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

by K. A. Merikan

Somewhere deep in that darkness, somewhere beyond his reflection hid a creature none of them understood.

  Laurent stood straighter. “Antique. Beast gifted it to me.”

  Knight smirked. “Isn’t that sweet?”

  “What took you so long?” Beast asked, walking out of the corridor leading to the other rooms within his apartment. His somber expression made the shadow of a smile drop from Knight’s face instantly.

  “Nothing. Just needed to make sure Elliot was fine with me leaving.”

  “Gray and Jake are with him, right? We need him supervised at all times,” Beast said as if Knight hadn’t heard that time and time again already.

  “Yes, he is supervised. And he is in the straitjacket. And he will not hurt Laurent,” Knight said in a somewhat biting tone. This kind of constant suspicion against Elliot was really getting on his nerves at this point—one more reason to keep the breakup to himself for now. If Beast knew, he’d surely advocate simply shipping Elliot away somewhere.

  Beast exhaled deeply. “Good. Now let’s establish what exactly we want to achieve. Do we want to ask about Fane’s soul? Ask if the demon could simply take him?”

  As Beast spoke, movement caught Knight’s attention, though he was unsure whether it was his mind playing tricks on him, or if he did notice a dark shadow move behind his reflection in the mirror.

  “We don’t want you hurting as well, Knight. There’s still time to think this through,” Laurent added.

  “Hurting? Why would I be hurt?” Knight asked, forcing his eyes away from the looming presence that was invisible and yet made his body hair bristle.

  “Because that creature might want something that will be bad for you. It doesn’t care about us. We are just a means to its ends, and the less we engage with it, the better.”

  A murmur echoed through the walls at the end of Laurent’s words, sending a shudder up Knight’s spine. He didn’t move and stood tall, willing himself not to give in to intimidation. “No deal is better than a bad deal, right?” he asked, for the creature’s sake.

  “True,” Beast said, facing the tall antique mirror.

  Laurent looked back at them both once more, but then took a step closer to the frame. He put just his fingertips on the glass. “Could we speak, please?”

  The moment he voiced his request, the smooth surface trembled beneath his touch, softly rippling toward the frame, like little waves in a pond.

  Knight took a deep breath and crossed his arms on his chest, feet stable on the floor as he watched the tiny waves make metallic noises each time they dispersed. It was only then that he realized the room was deathly quiet. A single glance toward the windows had Knight almost stumbling when the nightly glow of the moon and the silhouettes of dark trees with the background of the sky were replaced by a matte black that seemed impenetrable. As if an invisible hand covered the glass with tar.

  A dull sound resonated from the mirror when its surface also lost its natural glow, becoming gray as the low noises trembled over the walls and through the floor under Knight’s feet. The lamp above started a slow sway. And then the lights went off, and Knight barely kept in a yelp.

  In the dark, the faint purplish shade of the mirror was the only source of illumination, casting a weak, livid shade on Laurent’s face and the hand that contrasted so sharply with the rippling glass. Knight’s brain pulsed as if it was about to explode within his skull, but with the silence becoming so complete it was causing Knight’s ears to ring, he was compelled to stay still and watch.

  No sound was made when long claws pushed their way through the watery surface of the mirror. A long-fingered hand that was so black it sucked in all other color slid up Laurent’s forearm and grabbed it.

  Laurent pulled back with a yelp, but only more of the creature appeared, making the room so warm Knight was sweating already. “Please, let go,” he whimpered, and Beast instantly wrapped his arms around him.

  Knight was already imagining Laurent getting pulled back into the void inside of the frame, but the demon’s fingers spread, letting go of him. Its horns appeared next, piercing the tar-like surface of what used to be a mirror until the face pressed against it too, and the towering presence revealed more of its steaming body.

  Laurent all but fell into Beast’s arms, and the two of them stepped back, their eyes wide and oddly bright among all the muted colors.

  Knight’s heart thumped faster as he took in the tall form of the monster, with its spiraling horns that were as long as his arms, and the angular, sexless body that was pitch black where the skin wasn’t cracked open to reveal the burning lava of the demon’s flesh

  “Travis Mercier,” the monster hummed, turning its head toward him.

