Ember's Burn: A Steel Demons MC Novel

by Annelise Reynolds

  “On club business.”

  “That’s all I’m going to get?”

  “It’s all you need to know, baby.” I talked to him a few more minutes, but he had to go.

  “CHINK!” I yelled, cringing at my own voice echoing through the house. I found him in the living room, sitting with his feet up on the coffee table. His boots were crossed, his hands behind his head with his fingers laced together.

  “Seriously, what is it with you taking embarrassing pictures of me?”

  “It’s fun, and you give me great ammo.” His grin and wink annoyed the shit out of me. I grabbed one of the throw pillows and threw it at his face, he swiped it away before it could make contact.

  “Now, that’s not very nice, Shorty,” he teased.

  “Did anybody ever tell you how annoying you are?”

  “Of course.” He grinned. “My sister tells me that all the time. You would think she would be grateful to me for making sure her boyfriends are going to treat her well, but no, she gets all pissy and calls me annoying. Women, y’all are impossible.” He rolled his eyes, like didn’t have a clue what his sister and I are talking about, but his grin said otherwise.

  I sat down on the couch and the toast, coffee, with a bottle of water and medicine, caught my attention. “These for me?”

  “Yes, I thought you could use them. I made you toast. I didn’t figure you would like the only dish I actually know how to make, so toast was the better option.”

  “What is the only dish you know how to make?”

  “Chili.” He grinned.

  I put my hand to my mouth. No, the mere thought of that made me want to hurl. “For now, I’ll take the toast, but I’ll take a raincheck on the chili.”

  “Tell you what, Monday night, I’ll make you dinner since the grill is closed. You have to make the cornbread to go with it, though.”

  “Deal, but don’t think just because you made me toast and coffee, I’m not still mad at you.”

  “That’s only because you haven’t had my chili yet.”

  “Whatever.” I sat forward and nibbled on the toast before taking the pills and chasing them with coffee. “I’m going to get a shower before Piper gets back. Where’s Declan?”

  “She took him with her to drop him at school before her run.”

  “Ok. She riding in with us?”

  “No, she’ll drive herself.”

  “Oh, I didn’t know she got her car back.”

  “Yeah, she got the piece of shit back, but that thing cost more to fix than it was worth. She needs a new car.”

  “I’m sure she got what she could afford.”

  “Oh, I’m sure she got ripped off. That car was junk. She should have just let the club help her get a newer car, it would have cost less.”

  “Oh, Piper said the mechanic was really reasonable, and they even cleaned the inside up so it wasn’t all rusted.”

  “Yeah, the mechanic isn’t bad, but the car was still a piece of shit that should have been replaced.”

  “Well, she didn’t want to let go of it for sentimental reasons, I’m sure.”

  “Yeah, it’s called pure stubbornness.”

  “What does it matter to you?”

  “Not a damn thing, Shorty.” He lifted his chin toward the stairs. “Go get ready. We have to make a stop before I take you to the restaurant.”

  I showered quickly, my head slowly feeling more like it was attached to my body. My stomach still queasy, but not pitching with every movement and sound. “Never again,” I mumbled.

  Dressing for work, I wondered where it was Chink was taking me. He’d have no reason to take me to the clubhouse. Gavel’s office, or Phoenix and Grit’s place would be the only other options. “You really aren’t going to tell me where we’re going?”

  “Relax, Shorty, it’s nothing major. Ink is meeting us at the shop. I’m going to keep you awake while he finishes your tattoo. If we don’t do it while Titan is away, it’s most likely not going to get done.”

  “Why is that?”

  “After what happened last time, I just figured we’d get you taken care of before he got back.” He winked at me, opening the door. Before he would let me out, he scanned the perimeter, then stepped to the side, walking by me to the truck.

  “Are you really expecting him?”

  “If you always expect danger, you’re always ready when it arrives.” He didn’t look at me, he just continued scanning the area as I climbed in the truck. Chink shut the door behind me and jogged around the front to the driver’s seat.

