Inferno: A Devil Chaser's MC Romance

by Wilder, L

  “Okay. Can I put my clothes in here? Are we really going to stay here, Momma?”

  “Yes. We’re going to stay here for now. I think you’ll like it here. Maybe you could go fishing at the pond tomorrow with the boys.”

  “Awesome!” Isabelle said as she began to unzip her bags.

  Tessa showed her mother around the rest of the house. Her mother was concerned about how quickly things were moving with Bishop, but Tessa reassured her that things were going to work out. She was in love with him, and she couldn’t imagine anywhere else she’d rather be. Before her mother left, she gave her a hug and promised to call her later in the week.

  Bishop was putting drinks in the cooler when Tessa walked into the kitchen. He was gathering the things they would need to take to the cookout. Bishop thought it would be a good idea to get Tessa out of the house for some fun. Courtney would be there with Bobby, and he thought she would enjoy spending some time with them.

  “You about ready?” Bishop asked her.

  “I’m ready when you are. The kids are excited about it. Myles showed them the fireworks you bought for them.”

  “Great. We won’t stay long. I don’t want you to overdo it. We’ll eat and hang out a bit. You let me know when you’re ready to come back.”

  “I’ll be fine. Stop worrying so much. Let’s go have a good time.” Tessa helped him gather the chips and buns and headed over to the clubhouse. It wasn’t far from the house, so they decided to just walk over.

  Doc was already grilling burgers and hotdogs when they walked up. Several of the guys were standing around talking outside. Bishop put down the cooler of sodas and went over to talk to them. Tessa went inside to see if Courtney was there.

  She was sitting at the bar alone when Tessa walked in. “What are you doing in here by yourself? I thought you were going to be here with Bobby.”

  Courtney gave her the ‘I’m pissed so don’t ask’ look. “I don’t know where he went off to, and I really don’t care,” she said, obviously upset about something.

  “So, what’s the deal with the chicks around here? What the hell is a Fallen girl? Where exactly did they fall from?” She said sarcastically. “How do you stand knowing those kinds of girls are always hanging around here? It’s fucked up.”

  “It’s all new to me, too. Bishop tried to explain it to me, and it bothered me too, at first. I trust him and know that he won’t mess around with them anymore. They’ve been really nice and helped me get things ready for the kids to move in. Give them a chance. You’ve got to be able to trust Bobby. If he’s really the guy for you, then these girls won’t matter anyway.”

  “I know you’re right, but if that Cindy chick puts her hands on him one more damn time, I am gonna cut her!”

  “Don’t be so dramatic. Really, Courtney. These girls have been around the club for a long time. You have to give them time to see that you’re really here for Bobby. Once they realize that you’re with him for the long haul, they’ll back off.”

  “Maybe. He’s pretty pissed off at me right now. I kinda showed my ass just before you got here. He may not want to have anything to do with me after my little outburst,” Courtney said with a worried look on her face.

  “I think he really likes you. Give it time. He’ll come around. Let’s go have a beer and give things time to settle down. You’ll see. He’ll be back.”

  “Okay. I need a burger, too. They smell amazeballs! My stomach has been growling for the past thirty minutes.”

  “You got it. Bishop bought the kids some fireworks. We can help them shoot them later. I know how you love setting things on fire.” Tessa nudged her with her shoulder.

  “I’m glad you’re back to your old self. You scared the hell out of me. I couldn’t imagine going back to school without you there. Those kids would destroy me.”

  “I’m not going anywhere. Let’s go get that burger.” Tessa hooked her arm through Courtney’s and pulled her outside. They walked over to the picnic tables and fixed themselves a plate. Isabelle sat with them while they ate. She was devouring a hotdog when Tessa said, “Slow down, Izzie. If you keep eating like that you’re going to choke.”

  “It’s really good, Momma. They’re a lot better than the ones you make,” Isabelle said with her mouth full.

