devil shakes his head.

  “No way in fuck, am I goin’ to a mall.” Crossing his arms over his chest, I laugh.

  “No, I am. Then we’re goin’ shoppin’.” Pointing at Devil, he throws his hands up.

  “Fuck that, Dragon. I don’t fuckin’ shop, brother. I don’t' know shit about that stuff. Take the girls.” Now it’s my turn to laugh.

  “Didn’t you see what the fuck happened when I took them for Thanksgivin’? Fuck that, Devil. They bought half of the goddamn store. Plus, she wants a tree,” I stress as Roc walks in, laughing at both of us.

  “This funny for you? You can go get a tree.” Roc’s mouth falls open. He looks like he wants to say more.

  “Fine. I ain’t no bitch. I’ll go to the local Target like a goddamn man!” The look on his face is hilarious as he talks.

  “Target’s a nice store. I’ve been in there once.” Trick walks in talking like a fool.

  “Oh, yeah?” I say. He nods.

  “It’s not a target either. Don’t look nothin’ like one. Except for the sign.” When he walks off, Roc and I share a glance.

  “What the fuck did he even just say?”

  Chapter 16

  I’m still confused. Trick has lost his mind, or maybe he never had one, to begin with.

  “You really think he should be patched?” Devil points over his shoulder where Trick just was. Everleigh and Aria come into the room smiling and looking beautiful.

  “Hey.” Aria smiles before moving into Roc’s arms. I love seeing those two together. Everleigh sits next to me, not touching me at all. It hurts that she’s still torn.

  “So, Haylee and I had a talk about Christmas and Santa. Needless to say, it was awkward as fuck for me.” Ev and Aria both laugh.

  “I haven’t explained to her that we will have to wait on Santa this year—I’m sorry,” Ev says. I shake my head when I grab her hand. I bring it to rest in my lap when I look up at Aria.

  “You two are in charge of a tree, and whatever shit goes on it. We’re goin’ to meet Santa.” Ev’s hand grips mine tighter before I smile over at her.

  “You don’t have to do that. She will understand,” Everleigh says. I hear Roc and Aria talking amongst themselves, so I know they aren’t listening to us.

  “Yeah, I do. She deserves some sense of normalcy. I’ll make sure she has a good Christmas, Ev.” Everleigh looks pissed before she pulls away from me and stands. She swallows hard before she says, “No. You can’t do that Dragon! This isn’t your responsibility!” She turns to walk away, my heart going with her.

  “Fuck that, Everleigh!” I snap as I shove off the couch and head toward her.

  “Excuse me?” She says spinning around to pin me in place with her glare.

  “You heard me! Fuck that, Everleigh! You aren’t my goddamn boss, and you know what? I’m fuckin’ sick of dancin’ around what I fuckin’ feel toward you two. If I want to fuckin’ spoil her for Christmas? I’ll do it! You’re done with this victim bullshit. I’ve shown you my heart; now you need to decide if you’re takin’ it!”

  ***

  I left her standing in the lobby.

  “You told her didn’t you.” Angel walks next to me down the hall.

  “Had to. She is pushin’ my buttons.” Angel laughs before
I turn to face her.

  “You think I went too far?” I ask, feeling like shit now.

  “No, Dragon. I don’t. You know what you want. You’ve handed her the cards—now she has to play them. I think it’s great that you found her, though. It may have only been a few weeks, but you spend every day with her. She’s been next to you every single day. You learn a lot about someone being that close,” she says, making a lot of sense. She just might be right.

  “I feel like I’ve known her forever, Angel. It’s like she’s meant to be here with me. I don’t fuckin’ know how to explain that shit.” Angel smiles when I hear Nessa.

  “You don’t, Dragon. That’s the beauty of love. You can’t explain it; it just shows up.” Nessa moves in closer.

  “You two gangin’ up on me?” Looking at the two of them, they laugh.

  “Never. We just want you to be happy. She seems to make you smile; we like seeing you like that.” Pulling the two of them into my chest, I hug the hell out of them.

  “You two troublemakers are the best,” I say when my eyes lock with Ev’s. She stands at the end of the hallway, watching.

  “You’re a good guy, Dragon. We know your past was shit like the rest of ours. You deserve to smile, hell—you deserve far more than that.” Ev’s eyes fill with tears. I can see them sparkle from here.

  “I’m glad we got you, girls,” I say before releasing them. They both turn to head down the hallway when they see her. Glancing over their shoulders, they give me a smile before Ev walks toward me.

  Her hands land on my chest, heat’s filling my body.

  “I haven’t felt alive in a long time. I haven’t felt cared about since Luke, and I first started dating. The first time I looked into your eyes—I felt content. I don’t know what that means. I don’t know if I’m stupid for moving on so soon or not, but I can’t shake how I feel around you either.” Everleigh’s words fill me with hope. Hope isn’t something I’ve always had a lot of. Reaching up I wrap my hands around her wrists.