  Knight swallowed hard, for a moment wondering how the demon even knew his given name. Facing him like this was entirely different from the brief reveal when all the patched members of the club were present.

  Unlike that time when the creature’s attention had been dispersed, having it all focus on him had Knight experience it as a physical weight on his shoulders.

  “Yes.”

  “There’s someone you want gone, isn’t there?” The creature’s lips widened in a mockery of a smile that revealed sharp black teeth. “Someone who is bound to this territory. To me.”

  For several moments that felt like eternity, Knight couldn’t find his voice. It was as if the heat the creature emitted wouldn’t let him breathe. “I want him to feel the things he made his victims feel. I want him gone,” he said in the end, so focused on the demon it felt like the two of them were alone.

  The demon had to slouch for his form to fit into the room, but that only made him look more menacing. “I made him a promise, Travis. I cannot just dispose of him on your whim.” And yet the words had an underlying tone of humor, as if the demon knew he was playing a game with Knight. He had the power to give Knight what he wanted, but was gauging how much he could gain in return.

  Knight licked his lips to remedy the parched sensation. “Then you chose the wrong fucking man. He’s had his chance, and now he’s tormenting people even after death!”

  The demon nodded. “Yes. That is unfortunate.”

  “So... what are you gonna do about it, huh? I doubt you planned this, so he is going against your wishes!”

  The demon exhaled so deeply a wave of hot air rippled through the room. “I don’t have enough power in your world. But if you were willing to change that, I could help.” His eyes were like two black holes, and yet they seemed attentive. “Would you like to negotiate an exchange, Travis?”

  “You don’t have to do this, Knight,” Laurent whispered, but the demon hissed at him so abruptly sparks flew from his mouth.

  In the corner of his eye, Knight saw Beast pull Laurent away, but he forgot of their presence and stepped closer to the fire burning within the creature. “I need to hear what you want first.”

  The demon’s lips widened so much their edges cracked open and liquid fire dripped down his face, burning holes in the carpet where they fell.

  *

  Knight exhaled several times as the door closed behind him. It was fairly dark in the corridor outside of Beast’s, but even the dusky atmosphere was bright as midday in comparison to the dull shades the creature had brought with him. Its absence was a physical relief, and yet Knight could still feel the burning presence underneath his skin. As if the inhuman eyes were following his every move. Did Beast experience this the same way?

  Absentmindedly, Knight pulled on the fingerless leather gloves Beast gave him. The fit wasn’t quite right, with Beast being a larger man than him, but they would do. His hands still ached, and the tension in his body was like a nail screwed in too far. Before facing Elliot, before taking advantage of what the devil had given him, he needed to unwind or everything could go to shit.

  The worst thing was that his brain was telling him to go back home and spend some time with Elliot. It would have made lots of sense if Elliot hadn’t broken up with him earlier toni
ght, but as it was, no quality time together would be had.

  Knight kicked the air, rolling his boot over the laminate floor as he slowly made his way to the nearest staircase. There were few mirrors in public spaces around the clubhouse, but now that he’d seen the demon emerge out of one, he would gladly only check his hair in the rearview mirror of his car from now on. And if Beast was to be believed, the pact meant that the creature would forever have his eyes on Knight. From this night on, Knight would be forever bound to these grounds.

  It made him feel empty, and barely anything was left of the exhilaration of being able to somehow help Elliot. It wouldn’t happen tonight anyway, and he just wanted to forget the huge, unearthly form of the monster who’d left his sigil on Knight’s skin.

  Laughter and music caught Knight’s attention, and he walked toward it absentmindedly. There was no big party happening today, but in the clubhouse there was always an opportunity for a drink and some fun. Not only for the members but for hangarounds as well.

  That was what always managed to let Knight relax. A cold beer, a girl in his lap, innocent flirting or a hard fuck that would make him forget about all the bad shit. Mainly that he wasn’t allowed to have Elliot anymore. It was an ugly thought that remained in his mind like nausea resulting from binge-eating fast food the night before.

