Rooster (Devil's Boneyard MC 8)

by Harley Wylde

  Her eyes went hard and cold. “Fine. What-the-fuck-ever. It’s not like you’re all that anyway.”

  She stormed off and I heard a chuckle behind me.

  “Pissed that one off pretty good.” I cracked my neck and looked over my shoulder at Bruiser, their VP. “You got something better than little Simone?”

  “Maybe. Saw a sweet piece in town earlier. Thought I’d hook up with her. See how she handles, if you know what I mean.”

  He slapped me on the back. “Bring her here and we’ll party.”

  I nodded. “Gotta make sure I put her at ease first. You know how those bitches can be. Prissy on the outside, but a whore once you get them on their knees.”

  Bruiser laughed long and hard before walking off. The guy made my skin crawl. Hell, the entire fucking club did. At least I’d given them a plausible reason for me to head into town for a bit. Hopefully, no one followed me. I’d stashed my cut and anything else that might give me away in a storage locker at the bus depot. After I knew the coast was clear, I’d grab my shit and hit the road.

  I finished my beer and lazily stretched, scanning the room. Most of the men were balls deep in pussy. I stood and headed outside, stopping at the edge of the parking lot to smoke a cigarette. I’d given up the habit years ago, but it gave me a good reason to be standing outside. No one came out after me. I waited another five minutes before getting on my bike and pulling away from their clubhouse.

  I looped through town several times, but didn’t see anyone following me. It only took me a moment to grab my shit. As disrespectful as it felt to ride without my colors on my back, I didn’t dare put them on until I’d gotten further away from this place. I’d been on the road an hour before I pulled over and took my cut from my bag. I still didn’t want to risk calling or texting anyone, so I got back on the road and didn’t stop again until I needed gas.

  I hadn’t seen a single bike behind me, and only a few coming from the opposite direction. Thankfully, none of them had been from Demonic Reign. If Charming wanted to take them down, he’d have to find someone else to do it. I didn’t think any one person could handle it. If it were up to me, I’d call in the other clubs and have each send a few men. The weeks I’d spent there, trying to gain their trust, I hadn’t learned shit. Except about the evil crap they were into. Every last one of those fuckers were rapists, murderers, and they even had a few pedophiles in the mix. Seeing the women and kids they’d been abusing had been the hardest part of being there. Sitting back and doing nothing? It had been pure hell.

  I wanted to drive straight through. I might have made it, but eight hours into my trip, exhaustion pulled at me. Stopping at a motel, I got a room so I could rest a bit and shower. I needed to get the Demonic Reign stench off me. If I thought calling in the law would do any good, I’d make an anonymous tip. Sadly, the locals were in the club’s pocket. I could possibly get the Feds involved because of the kids. I’d hand over everything I had to Charming and let him make the call when I got home.

  I stretched out on the motel bed and shut my eyes. Sleep pulled me under fast and hard. The only thing that woke me was the ringing of my phone. I blurrily stared at the screen and realized I’d only slept two hours. Since it was Charming, I knew I needed to answer.

  “Yeah,” I said, not bothering with pleasantries.

  “You on your way home?”

  “Yep. Just stopped to shut my eyes for a bit. I’ll get back on the road soon.”

  “No, you need to leave now. You weren’t the only plant in the club. Spider sent someone too. Word is the Demonic Reign are hunting you. Check your bike for any trackers, ditch anything you had in their clubhouse, and get the fuck out of there.”

  I jolted into action, getting off the bed and digging through my shit. Shade had given me a scanner before I’d left. I took it outside and went over the bike, looking for any bugs or trackers. It came back clean. If they were following me, then they’d hidden something in my other belongings.

  I went through everything in my bag, and my clothes. It went off when I got to my boots. What the fuck? How the hell had they gotten something into my damn shoes? I pulled the right one off and looked along the sole. If I hadn’t been looking, I’d have never caught it. There was a slight cut, and I found the tracker. Tiniest fucking thing I’d ever seen, which meant it was probably pricey as hell. I dropped it on the ground and crushed it, then grabbed my shit and left.

