by Jordan Marie
Panic fills me. I have to stop this. Doesn’t Skull realize how much he has to lose? Doesn’t he know the kind of power that Colin and Matthew wield? Beast will not let me down and, in desperation, I plant my teeth into his shoulder, hoping the pain makes him drop me.
“Ow! Fuck, Skull! Your woman bit me!” Beast growls, trying to pull me away. I give up when it’s clear he’s not going to drop me.
“This isn’t over,” Colin says, motioning to the men around him. That’s when I see Colin’s men holding guns. Skull’s men have guns pointed directly at them. How did I miss that? At Colin’s signal, they back away but keep their guns aimed. “It looks like you got your war,” he says and my stomach rolls with the implications of that.
“So be it. I’m not giving her up,” Skull says.
My tears fall at that declaration. The thing I was trying to prevent just happened. How many deaths will be my fault? Will Skull’s?
Beth rides on the back of my bike all the way to the compound. I’m so pissed at her, I’m afraid of what I’d say right now. I need to calm down, but I don’t see that happening. We pull into the garage at the compound. The boys are as silent as I am. This fucking shit is going to be bad. There’s not a fucking thing I can do to stop it. I’m not giving up Beth. Hell, even if I delivered her back to Colin at this point, there’d still be war. Anything less would make me a weak motherfucker and I’m sure Colin feels the same.
Beth climbs off first and I follow. She’s wringing her hands, betraying her nerves. I can’t feel sorry for her. She should have fucking told me this shit from the get-go. I’m not sure it would have changed anything, but she knew what kind of fucking secret she was hiding. She might be young and inexperienced, but she’s not stupid.
No. Instead, she made me the fucking last to know.
“Torch, increase all the security around the compound. Then, you call Church. If they wear a motherfucking Blaze cut, they are there. No exceptions. I also want Pistol’s brother on the phone. It’s time to batten down the hatches, motherfuckers. Nothing in or out unless I clear it.”
“Got it, Boss.”
I grab Beth by the arm and look at her. “Who’s the motherfucker that helped you get out of here?”
“Skull…”
“Names, Beth,” I warn her, at the end of my rope.
“I promised I wouldn’t—”
“I think you’ve kept enough fucking secrets from me. Give me the names. Now.”
“Marker.”
“Torch, chain his ass up,” I order over my shoulder. “Who else?”
“Skull, I think this is something we should discuss in private,” she pleads, her face pale.
“The time to discuss shit with me privately would have been before everything went to hell. Now you just fucking tell me. One more time, Beth. Who the fuck helped get you out of here?”
“The bathroom window was unlocked, really. I mean, I could have just got out on my own.”
She looks down at her hands as she answers. She looks nervously over at Beast. It clicks into place.
“Beast?” I ask. Beth looks up, stricken with fear.
“No, Skull! It wasn’t Beast! He even stopped me in the hall to make sure I was alright! I lied to him, I swear! He’d never betray you.”
“Beast?” I prompt again, ignoring Beth. My hand is so tight on her upper arm that I know it will cause a bruise. That’s good. She needs to remember the fucking stunt she pulled today. She needs to remember what happens when she keeps secrets from me.
“Yeah, Boss?”
“Your old lady. Was she around when Beth escaped?”
“Jan?” Beast asks and then I see it hit him in the face. His old lady is a bitch and, I’m pretty sure, a fucking cokehead. I’m tired of seeing my man keep blinders on his eyes.
“Fuck, Boss…”
“Beast,” Beth tries to interject. Beast gives her a fucking look that most men would shrink from, then turns away from her.
“You lock your old lady down. Got me, Beast?”
“I’ll get it taken care of, Boss.”
“Get moving, boys. I know the Donahues aren’t going to wait until we’re ready to attack.”
Everyone moves out, leaving me and Beth alone.
“Skull, please, just let me explain,” she begs.
I ignore her, throw her over my shoulder, then walk her through the club and back to my room without stopping to acknowledge anyone else.
I throw her on the bed. “Skull,” she says as she bounces on the mattress.