  As he walked toward the giddily drunken laughs and soft vocals that undoubtedly meant the gathering would be largely female, his mouth burned, almost as if he’d just swallowed Elliot’s spunk again. Salty. A bit bitter. The smooth cock had been so hot and heavy on Knight’s tongue, Elliot’s moans so enticing.

  Fucking hell.

  He walked into the small room with day beds and sofas. A pop-rock gig was playing on the large television, and several people watched it while sharing cocktails. The faint scent of sweat hit him first before he noticed that one of the women arched off the bed, completely disinterested in the music. A large presence moved between her legs, and it was only when a bald head emerged into view that Knight recognized Rev.

  He made a turn to sit on a sofa, but the burn in his hands wouldn’t let him forget the infernal agreement he’d made. All he needed was a connection, a person to make him chill out. Nao smiled at him from the kitchen, and was soon making her way to him with a beer in hand. That woman really knew how to be a hostess.

  She passed him the beer and leaned against the sofa. “Rough night?”

  “You could say that,” he said and touched the damp bottle against his forehead. His gaze trailed to Rev and the hangaround, whose voice reached a high pitch right before she dropped to the mattress, breathing heavily. “You?”

  Nao spared the couple a glance as Rev crawled over the girl’s body to kiss her. “We’re just having a little party. I heard Elliot’s out of the hospital. Will he come down, or is he still unwell?”

  Knight felt the tickle of Elliot’s cock somewhere at the back of his throat, the touch of warm thighs against his cheeks, the masculine scent filling his nose even in this room that smelled so floral. “He’s... he’s very tired. I think he wouldn’t mind visitors.”

  “Oh, cool! I’ll come see him tomorrow.” Nao gave him a wide smiley—a breeze of normalcy in the crazy world Knight was living in. She had no idea what kind of house she lived in, or what danger hid inside Elliot. “You came to chill out? I know someone who wanted to meet you, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen you mingle, so I’m not sure if you’re interested.”

  The question left Knight without an immediate answer, but he put his arm around her and stroked her hair. “I’ve been busy lately. Who’s the girl? You?”

  Nao laughed and gently punched Knight’s shoulder, sliding into his lap. “It could be. But see the blonde over there?” She nodded with her head toward a woman with short-cropped hair. “That’s Sonia. I thought we could have a three-way sometime. What do you think?”

  He swallowed, sensing her long fingernails rubbing against his Adam’s apple. Would she mind if she knew he’d sucked another guy’s dick today? She probably wouldn’t, being as sexually open as she was, but the fact that it had happened wouldn’t leave Knight’s head. It had been a spontaneous decision. It had felt right in the moment, and regardless of how pleasant it had actually been, anxiety still held Knight in its grip.

  “A threesome? Really? How do you know I’d still have the stamina?” He chuckled and played with her hair.

  Nao slapped his shoulder. “You’re not even thirty! You’re a stud. You could handle it. And I’d have fun with Sonia anyway if you got tired. Win-win.” She clinked her beer bottle with Knight’s.

  “It’s been a while since I had two gorgeous ladies staring at me from between my legs,” Knight said, petting her back and relaxing into the seat. Yes. This was exactly what he needed to get his mind off Elliot. Some pussy. Good vibes. Beer. What more could a man want?

  Nao gave him a quick kiss on the cheek and got up with a wink at Knight. “I bet that can be arranged. I’ll go ask her, but I know she likes you.”

  “Hey, who doesn’t?” Knight asked with a chuckle. Elliot even said he loved him. Not because Knight was a handsome man, or because he had enough money to buy pretty things, but because they shared so much.

  “You know no one can resist that face,” Nao teased before walking off with a sway to her hips.

  Once she left, Knight’s gaze drifted to Rev and the hangaround again. The girl had to be half his age, but they seemed to have eyes only for each other. Knight was sure he’d seen the tattoo on her thigh before, so she likely wasn’t new here, but he’d been so preoccupied with Elliot and research in the past few months that he somehow hadn’t noticed Rev was into someone new.

  The girl climbed into Rev’s lap and lowered herself on his dick, letting out a low groan as she threw back her head.

