by London Casey
“You’re doing a hell of a job.”
“Where’s your club at now?”
“I don’t know,” Shay said. “They threw me here because I lied to them.”
“Lied…”
“About you. I knew it was you doing this and I held the information back.”
“Why?”
Shay leaned forward. “Because I wanted to fucking kill you myself. You weak piece of shit.”
Caius’s eyes widened and he looked like he could cry. He curled his lip and looked down. His hands were shaking and when he made a fist, Shay was ready. He didn’t fear his brother’s physical violence.
Caius punched Shay in the nose, making him bleed, but then Caius jumped back. He shook his hand and held it as he tried to catch his breath.
“Should have kept your guys alive,” Shay said, laughing to taunt his brother. Blood dripped into his mouth and he swallowed it. “Come on, Caius, hit me again. Or untie me. Let me fight you like a man. Let’s settle this.”
“There’s nothing to settle,” Caius said. “I’m taking everything you have. I hate you, Shay. All I wanted to do was destroy the world with you by my side. You turned on me. I fucking hate you.”
“I hate you too, brother,” Shay said.
“Your club abandoned you,” Caius said as he collected himself. “And I guess I won’t need to visit AnnMarie and sweet Stephanie.”
“Jonesy’s family?”
Caius smiled. “I was going to do bad things to them. I gave him an order and he listened. However, I was prepared for your entire club to come after me.”
“I’m alone,” Shay said. “You just said you checked the area.”
“I know. But I have backup, just in case.” Caius pulled out a small black box. “This is a detonator. I figured you would all surround me here. I just wanted to know if Jonesy was dead.”
“He’s dead,” Shay said. “He slit his wrists.”
Caius laughed. “Can’t blame him. I did make him eat his own tongue.”
“You pussy.”
Caius came at Shay again. This time the punch hurt. Caius cried out. He then held the black box out and pressed the button.
For a second, Shay saw it all ending. Caius brought him here to kill them both. To die as brothers. Together.
The ground rumbled and the building shook.
“The bombs were all outside,” Caius said. “So when you surrounded me, I would kill you all.”
Shay let out a shaky breath. He shook his head.
“Oh, there’s the fear,” Caius said. “You care for those men. And they left you.”
“I lied. I deserve this.”
“Yes, you do deserve this,” Caius said. “And know that when I’m done killing you, I’m going to enjoy killing all of Back Down Devil. One by one. Reducing them to ash.”
Caius dropped the black box and pulled out his gun. “Look at me, my brother.”
Shay looked. “You don’t have the balls to do it.”
With a shrug and a smile, Caius pulled the trigger.
Shay didn’t expect him to do it that quick, but he did. The pain seared in his left shoulder. He looked at the hole in his leather cut.
“Fuck,” Shay groaned. “That fucking hurts.”
“Yes, yes. Tell me that it hurts.”
“It fucking hurts.”
“You could have been with me,” Caius said.
“I’m right here now. Let me out of the chair, Caius. Let’s do it the right way.”
“This is the right way,” Caius said. “This… is the right way. You’re weak. I’m strong. You’re tied to a chair, bleeding. I’m standing with a gun. That’s the image you need to remember.”
“Like a bitch,” Shay said. “Like you always were. Remember when we climbed a tree and you got scared of the height and pissed yourself?”
“Shut up.”
“You pissed like a baby. In your pants.”
“I’ll hurt you…”
“You needed a diaper, Caius. You baby.”
Caius lifted the gun and shot again.
Shay jumped back in the chair as another bullet went through his right shoulder. He let out a much needed scream. It really fucking hurt.
“Do it again,” Shay said. “End it. Pussy.”
Caius came at Shay. He reached down and lifted the chair. “I’ll drop you.”
Shay smiled. He swung his right foot up and connected with Caius’s jaw. The chair went back and Shay hit his head on the concrete again. Caius was then hovering over him, blood running from his nose.
“I’m going to put the next bullet through your head. You’re dead to me.”
“I know,” Shay said. “Do it. I accept your weakness.”
