by Claire Adams
“What the fuck is this?”
Devon’s voice broke the intangible magic between us, and with a small gasp, Mila pushed back and extricated herself from my arms. Her lips were raw, she was panting slightly, and she refused to meet anyone’s eyes.
“I brought my sister here because I thought she’d be safe,” Devon said to me, as though I had betrayed him in some way.
I met his gaze unapologetically. “Your sister’s an adult, and so am I. This isn’t fucking high school… not that I would know much about what that’s like.”
“Stay away from her,” Devon said.
I wondered if he was actually that protective of Mila or if he was just playing the part he thought he was supposed to play. I took a step towards him. “Or what?”
I saw Devon’s anger falter and he looked down.
“I don’t need to remind you of who I am… do I?” I asked quietly.
“No,” Devon replied softly.
“Excellent,” I nodded. “You can go now.”
Left with no choice, Devon backed out of the room, and I turned back to Mila. “That was a mistake,” she said. “It won’t happen again.”
I smiled, feeling both confident and determined. “I wouldn’t bet on it,” I said, before walking out of her room. “Goodnight, Mila.”
Chapter Four
Mila
I woke up the next morning feeling disoriented and uneasy. I blinked my eyes open and sat up in bed, wondering where the hell I was. And then it came to me in vivid detail. I was in the clubhouse. I was going to be living with a motorcycle gang until Walter could be found.
I remembered the terror I had felt last night when the man I thought had been Walter had slammed into my apartment. For a second, I thought I was going to die a slow and painful death. I recalled the words that Zack had thrown at me last night and part of the reason I had reacted so badly was because they were true.
He was right. I was weak, and I was helpless. Why else would I have ended up here, relying on a brother I wasn’t very close to and a bunch of men I didn’t trust? I thought about their president, and I felt a hot coil of desire grip my body.
I could still feel that kiss on my lips and my tongue. He had grabbed me without permission… but in some ways, he had read me just like he had told me he did. I hadn’t given him consent to put his hands on my body or kiss me the way he had, but he had known I wanted it… he had known I wanted him. As annoyed and angry as I was for the way he had felt he could touch me like that, a part of me was also annoyed at myself too.
I got out of bed and realized that the second door in my room opened out to a tiny bathroom. It was practically a crawl space, but it meant that I didn’t have to use a communal bathroom, and I was grateful for that much at least. I brushed my teeth and had a quick wash that required a certain amount of talent because of how cramped the space was. Then I walked naked back into the room, dried myself off, and slipped on jeans and a white tank top.
I opened the door softly and stuck my head out. I couldn’t see that anyone was around, but I did hear voices coming from downstairs, in the vicinity of the kitchen. I went downstairs cautiously, noticing that everyone seemed to have congregated in the kitchen. I was hidden from their vision and they were hidden from mine, but I could hear the conversation clearly. I hung back, realizing that they were talking about me.
“So… how hot is she?”
I felt myself bristle at the question, but another part of me waited for the answer.
“What the fuck does that matter?” I recognized Zack’s deep, authoritative voice immediately.
“I’m just curious… seeing as how you agreed to let her stay in our cave.”
“She’s Devon’s sister,” Zack replied.
“Fuck that shit; you don’t really expect us to believe that you did this out of the kindness of your heart.”
I heard snickers run through the group. “Based on what Devon told me about this ex-boyfriend… I think he’s trouble.”
I frowned, feeling the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It wasn’t like I didn’t know that Walter was dangerous, but the way that Zack said it made me feel that this was danger on a level that I was unfamiliar with.
“Trouble?” someone repeated. “How much trouble?”
“I think he may be connected to another gang,” Zack admitted.
“Fuck…” I heard someone way.
There was a slight hush that fell upon the group, and I sensed there was something more to this story than I was aware of. I knew that Devon wasn’t a part of the group in the kitchen, and I wondered for a moment where he could be. I felt slightly uncomfortable being here without him. We may not have been tied at the hip or anything, but he was the only one I knew.
“Do you think…?”
“It’s possible,” Zack replied before the sentence was finished. “But I don’t know. I can’t be sure, and until I am… we need to lie low.”
“If it is though… this could be opening up old wounds and starting a brand-new battle. Are you prepared for that?”
“Are you?” Zack demanded.
I heard someone hoot loudly, and someone else wolf-whistled. “Fuck, you know we’re ready. It’s been awhile since we had a good fight around here.”
“Do I need to remind you what happened at the last fight?” Zack demanded.
Again another silence fell, and I wondered about the history of the club and what they stood for. My brother had found a home here, but I had never asked him what had drawn him to the Fallen Angels. I had made my assumptions about them, without ever bothering to actually ask any real questions.
“Mila?”
I whirled around and found Devon standing behind me, having just walked in through the main door. He was in jeans and the motorcycle jacket that every member of his crew seemed to possess.
“Morning,” I said, aware that the rest of the group now knew I was there. “Just came in?”
“Yeah,” he nodded. “Did you sleep?”
“Not well,” I replied.
