Unleashed (Devil's Reach Book 3)

by J. L. Drake

  “You stupid bitch!” He started to throw a punch when he was suddenly flung backward and tossed straight into traffic. Car horns and curses blasted.

  Trigger pulled me behind him, and I heard the snap of a switchblade being released from its handle.

  They took one look and ran like the bitches they were.

  I turned to Shantee, who was fixing her shirt.

  “Always an adventure with you, Tess.”

  I laughed as Trigger put his arm around my shoulder. We walked her back to her car and made sure she got off okay. She was rattled but played it off all right.

  Ryder appeared, out of breath and spluttering apologies.

  “I was talking with someone and missed you coming out.”

  Ryder hooked my arm to turn me toward him. “Tess, I’m really sorry, but just so you know, I saw those guys running from Trig. I grabbed one of them and got in a good kick to his nuts.”

  Trigger cursed under his breath. “Strike one.”

  Chapter Eight

  Trigger

  There wasn’t enough whiskey in the world to ease the pain of betrayal. I’d been through many things in my life, but to live in my house, act like my family, live off our money, then turn your back and put my woman into the arms of that devil tore open my scars. I spun a red-tipped bullet between my fingers and wondered where the best place would be to jam it.

  Neck.

  Heart.

  Ribs.

  Or all three?

  I shook my head. I needed to be more creative. The smells of the slaughter room came into my consciousness and pulled at my memory, and my head filled with more possibilities. The idea hit me across the face.

  Wicked adrenaline smoked my veins and called my demons to the surface.

  Yes, that would do.

  It wasn’t until the sun started to set and the temperature dropped that I really felt my body relax and the hold of the prison finally released me.

  The wind whipped my face and blew my hair around. It was tradition for me to wear my cap helmet whenever I rode after jail time. Normally, I didn’t like the idea of exposing my face at all. It wasn’t wise, but tonight, I didn’t give a fuck.

  I took my favorite route through the mountains and hugged the corners. Speed and weed pumped through me, and I finally felt free.

  At the next corner, I dropped the gears and skidded into the dugout. I hopped off my bike and followed the path through the long grass to the beach. The moon was extra bright, which helped guide me to my favorite spot. A bottle of whiskey sat beside me as I watched the ocean crash against the cliff. White noise was my music; it calmed my insides.

  I needed this.

  In my world, you tended to get a sixth sense for the sound of chopper bikes. The Devil’s Reach rode only three different kinds, that was it. So, when I heard a Classic Bobber off in the distance, it brought me to my feet. I hopped up on a rock and looked down at the winding road. Sure as shit, a bike was making its way in my direction.

  Call me paranoid, but I knew something was up.

  I tossed my joint and slowly made my way back to the road. It was a few yards away when I heard the engine slow.

  I had just reached my bike when I heard the first bullet leave the chamber.

  Shit!

  A giant dirt cloud shot from my wheels as I skidded out of the dugout and up the hill. It wasn’t the direction I wanted to go, but I needed to be in front of him rather than head on. Again, I was thankful the light from the moon acted like a lamp above us.

  I pulled my gun free from my saddlebag and pointed behind me. When I had a moment of straight road, I twisted in my seat and fired.

  Sparks flew from his wheel guard, and he swerved to keep his balance. He glanced behind him then sped up, decreasing the space between us. Two trucks appeared up ahead. They had to see me coming. One pulled out into the other lane so I was trapped behind them, unable to pass.

  I knew the road well enough to know the shoulders ran out to shit on the outside, and a truck could run me into the rock wall on the other. I wouldn’t put it past them. I knew truck drivers had been warned about biker clubs trying to steal their cargo, so they would attempt to control the road with their big-ass vehicles to keep from being stopped. Couldn’t say I blamed them, but right now I needed to get the hell past them.

  My speedometer dropped to fifty miles an hour, and I needed to make a decision fast.

  I heard the bullet fly by me and saw the damage it spread over my side mirror as it hit. Glass flew, and I swerved the bike to make myself less of a target.

