Strength was returning to Leah’s body now and it felt good. She didn’t like to think about being shot because it made her feel weak. When she thought of the scene with those men and wolves, it made her feel the pain again. It made her go back to the moment she started to stand, thinking her presence as a human woman would ease the tension. She did not think her decision would end up almost killing her.
Once dressed, Leah had the same feeling again rushing through her body. It was so strong that she started to shake. She hurried to the nightstand and found the gun Mandy had given her. She took it in her right hand and walked to the bedroom door.
“I’m not going to live like this,” Leah whispered.
She didn’t want to be hidden and afraid. She wanted to be free. And maybe if she found danger a few more times, Lucas would turn her into a wolf. The thought was wicked crazy but it made sense to Leah. She knew they weren’t immortal but then again, she wasn’t asking to be immortal.
Leah opened the bedroom door and stepped into the hallway. She took a few steps and suddenly a black figure appeared from nowhere. Leah hurried and lifted the gun but her finger wasn’t on the trigger.
“Oh, what the hell are you doing?”
It was Mandy standing there, just a few feet away. But for Leah, something else had flashed in her mind.
Leah hadn’t moved the gun yet.
“If that’s how you defend yourself, you’ve got no hope,” Mandy said.
She walked right to the gun and put her hand over it.
“Sorry,” Leah said. “I just got this feeling…”
“Yeah, well at least you didn’t shoot me.”
Leah felt her cheeks burn red. “I was going…”
“I don’t care,” Mandy said. “Whatever you’re doing is your business.”
She walked by Leah but backtracked a step. Leah looked up at Mandy. Tall, skinny, beautiful. A hint of something deadly.
“Just a word of advice,” Mandy whispered with a purr to her voice. “Put your finger on the trigger next time. I mean, if you do plan on killing someone.”
Mandy walked away and Leah slowly lowered the gun. She knew right then it was best to just go back to the bedroom and wait for Lucas, as he had wanted. But Leah kept walking. She went to the main part of the clubhouse. There were a few guys lingering around. Two were shooting pool. Two were behind the bar. They looked at Leah, but they didn’t say a word. The gun in her hand felt like it weighed a ton.
She kept going and when she left the clubhouse, her mouth ran dry. Leah then rushed down the steps and outside to the alley and the lot. She looked at where all the motorcycles would have been lined up if the main guys from the MC were there.
It was mostly quiet except for the echoing sounds of cars and trucks going by on the roads at either end of the alley. Leah walked so she could see the end of the alley, and that’s when she realized she had been right.
There was a black car at the end of the alley, facing her. It was too far away to see anyone but when the lights flicked on and off, she knew someone was behind the wheel. Her body started to shake again. Her instinct had been right.
The car then looked like it started to creep forward, slowly inching toward her. For a few seconds, Leah was frozen in place. She half expected to have Lucas come to her rescue, like he always seemed to do. Leah looked over her shoulder at the other end of the alley and it was empty. There was nobody coming to save her.
Leah looked at the car again and it was definitely moving toward her. With no other choice, Leah slowly lifted the gun and pointed it at the car. Her finger went to the trigger. Leah had never shot a gun before. She had never killed anyone either. She could do this if she had to. She could kill. If this car or person or whatever was a threat to Full Moon Mercy then Leah would help. She would kill to help.
With the gun up, Leah waited.
The car came to a stop. She could almost see the driver, but it was nothing but a figure in the windshield.
The car then started to back up, moving much faster than it did when creeping toward her. When the car was out of the alley, it turned and then sped off, tires squealing.
Leah stood with the gun up for another minute. She finally lowered the gun and turned to find Mandy standing with her hands on her hips.
“Well… look at you.”
“I have to call Lucas,” Leah said.
She ran by Mandy and back into the clubhouse. Leah didn’t stop moving until she was in the bedroom. She tossed the gun to the bed and started to shiver. She couldn’t comprehend how close she came to actually pulling the trigger.
