Havoc (Devil's Boneyard MC 3)

by Harley Wylde

  She moved closer and it wasn’t until I saw the flash of silver that I realized she’d picked up one of my knives. She cut an X across the tops of both Rachel’s breasts, making me wince at the savage look on her face. All right. So I’d underestimated her. It seemed my kickass woman really did have the stones for this kind of work. Part of me was proud that she could hold her own and take care of business. The other half wanted to wrap her up and lock her in the house where she’d never be tainted from the ugly side of life again.

  “What did we discuss?” I asked.

  She rolled her eyes. “I’m supposed to stay out of the way in case her potentially contaminated blood gets on me.”

  I pointed stared at the spot across the room where I’d left her.

  “Fine,” she said. “You don’t want me to see the big, bad Havoc doing what he does best? I’ll wait outside with Killian. Heaven forbid someone with my delicate sensibilities remain in the room with you while you kill that stupid bitch.”

  She stormed across the cement floor and slammed out the door.

  Scratch chuckled. “That went well. I’ll call Clarity. She’ll distract Jordan while you take care of this. They can hang out inside the compound so you don’t have to worry about Jordan being outside the gates without protection.”

  “Thanks, VP. She’s tough as shit, but it doesn’t mean I want her seeing this side of me.”

  “I understand.” He clapped a hand on my shoulder and pulled his phone out. While he arranged for my woman to stay occupied, I turned my attention back to Rachel.

  “I’m sorry,” Rachel said. “I’ll never do something like that again.”

  “No, you won’t.” I walked back over to the table, realizing that Jordan still had my damn knife. Stubborn-ass woman.

  I worked my way through the tools on the table, torturing Rachel for over an hour before I finally ended her life. Irish took a picture of her body to make sure the others learned a lesson. Don’t fuck with the club, or our women. Killian helped me wrap the body in plastic, then we tossed it into the bed of one of the trucks and tied a tarp over the back, then left the compound. It was dark enough that I didn’t anticipate any trouble on the road. I never dumped a body inside the gates, and I sure as fuck never used the same place twice. Too easy to get caught if you had a dumping ground.

  “Where are we taking her?” Killian asked.

  “We have a bit of a drive ahead of us. When we made that last run, out past the prison there were some buildings going up. KJ Construction.”

  “What’s that have to do with anything?” he asked.

  “KJ is owned by Kent Jenkins. The man will do anything for money. I’ve dumped a few bodies at some of his sites over the years. He’ll let us drop Rachel into the foundation of one of the buildings and cover her over with cement. No one will find the body until those buildings are torn down.”

  Killian stayed silent for a few minutes. “I think you frighten me a little.”

  “I frighten most people.”

  “Yeah, but in all honesty, your girl scares me more. I’d be worried about falling asleep after pissing her off and waking up without my dick.”

  I laughed long and hard, and knew he wasn’t wrong. Good thing she seemed to like mine attached. Jordan was fierce for sure, and I loved that about her. I just worried that one day it would get her into trouble. The kind I couldn’t save her from, but I’d sure as fuck die trying. I never thought anything or anyone would be more important to me than the club, but if I had to choose between her and my brothers, I’d pick her.

  I called Kent on my way to his construction site and he agreed to meet me with a crew who knew how to keep quiet. For a price. I’d gone into this knowing where I’d dump the body, and Scratch had shoved a duffle bag of money into the back of the truck I was currently driving. It should be enough to pay off Kent and anyone else he pulled into this mess. Anyone involved would be made aware up front that if they opened their damn mouths, they’d be the next body I buried.

  “Did you ever think you’d end up doing this kind of thing?” Killian asked.

  “No. My childhood wasn’t fucked up or anything. I joined the Marines because I wanted to make a difference, to save lives and make sure the people I left behind could keep their freedom.”

  He nodded. “A protector. In a way, you still are. You just do some fucked up shit to make sure everyone stays safe.”

  “Yeah.” I chuckled a little. “Got arrested and spent some time in the same prison as Jordan. The club was there for me, and I was willing to do whatever it took to protect them. It’s why I was voted in as Sergeant at Arms. The last guy made some stupid mistakes and ended up as gator food.”

