Skin Deep, Shades of Ink (The Devil's Apostles MC Book 3)

by Annie Buff

  Dinner With The Devil’s

  Sixteen people including the two little ones had gathered to celebrate

  Thanksgiving. As Smoke stood he couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride. He had built the family he had always yearned for, thanks to his wife. She was and always would be the love of his life. Peyton had a way of bringing people together, like a dozen pain in the ass bikers and their wives and girlfriends. Today they had two new members of the family, and from what he had been told it would be official during dinner.

  “A year ago, we were celebrating the birth of Nora,” Smoke announced, “this year it’s a little different. We have two more members to welcome in. Ink Man, you wanna handle it from here?” Slinger nodded and stepped up next to Smoke.

  “You all know me well, sometimes it’ s too well and not one of you thought I would change. Hell, even I wondered some days if it was possible. I watched Smoke and Peyton for months wanting exactly what I saw. Then by the grace of God I met Rylee and Micah. I’ve never felt for anyone what I feel for her.”

  He smiled in her direction. She smiled back, her face just a tinge of pink. “I’m one lucky bastard, cuz she loves me back just the same. And Micah, damn that kid stole my heart in a day. So, Ry?”

  Slinger walked around the table and kneeled in front of her. He pulled the diamond out of his pocket. Peyton had picked perfect. It was a princess cut with tiny chocolate diamonds on the sides.

  Rylee threw her hand over her mouth to contain the sobs, Nash was on his knee proposing to her in front of his entire brotherhood. The tears were running down her cheeks and she tried to talk but nothing happened.

  “So Baby, do you think you could be my wife? Put up with all my shit?” That was a no brainier, marrying Nash would be the most amazing thing ever. Rylee nodded and watched as he put the ring on her finger, sweetly kissing her lips and then he hugged Micah and told him how much he loved him and he was going to be his Dad always. That’s when Smoke heard a buzzing sound.

  “Get down!” he screamed , nobody questioned it. The brothers hit the ground with guns out. Slinger covered Micah.

  “Ry, stay down and follow Peyton. Get the kids inside. I’ll come get you when it’s safe.” She did exactly as she was told, staying down and following Peyton into the clubhouse.

  Bullets flew in both directions, whizzing past them at an unbelievable velocity. Slinger fired in the direction of the shooter. Smoke crouched next to him doing the same thing.

  “Fuck! These assholes can’t even respect a fucking holiday!” The President was livid. His daughter had been in the line of fire, and this meant war. Smoke had reservations about going up against the Eighty-eight until now. Whoever was shooting put the children in harm’s way and that did it for Smoke.

  He knew Slinger, and they had no idea the can of worms they had just opened. He had never seen his friend like this, in love. And this crossed the line. Slinger was going to lose it.

  Nathaniel Woods dropped his empty mags and slammed two fully loaded ones in and kept firing with both hands. Smoke had given him a set of Colt forty-fives as a gift, and now he put them to good use. He was as accurate with his left hand as he was with the right.

  He unloaded and noticed that the shooting had stopped. And he also noticed one other thing that both pissed him off and scared the shit out of him. The shooter hadn’t been aiming at them, he had been aiming in the direction of Rylee and Micah. Only one person would do this.

  “Fucking shit!” Slinger blasted as loud as he could. He knew who had ruined Peyton’s dinner and there would be Hell to pay.

  Smoke looked to his friend, trying to figure out what revelation he’d just had. Then while looking at the carnage he figured it out. The shooter was after Rylee.

  “Ah fuck Ink Man, this ain’t good. He had enough balls to come after her here, he’s not right in the head.”

  Slinger knew that. At this very

  moment, he was grateful Trevor couldn’t shoot worth a shit, and he needed to hold his family. Peyton must have known, appearing in the clubhouse doorway with Rylee and Micah.

  “Dammit Baby come here!” Slinger held out his arms. Rylee rushed in, with Micah in her arms. Slinger held his family tight.

  “I’m so fucking sorry Baby Girl! I promise you I’ll get him. Trevor was aiming at you and Micah and I swear to fucking God I’m gonna get him!”

