by James Cox
Evernight Publishing ®
www.evernightpublishing.com
Copyright© 2015 James Cox
ISBN: 978-1-77233-630-6
Cover Artist: Jay Aheer
Editor: Kerry Genova
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.
This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
DEDICATION
This is the end. At least, for my Outlaws it is. Their journey ends here and because I'm a sucker for happy endings, I had to give them one last chance to find it. I'd like to thank Evernight Publishing. They are amazing and dedicated. Thank you so much for making my Outlaws shine. And I couldn't have done any of this without my fantastic readers. Enjoy!
OUTLAW MC OF MARS
A Christmas Story
Outlaw MC, 9
James Cox
Copyright © 2015
Chapter One
My name is Liam. Lover to those at my MC club. Although nowadays I have a hard time remembering what they called me. Memory was failing me, pain filling up the gaps and voids in my head. The heat was like a knife. It slashed at my skin without mercy. Each breath I took filled my lungs with that burning breeze. It made my movements slower, harder to control. My feet slapped against the smooth rock as I ran. My pounding heartbeat was the only sound I heard.
It was coming.
My lips trembled as the intense heat raced up my spine. I missed Outlaw. My lover. President of my club. The longing for him was so strong. Just picturing his face pulled me out of my misery. It gave me the strength when I hung on by the thinnest of threads.
It was here.
The roar was unbelievably loud, echoing down the tunnel to the arena where I was to fight. But the beast after me broke out sooner than they expected. The guards in this prison didn’t show much concern for the prisoners. Here, on Earth, it was survival of the fittest. And I refused to give my life for their entertainment. I ran through the large, round opening that led to the “arena.” It was a high-walled, circular room where guards and other prisoners could watch from a safe distance. Bastards. Another deep roar bellowed and I spun around to face the enemy. With nothing but the flimsiest of knives, I watched the beast enter.
My name is Liam.
I love Outlaw.
And I will not break.
The octopus was gigantic, mutated, and vicious. It squeezed through the opening in a roll of tentacles and slime. My bottom lip quivered. It was the only noticeable nerve that I couldn’t control. Even as the hot air filtered through the thin pants I wore, it felt like a damn sauna. The beast used its numerous limbs to advance. It wasn’t a walk but a coordinated roll forward. Large eyes watched me. Slimy skin slid along the ground. I tightened my grip on the weapon in my hand.
My name is Liam.
I love Outlaw.
And I will not die in this prison.
The beast attacked. One large tentacle swung toward me. I ducked as another slammed against my bent legs. There was a cheer from the guards. Those fuckers would not get the satisfaction of watching me take my last breath. I slammed my six-inch knife into the creature’s limb. Blood spurted. It jerked the injured tentacle back but a scratch would not stop this killing machine. I rolled backward and landed on my knees. It lunged toward me. That fetid smell caused my face to scrunch up in disgust. The tentacle wrapped around my waist. I jabbed it as hard as I could, forcing the blade to go deep. It dropped me, hard. Thankfully, not from a high distance. I landed, rolled, stood, and faced it.
The beast had a track record in this prison. It helped curb overpopulation. I would not be on its lists of meals. I was breathing heavily as it struck again. This time two tentacles. One at my head. I ducked. One at my legs. I jumped. It roared. The crowd cheered. I blocked them out and focused on survival. Fuck them. Fuck this creature. Fuck the government that sent me here. I was going to survive this shit and reunite with Outlaw. I ran toward it, hopped onto a large boulder that fell long ago from the wall. Propelled upward, I jammed my knife into its widening eye. The beast cried out, the sound high-pitched and fucking terrifying.
It flung a tentacle at me. The force of it knocked the air from my lungs. I fell back, twisting so I fell on my side. A broken back would be the end. A broken anything would mean death. Blood and other liquids gushed from the ruined eye and splattered on the floor. The creature stopped thrashing and stared at me with its one good eye. Well, fuck. It lashed out, catching me in the shin. That damn limb wrapped around my calf and tugged me toward that giant mouth filled with sharp teeth.
