Devil's Love

by Kim Jones

  Ever since Marty came back into my life, I did my best to keep him at arm’s length. I wanted my independence. I convinced myself I didn’t need a man. I didn’t need him or anyone else. Now, I’d give anything to feel his arms around me. To save me. To protect me.

  Sure, I could be strong on my own. But in times like this, I need him. I always will. Some battles are his to fight. There are things he can do that I’ll never be able to. Sometimes a girl needs to be looked after—watched over and made to feel safe. A real man protects what’s his. Marty is a real man. I am his.

  But he is also a patch holder for the Devil’s Renegades. He is theirs. His club is important to him—the most important to him. He won’t risk it to save me. He won’t abandon them—even if my needs are greater than theirs. He not only said it, he’s proved it time and again. And I don’t want to believe it, but deep down I know…

  This time will be no different.

  An overwhelming pain in the lower part of my stomach wakes me. My bladder was at the point of bursting before I fell asleep, but I’d managed to hold it. Now, the ache is almost unbearable.

  Another chill runs through me—causing my body to jerk so hard I almost lose the battle with my bladder. Somehow, I manage to hold it in. It’s the only fight I have left in me. It might seem pointless, but the will to hold onto what little dignity I have left is the only thing keeping me from giving in. It’s the only thing I have the power to control. But it’s slipping.

  I pull in a deep breath through my nose, and a strange scent hits me when I do. It’s clean, masculine and familiar. My eyes open in search of the source, and I find its cold, dark eyes staring back at me.

  William.

  “Good morning,” he says. His charming smile stretches across his handsome face, but it’s colder than the air in the room. “You’re looking a little … blue.” He laughs at his own joke. If I had the energy, I’d give him the finger.

  “I n-need t-to go to the b-bathroom,” I stutter, biting the inside of my cheek to keep my teeth from chattering.

  He waves his hand in the air. “Go.”

  My eyes fall to my arms. For a moment, I thought I might be free. I was wrong. I’m still bound in chains. And I’ll swell up like a balloon before I give him the satisfaction of watching me soil myself.

  When he sees the determination in my eyes, he simply shrugs. “Suit yourself.” He leans forward in his seat, propping his elbows on his knees as he molests me with a look that makes its way over every inch of my naked body. “So, what exactly was your plan … Maddie?”

  Wow. He knows my name. If he’s looking to impress me, he’s going to have to do better than that. “To k-kill you.”

  His smile falls—that demonic look he conveys moments before he does something terrible to Claire, claiming his face. “Look where that got you.” Standing, he removes his perfectly pressed jacket from his shoulders. “I thought long and hard about what to do to you,” he starts, rolling up the sleeves of his crisp, white shirt. “Killing you would be too easy. So I’m going to keep you here. Give you just enough food and water to keep you alive.”

  I don’t look at his face. Instead I keep my eyes on his knees. He’s not worth the little bit of energy I have left. And it would take every ounce of it to lift my head. “Then, when I have a bad day, I’m going to come out here, and release all of my frustrations out on you.”

  For some reason, his words cause a spark inside me. At least it wouldn’t be Claire. “H-how manly of you … beating up on a woman who can’t d-defend herself. What’s the m-matter, William? Too big of a pussy to p-pick on someone your own size?” I hear him snort. It pisses me off. I fight like hell to make sure I don’t stutter my next line.

  “You’re a spineless coward. But I guess coming from a home with a whore for a mother and a father you don’t even know can do that to you.” A sharp blow has my head jerking so far to the left, for a moment I’m afraid he’s broken my neck.

  “Keep talking, bitch,” he spits. “I need a little something to help get me motivated.” When I don’t speak, because I’m still reeling from the last hit, he backhands me again—in the exact same spot, which causes my vision to blur.

  Grabbing my chin in his hand, he forces my head up until I meet his eyes. I’ve seen that look before. Logan’s father had it just before he nearly beat me to death. There’s no stopping the cruelty this man is capable of. I should’ve kept my mouth shut. I shouldn’t have teased him. Even though I know this really isn’t my fault, a part of me knew better than to push him that far.