  The thought of those men coming for me, following me home, had shaken the tiredness from my mind and body. I drove as fast as I dared without calling too much attention to myself. By the time I pulled up to the gates of the compound, I was ready to drop. I hoped like hell Charming didn’t want to go over anything today. I needed a shower and sleep. Lots of sleep. After that, I wanted to check on Alora.

  The Prospect opened the gate and I pulled through. Heading straight to the house, I paused on the street out front when I saw Alora’s car in the driveway. Why the hell was she here? Is that why Charming told me to come home? Had something happened to her? Why the fuck had he been so secretive?

  I shut off the bike and went inside, noting the few changes to the house. Some of her things were spread around the living room. It seemed she’d made herself at home. I smiled, liking the idea of her settling in. Now if I could just find a way to keep her here. Permanently. I didn’t think for a second she’d changed her mind and moved in voluntarily.

  “Alora?” I called out.

  I heard footsteps upstairs and took the steps two at a time. She rubbed her eyes as she came into the hallway. Her hair was mussed from sleep. The pajamas she had on were adorable. The shorts were pink with yellow sheep printed on them and the tank was the same shade as the sheep.

  “Rooster?” she asked. “You’re home!”

  “I take it you’re the reason Charming called me back early?”

  She nodded and tears gathered in her eyes. I hurried closer and pulled her into my arms. “Alora, what’s wrong? Did something happen?”

  “We can talk about it later. You have to be tired. Charming said it would take you a while to get back. Did you drive straight through?”

  “Baby girl, there has to be a reason you’re in my house. Not that I didn’t love coming home to you, but… are you in trouble?”

  “Let’s talk about it tomorrow. Why don’t I run a hot shower for you?”

  I wanted to argue with her, make her talk, but I’d give her a little space. Whatever was going on, she was safe as long as she was in my house. I just had to make sure she didn’t leave before I found out what was going on.

  “All right, baby girl. Go start the shower. I’m sure I stink, and I’m covered in road dust.”

  She hurried off and I followed. The bedding was rumpled, clothes had been discarded on the floor, and there were bags near the bathroom door. I heard the shower starting and I stripped out of my boots and clothes. I padded into the bathroom and noticed Alora had removed her clothes. She stood under the spray and held out a hand. I went to her, shutting the shower door behind me.

  “I think I like coming home when you’re here waiting for me,” I said.

  She reached up and placed her hand on my cheek. “I wasn’t sure how you’d feel about my stuff being everywhere. I only brought the essentials for now.”

  For. Now. It gave me hope she wanted this to be a more permanent thing. I honestly thought she’d keep fighting me. I wondered what had changed. I let her wash me, enjoying the feel of her hands on my body. As exhausted as I was, my cock barely twitched. Being balls deep inside her would feel like heaven, but I needed sleep first. I wouldn’t take my pleasure without knowing I could give Alora multiple orgasms. Right now, I’d probably fall asleep in the middle of sex. Talk about humiliating.

  I washed Alora and noticed the way her breath hitched when I slid my palm across her stomach. My gaze held her, and I saw pain, uncertainty, and so much more in the depths of her eyes. I pressed my hand against her more firmly and felt the tremor that ran throu
gh her body.

  “What’s going on, baby girl? Did someone hurt you?” I looked over the skin around my palm and under it. I didn’t see any bruising.

  “I didn’t want to tell you this way, but if I don’t tell you before you meet with Charming or the others, they could say something first.” She took a breath and placed her hand over mine. “Killian, I’m… pregnant.”

  It felt like the earth shifted under my feet. “What?”

  “I didn’t do it on purpose! I’d forgotten some medication I’d taken had made my pills ineffective during the time we were together. I was coming here to tell you about the baby, even though I hadn’t heard from you in weeks. Except I got pulled over by Officer Murray.”

  I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close. I could only imagine what Officer Dumbass had said to her. I seriously hated that prick.

  “Killian, he… he was going to rape me.”

  Her words were whisper soft, but I heard them. Each one penetrated my skin like a bullet straight to the heart. Jesus. My woman had been attacked while I was off on a mission I hadn’t even wanted in the first place. And she was pregnant? That fucker had dared touch her, hurt her, while she carried my child? I wanted his blood!