“I will not die!” I shouted the words then spun onto my stomach as it hauled me along and caught hold of the boulder. The more it yanked, the looser my pants became. Another tentacle wrapped around my arm. I slashed at it with the knife. My pants slid down my hips, coming off and freeing me from the beast’s grip. Great, now I had to fight this fucker naked. It sprung for me again, rolling closer but not enough to reach. I think it learned its lesson. That left eye was closed and oozing. One limb grasped my waist. Another had my hand with the weapon as a third whipped at my face. I felt this jolt against my head like I’d smashed against a rock going eighty miles an hour on my hover bike. My head jerked backward. The agony that ran through my body was indescribable. The beast lifted me and hauled me closer to that mouth. Panic set in. I couldn’t die here. Outlaw would come for me. He would save me. The mouth came closer. I had one free hand. As this creature’s abominable breath threatened to knock me out, I dropped the knife from my captured fingers. It fell wide for a moment but landed at the edge of my free hand. I slammed my fist upward. The blade sunk into its mouth. The thing cried out. Its lips closed. One large tooth ripped across my face.
The agony was so intense I couldn’t breathe. Cheers rang out. Blood drenched my face and chest. I pulled the knife free and struck repeatedly. The limbs loosened. I held on to its face. I used every ounce of strength I had to continue on. Each puncture of the knife had the beast backing up, trying to flee.
Not today, you bastard. You will not get me today.
The creature gave one bloodcurdling roar and then stilled under me. I was gasping as I finally stopped hacking at it. My face was on fire. Blood still streamed down my cheek and onto my nude body. Energy fled me, but I managed to stay on my feet. The cheers had quieted. No one expected this outcome. They thought I’d be another forgotten victim.
My name is Liam Delacruise and I am an Outlaw.
And that’s how the legend happened. The first beast killed by a man. But in my nightmares the beast was unstoppable. It came after me mercilessly. Sometimes its tooth would skim along my flesh again, parting the skin and spraying blood. This was one of those times. No matter where I ran, it followed. That smell. That slime. The terror was stunningly real. I cried out for Outlaw, screaming his name as loud as I could.
“Liam!”
His deep voice was a beacon. I held on to it. Savored the sound. I was being shaken and I fought the remnants of the nightmare. I jerked, gasping as I came awake. Outlaw’s beautiful brown eyes locked onto mine. I opened my lips, but no sound would come out.
“It’s okay. We’re here. We’re on Mars.” He sat next to me on our wide bed and held my hand.
“Liam?” Reilly’s soft voice came from my right side. He reached out and brushed his fingers through my damp hair. “The beast again?”
I nodded. My throat felt raspy and raw. The wound o
n my face was healed but for a scar that marred my attractiveness. It throbbed right now like it was brand new. Reilly bent down and kissed the skin as if he knew. His lips pressed softly along the jagged edges. I lay back down on the bed, trying to catch my breath. I felt like an idiot now that the terror of the nightmare passed. If I kept waking them up like this, they’d keep me out of our damn bed. Yeah, our bed. Outlaw was my one true love, but Reilly sneaked up on us. He professed his love to the club president before they came to rescue me. That was two months ago. “Sorry.”
Outlaw laid his arm over my waist. We were all naked and I wondered if they were as soft as I was. My cock was down for the count at the memory of the beast. I leaned my head against Outlaw as Reilly placed his on my chest. Their warmth was like this security, this comfort. I stared up at the ceiling. It was plain, white. This was the room we shared at the MC clubhouse on the newly changed face of Mars.
The war was over. We won. But my fight was just beginning.
Chapter Two
Sleep eluded me. I waited for Outlaw and Reilly to close their eyes before I slipped out from between them. For the past few weeks, I’d been dreaming of Earth and I was damn tired of it. I wanted to wipe those memories from my mind and get on with life. Mars was under Justice’s rule. There was freedom and equality for all. The human species was finally in the right direction and I was stuck in the past. Eventually, I found my way through the clubhouse and into the demolished garage. Peacekeepers, the government lackeys, had burned it down. We were building it back up. Right now, it was debris brushed into three large piles. The roof was sitting on the ground in pieces with the walls. I pulled my shirt over my head and got to work.