  “Get in line Nash! That asshole ruined my dinner! Look at our table!” The queen was pissed, and he couldn’t blame her.

  She had spent the better part of the week preparing for Thanksgiving dinner. By the look on her face Trevor better hope Slinger found him first. Rylee handed Micah to Slinger and headed over to Peyton.

  “It’s not ruined, I’ll help fix it if the men can watch the kids and bring some trash cans for the broken stuff. The food was still in the kitchen so all we need to do is get some paper plates and cups and it’s perfect.

  “Look I’ve never had a real family Thanksgiving and what you all have done for us makes me feel more a part of this family than anything else ever has. I want to help fix it and celebrate with you all.”

  The tears fell from Peyton, she really had acquired a new sister. Rylee was going to fit into this family splendidly.

  The women took care of the food, and Slinger enlisted Moody and Slick to help with the cleanup. In under an hour they were once again gathered around the table. This time dinner was actually served and Slinger sat between his fiancée and her son, his son. Micah was now and forever his boy.

  There would be nothing Trevor could do. He had never signed the birth certificate, never publicly acknowledged him in any way. Slinger had all the paperwork he would need coming. He had sent an email to Books, a local attorney they all knew well.

  Bones had given him that name several years back. Books seemed to fit him, being so educated and he accepted his name with grace. Slinger explained what he needed and he told him he would draw up the papers, and to call him so they could meet up and have everything signed.

  Once that was done, it would be filed with the court and once the court clerk put her stamp on it he would be Micah Woods. Soon Rylee would be Woods too. A date needed to be set and a wedding planned. Slinger wanted her to have the exact type of wedding she wanted.

  After dinner, the three of them took a walk behind Smokes place, he needed to show her where they would live. Rylee wasn’t sure why they were standing in an empty field behind Smokes home, until Slinger started explaining.

  “What? He did what? Seriously! Oh my god! We’re really going to have a house? And a yard for Micah? Oh Nash!”

  He held them both, telling his son about having a backyard to play in and asking him if he would like a treehouse. Every boy needed those things, Slinger didn’t have them as a child. His children would have everything he didn’t. Money wasn’t an issue, and as he told Rylee about his ideas for the house her mouth just hung open.

  “ Nathaniel Woods, you are a crazy man! Really, two stories? That’s huge, how many of us are going to be living there?”

  Slinger just grinned big. The number of occupants all depended on her, on how many times she would carry a child for him. Micah needed a home full of brothers and sisters. Slinger hoped for at least three more.

  As the weeks went by, ground was broken for the house and Rylee had become pretty good with the old threefifty-seven Peyton had given her to learn with. She and Micah lived with Smoke and Peyton, but Rylee spent her weekends with Slinger. That was their alone time. During the week, he made sure he was there to tuck Micah into bed every night. The Thanksgiving disaster was far behind them, but now with Christmas just a week away Peyton was trying to figure out how to get close to twenty people in the house for dinner.

  They all met for their regular Friday night beers at Handlebars, leaving the children with the nanny Smoke had hired to help Peyton. Jessica was daughter of a friendly MC Vise President and loved children, so they all felt comfortable with her. Peyton and Rylee had become as close as
sisters, so when Rylee suggested they rent out Handlebars for Christmas Eve, Peyton jumped at it.

  “Oh gawd! Why didn’t I think of that? Yes, oh my gawd yes! This will be perfect; the bar is stocked and we already have all the tables. You’re helping me! Come on, we need to tell Nero.”

  Peyton’s excitement was contagious and Rylee felt it too. She was able to break away from her friend to get some alone time with Nash. Rylee cuddled as close as humanly possible and just hung on.

  “Baby Girl, what’s wrong?” He pulled her back to see her face. She had that look, the one that said she was going to cry at any moment. He had seen that look so many times, and it tore at him when she was upset.

