Havoc (Devil's Boneyard MC 3)

by Harley Wylde

  “A bad man wouldn’t have stopped to help me. He would have left me there, or violated me while I wasn’t able to fight back.”

  I saw his biceps bulge and knew he didn’t like the thought of that happening to me, but it was the truth. Especially if that guard had been watching and waiting for me. If what Havoc said was true, then the man would be coming for me, probably when I least expected it.

  I pushed my chair back and walked over to him, putting my arms around his waist. “You’re an honorable man, Havoc. Even if you don’t see it.”

  “I follow my own set of rules, baby. Just because I don’t like hurting women doesn’t make me a nice guy.”

  “So a man who follows the law, never gets so much as a speeding ticket, but then decides to ignore a woman saying no and forces himself on her is a nice guy, but someone like you who may have done bad things but wouldn’t hurt me is considered bad?” I asked. “Not by my standards.”

  “Then you’re setting that bar too low.”

  “Havoc.” He looked down at me. “You make me feel safe. I haven’t had that in a long time. Please don’t make yourself out to be some monster. No matter what you tell me you’ve done, you’ll still be the man who saved me.”

  “Call me Ryan. When we’re alone,” he said.

  “Ryan?”

  He nodded. “Ryan Campbell, even though I haven’t used that name in a long time.”

  “But you want me to use it?” I asked.

  “Yeah.” His gaze held mine. “I think I like the way it sounds on your lips. And just so you know, I haven’t let a woman call me Ryan since I patched in and earned the name Havoc. So don’t go thinking just anyone gets that privilege.”

  It warmed me from the inside out that he was giving me a part of himself that no one else had. I didn’t know what it meant exactly, but it made me feel special.

  “Go sit, baby. I’ll finish up the pasta and we can eat.”

  I sat back down at the table and my stomach growled again as he slid a plate in front me a few minutes later. The sauce might have come from a jar, but there were chucks of bell pepper and onion mixed in with the meat he’d cooked. It smelled really damn good, and it was easily the best thing I’d tasted in the last year. Maybe even before that. We didn’t talk much while we ate, and I focused on filling my belly. He’d given me a glass of water, which was probably a good idea since I was likely still dehydrated. By the time I was finished, I was starting to feel icky from the dried sweat on my skin, and I doubted I was looking my best.

  I pulled at my shirt and frowned. Even if I did take a shower, it wasn’t like I had anything clean to wear. Without my clothes, all I had was what I was wearing. I didn’t feel up to a shopping trip, and I doubted my twenty-two dollars would buy much, but I needed at least one change of clothes. Even it was just a pair of knit shorts, a tee, and some clean undies. I could wash my bra and let it dry overnight if I had to.

  “What’s wrong, baby girl?” he asked.

  “I need a shower, but I don’t have anything else to wear.”

  He rubbed his beard and leaned back in his chair. After a moment, he pulled out his phone, tapped on the screen a few times, then slid it across the table.

  “Enter your sizes in there, and make sure you include shoes. I’ll go pick you up some things while you shower. You can put on one of my shirts when you’re done if I’m not back yet,” he said.

  I stared at the Notes app. “Um, I only have a little over twenty dollars.”

  Havoc reached across the table and tipped my chin up. “You’re not paying for this shit, I am. And no arguments. You’ve been through hell, and something tells me that even before you went inside it had been a while since someone took care of you. I’m not about to let you go without the things you need.”

  “Havoc, I…”

  He pinched my chin and I shut up.

  “If you argue with me about this, I will turn you over my knee and paddle that sweet ass of yours. Are we clear?”

  My cheeks flushed and I nodded. Was it wrong that my panties were suddenly damp and it wasn’t from me sweating? I’d never had a guy threaten to spank me before, but it was oddly arousing. Maybe I’d read too many romance novels, but I really wanted to know what it would feel like to have his hand crack down across my ass.

  “Good girl,” he said. “Now enter your sizes. For everything. If you have a shampoo and soap preference, put that in too.”