“What the fuck were you thinking, Beth? How could you not tell me that Colin and Matthew were your fucking family? Or that Colin wants to stick his fucking dick in you? Don’t you think that’s something I need to know?”
“No. I mean, you said you’d grow tired of me. I thought I’d be long gone before—”
“Were you always planning on fucking leaving?”
She flushes guiltily and betrayal dropkicks me. Fuck.
“Skull, it wasn’t because of you. I just knew I couldn’t stay here because of Colin. I had to leave.”
“So you were planning on leaving me today regardless? You weren’t even going to fucking tell me?”
“You’re the one who said you’d grow tired of me! Remember? What are you getting so upset about?”
“When were you leaving me, Beth? When?”
“Tomorrow. I couldn’t stay knowing Colin might take it out on you.”
“And you weren’t going to tell me. Right, Beth? Be fucking honest for once, since it appears you haven’t been from the beginning. You weren’t going to tell me a fucking thing. You were just going to disappear.”
“Yes.”
“You’re locked in this fucking room. You manage to get some other bitch to help you, I’ll make you sorry and I’ll kill the motherfucker who helped you. Do not test me, Beth.”
“Skull, if you just let me go—”
“I’m not fucking letting you go. Don’t you get it yet, Beth? You’re mine. I’ve claimed your lying ass and I’m keeping it. You’re never getting away.”
“You can’t just keep me here like a prisoner!”
“The fuck I can’t. Just watch me, querida. Just fucking watch me,” I growl and slam the door.
I stomp back out to the club. It’s been deserted by all except Latch. Before he can make it to the room where we have Church, I stop him.
“Latch, you’re on duty with Beth. You go in that fucking room. You do not let her so much as take one step off the bed. She doesn’t go to the fucking bathroom, she doesn’t fucking do anything but breathe. You got me?”
“Got it.”
“Good. I’ll be back after Church. Sabre can catch you up.”
He acknowledges the command and heads back to my room. I take a deep breath. When that doesn’t calm me down, I plant my fist through the fucking wall. The sheetrock caves with the force of my hit and the pain hurts like a son of a bitch. I don’t feel one bit better either. She was going to fucking leave me and I never would have known. Colin would have gotten his hands on her and destroyed her. I slam my fist into the wall again, ignoring my bruised and bloodied knuckles. I feel like I could pound the fucking wall for days and I’d still be pissed off.
I can’t, though. I have to figure out how I can keep my men from dying, all while keeping Beth safe. This is war. Once I get that settled, then I’ll deal with Beth. I just don’t know what the fuck to do with her.
I watch the door slam behind Skull. I just sit there. I don’t know what else to do. I’m in shock. The last thing I expected was having Skull and Colin show up at the bus stop. Sometimes, being in small towns really sucks. I let out a large breath and try to sort through everything. I can’t let Colin destroy Skull. I know Skull thinks he can handle this, but I’ve seen the way Matthew and Colin operate. Nothing good can come from this. Yet, I’ve got a feeling that getting away from here won’t be that easy.
I tense up as the door opens. Surely Skull isn’t back so qui
ckly. It’s stupid, but I’m more than a little disappointed when it’s not Skull that comes through the door.
“Who are you?” I ask the stranger. I’ve seen him before, so I know he’s a member, but he’s one of the ones I haven’t talked to.
“Latch.”
Does no one in this club have a regular name?
“What are you doing here?”
“I’m your babysitter until Skull gets done and can come back to watch you.”
“I don’t need a babysitter.”
“Apparently, you do.”
“So I’m a prisoner?”
“Let’s see. I’m not supposed to let you go to the bathroom alone, so I’m going to go with yes.”
“This is ridiculous.” I huff, looking away from Latch. I don’t want him to read the fear in my eyes. I really need to get away before it’s too late—if it’s not already.
“Yeah, it is.”
“Then why don’t you go back out and do whatever you need to do? I’ll just—”
“Run away again?” he finishes for me. “Ignore the wishes of the man who’s putting his life and the lives of his brothers in jeopardy for you? Betray him? What will you do?”