The men filtered into the living room one by one, and I could feel their stares on my back. “Have you met the men yet?” Devon asked.
“No,” I said, shaking my head and turning to all of them.
“Smith Jarrod,” one of the taller men said, introducing himself. He was lean and dark-eyed, with a sharp pointed nose and a birthmark on his forehead that looked like a scar.
One by one, the rest of the men started introducing themselves to me. Justin was one of the shorter men, but he was sturdy and strongly built with an arsenal of muscles that bulged from his cutaway jacket. Derek introduced himself to me as Derek, but insisted I call him by his nickname, Bones, like everyone else. He was one of the older men in the group. His hair was greying at the temples, and his handlebar mustache dipped slightly at the edges. He was almost a parody of himself… the aging biker who fit the stereotype.
Dewy, also known as Red, looked like the youngest member of the group. He had long brown hair that fell to his shoulders and one missing tooth that could be seen clearly when he smiled. Lonny was blond-haired and blue-eyed, and he had a tiny dagger tattooed next to his right eye. Despite the tattoo, he looked like the friendliest of the lot.
“There’s more men,” Devon told me. “You’ll probably meet them at some point during your stay here.”
“Just watch out for Wheels,” Lonny told me with a wink. “He hasn’t met a pretty woman he hasn’t liked.”
Zack leaned against the arm of one of the sofas and observed me with his men. He didn’t say much, and he didn’t contribute to the introductions in any way. He was definitely the most formidable of all the men present, in both stature and in personality. There was an edge to him that commanded fear, and there was a presence to him that commanded respect.
Once the introductions were out of the way, Zack looked towards Devon. “What did you find out?” he asked.
Everyone turned to Devon. “There’s no such man as Walter Black,�
�� he replied.
“The police told me that too,” I said, feeling a little nauseous all of a sudden.
“What about his apartment?” Zack asked.
“I checked it out this morning again,” Devon revealed. “The apartment is registered under someone else’s name…. A man who was found missing in another state.”
“So he’s a ghost then,” Zack nodded.
“Seems that way for now,” Devon replied. “There’s no trace of him anywhere.”
“What can you tell us about him?” Lonny asked me. “What does he look like?”
“He’s a big guy,” I said. “Almost as tall as Zack, and he has a similar build too. He’s got blond hair and blue eyes.”
“Any distinguishing characteristics?” Red asked.
“He had tattoos.”
“Who doesn’t?” Bones laughed.
“Any particular tattoos stood out to you?” Zack asked seriously.
“He had a siren tattooed on his right calf,” I said. “It was huge.”
“A siren?” Bones asked.
“A mermaid,” I explained.
The men exchanged questioning glances, and it was clear that they hadn’t come across anyone with the kind of tattoo I had just mentioned.
“He also had a huge tattoo of a man with eagle’s wings on his back,” I said.
Again, my description was met with blank expressions.
“It doesn’t matter… We’ll find him,” Zack said dismissively, and he turned as though he was leaving.
“Wait,” I said. Zack turned to me with one raised eyebrow. “What makes you think he’s so dangerous?”
Zack walked over to me and to my surprise pushed back the hair that fell over my shoulder. I tensed immediately, wondering what he was doing. Then, he tilted my face up a little so that my neck was exposed.
“These marks,” Zack asked. “How did they get there?”
I clenched my jaw. “Walter tried to choke me.”
“What made him stop?”
“He was half drunk… he started choking...”
“Do you really need to ask me why I think he’s dangerous?”
“There are different kinds of danger,” I said. “And different kinds of dangerous men. He knows that my brother is part of a pretty well-known motorcycle gang. What makes you think he’s coming for me?”
Zack looked up and glanced at Devon, who was standing behind me. I turned to look at my brother. “What?” I asked, realizing that they were having an unspoken conversation just then.
“Show it to her,” Zack said, and it sounded like an order.
I felt my body tense as Devon came forward and handed me a piece of paper. I frowned at it for a moment before opening it up.
“I’m coming for you.”
The words were written in red ink that had left little splotches all over the paper. That was all that was written on the otherwise blank piece of paper. My body grew cold, and I looked up at my brother.
“Where did you find this?” I asked.
“Outside your door,” Devon replied. “Last night.”
“Last night?” I gasped. “You mean… he was in the building… he was outside my door—”
“He’s playing with you,” Zack replied calmly. “He’s toying with you. He’s sending you a message. He’s the predator, and you’re the prey.”
I looked down at the note again, and something about the ink caught my eye. I brought it up to my face and sniffed it.
“Is this…?”
“Blood,” Devon confirmed.
I could feel the color drain from my face, and I glanced up at Zack, who was watching me carefully. He took the paper from my hands and stared at me challengingly.
“Is he right, Mila?” he asked. “Are you the prey?”
I opened my mouth to speak, but nothing came out.
“Don’t worry,” Zack said. “You won’t be for long.”
Chapter Five
Zack
“Hey,” Lonny said, walking into the garage where all the motorcycles were stored. The smell of oil, grease, and fumes was in the air, and it comforted me.