  “So.” We had a little drive into town, perfect time to talk to him about the mystery girl in Beauford. “You’ve been going out of town a lot lately.”

  I watched his hand tighten and twist on the steering wheel. Whatever he was doing, it had him on edge and was a sensitive subject. “Yes.”

  “Does she know about the club?” I don’t know why it bothered me so much, it probably shouldn’t, but it did. The thing that was odd though, it wasn’t just for the girl’s sake, but for his too.

  “Yes, she knows.”

  “And she’s ok with it?”

  “No, she’s not.” I probably should have let it go, I could tell he was agitated, but I just couldn’t stop from talking about it.

  “Chink, the other night. If she means that much to you, how could you do what you did with the club girls?”

  “Shorty, my love life, is that really what you want to talk about?”

  “Yes.”

  He rolled his eyes at me. “It’s just sex, Shorty. No more. No less. She’s aware of the life I live, and I’m aware of the fact that she doesn’t want any part of it. I won’t leave the club, not for any reason, and she refuses to be a part of it. We are both simply itching a scratch.”

  “But Chink-”

  “Enough, Shorty. Stay out of it.”

  We pulled up to BAD. Ink’s bike was already out front. It annoyed me, but he was right, it wasn’t my business. It was between him and whoever the girl was. He said she knew about it, then there was not much I could say.

  “Sorry, Chink,” I said getting out of the car. “You’re right, it’s not my business.”

  “No worries, Shorty. I’m already over it. Let’s go get your tattoo finished.”

  The guys left me to strip and cover up on the table. I was surprised how comfortable I was being half naked with both these men, and trusting them not to hurt me. It wasn’t just because Titan trusted them either. I trusted them.

  We were almost there. John Sterling wasn’t a Demon, but he was close to the club. He served with Stone, Gavel, and my father in the Rangers, but instead of joining the others in starting the Demons after they got out, he joined the police force in Philadelphia.

  I remember when I came up here as a kid for the funeral. His partner and friend had been murdered in cold blood. Half the club showed up for the funeral to show support for Sterling. He had his brothers in blue on one side, and his leather-clad biker brothers on the other. For one day, law and outlaw stood side by side and mourned together.

  After the death of his friend went cold, he retired and started his own private investigations firm. Silver Shield Investigations was well known on the east coast for their ability to get the job done. Police resources were stretched thin, and they didn’t have the time to devote to single cases that had gone cold when so many others were happening every day.

  Sterling decided he could take on what the cops were forced to let go of. That’s when he approached Hack about doing some work that wasn’t always on the right side of the law.

  Hack agreed, but with a few stipulations in place. The two separate streams of revenue from both Silver Shield and Demon Security were bringing in quite a bit of money for Hack, and because of the nature of the jobs, many times we did freelance work for Silver Shield under the heading of Demon Security. We went where the law couldn’t.

  Legend and I walked into Silver Shiel
d Investigations. The front lobby was painted gray, and black sofas sat against either wall with a glass coffee table in front of them. The smell of coffee permeated the room, the strong fragrance alone helped me feel more alive after the long trip. Legend went straight for the paper cups and coffee. I pressed the button on the intercom beside the door.

  “Yeah?” I recognized Linc’s voice.

  “It’s Titan.”

  “About time you guys showed up. Just a minute.” Legend handed me a coffee and we drank the scalding liquid, waiting. Lincoln opened the door and let us into the back. There was a second open area, much bigger than the first, much less sterile looking as well. “Dad’s on a call, he’ll be here in a minute. How the hell is everybody down there?”

  “Good. Grit is shacking up with his old lady, business is good, Roper’s off to his family in unknown Minnesota because something happened to his cousin, Hack’s been in New York for the last couple weeks keeping an eye on the kid, and Legend just transferred to Belle.”

  “What caused the sudden change?” Carter asked Legend, knowing he had planned to take over the Arlington chapter one day.

