Cullen: Steel Cobras MC

by Evie Monroe

  He laughed, pointing toward the bedroom, where Grace was huddled, scared out of her mind. “You have a bitch to do, is that right? Heard she was mighty hot. Cute little strawberry blonde with the nice tits? We’ve got a slew of guys here at the Fury who’d line up for a taste of that.”

  Fuck. Of course they’d been keeping tabs on her.

  “She give good head? Deep throat that legendary Cullen McKnight cock all the ladies talk about? I bet she does, considering how all the rumors say your ass is whipped. Never thought I’d see the day. That true?”

  I ignored him. “Say what you came to say or get the fuck out.”

  “Hearts all over the Bay are breaking, boy. Why don’t you bring your sweet little piece out here and ask her if she’ll have you for good, knowing what all us Fury know?” He leaned forward. “That you’re nothing but a little pussy who was neglected by his rock star daddy and who’s always been afraid he’s not good enough?”

  A fire that this douche had lit the moment he came in here suddenly started to blaze out of control in my veins. I pressed my finger on the trigger. He had no idea how close he was to a hole in the head.

  He crushed the empty beer can in his fist and set it down. “You’re not very hospitable, there, McKnight. Anyone ever tell you that?” When I didn’t answer, he leaned against the door. “All right. I’ll get right down to it. That message we sent was just the beginning. We want you gone. All Cobras, gone from Aveline Bay. It’s Fury territory now.”

  That ripped a chuckle from me. “Really? And . . . why couldn’t Slade tell me that in person? Is he too busy? Or too pussy?”

  “He’s got other fish to fry,” he said, dismissive. Like there was anyone else bigger in this town than me. The guy was just a pussy. Pure and simple. “But he’d tell you the same thing. We want you gone. Do you understand?”

  “Yeah, I understand. You’re Slade’s little whipping boy. And Slade can’t fight his own battles, so what does that make you?” I fixed him with a sly smile and leaned back in my chair. “But I have two words in reply, and you can tell your boss they came straight from me: Fuck you.”

  Bruiser’s smile faded.

  “The Cobras have been in Aveline Bay way before the Fury ever came to town. It’s our territory. We’re not going anywhere. Fury doesn’t scare us. And I’m sure as hell not going to take orders from a lackey.”

  His face tightened. He looked down at the ground.

  “Well,” he said, letting out a heavy sigh. “That’s a shame. That’s a real shame. Slade ain’t gonna like to hear that.”

  I laughed. “Too fucking bad. Tell him if he’s ever interested in coming to me and talking Prez to Prez, he might have a better chance. Otherwise, I don’t want any of you assholes to waste my time. You’re not worth it.”

  He shrugged and dug his hands into the pockets of his jeans. “I guess it is too bad, Cullen. I’ll let him know.”

  So that was it. Suddenly I was eager to get out of there. Get out and take Grace and Ella far away. The second they left, that’s what we would do. Go someplace else. Someplace safe.

  He made like he was going to leave, and I relaxed for a split second.

  Big fucking mistake.

  He faked me out, turned right while heading left. For a fat guy, he was fast. He grabbed the handle of the bedroom door and busted in before I could take aim. I got off a single shot, the bullet burying itself in the wall as he disappeared from view.

  “Shit!” I breathed as I heard the closet door open. I threw my feet off the table, jumping up and barreling into the room. “Bruiser, don’t you—”

  I froze in the doorway, the rest of the words caught in my mouth. I was too fucking late.

  Bruiser was holding Grace in front of him like a shield, his arm wrapped around her neck. She was sobbing, tears falling down her cheeks, and shaking as he dragged her up against his fat greasy body.

  The barrel of his gun was pressed firmly against Grace’s temple.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Grace

  I’d been leaning with my ear against the door, trying to hear the murmurs from the other room, when suddenly the door exploded open. I screamed as a gunshot went off. I looked out the door to see a large man in a Hell’s Fury kutte scanning the room. I pressed myself against the back wall of the closet and drew my knees into my chest, but a second later, the door flew open.

  Ella started to wail at once as a hand reached in and grabbed a handful of my hair, yanking me out on my knees. He pulled me to my feet and I felt something cold push against the side of my head.

