My Dark Knight (gay biker romance) (Kings of Hell MC Book 2)

by K. A. Merikan

  William spun Elliot around, growling like a madman and desperate to deliver the fatal blow, but someone else burst in. Quick and agile like a cheetah, Gray pounced on Elliot, grabbing his waist and slamming him down to the floor. William writhed and swore, managing to stab the bottle into Gray’s arm, but a solid punch that left Elliot’s head ringing made even William drop the makeshift weapon.

  With his cheek rubbing against the grimy floor, Elliot opened his eyes wider, staring straight at Laurent, who sat on the floor by the nearest wall and frantically buttoned his jeans. His usually elegant hair was now plastered to damp skin, and dark eyes stared at Elliot as if he’d seen a ghost.

  Another blow knocked Elliot’s head against the hard tiles, but then he was hauled back to his feet, facing the mirrors with Gray twisting back his arms.

  “Are you fine?” Gray asked Laurent, whose chest worked up and down so rapidly as if he were about to suffer a heart attack.

  Laurent gave a brief nod but seemed to still be in shock and unable to voice his answer. William stood right next to him, repeatedly pushing his phantom hand against Laurent’s head but unable to do any damage without the aid of Elliot’s body.

  “You useless cunt. You had glass, and he’s intoxicated, yet there’s not enough strength or speed in you to make the tiniest of cuts!”

  “I didn’t want to hurt him!” Elliot whined. He didn’t understand what was happening. His head felt bruised from the inside, and William’s words echoed in it again and again. And why had William said something about a pact to Laurent? He must have been confused. Elliot glanced at Laurent with a heart filled with guilt. The guy could be an asshole, but he didn’t deserve to be assaulted this way.

  Laurent pulled himself up, studying Elliot as if he were seeing him for the first time, but before he could speak, the door burst open, and Beast rushed in alongside Knight. He ran past Elliot and pulled Laurent into his arms.

  “I heard you scream. What—” he uttered, only taking his time to look around once he made sure his lover was fine. His gaze eventually reached the broken glass, and then everyone’s eyes were on Elliot, who wanted to just curl up and cry in a dark corner somewhere.

  Knight exhaled, stepping closer. “Shit.”

  Gray pulled on Elliot’s arms even harder. “He attacked Laurent. I followed them and saw it happen.”

  “I didn’t mean to!” Elliot couldn’t bear looking into anyone’s eyes, but when his gaze swept over the floor, he noticed drops of blood on the white tiles.

  Laurent finally found his voice with Beast by his side. “How do you not mean to stab someone with a broken bottle?”

  William’s blue eyes threw daggers at Elliot. “If you were faster, we could have escaped by now. Together. With me in his body. Now you will have to face the consequences.”

  Elliot’s eyes welled up at the sight of Beast’s massive fists curling. “I can explain,” he whimpered.

  “I—Elliot, what the hell were you thinking?” hissed Knight, who finally moved from his spot by the door.

  “It doesn’t matter what he was thinking. He attacked my boy,” Beast growled, letting go of Laurent and approaching aggressively, like a stone giant ready to squash Elliot into a pulp.

  Elliot wanted to apologize, promise it would never happen again, but Beast grabbed his throat and pushed his thick fingers into the vulnerable flesh of Elliot’s neck.

  “I will destroy you, you skinny, backstabbing motherfucker!” Beast roared and slammed Elliot against the wall as soon as Gray let go.

  Elliot’s head rattled, and the pain spreading at the back of his head was so intense he feared his skull might have cracked from that single blow. Tears clouded his eyes at the sheer helplessness of his situation. Somewhere in the background, William’s voice echoed with more abuse, but huge fists were a more urgent kind of threat. Elliot tried to grab Beast’s wrist, tried to pry his hand away from his throat, but it was like attempting to push the Titanic away from the shore. And then, out of the blur came two other arms that grabbed Beast and tugged at him hard enough for Elliot to gravitate to the floor. It was as if he couldn’t control his legs anymore. They just folded under him like wet sheets of paper.

  “Beast, don’t,” tried Knight, but even his impressive size was no match to Beast’s raw strength, and he too was pushed against the wall.