“I’m not weak!” Caius cried out.
“Yes you are. You’ve always been…”
Caius put the gun in Shay’s mouth. His eyes went wide. Shay could feel the gun shaking, clanking against his teeth. He didn’t know what to expect. It wasn’t supposed to get to this point. That wasn’t the plan.
That’s not what Miller fucking told him.
They were going to dump Shay off and leave. They were going to establish their presence when the time was right. They were smart enough to know about the bombs. They used Strokner for information the same way Caius did.
Unless, of course, Miller made a decision to let Shay die.
“Brother,” Caius said, “it’s the final chapter of the story. You may be stronger and bigger. You may be the cool guy. But I’m… I’m the smarter one. Always have been…”
Suddenly Caius’s head snapped back and a knife slid across his throat. A wound opened instantly, spraying blood everywhere. Caius disappeared as Erik appeared. He looked down at Shay, a mild look of satisfaction on his face.
“You’re late,” Shay said, coughing on his own blood.
“No, I’m right on time,” Erik said.
He walked away.
Gaige and Nate rushed into the room and brought Shay back to a seated position. Miller came next, walking slow and with a serious look on his face. Caius was stumbling back, touching his bleeding neck, shaking, looking around for help.
“They’re all dead,” Miller said to Caius. “You should have picked a smarter crew to team up with. Eight Under had no idea what hit them. They thought they were untouchable with you around. But you were in here and they were out there. I don’t know who’s dumber… Eight Under for thinking they could beat us or you, Caius, jumping into bed with a bunch of dumb assholes…”
“What… happened?” Shay asked.
“Cut him loose,” Miller ordered.
Nate cut Shay loose. The pain was unbelievable. Blood was everywhere.
Miller walked to Shay and crossed his arms. “We knew where Eight Under would be. We took care of everything. As planned.”
“He… he shot me,” Shay said. “Twice.”
“I know,” Miller said. He clamped a hand on Shay’s right shoulder. Shay cried out in pain. “I’m sorry, Shay, but you have to understand something. Back Down Devil is my life. It’s my blood. It’s my soul. And I know it’s the same for you. The bullet holes in your leather and the scars that will form on your shoulders… let them be reminders of what happens when you don’t trust us. Even for a second.”
Shay nodded. He swallowed blood and his pride, knowing Miller was right.
Miller then helped Shay to his feet. He moved so Shay could see Caius on the ground, still bleeding. His hands twitched.
“Go tend to your brother,” Miller said.
Shay stumbled to Caius and stared down at him. Caius’s eyes were glossy as he looked back up. There were no more words to say. Shay reached forward with his foot and placed it to the wound on Caius’s neck. He stepped down and crushed Caius’s throat until he no longer made noise. He was gone.
Then Shay turned and faced Erik, Nate, Gaige, and Miller. He nodded.
“Hurts?” Gaige asked.
“Like a motherfucker,” Shay said.
&nb
sp; “The wounds, too?” Miller asked.
“Yeah, those too.”
Shay took a step and pain swelled. He fell to one knee on the cold concrete. He then felt a hand on his neck.
“It’s okay, Shay,” Miller said. “Stay with us.”
Shay looked up and reached for Miller. “You… and everyone else. You’re my brothers.”
Miller nodded.
Shay closed his eyes and the strength drained from his body.
twenty-five.
Shay woke in a hospital room. He had no idea how he survived the gunshots and the damage to his face and head. It took him a few minutes before he felt like he could move.
When he turned his head to the right, he found Ava curled up in a chair, sleeping. Her hair was in her face. She had a leather cut covering her body. When he saw the bullet holes, he smiled.
She looked beautiful. She was the reason he survived. She was his strength.
“Bro, hey, look at me.”
Shay looked forward and saw Blaine standing at the edge of the bed.
“Where the fuck did you come from?” Shay asked.
“Hanging around. How you feeling?”
“Sore. Like I was shot?”
Blaine smiled. “You’re a crazy fuck, man.”