  “Well, we’ll have to get Doc to cook for us again sometime.”

  Renegade and Sheppard came over to sit with them. “I’m glad you’re feeling better, Tessa. You had us all worried there for a minute,” Sheppard told her.

  “Bishop was going out of his mind when he didn’t know where you were. That Bobby is something else. He can’t keep his damn shoes tied, but he could find an ant in a mole hill if you asked him to,” Renegade said. “We were lucky you were able to get your phone. That was a pretty smart move on your part.”

  “I was lucky I was able to grab it without Sam seeing me. I wanted to thank all of you for helping me. It meant a lot to both of us.”

  “That’s what we’re here for. You’re part of the family now. We’ll be here for you anytime you need us,” Sheppard told her.

  “Seems like a pretty great family if you ask me,” Tessa said. “Thanks for making us feel so at home here.”

  “Glad to have ya. I’m gonna grab a beer. Can I get y’all anything?” Renegade asked.

  “Sure, I’ll have another beer,” Courtney answered.

  “Me, too.”

  “I’ll be right back.” Renegade walked into the clubhouse to get them all a beer and ran into Bobby as he was walking out the door. Bobby seemed upset, so Renegade asked, “Hey, man. Everything alright?”

  “Yeah, it’s fine. Just some dumb shit with Courtney. Why do women have to be so damn complicated?” Bobby asked.

  “Beats the hell outta me. Never have been able to understand one yet. What’s going on?”

  “She got pissed off when Cindy tried to get me to take her back to my room. She was pretty obvious about it, but I told her to get lost. She had her hands all over me right in front of Courtney, and Courtney didn’t take it very well. I told her she didn’t have anything to worry about, but she didn’t believe me. I’ve never given her any reason not to believe me, so I just got up and left.”

  “Bobby, you gotta remember she isn’t used to the club life. This is all new to her. Did you take the time to explain anything to her, or did you leave it up to her to figure out? You know women tend to jump to conclusions about everything. You gotta talk to her. If she means anything to you at all, you need to fix it,” Renegade explained. He turned to the bar and left him standing there.

  Bobby walked outside and noticed that Courtney was talking to Bulldog. He was laughing at something she’d said, and he felt a twinge of jealousy seeing them together. He walked over to them and grabbed her hand. He pulled her behind the clubhouse. It was time for them to have a talk.

  Chapter 29

  Bishop

  The kids were out fishing by the pond, and Tessa was laying on the sofa reading on her Kindle. Bishop decided he needed to check in with the guys before their meeting that night. Things had been pretty quiet over the past week, and he wanted to let them know that the new garage would open soon.

  When he walked into the clubhouse, Renegade was sitting alone at the bar talking on the phone.

  “Sure, I’ll get you a room ready at the house. You can come and stay as long as you need to. Is anything wrong? Do you need me to come there?” Renegade was saying. After a few moments, he said, “Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow around 1 o’clock. Be careful.”

  He hung up the phone and laid it on the bar. He had a puzzled look on his face.

  “What’s that all about?” Bishop asked him.

  “That was Taylor. She asked if she could come visit for a few days, maybe a week.”

  “What’s up with that? Y’all got something going?”

  “It’s not like that, man. Even if I had a thing for her, it’s not gonna happen. She’s Ace’s sister. No way I could let anything happen with us.�
��

  “You know Ace would be okay with it. She seems like a nice girl, and she’s beautiful. Seemed like you had more than brotherly love for her when she was here for the funeral.”

  “Yeah, I’ve had feelings for her for a while. She even wanted us to get together a few years back. I thought about. I mean, really thought about it. I just couldn’t jeopardize my friendship with Ace. If I hurt her, I’d never forgive myself, and he’d kill me. Literally. I’ve never been one to settle down, and I don’t see it happening anytime soon.”

  “Why is she coming here then?”