  At least the angry bull of a man let go of Elliot, making him free to crawl under one of the sinks holding on to his aching throat. Colors danced in front of his eyes, but he was still alive.

  “No!” Beast yelled. “I’ve warned you that you need to watch him! He doesn’t get to go anywhere near my property with a sharp object and live to tell the tale. Enough!” He grabbed Elliot’s ankle and pulled him out from under the sink in one clean sweep that made Elliot yelp in panic. There was nothing he could do against Beast’s force, but just as he curled into a ball and hid his head with his arms, Knight collided with Beast at full speed and knocked him at the sinks. They fell on one, and the white porcelain gave up, shattering to the floor.

  “Oh yeah? You want to take responsibility for him?” Beast grabbed Knight and spun him around to throw him head-first at the wall, but Knight managed to protect himself in time against the impact.

  William approached Laurent and uselessly pressed at his back. Each time, William’s hands disappeared in Laurent’s body, Laurent stepped aside with a distressed look on his face. “Go on, you serpent. Just touch something sharp. One drop of your blood is all I need.”

  Knight spun around and got his arm around Beast’s head, clutching it to his side, but that seemed to have only enraged the grizzly, and Beast shot punch after punch into Knight’s gut and ribs, causing him to curl up by the wall and groan. Still, he didn’t let go.

  “Elliot. Hide. Fuck—”

  Laurent backed off into a corner with his eyes wide, and Elliot wanted to do the same, frightened of the force of nature unleashed by Beast. Not even Martin was as big and ferocious. How could Elliot possibly help Knight without causing even more havoc?

  Stuck crawling away toward the stalls, he watched the fight he could only blame himself for. At least Gray decided to step in. With a watchful eye on Elliot, he pulled on Beast’s arm.

  “Isn’t that enough?”

  Beast pushed him away so abruptly it seemed like Gray weighed nothing, but that created an opening for Knight to fight back, and he headbutted Beast so hard it seemed to confuse him. He let go of Knight, who pushed him toward the door, away from Elliot.

  “I won’t let you touch him!”

  The words hit Elliot right in the solar plexus, and he rubbed his eyes so no one would see him tearing up. Once again Knight was a wall between Elliot and the violence the world wanted to unleash on him for his stupid decisions. He couldn’t allow for Knight to get hurt any more than he already had.

  Fuck loyalty to William Fane. Knight was here, ready to protect him at his own expense when William had put Elliot in this position in the first place for the most selfish reasons.

  “It’s my fault!” He stepped closer, daring to meet Beast’s gaze. “I’ve summoned William Fane. I’m so sorry.”

  William’s face went slack, and he turned to Elliot, his cold eyes burning with fury. “It’s a secret, you fool! Don’t you dare say another word!” He was by Elliot’s side in two strides and reached for Elliot’s throat, but expecting the attack this time, Elliot grabbed William’s hands to keep the bone-cold fingers away. William hissed, his face twisting so rapidly it seemed as if the skin weren’t in any way attached to the bone and muscle underneath. Unable to grab Elliot into a chokehold, he pushed at Elliot’s fingers, twisting them against the joints in the knuckles until his entire arm felt like it was about to break.

  Knight was there before any of Elliot’s joints could snap. Eyes drilling into Elliot’s, and with a bruise already forming around his eye, he pulled Elliot’s own hand away from the other, preventing damage.

  “What? But how would he make you...”<
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  Beast’s face turned into stone. “You did what?” his voice trembled with barely held back rage, and he stepped closer again.

  “No, no, no…” Laurent whined, backing into the corner and covering his mouth. At least that turned Beast’s attention away from murdering everyone in the room.

  Someone opened the door and wanted to walk into the restrooms, oblivious to what was happening, but Gray pushed the man back out and locked the door.

  It was hard to speak when most of Elliot’s energy was set on resisting William, but the ghost wasn’t as strong as he would have probably wished. “I’m so sorry, Knight. I was so upset, and he was there, he listened to me. He told me your blood would rebuild his body. But what he really wanted was to possess yours. I didn’t know, I swear!”

  William growled and slapped Elliot so hard his head twisted until it hurt his nape. “Stop telling everyone our secrets!”