  I typed in my clothing and shoe sizes, including what size bra I wore and that I liked an underwire. Of course, he probably had no clue what the hell an underwire bra was, but maybe he could figure it out. I chewed on my lip a moment before putting in my favorite scents for hair and bath products, and added some lip balm to the list. As badly as I would have liked to have make-up, I knew a guy would never pick out the right things. Although, at this point, I’d be happy with some dollar store mascara.

  I slid the phone back across to him, and he pocketed it without even looking at my list. Then he helped me up and led me down the hall. He paused outside one of the doors, then kept walking to the one at the end. Havoc opened the door and I knew immediately it was his bedroom. He stopped at the dresser and pulled out a gray T-shirt before herding me into the bathroom. It wasn’t an overly large space, but he had a separate tub and shower, and I noticed the tub had jets. It had been so long since I’d been able to enjoy a relaxing bath, but no way I was going to soak in the nasty water that would result from my sweaty body. Definitely a shower this time.

  “Use anything in here that you need,” he said. “Except my razor.”

  I eyed his beard.

  “I keep my neck shaved,” he said. “And it hurts like a bitch to use a razor after a woman has used it. I’ll buy you one at the store.”

  For some reason, I felt insanely jealous that he knew what it was like to shave with a razor a woman had used. Did that mean he used to have someone steady in his life? Someone he’d lived with? Had she lived here with him? I looked around, searching for any sign a female had ever lived in this house or shared this bathroom with him.

  “Baby?”

  I snapped my gaze back to his.

  “It was my sister who used my razor back in high school,” he said.

  “I didn’t…”

  He smirked and I shut up.

  Havoc bent down into my space and our gazes locked a moment before he pressed his lips to mine. I gasped at the contact and he deepened the kiss, nearly making my knees buckle. My body came to life and he wasn’t even touching me with anything other than his lips. The way he nearly devoured me made me think maybe he really did want me as much as it had seemed. When he pulled back, I found myself leaning toward him, wanting more.

  “Never lived with a woman until now,” he said. “And that bed in there hasn’t had anyone but me in it. So whatever you’re thinking, you can stop. I’m not a monk by any means, but no one’s ever rated high enough to come home with me. I sure as fuck haven’t ever been tempted to keep someone before.”

  It made me wonder just where he had sex with them then, but I wasn’t about to ask. I dumbly watched as he walked out of the room, and I knew that my life was about to drastically change. The man was a force to be reckoned with, and while I’d never lost my heart to someone, something told me that Ryan Campbell might just be the man to storm my defenses and claim me in every way possible.

  It was enough to both frighten and excite me.

  Yeah, I was screwed. Probably both metaphorically and literally.

  Chapter Four

  Havoc

  “Why do you want me to come with you?” Renegade asked. “I don’t know shit about women’s clothes and shoes.”

  “More like I was hoping you could ask Nikki for help,” I said, thinking of Renegade’s little sister.

  He gave me the side-eye. “You want me to voluntarily bring Nicole along to go shopping for women’s shit? You been sampling the products?”

  I snorted. “No, shithead. I didn’t fall into t
he weed. I just want to make sure I get the right things for Jordan. It’s been a year since she’s had shit that wasn’t state issued. If anyone gets how that feels, it’s me. And her dickhead brothers probably didn’t keep any of her things when she went inside.”

  He sighed. “Fine. But you owe me for this. And don’t go blaming me if she hits on you.”

  Nikki was easily handled. Besides, I wasn’t the one she had her eye on. She flirted with everyone, and some of the guys always flirted back. The kid was sweet, but there was a curvy blonde back at my house who had me tied into knots. A damn Victoria’s Secret model could walk in front of me wearing next to nothing and I wouldn’t be the slightest bit tempted.

  I tuned out Renegade as he called his sister and browsed the clothes. I didn’t have a clue what women liked, especially young ones like Jordan. I grabbed some shirts with thin straps and some shorts that looked comfortable for around the house. Standing in the middle of the women’s department left me feeling like a fish out of water. I didn’t have a clue what any of these styles were called. A shirt was a shirt and shorts were shorts, right? Apparently not, according to the tags hanging on the clothes.