Leah collapsed to the floor and pulled her knees to her chest. She needed Lucas to come back. She wanted things to be normal. But Leah remembered what Lucas was and what his life meant. There was no such thing as normal anymore.
*
Dr. Carane came to the table with a fresh bottle of whiskey. He put it down and twisted the top off. Vince was first to grab the bottle and drink from it. Lucas declined, along with Cooper. The doctor lifted the bottle to his mouth and drank heartily.
“Sit down,” Lucas said.
The doctor sat.
Lucas looked at Vince. Vince was obviously pissed off at everything. It was kind of nice to see him taken off his high pedestal for a second.
“I’m doing this for a simple reason,” Lucas said. “And I’m including Dr. Carane for that same reason.”
“And what’s that, son?” Vince asked.
“There’s something killing in our town,” Lucas said. “And something that put blood along the street of the Oreno. Is that coincidence?”
“Probably not,” Cooper said.
“Exactly,” Lucas said. “He’s coming for his baby.”
Lucas let the words linger around everyone. Dr. Carane made fists and put them on the table. “Who? Who is he?”
“We don’t know,” Lucas said. “The father of Debbie’s child. It makes sense, doesn’t it? The bodies with the messages. The blood. It’s got to be instinctive. Got to be him coming to find his child.”
“What happens then?” Dr. Carane asked.
Vince looked at the doctor. “It gets messy.”
“But that won’t happen,” Lucas said. “That’s why we need to protect Debbie and the child. With the birth, the bond will be stronger than ever. Whoever is doing this will come forward. They will be desperate to find their own blood and body.”
“Christ,” Cooper said. “So what do we do?”
“We wait and then we kill,” Lucas said. “But that means we have to settle this debt situation for Debbie.”
“I don’t get it,” Cooper said.
“To put it simple,” Vince said, “Debbie owes money and it’s being assumed we’re going to pay that money.”
“But we’re not,” Lucas said. “I don’t deal with someone chasing us. Following us. Acting like a complete asshole. We’ll kill whoever this is. It’ll take care of the problem and then we focus on the father of Debbie’s child. Then we will know what crew has been in our town.”
“I don’t like this at all,” Dr. Carane said.
“Your opinion right now means shit,” Vince said. “This should be done at a proper table.”
“Yeah, well it seems everything right and proper has gone out the window,” Lucas said. “But to stay focused right now, get angry at the right people and the right situation. Someone from another crew came into our town and fucked Debbie. Someone impregnated her.”
Dr. Carane cringed and drank from the whiskey bottle. Lucas could tell it drove the doctor mad to imagine someone else touching Debbie.
“And then they came back,” Cooper said.
“They killed and wrote messages on the bodies. This has to end now,” Lucas added.
“Then we end it,” Vince said.
He stood from the table and threw his chair at the table.
Lucas and Cooper rose.
“What do you need from me?” Dr. Carane asked.
“Keep your e
yes and ears open,” Lucas said. “Anything seems off, you call us.”
“And if a wolf jumps through one of my windows? Attacks me? Kills Debbie?”
“Oh well, doc,” Lucas said. “Not my problem.”
“You piece of shit…”
Lucas grabbed the table and slid it hard against Dr. Carane’s body. “Look at me, doc. Look at me good. You love Debbie? You want this to somehow work?”
“I can help,” Dr. Carane said. “That newborn can be part of your crew. I can train it. I can…”
“Start slow,” Lucas said. “Keep your eyes and ears open.”
Lucas led the way out of the house. He jumped off the porch and then froze. Emotion attacked him all at once. He wasn’t the father of Debbie’s newborn. Another crew had come into Mercy and caused this mess. Seth was dead, Leah had been shot, and the club was on edge… and it seemed to be for no reason at all.
Cooper gave Lucas a punch to the shoulder. “You good?”
“Don’t know,” Lucas said. “Just so much at once here.”
“Let’s fucking move,” Vince ordered. “I’m not going to sit around here. It’s time we start fighting back.”
Vince started his motorcycle and rode.