  “Fuck off!” Elliot yelled back at him.

  Knight pulled him closer, rolling to the floor to sit against the wall as he held Elliot still, preventing William from using Elliot’s own body to inflict any more damage. The strong, healthy thud of Knight’s heart against Elliot’s ear muted the angry shouting coming from William, and for a moment at least Elliot could take a breather.

  “Fuck. You’re so unbelievably stupid. I told you not to trust him! I told you!”

  Beast, who had his arms around Laurent, watched them with thick veins popping on his tattooed forehead. “What—you knew about this?”

  Knight scowled, and his heart rate galloped. “I saw the ghost. But it was confined to one room. I just locked it. You two were so busy with the—”

  “Oh, shut your fucking mouth,” roared Beast, and it seemed that only Laurent’s need for protection stopped him from charging at Knight again. “What else are you keeping from me? You’re my VP, and I can’t trust you!”

  “Is he here?” Laurent whispered wrapping his arms around Beast’s waist.

  Elliot nodded, pressing against the safety of Knight’s arms. Even though they weren’t in a relationship, Knight still had his back. He cared for Elliot’s wellbeing, no matter how unpleasant Elliot had been to him lately. Knight could have found a much better use of his time, one that wouldn’t aggravate his close friends, and yet he stood on Elliot’s side and gave him attention Elliot hadn’t earned.

  “I don’t want him here, Beast,” Laurent whimpered and hid his face in Beast’s chest.

  Knight swallowed and slowly glanced into Elliot’s eyes. “So... he’s inside you?”

  “Just wait while I get something inside you,” hissed William, pacing around the restroom with his hair in disarray.

  Elliot bit his lip and nodded again, feeling like the most pathetic creature on the planet. “He’s… mean to me.”

  Gray groaned from his spot at the door. “No shit. He’s a dead serial killer.”

  Elliot took a deep breath. “Knight… I’m so sorry. He claims he can enter the body of those who have his killer’s blood in their veins. He’s saying Laurent is the one who killed him. I don’t understand. He got so strong when he wanted to attack him. I didn’t want to do it for him. I swear I didn’t!”

  Knight’s grip on Elliot’s shoulders slacked, and he leaned back, going pale within two seconds. “Are you saying we’re cousins?”

  Elliot couldn’t bear saying it while looking into Knight’s beautiful eyes, so he closed his own for a moment. “No. You’re not a Mercier. Not even a drop.”

  Chapter 22

  Knight’s head was ringing.

  He stared back at Elliot, feeling as if the verbal slap had done more damage than Beast’s fists ever could. “W-what? That’s bullshit. He’s manipulating you again,” he said, even if his voice sounded faint to his own ears.

  He was a Mercier. Of course he was.

  Elliot’s eyes were red as he shook his head. “When I cut you, he couldn’t enter your blood.”

  “He cut you?” Beast hissed, and Knight was glad that Laurent was here too, because shit could escalate again all too fast.

  “That’s between me and him,” snapped Knight, tightening his fists. His ears resonated with a dull echo as he looked back into Elliot’s tear-streaked face. His dark eyes did not lie, but Knight still could not comprehend the words Elliot clearly believed. “That can’t be right.”

  Elliot’s features sharpened, and he curled his fingers around Knight’s forearms as he raised his head with a smile worthy of the Joker.

  “You’re bastards. Both of you,” he let out in a hiss, and his voice—booming and low as if it was coming from somewhere at the very bottom of Elliot’s stomach—sent shivers down Knight’s back.

  “It’s him. Oh, God, it’s Fane,” shrieked Laurent, and the moment he called out, Elliot pushed against Knight with a force that wasn’t his. It took all of Knight’s strength to keep him in place.

  Elliot slumped, lolling his head from side to side. “I don’t understand. He also claims Laurent killed him, so maybe he doesn’t know better. Maybe he’s confused… I don’t understand.”

  “Fuck me. Fuck everything and everyone,” bellowed Beast.

  “He told you this?” Knight asked, trying to stop thinking of Elliot’s—no, Fane’s—words, but the more time passed the more weight settled on his chest. By the time Beast briefly summarized for Elliot that Laurent was in fact the Laurent who killed Fane, and a time traveller to boot, Knight felt as if he was wearing lead armor that had been made too tight.

