Swallowing Mayhem

by James Cox

Deviant grunted.

  Mayhem grunted.

  Outlaw rolled his eyes.

  And I took my leave of the club.

  Chapter Ten

  I took Mayhem’s bike. He’d probably kick my ass later or maybe spank it. Oh, I wanted to try that. Suddenly, fucking a man made a whole new world of possibilities open up. I wanted to try spanking but never wanted to hurt the women in the breeding house. Now that I had Mayhem, I could get real creative. His bike felt good between my legs. I gave the peacekeeper at the end of the street a wave. He nodded back. Then it was just the bike and me. The road was my canvas. I followed the quiet streets. It was dusk. The sun hadn’t set, but it was starting to fall behind the city, making the light in some spots so bright I had to squint.

  I was a block from Tage’s huge mansion where he hid the Amazon MC. Those were the women who ran away from their masters or escaped from the breeding house. A bunch of badasses I heard about but hadn’t met any yet. That was also information that I held back from the peacekeepers. Those little things were starting to add up. Maybe subconsciously I knew I had taken the wrong path in life. I was thinking as I turned the corner and spotted peacekeepers. It was Day-si standing next to an expensive black hover car. Shit! I pulled over, using the car to slid behind and hide. Tage’s house was the last on this block but if I went past Day-Si, he might get curious. I peeked around the car. They were literally pulling someone out. I frowned, easing further so I could see better. I recognized Tage as they grabbed him by his expensive suit and shoved him against the car. “Fuck a whore!” Peacekeeper saying. How did they know to question him? Did someone suspect Tage and not tell me? Fucking traitorous bastards. Yeah, I caught the irony of calling them that. I eased the stand down on the bike and hunched then made my way toward them. I kept low. The street was quiet as the sun kept falling.

  “We know you’re sympathetic to the Outlaws,” Day-Si said.

  His partner, a short guy with dark hair, was looking around making sure no one was getting curious.

  “I don’t comprehend your meaning,” Tage said. His voice eloquent and quiet though they had him pushed against his car like a common criminal.

  “The garage.” Day-Si sounded impatient. “Help us find the bombs, we’ll let your little slip up go.”

  “Bombs!” His voice hitched a bit. “I assure you, peacekeeper, I would never associate myself with such malicious activity.”

  Then Day-Si’s hand shot out and flattened against Tage’s face.

  The man looked manicured enough to break in half at the hit. I wondered how the hell he dealt with the beast of a man Deviant was. Tage held his cheek. “That was beyond reason. I want your name and badge number. Surely, you don’t think someone of my standing would...”

  Day-Si slapped him again. This time harder because Tage grunted and fell against the car. “Shut up, shithead. We know you’re with the Outlaws. Give us the bombs or I’m going to throw you in my car and take you to a place where they can’t hear you scream!”

  Tage went pale. Even from here, I could see his body give a shake.

  Time to play the hero or at least pretend to be. I stood and the second peacekeeper spotted me. Arnet was his name. I only knew because his nametag was on his chest over his dark uniform slacks and button-down shirt. He went for his gun. “Easy. I’m on your side.”

  Day-Si glanced over. “What the fuck are you doing here?”

  “Came to find you,” I lied smoothly. Not sure where the lie was going but I had to get Tage away from them or else they’d truly torture him. I don’t know if Day-Si would get away with it, but there were some big, messy loopholes in the law. I walked past Arnet, who eased off his weapon. Tage looked at me with eyes as wide as they would go. He knew I came from the club, didn’t he? I couldn’t remember if he was in the room when Justice jumped me.

  “What for?” he asked and looked at Tage. “I think we might have a better source then you right here.”

  “A scared, rich guy?” I asked, sarcasm thick.

  “No.” He frowned. “He’s been to the garage a few times a week. No way were you just getting your hover car fixed.” He looked back at Tage.

  Tage stuttered a bit as he spoke, “They’re building me...me a custom car.” His hands were up, palms facing us as his pale skin turned red from the abuse.

  “You’re lying.” Day-si grabbed the front of his suit, almost shaking Tage. “You’re working with them.”

  “I swear to you, peacekeeper, I am not.”