  “She’ll be here in ten,” Renegade said. “She was nearby when I called.”

  “Great. While we’re waiting, I’ll check out pajamas and shit. Surely I can manage that much without help.”

  “Depends. Are you buying stuff you want to see her wear or stuff she’ll actually like?” he asked.

  I shrugged. “Maybe both.”

  I tossed some slinky nightgowns into the cart I was pushing, and was staring at the other crap in that section when Nikki came bounding up to us like an eager puppy. The broad smile on her face spelled trouble. And if that didn’t, then the sparkle in her eyes definitely did. I had a feeling she was enjoying the fact I was buying crap for a woman. She’d hit on me several times and I’d always brushed her off, completely uninterested. Not that she’d ever taken it personally. Flirting was just the way Nikki operated. I didn’t think anything ever tore her down. If someone could be sunshine and goodness twenty-four-seven, it was Nikki.

  “I do love me a ginger!” She pressed a kiss to my cheek.

  “Nikki,” I said, a hint of warning in my tone.

  “I know, I know. You’ve found a woman you actually invited to your house. I had my brother repeat himself like twenty times because I was certain my hearing was going. No way Havoc would ever let a woman into his house,” she said, a grin on her lips.

  “Knock it off, Nikki,” Renegade said. “Jordan’s a sweetheart. Besides, her brother is prospecting for us.”

  “For now,” I said. “If the asshole doesn’t straighten up when it comes to Jordan, I have no problem booting his ass out the door.”

  “Scratch seems to like your girl, so I’m sure he’d agree,” Renegade said.

  Nikki’s jaw dropped. “She’s met Scratch, and he approved of her?”

  “Invited her to move in with him and Clarity,” Renegade said. “Not that Havoc was going to let that happen. I think he decided she was his the second he saw her.”

  Nikki’s lips twisted and there was a wistful look in her eyes. “I wish that would happen to me.”

  “Your time will come. In about ten more years,” Renegade said.

  “Cory Adams, I am not waiting until I’m thirty-three to find my Mr. Right! You better take those words back right now!”

  He glared when she used his real name, and I tried to contain my laughter.

  “Focus, Nikki,” I said. “I need to outfit Jordan from the skin out.”

  She peered into the cart and rolled her eyes. “Really, Havoc? Satin and lace nighties that cover nothing? Do you know how damn uncomfortable those are to sleep in?”

  “Who said I planned on her wearing them for sleeping?” I asked.

  Nikki’s cheeks flushed and she looked everywhere but at me. “Right then.”

  I followed along behind her as she checked the sizes on my phone, then started tossing things into the cart. We hadn’t even made it out of the clothing department before we needed a second shopping cart, and I had a feeling Jordan was going to lose her shit when she saw how much stuff I was buying. It wasn’t as high quality as I would have liked, but the big box twenty-four hour store was the only place I could think of that would have everything we needed without running all over town.

  When we reached the shoe department, Nikki dug through the clothes in the cart before tossing in two different types of sandals, tennis shoes, and about four pair of flip-flops. Since it was summer, there was no way we were finding boots at this place, but I’d stop by the Harley Davidson store when I had more time and outfit Jordan properly for her next bike ride because I was damn sure getting her on my bike for a longer trip than going from the clubhouse to my home.

  I didn’t know how long I’d been gone by the time we approached the register. The poor cashier had a deer in the headlights expression when she saw two nearly overflowing carts. By the time everything was bagged and I’d paid, I was ready to never see the inside of a store again. At least one that carried clothes. I would make an exception for the Harley Davidson store, though. It was on a different level from regular store shopping, and I could stay in there for at least an hour or more. Something shiny always caught my attention. Usually the new bikes.