His questions hit me with the force of a blow, and I’m stunned. “Just wait a minute here. It’s not like that!”
“You didn’t leave the compound when Skull made it clear you needed to stay here?”
“I needed to leave! I was trying to avoid putting Skull in danger! I don’t want to put anyone in danger!”
“Kind of late for that,” the asshole says, stretching back against the chair he’s sitting in and looking bored.
“I know, that’s why I—”
“The time to worry about that was before you spread your legs for him. Tell me, cupcake, did you even think about the fact that you were signing Skull’s death warrant when you climbed in his bed? Don’t you think you should’ve warned him?”
“No one was supposed to find out! That’s why I was leaving!”
“Well, I guess we’ve seen how great that plan worked.”
“You’re an asshole.”
“Been told that before. I don’t see it myself.”
“So what are we going to do in here until Skull gets back?” I ask when it becomes clear he’s not going to leave.
“Play strip poker?” he asks, holding up cards.
“I don’t think Skull would like that,” I tell him, laughing despite my stress.
“Only if you lose,” he says.
“How about just regular cards?”
“Boring as hell, but whatever,” he says, kicking out the chair across from him. He moves the end table between the chairs and starts dealing.
I glance at the door before joining him.
“No one’s saving you. I don’t have a bitch that leads me around by the dick like Beast, so you’re shit out of luck,” he says, not looking up from dealing. I feel myself flush because I do feel guilty about that.
“Beast deserves better,” I grumble, sorting through the cards.
“No argument here. So does Skull, though.”
“I didn’t sell him out,” I argue.
“No. You just don’t have any faith in him. He can handle the Donahues.”
“You don’t know them like I do. They are dangerous.”
“You don’t have any idea what Skull and our club are like when our hands are forced. If he’s worth giving your pussy to, try having a little faith in him for the other shit, cupcake.”
“I really hate that nickname.”
“I hate playing regular poker. Sometimes you have to deal.”
“Does Beast know she’s hooked on drugs?”
“He does now.”
“I’m sorry,” I say lamely.
“That’s the one thing you shouldn’t be sorry about.”
“You really think Skull can handle what Colin and Matthew will try?”
“I think if he can’t, no one can.”
“That’s not totally reassuring, Latch.”
“It’s just the truth, cupcake.”
“Skull doesn’t have to do this. Maybe if I left, I could stop Colin from—”
“I didn’t see anyone twisting Skull’s arm back at the bus stop.”
“Well, no. But—”
“Then I’d say he chose it. Your job is to have faith in your man.”
“My man? He said he would grow bored with me,” I whisper. The words still have the power to hurt me.
“I don’t see anyone growing bored with you. Now go, will you?”
I swallow at his words. I’m scared. I’m scared to stay and I’m scared to go. I decide to concentrate on the cards since I don’t have any other choices right now. The only thing I’m sure of is, I can’t let Skull get hurt because of me.
“Meeting in order,” I growl as I sit down. I don’t bother with the fucking gavel. I’m not sure I wouldn’t break the son of a bitch right now.
“We’re at war with the Donahues?” Briar asks, getting straight to the point. He was one of the few main patched-in members I didn’t take with me. It was on purpose. He and Pistol are close. I haven’t talked with him much about all the shit, but I don’t have time to deal with fuckers who aren’t behind me.
“Yes.” I sit back and watch everyone’s faces, judging and monitoring their reactions.
“That’s a lot to fucking swallow,” Clutch adds.
It’s a full table tonight. Normally, I only have Church with the officers. However, this will involve everyone. So the patched-in members, with the exception of Latch, are all here.
“Are you with me or against me?” I ask the one question that matters the most.
“You pick a fucked up time to start not one, but possibly two wars,” Briar says. “Have you even spoken to Cade?”
Cade is Pistol’s brother and my biggest worry about the situation. I need Cade’s support right now. I sure as hell don’t need him pissed off and coming at me.
