Slash (Devil's Fury MC 7)

by Harley Wylde

  “Now I’m going to play with these three a little, then get cleaned up and go see my wife. The club can come down here anytime they want, but I want these fuckers alive. No one gets to take them out except me. Not even Grizzly or Badger.”

  “Might want to ask Badger to save his brand of justice until the end,” Wolf said. “Doubt he’ll leave you much.”

  He wasn’t wrong. There was a reason the club Pres had gotten the name Badger. Fucker was mean as one, and vicious when he was crossed. Except where Adalia was concerned. She was the only one who ever saw his softer side. But hell, he’d gone to prison for her. He’d more than proven he’d do anything for his woman.

  I made the other three bleed. JJ refused to break, but I knew he would eventually. The other two seemed to have accepted their fate, or at least they weren’t as mouthy as JJ. Their screams were music to my ears as I tortured them. It wasn’t enough. Would never be enough. They’d violated Shella, stolen her innocence, and treated her like trash. Death was too good for them, but I wouldn’t let them roam the earth anymore. The justice system was too flawed to guarantee they’d never come for her again. They’d hurt the woman who meant everything to me, and I’d see them in hell for it.

  When I’d had my fun for the day, Wolf stepped in to take a turn. I went upstairs and washed off in one of the showers and changed into a clean set of clothes. Shella hadn’t known why I was coming to the clubhouse, so I’d made sure I had the exact same color shirt to change into. Last thing I wanted to tell her was I only had some of the people who’d hurt her. I wouldn’t say a damn word to her until I had them all. Even the names of the cheerleaders so I could start getting my revenge on them too. Billy had given me four names, but what if there were others? I wouldn’t stop until I knew for sure, and had exacted my revenge on all of them.

  Hot Shot leaned against the wall outside the bathroom when I stepped out. I eyed him and waited to hear what he had to say. I noticed quite a few bruises on his face and arms. The way he winced when he moved told me there were likely more under his clothes. He ran a hand through his hair and seemed to struggle to find the words.

  “I’m sorry,” he said. “I was drunk and let my mouth run off. I shouldn’t have called your woman a whore. I sure the fuck shouldn’t have left her unprotected when I called the Prospect away from your house. And I should have believed you when you said she was raped. I was an asshole.”

  “Yeah, you were.”

  He nodded. “I’m sorry, VP. Won’t happen again.”

  “And Cobra?” I asked.

  Hot Shot winced. “Um, Grizzly found out what we’d said. He cornered Cobra. Dude had to get his jaw wired shut when Griz broke it in several places. I got off light in comparison.”

  “So are you apologizing because you admit you were wrong, or because you’re worried Grizzly will tear into you again?” I asked.

  “I know I was wrong. Now. And I told Outlaw where to find that webcam video. Someone must have hacked the site and downloaded a bootleg. He’s making sure it’s taken down everywhere so no one will ever see it again. I’m sorry, Slash. Really. I mean it.”

  “Fine. Keep the fuck away from my wife. You have to earn my respect again, because right now I wouldn’t piss on you if you were on fire.”

  He gave a quick nod and walked off.

  Looked like the two in-house issues had been resolved. For now. I knew Badger and Grizzly would help me keep anyone in line who decided to say shit about Shella. It pissed me off that men I called brothers, men I trusted to have my back, hadn’t believed me when I’d told them what happened to Shella. Even worse, they’d mouthed off about it in the clubhouse where the club whores and Prospects could hear. That shit was far from all right, and I planned to make sure everyone knew it.

  I made my way through the main part of the clubhouse and outside to my bike. Shella was waiting at home with Colorado standing guard. Now that I knew Hot Shot and Cobra weren’t an issue, I wouldn’t worry quite so much. Unless there were others who just hadn’t spoken up within earshot of anyone. Might not be a bad idea to leave someone watching over her anytime I left, as long as I knew I could trust them. Like Colorado and Beau.

  Definitely needed to talk to Badger about patching the kid in. He’d proven himself by coming forward about Hot Shot and Cobra, even though he’d feared losing his chance to ever officially be a member of the Devil’s Fury. His loyalty to me and to Shella went a long way to mend his past mistakes. I knew if I asked Meiling and Dingo, they’d feel the same way.