  “Nothing happened.” He shrugged.

  “He’s pussy whipped and doesn’t know it, and he sure as fuck won’t admit it, because he hasn’t even had the pussy yet.” If McKenzie ever heard me talk like that, she would be wearing my balls as a necklace. I was pussy whipped myself, so I figure I can talk all the shit I want.

  Legend flipped me off, but didn’t bother denying it. What could he say really? Piper had him tied up in knots, and he was fighting for all he was worth to break free of them – it had the opposite effect though. The more he fought them, the tighter the knots became. I know, because McKenzie did the same damn thing to me.

  “Huh, I had no clue Hack was here.” Linc led us to the big conference room, Carter was right behind us. We shook hands and shot the shit while we waited for Sterling to come in.

  “How’s your mom doing?” I asked, knowing she had been sick a while back.

  “Good. The mastectomy got rid of the cancer, but the doctors are going to keep checking her to make sure that it doesn’t come back. They’re hopeful.”

  “Boys.” John Sterling came into the room carrying coffee and a folder. He slapped the folder down and came to Legend and me. He was taller than Legend and shorter than me, but still held the air of authority. He would have made a damn good cop back in the day. Hell, he would have made a damn good Demon. He could have had his own chapter here in Philly.

  “Sterling.” Legend said, greeting him as he walked through the door. He hugged us both – clapping us hard on our backs. John Sterling had aged since the last time I saw him. His black hair and goatee were both now showing gray. The lines around his eyes were prominent.

  “Dad says hello. He wants you to come back to Arlington at some point. Told you to bring Olivia with you this time,” Legend told him, hugging him close.

  “I will. She wants you boys to come over for dinner tonight. Hack refused the offer, saying the kid needed watching, but you two don’t have an excuse. Plus, you both have been driving for the last twenty-six hours. I imagine you could use a good meal and a good night’s sleep. We’ll talk later on why you drove instead of flew and took a cage over a bike.” He sat down at the head of the conference table. Legend and I sat down across from Linc and Carter.

  “I can’t tell you that, Sterling. You know that.”

  “You don’t think I’ll figure it out anyway? Regardless of whether you tell me what you are really doing here or not.”

  “We’re here to check on the kid. Leave it at that, because the less you know the better.”

  Sterling’s fist came down on the table hard. “The Demons don’t send a president, an ex-sniper, and a genius hacker to New York to check on a random kid.”

  “It’s not a random kid, Sterling. Her mother is my old lady, and we have to make sure she’s safe.”

  “And if she’s not, you’re going to snipe her guardians?”

  “If need be.”

  Sterling sat back in his chair, his arms crossed, shoulders squared, showing me he wasn’t going to let it go. “I’m less than amused, Titan. You can’t go around killing people for no reason.”

  “I have every reason to kill the person I’m hunting, Sterling. You know damn well, if I’m here to carry it out, it’s been sanctioned by the club. I’m not hunting people, I’m hunting the devil. You aren’t going to stop me.”

  “Stone sent his son to do this?” Sterling looked at Legend.

  “Yes.”

  “And Hack?”

  “Is strictly watching the kid.”

  “Who’s your target?” I clenched my jaw and mirrored his pose, crossing my arms over my chest. He had more information than he needed or should have. “Stone is using me. That’s why you’re here.”

  “Yes.”

  Lincoln and Carter sat forward, their faces flushed in anger as understanding dawned on them. Our being here with them, our meeting, accepting the invitation to dinner, which we knew would come when we arrived, set Sterling and his family up as accessories. It also provided an alibi for our whereabouts if anything should ever be traced back to the club.

  “I’ve never not had Stone’s back. I’m not going to start now, but,” he paused standing up and flattening his hands on the table as he looked down on us, “I will not tolerate Stone putting my family in this position.” He looked toward Legend, “Tell your father I’m coming for him. I’ll be taking him up on that invitation to come to Arlington soon.”

  He picked up the folder and walked angrily out the door. Linc and Carter sat there glaring at us across the table.

