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

by Annie Buff

  “Fuck! Who is this asshole!” Smoke screamed into the night. He knelt next to Ren who was laughing.

  “What the fuck Renegade? You’re shot and laughing, dude you’ve got problems!” But Ren kept laughing, it hurt too bad to do anything but. He was just thankful whoever was doing the shooting had a bad aim.

  “Boss man,” Slinger said, “this is serious now. Whoever wants you just upped the ante, shooting at you in public is a ballsy move man.”

  Smoke knew, and he was livid about it. He noticed Jace walk away and watched him pull out a knife and start digging into the wood of the bar’s door. It took a minute but Jace got what he was after, a slug.

  “I can have ballistics run this and get a make and model of the gun that fired it, might get us closer to the asshole that shot at us. I’m not real fond of getting shot at these days.”

  Slinger nodded, knowing being shot wasn’t a fun time. They had all taken a bullet or a few over the years and it wasn’t on his list of top ten most

  enjoyable things. Plus, his wife would kill him if he got shot again. She hadn’t been around at the time he was stabbed by skinny, a fact he was thankful for.

  Slinger made the call to Rylee, asking her to bring the truck to the bar for Ren and Peyton to ride his bike back. She was the only one Ren would want on his bike, they all knew it. When the women arrived, Peyton marched over to Ren and started.

  “ Dammit Wyatt! I swear I can’t let you out of my sight! Jesus Christ, another gunshot! Why do you feel the need to get your ass shot? Come on, don’t bleed all over that pretty new Dodge.” She

  extended her hand and they both laughed. Not one person in the world would ever be able to talk to him like that except Peyton. She was special to each man in her own way. Peyton had bonded with each one and they all loved her.

  Rylee had gone straight to Slinger, checking him over to make sure he wasn’t hurt. It was a reflex reaction knowing what had happened. He pulled her into him, holding tight to reassure her he was okay. He knew she needed it.

  “I’ m alright Baby Girl, takes more than a bullet to hurt me. I promised you a long life together and I will not break that.” She nodded against his chest, not speaking but he knew.

  After Ren was loaded into the truck Peyton went to her husband for that same reassurance that Rylee went to Slinger for. Smoke held his wife as close as he could, letting her know he was also okay and she didn’t need to worry.

  “Shit Nero, did anyone see who did this? Damn them!” Peyton was mad and he knew it. She understood this life as well as they did. And the Queen was pissed, that in itself should terrify whoever the shooter was.

  “Somethings not sitting right with me Nero, we’ll talk after Ren is fixed up. I just hope my intuition is wrong.” Peyton really did hope she was wrong. The thought of this particular brother being the one not only hurt but seriously made her angry. She and Smoke had things to talk about in private.

  Bones had Ren cleaned up, and bandaged in no time letting him relax by the fire pit with his gin as a painkiller. They all knew he was clean and even Tylenol bothered him. Gin was the only thing they knew he would use to dull the burn in his shoulder. The last time he was shot they had talked him into a nonnarcotic to ease it, but this time he said no.

  Slinger went to his wife, needing to feel her on his skin. He said nothing as he stripped her bare and lay her on their bed. She watched him with desire and

  anticipation as he shed his own clothes, crawling up her body and capturing her lips with his.

  There wasn’t any foreplay this time, he needed to be inside her, to connect his body to hers and that’s exactly what he did. Slinger’s cock slid inside Rylee with ease. She was always so wet for him and he loved the gasp he would elicit from her each time he thrust himself into her. This was a hard, fast pace. Rougher than he normally was, but the way she responded to him had him pushing the limits.

  Slinger pulled himself out, flipped her over and slammed back in balls deep. The sound of skin slapping together echoed in their bedroom, and the grunts and moans were loud enough both knew their houseguest was privy to their lovemaking but neither one cared.