  “I’m going to break you, Maddie. I don’t care if it takes weeks … months … years…” He drags his tongue across my jaw to my ear. I fight the bile rising in my throat. “Starting today, I’m going to make you beg for death. And maybe one day, I’ll grant your wish.”

  He steps back, releasing me as he does. I let my head fall as he kicks at my feet—forcing my knees apart. I’m too weak to fight him. I don’t have the energy or the will. As he stands in front of me, using the hands that will bring me to my death to unbuckle his pants, I think of Claire. Of all the times she’s endured this.

  Sacrifice.

  Loyalty.

  My word.

  That’s what I’m giving her. It’s what she deserves. And even though the torture that awaits me will definitely be brutal and unforgiving, the agony will be worth it. Because as long as he’s here with me, he’s away from her.

  I’ve accepted my fate. I’m ready to return the favor. This is going to happen. I’ll cry. I’ll scream. I’ll beg. I’ll break. But I’ll hold onto the hope that she’ll find the strength to leave him. Hope … for Claire. It’s all I have left.

  But something isn’t right. The air in the room seems almost electric. There’s a dynamic charge that surrounds me, fueled by a source I know all too well. I feed off it. Awaken. The flame inside me ignites once again. I lift my head, and meet the eyes of the man who thought he could break me. The one who broke Claire. The one who doesn’t deserve to live. The one who will soon die.

  “I’m going to wipe that smirk right off your face,” he says. He’s driven by power. Obsessed by its effects. Hitting women is how he gets off. Immobilizing and weakening them makes them easy to defeat. I’m completely defenseless against him. Still, I smirk.

  My defiance pisses him off. His fingers wrap around my throat. He draws back. I know what’s coming. I wait in anticipation—my eyes locked on William’s because I don’t want to miss the worst moment of his life, and the greatest moment of mine.

  And then, I finally hear it.

  Low.

  Deadly.

  Familiar.

  “Don’t.”

  Marty.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  Marty

  Three hours ago, after a six-mile trek through the woods, I slipped through the back door of the shitty little camper hidden deep in the Mississippi Delta. I’d tried to mentally prepare myself for what waited for me, but it was impossible to be prepared for what I found.

  Maddie sat sleeping--naked, shivering and chained like a dog. Unable to stop myself, I went to her. My flashlight quickly raked across her body. She was covered in bruises and scratches, but had no serious injuries.

  I wanted to hold her. Kiss her. Tell her she was safe. Take her away from here. But I couldn’t. Unsure of how she would react, I couldn’t risk her knowing I was here. So I disappeared behind the threadbare curtain and waited. Doing so nearly knocked me to my knees with guilt. After all, this was my plan—a plan that will forever leave me scarred for what I’ve allowed to happen to her.

  There was only one way to end this. Kill William. But there were two problems. The first was William’s constant security that followed him everywhere. I had to do get him alone. So I baited him with Maddie—knowing he would come for her if she reached out to Claire. Wanting to keep Maddie in the dark on the plan, I drugged her. Had her send Claire a message. And waited in the shadows for William’s goons to come. When they
did, I followed them.

  The second problem was that I had to get permission from the mafia to take William out. I did this by calling in that other favor to Demopolis. He assured me I’d have the green light soon. But I hadn’t anticipated waiting this long. Or Maddie being subjected to such torment in such a small amount of time. And then William showed up and things got worse—just like I feared they would.

  I’ve been shot, stabbed, beaten, run over and left for dead. That shit wasn’t nearly as painful as watching some motherfucker put his hands on the woman I love. Or hearing her cry my name in her sleep. The crack of a hand across her face. Her whimpers of pain. I’ll never forget the sounds as long as I live. I’ll never forgive myself for allowing it to happen. But if I had stepped in before I got the okay, only to get a call that informed me the mafia needed more time, then the scars that will forever be on Maddie’s soul after this, wouldn’t represent glory. They’d be for nothing. And I’d still owe a favor to the biggest Mafia family in the States—for nothing.