  Day-Si pushed him against the car. “We’ll find out soon enough.” He pushed Tage toward the peacekeeper hover car.

  “Wexmen condones torture now?” No one answered me. “And if this guy is telling the truth?”

  Day-Si hesitated at that. “Doesn’t matter. He’s seen your face. We have to lock him until the investigation is over now.”

  Fuck. I didn’t think of that. I frowned then smiled. The outlaw was much more fun to play. I did a roundhouse kick that slammed right into Day-Si’s head. He fell to the ground as I pulled my gun and shot Arnet. The man went down hard. By the time I turned, Day-Si was up and pointing his gun. He got off one laser bullet, which went wide then aimed for Tage. I jumped at Deviant’s lover with all the strength I had. We slammed against the peacekeeper’s car. The laser flew past us, hitting where Tage’s head would have been. Then I leaped at Day-Si. I grabbed his wrist with the weapon, using both hands. Not my best move. Day-Si jammed his fist into my kidney and made stars explode behind my eyes. Pain rose, but adrenaline helped me move quicker. Still holding on, I used my elbow to smash him in the face. He didn’t drop the gun, but at least he stopped hitting me. I loosened one hand and punched him in the nose, which was bleeding.

  “Traitor,” he managed to wheeze out.

  I gave him another solid hit and his grip loosened. I pulled the gun from his grasp, but he bucked. I went sprawling backward, landing hard on my back. Day-Si rose and I didn’t think. It was survival mode as I pulled the trigger. The laser bullet was bright against the growing shadows. It hit Day-Si’s body with enough force to make him jerk. His momentum continued sending him falling on me. I didn’t know where I hit him, but I felt the blood seeping onto my skin. I pushed him to his side, sitting up then staring down at his unconscious form. I must have been there for a while because it was Tage’s hand on my shoulder that broke me out of the trance.

  “Are you okay?”

  I nodded then stood. My shirt was covered in blood. Hell, I was just happy it wasn’t mine. “We need to go.”

  “I’m going to warn the Amazons. They have an escape plan.”

  “Hurry. My bike’s back there.” Technically, Mayhem’s bike. “We have to get the fuck out of here.” As long as we weren’t caught at the scene we had some time. If Day-Si lived, he’d be unconscious for days healing. Maybe not days, hours. We had fucking hours. I ran back to the bike, started it up, and made my way to Tage.

  “It’s done,” he said as he hopped behind me.

  I drove us from the bloody scene and rode as fast as I could. I didn’t cover my shirt as we rode. I took the back streets, a little longer but hell at least we wouldn’t have to pass the peacekeepers at the clubhouse. The garage door was open as I pulled into the lot. I felt this wave of relief as I saw the place. We rode right into the garage. The door was closing behind us as Tage got off and ran to Deviant. He was standing off to the side along with Outlaw and Mayhem. My man took one look at me and his eyes went wide.

  “Jesus, Torrin.” He rushed to me. “Fucking bastards. Help me.” He glanced at Outlaw. “Get Grim. Help us.”

  Grim was the medic. I didn’t need a medic. Oh shit, my shirt. I forgot. “I’m not hurt,” I managed to say as he pulled me off the bike and into his arms. “I’m not shot!” I yelled as Grim came running out the clubhouse.

  “Whose blood?” Outlaw asked.

  Mayhem pulled back. His hands cupped my cheeks. “You’re whole?”

  “Not even a scratch, baby.” The endearme
nt kind of came out without thinking. “The blood is Day-Si’s. He tried to take Tage.”

  Deviant was holding Tage so tight the man couldn’t talk.

  “You shot that fucker?” Outlaw gave me a grin. “Dead?”

  “Not sure. We got out of there before we could find out or be discovered.” I realized I was breathing heavily. Adrenaline, but it was wearing off and I had to slow my heartbeat.

  Mayhem pulled me back into his chest. “If I find a fucking scratch on you I’m going to fuck you so hard you won’t be able to walk for a week.”

  “Was that a threat? ’Cause it kind of sounded like a promise.”

  Mayhem grunted.

  “All right, get these bikes cleaned up,” Outlaw ordered. “Burn the clothes.”

  Mayhem held my hand.