  A gun.

  Cullen burst through the open door a blink later, gun drawn. His voice was firm. “Let her go, Bruiser.”

  The Fury member pulled me closer in response. “Look at this tasty bitch!” he squealed. “Woo, Cullen, boy. You’ve outdone yourself with this one. You know what, they’re right. She’s got some nice tits. I bet she does give good head.”

  Cullen’s voice was even and hard. “Let. Her. Go. I won’t ask again.”

  I could tell by the way he laughed, as I felt his enormous belly jiggle against my back, that Cullen had some history with this disgusting person. He smelled of body odor and beer, and his beard scratched the side of my face. He wasn’t going to let me go that easily.

  “You know, Cullen. I don’t think so. You had the chance to leave quietly. I think we’re beyond that. And I think it’s time we bit the head off of this Cobra. Your little pussy boys will be lost without you. They’ll probably run screaming for the hills.”

  Cullen’s arm stiffened as he readjusted his finger on the trigger and his eyes locked on mine. He was clearly not listening to this man’s taunts. Sweat trickled down his forehead. “I’m warning you. She has nothing to do with any of this. If you don’t want to be sucking on the barrel of my gun, you’d . . .”

  “NO,” Bruiser warned, his voice shaking the walls. “You’d better. You’d better shut your hole and listen for once, Mr. President, Mr. High and Mighty. Now, get down on your fuckin’ knees.”

  Ella was starting to wail louder, and I shook, knowing I couldn’t go to her. I hoped Cullen knew what he was doing. I trusted him, but for the first time, as his gaze locked on mine, I saw the cracks in his façade. “Like hell I will.”

  But the cracks only seemed to widen when Bruiser heard the crying too and drew me back toward the closet. “This your kid, Cullen? Is Cullen a baby daddy?”

  He ripped at my hair to get me to shut up. I let out a shriek as pain screamed down my scalp, to the nape of my neck. More tears squeezed out of my eyes.

  “Don’t touch her,” Cullen seethed, veins popping up in his hands, his arms, his neck.

  “Aw, you make such a sweet family. Mom, baby, and little pussy McKnight.” I felt his head swinging toward the closet, toward Ella, and my heart ached with the need to protect her. “Why don’t we ask her, since we’re all here together?”

  He nuzzled his face into the side of my hair and sniffed. “Mmmm. She smells good. So, sweetness, what do you think? You think this pussy piece of shit Cullen is your happily ever after?”

  He poked me to respond, but I stifled a whimper in return, and shoved at him. Cullen was more of a man than any Fury would ever be.

  Cullen moved deeper into the room, his jaw working, and I could tell he was thinking. All the while he kept the gun out, narrowing his eyes to aim in Bruiser’s direction. Was he trying to get off a shot? Did he think he could kill Bruiser, even with me as his shield? That was a big chance.

  A chance I knew Cullen wouldn’t take unless he was absolutely sure he could pull it off. He wouldn’t risk my life. I was trembling, my heart was beating a mile a minute, but I willed myself to be absolutely still and not make this any more difficult for him than it already was.

  Suddenly, I heard the door out front fly open. For a split second I dared to hope it was our salvation, maybe the other Cobras here to help, but then two more Fury arrived, guns drawn. They took in the scene, then pointed t
heir weapons at Cullen as he took a step toward the wall, never lowering his gun.

  Had Cullen even called for help? I wasn’t even sure. I wouldn’t put it past him to think he could handle everything on his own.

  Cullen sucked in a breath as his eyes scanned them. I stifled a sob. I couldn’t stand it if Cullen gave up now. I was only able to fight because he was.

  “Hey. Take me instead,” he said suddenly. “Let’s stop playing around. You don’t want her, you want me. Let her go and I’ll drop my gun. Okay?”

  Bruiser laughed. “We don’t want to take you anywhere, boy. We have no need for prisoners. Especially you. You got that?”

  The other men laughed sadistically. One of them sneered, “Yeah, man. Chop the head off the snake.”

  A low rumble emanated from deep within his chest, almost like thunder. He nodded. “Okay, fine. But just let her go and promise you won’t hurt her. I don’t give a shit what happens to me.”