  They were so lost in each other, when Rylee hit her Nirvana she screamed his name and Slinger lost it. He spilled his seed and grunted her name as loudly as she had screamed his. He held on through shock after shock of sheer bliss until he was empty, then laid beside her pulling her close and just basked in the feeling of his woman, his wife. Before he let sleep come he sent up a silent prayer asking for a child, hoping someone was listening.

  The Hunter And The Hunted

  Slinger was splitting his time between looking for whoever was after his

  President and Raul, who was desperately hunting Trevor along with Renegade and Jace.

  Being the cop, Jace wanted the man in custody. Now being a Prospect and the recipient of one of Trevor’s bullets, he wanted him in a bad way. Trevor caused him the limp he was learning how to live with and he had to take retirement because of it all. Jace Morrison had nefarious thoughts when it came to Trevor Madsen.

  “Jace, nice to see you alive and well amigo. Had you died I would have had to prolong his death to honor you my friend.”

  That statement coming from Raul was a shock to say the least. Somehow he had come to respect Jace and he just smiled back. He knew never turn your back on Raul, he didn’t get his reputation by accident. Raul was ruthless to say the least and anyone who crossed him wound up in pieces.

  “Raul,” Slinger got his attention. “I asked someone I know to keep an ear out and she heard a few things. There’s supposed to be a sale coming up,

  someone trying to unload a kilo for cheap. Sounds like Trevor needs cash, don’t you think?”

  Raul grinned big, he had a feeling this was the break they might be waiting for. “Yes amigo, I believe this is exactly what we have been waiting for and that puto has no idea what is waiting for him. When is this sale happening?” Slinger told him everything he knew, knowing they had a week to prepare for this hurricane that was coming.

  Smoke had called Ren and Slinger, asking to go on a ride. He needed his two most trusted brothers, looking to find a place to talk away from the clubhouse. He and his wife had a long discussion the night of the shooting and what she said unnerved him more than anything else ever had. Smoke took a long walk that night, letting her words sink in.

  Looking at everything from the outside, it all made complete sense. Ever since he met Peyton the club was different, he was different in every way possible. He didn’t have that I don’t give a fuck attitude any longer. Smoke cared for the first time in years. He made his brothers wear chicken skins, asked for check-ins and honestly cared about their wellbeing. The biggest change in the club was allowing Peyton to be a part of it, a part of Church and a part of decisions concerning the club. Nobody ever voiced issues with it except one person and that was who Peyton thought was the culprit.

  Smoke hoped she was wrong, he had known him half his life. They’d become men together in the MC and had patched in on the same night. If it really was him, Smoke had no idea how he was going to handle it.

  The three men took the winding roads that lead to the lake just an hour away, parking the bikes by the Marina and walking the docks.

  “I wanted this so we could talk, Pe yton noticed something that I hadn’t and I’m just praying she’s wrong. If he is the one after me I’m gonna fucking skin his ass.”

  “Prez?” Ren gave him an odd stare. He had no idea who Smoke suspected but he did know whoever it was had to be someone close. Slinger had that same look, you could see the confusion in his face too. About that time Jace road up, he had been called by Smoke. The President knew Jace wasn’t the rat, and that he was working to uncover the traitor same as them.

  “Jace, that cut looks good on you. Like you were born to be a Devil.” The new Prospect gave a nod, pulling the papers he’d brought from his saddlebag. The look he had on his face was everything Smoke needed. He knew,
Peyton was right and that chapped his ass.

  “What’s those papers say Prospect? I really don’t want to see them, do I?” Jace shook his head but handed over the report anyway. As Smoke glanced over them his face actually reddened, you could literally see him smoldering. He said nothing, just passed the report to Slinger. Once he got to the part that held the weapon in question his jaw hit the dirt.

  “No fucking way! This has to be wrong!” Slinger couldn’t believe what he was reading, and when Ren saw the gun make he knew too.

  “ Ah boss man, how we gonna handle this? He knows everything the club does, has the key to the armory and more importantly your house! This needs to go down fast and quiet.” Yes, it did, this problem had to be handled now before he knew they were on to him.