  Tage pulled back from his lover. “Torrin saved my life.”

  Deviant frowned.

  “He did.” Tage looked at me. “They were going to take me. He jumped in front of a bullet for me.”

  Mayhem growled.

  “Good job,” Outlaw said and then started ordering the others to clean and wash away any evidence. “We have to get the plan done tonight before Day-Si can tell about Torrin’s change of loyalty.”

  The garage became a flurry of activity, but it was Deviant who looked at me and mouthed, thank you.

  I was torn between wanting sex and wanting to wash this blood off me. I felt guilty about Day-Si and Arnet but the more I thought about things, the more I knew I’d done the right thing. Especially when I watched Deviant hug Tage. It was enough to quell my guilt. Mayhem grabbed my hand and pulled me toward him. I stopped short so I wouldn’t rub my marred clothes against his.

  “No sex,” Outlaw said. “Get cleaned up, Torrin. Some big shit is going down tonight. You’ve earned the right to be there.”

  Well, I knew the others would take a while to forgive me but at least I was on the right track. I made my way inside, getting to Mayhem’s room and turning the water on. I peeled the clothes off my body and folded them in the sink. I was standing there naked. Some blood had seeped through my shirt, and now it smeared over my torso in a gruesome abstract painting. I stepped under the water, it was hot enough to make me flinch and turn my skin slightly reddish.

  Mayhem stepped in the room. “Burning the clothes,” he said but hesitated. “I want to fucking join you so bad but this club, the cause comes first.”

  “I know that,” I said over the rushing water.

  “I’m proud of you.”

  His words made me smile. Mayhem grabbed my clothes and walked out. I stood under the water, washing until there was no trace of the violence from earlier. Then I walked into Mayhem’s bedroom. I grabbed a pair of black jeans on the bed. Mayhem must have put them there. My dick was thankfully silent as I tucked it in. I grabbed one of his shirts. It was loose on me, but it’d have to do. Then I went into the hall. The chapel doors were open and Mayhem was standing in the frame. He winked at me.

  “Get the fuck over here.”

  I moved faster, making my way through the doors. Even Prospect was here.

  “Even though you’re both prospects...” Outlaw began. “Shits about to go down that’s going to change everything about Mars.”

  That sounded epic. Mayhem stood next to me while the other club members sat around the table. He took a step toward me, reaching out, and grabbing my hand. I was actually getting used to showing affection to another man. My Mayhem.

  “Are your dicks getting in the way?” Outlaw asked.

  I hadn’t realized he stopped talking.

  Prospect chuckled. Chaos and Deviant both smiled. “Sorry.” I cleared my throat.

  Mayhem grunted.

  I was even getting used to their responses.

  Outlaw started again, “We’ve been fighting against the government. Trying to take back some basic rights that have been lost in the move to Mars. The breeding house, the slave auction house, the peacekeeper buildings...all steps. We have peacekeepers to contend with but based on Torrin’s change of loyalties, there might be less resistance than we planned.”

  I wasn’t sure about that.

  “Loyal citizens that don’t want to give up their slaves are going to fight us and we have the actual government with their security in the buildings that we finally have blueprints for. Those are our obstacles. We are going to fucking plow right through them.”

  “Yeah!” Chaos threw a fist in the air.

  “After Tage’s brush with the law, he’s with us permanently. We have the Amazon MC run by Deviant’s sister.”

  Well, that was unexpected. I read in his file that his sister was deceased.

  “The Underground MC run by Justice.”

  I winced. Would he ever forgive me?

  “They’re getting together tonight. We’re going to blow up a section of construction to create a wall, a barrier. This will form the front lines. We have weapons, men to fight, the will to change the way our species lives! The war is going to begin and it’s going to start in two hours.”

  Well, fuck me.