  “He’s dead, Alora. I will end him myself if I have to. No one hurts you, especially that way, and gets away with it.” My club should have told me! Why the hell hadn’t Charming said anything? He knew how I felt about Alora. They all did. It felt like a betrayal.

  “Just hold me, Killian. I was worried you’d be angry. Think I tricked you. If I’d been paying more attention, I wouldn’t have been speeding and maybe he’d have left me alone.”

  I shook my head. “No, baby girl. He wouldn’t have. He was there, at The Black Rose. He watched you. Us. I saw the lust in his eyes and knew he’d be a problem. I should have told you.”

  “It’s no one’s fault, Killian. We can’t hold ourselves responsible for his actions. He chose to drag me off the road. The evil inside him made him try to hurt me that way.”

  “Doesn’t change the way I feel. I should have been here to protect you.” I kissed her soft and slow. She meant so much to me. It didn’t matter how long we’d been together. I’d known before we’d even spoken that she was meant to be mine.

  I didn’t like the fact Officer Murray was after her, but what he’d planned to do would have paled in comparison to what Demonic Reign would do to her. Being with me put her in the crosshairs of too many bad people. I knew there were plenty of families in the club now. Didn’t change the fact I’d worry for her every time she left the compound. Putting her on lockdown wouldn’t go over well.

  “You should have been safe. If I’d claimed you, made you my old lady, the club would have been watching you better. I’m pissed as fuck those assholes didn’t have anyone guarding you. Not only had Badger asked us to keep an eye on you, but they knew damn well I wanted you. I told Scratch I didn’t trust that fucking prick, Murray.”

  “We can’t change what’s already happened, Killian. All we can do is move forward. I’m still not thrilled with the idea of being property.”

  I ran my hand up and down her back. “Then how about my wife? Would you be okay with that title?”

  She peered up at me. “Seriously? You want to marry me? It’s because of the baby. Look, women have babies on their own all the time. You don’t have to do something like that just because I’m pregnant.”

  “Alora?”

  “What?” she asked.

  “Shut up.” I smiled. “I don’t want to marry you because you’re carrying my kid. I’d have married you the day you opened the door and got all snarky with me. I thought you were cute as fuck. Like a prickly hedgehog.”

  “Word of advice, Killian. Don’t compare your fiancée to a rodent.”

  “Technically, they aren’t rodents. They’re mammals. And cute. Like you.”

  She sighed and pressed her forehead against my chest. “We’re going to fight a lot, aren’t we?”

  She considered this a fight? Well, shit. We were going to have a long, hard road if that was the case. Far as I was concerned, this was more like… foreplay. I liked bantering with her. Loved her sassy comebacks, the fire in her eyes, and the flush to her cheeks when she went off on me. Just made me want to kiss her senseless, then fuck her until she was all sated and smiling again.

  “We’ll have to agree to disagree. I don’t consider this a fight.”

  She snorted. “Of course you don’t. So, head to the courthouse? I guess we need a license and… whatever else is required in this state to get married. Do they do blood tests here?”

  “Don’t need any of that, unless you just want to stand up in front of the judge.”

  “Killian, I don’t pretend to know everything in the world, but I do know you need an officiant of some sort to get married. Judge, priest, whatever.”

  I smiled. “Or a hacker. Shade can have the documents on file with the courthouse in no time. You want to be married without all the fuss? Just say the word. I’ll get him started on it when we get out of the shower.”

  “You’re serious?” she asked, brow furrowed. Even her nose wrinkled in the most adorable way.

  “Yep. Won’t be the first time someone around here got hitched that way. In case you missed it, we aren’t so great at following the rules. Unless they’re our rules.”

  “Yeah, I kinda figured that part out already.” She sighed and chewed on her bottom lip as she stared up at me. “All right. Let’s do it. Get Shade to do… whatever it is he does. But I want a ring! If I’m off the market, I want everyone to know. For that matter, you better wear one too. I see some woman with her hands all over you and I won’t be held responsible for my actions.”