  “She has something going on. I could tell it in her voice. She wouldn’t tell me about it though. She just said she needed to get away for a while. I told her she could stay at my place as long as she needed to. I’ll figure out what’s going on and help her if I can.”

  “Keep me posted. If there’s anything I can do to help, just let me know.”

  “Thanks. How’s Tessa doing with the move? Are the kids liking being at your place?”

  “She’s doing better. That whole deal with her brother has really messed with her head. It’s going to take some time for her to get past all that. The kids are doing great, though.”

  “I still can’t believe that Duce was her brother.”

  “Yeah. It was pretty fucked up. I’m glad it’s over. I think we got a good thing going.”

  “She seems like she’s fitting in just fine with the guys. They all like her. I’m happy for you, Bishop.”

  “Thanks man. That means a lot. You got anything that needs to be brought up in church tonight?” Bishop asked.

  “Not that I can think of. Been pretty quiet around here.”

  “Thank fuck for that. I’ll see you tonight.” Bishop left and went into his office. He needed to go over some of the invoices the contractor left for him on Saturday. He was pleased with the garage, and he planned to start working on the 1967 Mercury Cougar he had bought several weeks ago.

  That night he met with the guys for their monthly meeting and discussed his plans for the garage. They all seemed enthusiastic and ready to get started. They had several bikes they were still working on, but the thought of restoring classic cars got them excited. They also discussed patching in Otis. They all agreed that he had earned it, and they would give him his new patch on Friday at the party. They also agreed that Bulldog still needed to work for his. He was still having issues with his temper, and they knew he wasn’t ready for the responsibility of being a club member.

  When Bishop made it home, he found Tessa in the bedroom closet looking through her clothes. He could feel her tension as he walked over to her.

  “Whatcha doing?” Bishop asked.

  “Trying to figure out what I can wear to school tomorrow. I need something that’s comfortable but dressy enough to wear to work. I can’t wear jogging pants! And it’s stressing me out!”

  “You know you don’t have to go back if you aren’t ready. Hell, I don’t care if you ever go back. You can quit if you want to. I make plenty of money for the both of us.”

  “I’ve gotta work, Cole. I love my job, and I’m looking forward to seeing my kids tomorrow. It’s just frustrating finding something to wear. I’ll be fine. I’ll just wear one of the outfits my mother brought. I’ll look like an old lady, but as least it’s comfortable.”

  “Speaking of old ladies, I’ve got you something.”

  “You’ve done enough. It’s really sweet, but you don’t need to keep buying me things.”

  “This is something that’s more for me, and it would mean a lot to me if you would accept it.” He took the box from behind his back and placed it in her hands. He gave her a pleading look as she opened it. Behind the white tissue paper, there was a black leather jacket. When she pulled it out of the box, she was able to see the embroidery on the back. There was a Devil Chaser’s patch just like Bishop’s in the center. The words, Property of Bishop, scrolled over the top of the flames.

  “You bought me a club jacket?” Tessa asked.

  “When you wear it, it means you are my Old Lady. We talked about that before. I plan to put a ring on your finger in the next few months, but I want you to wear this until then.”

  “You want me to be your Old Lady?”

  “You already are. You just need the jacket to let everyone else know it. So what do you say? You gonna be my Old Lady, or what?” Bishop asked with a sexy grin.

  “I will on one condition.”

  “Oh yeah? What’s that?” Bishop asked with his eyebrow raised.

  “I want you to make love to me tonight. I’ve missed being with you. I need you. You know they say it’s a great stress reliever.” Tessa wrapped her arms around his neck bringing him in closer to her.

  “Are you sure you’re ready for that? I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “You could never hurt me, and yes, I’m sure.”

  “Well then, you’ve got a deal.”

  “Well, I guess you have an Old Lady.” Tessa grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him in for a deep kiss.

  He walked them backwards until his knees hit the bed. He pulled her down with him making her straddle him across his waist.