  Chapter Eleven

  The front lines were going to be at the edge of the city and I learned from Mayhem that we were going to work our way out. Street by street, building by building. We were going to gain supporters, free women, release slaves, and take the enemy down. That wouldn’t happen overnight but day-by-day the MC’s would get stronger while the government whittled away. Most of their resources were at the landing strip, the opposite side of our front lines. We all cleaned out the clubhouse, taking what we couldn’t part with. It would be too dangerous to live here once the fight started. Friends of the club were told to either hunker down or drive out with us. I rode on the back of Mayhem’s bike. His black hair was tied behind his head, the helmet he wore untied under his chin. They all wore cuts, me too, but mine said prospect. I held on to Mayhem’s hips, pressing against his back. Not for the sexual aspect but for comfort. Knowing he was here made that nervous flutter in my stomach fade away.

  We drove two-by-two down the street. The tails we were supposed to have were knocked out in their hover cars. I made sure they weren’t killed. I didn’t know the guys so they might very well be on our side just stuck as a peacekeeper because it was all they knew. Just like I had been.

  I couldn’t help but think about how drastically my life changed as the wind whipped against my skin. I had a male lover. I was against the peacekeepers. I wounded Day-Si and killed Arnet. That was the first time I took a life. Everything was spinning so fast and so wide that I thought I’d fly right over the edge and smash into the ground. Mayhem stopped that. He was like an anchor, a guide in the darkness. I held him tighter, placing my cheek against his back. The cut was smooth under my skin.

  The turns were easy to traverse with the sunset and the city bunking down for the night. No one knew what was about to happen. No one knew that this would be the day to go down in history. It made me smile against Mayhem’s back. We arrived at the Southern construction site. It wasn’t far from Harley’s story. He could be our hidden man and still supply us with goods. Mayhem told me that as we were leaving. This site was lit up as we eased behind a nearby building. The hovering spotlights were focused on the dark side. The peacekeepers had no idea to keep watch on the city.

  Outlaw, Whip, and Grim took the right side of the construction site. Chaos, Deviant, and Mayhem took the left. The prospect was in charge of watching the bikes. Tage had a gun in his hand which was scarier than the battle we were about to start. I sure the hell hoped I didn’t take friendly fire. I frowned at him. He stood next to me with Beau on the other side of me. “You know how to fire that?” I asked as I took the safety off my laser gun.

  Tage frowned. “I may not be able to perform fisticuffs as proficient as you men, but Deviant has taught me himself. My use of laser guns has improved under his tutelage.”

  “What the fuck he say?” Beau asked.

  I snorted. I was stuck between the rich guy and the
former prison member. This should be good. The three of us were ducked behind a hover car. When the fight started, we were in charge of the runoff. Surely, not everyone would go all out fighting with the Outlaws. Those that ran or tried to get help would face us. God help us. I aimed at the middle section of the construction site. We were in the road, the city dark behind us. The Amazons were taking up further down. When someone got off a call for backup, which would most definitely happen with the technology we had, they’d watch our ass. Of course, eighty percent of the peacekeeper forces were at the opposite side of the city waiting for the Outlaws to strike the landing strip. I grinned and then aimed.

  I calmed my breathing and pushed Mayhem from my mind. I couldn’t think of him out there in the middle of the fight without worrying and that would split my focus. “Don’t think about our men,” I said quietly. The night was near silent as if it were holding its breath. The wind stopped. The stars twinkled. Shadows loomed as the city slept. Everyone but us. “Take a few deep breaths. When you run out of ammo announce it, then get down to reload.” I don’t know why I took the lead. Maybe because Tage was too innocent for this fight and Beau was a prison fighter. They didn’t know that wind didn’t affect laser bullets or that if you shot someone between the eyes, the laser swells up and can actually make the person’s head explode. Something to do with the laser’s power structure in a small area. The things you learn in peacekeeper training. “We can do this.” I took a deep breath. “We can win.” Another breath.

  Then gunshots went off.

  I flinched. Fuck! All three of us aimed as the shots went off frequently. Shouts filled the area. A few lights went on in buildings. I heard returning fire. I think it was louder, closer to us so it had to be the peacekeepers. Our guys weren’t close enough yet. “Breathe,” I whispered.

  Tage gave a swallow so loud I heard it.

  Beau was calm. Then I noticed that he was shifting his weight from foot to foot while he squatted behind the car.

  I blew out a breath so slow that it was almost like holding one in. Then I saw movement. I aimed, following the shadow until a man in a black peacekeeper uniform appeared. I fired, striking him in the neck.