Rafe (Devil's Flame MC Book 1)

by Romi Hart

  “Please, Jake, I didn’t betray you,” she told him. And technically, it wasn’t a lie. She hadn’t done anything, yet. But she had to get free so she could. She didn’t want her brother to have yet another victory, especially at the expensive of the Devil’s Flames. And she sure as hell wasn’t ready to die.

  But Jake shook his head. “I can’t take that chance, precious sister.” The sarcasm and venom in his voice stung just like a bite. “There’s too much risk in trusting you. Rafe Chambers would do anything to get to me and punish me for killing his sister. And I wouldn’t be surprised if he’d brainwashed my sister against me and sent her in as a decoy so he could coax me out and kill me. So, I have to take every precaution.” He smiled, but it was the grin of a madman. “And if I’m right, he’s got a soft spot for you. And I plan to test that theory by seeing if he’ll trade his life for yours.”

  15

  Never had Rafe experienced such horror as the fear that ripped down his spine and tingled through his limbs, making his fingers and toes curl, as seeing Kira tied to a chair with a gag in her mouth. Even in the short video call Dylan made as he stood next to his bike just outside the clubhouse property showed her spirit and defiance. Hell, he could see it in the stills Jake himself had forwarded to Rafe’s phone.

  “You bastard,” Rafe whispered, trying to keep from beating Dylan to death. He was one of the Diamond Kings Rafe had never minded dealing with, but he was the unfortunate messenger in this case, and he hadn’t done anything to stop Jake from hurting Kira and taking her hostage.

  Dylan tucked his phone away and crossed his arms. “Jake thought you might get angry.”

  “I am angry! I didn’t take her hostage to hurt her. That’s his sister and he couldn’t give a good god damn if she suffers! What kind of man does that?” Rafe ran a hand through his hair, simply trying to keep it from latching onto Dylan’s throat.

  Clearing his throat, Dylan said, “He’ll let her go, if you meet his demand.”

  Whipping his head around and realizing he’d started to pace, he glared at Dylan. “And just what is that?”

  “He’ll let her go, if you surrender. Just you, not the whole MC. He wants you to take her place, and she goes free.” Dylan didn’t look thrilled with the idea, and Rafe had the feeling it was just another empty promise. If he turned himself over to the jackass, Jake would probably make him watch Kira die and then kill him, relishing the way it tortured Rafe.

  But could he risk it? If he didn’t go, Kira was dead. At least if he surrendered, she had a chance. “When and where?”

  With a smirk, Dylan said, “I’ll text you the details tomorrow, if you’re sure this is what you want to do. I hope she’s worth it.”

  Rafe swallowed a threatening growl. He didn’t need to play up how much he cared. That would only give Jake more ammunition. Besides, he needed a level head to figure out how he was going to get out of this jam. He knew there had to be a way, but at the moment, his level of panic was at an all-time high. “Yes, that’s what I want to do. Just warn Jake that an ambush on me isn’t fair play. If he wants me, he needs to meet me face to face.”

  “Dually noted,” Dylan nodded. He threw his leg over his bike, and his two henchmen followed suit. “For the record, I don’t condone this method. I don’t think either of you should have used Kira in your little standoff. But I feel like you, at least, have the presence of mind to regret it. You should know Jake doesn’t, and he won’t. Just a warning.”

  “Dually noted,” Rafe repeated back to him. He waited until the motorcycles disappeared around a curve in the road and then turned on his heel and stormed back through the gates, Eli and Harrison on his heels. “Fuck!” he cried, violence and fear turning his vision a shade of purple and blurring it.

  “Rafe, you can’t go after her. You don’t even know where she is.”

  Eli’s words barely registered, but it was enough to hit the wrong button. Rafe rounded and threw a punch, which his brother barely dodged. He started to swing again, but Harrison caught his arm and held him back. “Cut it out, Rafe! You don’t even know she’s in trouble. This smells like a setup to me, which is what I was telling you all along.”

  That did it. Rafe yanked out of his grasp and turned on him, attacking him. He shoved him into the wall of the clubhouse, his arm a bar across Harrison’s throat. “Didn’t you see her? She’s fighting. That fucking son of a bitch turned on his own sister!”

