Closing the door behind me, I search for the sick son of a bitch. Checking every room on my way. I locate him downstairs with a needle in his arm, shooting up heroin to poison to his mind. As best as I can tell, a habit he picked up when he was locked up with the dead asshole upstairs. Kilo was his dealer on the inside. He had the club slut bring him his paydays and high in jail. And then used more as soon as he got out. A potent cocktail adding to the psycho he already is.
Kilo moans and rips the syringe away from his arm. Enjoying the ride of ecstasy like a mistress taking him into her dark twisted arms. I uncap my own and with an iron grip I plunge it into his neck from behind. He becomes wild and wakes up from his high like a dragon. Kilo rips the syringe from his neck and throws it.
He lunges hard for me. From the heightened sense of immortality from the heroin, the drugs I just injected may not work. It’s not like the stuff is customized, can’t add in his weight and size. My muscles tense and I pull out my knife as he descends over me. The yell that leaves his sounds more like a nightmare due to the demons he’s taken into his soul. Swiftly, I plunge the knife into the outside of his thigh. In reaction, his fist connects to my cheek.
My head rocks back and starts to pulse as I pull my body to the side. He misses on his next jab and I cut his gut, shallow enough that he bleeds like the pig he is. Kilo grabs his stomach and I slide behind him, giving him a stab wound to the back of his thighs. The giant falls forward with his back to me and I slash at his back. Taking in every ounce of his pain as my fuel to take him down.
The drug finally starts to take effect and he falls on his face groaning. A board creaks and my head snaps up. Snake advances with his gun in hand and takes in the blood soaked all across my body, clothes and face. He holsters his gun with hate written all over his face as he spits, “Fucking coward.”
Snake unleashes what he was holding back, striking his steel toe boots brutally against Kilo’s ribs. He releases the fragile calm he had just moments ago and replaces it with pure fury. I have no doubt Snake will kill him right here if I let him. It can’t happen and I have to grab both of his arms from behind and pull him back. “We are taking him; he’s not going so easy.” Snake starts to relax slowly, and I let go.
Together we tie him up. Snake pulls the carpet detailing van up in the garage and a rolled-up Kilo in a rug is tossed in the back.
Chapter 41
Spider
Snake glides the van out of the neighborhood and guns it on the freeway. With the new events the entire club wants Kilo, no, needs him to not breathe another breath. “We are taking him to the old warehouse out in the Industry district.” Snake sneers, peering over at me.
“About an hour out?” He nods. “That will work, he should be awake about then.” No music is played, and the cab is thick with tension. Snake is keeping his focus on the road ahead. There is nothing that can be said until this is done. How many men have been lost or hurt over the years? It’s starting to prove a point, that death follows me wherever I am. How am I going to tell Jazz what has happened in the last twenty-four hours? Guilt claws in my chest and I know it will gut her too. I can’t lose her now and I don’t want Jazz to fall back. I can only have faith that together we are stronger.
Hate like I never felt fills my head. Visions of choking Kilo to death is tempting. Every mile down this road is another one that changes a man. It makes you think about the people that are important and the ones you wish you could kill all over again. Snake's face is tense and his grip on the wheel radiates the pain. He will avenge his father, the Prez of the MC. My hand runs through my hair and over my face. This nightmare is going to change us all.
Snake pulls into an old warehouse where the Sacramento Battle Born brothers greet us with looks of vengeance and retribution. Kilo is dragged out from the back and strung up with chains in the middle of the room. He is doused with cold water every few minutes until he snaps out of the deep sleep he was in. By the time his mind catches up to where he is, a snarl rips through his body. Kilo tries to rip his body free from the restraints but his attempts are useless.
A door opens and what feels like a ghost is brought in. The world freezes at the sight of Fuego and Ghost walking in together. Their faces are stoic with tense jaws. The relief is palpable in every tense muscle releasing. Fuego is alive, and the grim snarl on his lips says that he has business to finish. His arm is in a sling over his chest. Over his shoulder and collarbone area has heavy padding under his shirt and cut. The room stays silent and waits for the Prez to take the lead.