  Again, I twisted and sent more fire. He weaved and ducked but still managed to keep his seat. He was good, but I was better.

  The road flattened out up ahead, and I took the opportunity to make my move. I sped up and acted like I was going to split the trucks, but at the last second, I swerved and shot out his passenger side mirror. The truck pulled away from the impact and over the center line, a natural human reaction, and I gunned my bike up the space he made on the inside along the gravel shoulder and just managed to slip in front of the truck by a hair. He blasted his horn and tried to speed up, but I was lighter and quickly leapt a good distance ahead.

  Pop!

  Pop!

  What the fuck! Using my good mirror, I tilted it and saw that the other biker must have used my own idea against me with the trucks. Fuck!

  I hugged the corners and kept myself swerving in and out in short turns as the bullets nicked at the sides of my bike.

  His engine made a strange noise, and he suddenly shot up right next to me.

  “Jesus Christ!” I dropped my speed and fell in behind him. His head whipped around, and he tried to do the same to me. I aimed my gun and fired again, but it clicked empty.

  Fuck me!

  I shoved it back into my bag and decided this shit needed to end, with or without bullets.

  The top of the peak was only a few yards away, and I knew what lay up ahead.

  I threw back my head laughed out loud. This was it. This was what I lived for, to play chicken with the reaper.

  “One,” I switched the gear into fifth, “two,” I lined up my wheels with his, “three.” I jolted forward and raced up the side of his tread. Both bikes twisted around and sent us flying down the steep hill. At such speed, all I could do was protect my head and neck. My bike hit a rock hard and jumped to a stop. His bike flew off the cliff up ahead, while we were sent into the bushes. Weeds and rocks scraped at my clothing as I tumbled through the shrubs. At the very last second, when I felt my body leave the ground, I was ready. I knew what was coming. I twisted and grabbed a narrow tree trunk and felt myself snap back into the side of the cliff.

  He came flying down next to me. His hands desperately scrambled for a hold, but I kicked out, and he fell over the cliff backward. I heard a sound then all was quiet.

  Carefully, I pulled myself forward arm over arm and was able to shimmy over to the ledge. I peered over. He had gotten wedged between a tree and a rock just below the edge and hung like a bent pretzel. I tried to get closer, and dirt and rock suddenly let go from beneath me and tumbled down the eighty-foot cliff into the angry water below. I pulled back and rested for a bit, thinking the sound I had heard was probably his spine snapping in half, confirmation that the reaper and I had a tie.

  I went for it and leaned lower and just managed to snag his jacket. After a bit of sweaty cursing, I managed to finger his cell phone loose and grab his wallet. I drew back for a breather to have a look inside the wallet, but it was empty. I expected nothing less. I needed one more thing, and his obviously dislocated shoulder made it easier. I yanked up his arm, grabbed his hand, and used his thumb to unlock the phone.

  I scrolled through the settings and changed his passcode to the club’s address before I tucked it in my jeans. I grabbed a shrub with both hands as I kicked the branch he was wedged against and watched him fall into the water below. I knew the sheriffs combed through these back roads, and I didn’t need any mo
re problems on my hands. I looked up the hill and squinted at the idea of the seventy-foot climb back up to the top. It was dark, so I would have to watch my footing. Fuck, I really, really hoped my bike would work when I got there.

  To my surprise, the beast of a bike roared to life. I swung it around, sending gravel everywhere, and headed for home.

  “What the hell happened to you?” Brick jumped from his stool, which caused Tess to race from out behind the bar. It had taken me all night to get my bike going and back into the city. It was now mid-morning, and I was irritated as shit that the entire thing had happened at all.

  “Had some company tonight.”

  “Who?” Tess handed me a bottle of water.

  “Don’t know, but,” I reached into my jeans and held up the phone, “last text he got gave my location, so he was obviously after me.” I tossed it to Morgan.

  “I’ll see what I can find.”

  “Do you think it was your father?” Brick trailed me into my office, followed by Tess.