  I could barely breathe. Ella screamed in the background, but what I heard louder than anything, was my own beating heart. My brain buzzed as blood shot hot and urgent through my veins. Sweat poured down my ribcage. It occurred to me just what Bruiser was saying. My life, in exchange for his.

  Cullen was going to die. For me.

  “No,” I murmured, shaking my head. “No. Please.”

  “Get on your knees, asshole,” Bruiser said. “And drop your fucking piece.”

  No. He couldn’t do that. Cullen, unarmed, against these three, could never be a good thing. He was walking into certain death, for me. “Cullen,” I wailed. “Don’t.”

  “Hey,” he said to me gently, his eyes softening. “It’s all right.”

  “I love you,” I blurted, wanting desperately to touch him. To hold him. To feel his arms around me, just one last time. That time in the hot tub, and on the bed, only a few hours ago? So much bliss . . . and now it was over. How could the best and worst night of my life be one in the same? Tears clouded my vision, but I blinked them away in desperate effort to see him. “Please. Cullen, I love you.”

  “I know you do, baby,” he said, as easy and relaxed as always, as if he was resigned to this fate. “Don’t worry.”

  Gaze fixed on mine, Cullen’s lips moved, but I couldn’t make out what he was saying. It felt like a secret message, just for me. I wanted desperately to understand, wondered if I would ever know, but a second later, his eyes went back to Bruiser, where they stayed, turning dark and cold.

  Shoulders tense, arms wavering in front of him as he held the gun, his eyes twitched. He wiped sweat out of his eyes with his forearm. I could tell he was done. That even if he wasn’t ready, he didn’t have a choice. He took a deep breath, exhaling slowly.

  “We’re waiting, McKnight.” Bruiser grinned sickly, his foul breath making me want to puke, and I could tell that this was something he’d been waiting a long time to see.

  Cullen McKnight, President of the Steel Cobras. The father of my baby and the only man I’d ever loved. Humiliated. Dead.

  I shuddered, stomping my feet, trying to tear myself loose from Bruiser’s big hands. These assholes wanted me to witness Cullen’s downfall, but I couldn’t bear to see this.

  His chest slick with sweat, his muscles tense, Cullen ran his tongue over his lips. He loosened his grip on the gun.

  And he slowly dropped to his knees.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Cullen

  On my knees, I had the gun dangle on my finger before letting it fall to the carpet. My eyes scanned to my boots, on the other side of the room. I didn’t have either of my weapons now.

  Bruiser laughed. Long and hard. The asshole had been waiting for this day for a long time.

  “Okay. Let her go,” I growled. Grace was still in his arms, still trembling, eyes closed, her lips moving in a silent prayer.

  He gave me a dismissive wave. “In a minute. Hands behind your head.”

  He was milking this, now, on a power trip. I did as he said, giving him a defiant look. “Now. Let her go, fucker.”

  Bruiser shook his head and sauntered over to me, still holding the gun to Grace’s temple. “Let me enjoy this a little.”

  That was not a good sign.

  Grinning down at me, he suddenly spat at me, foul-smelling saliva spraying my face. I refused to blink, to let him have that satisfaction. He motioned to the other guys, who came over and did it as well, hocking up saliva in their throats over and over again, until it was dripping from my chin, running down my neck, thick and wet. The other guys got off on it, too, making a show of it, seeing who had the best aim.

  All the while, I stared at them, my blood hot and raging in my veins, wanting to rip their fucking heads off.

  Only one thing went through my mind, as far as they were concerned. If I got out of this.

  No.

  Fucking.

  Mercy.

  “Let. Her. Go!” I repeated, the strength of my voice growing to a boom. “Now. Let her and the baby out of here right now. That was our deal.”

  He laughed. “You didn’t say please.”

  He shoved Grace over to his two goons, who grabbed her, putting their hands all over her. One of them put his hands up her camisole, cupping her tits, and she whimpered. Now it’d gone too far. If I ever got out of here, I knew I’d kill them all, in the bloodiest way possible. No more making peace. I wouldn’t rest until all of them were ripped limb from limb.