  “Rafe, come on. Let him go.” Eli put a hand on Rafe’s shoulder, and though he shrugged it off, Eli came back and did it again. “This isn’t going to solve anything. You know we have to talk this out.”

  Rafe didn’t want to talk anything out. He knew what they would say. They would want the information that came through tomorrow, and they’d use that to go to Jake’s hideout and blow it to hell. Which would be great, but they wouldn’t bother to get Kira out first because they already thought she was a traitor. Harrison had pegged her as one without even giving her a chance, and this would be his ‘I told you so’ moment.

  But he had even less chance of getting any help if he choked his brother. Wrenching away from him, Rafe let Harrison slide to the ground, holding his neck and gasping for air. It wasn’t like Rafe had held him for more than a few seconds, but let him play up the drama. Others were already gathering around to find out what the hell was going on. Let the jealous ass give them a show. Rafe didn’t care. He’d ride out and find Jake on his own, if he had to.

  Just as Harrison got to his feet and Rafe was ready to take the nearest motorcycle and head out, the clubhouse door slammed open, and Corey came out, fury written in his posture and his expression. “What the fuck is going on out here?” he demanded, yelling across the yard.

  Rafe glanced at him, then turned away, hands on his hips as the evening light faded behind the horizon, leaving a gray glow casting over everything and making it all seem surreal. “Answer me, dammit. I’ve got the prospects telling me that the Kings were here, with Rafe agreeing to walk into a suicide, and that he turned homicidal toward one of his own. Eli?”

  Obviously, Corey had pieced something together, and Rafe looked over his shoulder to where Eli stood, annoyed. The man of few words certainly didn’t want to have to explain everything. It would take too much time, and as little as he spoke, he’d probably get tongue tied in the process of recapping the last few minutes.

  “Jake has Kira tied up, and he’s threatening to kill her unless I offer myself as a sacrifice in her place,” Rafe grated out.

  “And I’m guessing you were the lone fucking wolf agreeing to that trade,” Corey spat, more than displeased.

  “What was I supposed to do, say no? Jake would have killed her now, to punish me!” Rafe countered, his fear and anger spilling over. “I did what I thought was best for Kira because I couldn’t think of any other way around it.”

  “You are not trading yourself for Jake Hawthorne’s sister,” Corey stated firmly, leaving no room for argument, especially with the alpha expression he wore. “And did you stop to think maybe it’s a setup?”

  “Watch out, boss,” Harrison piped up. “I said that, and he attacked me.”

  “You’re lucky you’re still breathing,” Rafe warned him. “You’ve done everything you could to screw this up from the start.”

  “Shut the fuck up, both of you!” Corey screamed, effectively causing the entire club to go still and silent. “We can’t fight ourselves, or we’ll never conquer the enemy. How many times have we watched other clubs fall because they don’t stick together as a team?” He looked back and forth between Rafe and Harrison. “We’re going to settle this in a civilized fashion. Get inside, and calm down. And we’ll meet in the conference room with all the council members we can pull together in twenty minutes.”

  He walked away without another word, and Rafe’s shoulders fell. This was it. He’d have to face the wrath of his brothers, the stern judgment because they wouldn’t believe that Kira was a victim once again. And they would let h
er die or, worse, kill her themselves. This was a disaster, and he didn’t know if he could handle the outcome without a complete breakdown.

  But did he have a choice?

  Steeling himself for the confrontation, he headed for the bar to down a glass of whiskey. His feet were heavy, and it was hard to trudge on, especially as he saw others starting to file into the conference room. He’d be as calm as he could, he told himself as he followed suit. But he couldn’t lose anyone else to the creep that led the Diamond Kings. So, if the club voted him down, he’d have to leave his cut and do this on his own.

  The news had to have spread quickly, and there were a lot of unsettled gazes pinned on him as he took his seat, letting his body fall into it with the heaviness of his heart. He didn’t bother to look around. He knew most, if not all, of his brothers would be there, and he only wished Zeke was in his rightful seat, which was temporarily filled by Buck. Zeke might have actually had his back, and Rafe considered insisting they get him on the phone to talk, now that he was awake and giving the nurses hell.

