by Sam Crescent
She chuckled. “I’ve been getting away with it for as long as I can remember. You think this is my first rodeo, killer? I know what I’ve been doing because I’ve been doing it all my life.” She stepped close, and her lips were pressed against his ear. “If you must know, my first victim was my sister. She was so sweet, so delicate, and by the time they were finished with her, I made sure she was only a shell of her former self. I’ve been with my husband all my life, and we’re two parts of the same whole.” She pulled back. “I’ve been in this game a lot longer than you. I know what I’m doing, and I’m skilled enough to make the right men turn the other way.” She pressed a kiss to his cheek, and he pulled back. This only made her laugh even more. “Your disgust is pathetic. I’ve been doing this for a long time, and I’ve yet to be caught. There are a lot of people who like what we do, and do you really think you’re going to stop them? You couldn’t even figure out who put the hit out on your woman.” She pressed her hands together and smiled. “Some men do like fat women, and I just know she’s going to make us a fortune, and then I’m going to get that little boy to eat out of the palm of my hand.” She ran a hand down her body. “I’ve heard that young boys like a woman who knows what she’s doing.”
Killian was going to gut the bitch, and fuck her up so much that she didn’t even know what the fuck the problem was.
“First though, I think it’s only fair that my boys have a little go at you.” She pouted and stroked his cheek. “I’m sorry about this because you really do have a beautiful face, even if it does have some scars on it. You and I both know that they make us stronger.”
Killian watched her saunter off as three old fuckers stepped forward. Metal covered their fingers, and he smirked. “You really think I’m afraid of you fuckers. It’s a shame that you let a dirty cunt tell you what to do.”
It was a surprise to see Lauren insulted by his words. She was a disgusting human being, and when he got free he was going to make sure that she couldn’t breathe.
The first hit went to his stomach, but he was used to harder punches. He’d taken them as a kid, and growing up. Part of his training to be part of Killer of Kings was proving he could take the torture without giving away vital information. He’d been young, but Boss had been thorough with his methods.
Gritting his teeth, he glared at her, knowing that Boss had a plan. The owner of Killer of Kings always had a plan. All he had to do was wait it out, and hopefully, at the end of it, he was going to be breathing. He had so many plans after all of this. First, he was going to marry June, and take her away from all of this bullshit. He was going to make sure that his son wanted for nothing.
All of this would come to pass. He would make up for the past ten years. He just had to get through this.
****
“What the fuck are you doing here, Shadow, and where’s Killian?”
June looked over Boss’s shoulder, but she didn’t get a clear shot of the man. She was terrified as they were not at the hotel. During the journey in the car, she had gotten the sense that something had gone really wrong. Tension was thick in the air.
Boss had been on the phone, talking so fast that she didn’t have a clue what was being said.
“He went in, and I just got out. It’s the wife,” Shadow said. “The wife put out the hit on Killian’s woman and kid. Also, you’re not going to like this.”
What June heard next was enough to turn her stomach.
“I had no idea,” said another guy with lots of ink and a leather cut on his back.
“You’re telling me this woman you call a fucking mother has been taking girls and exploiting them and you didn’t know? She used them in a sick and twisted fuck game, and you’re saying that you didn’t have a clue what the hell was going on?” Boss asked.
She heard the anger in his voice, and it made her feel cold inside. Boss was clearly a monster, but the way he was talking, he had standards.
“I didn’t know. She never said a fucking thing, and it’s not like she’d turn around and tell me that she got off on seeing girls raped and tortured.” The leather-clad man paced up and down. “Fuck, fuck, fuck.”
“You’ve got one choice to make as far as I’m concerned. She dies, and all the fuckers that are related to it die along with her,” Boss said.
“Boss, the website is fucking huge,” Shadow said. He was on his cell phone. “Maurice said there’s an entire network at play.”
“Then we do what we do best, we bring the kings down. I won’t have that website up any longer than it needs to. You tell Maurice there’s a healthy paycheck if he gets that website down and all the addresses related to that sick shit. Daddy’s going to have a party.” Boss climbed into the car, and then several of the leather-clad men joined them.
June sat in the corner, not knowing what to do. She was afraid, but Boss was staring out of the window. No one spoke for the longest time and then Shadow got in the car.
“We going to get Killian now?” Shadow asked.
“Of course we are.” Boss looked at her. “How do you feel about acting?”
“I can do whatever it takes. If it will help Killian, and anyone else, I’ll do it. What do you need me to do?”
“You don’t need to know the plan in advance. I’ve got a feeling it will be even more authentic if you just react.” Boss stared at the biker who was next to her. “Are you prepared to do what needs to be done, Manic?”
“You’re asking me to kill my mother?” he asked.
“I’m asking you to deal with the poison that is infecting your club. You think this is going to go away, or do you think she’s going to allow you to live much longer? You’ve got to get your head out of the clouds, boy. Don’t forget that women can be just as vicious as us.”
Boss sat back, and June stared out of the window.
Time passed, and it was too soon before they were out of the car. She gasped as Boss grabbed her around the neck and pointed a gun at her head. This was all a little too real, too raw, too damn scary. She was petrified of what was about to happen.