  “Heard about that,” Killian said.

  “What about you?” I asked. “No one really knows your story, except for probably Cinder and Scratch.”

  “My parents were Irish, and my dad was involved with organized crime in Ireland. When my mom convinced him to get out, we came to the States. I was about eleven at the time. Didn’t take long for Dad to get mixed up with the Irish mob here. When he died, they came for us. It seemed dear ol’ Dad had double-crossed them. They wanted to use us as a lesson to anyone else who tried the same thing. I was fifteen. I could hear Mom’s screams, but she’d made sure I had a way out.”

  I glanced at him and Killian had a faraway look in his eyes, probably reliving those moments.

  “Anyway, I lived on the streets for a while, tried to lay low. Made my way down here. I’ve worked odd jobs all my life, under the table kind of shit. Got into underground fighting for a while.”

  “How did you end up a Prospect for my club?” I asked.

  “Met some of the crew from Hades Abyss, The Marauders, and Demonic Reign. Some of those bastards are pure evil, even worse than the men my dad was mixed up with. The guys from Hades seemed okay though. Hung out with them a bit and I guess it planted the seed that maybe MC life was right for me.”

  “But why here? Why not join Hades Abyss?”

  “I like the Florida weather,” he said with a smile. “Honestly, I followed my dick down this way. Didn’t work out with the girl, but I saw your crew around town. Took me a few weeks to get up the balls to approach Cinder. The rest is history.”

  The construction site was coming up and I pulled down the road that would take us there. A few lights were on and I easily found Kent and two other men. When I got out, I grabbed the duffle and tossed it to him.

  “There’s enough for you and these two,” I said. “They know the score?”

  Kent nodded. “They won’t say a word. If you don’t bury their asses, I will.”

  “Good enough.”

  I tipped my head to the back of the truck and Killian helped me unload Rachel. We dumped her into what would be the foundation of one of the commercial buildings. We stood back and watched as Kent’s crew filled in the space with cement, and we didn’t leave until the sun was about to rise and the entire foundation was setting. My neck and back ached, and I was more than ready to see Jordan.

  When we got back to town, I dropped Killian at the clubhouse and drove straight to my house. Scratch hadn’t said where inside the compound I’d find my woman, but knowing Jordan, she’d want to be somewhere she felt comfortable. The sun was peeking over the horizon when I walked through the door and heard voices from the kitchen.

  Clarity looked exhausted and Jordan was… pissed.

  “You!” She pointed a finger at me. “No sex. Ever again.”

  I tried really damn hard not to smile and leaned against the doorframe. “Is that so? And how do you plan on having the daily orgasms you’ve come to expect?”

  “I’ll get a vibrator. They’re reliable enough. Just add batteries. They won’t tell you that you’re not strong enough to handle shit.”

  Clarity stood from the table and patted my arm. “Good luck. You’re going to need it.”

  I gave her a quick hug. “Thanks for keeping her company.”

  Clarity glanc
ed at Jordan, who was still glaring at me. “I like her. She’s tough, and she has the temper from hell, but I can tell she loves you.”

  Clarity walked to the front door and I followed.

  She dropped her voice a little. “I think she’s a little scared.”

  “What?” I looked down at Clarity thinking I’d misheard. Because Jordan didn’t seem the least bit scared. Ready to remove my balls? Check. Scared? Not even a little.

  “You chased her off,” Clarity said softly. “She’s worried that you don’t think she can handle this life, or your true self. You haven’t marked her, Havoc. She isn’t certain of her place. Saying she’s yours is one thing. But she’s seen my property cut and Josie’s tattoo. She doesn’t have either of those things, just your word that she’s here to stay.”

  Well fuck me. I guess I had a few things I needed to fix before I could crash for a few hours.

  “I’ll take care of it,” I promised.