“I was tied to a chair. When he put the gun in my mouth, I actually started to think I was a goner.”
“Nah, man, come on. Miller wasn’t going to leave you. You know that. Things worked out just fine.”
“Yeah,” Shay said. “I’m in a hospital bed.”
“It happens to us all,” Blaine said. “Caius is dead. I’m sure you know that. Chief is taking care of the messy details for us. Miller sent the Lost Men packing, and made damn sure they didn’t come near Ava. He had to set a few of them straight, but I took care of her while you were occupied.”
“Oh?”
“She was trying to sneak out of the clubhouse. To save your sorry ass. You have a good woman there.”
“I know,” Shay said. “But she doesn’t deserve this life…”
“Fuck that,” Blaine said. “Life is what it is. You want to wear a suit and tie and sit at a desk? Come on, brother.”
“I know. I just fear for her.”
“No need. You’d kill before someone could breathe on her.”
“Did you breathe on her?”
“Oh man, when I grabbed her, she started wiggling against me. Fighting me. Got me so fucking hard, I jerked it three times to cool down.”
“You’re an asshole, Blaine,” Shay said. Then he smiled. “But thanks. Means a lot to me.”
“That’s why we’re here,” Blaine said. “She hasn’t left the hospital since you got here. She demanded I wipe the blood off your cut and give it to her. She loves you, Shay. I mean, true love kind of bullshit. Kind of gross. But lucky for you.”
“Yeah, lucky me,” Shay said. “I’m glad this is all done now. No more bombs. No more secrets.”
“It’s over. Look to your right. That’s your future. Heal up because we got business to tend to.” Blaine smacked Shay’s foot and then started to walk away. He paused and looked back. “Oh, I wanted to ask… is her ass as tight as it felt when she was rubbing against me?”
Shay growled. “Are you really asking me that?”
“What?”
“Blaine… get out.”
“It is. I’m right,” Blaine said. He puckered his lips and exhaled. “A tight ass like that… mmm…”
Blaine left the room. When Shay clenched his fists, pain shot through his shoulders and he groaned. He took a deep breath and forced himself to sit up. When he swung his feet off the bed, he groaned again. His left arm throbbed and he looked at the bandage covering the wound where he’d been stabbed with cutters.
Sliding to the edge of the bed, Shay managed to get his feet on the floor. He balanced and stood, then eyed the IV’s running from his hands. He wouldn’t be able to really walk far, if at all. Still, Shay reached forward. He touched his leather cut on Ava and then ran his hand through her hair. He moved it out of her face and watched her stir.
Her eyes opened and she quickly sat up.
“Shay? What the hell… get in the bed.”
“No,” Shay said. “I’m okay, love. I’m standing. I’m alive. Nothing to worry about.”
Ava hurried to her feet, tears in her eyes. “I didn’t know what to do.”
Shay touched her face. “Heard you tried to escape and dry humped Blaine.”
“Oh, gross,” Ava whispered. “Don’t remind me. I felt his… ugh.”
“Yeah, Blaine gets hard for anything. Not that your ass isn’t worth getting hard for, but I’ve seen him get drunk and dry hump the corner of a wall because it felt good.”
“I don’t want to talk about Blaine.”
“Neither do I, Ava. I… I’m sorry I didn’t tell you what was going to happen. Miller called the shots.”
“The Lost Men are gone,” Ava said. “Trev took the guys and left. He wasn’t happy. I apologized for lying, but he was still pissed.”
“Fuck those guys,” Shay said. “This is about us. And Ava, I fucking love you.”
“I know.”
“No, you don’t. I never said it. Now I am. I love you. I want you with me so I can protect you for the rest of our lives. And that could be a few seconds or a few years… hopefully longer.”
“Much longer.”
“All I want is each day with you to matter,” Shay said. “It will be okay now. There will always be a war to fight. You have to understand that. Life is about fighting, Ava. If you stop and get knocked down, you’re dead.”
“You were shot,” Ava said. “That’s scary.”
“No. Scary was falling on my face and having darkness sweep over me… because the last thought I had was about you.”