This was for her son, for Killian, and for all of the other girls that had been hurt. She had to do this for them, and to hope that no other girl found her death in the clubhouse up ahead.
Scarlett had promised that she would take care of her son, no matter what, and June believed the kind woman.
Entering the clubhouse, Boss pointed the gun at another leather-clad man.
“I’ve got something your lady wants, and tell her I’m not letting this bitch go without a fight.” Boss growled each word, and he didn’t lower his weapon.
She held onto his arm, trying to deal with everything that was going on. It was scary, and she hated it. June had never been as afraid in all of her life as she was right now. She knew something was about to go bad.
Closing her eyes, she waited, and tried to drown everything else out. Suddenly they were moving forward, and there were shouts, grunts, cries. They entered a much larger room, and seeing what was going on in front of her, nearly had her throwing up all over the place.
“So this is his little slut,” a much older woman said, coming forward.
Past her shoulder, June gasped as she caught sight of Killian being beaten against the wall.
“I take it you’re Lauren,” Boss said.
“The one and only. Who might you be, handsome?”
“I don’t give names,” he said.
“Don’t worry. I can handle no names.” Lauren reached out and stroked June’s cheek. “She looks so sweet, so innocent, so tempting. I know a lot of men are going to love getting their fill of you.”
June squeezed Boss’s arm tighter. She couldn’t help it. The fear was too much, and it scared her.
What was the plan? What did Boss hope to achieve?
There was no easy way out of this, not that she could see. There was only pain and death.
“It’s quite the little set up you’ve got going here. You bring all the girls here, make them do what yo
u want?” Boss asked.
“It’s all for their own good. Yes, this is the perfect place, and we’re able to market it worldwide. We have a huge fan base.”
From the way Lauren looked at Boss, she liked what she saw. There was no way that Boss was going to be suckered in by all this. The rage she heard from him was not something you made up.
“Maybe one day you could stay and watch the show.”
“I don’t rape girls!” Boss moved the gun from June’s head, and fired his gun at the two men at her back. “And I don’t let bitches like you near me.” Boss shot her in the arm, and Lauren lurched back before steadying herself.
June was shoved to the ground as Manic and his crew rushed into the room. Bullets were flying everywhere, and June saw that Killian was still trapped to the wall. She had to do something before he got hit in the crossfire. June crawled toward Killian trying to stay as low as she could, when someone wrestled on top of her.
“You think you’re so smart right now, slut. Wait until I have the entire club lining up to take your pussy. I’ll have them tear it apart, and then I’ll cut you piece by fucking piece.” Lauren slammed June’s head against the floor, dazing her for a little bit.
Fear, panic, or adrenaline—she didn’t know what it was—but she was able to shove Lauren off her back, and slap her hard. When Lauren attempted to get up, June pulled her arm back, clenched her fingers tight, and punched her in the face.
Lauren went down, and that was when June saw the keys hooked at her waist. After grabbing them, she ran over to Killian.
“You shouldn’t be here,” he said. “You’re supposed to be safe with Bain.”
“Shut up, because right now, I’m the one helping you.” She found the key, turned the lock, and as a series of bullets ran across the wall, near where they were standing, Killian pushed her to the floor.
“I’ve got to fucking end this once and for all,” Killian said, kissing her cheek. “I love you, baby.”
He kissed her head a final time, and it was then that she realized the noise had gone silent.
Killian helped her to her feet, and that was when she saw the men who’d been in the car, were in control. Guns trained on most of the older men. Manic was there, staring at his mother. Her nose was bleeding, and June got a sick sense of pleasure at seeing the blood running down her face.
“You did this?” Manic said. “My own mother.”
“Please, give me a break. You’re such a fucking pussy.” Lauren got to her feet. Blood coated her arm in crimson.
“Remember what I told you,” Boss said. “This is your problem to deal with. I’m getting fucking tired of cleaning up everyone else’s mess. Clean this shit up!”
Killian held her hand tightly, and she watched as Manic’s hand didn’t shake. “I know what I have to do.”
“Then do it already.”
Boss wasn’t helping the situation. Killian squeezed her hand, and then she watched as he left her side. He went to Manic, patted his shoulder, grabbed the gun from him, and shot Lauren in the head.
“No one should ever have to kill their own mother, no one.”
Chapter Twelve
Killian watched the bitch fall to the ground, and a rush of raw satisfaction washed through him. He stood transfixed as blood pooled on the concrete around her, a morbid canvas.
She was the first woman he’d killed.
He remembered life as a young boy, hating how men treated the women who’d raised him. Whores or not, they didn’t deserve what those assholes dished out. Killian had promised himself never to become that kind of lowlife. In this case, an exception was in order.
“Damn, that was a long time coming,” said Boss. “You’re the rightful heir to the Dead Angels, Manic. I hope you’ll handle your shit better than your mother.”
“I’m nothing like her,” said Manic. He shook his head, looking down at the body. Even if the woman was a fucking monster, it couldn’t be easy for a kid to see his mother’s dead body. Killian knew first hand. At least Manic didn’t have to pull the trigger.