  But that wouldn’t be fair to Zeke. Rafe had only given him bare bones information on what was happening when he’d visited this afternoon, and he was still healing. He didn’t need to concern himself with the issues Rafe faced.

  Rafe stood alone.

  When Corey called the meeting to order, ten of the twelve seats were filled, and that was more than enough to talk it over. Corey looked like he hadn’t slept in a month, the strain of the day obviously weighing on him as well. Rafe hated it. He’d never intended to be a burden on the Devil’s Flames, but it seemed he had dragged everyone in the MC into this mess and down the rabbit hole he’d wanted so badly to avoid.

  “First of all, I want to remind everyone at this table that I don’t tolerate fighting within the ranks. If you have an issue with one of your brothers that can’t be settled in a discussion, we’ll put you together for three rounds in the ring.” Corey gave particular attention to Rafe and Harrison before continuing, “How are we supposed to bring anyone down if we’re not united?”

  He let that weigh in the air for several long breaths, and then he moved on. “We have a situation. The Diamond Kings say that Jake Hawthorne is now holding his sister hostage, in exchange for Rafe. Now, that seems a little strange, considering the whole reason we took her was because he was supposedly so protective of her. At the same time, we all know what a slime Jake is, and I wouldn’t put it past him to use his own sister against us.”

  “How did he even know there was a thing with her and Rafe?” Harrison asked, his tone still accusatory. “It’s a setup. She went and spilled her guts, and this is what we get for trusting an outsider.”

  “Actually,” Bill said, sitting forward, “it looks like they’ve been tailing us the whole time.”

  Rafe frowned at him. “What are you talking about?”

  Bill scratched the back of his neck, looking a bit uncomfortable. “It looks like they’ve had the clubhouse staked out, maybe since you first brought the girl here. So, they could have seen the two of you together and known something was going on before she ever got to her brother.”

  “That doesn’t matter. She’s obviously trying to help Hawthorne drag Rafe out, away from us,” Buck chimed in. “They’re blood, and most people from the same family are cut from the same cloth. We don’t know the girl, don’t know anything about her, other than Rafe likes her. That’s no guarantee she wasn’t acting the whole time she was here.”

  “And if that’s the case, and she’s that good, she was acting on that call, too,” Harrison grunted.

  Rafe might have believed that, but he just couldn’t accept that Kira had played him from the start. “If you don’t believe me, ask Rocky. He’s spent almost as much time with her as I have, without me around most of it. He has a good feel for who she is.”

  “I did.” Rafe stared at Corey, who gave him a crooked, sheepish smile. “One of these days, you’re going to learn to trust me and my knowledge of what goes on in my club. I talked to the kid before I voted yay to this whole scheme.” He turned to address the whole table. “Rocky said she would be frantic when she hadn’t heard from Rafe or the crew all day, and that she was always genuine, as far as he could tell. I’m not going to lie and say it’s not suspicious, but I also feel like, from what I hear and my dealings with her, as well as my dealings with Jake Hawthorne, there’s just as much chance she’s in trouble.”

  Rafe tried to hide his shock. He’d expected Corey to take the other side without even considering the possibility of Kira’s innocence. Before he could say anything, Bradley piped in, “I say we give her the benefit of the doubt.”

  Corey nodded. “Even if she’s working against us, I don’t want her blood on our hands. I want to make sure that Jake Hawthorne regrets his actions if something happens to her.” Taking a deep breath, he said, “I know we’re divided on this, but I’m not putting it up to a vote. Not this time. The Kings want to take our brother, and Hawthorne is using our brother’s girl, his own sister, as a pawn to get him. That can’t be allowed. So, I’m making the decision right now, for all of us. We’re going after Jake Hawthorne, and in the process, we’re going to do everything we can to rescue Kira Hawthorne, unless there is absolute evidence she was a mole.”