  Knight licked his lips, watching the two bodies move together, and he could sense that his pants were getting that little bit tighter. The girl had a nicely toned back, with a dragon tattoo climbing up her side, and a nice ass that reminded Knight just how well Elliot always took his cock. He’d always been so willing and open to whatever Knight wanted, whether it was a fuck at an orgy, or a quickie during an excavation in the basement.

  If he was to be honest with himself, he couldn’t think of many people who would have been up for the latter, next to three dead bodies and fuck knew what else. But Elliot had been. Not only hot for the sex but just as excited as Knight to search the hidden rooms. They were still waiting for the translation of the diary that woman in the black dress had had in her lap. With Elliot, Knight was never annoyed that the person he’d had sex with was still around when Knight wanted to check something at the library. Elliot would go with him. And he’d make one of those ridiculous sandwiches that would so often end up surprisingly delicious. Because he’d know they would stay out for long enough to get hungry.

  Knight smiled at Sonia. With bright blonde hair cropped close to her scalp and a lithe figure, she was a pretty thing. His gaze trailed lower, to the ripped hem of her tiny jean skirt, which revealed shapely, tanned legs.

  She smiled back and was soon making her way to Knight with Nao. A nasty idea poked at Knight’s brain like a needle being pushed in through the ear. He remembered Beast telling him he wouldn’t sleep with anyone else because it would hurt Laurent. Would it hurt Elliot if Knight had a rebound so soon after they’d broken up?

  Sonia sat next to Knight as Nao slid back into Knight’s lap. She smelled nice, and her hair was soft, smooth, but not nearly as soft as Elliot’s black strands that always felt like baby hair. “Hi there. Doing anything interesting, ladies?” he asked, putting his arm on the backrest behind Sonia.

  “Yeah, you.” Nao laughed and leaned down to kiss Knight’s ear.

  Sonia was a bit more shy, only stroking Knight’s thigh for now. “I love your long hair.”

  The sound of Rev’s girl’s moans and the slapping of skin against skin was heating up the atmosphere, but somehow Knight couldn’t
stop getting distracted with thoughts of Elliot, Fane, the pact, the breakup...

  “We don’t get male pattern baldness in my family. Like this guy,” Knight said, pointing to one of the names tattooed on his forearm, “I’ve seen a portrait, and he wasn’t even wearing a wig. Just his natural hair. At forty!” The last word trailed off as he remembered that he and Ludovic Mercier were not actually related, and his enthusiasm sunk. Ludovic was related to Elliot.

  Sonia cocked her head slightly, and even though she looked nothing like Knight’s last girlfriend, Jordan, the expression on her face reminded Knight of her. Of the way Jordan would listen to him talk about history with glazed-over eyes, as if she were thinking about something else.

  Nao smiled at Sonia, and her hand slid down to Knight’s crotch. “He’s not hairy down there though.”

  It struck Knight how odd her hand felt after having sex exclusively with Elliot for weeks. And still, his mind kept returning to the breakup, as if it was a broken record that wouldn’t continue with new music regardless of how many times Knight tried adjusting the gramophone.

  “How about you two get to know each other better?”

  Nao gave Knight a tiny peck on the nose that surely left some violet lipstick on there, and she leaned down to kiss Sonia who smiled right before their lips met. Watching them felt much more exciting than being touched right now. They both seemed to be into it as well whereas Knight felt like a leper. As if his skin could fall off if someone touched him too hard. He was a tough guy, not some tender peach getting bruised from the slightest prod.

  Maybe it was the pact with the devil that left him so shell shocked, but he also felt out of place trying to have fun while Elliot was stuck in a straitjacket and guarded like a prisoner, with Fane hauling insult after insult and touching him with invisible hands.

  It wasn’t right of Knight to just enjoy himself while all those things were going on.

  Even his erection waned despite the hot view just inches from him.

  The girls were more into it by the second, getting rid of clothes and sharing passionate kisses. Knight wasn’t even so sure if they’d miss him, were he to get up and go. But who would he be if he did that? Would people notice? Would they gossip that he’d changed, or that his dick wasn’t working right? Did it matter?