  “You realize what you’ve done?” Linc said coldly.

  “Yes, but it was necessary.”

  “Why?” When I didn’t answer him, he said, “You don’t have to tell me who, we’ll figure that out anyway, but we do deserve an explanation.”

  “The bastard molested and raped my old lady repeatedly when she was a kid. Her kid is the one Hack is watching, and also the kid of one of three men who took turns beating and raping her when she was sixteen. I can’t let that slide. Besides the club, you guys are like family. You should understand that I can’t let that go.”

  “And you have proof?”

  “Ember wouldn’t lie to me, but yes, I have proof or you and I both know I wouldn’t be here.”

  “I suppose it’s too much to ask to turn over your proof and trust the system?” It was a dumb question and he knew it when he asked it. Carter wasn’t a fool.

  “The system is flawed, you both know that better than anyone. This guy would get a slap on the wrist because he’s too well connected. I can’t allow that.”

  Linc and Carter shared a look. The brothers were the spitting image of their father, except their eyes were gray instead of black, thanks to their fair mother. “Do what you have to do, Titan. You have our protection. Just make sure it stays a precaution and doesn’t become a necessity.”

  The week was dragging on. Thankfully, tomorrow was Monday, the restaurant was closed and Chink was cooking dinner. I wasn’t sleeping well, and I missed Titan. Every day I crawled out of bed feeling exhausted like I hadn’t slept the night before, and the truth was, I hadn’t. I needed the feel of him beside me, inside me. My body craved his, but even more, my soul craved him. He calmed me like nobody else could. While I knew the guys wouldn’t let anything happen to me, it wasn’t the same. I wanted Titan.

  Piper and Hannah were already at work. Phoenix wasn’t coming in until before the bar opened. She had called me and told me she was spending the morning with Grit, and she’d be in later.

  My tattoo was healing, which meant it itched like a son of a bitch, even with my putting the goop on it several times a day.

  “Damn, Ember, I could get a good workout punching the bags under your eyes. What the hell?”

  “Piper, if you care about me even a litt
le, you will pour me a cup of coffee and pass me some concealer, otherwise, I’m calling Halloween early this year, and I’m going as Zorro.”

  Piper followed me to the office and found her purse, rifling through it before handing me a small tube of makeup to cover the circles. “You might also think about carrying Preparation H around when Titan goes out of town. It will help with the bags.”

  “I’m not putting asshole cream on my face.” Piper left the office laughing over her shoulder. I flipped her off, which had her laughing even harder. My own laughter could hardly be suppressed. “Damn, I need coffee,” I muttered to myself.

  Hannah was in the kitchen with the radio on. I walked in and caught her singing, it was off key, but what she lacked in voice she made up for with enthusiasm. She was busy chopping and getting the prep work done for the day. Her long-sleeved shirt was in place. She covered up what she didn’t want seen, and I wondered again what had happened to her.

  “Hey you.” I came up beside her. She jumped at the sound of my voice, and turned back to her work.

  “Hi.” We really hadn’t talked too much since the day I saw her arms. She’d been avoiding me since then.

  “So this is how it’s going to be? You avoiding me and barely talking to me.”

  “There’s nothing to say, Ember. Let it go.”

  “We will agree to disagree, and I’ll let it go, on one condition…” She looked at me with a flat look. “Don’t avoid me. I won’t mention what I saw, you don’t avoid me. Deal?”

  “Alright.”

  “Good. You can come to dinner tomorrow night. Chink is making his famous chili. He says it’s great, but I may need someone to suffer through it with me.”

  “I’m not sure. What about Phoenix? And won’t Piper be there?”

  “Yes, they’ll both be there, along with everybody else. Apparently Chink isn’t lying about his chili – though I still have my doubts.”

  “I’m not sure.”

  “Come on, what else are you going to be doing in this town?”

  “Nothing. I was going to the grocery store and probably going to watch a movie. Nothing special.”