  “Wouldn’t be surprised.” I pulled off my filthy t-shirt and tossed it on the couch and tugged on a fresh one. “Get me something stronger than this.” I tossed the water on my desk and turned to Tess as she partially closed the door behind Brick.

  “What really happened?”

  “What I said,” I grunted.

  She folded her arms and stared at me, and her look gave me what I needed to back her up and hover over her small frame. My body was hot, and I needed release. She was so good at pushing all my buttons to the limit.

  “Don’t keep things from me,” she whispered and sent her hot breath across my cheek.

  “Why do you fight me?”

  She stepped up on her toes, pressed her chest into mine, and licked the rim of my ear.

  “Because you let me.”

  My hand clamped down on her waist to hold her in place. I was dangerously close to tossing her cute little ass out the door, but I had so much to concentrate on, and I couldn’t take the distraction.

  “Anything I can help you with?” Her hand slipped down my front and fisted my pulsing erection. I closed my eyes and tried to force the images of the many ways I planned to fuck her from my mind.

  “Umm…” Rail appeared at the door then quickly turned around when he saw us.

  I didn’t care. I was trapped between perfume and a fistful of me.

  “Trigger, you need to come out right now.”

  “Busy.” My voice was hoarse. Tess started to pull away, but I slammed her hand back down. “Don’t even think of leaving.”

  “Trig—”

  “If it’s not a Stripe Back, Gus, or Allen, go away.”

  “It’s Melissa.”

  I stilled just long enough for Tess to sense something was up. Her hand slowly slipped away, and I didn’t stop her.

  Fuck.

  “Who’s Melissa?” She straightened her shoulders and pulled her top back into place.

  “Come on, Tess, I could use a drink.” Rail reached for her, but she stepped back.

  “What’s going on?”

  “Go,” I bit out and watched her face as it twisted in confusion. My blue balls had made me lash out at her. I didn’t need this shit right now.

  Tess muttered something and left for the bar.

  I rubbed my face and tried to get my head on straight.

  “He’ll be out in a minute,” I heard Rail mutter to her. We all wanted nothing to do with Melissa. Her brother was a pain in our ass, and she wanted more than I was willing to give. She was a good lay and was available for a good fuck whenever, but that was all.

  I tossed the last of my drink back and slammed the glass on the desk.

  When I stepped into the bar, her back was to me as she talked to Brick, who glanced over with a jacked-up face. He rubbed his head and nodded for her to see me.

  My stomach shot upward and squeezed my guts into a rock.

  ***

  Tess

  “Why are you doing this?” I glared at Cray, who was trying to pull me out back to show me something. “You all are shit at creating a distraction.”

  “Not trying to play you, Tess, promise. But,” he shrugged, “you shouldn’t be in there right now.”

  “Why? And who the hell is Melissa?” I rested my hands on my hips to prove I wasn’t about to back down.

  “Melissa is Doyle’s sister. Trigger and her have history.”

  “Like Tammy history?”

  He nodded, and I instantly wanted to claw her eyes out.

  “Why is she here?”

  “My guess is she heard he got out and wanted to finish what they started.”

  “Which was?”

  He lit a joint and offered it to me first. I took it and sucked back a rather large hit. My nerves were on high, and I needed to settle before I did something I’d either regret or enjoy. The little dark angel on my shoulder wanted to play, and I wanted to see how wild she could be.

  “You gonna stop me if I go in?”

  He shook his head and smirked around the edge of the joint.

  “Then why take me out here?”

  “Had to do what the boss said.”

  Whatever. I turned on my heel and headed inside.

  Morgan caught my eye when I entered the bar and shook his head as a warning to leave. I ignored him, which I was sure he predicted. Rail stiffened and cleared his throat at Trigger, Brick stepped back, and I saw a chick with a little boy who looked an awful lot like…

  The lines deepened across his forehead. He didn’t have to say anything; I knew it was bad. It hit me like a punch to the gut. Sure, I never really wanted kids, but I would have liked the option to decide. There was a fucked-up part of me that thought I might have kept Clark’s baby, but that was all before I met Trigger.

