Blayd: A Bad Boy Biker Romance (The Reckless Riders MC Book 1)

by J. J. Baxter

  I remembered the sound of Scorpion’s voice over the phone the night he called to threaten me, to threaten Angelina, warning us that it wouldn’t be long before he did what needed to be done to start tearing down the Reckless Riders one member at a time. He’d hired her hoping she would end up doing his dirty work for him, so he wouldn’t have to lift a finger, and the problem of Scotch would disappear into thin air.

  I convinced myself that I had to snap out of it, because I knew if I made one wrong move, it could possibly seal her fate forever. The more time we spent trying to find her, trying to tear down the Dawn Vultures standing in our way, the more of a chance we would give Scorpion to escape. We had to be fools to think that he didn’t have a contingency plan in place, that he wasn’t prepared for us to burst in at the very last second to rescue one of our own.

  I didn’t want to see anyone else lay down their lives for this, but I knew it had to be done. The Reckless Riders had been preparing for a fight like this since before the time I joined, knowing that everything Scorpion had been doing was giving the rest of the bikers a bad reputation. He’d been killing people left and right, bribing officers, and trying to build an empire to withstand just about anything. I wasn’t going to let him bask in victory this time, because we deserved to be the ones on top. We deserved to continue going about our lives in peace, without the worry that he would try to crumble us the moment that business got good again.

  If there was one thing I’d learned about Scorpion, it was that he was a jealous man. He loved the way his members worshipped him, and would do anything to protect him, even if he didn’t care about them himself. He knew when to cut people out of his life, when to let go of the prospects that weren’t useful to him anymore. He’d hired Angelina to get rid of the leader of the competition instead of doing it himself.

  When she decided to fuck up his perfect little plan, he either wanted to get revenge, or he wanted to make sure the plan went on, knowing she would have to make a choice as to who she was going to save by the end of this. Angelina was smart and I knew that if she were to finally get in a room alone with Scorpion, she wouldn’t crack under pressure. I believed in those skills of hers, of how well she was able to hold her own, and she just had to do it long enough until we could get to her. I was willing to do whatever it took to save her, and I knew that even though I was accompanied by the entire club, they would never understand the way I did. I had to live with that. Obey the rules or try something unexpected if it meant getting the chance to rescue Angelina before chaos inevitably erupted.

  It just started to rain when we finally all pulled up near the lumber mill. We could see it clearly in the distance, smell the scent of wood chips in the air, while we all gathered around trying to figure out how we were going to do this. I would try to take the lead in this. “I’m going to head there first, get a good look at where everything and everyone is positioned. It doesn’t make sense for us to storm the place. I know Scorpion’s going to use that as a distraction to get Angelina out of there, if we’re all caught up trying to fight off all of his minions. I trusted you this far, and I’m asking you to trust me now.”

  Scotch stared at me, leaving me to wonder if he would shut down my request, and they were going to move in, completely ignoring everything I’d just said.

  He placed his hand on my shoulder, letting me know that he was with me on this one. “If you insist on this, Blayd, I trust you. We will wait here for your signal, but if things start to go sideways or you’re not back in time, we’re going to move in.”

  “Yes, Scotch. Thank you.” The rain poured down all around us. It immediately soaked through my t-shirt, causing the strands of my hair to stick to my forehead as I wiped it away, making the trek up to the lumber mill, hoping to stay virtually out of sight. The rain helped to cover my presence. I could hear the sound of chatter coming from around the place, and the big barn at the far end of it that looked like it hadn’t been touched in a very long time. It was red, but the paint was starting to wear away in the weather, turning into a shitty shade of brown.

  They were here, just like Angelina had guessed.

  The Dawn Vultures members didn’t seem to mind the surroundings, as I got a good look at some of their faces, and it was pretty clear they were having the times of their lives. They all probably believed this would be over soon, that they had already won.

  Well, I had news for them…it was not fucking over. I managed to keep an eye on every person I could see, every movement they made, and how none of them seemed to be reaching for their weapons. We stayed out of sight then. That’s good. It’ll let me get closer. I made my way around the piles of wood, trying to get closer to the barn. Something was drawing me to it, like something was happening in there that would remind me that Scorpion was as ruthless a man as Scotch had made him out to be.

  I had stayed low, made sure no one spotted me, until I heard her scream. It was a blood curdling scream of pure pain. I lost all control then, reaching for my weapon, and firing off the first shot to let Scotch know that I was about to do the very thing he told me not to do. He didn’t want me to act rash, but hearing Angelina screaming reminded me that I couldn’t just sit back and let someone hurt her. I had to get to her before it was too late, I got a sinking feeling in my stomach that told me Scorpion was going to kill her and soon.

  I rushed towards the barn, shooting down every Dawn Vultures member that I could until I was fumbling to remove the metal bar that kept the barn doors shut, opening them up wide to see Angelina tied to a chair with a gag in her mouth, her thighs bleeding as the knife Scorpion stabbed her with was still in one upper thigh.

  He made eye contact with me, just as he began twisting it.

  I fired off my gun without thinking, hoping I got the shot I needed.

  Two pairs of strong arms grabbed me, holding me back, and I dropped my gun.