Lucas lingered for a few seconds and nodded.
Finally… the fight would begin.
*
Zayne stepped away for a minute and Jane slipped away. It wasn’t a shock that she left, but she did leave a little gift for Zayne. Her panties were on the bed along with a phone number he assumed to be hers. There was a note that told Zayne to send her a message so she would have his number.
Zayne listened and then sat on the corner of his bed, wondering what the hell he was doing. He shouldn’t get involved with a woman, but it was definitely fun to chase down Jane. She was wild, sexy, and she made him forget about everything.
A call came from Jane’s number not long after she had snuck out.
“Hey you,” Zayne said as he stood looking at himself in the mirror.
“Zayne, it’s me. Listen, I can’t talk long…”
“What’s wrong? Where are you?”
“I’m hiding in a bathroom at a gas station. He’s coming for you guys, for real.”
“Who?”
“My boss. He fucking tracked me down. He said he tried to get to your place but someone pulled a gun on him. He’s fucking pissed off.”
Zayne heard a pounding sound.
“What is that?”
“Him,” Jane whispered. “I have to go.”
“Wait a minute,” Zayne yelled. “Tell me where you are.”
A muffled voice boomed, calling Jane a bitch, a whore, among other ramblings.
“I’ll kill him,” Zayne growled. “Where are you?”
“I have to…” The thudding sounded again. “He’s going to hurt me…”
There was a louder noise and then the phone went dead.
“Fuck,” Zayne yelled.
Zayne was out the bedroom door but he had no idea where to go or what to do. His mind spun. He couldn’t stop thinking of something happening to Jane. He couldn’t stop thinking if this asshole, Mr. K, caught up to Lucas and Vince and Cooper.
Zayne grabbed his cell and rushed from the clubhouse.
15
Vince knew there was trouble the second they entered Mercy. It just felt wrong and it wasn’t the rage harboring itself in his body. It was something on the outside, something working its way deep into Mercy and really messing things up.
This situation with Debbie had been nothing but a disaster, but as much as Vince hated to admit it, Lucas was right. They needed to protect Debbie and the newborn so they could find out who was in Mercy causing problems. Vince wanted to shred the piece of shit to pieces. And then they could take care of Debbie, the newborn, and maybe even Dr. Carane.
Vince slowed enough to let Lucas and Cooper catch up. They rode three aside and as they rounded a wide turn, Vince saw a black car speeding in their direction. It made him more than uneasy, and as he, Lucas and Cooper sped up, he knew trouble was about to break. Now he needed to find a spot to go and solve this trouble without anyone seeing.
Looking over his shoulder for a couple seconds, Vince saw the black car slam on its brakes and turn, with smoke rising from its back tires. Vince waved a hand to Lucas to make sure he saw the same thing. Lucas nodded and Vince rode straight ahead to a clearing where they could go and figure this out.
The three motorcycles roared and the black car caught up to them in a matter of seconds. Vince, Lucas, and Cooper were in the clearing and came to a stop, turning their rides around.
Cooper and Lucas reached for their weapons. Vince stepped forward and two people exited the car. A man and a woman. The woman looked scared half to death. The man was a short, thick guy with black hair, black sunglasses, and he pulled out a small semi-automatic gun and pointed it right at Vince.
“On the ground, motherfucker,” the man said.
“No,” Vince said. “That’s not how it works here.”
“Yes it does.”
The man took a step and Lucas and Cooper were quick to draw on the man.
“Just stop,” the woman cried out. “Just talk. Figure it out.”
“I hate this bitch,” the man said. “She was working for me until she fucked one of you guys.”
“You don’t know what you’re looking for,” Vince warned. “You’re stepping into something…”
Lucas walked right up to the man and put his gun to the side of the man’s head.
“No,” the woman yelled.
“Lucas!” Vince bellowed.
“Lower your gun,” Lucas said.