  Elliot’s mouth stayed open throughout Beast’s to-the-point explanation, but he didn’t utter a word, instead staring at Laurent with a vacant expression. The fact that William Fane could now hurt Elliot at any given moment was slicing Knight’s heart into pieces. At least it was taking his attention off the truth that Fane had revealed.

  A dull thud resounded behind them, and they all looked back to find Gray panting, with one knee on the floor. “I’m fine, I’m fine,” he said, raising his arm, but it only made the blood dripping down his elbow more obvious.

  “Fuck!” Beast rushed toward him. “Can you stop always being the hero? You should have said it’s a major cut!”

  Gray shook his head and some of the silvery hair escaped his ponytail. “It’s nothing.”

  Laurent was by Beast’s side every step of the way, sending frightened looks Elliot’s way.

  “We’ll talk more later, Knight,” Beast said, sliding his arm under Gray’s to lead him out. His voice didn’t promise anything good. “For now, get that asshole off the premises. I don’t care where you take him as long as it’s away from here, and away from Laurent.”

  Knight nodded, shifting uncomfortably when the food he’d had earlier rose in his throat. He looked at Elliot, but it was only when everyone left that he could make himself speak again. “You heard him. We need to get moving.”

  Elliot nodded and got up on wobbly legs. “Please don’t let me hurt anyone,” he whispered, looking miserable with the blood around his lips and nose, and the massive bruise forming on his cheek.

  Knight gently stroked Elliot’s face with the back of his hand. “I won’t. Promise.”

  Elliot flinched, and anger stirred inside Knight’s chest. He needed to focus on his assignment. He’d fucked up so many times since becoming the VP that it was high time for him to get serious.

  “Did he make you do anything else?” Knight asked.

  “He’s… nasty. He’s promised me so many things. I’m so stupid.” Elliot rubbed his eyes and let Knight guide him out of the restrooms.

  Knight wanted to say I told you so, but in the grand scheme of things it seemed like needless taunting of a broken man. He put his arm around Elliot’s shoulders and led him into the corridor. One look through the door of the common room revealed that Jake was taking care of Gray’s wounded arm on the sofa, and that was all Knight needed to know for now. He would make his friends safe only by taking away the ghost of William Fane.

  They barely talked on the
way to the garage, but as they drove off, away from the drumming walls of the party and the gloom of Fane’s house, Knight felt relieved despite the tension in Elliot’s shoulders.

  Elliot kept looking into the rearview mirror and clenching his hands in his lap. “I shouldn’t have summoned him, and now it’s too late. He’s nothing like I imagined. He hates everything. Hates the house, hates this car, and hates me.”

  “Good. Does he hate heavy metal too?” Knight asked and switched on the radio, which immediately boomed Dimmu Borgir.

  This actually managed to squeeze a tiny smile out of Elliot. “He does. He says it’s loathsome.” Elliot turned up the volume even more. The music was too loud for them to speak, but if it meant Elliot didn’t have to listen to Fane, then Knight could deal with that.

  Mounds of snow created a tunnel for them to drive off the premises, and they continued down the wider roads, completely empty when midnight came and fireworks reminded them of it in the sky.

  Knight didn’t like having so much time to think, not after receiving the shocking news of his ancestry. His belief still hung by a thread, but as moments passed, the explanation Elliot had given him seemed to provide the only logical answer. He resented the idea of Fane infiltrating his body. Every part of him twisted with disgust when he imagined sharing flesh with such a despicable monster. But that wasn’t even the worst of it. Had Fane been successful and taken over someone like him, much stronger and less suspicious than Elliot, Laurent might have died. Gray wouldn’t have followed Knight.

  It was a fucking disaster.

  Elliot turned down the music all of a sudden, fidgeting and looking to the backseat. “He’s gone.” He wouldn’t stop looking around but repeated the same words twice more, as if just saying them out loud gave him relief.

  Knight relaxed in the seat, slowing down the car as they approached the road that would take them past Brecon, to Knight’s family home. If it could even be called by that name. “You think he can only exist in the demon’s domain?”