  I gave Clarity a hug and locked the door behind her. Then I went to face the she-demon in my kitchen, hoping she didn’t launch shit at my head. She was seething when I stopped beside the table and I clocked the cast iron skillet behind her, the butcher block of knives within her reach, and a dozen other weapons she could use.

  “Miss me?” I asked.

  “Miss you?” Fire snapped in her eyes. “Miss you?”

  Maybe not the right thing to say given the situation.

  “Baby, you know why I didn’t want you to get your hands dirty. We talked about this.”

  “I’m not a fucking delicate flower!” she screamed.

  “No, you’re not.” I moved in closer, watching to see if it was safe to get my dick within striking distance. When she just vibrated with anger and didn’t try to maim me, I pulled her into my arms. “What you are is the most important person in my life. The woman I love, and possibly the mother of my child. I have no doubt that you can handle yourself. But it doesn’t mean I want you to be in a position where you have to deal with that shit. It’s my job to protect this club, and it’s sure as fuck my job to protect you.”

  “Ryan.”

  “Hush and listen. I love you, Jordan. I would give my life for you, put you before my brothers. What I won’t do is let you submerge yourself in the ugly side of my life. You want to smack some club sluts around, go for it. Someone tries to hurt you or talks shit about you? Hand them their ass. I’m all for it. But the darker shit? That’s all on me, okay?”

  She sighed and melted against me, the anger draining from her. “Fine. Just as long as we’re clear that I could have buried that bitch.”

  “Crystal clear, baby. You get any sleep?”

  She shook her head.

  “Come on. We’ll take a quick shower then crash for a bit. When we get up, I’ll work on cornering Slater. I want you to walk around this town without fear that he could jump out from the shadows.”

  “If you need bait, you know I’m going to volunteer. I trust you to keep me safe, Ryan, you and the club. And if I’m armed, there’s no reason I can’t put the dickhead in his place myself.”

  “You still have my knife, don’t you?” I asked dryly.

  “Yep. You’re not getting it back. I did disinfect the shit out of it though.”

  My body shook with silent laughter. Fuck, I loved this woman. I had a feeling she would constantly surprise me. The next thirty years should prove to be entertaining at the very least. Assuming we lived that long. In this life, it was never a guarantee. My club was mostly legit these days, not really dabbling in anything that would cause a lot of violence, but it didn’t mean a war wouldn’t come to us like it had before. I should handle Slater and set Jordan free, but I wouldn’t. She was mine, and I was holding on tight.

  “Come on, baby. You can wash my back and I’ll wash yours.”

  “Is that code for your dick will accidently fall into my pussy?” she asked.

  “If I weren’t so damn tired, yeah that’s what it would mean. Right now? It means we’re going to wash each other and get some sleep.”

  “Sounds good. I’m tired as hell.”

  I kissed the top of her head then led her to the bedroom and master bath. After a hot shower, we climbed into bed naked and I fell asleep with her curled against my body.

  Chapter Nine

  Jordan

  Havoc, Shade, and one of the Prospects had been keeping tabs on Slater for the last two weeks, trying to find a pattern so they would know when to strike. When Havoc wasn’t working on my little issue, he was doing his damnedest to make sure he planted a baby inside me. Not that I was complaining about that part. I loved feeling him inside of me, loved how close I felt to him in those moments, and even after. Who’d have guessed my big badass was a cuddle bunny? Of course, if he ever heard me call him that, I’d likely not be able to sit down for a week.

  No, it wasn’t the fact he was trying to get me pregnant that bothered me, or that he couldn’t keep his hands off me. It was the fact I’d woken to find Havoc gone. His side of the bed had been ice cold, so he’d left quite a while before I’d woken up. No note, nothing. I tried not to let it piss me off but I had no doubt he’d gone after Slater. Alone. Or at least without me. I hoped he had some of the club with him. I should have known something was up. He’d been more tender last night than usual. If the idiot got hurt trying to protect me, I’d kick his ass.

  I sipped a cup of coffee as I looked out the window over the kitchen sink. It was pretty outside and should have been a great morning. Instead, I was just hoping that Havoc made it back in one piece from wherever he’d gone. Not my best morning since being released from prison, but something told me I’d have more days like this one. If he thought he could sneak out without telling me, he’d do it. Mainly so I wouldn’t try to tag along.