  Thankfully, I’d snagged the club SUV or I wouldn’t have had a way to get all this shit home. Renegade rode to the house with me so he could return the SUV when I was finished. I’d have to walk to the clubhouse later to get my bike. I could have ridden with Renegade, but I didn’t want to be away from Jordan for another second. I was honestly waiting for her to have a breakdown of some sort, after having to walk from the prison and then her brother acting like a dick, and finding out that one of her brothers had died while she was locked up. She hadn’t had an easy day.

  I set all the bags inside the door, then went to find the woman who was dominating my thoughts. The sight of her curled up in my bed made my chest feel tight. I took off my boots and stripped down to my boxer briefs, then climbed into bed next to her, pulling her into my arms. She fit perfectly against me and immediately snuggled closer. She smelled like my shampoo and shower gel, but under that was her own sweet scent. I got hard just breathing her in, but fuck if I would try to do anything about it right now. She needed rest, not me pawing at her.

  Jordan wedged her leg between mine and pressed even closer. Her hands clutched at me, like she was worried I’d take off. After what she’d lost today, I could understand it, but I wasn’t going anywhere. Not unless she kicked my ass to the curb, but if Scratch followed through on his threat, then we were stuck together indefinitely. The club didn’t believe in divorce. I knew some clubs that had stripped their old ladies of their patches and kicked their asses out when the guys were tired of them, but we didn’t operate that way. After seeing the way the Dixie Reapers were with their women, it had made some of us want the same thing.

  The Devils had been in a shit ton of trouble for a long-ass time, but we were pretty clean these days. We still sold pot, a lot of it, and did some gun runs, but the assholes who had tried to take us out weren’t an issue anymore. We would no doubt make more enemies over the years, but for now, things were pretty peaceful. We helped some of the other clubs when the need arose, and I had no doubt they would be here if we had trouble. Depending on how things went with the guard who had attacked Jordan, we might have to call in reinforcements sooner than we’d like. Or maybe we could just hire some extra muscle. Our accounts were more than flush thanks to Scratch’s wife.

  Jordan whimpered in her sleep and I ran my hand up and down her back, trying to soothe her and chase away whatever nightmare she was having. She settled back down and her breathing went back to being even and deep. I wondered when she’d last slept well. Prison could be a bitch to deal with, and she seemed so soft and sweet I was surprised the system hadn’t chewed her up and spit her out. It still amused me to no end that she’d not o
nly been arrested for assault, but that she nailed a guard where it hurts most. Some men might have taken a big step back, but to me she was like one of those cute little purse dogs that would bite the shit out of you, and I had no doubt if I compared her to one of those dogs out loud that she’d do her best to hand my balls to me. Yep, cute.

  My phone vibrated in my pocket and I grabbed my jeans off the floor and pulled it out and saw Scratch’s name on the display.

  “Everything okay, VP?” I asked when I answered.

  “Maybe. Jameson knows his sister is out of prison and that she’s here.” He paused. “He also knows you took her home with you.”

  “So should I expect a visit from a pissed-off Devil’s Fury Prospect sometime soon?” I asked.

  “Possibly. I think Slash is trying to rein him in. He didn’t know baby sis was getting out early, and doesn’t seem pleased that he’s not only the last to find out but that she’s not there with him.”

  Fuck my life. “Well, he can come for her if he wants, but I’m not letting her walk out of here. That dickhead didn’t even bother to make sure she knew how to reach him, or where he was. Who does that shit to their own flesh and blood?”

  “I think that’s part of the problem. Guilt,” Scratch said. “I’ll keep you posted.”

  “Can I ask you something?”

  “What?” Scratch asked, sounding tired.

  “If things get dicey and that guard comes after Jordan, are we calling in other clubs or dipping into funds to hire some extra men to keep an eye out?”

  He chuckled. “You mean dig into that massive inheritance my wife refuses to touch and signed over to the club? Yeah, I could see Clarity being fine with using some of it for that. I know Cinder put down a chunk on the new compound and he plans to add more houses over the next year or two as we expand, but that won’t even put a dent in what she gave us.”