Ghost stands to his full height in front of the Kilo. He laughs like a psychopath with blood that has saturated his many cuts. Ghost walks around to the side and with quick lethal precision, he kicks Kilo’s knee inward. The howl makes the brothers laugh and a satisfied grin appears from the Prez.
Fuego glares at the corpse of a man hanging from the ceiling. “Your time is up pendejo. Time to reap what you have sown.”
“Fuck you, Prez,” Kilo spits. “I should have aimed for your head.”
“Spider,” the Prez calls, “remove his brand.”
On the table lays a knife with a small hook at the end. Picking it up, I run it through the seams at the shoulders of his shirt and it falls at his waist. Finding a blow torch, I light it and hold it in front of his face, “Tell me, were you the one that put the bullet into Solo’s chest?” Kilo shakes his head, ‘no’. Holding the flame to his back, I barely let his skin sizzle with the minimal amount of heat I can get away with. Kilo’s agonizing pleas don’t bother me. The ink starts to bubble around the melting flesh, then I turn it off. I raise a brow and wait for the screams to stop. “I’m not even close to done Kilo; inquiring minds want to know, and I believe the Prez will let you live long enough until we get an answer.” I don’t wait for him to give in easily, but Ghost on the other hand is quick to temper and kicks in his other leg.
The cry that leaves his throat is one I will never forget. It will haunt my dreams for the rest of my life. I push past the smell of burning flesh, melting any tattoos from his body. All of them that identify who he is. My ears ring with the inhuman sounds that come from him. As I’m almost done he begs for mercy, “I did, I had an oath to the Los Reyes Malditos’ club, mi familia, payback even after their death. It is my right!”
“To kill an innocent man is your right of revenge? What about my baby that you killed?” My arms shake, wanting to kill the man quicker and rid the world of this walking piece of shit. There is a collective gasp of the brothers in the room. No one knew until now. “She was mine,” he spits. “Pinche puta slut.”
“Those will be your last words,” I promise. My fists go to work on his torso and I don’t stop until Snake pulls me back. This time I spit, “He’s fucking yours.” Hell is rained down on him by Snake. His bones are broken, and his face is bashed into nothing with a bat.
There is not a single part of me that could have left this alone with what he’s done to my wife and unborn child. Nothing is left to settle, and Solo is avenged. I can walk away knowing I did what was needed and can leave it all here. A prospect has my bike waiting for me in the parking lot. Taking my helmet from him I leave the past far behind me. I pay my respect to my fallen brother, Solo, may his soul rest in peace now that his killer is dead.
Chapter 42
Jazzy
They say that love is the most precious thing on Earth. It’s hard to sit here and watch in Fuego’s home the moment he came barreling in with blood drenched over his cut and clothes. Snake had blood over his as well and anxiously carried his dad with one arm around each other. Watching the fear of potentially losing him as an outsider looking in is one I will never forget, and one I can understand. It’s a tragedy I have lived through twice now.
Cindy ran to him and Fuego let Snake go to wrap his good arm around her. She buried her face in his neck and sobbed. Soothing words of comfort were whispered to her. Visibly, I could see her calm down. More men come running in, including a doctor that h
auled him off into the kitchen.
I was paralyzed with fear. I was frozen in my spot, praying that Fuego would be okay. There will never be a time the fear of loss will be something I will ever get used to. To lose Fuego would be losing a man as close to a father as I could get. It is also paralyzing knowing Spider is out there somewhere in the middle of it all. Snake runs past me on the couch and is gone within a blink of the eye. The threat is a void, I could lose all I ever wanted. The facts are a reality check, this won’t be the last time either. It doesn’t matter what we do, death comes knocking when it is your time.