“I’m going to, right after we’re done here.” I divert my attention away from Briar and back to the group as a whole. “Now’s the time to speak up motherfuckers if you have a problem with the way I’m running things. Let me hear it.”
“The situation with Pistol needs dealing with. We can’t leave the fucker on ice, and he is a part of this club, a patched-in member,” Briar says again.
“He disrespected me. Ain’t no motherfucker gonna do that.”
“Then fight it out or kill him, but do something.”
“You’re cool with that?” I ask Briar, because of all the men, he’s the one friend Pistol has.
“It should’ve been dealt with a long time ago. I’m more than cool with it,” he says, surprising the fuck out of me.
“I second that,” Torch pipes up, and all the men nod in agreement.
There it is. I have all the brothers’ support—even the one member I wasn’t expecting it from. Contentment settles inside of me. This is why I chose to be president. This is why the Devil’s Blaze MC is my home.
“Okay, then anyone want to weigh in about the Donahues?”
“Kind of late to worry about it. We back down now, we’re a bunch of fucking pussies. They want war. We give it to them. But I say we better make a motherfucking statement,” Beast speaks up.
“Is she worth the war?” Sabre asks.
“She’s mine. I’m claiming her. That makes her one of us,” I tell him, but I direct the words to everyone.
“She’s awful young, Boss,” K-Rex says.
“Fuck, you’re claiming her? I was hoping to have a go at her. It’d be nice to get some strange around here, even if it’s your sloppy seconds,” Torch cracks, looking at me with that damned grin on his face.
“Stay away from her, you horny fuck. You already nail everything with a snatch in a ten mile radius.”
“Hey, a man has needs.”
“You’re going to break your fucking dick before you hit thirty and be a sad-ass fuck popping pills to get a boner,�
� I tell him.
“No danger in that. Torch is my name, and heating up juicy little cunts is my game.”
“Whatever, just stay away from Beth.”
“Boss, you wound me,” he responds and I want to lay into him, but I need to direct this meeting in the right direction. We have shit to do and I need my motherfucking bases covered.
“All joking aside, we’re in for a fucking battle. I want phone conferences with the charters tomorrow.”
“Are we asking for help from outside clubs, like Diesel’s?” Sabre asks.
“We’re going to need it eventually. I want that path cleared, but I won’t ask them to join in until our hands are forced.”
“What about our families and shit? I know my old lady fucked up, Boss, but I need to think about Annabelle,” Beast says. I look at the big guy and feel bad for him. Jan is a miserable bitch. Beast deserves better, but he knocked her up and he’s a loyal fucker. He’s not going to turn away from Jan; he’s going to take her shit until he can’t no more, just to keep his daughter close. I’m not sure I can blame him. His daughter Annabelle is only three, and she’s a beautiful little thing who luckily looks just like her dad and nothing like Jan.
“We’re on lockdown. We increase the fucking security here and no one goes in or out. That means no one, Beast,” I warn him, because he knows as well as I do that Jan will be pushing that—especially when she runs out of her stash.
“Got it.” I can see from the look in his eyes that he does, so I let it go.
“Okay. We’ll have another meeting tonight to check on the status of shit. Everyone here, no exceptions,” I order, banging my hand on the table and making it vibrate with the force of the hit. Then, I walk out before anyone else. I have some fucking calls to make and I need to deal with Pistol. Maybe then I can go back to Beth without wanting to strangle her.
It’s dark outside by the time I get free enough to go to my room to talk to Beth. I sent word by Torch to have one of the men send her and Latch dinner, but I know she’s probably pissed as hell at being confined to her room. I can’t help it. She brought this on herself. She’s lucky I don’t have her chained to the bed. My dick moves and pushes against my pants to let me know he’s still alive as I picture Beth chained to my bed. The damn thing can just die back down. I’m not fucking Beth again until I make her see what a fucked up thing she’s done. I will not put up with her keeping secrets and lying to me. That’s a deal breaker. I’m not going to be like Beast, being led around by my dick and being made a fool of. No way.