  Maddie said she could take a lick. I was willing to trust her on that. I don’t know where the will came from, yet I had it. But I knew, the moment he positioned himself between her legs, that I would kill that motherfucker and let the mafia kill me in turn before I allowed him to rape her.

  Without a moment to spare, my phone lit up in my hand. Two words were all that were spoken.

  “Do it.”

  Now, I will.

  The sound of my voice causes William’s entire body to tighten in fear. If it’s not fear he’s feeling in this moment, I’ll be sure to instill it in him very soon. His hand is balled into a fist at his side—the same fist that was preparing to likely break the jaw of my Maddie. I want to shoot his fingers off.

  He holds his hands out in surrender and slowly turns to face me. He wears a cool smile, despite the gun pointed at his head. My eyes rake over Maddie quickly—starting from her feet. When I see her left eye swelled completely shut, I hate myself a little more. Since I don’t have time for self-loathing, I take my frustrations out on William.

  I drop my elbow and squeeze the trigger. William wails as he falls to the floor and cradles his shattered ankle. To keep from losing my shit, I avoid looking at Maddie again. She’s breathing. Alert. Smirking. It’s enough for me—for now.

  “You’re making a mistake!” William yells, his face twisted in pain as he pants in agony. “I know people! If you kill me, they’ll—“

  “They’ll find your body right here in this shitty little trailer where I leave it.” He looks like he wants to argue. I elaborate before he can. “Ruzzio called you for a meeting a few hours ago, right?” He nods. I offer him the same cool smile he gave me thirty seconds ago when I see the panic welling in his eyes. “He got what he wanted from you. Now, you’re no longer needed.”

  “Please… I-I can pay you.”

  “You’re gonna have to do better than that.” I hear chains rattle as Maddie struggles against them. She lets out a grunt of disapproval. Bargaining must not be on her agenda. She wants him dead. Now. Patience, babe.

  “I’ll tell you everything you want to know on Ruzzio.” He runs his fingers through his hair. Frantically trying to come up with something valuable enough to save his life. There isn’t anything, but the information might be the perfect payment for my debt. “He … he’s doing business with the feds. Collins. Marcus Collins is his contact. He gives him shipment schedules for dealers delivering to different gangs and families. In turn, Collins overlooks Ruzzio’s part in the trade.”

  A rat. It’s better than money. Better than killing. Better than any job Demopolis is gonna one day ask me to do. Maddie is safe. My debt will be paid as soon as I make the call. I can kill William now, but there’s still one thing left to do.

  “Where’s your phone?” I ask, knowing I’ll have to make this quick before he passes out on me. His lips are turning white—matching his pasty face.

  “In my jacket.”

  I pull it from the front pocket before tossing it to him. “Call Claire.” At the mention of her name, anger flashes in his eyes. He looks between me and Maddie—slowly putting the pieces together. Did he think I was here for some other reason?

  “Keep her out of this,” he growls, surprising me with the fight he has in his voice. For a moment, I wonder if maybe a part of him really does love and care about her. “She’s mine. And she’s not going anywhere.” Sick, possessive fuck. I guess he thinks I’m going to let him live.

  I shrug, feigning nonchalance. “I don’t want her. But she don’t need to get caught in the crossfire. Tell her you’re leaving her. That you found someone else. Break her heart … whatever.” Maddie shifts again. She’s not happy with where this is going. But at least she’s not saying anything. “If Collins and Ruzzio’s connection checks out, I’ll let you go,” I lie, smoothly. “You can go home, beg for forgiveness, and maybe she’ll take you back. Until then, you’re going to stay here. And tell her to move on so she doesn’t start calling around looking for you.”

  “No.” He shakes his head hard. “No deal. Like I said, she belongs to me. If she gets the opportunity to be a whore, then that’s exactly what she’ll become. It’s taken years to train that bitch. I’m not going to throw all that away just because you don’t take me at my word.”