  “Got a minute?” Doolittle asked, approaching as I swung my leg over my bike.

  “Just on my way home. Is this club business or something else?”

  “Something else,” he said.

  “Follow me home? I need to relieve Colorado of guard duty and check on Shella. Unless you don’t want her to hear whatever you need to say?”

  He shook his head. “It’s fine. I’ll meet you there. Just need to tell Steel something real quick. Heard he was here. Then I need to grab something from home. Won’t take long.”

  “He’s downstairs,” I said.

  I backed my bike away from the front of the clubhouse, then pulled down the winding road that led to my house. Shella’s little car was still under the carport, where it had remained since her run-in at the diner with JJ and Mike. She’d been too scared to go out since then. It wouldn’t be long before she’d feel safe leaving again. I’d make sure I made an impression on the cheerleaders, since they’d be the only ones from that day who were still breathing when this was over. Anyone else who had a hand in the incident would pay the ultimate price.

  I parked next to her car and shut off the bike, putting down the kickstand before I got off. Colorado stood not too far from the front door and gave me a nod as I got closer.

  “You can head out,” I said. “I don’t plan to leave again anytime soon. If I have to go anywhere, I’ll get Beau to come watch her for a bit.”

  “You know I’m happy to help,” Colorado said. “I’ve been kind of a dick in the past. Consider this my way of making up for past deeds.”

  I smirked knowing he’d already paid for that transgression. The woman in question had kneed him in the nuts. He’d been livid, but whatever had been going through his head at the time, he’d sorted it out.

  I went inside but didn’t shut the door since I saw Doolittle coming down the road. I checked the living room and smiled when I saw Shella passed out on the couch with a movie playing. She looked so damn innocent right now. Hell, despite all that she’d done, she really was innocent. Yeah, she’d been with two guys at once, been a stripper, and a webcam girl, but those had been her cry for help, her way of being something she wasn’t. When I looked into her eyes, they weren’t hard and jaded. She still had a sweetness to her.

  Doolittle stepped into the house and shut the door. The moment I realized he had what looked like a baby sling strapped to him, I was more than a little intrigued.

  “Knock someone up?” I asked.

  He snorted and tugged the material down until two long ears poked out. “Sorry. Bestiality isn’t my thing.”

  I lifted Shella into my arms and sat. She murmured in her sleep and only snuggled closer to me before sighing and getting quiet again. Doolittle grinned at her as he sat in the chair I normally used.

  “So why are you here with a rabbit?” I asked. “I’m assuming that’s what you went to get.”

  He nodded. “It is. This is Tinker. She’s a Jersey Wooly and needs someone with a gentle touch.”

  “Uh-huh.” I had a feeling Shella and I were about to become parents to a rabbit, especially if she woke up and saw it.

  “She’s been bottle-fed and is now weaned. I got her from a breeder who decided to retire. Tinker’s mom died. The lady was able to sell all but Tinker and one other. The little boy already went to a home, but Tinker hasn’t had any takers, even though I’ve asked a few people who came through the clinic.”

  “Where’s her stuff?” I asked.<
br />
  Doolittle smirked. “Knew you were a softie.”

  I just stared him down.

  “All right. I get it. Big bad VP and all. You really going to take her in?” he asked.

  “Shella will fall in love with Tinker the second she meets her. You knew damn well she’d want that rabbit, and that’s why it’s now in my living room. Strapped to your chest like a baby, I might add.”

  Doolittle shrugged. “She’s a calm bunny. It’s part of the charm of her breed. But I’ve noticed she isn’t as stressed when she’s strapped to me like this. Didn’t even seem to mind the bike ride over here.”

  “Why not bring your truck with all her shit?”

  “Because I wasn’t entirely certain you’d let her stay. She’s litter-box trained so she won’t mess on the floor the short time it will take me to head back to the house for her stuff. Or I can close her in a bathroom if you’d prefer.”