  I could see the road that wound through the compound and recognized Josie’s SUV heading toward the house at what seemed like a greater speed than usual. It wasn’t like her to be careless, especially if the kids were with her. My stomach clenched and I began running through the worst-case scenarios. Had one of the kids gotten hurt? Did Jackal do something that had gone horribly wrong?

  Making my way to the front door, I pulled it open in time to see a panicked Josie run straight for me.

  “Hey! Josie, what the hell?”

  “Inside, now!” She pushed at me until I stepped back and shut the door.

  Josie locked the deadbolt and put a hand to her chest. I could see the rapid pulse beating in her throat. What the fuck was going on? I hadn’t seen the redhead look this damn scared before; not that we’d interacted much, but she hadn’t seemed like the panicking type. I’d even heard the story about how she and Jackal had met, and she seemed like the type to kick ass and take names. Or she had before having kids mellowed her.

  “Josie, where’s Jackal? The kids? What happened?”

  “The kids are the clubhouse, along with Clarity and her kids.”

  “Okay, so if the kids are fine, why are you so upset?” I asked.

  “Jackal went with Havoc, Renegade, and Phantom to take care of that guard. They left before the sun came up,” she said. “I got a call from Jackal about twenty minutes ago. I heard an explosion in the background and he was screaming at me to get the kids and run. I called Clarity on my way here in case she needed to get to safety too.”

  Josie sobbed and sagged against the wall.

  “Wait. What?” What the hell was she talking about? Why would there be an explosion? And why were she and the kids in danger?

  “Pack a few things. Scratch is declaring a state of emergency,” she said, calming a little. “You, me, Clarity, and the kids are all being put on lockdown. It’s… Havoc is missing. And Renegade was badly injured. None of them have returned, and I can’t reach Jackal. I’m so fucking scared that I’m ready to pull out my hair.”

  It felt like the world was tipping and I realized I was falling. I landed hard on the floor, my coffee cup shattering and the liquid going everywhere. Havoc wa
s missing? Black spots swam across my vision, and I could hear Josie yelling at me but it sounded like she was down a long tunnel. She started shaking me and a quick slap to my cheek snapped me back to the present.

  “Missing?” I asked.

  “Come on, Jordan. We have to move!”

  I numbly nodded and went to get a few things I’d need, not even caring about the broken mug on the floor or the mess my coffee had made. I hauled myself off the floor and went to the bedroom, Josie on my heels almost as if she were afraid I’d run. I pulled down a bag off the top shelf of the closet, a camo-colored one that belonged to Havoc. It was empty and I shoved my stuff inside, then let Josie push me into her SUV and drive me to the clubhouse. When we stepped inside, Scratch was standing next to Clarity, his hand on her shoulder and one of his kids cradled in his other arm. He looked worried, and that scared the fuck out of me.

  “Jordan, I know you have questions, and you probably want to charge out of here and find Havoc, but I’m putting you on lockdown. It’s what he would want,” Scratch said.

  “What’s going on?” I asked.

  “I’ll tell you, as soon as I have all of you someplace safe.”

  “And where’s that?” I demanded. Probably not wise to get snippy with the VP, but I wanted Havoc. I didn’t give a fuck right then if I was being disrespectful. I’d never admit it, but I was scared shitless.

  “With the Devil’s Fury,” Scratch said. “Your brother and his crew are going to watch over you. They’ve called in backup from the Dixie Reapers and Hades Abyss, and each club is sending help here too. If this is bigger than we anticipate, then there are some more allies we can contact. We’re going to find Havoc, and when it’s safe, you can come back home. All of you.”

  My brother, CJ, came over and placed a comforting hand on my back. He softly kissed my temple, and I was a bit surprised at the tenderness after he’d been such an ass the day Havoc found me. Maybe he really had meant that apology a couple weeks ago. I’d thought Havoc had just twisted his arm but perhaps I’d been wrong.