  He came up close to me, running the gun through my hair, as if trying to style it. He leaned over and squeezed on my cheek. Patted my face. He was loving this, getting the best of a club president, since he’d never had the balls or the popularity to be one himself. The two goons behind him laughed, spurring him on. “I wonder what your guys would say if they could see King Cobra now, huh?” he asked them. He looked over at Grace. “What do you think, seeing your pussy-assed man like this? Not so badass, is he?”

  But I wouldn’t look at her. I could hear her whimpering. Feel her trembling. It was too much to know I’d brought this all on her. That I’d fucked her, just the way all those men had fucked over her mom. Just the way she knew I’d end up fucking her.

  I flinched and scowled up at him. “You’re going to get yours. Soon. And I’m going to fucking dance on your grave.”

  He brought his gun to my forehead, pushed the cold steel hard into the very center of my head, between my eyes. “Don’t think so, Cullen, my boy. This is where you end.”

  As he cocked the gun, I managed a tight smile.

  “I’ll see you in hell,” I hissed.

  “You might,” he grinned, pressing the gun harder into my skin. “But even then, you’re never going to know what we did with your sweet little tasty bitch. We’ll leave you to burn, wondering. But I’m telling you, it won’t be pretty.”

  Fucking hell. They really weren’t going to let her go after I was gone. No fucking wonder Nix had such a thirst for blood where the Fury were concerned. He was level-headed otherwise, but had no mercy for the Fury, because they’d done this to his girl, Olivia, too. They would have killed her, too, if we hadn’t intervened. And I hadn’t listened. I’d fought him on retaliation until the last possible moment. I’d been too soft. Tried to play nice, for the sake of my own stupidity.

  Right then, I swore, as long as I lived, I’d never make that mistake again.

  Bruiser’s finger tightened on the trigger, and I knew it wouldn’t be long.

  But then, his smile dissolved, and I looked past the gun pointing between my eyes, catching him listening. I strained to hear over the sound of my pulse, pounding through my temples. Motorcycles. Fury . . . Or Cobras? The other men heard it, too, because one of them went into the living room. “I didn’t think any of the other guys were. . .” he was mumbling as he stepped out.

  I knew the disruption was my best and last chance.

  While Bruiser was distracted by the sound, I swung my arm out, pushing the gun’s barrel off of my forehead. Stunned, Bruiser turned back and
fired off a round, and the ceramic lamp at the night stand exploded. I rolled to the floor behind the bed, reached for my boot, grabbed my other piece, and fired off a single shot aimed at Bruiser’s head.

  The bullet caught him in his forehead and shaved off the top of his skull, showering me with blood and brain matter and bone fragments. I wiped the gore from my face in time to see him collapse to the floor in a heap, a stunned look on his face, like he didn’t know what hit him.

  I turned my gun to the other guy. Grace screamed in the man’s grip, fighting against him. I heard the man shout, “You bitch,” as I watched her lift her mouth from his arm, leaving a bloody half-circle-shaped bite mark on his forearm. She’d fucking bit him, tearing off a chunk of his skin. A woman possessed, her hair flying in her face, she kicked backwards, yanking violently.

  Fuck! Where did this Grace come from?

  The guy was no match for her. He tried to turn his gun to her as she let out a shriek, all flailing arms and legs, elbowing it out of his grip before he could aim. When she saw me, she wrenched herself free from him and ducked, flattening herself on the ground.

  I fired off a shot, hitting him in the chest, and he staggered backwards, clutching his heart, falling in front of the bathroom door.

  “Cullen!” she screamed.

  Reaching for her and shoving her aside, blocking her with my body, I quickly turned to the other guy, who was just returning from the living room, his gun drawn. He put his hands up, dropping his weapon. “Hey. Wait.”

  “I don’t wait,” I muttered, still pumped with adrenaline after what they’d done to Grace.

  Fuck that. I wasn’t going to wait again. Didn’t care that he was new Fury blood. He’d picked the wrong goddamn side.

  I fired off two rounds into his head. He sunk to his knees, a small river of blood trickling into his eyes, before falling face-first to the ground.

  Grace slunk down onto the bed, breathing hard, vising her head in her hands. Her wide eyes scanned the dead bodies at her feet. “Oh. Oh my God. Oh my God.”