“I’ll fucking kill…”
Lucas pulled his gun back and then slammed against the man’s head. Then man turned and Vince had no choice but to make a move. He grabbed the man’s wrist, twisted it so hard he felt bones snap like twigs, and caused the gun to fall from his hand. The man stumbled back to the hood of his car, crying out in pain.
“What’s his name?” Vince asked the woman.
“I… he…”
“The name!” Lucas yelled.
“Mr. K. He makes me call him Mr. K.”
“Your name?” Vince asked.
“Jane. I was with Zayne last night…”
Vince smirked.
Of course.
This was the woman that made Zayne feel so good. The one that spilled all this information about Debbie and the debts. Vince’s mind was wild and he knew what he was going to do next. He didn’t give a shit anymore. If the guys in the club weren’t man enough to look beyond injuries and women, it would never work. Zayne needed to overcome his wounds and he needed to get that anger out of his system once and for all.
Vince turned and saw Lucas with his gun pointed at Mr. K. Cooper had his gun up, keeping it between Mr. K and Jane.
“What do we do?” Cooper asked.
“This debt isn’t ours,” Vince said. “I hope you get that, Mr. K.”
“Fuck you,” Mr. K yelled. “You don’t get it. That bitch owes big time.”
“There’s a gun at your head,” Lucas said. “Forget the debt.”
“Cooper,” Vince said. “Go back to the clubhouse and get everyone together. We need a meeting now.”
“What the hell are you talking about?” Lucas asked.
“Now,” Vince bellowed.
Vince watched Cooper look to Lucas before finally moving to his motorcycle. That was another goddamn problem. Lucas was second in line, not at the head of the damn table. That meant when Vince gave an order, it needed to be obeyed without question, without looking at someone else for approval.
That’s why Vince needed Cooper gone for what was going to happen next.
Cooper started his motorcycle and took off.
“Thought we were keeping close?” Lucas asked.
“Emergency,” Vince said. He took a step toward Mr. K. “Lucas, put your gun away. Let’s have a conversation with our new friend.”
“No,” Lucas said. “I’m going to kill him. Like we talked about. We have a plan, Vince…”
“Son, I’m in charge,” Vince said.
“Son?” Mr. K asked. “What the fuck is this? Family of bikers?”
“Shut up,” Lucas said.
Vince looked at Jane. He stepped in her direction and watched her flinch. “Why Zayne?”
“We were following you,” Jane said. “But when I was with Zayne…”
Vince reached for his gun. Jane’s eyes grew wide. At the last second, he moved his hand. He reached in a pocket and pulled out a leather glove. He slid it over his hand and then bent down and grabbed Mr. K’s weapon.
“Vince,” Lucas said. “What are you doing?”
Vince lifted the gun at Jane and looked back at Lucas. “I’m making things right, son. I’m making things right.”
Vince pulled and held the trigger. He didn’t look when he killed Jane because that would help to erase the guilt from his soul. Lucas and Mr. K were in shock. When the gun stopped firing, the silence was eerie. The message was clear. Vince was in complete control, no matter what.
“There,” Vince said. “Now we wait…”
Vince dropped the gun, took off the leather glove, and then went to Mr. K. He grabbed the man by the throat and pulled him nose to nose. Vince squeezed Mr. K’s throat just enough to make sure he couldn't speak but not too much so he would die.
“You’re fucking crazy,” Lucas said. “You’re…”
“Listen,” Vince said. “Just listen.”
In the distance there was the sound of a motorcycle.
Vince knew it would be Zayne… coming to save Jane.
*
Lucas had never felt so torn in his life. He couldn’t stop looking at Jane’s lifeless body on the ground. Vince had just murdered her. Cold blooded murder. And Vince didn’t give a damn about it.
This was going to fuck Zayne up. Big time.
Vince threw Mr. K back to the car. Mr. K hit and fell to the ground, coughing and holding his throat.
“If you get up, I’ll shoot you,” Vince said.
“What the hell are you trying to prove?” Lucas asked.
The Dark Monster (A Full Moon Mercy Novel) (shifter / MC romance) Page 14