  Shella mumbled again and stirred, rubbing at her eyes. “Talon?”

  Doolittle’s eyes went comically wide at her use of my name. Since I knew damn well she wasn’t aware anyone else was here, I couldn’t exactly reprimand her for it.

  “Butterfly, we have company.”

  She bolted upright and tensed. “Oh my God. I’m sorry!”

  I ran my hand down her hair. “You get in a good nap?”

  She nodded and eyed Doolittle, or more specifically the baby sling. “What’s in there?”

  “Our new kid,” I said. “It seems I have sucker written across my forehead.”

  Shella stood and approached Doolittle. When he tugged the fabric down and she saw the little bunny, she gasped and reached out, plucking it from the sling and cradling it against her.

  “Aren’t you just the cutest thing ever?” she cooed to the bunny.

  “Her name is Tinker,” Doolittle said, removing the sling and handing it to Shella. “She likes being carried in this when she feels stressed. Tinker was bottle-raised, but she’s fully weaned now. I’m going to run home for her stuff and bring it over. Told Slash she’s litter-trained, but if you’re not going to supervise her, you’ll want to put her in her cage so she’ll be safe.”

  Shella nodded, not looking away from the rabbit for a second. Yep. She was in love with Tinker already. Lucky fucking rabbit. Couldn’t think of anything better than being loved by a woman like her.

  “I’ll bring over her food, treats, hay, a cage, toys, anything else you’ll need to get you started,” Doolittle said. “She’s already had a check-up, but bring her to the clinic if she gets sick. I’d like to see her in about six months just to weigh her and make sure everything still looks good.”

  “She’s beautiful,” Shella said, stroking Tinker between the ears.

  “I knew I made the right choice bringing her here.” Doolittle smiled and let himself out.

  “Guess we better figure out where we’re putting her cage. I’m thinking it would be better to keep her downstairs. Might need a gate or something across the stairs if you want her to run free when you’re down here,” I said.

  “We have that room down the hall that’s empty. What if we put her cage and stuff in there with a litter box? It could be her area. If we put a baby gate across the door, then she could run around there sometimes if I can’t watch her.”

  I shrugged not knowing much about rabbits. “Guess it would be fine. You can check with Doolittle when he comes back. I’m thinking we’ll have to rabbit-proof the house.”

  Shella rubbed her face against the rabbit, a smile spread across her lips.

  How the fuck I went from torturing her rapists to owning a rabbit was anyone’s guess. No, I knew exactly how it happened. I’d do anything for Shella, and the second I’d seen the bunny I’d known she’d love it. I wanted to see her smile, to forget about the pain of her past. Maybe having the bunny to cuddle would help in some way.

  Chapter Eleven

  Shella

  I stared at the local newspaper and bit down on my lip so I wouldn’t laugh. Lauren Brewer, one of the girls who’d shoved me into the boy’s locker room, was front page and not exactly looking her best. I skimmed the article and saw the now bald woman had experienced a string of misfortune over the last week, the latest of which had been her hair falling completely out.

  Tinker sniffed my foot and I reached down to pick her up, cradling her on my lap. It seemed Lauren and her best friend, Faith Marx, had been run off the road a week ago. Since then, both ladies had one bad thing after another happen to them. Someone had put sugar in Lauren’s gas tank, and all four of Faith’s tires had been flattened. Both ladies claimed to have a rotten stench in their homes, a smell no one could locate. The grass in their yards had died almost overnight. Each had received pictures proving their husbands were cheating on them -- with each other. And somehow, both ladies had been covered in poison oak even though they claimed to have not stepped foot near any.

  “Tinker, it couldn’t have happened to anyone better. They’re getting what they deserve.”

  Slash leaned over my shoulder and snorted when he saw the paper. “Oh, butterfly, I’m only just beginning.”

  I shoved the paper away and stared at him. “Talon, are you trying to say you’re responsible for all this?”

  “And then some. Wait until their bank accounts are suddenly drained and closed. Not to mention, they’ll never find the smell in their homes. There’s raw shellfish in their air ducts. The poison oak wasn’t easy, though. I had Nox and Dax sneak in while they were sleeping and rub the plant over any exposed skin. Except Nox took it further. Did you notice Lauren is scratching her ass in the photo?”