  I had missed.

  “Oh, Blayd. Didn’t I already tell you that you weren’t going to be making it out of this alive? How’s that for perfect timing, Angelina? Your boyfriend’s here to save you. Maybe now, you’ll start talking.”

  I stared at the tears rolling down Angelina’s face, while she desperately tried to keep it together, and she had until she saw Scorpion had gotten a hold of me. I wanted to tell her everything would be okay, that we were going to find a way out of this mess, but I never got the chance.

  A sharp pain hit the back of my skull, and my body hit the floor, just as everything faded to black.

  18

  I Won’t Talk

  My eyes fluttered open, having a hard time adjusting to the darkness around me. The room was cold, and I felt a slight draft coming in from somewhere, but it was hard to place. Trying to move, I found my hands were bound behind my back. I tried to rub my wrists together and could feel a wet liquid trickle down my arm. I knew it had to be blood. I felt the welting marks of the ropes used to keep me restrained, dig into my skin, making me wince every time I moved.

  I had no idea where I was, but the last thing I remembered was that I had been back at the Reckless Riders’ clubhouse, heading downstairs to the kitchen for a glass of water. The rest was an absolute blur, but I had a hunch that I was in the Dawn Vultures hideout, the one that had been hidden from the world, because I could feel the change in the air, the sensation that nothing good was going to come of any of this.

  I sat there for a moment, begging the memories to flood back in, and there was a steady stream of moonlight coming in from behind me, illuminating my legs. They had been bloodied, cut into, the wounds were large, and horrifying. It was then I remembered where I was, tucked away into the straw of an abandoned barn, having laid eyes on Scorpion himself while he tried to torture information out of me. I didn’t say a word, and I thought I held my ground quite well until the barn doors had opened up suddenly, and there I saw the one person I thought to never see again.

  He’d been frantic, worried, but he held himself together well until he saw what Scorpion did to m
e. He went into shock, firing off a shot in Scorpion’s direction, but it was no use.

  They took Blayd away, knocking him out, so he wouldn’t remember a thing, much like they had to have done to me countless times over. The area around me was silent and I wondered if they had thrown Blayd in here with me. I tried to speak, but the words caught in my throat, and it hurt to let them out. I swallowed deeply, realizing someone had to have choked me for it to hurt this badly, and the thought of it made my stomach turn. I scrambled in my bindings as I called out, “Blayd? Blayd! Are you here?”

  No answer.

  I felt sweat trickle down my forehead, and it was no wonder being locked away in this hot ass barn, awaiting my inevitable fate. I moved again, forcing myself forward, hoping I would fall to the ground and find something that would get me out of these tight bindings, but before I had the chance to do that, the barn doors opened up again, and I stared out into the blinding warm light of the sconces outside.

  “Finally, I thought you were a goner there, Angelina.” Scorpion strode over. “We didn’t get a chance to finish our little chat because your boyfriend showed up trying to play the hero. I will deal with him once I finish with you. All of this could’ve been avoided if you had just honored the terms of our agreement, and followed through with killing Scotch for me.”

  I scoffed. “So, you admit that it was you that hired me?”

  “Of course, Angelina. I found you because I thought it would be a painless job. Scotch would be dead, and I would be able to turn the rest of the Reckless Riders over to the police, but you just had to develop a conscience.” He glared at me, as a smile played upon his lips.

  “Scotch never deserved to die, Scorpion. The only person that should’ve ended up dead is you,” I said, not allowing him to get under my skin.

  “It’s a shame that you still think that, even though we have the one person that might make you change your mind. If you don’t start talking, tell me everything that you learned about the Reckless Riders’ operations and where Scotch handles all of his business, I’m going to make sure Blayd pays the price.”

  I gritted my teeth, staring up at him; the angriest I’d ever been in my life. “You can torture me all you want, you can try to kill Blayd, but you aren’t going to get away with this. I promise you that.”

  “Cocky little girl, aren’t you? You put up a great fucking fight Angelina, but I see right through you. I know that you have feelings for Blayd. I’ve seen the way you two work together, when you were ripping my warehouse apart. You’re in love with him, and you may not see it now, but when I start ripping him apart, you will change your mind,” he responded, bending down to meet me at eye-level.

  I could smell the alcohol on his breath.

  He smiled, proud to believe that he’d finally won, that after all our efforts, he was still the most feared MC Club President in the city. This was all he had, and he was holding onto it with every ounce of energy he had left.

  I needed to figure out a way to get out of here, to get back to the Reckless Riders, because I knew I would never be able to move on if Scorpion called my bluff and hurt Blayd. He’d come all this way to save me, and here I was telling our enemy that I didn’t care if he lived or died. I had to. I could not let on that I gave a damn.

  Another Dawn Vultures member came in and whispered something in Scorpion’s ear that made him leave immediately. I watched as the little stream of light I had disappeared, and I was left in the dark yet again. I remembered Blayd telling me that he would do whatever it took to protect me, but I was afraid that would mean giving himself up to Scorpion to do whatever he asked, abandoning the Reckless Riders, just so he could save me. “Blayd! Where the fuck are you!” I screamed, not expecting to hear anyone answer me. I just needed to let out my frustration, to scream, rant and rave.