  “Aww. Now you have me all excited about watching you put some club whore in her place. Remind me to take you to a party at the clubhouse sometime soon.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Naturally you think that’s hot. You’re not right in the head, Killian. Not even a little.”

  Couldn’t exactly argue with her on that one. Instead, I kissed her. Wasn’t every day I got married. Too bad I was too fucking tired to enjoy my wedding night. I’d have to make it up to her after I got some sleep. And I needed to find out what the hell was being done about Officer Murray. If she’d told them about the attempted rape, I knew the club was most likely already taking care of it.

  I hoped the fucker paid in blood.

  Chapter Nine

  “Good girls go to heaven and bad girls go everywhere.”

  -- Helen Gurley Brown

  Alora

  “You know, when I said I wanted a wedding ring, this wasn’t what I had in mind.” I eyed the ring on my finger. It was beautiful. Stunning, even. It was also heavy as shit and I kept catching it on things. Nothing major. Just clothes, grocery bags, my hair. But hey, if anyone ever needed a DNA sample, they could just pull the hair strands from my ring.

  “Alora, it took me a week to find that exact ring. Besides, I thought it was rather perfect for you.” He took my hand and kissed the back of it.

  He wasn’t wrong. It was rather perfect for a romance writer. He’d found a ring made of diamonds in a platinum band, shaped like a rose. It was from some fairytale collection, and after I’d snooped online, I also knew it cost a fucking fortune. I hadn’t needed something so flashy. A plain band would have been sufficient. Secretly, I adored the damn thing, and the man who’d given it to me was pretty spectacular too.

  “You’re right. It’s perfect and I love it.” I kissed his cheek. “But just remember you picked out this giant rock when we’re playing and the damn thing nearly cuts your ball sac open.”

  He winced and paled a little, eyeing my ring like it had suddenly turned into a viper.

  “Why are you taking me to the clubhouse in the middle of the day?” I asked, changing the subject. I’d found it odd he’d gotten a call and we suddenly needed to leave. What the hell was so urgent?

  “Pres said to get our asses th
ere. I’m just following orders, baby girl.”

  Yeah, yeah. I’d heard that often enough since he’d come home from wherever he’d been. He wouldn’t talk about it. I’d asked and gotten some lame “club business” answer. If he thought he could go off and do something dangerous, and give me that stupid answer, he was going to learn quick that shit wouldn’t fly. Even though he hadn’t said a damn word about what happened, I’d seen how exhausted he was. He’d claimed it was from riding straight home, but I knew better. The shadows under his eyes had been building for weeks. Whatever he’d been doing, it had weighed heavy on him. I only wished he’d share some of the burden with me. Two sets of shoulders would make the load a bit lighter.

  He helped me from the truck and held onto my hand as we walked into the clubhouse. I didn’t see many people in the main area. Sam stood behind the bar, two barely dressed women were at a table in the corner, and that was it. I didn’t think it was normal for it to be this empty. Rooster led me through to the back and pushed open a set of double doors with the Devil’s Boneyard colors burned into the wood.

  Every member I’d met, and it seemed there were still quite a few I hadn’t, were seated around a large table. Rooster took a seat and pulled me down onto his lap. It didn’t escape my notice I was the only woman in the room.

  “I asked Rooster to bring his wife because this concerns her.” Charming leaned back in his chair. “As you’ve been made aware, Officer Murray pulled her from her vehicle and tried to rape her. We don’t tolerate that shit around here, especially when it happens to one of our women. Rooster may not have married her at that point, but she was already pregnant with his kid.”

  “So that’s why we finally took action against the asshole?” Irish asked. “I’ve told you for years he was a problem. You didn’t think he was all that bad. Looks like I needed this sort of proof to get your attention.”

  Charming held up a hand. “I didn’t want to rock the boat with the local law unless it was necessary. I’ve already had a chat with the police chief. He’s gotten a list of complaints against Murray that spans the last five years, but there wasn’t ever any proof. The asshole was careful not to be caught in public or on camera pulling any of his shit. The chief was happy to let us handle it however we saw fit.”