“Why’s that scary?”
“Because I think it means I have a heart.”
Ava smiled. She moved to her toes and kissed Shay. “You have a big heart, Shay. Not as big as your cock, but I can live with that.”
Shay slipped a hand to Ava’s back and pulled her close. She felt warm. Her mouth tasted delicious. He always thought his life’s purpose was to serve his club. Looking into Ava’s blue eyes, he realized that the club had brought him to his life’s purpose. Ava.
He owed his life to them, and he would never keep a secret from them again.
*
Jace, Gaige, and Nate were out on a ride. They needed to sweep through the building one more time before they released everything back to Chief Jerry and hopefully over to Strokner. If he picked up the building, it would provide some space for the MC. Then again, they’d be even more indebted to the rich businessman. When they left the building, Gaige and Nate took the lead, riding back into Frelen. At a red light, Jace pulled between them and motioned for Gaige.
“I’m fucking hungry, bro,” he yelled. “I’m grabbing a slice and a beer. Need to clear my mind of all this shit. You in?”
“No,” Gaige said. “I’m heading back to the clubhouse. I’ve got a naked woman waiting for me.”
Jace looked to Nate and Nate shook his head. When the light turned green they split up. Jace went to the left and got as close to the ocean as he could. The look of the beach, the small shops and restaurants, and the people reminded him what he was working so hard to protect.
After a slice of pizza, a cold beer, and flirting with a few women in small bikinis, Jace jumped back on his ride and kept going. He crossed into Coast Road MC territory. He had no business being there, but the ride was nice. The sun glistened off the water. The breeze was cool. And it took his mind off everything that had happened with Shay and Caius.
As Jace made a turn to head back toward the clubhouse, he noticed something in the water. It looked like a small boat. He came to a stop and watched the man standing on the back of the boat. He didn’t look out of the ordinary, but it did seem interesting that he was talking to a member of Coast Road MC who was on the dock. The two men
quickly shook hands and the man on the boat pointed to the water.
“What the fuck are you up to?” Jace whispered.
He shook his head. There would be a time and a day for all the wars that needed to be fought. As he started riding again, the smell of the ocean stirred up memories and he heard the laughter of a little boy. It was the kind of laugh that cut into his heart. Like it always did this time of the year.
Jace flew into the clubhouse lot and skidded to a stop when he saw the two police cruisers. Chief Jerry stood with his arms cross, leaning against the back of his car.
Jace turned his bike off and removed his helmet.
That’s when Chief Jerry pulled a gun.
“Hey! Come on!” Miller bellowed.
Jace looked around and noticed that Miller, Gaige, and Nate were all in cuffs.
“What the fuck is this?” Jace asked.
“You’re under arrest,” Chief Jerry said.
“Like hell…”
Jace turned and started to move back to his motorcycle. Chief Jerry opened fire, shooting into the air.
“That’s your only warning.”
Jace put his hands up. He looked back at Miller. Miller shook his head.
An officer ran up to Jace and grabbed his arms. Jace fought back, and the officer grabbed him by the hair and pulled.
“Don’t fight me,” he growled.
“Listen to him,” Chief Jerry said. The chief approached with a blank look on his face. “We gotta go, Jace.”
“What is this?”
“You’re being arrested for murder.”
“Murder? Prove it.”
“That’s for the lawyers,” Chief Jerry said. He grabbed Jace by the shirt. He gave a nod and the other officer walked away. Chief Jerry brought Jace nose to nose. “There’s been a discovery of a body, Jace. Everything points to you, including pictures of you with the victim. There’s nothing I can do right now…”
Jace looked at Miller again. The officer was taking the cuffs off Miller, Gaige, and Nate.
The worst thing Jace could imagine happening was happening right now. His freedom was being stripped away. Now wasn’t the time for any of this. When Jace closed his eyes, he wanted to scream. The next time he opened his eyes, he was in the back of the police cruiser.
On his way to jail.
Chief Jerry was looking at him in the rearview mirror. “Sorry, Jace. Time’s up…”