If I could talk, I would call Vegas. She would understand what I am going through. To utter a word would mean losing my mind to the chaos. There is an intense pressure to stay strong not only for myself, but the people in the room. I pray to any god that will hear my pleas and ask for Spider to come back home safe. The minutes pass while the doctor works on Fuego. Bloody gauze lays on the floor and he screams while the doctor digs the bullet out. Cindy holds his hand and stays by his side, because she is a strong woman.
I’m not sure how much time passes as I watch brothers come and go before Fuego is patched up. The doctor explained to him how lucky he is as he wrapped up his shoulder. Of all places he could have been shot, it was not lethal. He told him to come in for x-rays as soon as he can. Fuego told them he tripped and landed on something that knocked the wind from him. He wasn’t able to move or breathe until he closed his eyes and concentrated on dragging air back in. There is a large bruise running the length of his back from the fall. Cindy doesn’t say a word but listens, standing possessively close. You can see the healing effect they have. Their connection is a lifelong bond that is visible, tangible to feel.
Cindy notices me alone in the living room and sits by me to hold my hand. “He will come home to you honey. Snake just left to go get him.” My lip trembles and she rubs my arm. “These men are so strong. They live and fight for us.”
They live.
Clenching my eyes tight allows the hope to wash over me. I’ve come too far to lose it all.
Living as his for just days was what I always dreamt it would be. Spider made sure to make it impossible to be away from the man that has chained my life to his. I can see it clearly now; we didn’t understand the pull in the beginning. It wanted to dominate us and bind us together. The strength of it was frightening. I had to lose him to understand what it was. I had to lose her, our baby girl, to shred every part of me. Then I did the work. The idea of him kept me going. My desire to be loved on this Earth kept me from losing myself. I had to learn to love myself first before anyone else would be able to love me. I rebuilt the broken parts and, piece by piece, I became a stronger woman. One that was ready for Spider. I trust and know who I am, now he can do the same and feel the true potential of love. I’ll never let him go because I had already claimed Spider with our very first touch. My soul knew it met its match. A road we were meant to conquer.
Fuego embraces Cindy and explains he’ll return soon. She wants to yell and scream and tell him no. “Mi amor, I need to go check my men and Spider.” He turns to me. “He is well Jazz. Spider will be back soon, hang tight, yeah?” One of his hands brings my head to him and lays a tender kiss to my forehead. Fuego leaves with Ghost in his truck, and I hope it doesn’t take long.
The sun outside starts to sit in the wake of their absence and it feels like I have been suffocating for hours. Cindy spies the ring on my finger, and she asks for me to tell her the story of us. As painful as it is at this moment. I share it all with her. I’ve been close to her all my life. The story is long, and Cindy listens to every detail.
“I bet your mother must have been quite happy and surprised to see you yesterday. I’m so happy you two are where you are at. Fuego was so thrilled for you. He is planning a huge party. Not just for the club, but family from all over with a band. It’s going to be a great celebration. Get ready to be the life of it.” Cindy has a pensive moment then continues. “When I am scared, I think of every good moment I have lived with him. Also, every moment I want to plan. It helps to focus on the good. Don’t drown your heart in despair. Believe in your strength. I know I see it.”
“I do. The hell I’ve been through, I believe in the strength of me.”
The rumble of a solitary bike breaks our conversation and Cindy gives me a coy smile. Drawn like a magnet I am up and racing to the front door, flinging it open. There is no explanation of how I know, I just do. My feet carry me down the porch and then I sprint. He parks and each powerful step in his legs brings him closer. He’s just as determined to feel me as I am him. Wrapping my body completely around his I can finally exhale. His fingers dig into my ass and my shirt. Our heads are bowed resting on our shoulders. He sways gently back and forth. “It’s all over. No one on this Earth will ever harm you again.” Spider is home, in my arms.
Although his words are cryptic, I slowly unwind myself from him. His lips take mine and his kiss is felt through every pore on my entire body. “Let’s go home.” Spider tugs me to his bike, and I climb on behind him. He is my ride or die, in this life and the next.