“Just got here?” I asked.
“Yeah,” Lonny nodded. “What are you doing out here?”
“Just trying to find a quiet fucking place to think,” I admitted.
“Is that it?” Lonny asked with one raised eyebrow. “Or are you just trying to avoid Mila?”
I looked at Lonny pointedly. He was keeping his expression calm and measured, but I could sense the smile beneath it.
“Why would I be avoiding her?” I asked indifferently.
“Oh, I don’t know… the men seem to think that there’s tension between the two of you.”
“Yeah,” I said sarcastically. “And that kind of shit bothers me? Fuck that. I’m in here because I want to be.”
Lonny held up his hands. “Just saying… No need to bite my head off.”
“Any leads on Walter Black?” I asked, changing the subject because I didn’t want to have to continue to be defensive about it.
“We’ve been searching,” Lonny replied. “The guy’s a ghost.”
“Which means only one thing,” I said, feeling as though my suspicions were being confirmed.
“He’s connected to some dangerous people.”
“Yes.”
“Who do you think we’re dealing with here?”
“The Lucifer’s Knights,” I said quietly.
“No,” Lonny said, shaking his head. “It can’t be.”
“Why not?” I questioned. “We don’t know every member of their crew, and new pledges tend to feel invincible once they join the ranks. It’s a mark of honor to be ingratiated into the inner circle of the Knights.”
“Pledges are not a part of the inner circle,” Lonny pointed out.
“No,” I agreed. “But I think this guy might be.”
Lonny frowned. “If that’s the case… this has the potential to become bigger than it needs to be.”
“What do you mean?” I demanded.
Lonny looked at me in surprise. “Do I need to remind you of what happened the last time we went head to head with the Knights?”
My eyes flashed towards Lonny. He looked a little uneasy, but he pushed on, ignoring my dangerous mood.
“We lost good men in that fight…including your father.”
“Harlem lost his son,” I said darkly.
“My point exactly,” Lonny nodded. “The truce was negotiated only because both sides had suffered significant losses, and neither one wanted to risk more. The wounds were fresh, and everyone was still grieving… Once the dust settled, the truce had already been agreed on, and neither one could go back on their word.”
I gritted my teeth. “I don’t need a fucking history lesson.”
“Really? ‘Cause you seem to be missing out on a few important factors.”
“Like what?” I demanded.
“Like the fact that Godwin has been looking for a reason to fuck with us since the truce,” Lonny said. “He wants revenge for what happened to his son.”
“Maybe that’s what I want, too.”
Lonny fell silent for a moment, and when he finally met my gaze, I saw realization dawn. “Is that why you agreed to protect Devon’s sister?” he asked. “Because you knew somehow she was running from someone connected with the Knights?”
“I didn’t know,” I clarified. “I suspected.”
“If you’re right about this…you’ve already started another war.”
“I didn’t start jack shit,” I spat. “The person who started this was the man who tried to strangle Mila that night. Her brother is in our crew…and we defend our own.”
Lonny shook his head at me. “You’re not trying to defend Mila or Devon or any of the rest of us,” he said. “You’re trying to get revenge.”
“I can do both at the same time.”
“Fuck that, Zack,” Lonny said, slamming his hand down on the helmet in his hands. “The Knigh
ts are an organized crime gang… they have more ammo than we have, they have more manpower, they have more of everything. If it comes to another face to face fight, we won’t stand a chance.”
“Says who?”
“Says anyone with common sense.”
I regarded Lonny carefully. “I never pegged you for a fucking pussy.”
“If you’re trying to bait me, it ain’t gonna work. I’m advising you, same as I did with your father. This is a stupid move. Give Mila some money and tell her to move to another state and start fresh. This man… this Walter Black is going to lose interest after some time.”
“Did you read the note he left for her?” I asked.
“I saw it.”
“What was it written in?”
Lonny looked down. “He was just trying to scare her.”
“He was sending her a message. She betrayed him by leaving… And he’s going to punish her for it. Do you really think he’s just going to forget about her?”
“Fuck!” Lonny cursed loudly, knowing that I wasn’t going to change my mind about this. “So what’s your master fucking plan?” he demanded. “Wait for the Knights to come and bang down our door?”
“He doesn’t know where she is at the moment,” I said, walking towards the house. “He’ll be looking for her. And eventually, he is going to find her. I’m going to make sure she can defend herself when that happens.”
I left Lonny in the garage and walked into the house. A few of the guys were downstairs, but I wasn’t interested in talking to any of them. I went upstairs towards my room when I noticed that Mila’s door was kept slightly ajar. I barged in without knocking and found her sitting on her bed, staring out the window with hooded eyes.
She gave a start of surprise when I walked in. “Fuck… you scared me.”
“You scare easily,” I said, walking to her window and leaning against the windowpane.
“What are you doing here?”
“This is my house.”
“But this is my room.”
“Nothing here is yours,” I said. “Remember that.”
Mila gritted her teeth and said nothing. She couldn’t really look out the window anymore because I was blocking it.