  “Nothing’s wrong Nash. I was just thinking about how different my life is now compared to last Christmas. How I struggled to buy Micah anything and this year I can get him things. I have a real paycheck and Smoke won’t let me help out with anything. I need to go shopping and get stuff for you and Micah. That’s all, I’m happy Nash. So much more than I can tell you.”

  Eighty-Eight Reasons

  Slinger and Rylee had been Christmas shopping and he loved the look being able to buy gifts put on her face. He had Renegade watching them as they

  shopped, Trevor and the Eighty-eight were out there somewhere and he didn’t trust either to leave his girl alone while she was having so much fun.

  Ren was hoping someone tried something, he was itching for a fight but he normally was. Renegade was the crazy one and they all knew it, the only one who could talk any sense into him was Peyton. Ren adored her and they all thought she was the only person he was truly afraid of.

  Slinger needed to slip away so he shot Ren a text asking him to come babysit his girl while he went to get something special.

  “Baby Girl I need to break away for a few minutes, won’t be long but it’s a surprise.”

  She nodded and kept checking things off her list and grinning like a child. “Ren has been tailing us just as a precaution,” Slinger told her and she got that look of fear in her eyes. He hated that look with every fiber of his being. They had been together just over two months and the mention of Trevor still scared her. Thankfully it was lessening with each passing day.

  “Don’t panic pretty lady it’s just precautionary. He’s going to come hang out for a few okay?” Slinger waited for a nod and Renegade to show his face, then he took off to get what he wanted for Rylee.

  This was their first Christmas together and he wanted to make sure she had a memento of it, he had to get what he was after made custom because he would be damned if Micah wasn’t included. That little boy was his pride and joy, he always would be no matter how many more they had. He had gotten the court paperwork from Books earlier in the day and had planned to give it to Rylee at dinner that night. Micah was now officially Micah John Woods, his son.

  Renegade and Rylee walked the stores laughing at people as she shopped, then Ren asked her a question she was never expecting.

  “Can I do the wedding? I’m legal to do it and it would be an honor to be the one who gets to seal the two of you. I mean he’s never been like this before, ever! Seeing Ink Man in love is fucking cool as shit and well, you know.”

  She did know, she’d even begun to understand Renegadese as she called it. Ren had a language all his own, and to anyone outside the club it would make no sense but Rylee had been around him long enough she had gotten good at

  deciphering his sentences.

  “I have to talk to Nash, but from me it’s a definite yes,” she told him as she leaned in and pecked his cheek watching his face redden like he was embarrassed.

  That night Slinger took her to The Dash, Smokes favorite place and showed her the paperwork. To his surprise she didn’t cry, Rylee just grinned big as he was stating now her son had a real dad. Then she told him about Renegade’s offer.

  “Son of a bitch,” he shook his head laughing. Ren never ceased to shock and surprise. “Absolutely Baby Girl, you know whatever you want I’ll move mountains to give you. So, we should consider a date and maybe start planning this shindig. Don’t you think?” Rylee had thought about the wedding since Thanksgiving when Slinger proposed and she knew precisely what she wanted so she told him.

  “Wow really? You sure about that because I’ll do anything you want pretty lady.”

  Rylee was positive but she had one more request of her husband to be, one that would happen after dinner.

  Two hours later she and Slinger sat in Skin Deep, his tattoo shop and drew up exactly what she was after. He asked her about colors and explained how it was going feel as he worked on her first piece.

  “This one’s gonna sting a little, got some numbing cream and it helps but the underside of the arm will definitely sting. If it gets too much we’ll break and spray you down again with the cream. You ready for this?”

  Rylee was more than ready and she wasn’t worried about some pain. Trevor had caused so much physical pain this was going to be a cake walk.

  It took five hours but Slinger finished her piece, it was almost a half sleeve in the theme of the Wizard of Oz. Rylee loved the way the witch in the moon came out, her favorite part was where he put Woods In the branches of the trees.

  “What do you think Baby Girl? I want to add some other things and more color, but let’s have it heal some first okay?” Rylee couldn’t stop staring at it, her first tattoo done by the man she adored and it was perfect.