It was a while later. The sun had risen, scaring away the shadows that almost made me flee inside. I was a fucking outlaw. I wasn’t supposed to flee, let alone from shadows. It pissed me off which kept me working hard to fight the fear. I clipped circular air movers at each corner of a wall. Using the holographic computer, I turned them on. Air rushed through the devices, lifting the wall. A quick order and they brought the wall to the location against the steel beams sticking out of the ground. I used the black, heavy bolt driver to secure the outer wall into place. It was as simple as repeating the process. As the sun crested over the horizon on our little patch of Mars, all the outer walls were up. I used the same system to place flat, thin-steeled walls as a roof. The ladder was rickety as I climbed up, but soon I was crawling across each panel and securing them in place. As the air warmed for a hot day, sweat began to form. It misted my hairline and slid down the back of my neck. But work was good. It kept me busy. Work kept me from drowning in my own head. When the last panel was in, I sat atop the roof and stared out at our planet.
The world we saved for humanity, our species, our future. It was a hell of a fight. There were still a few people trying to take Justice down, but they were fewer with each passing day. Women were free to roam the streets. They could pick their lovers. Dark-skinned men were no longer slaves. Wexmen’s rule was over.
“Couldn’t sleep again?” Outlaw’s voice was deep like a dangerous animal’s warning. You should hear the roar when he comes.
I glanced over the side of the roof, resting on my stomach as he stared up at me from the ground. “Hey.”
He didn’t smile. His dark brown hair had grown since I’d left Mars. It brushed his shoulders in wavy strands that made him look fucking delicious. The stubble on his face was the same. It had scratched at my thighs as he licked my balls a few nights ago. But his brown eyes were narrowed. He wanted an answer to his question. Fucking Outlaw.
My grin faded. “No, I couldn’t.”
He crossed his muscular arms over his chest. “Garage is looking good.”
“Thanks.”
“At this rate, you’ll have it done by the end of the week.” He frowned as he spoke. “Reilly’s making food. Come eat.”
Well, this should be fun. I made my way down the ladder and was surprised to see him standing at the bottom holding it steady. I continued to the ground until I was trapped between him and the ladder. “Outlaw…” His name was a whisper carried away by the subtle breeze. I eased back, needing his comfort. He never failed to give it. Despite me being a sweaty mess, Outlaw wrapped his arms around me and held me tight. It wasn’t long ago he wouldn’t touch me, afraid the rumors of my rape in prison were true. They weren’t. Those fucking guards made me fight the beast, beat me within an inch of death, and left in me in a cell to die as they fled the prison to join this war. No one ever touched me sexually. I turned in Outlaw’s arms and placed my head against his chest. “I’m fine.”
“You barely sleep. We haven’t fucked in days because you look like you’re going to fall over. You’re still too skinny from that damn prison.” He sighed and slid his fingers into my hair. His mouth landed beside mine. Outlaw’s tongue slid along my lower lip and I opened wide.
The kiss was gentle at first. It showed how much Outlaw loved me. Then it became more intense, tongue and teeth. It showed how much Outlaw wanted me. I leaned against the ladder and pressed my body into his. I felt his glorious erection as mine began to firm up.
“Hey.” Reilly stuck his head out the door. “Breakfast.” He watched us. His perfect, handsome features turned down in a frown. He was much younger than us. It was evident by his stylish blond hair gelled into spikes atop his head. He wore jeans low on his hips and bare feet. Being shirtless showed off his lean body.
I knew exactly how it felt to have him under me, but Outlaw was right. It’d been days. The nightmares were getting worse. “I am hungry.”
“Me too,” Outlaw said then growled. He cupped my ass and squeezed. “Get your sexy ass in there before I fuck you against this ladder where the entire club can watch us.”
I chuckled. “I ain’t no Whip.” Then I walked toward Reilly nice and slow.
“You fucking tease,” he yelled.