  I gasped. “He didn’t!”

  “Oh yeah. He rubbed it all over her ass and between her legs. Apparently, she sleeps like the dead, not to mention naked, and didn’t so much as twitch. He waited until her husband was off screwing someone else.”

  “And them being run off the road?” I asked.

  “Just scaring them a bit. They didn’t hit anything or wreck. Probably got close to having a heart attack.”

  I reached up and snagged his leather cut, pulling him down. Pressing my lips to his, I kissed him long and hard. “I love you.”

  “Erin Rogers and Carrie Worth both moved away. Outlaw is fucking with them as much as he can from here, but they’re getting off light compared to the other two. We’ve rounded up the seven guys who raped you. They won’t hurt you, or anyone else, ever again.”

  “Is that where you kept running off to all week?” I asked.

  He nodded. “I’ve had JJ, Mike, and Joe for about eight days. Billy got a quick death since he gave me the information I wanted. Parker, Aaron, and Eddie were a little harder to find since they don’t live here anymore. Sent some men after them and they’re secure for now. Soon enough, they’ll be dead.”

  It should bother me he spoke of killing them so easily, without the slightest bit of remorse. Honestly, I couldn’t find even a little sympathy for them. After what they’d done to me, I hoped he made them suffer.

  “Can I see them?” I asked.

  “Butterfly, you don’t have to put yourself through that.”

  I took a breath and let it out. “I think I need to.”

  He nodded. “All right. Put Miss Tinker back in her cage and change clothes. But I have to warn you, JJ, Mike, and Joe aren’t looking so great. Billy’s already dead and buried. I haven’t had a chance to work much on the other three.”

  I held Tinker against my chest and carried her to her room. I put her in the cage and made sure it was locked before heading upstairs to change. What was I supposed to wear? I’d never been down to the secret room that really wasn’t so secret. Everyone in the club knew about it, including the old ladies.

  I pulled on a black shirt and dark jeans, with the boots Slash had bought me. Lifting my property cut off the hanger, I slid it over my shoulders. I ran a brush through my hair and made quick work of braiding it. The woman staring back at me seemed more confident. I’d still been sc
ared my attackers could be out there, watching and waiting, but I’d ventured out into the compound a bit more the last week.

  No one whispered when I passed them, or made me feel bad. Colorado and Doolittle always greeted me with a hug, and my sisters had been extremely supportive. I’d even met the three girls currently staying with my dad. They seemed sweet and I was glad he’d been here to help them.

  I rode on the back of Slash’s bike. Even though I was pregnant, as long as he went slow, I was still allowed to go on short rides. When I started to show, I knew that would change. His protective instincts would kick in and he’d make me ride in the car. He parked out in front of the clubhouse and I saw a few bikes, as well as a car I didn’t recognize.

  Slash took my hand and led me inside. Wolf stood at the bar with a petite Hispanic woman. Tears streaked her cheeks, and he seemed to be doing his best to comfort her. I wondered if she was one of the ladies who’d arrived with two of the girls living with my dad.

  “Wolf and Franny have been seeing each other off and on since she came here,” Slash murmured in my ear. “He didn’t like her moving out, but she’s a determined little thing.”

  We walked past them and down the hall. Slash led me down to the area where they held anyone they needed to question, or kill. I saw six men tied to chairs, although three of them were barely recognizable as human. My hand trembled in his as I stared at them. These were the boys who’d hurt me? They didn’t seem so scary right now.

  JJ’s eyes looked like the skin around them had been burned and the vacant way he looked around the room made me think he was blind. He was missing half his fingers, and I saw burns, cuts, and bruises covering almost every inch of him. They were all naked and I made sure I took in every inch of their bodies. That day, I’d been terrified and in pain. Now, not so much.

  I approached JJ first. He’d hurt me the most. “What happened to him?”

  He tensed at my voice. Slash’s hand landed at my waist and I felt the heat of his body against my back. “You really want to know?”