  Christmas Eve came and they all gathered at Handlebars for their dinner and a surprise wedding. The only ones that knew about it aside from Renegade and the soon to be married couple was Smoke and Peyton.

  Rylee picked out a burgundy dress and Slinger had put on brand new jeans, a button-down shirt the same shade as Rylee's dress and Micah was a clone of Slinger. The little man even has his own cut with his name on it. They all sat around the tables just as they had done at Thanksgiving waiting for their President to do his normal speech.

  “Merry Christmas , every time I stand in front of you I can’t help but realize my wife made this happen. We had begun to mend our differences when Peyton came along, but fuck guys shedid this. She made us become a family and she didn’t even try.”

  Smoke reached down and ran a hand over her cheek. He would always love her in a way even he didn’t understand and he didn’t care if he ever understood it. Peyton was his salvation.

  “Anyway today is special, Slinger got some good news he wants to share, you ready Ink Man?” Slinger smiled and picked up Micah as he made his way to Smoke at the head of the table.

  “ This is a damn fine day and it has nothing to do with Christmas. Little man here officially became Micah Woods two days ago. Ry and I wanted to wait to tell everyone together.”

  The congratulations were heard loud as he received slaps on the back and Micah was passed around and got hugs from all his new uncles.

  Slinger continued, “We have one more thing before the Queen will let us all eat, so we should get it done. Ren you ready?”

  Renegade grinned and stood, walking towards where the tree had been placed and decorated. Smoke and Peyton stood next to him and motioned for the brothers to join them. Nobody had any idea what was going on but not one of them would question the Queen. Peyton had a small table set up to the left of the tree with the marriage license, so the new couple could sign.

  Renegade waved Slinger and Rylee forward to stand in front of them smiling, seeing his brother happy helped fill that void Ren had. Once Smoke took Micah he could start.

  “ Prez, Queen, Brothers, were all here tonight to celebrate Christmas but not just that. Slinger and Rylee are making this permanent here and now. So, let’s get these two hitched.”

  By the time they got to the vows none had dry eyes including Slinger. He was marrying the girl of his dreams and had gotten a son, nothing would ever top this day. When the kissing of the bride came, Micah had to get in on the action too. The toddler wanted to give his mom and dad a kiss and be a part of it all.
/>   The hugs and kisses were still

  happening when they heard the door open. When the crowd noticed who it was the room fell dead silent.

  “ Oh, fuck no!” Slinger yelled pulling his colts from their holsters and marching up to the intruder, placing a barrel on the skin right between his eyes.

  “Smoke McAllister, wanna call off your dog? I’m just here to talk,” the uninvited guest said opening his coat showing no weapons. “Seems we have a mutual problem and I have a solution.”

  Raul Paulo, the head of the Eightyeight had just strolled in like he owned the place flanked by four guards whom had drawn weapons as soon as the brothers had. Smoke stood stunned for a minute, he stared in disbelief that Paulo had the gall to show up and Smoke was about to nip this right in the ass.

  Smoke came up behind Slinger placing a hand on his shoulder, it was a silent communication between the men. One that said holster your weapons and step back, Slinger did just that knowing what his President wanted.

  “Raul, you’ve got a set of stones on you showing up here on Christmas Eve.” Smoke gave him the classic Smoke stare, one that said he meant business.

  “ Maybe so, but I did have enough respect to come to you instead of leveling your town to get that puto who stole from me.”

  Smoke cocked his head trying to figure out just what the hell he was talking about. Slinger was still behind him, Smoke knew he wasn’t leaving him unprotected and Rennie had slowly wandered up to stand with the Ink Man.

  Raul had noticed but said nothing about it, he did however turn to his guards and spoke something in Spanish to them. Each of the four reluctantly lowered their weapons. None of them questioned their employer but Smoke could see the look of distrust they had for the MC.

  Smoke himself had complete and utter distrust for the Eighty-eight, especially Raul. Smoke knew him from his days on the other side of the border and he knew just what a sick, twisted bastard he was. As a sign of good faith, he had his men lower their guns. They kept them in hand though. With the Eighty-eight nobody could be sure what their motives were.