  “You’re on top. I wanna feel you ride my cock with nothing on but that leather jacket. I’m already hard just thinking about it.”

  And that’s exactly what she did. It had been over a week since they’d been together. After that night, she would never worry about her scars again. He made sure that she knew just how sexy she really was.

  Once she was asleep, he went to each room to check on the kids. When he got downstairs, he noticed all of their backpacks were resting by the back door. What’s that all about? Myles has never done that before. Tessa must have made them do that for school tomorrow. He walked through the rest of the house and locked all the doors. He checked the alarm before he made his way back up to bed. It felt good to have Tessa and her children there with him. He was finally beginning to understand what he’d been missing. He truly had a family now, and it meant the world to him.

  Chapter 30

  Renegade

  “I’ve tried calling her three times already. She should’ve been here four hours ago, and she isn’t answering her phone,” I told Sheppard.

  “You know how women are. They’re late to everything. I bet she had to fix her hair or something. Don’t worry about it. She’ll be here soon. If she doesn’t show, we’ll go find her,” Sheppard replied.

  “I don’t have a good feeling about this, Shep. She sounded strange on the phone. Something was bothering her. I know something isn’t right.”

  “It’s probably some dude. Is she dating anybody?”

  “Hell, I don’t know. Probably. A girl like her doesn’t go single for long. I’m sure she has guys drooling all over her.”

  “Yeah, it’s probably some guy she had a fight with. I bet they made up, and she decided not to come,” Sheppard said.

  “It’s not like her not to call me back. I’ll give it some time, but if she’s not here in a few hours, I’m going to look for her.”

  “I’ll go with you. Just give me a heads up. You don’t need to go up there alone. If there is a problem, you’ll need to have someone there with you.”

  “Thanks man. I’ll let you know,” I said as he left to go to his room. I pulled out my wallet and removed the folded picture from the side pocket. It was an old picture of me and Taylor. I was standing beside her with my arm around her shoulder. We had spent the day riding my bike out by the lake. I knew back then that I’d never want another girl. She was it for me. She was the most beautiful girl I’d ever met. My heart raced whenever she was around. It almost killed me every time she hugged me or even brushed up against me. As I sat there looking at the old picture of us together, I decided that I would do anything for her.

  I stared at the picture in my hand for another hour, then I picked up my phone and tried calling her again. When she didn’t answer, I became even more worried.

  “Where
the hell is she?” I shouted.

  ACKNOWLDEGEMENTS

  I have so many people I need to thank for making this book possible. First, I have to mention my brother. He passed away a year ago, and he inspired me to finally start living the life I wanted to live. You never know how much time we really have, and he made me realize that every moment counts. We shouldn’t wait for things to get easier or wait until we have more time. So, I decided to finally take that step and write my book.

  This book wouldn’t have even been remotely possible if my co-author, Brooke Asher, hadn’t been there for me every step of the way. She was my guide through this crazy journey, and I couldn’t have done it without her. She helped with editing, writing, tweaking, and deleting. She even brushed a few tears away when I was utterly frustrated! She’s just plain awesome. Thanks girl! You rock!

  A special thanks to Diamondback and Renegade from the Roughnecks MC. They were both willing to answer my questions about the club life and helped inspire some of the main characters of the book. While the dynamic of their motorcycle club is very different from the Devil Chasers, they helped with background information on their positions in the club. Diamondback is the Chaplain for the Roughnecks in Washington, while Renegade serves as the Sergeant of Arms in Tennessee. Renegade’s character will be the main focus in the second book of the series. Thank you both for all of your help.

  I also want to thank one of my favorite authors, Cora Brent, for her help. She gave me tons of suggestions on how to publish my book, and I appreciate her help more than she will ever know. She is an amazing author, and you should really check out her books. My friend Jenny was one of my beta readers, and I appreciate her taking the time to read my book - piece by piece. She helped me stay on track and let me know when things needed redirection. Thank you both.