  Rafe’s hopes soared, and even though a glance at Harrison and Buck told him neither was pleased, they didn’t speak out against Corey’s mandate. They would follow their leader, and if Rafe had anything to do with it, they would come home with Kira in tow and Jake’s body on display to his crew so they knew what was at stake if they fucked with the Devil’s Flames again.

  “Rafe, when are you supposed to get details on this little exchange Dylan mentioned?” Corey asked.

  Straightening, Rafe told him, “He said he’d text me the information tomorrow.”

  “We’ll know where they are before that,” Eli interjected. All eyes turned to him, and he shifted, never wanting to be the center of attention. “We put a tail on Dylan when he left. We’ll find Jake and his crew tonight.”

  “We’re still not moving right away,” Corey said, but Rafe was pleased. He’d been so caught up in emotion he hadn’t thought to send anyone to follow Dylan. He hadn’t been in his right mind for a while now, and that had to change, if he was going to save Kira.

  He stood. “I think we should all get some rest. I want everyone ready to go tomorrow, so we can come up with a foolproof plan.” He leveled a gaze at each of his brothers who was present, feeling confident and sure of his place here again. “Thank you all. I know it’s hard, and I know you don’t all agree with doing this, but I know you’ll support me, and that’s why I pledged my loyalty to this MC.” With that, he left the room, knowing he probably shouldn’t be walking out when no one else had gotten up. But he needed to go talk to Zeke, fill him in completely on everything that had happened. His friend may not be the most level headed, serious person in the world, but he often kept Rafe grounded, and now more than ever, he desperately needed Zeke’s support.

  “Rafe, wait!” He probably wouldn’t have stopped, but Rocky jogged toward him from down the hall, his voice anxious. “Are we going after her?”

  With a smile, Rafe put a firm hand on the kid’s shoulder and squeezed. “Thanks to you, we are. I appreciate your input, Rocky. You did good.”

  The kid beamed. “I just wanted to be honest. She’s a good woman, and she deserves help.” Ducking a little and seeming a bit shy, he added quietly, “And you’re a good man. I sort of look up to you as a role model, you know?”

  Rafe was stunned. No one had ever really looked up to him, and he studied Rocky for a moment. He’d never really paid a lot of attention to the prospects, other than to make sure they were devoted enough to keep around. But Rocky seemed genuine and kind, and while he needed to be hardened enough to live through the shit he would see as a full-fledged member of the MC, Rafe hoped he never lost that softness around the edges. It was something Rafe still tried to hold onto.
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br />   “You’re a good kid, Rocky, and you’re doing a good job. Keep it up, and I’ll make sure to put in the good word for getting you patched in.” He started to walk away but turned and added, “I’ve still got Edgar’s bike, you know. If you help me fix it up, it’s yours, and you can get rid of that piece of shit you’ve been riding.”

  Rocky’s eyes lit up. “It’s a deal. Thanks, Rafe.”

  Rafe saluted him. “Thank you, kid. I’ll see you early tomorrow.” With that, Rafe headed out, looking forward to a conversation with Zeke that would help settle his nerves.

  16

  It took Kira a moment to remember where she was and why she hurt. She must have dozed off, and the way her head had hung over her chest, her neck ached. But that wasn’t the only pain. Her eye was slightly swollen, and she could still taste the copper flavor at the corner of her mouth, despite the heavy cloth gagging her. She could believe a lot of things about her brother, but she couldn’t believe Jake had hit her. Twice.

  What little humanity Jake may have possessed in the past was gone, and any hesitation she’d had in wishing him dead had gone with it.

  Part of her hoped that Rafe wouldn’t take the bait and wouldn’t agree to take her place here, even if he had a plan of action to escape death. But then, if she could just get her hands free, she’d kill her brother herself to save him. And the only way she might be able to do that was if Rafe showed up.

  She didn’t know how long she’d been asleep, but she was hungry. She knew at least today, she hadn’t eaten, and it made her a little dizzy. In fact, as she heard shouting outside the room, she had trouble trying to concentrate to hear who was arguing and about what. She couldn’t make out the words, but there was definitely a major disagreement, and she recognized the voice of the jerk who stood watch outside her door. But she couldn’t quite tell who he was yelling at.