  “Tess!” Denton blurted, and I felt a tug on my sleeve that broke my gaze with Trigger. “Mom passed out again. I ate most of my food and—” He caught the mood of the bar and whirled around when he heard the baby squeal.

  “Why is that here?”

  My hands landed on his shoulders to ground myself.

  “Oh,” Melissa cooed, directing her attention to us, “aren’t you a cute little thing?”

  Denton looked up at me, unimpressed, before he directed his gaze back to her. “Your fuckin’ baby has a big head.”

  Melissa’s focus jumped up to me. “Wow, sweet kid.”

  “Tess,” he ignored her and turned in my arms, “if I eat all my carrots, can I have my iPad for twenty minutes before bed?”

  “Yeah.” I barely heard him.

  “Yes! You hear that, Uncle Trig?” He cheered, but when everyone stared at him, he dropped his arms. “Who is she, anyway?”

  “I’m your uncle’s friend, and this is your Uncle Trigger’s child.”

  I nearly fell forward at her words.

  “No, she’s,” he pointed to me, “Uncle Trig’s old lady. Not you.”

  “I know it’s confusing.”

  “Tess?” His little face held so much confusion that I almost wanted to cry for him.

  “Why don’t you ask Cray to grab your iPad? He’s out by the pool.” I ruffled his hair and gently pushed him out back.

  Once he was out of sight, I glared back at the bitch who had just stirred up that little boy’s mind to a shitty place.

  “You came, you made your point, now it’s time for you to go.” I couldn’t hide the clip in my tone.

  “Um…” She glanced back at Trigger, who was still stuck in some parallel place where he was rendered useless. Big Joe stepped forward and held out his hand as if to help her through the door. “Maybe I overstayed my welcome.” She reached for her bag and pulled out a card. “I’m not asking for anything but the opportunity for you to get to know your son.” She waited for him to say something, and he took the card and ran a hand through his hair.

  “Go home, Melissa. I need time to think about this shit storm.” He pushed her out the door.

  Acid flowed around the inside o
f my cheeks and nipped at my tongue. What the hell just happened?

  “Tess, we’ll talk in a moment.” He hurried to his office.

  Oh, is that so?

  The door slammed shut, and I was left with a bar full of eyes all on me.

  Morgan slid a bottle of whiskey in front of me, and instead of pouring a glass, I grabbed the bottle by the neck and left.

  I didn’t give two shits that I took Trigger’s bike. I was getting pretty good at riding the beast. Plus, it meant he wouldn’t be able to come find me right away.

  “Hey,” Big Joe stopped me at the road, “just tell me where you’re going.”

  “For a ride.” I inched out to the curb.

  “But where?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Tess.” He removed his sunglasses, and I saw he was genuinely nervous for me.

  Dammit!

  “Pier, I think. Not far. I just need a moment to think.”

  “No pier, okay, it’s—”

  “Neutral ground, I know. Trust me, it’s been beat into my head.”

  “Then why go?”

  I dropped my head, not wanting this conversation. “Makes me remember an easier time.”

  “He’s gonna kill you.”

  “Nothing left to kill.” I slammed down the visor and shot onto the road.

  I watched as Morgan joined him and yelled something. I flipped the mirror up and ran a red. I was still too chicken to split traffic, so I eased in with the flow and tried to settle my nerves.

  Once the pier came into view, I felt right about my choice to come here. I pulled into Trigger’s spot and headed down to the shoreline.

  The sand was warm, but once the sun went down, the air grew cool. I wrapped the black and red plaid blanket Trigger kept in his saddlebag tightly around my shoulders and balanced the bottle of whiskey between my legs. Orange and red reflected off the calm sea and made for a quiet sunset.

  My body was tingly, and my belly felt full, so I was happy to numb the pain in my chest.

  “I thought about sending Minnie, but,” Brick shrugged and took a seat next to me, “you got me.”

  “All I ever wanted, anyway.” I flipped the side of the blanket over his leg as he pulled out a fat joint. He took a long drag and handed it to me, so I handed him the whiskey.