“You okay?” asked Killian.
“Yeah. It had to be done,” said Manic. “It’s just hard to believe I have no family left.”
Killian realized he’d personally taken both this kid’s parents from him. He knew what it was like to have no one and nothing, only himself to rely on. It had made him hard. Made him invincible. He hoped Manic would be able to forgive him one day.
“You have your club. That means everything. Patched for life, eh?”
Manic nodded absently, still staring at the body.
Viper came up behind Boss, resting a hand on his shoulder as he took in the scene. “You’ve got three IOUs, and this is what you want me to deal with? Fuck.”
“Anyone loyal to the dead bitch needs to join her. Take Shadow and Manic and hunt down anyone outside the club. It only takes one piece of shit to spread the disease, so end it. No mistakes. I’ll have the clean-up crew in town within the hour,” said Boss. “By the way, you’ll be paying for it, Manic. This is your shitstorm, not mine.”
“Whatever, I’m not worried about money, just deal with it,” said Manic.
Killian put his arm around June and held her close. The pungent, abrasive scent of gunfire lingered in the air. Manic’s crew was already rounding up the old bikers, handling them execution style. The two remaining girls were already gone, probably to the hospital. It was over. No more worrying about June and Killian, no more putting off his dreams of a forever family.
“I won’t lecture you,” said Boss. They faced off for a minute, and Killian could hear every unspoken word from just the eye-contact. Killian had fucked up. He’d been weak, left loose ends ten years ago, and didn’t take Boss’s advice. The list went on, but there was no way Killian would be put in this position again. It was a hard lesson learned.
“Did you know all along?” asked Killian.
Boss smirked, not saying a word. He didn’t have to. The bastard was always one step ahead of everyone. The thing with Boss, he had patience, and he liked some lessons to be learned rather than taught.
As much as he wanted to leave town, Killian still had to hang around to help Killer of Kings. There was more than just a body count to clean up. Manic’s life had been turned upside down, and part of Killian took personal responsibility for Manic since he’d let him live all those years ago. He couldn’t be older than twenty-five, but he was strong and weathered. Growing up in an MC was no cake walk.
First things first, Killian needed his woman. With all the chaos and stress, he had to unwind, to drown in June’s sweetness. He kissed her temple, then whispered in her ear. “You look beautiful in that dress. Lose your panties. We’ll be leaving in a few minutes.”
He walked over to Shadow, pulling him aside. There were still occasional gunshots deeper in the club, shouting, and cursing. The place was being torn apart by Manic’s crew and Boss’s men. “I just want to thank you for hanging around and having my back,” said Killian. “I know you were hired for recon, so I appreciate it.”
“It’s what I do.” Shadow ran a hand through his hair, looking around at a crumbling empire. “Maybe we’ll work together again one day. You’re Boss’s little bitch, so I’m sure I’ll see you around.”
“Fuck off.” He gave Shadow a playful shove. “You heading home after this?”
Shadow nodded.
Killian didn’t know anything about Shadow, but most of the men working for Killer of Kings liked their privacy for one reason or another. “You have family?”
Shadow scoffed. “Don’t have one of those.” He jutted his chin towards June. “Looks like you just got the whole package deal.”
Killian couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah. I have to learn how to be a dad. No practice run. Hopefully I don’t fuck it up.”
“You’ll do good,” he said. “You can’t do worse than that bitch.”
Killian looked at the body one last time, still shocked that a woman could be so evil. Boss
had been right, and Killian was glad she was dead. Soon she’d be gone, any twisted legacy buried with her.
As he started to leave, Manic called out to him. “I just wanted to say thank you.”
He met up with the other man. “I killed your mother, you don’t have to thank me for that.”
Manic shook his head. “You let me live a decade ago, and you didn’t have to. Boss asked me to pull the trigger, and you spared me. That deserves thanks in my books.”
He felt a unique closeness to Manic, what he perceived as a parental bond. Instead of making an enemy, he’d made a friend, a new connection. “If you want to thank me, give me the keys to one of those bikes. I need to clear my head before dealing with this shit storm.”
“After today, half of those Harleys won’t have a rider. Take your pick. Keys are always with the bikes.”
They parted ways for now. Killer of Kings would be in town for a few days to sort shit out. Boss would want to lay down the law so the Dead Angels MC knew who not to fuck with. Killian would need to be by his side. At least there was an end in sight.
“Come on, baby.” Killian took June’s hand, and they left the club, emerging into the clean air outside. The sky was blue, the tree line offering a sharp contrast of color. No matter how hard life hit him, Killian always fought back, looking for hope and beauty in the smallest things.
When they reached the bikes, Killian motioned for June to get on the first one.
“What? I’m not getting on that,” she said.
“Yes, you are, little lady.” He held the handlebar and forced her to back up into the side of the bike, his body pressed to hers. “Did you do as I say?”
She looked up at him, questioning.
“I told you I wanted the panties gone.”
June smiled. “I wasn’t wearing any.”
Killian groaned, reaching under her dress to ensure she was telling the truth. He ran the backs of his fingers over the soft hairs of her pussy, before plunging in two fingers to the knuckles.