It made me smile and rush toward Reilly. We both took off down the hall laughing as I heard the roar of hover bike engines. My MC brothers were here.
****
“Where are we going?” I rode bitch on Outlaw’s new bike. The previous one was blown to warped bits a few months ago. We traversed the winding roads of the city as the sun started to set. It sent an ethereal glow over the tall buildings and some of the smaller ones. People were still about. No curfew, no fear. It was women and men of all different colors mingling to enjoy the end of another day. Outlaw was firm under my hands. I hugged him closer. The wind brushed through my hair. The engine hummed in my ears. I was home.
We pulled up to the recently rebuilt spaceship. It had been damaged when the former president Wexmen tried to flee with what was left of his peacekeepers. After Grim fixed this bad boy up, they rescued me. It seemed like years ago and yet, just yesterday. I took a deep breath. My muscles tensed as we pulled up a few feet away and Outlaw shut off the engine. “No,” I said before he could explain. He didn’t need to. There was only one reason to bring me here. Earth.
“Liam…”
“No.” I hopped off the bike and shook my head as Reilly came down the open ramp. “I’m not going back there.” I couldn’t. The dreams were bad enough. I couldn’t return to the place it all happened.
“You don’t have a choice.” Outlaw swung his leg off the bike and stood with his arms over his wide chest. “You’re barely eating. You don’t sleep. Your nightmares are getting worse.”
“I can’t.” My voice cracked. Damn it, I was stronger than this. I took a deep breath. “I need time.”
Reilly stood beside Outlaw now. “We gave you time. Please, Liam. We want to help.”
“There’s no wanting involved.” Outlaw’s tone was firm. “We, all three of us, are going to Earth. You will confront your fear. Reilly and I will be at your back the whole time. We’re staying there the night. We are going to get naked and have sex.”
“When you think of Earth, you’ll think of us. Naked. Smiling. Happy,” Reilly said with
a hopeful rise in his voice. He bit his plump bottom lip.
I fisted my hands and shook my head.
“You don’t have a choice.” Outlaw took two determined steps and stood before me. “I’m ordering you, as your MC president. Get your ass on that ship.”
Fuck. Fuck it all. I took a huge breath and marched angrily toward the ship. I stopped at the ramp. My rage deflated. I wasn’t really pissed at them. I was angry with myself. I was Lover of the Outlaw MC. I’d fought battles with unbelievable odds. I’d been shot up, almost blown up, and flung into space with a small chance of surviving. But I did. Outlaw stood to my left and Reilly on my right. We walked up that forsaken ramp together. I held my breath as I saw the familiar area. One row that led to the cockpit and seats on either side. My last trip in here I was delirious with pain and starvation. My body involuntarily trembled as I sat. The ramp started to lift. I could still get out. One quick jump and I’d skate right out of the ship. Instead of that foolish idea, I stayed where I was. The engines made the floor rumble.
We were off Mars. I wondered, as the night sky of our red planet drifted off, if the beasts were still there. Hungry. Roaming the once plentiful prison. Earth. The one place in the universe I never wanted to see again and in about nine hours, I’d be standing on my worst nightmare.
Chapter Three
The pain was excruciating. Every time I moved a muscle, the agony would flare through my body. There must be bruises. My face was cut. I knew by the dried blood. It’d stopped after the guards shoved my torn pants back on me and threw me in this cell. I’d killed the beast. The thought made me smile in the darkness. Well, not completely pitch black. There was a single light above me that gave off a dull glow. I could see the room I was in, rock walls, smooth floors, and bars. It wasn’t my normal cell. The smell was certainly worse. As long as I didn’t move, no misery ravaged my body and threatened my consciousness. So I stayed still even as the noises outside got louder. I knew what they were. Beasts. At least two of them. That slithering sound would haunt me forever. I inhaled deeply. My lungs ached. Probably from a broken rib but I wasn’t sure. I didn’t have the strength or will to check. “Outlaw.” I whispered his name. Where was he? I didn’t know if I could take too much more of this. My body was broken. My mind wasn’t far behind.