  “Marty…” The raspy warning comes from a shivering Maddie. I need to get her warm. Out of here. In my arms. But that pleading look in those tear filled, blue eyes beg me for something else.

  “Tell me what you want, baby. No matter what it is, I’ll do it. Just be sure you can live with it.”

  I can make him suffer. I can starve him to death. Chain him up and torture him the way he tortured her. I’ll cover the son-of-a-bitch in peanut butter and bury him in an ant bed if she wants me to.

  “I want you to kill that motherfucker. Now.” Or maybe she’s not.

  There’s no point in asking if she’s sure. She left no room for doubt. This is important to her, therefore it’s important to me. So, I do what I promised myself I’d do the last time I did this shit.

  One shot between William’s eyes instantly ends his life. But with his death comes so many new beginnings. It sets Claire free. Returns Maddie’s favor. And it gave me that opportunity I’d been waiting for. The one where I finally get to prove to Maddie that she is the most important thing in my life. She always will be.

  I am a Devil’s Renegade. And I’m her man. For years, they’ve been separate. But now I know that she binds them. She makes me whole.

  She makes me love like a Devil.

  And fight like a goddamn Renegade.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

  Maddie

  He’s dead.

  It’s over.

  Marty’s here.

  I’m safe.

  I should feel relief.

  So why am I crying?

  Using a key found in William’s pocket, Marty quickly unchains me. Then his hoodie is off his shoulders, over my head and I’m in his arms. My sobs are rough and distorted against his chest. His big, powerful body is warm. Comforting. Feels like home.

  I cry harder.

  “Shhh…” he soothes, carrying me to the back room. Sitting on the bed, he curls me tighter against him. Pressing kisses into my hair. Rubbing the life back into my shoulders. Down my arms. My hands. Ankles. Feet. Every caress gentle and caring. Tender yet possessive.

  The crunch of gravel beneath tires causes my heart to drop. “They’re with me,” Marty says, positioning my legs around his waist and arms around his neck before standing. His fingers clasped beneath my ass as he holds me against his chest. Like I’m a child. Like I’m precious to him. Like his only job in the world is to hold me.

  “Get us the fuck out of here,” Marty orders to someone as he slides into the back of a vehicle. Even with my nose buried in his neck, I can smell the rich scent of leather.

  As the car starts to move, someone whose voice I don’t recognize speaks. “Do you have something for me?�
� I stiffen, but Marty’s reassuring squeeze on my naked thigh, along with the caress of his thumbs against my skin, has me relaxing.

  “Do you have something for me?” Marty counters, the threat evident in his tone.

  “Claire Deets is on a plane to Chicago as we speak. Her sister is waiting for her there. I’ve arranged for to receive the best psychiatric help money can buy. I assure you, she will be well taken care of. Physically, mentally and financially.”

  Another sob escapes me. But this one is filled with relief, not sadness. I don’t know this man, but just by his tone, I know he is a man of his word. Marty’s hand cradles the back of my hand as he presses a kiss to my hair. Then he pulls something from his pocket and I feel his arm jerk as he tosses it to the man. The click of a button sounds and I hear William’s words from earlier. Just a second’s worth before Marty speaks again.

  “Not now.” At his demand, what I assume is a recorder, stops playing. But the damage is done. The sound of William’s voice causes a violent shudder to wrack through me. And for the life of me, I can’t control it.

  A sound, something between a wail and a scream, erupts from my mouth. Despite how bad it burns, I feel relief, so I do it again. And again. Until it feels like flames are licking their way up my throat.

  “Calm down, baby. It’s okay. I’m right here. It’s over.”

  Why did I ever think I didn’t need Marty? He is forever my strength. My rock. He told me to jump. I did. He caught me. Just like he said he would. Of all the men in my life—Luke, my stepfather, my brothers in the MC—he is the only one with the power to make me feel like it’s going to be okay.

  “I’ll send my doctor,” the man says, a hint of sadness in his voice. I shake my head, even as Marty thanks him.