The desire to wash the day away is strong along with the instinct to feel connected. In the light of the bathroom I see the dried blood splatters on his skin and clothes. My skin is instantly covered in goose bumps. A need to take care of him becomes my obsession. I remove all his and my clothes in the shower; I reverently clean the warrior, my protector and lover. In my hands, I feel the bond of us and the titanium power in it. Every stroke of the washcloth is a comfort.
Spider does the same for me. His touch a reconfirmation of what we are, love, loyalty, and strength.
Chapter 43
Spider
Guilt gnaws at me to tell her the truth about her shop. Watching her sleep is a gift, I don’t want to steal the peace she gets from it. I will spend my life protecting her, but this is one I cannot. I have faith she is strong enough to stand tall against the world when it is ugly and brutal. Either way, she always has me to lean on and my strength to absorb if she needs it.
The clock on our bedroom wall strikes nine in the morning. I am fuckin’ grateful I am here. Yesterday, I could have lost her. What if her and I were there instead of Fuego and Snake? If we didn't leave town, it could have been a real possibility. I don’t give a single fuck where we physically live, as long as we live as one. Wherever we are, that will always be home. The smell of her is a siren’s call and the selfish asshole in me craves it. My body requires it. Jazzy is naked in my arms and my cock is nestled between her cheeks. My fingers praise over every inch of her skin. The possessive thoughts circulate with the idea of impregnating her. Jazzy round with my baby is making my cock stiff as fuck.
My lips trail over her neck while my light touches ghost down her ribs and waist. Her body trembles and she starts to wake, reaching for me and drawing me into her. She rolls over and I bring my body above hers. She cradles me between her legs and pulls me into her. My dick impaling what is mine, my woman and home. I hold onto her shoulders, our foreheads touching as I rock into her heat. Every stroke is an affirmation and desire that sparks between our hearts, binding our souls. Two pieces of a whole melding together as one.
“I want you to have our baby. I need to feel the life between us, Jazmine.”
She strokes my face as a tear rolls out of the corner of her eye. “I want you, all of you Spider, and your baby. Give me all of you.”
Our mouths collide and worship our connection. Her sex starts to constrict and tighten until she comes undone in my arms. Her light moans are a caress in my ears, and I come right behind her, rooting my seed as far inside as possible.
My muscles relax and I roll to the side, dragging her to rest beside me. “I need to take you to see something. I should have explained it all yesterday, but I needed you.”
Jazzy watches me curiously but doesn’t complain or doubt me. She trusts me and that devotion is why I have fallen deeply in love with the woman she is. Sh
e rebuilt herself to be strong for her and in the end, it had brought us back together.
After we dress, we take a ride on my bike. When I park in front of her shop. She is stiff and her eyes roam over the destroyed building. The Black Heart is gone. “Fuego announced our marriage and your brand. I knew he was going to try to hurt you. I believe this was his way of drawing you in to kill you or us.” I don’t hold back any of the details I learned about him. What happened yesterday and now that Kilo is gone out of our lives for good. I give her time to digest the world as it stands now. I start to worry that she may be upset because she can’t look away from the wreckage of her dreams, she built a pile of ashes before her.
“I built this place as a monument to my father and me. I wanted to show him that I could do it and myself. In the end it doesn’t matter Spider. After all we have been through, we learned one very important thing; we can always build something new, bigger and stronger. This feels awfully poetic, you know. I lost her there and with it burning down, the fire has cleansed it from me. I can rebuild.”
Some try to burn down your world, but instead we take those ashes and toss them into the wind with zero fucks given. If anything, flip up a middle finger and come back for more. The fight is what is important. Never giving in to the bad is the key. You can’t burn, ruin, or destroy what can’t be touched, power and determination.
Claiming His Forever (Battle Born MC Book 8) Page 23