  In the distance, at the other end of the barn, the sound of groaning echoed.

  At first, I thought I had to be imagining it, that my wishful thinking had turned into full blown hallucinations, but I called out to him again, “Blayd?”

  “An-Angelina?”

  “Oh my God, Blayd! You are here!” I whispered, not wanting anyone to hear us.

  “Babe, I’m so glad that you’re okay. I saw what he did to you, what he’s been doing to you ever since you were taken. I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect you.

  “This is not your fault, Blayd. You can’t blame yourself for what happened. Scorpion had this all planned from the very beginning. We just need to figure out how to get the fuck out of this. He intends to use you against me. To hurt you if I don’t tell him what he wants to know.”

  “They will still kill me and you anyway,” Blayd whispered back. “I left Scotch and the others back behind the hill, and they’re probably devising a plan to get us out now, but they can’t storm the place. Scotch knows that if they storm in here, the first thing Scorpion will do is kill us both. We might not have enough time to escape and deal with him.”

  I realized that one of us would have to make the sacrifice after all. “I need you to get out of those ropes. You aren’t in a chair, are you?”

  “No, I’m not,” he replied quietly.

  “Ok, so you should be able to get out of your bindings. I can’t, I’m not strong enough. Get to Scotch. Beat these Vultures. It’s the only way to win this, Blayd.”

  “I can’t leave you. He might kill you,” he said, trying to plead with me.

  “You have to, Blayd. I will stand my ground and fight for as long as I can, but there’s no way we’re going to escape with all those Dawn Vultures out there. I’m too injured to walk, I’ll have to be lifted out of here. Right now, this is the best thing for the both of us. They won’t be able to use you against me. Go to Scotch, help him lead everyone else into battle, and fight for us. You have to fight for us, Blayd,” I begged, feeling a single tear stream down my face.

  “I’ll be back for you, baby. Okay? I will be back. I love you,” he said.

  It took me a moment to register the words. I knew what he was doing. He was saying it to me in case he didn’t get a chance to later. Now tears streamed down my face when I hadn’t cried at all up to this point. “I love you too, Blayd. I know that you can do this. We will make it out together. We have to.”

  I heard him struggle and groan while trying to get out of his bindings.

  He was able to get to his feet, to run the rope along the sharp nail in the wall until he managed to get them off. He ran to me, stumbling forward.

  Now, I saw how bloodied he was.

  The Dawn Vultures certainly beat him to a pulp, and even through his black, bluish eye, he smiled the moment he saw me. He bent down, pressing his lips firmly against mine.

  I cherished the feeling of that kiss because I wasn’t sure when or if I would be able to feel it again.

  “Stay safe, Raider Girl. I will be back for you soon, I promise,” he reminded me.

  I nodded. “I’ll be waiting.”

  He rushed off.

  I heard the sound of footsteps approaching the barn just as he was able to slip away. I knew the moment they realized he was gone, I would have to pay the price. Scorpion would hate losing his one chance at getting me to talk, using Blayd to get the job done. Scorpion intended to use the information he learned from me, to take down the Reckless Riders for good.

  I had no choice but to withstand the torture a little longer, to hold onto the hope that Blayd would make it back to Scotch and the rest of the Reckless Riders in time for them to devise a proper plan. I knew Blayd had to have gotten caught up in the idea of rescuing me for him to go at it alone, but he learned his lesson, and he wasn’t about to make that mistake twice. I took a deep breath, watching the barn doors open wide.

  Scorpion and a few other members of the Dawn Vultures entered behind him. They turned on the lanterns all around the barn.

  My eyes had a hard time adjusting to the harsh light.

  Scorpion looked over in one of the pens, the minute he realized what had
happened, he rushed over to me, grabbing me by the neck, squeezing harder than he ever had before. “Where the fuck did your boyfriend run off to, Angelina? I guess you were right, you’ll have to be the one to suffer all the consequences for your actions, because the longer I wait, the more time the Reckless Riders have to show up on my doorstep. It’s going to be such a shame for them though. They will show up to save you the moment I kill you myself.”

  The angrier Scorpion got, the more likely it would be that he would strike me down himself, kill me on the spot for causing so much trouble, but I didn’t care. As long as the Riders still had a chance to rid the world of him, I was willing to go down.

  “I’m not going to keep you here, so your boyfriend can find you. We’re leaving now and soon, you’ll be dead. I have someone else that will get rid of Scotch and then the Reckless Riders will have no choice but to disband. Then you’ll be wishing you would’ve just carried out your contract like the good hit woman you once were,” he said, taunting me.

  “Do whatever you have to do, Scorpion.” I had nothing more to say to the asshole. I trusted Blayd with my life, and he wasn’t going to rest until I was safe. I kept my head held high.

  Scorpion looked me straight in the eye while slapping me across the face. He motioned to one of the largest men he had.

  The man untied me, flinging me over his shoulder, and carrying me out like dead weight.

  I trust that you’ll find me, Blayd. I hope you will do everything in your power to end this and put Scorpion in the ground.