  “Ren, get the supplies you work with and dig a hole. I’ll handle the rest of it. Ink Man, you watch my back. Prospect, please do me a favor and take the women into town for a shopping day. Make sure the children are with them. Call it a chore on your list and one that makes your

  President very happy. My wife will bug the shit out of you, she just will. And I will owe you one, okay?”

  Jace understood why and had no problem doing this, he would want his woman safe too, so he nodded and as he straddled his bike he reached a hand to Smoke.

  “ Whatever it takes Prez, gotta keep my family safe.” And with that he rode off towards the clubhouse to retrieve the women and children.

  “So boys, let’s go catch us a rat!” Smoke said as the rumble of the Harley’s echoed in the lake canyon.

  Blood In, Blood Out

  Smoke had called an impromptu church under the pretense of Trevor’s sale, getting all the brothers in one place including the suspected rat. Once

  everyone was sitting Smoke began.

  “We have it on good authority Trevor has a sale set up in a few days, he’s looking to unload a kilo and probably disappear. Can’t happen, Raul has been somewhat human through all this and we need him and Trevor gone from my town.”

  They all seemed to be in agreement on that, Raul made everyone nervous. He was too unpredictable, Smoke always said he was a hot head.

  “Next order is one I’m not happy about.” He stopped, working in his head how he needed this to be said. “I’m the President, I didn’t want this but it’s mine and I’m good at it. For those of you who haven’t heard, Ren was shot a couple days ago. The shooter was after me, how do I know this. Well considering my truck brakes had been cut, mytruck not the new one I bought for Peyton.

  “This doesn’t sit well with me, what that tells me is one of you is looking to dethrone the President.”

  Smoke looked at the shocked faces of his brothers, all except one. That was all the confirmation he needed. “The shooter did forget one very important thing though; Slinger’s new Prospect still has access to the ballistics lab. He handed me a report a couple hours ago. All I can say is why man?”

  He looked directly at his VP Knuckles. He was the only one with a Kimber custom forty, Smoke just stared waiting for an answer.

  “Why? You’re fucking soft! We ain’t men anymore! You cut off our nuts when you let that woman in here! Either she went or you, then you had a kid! And Bones too, we’ve become a God damned nursery and the laughing stock of every fucking MC in the southwest! So now you know. What now? Gonna kill me, fine kill me but I ain’t the only one who feels this way. I’m just the only one with balls big enough to do the job!”

  Smoke stood looking at his men, he saw shock from each one. No one else was after him, but he was going to give them the opportunity to leave the club without any repercussions.

  “If any of the rest of you feel this way stand and leave, I won’t stop you and I won’t come after you. I’m man enough to let you go, so go now if that’s what’s on your mind. Anyone except Knuckles can walk out of here and we’re okay.” Smoke waited, not one of them stood but Krispy had something to say.

  “Prez, I could never leave here. This is my family man, look at me. What the fuck would I do without all you assholes keeping me out of jail, without the Queen feeding me and making sure I have my laundry to her on Wednesday? That might sound stupid to someone else, but I need this place and I love you guys.”

  Smoke nodded, knowing this young patch was loyal now. “Slinger and Ren please stay; the rest can go if you want. No need for everyone to have to deal with this, it’s my fight.”

  Not one man stood to leave , it wasn’t just Smokes fight. It was for the club and they were the club. “Okay then, let’s take a drive. Ren, you taken care of what we need?”

  Jace had taken the women and children into town for some shopping but the carnival Micah saw sidetracked any shopping. The kiddie rides had the small ones occupied for hours.

  “ So I was right, I hate being right Jace. He and Nero have been friends for years and I know this hurts. I also know my husband and it’s going to be messy. I just hope he does whatever he’s going to do away from home.”

  Jace knew Smoke wasn’t going to let this one go easy, the President was livid. He had watched his face as Smoke read the report, and Jace would have felt the same way had someone he trusted turned traitor.

  “Still having a cop’ s mentality, I should be flabbergasted at what’s going to go down but I’m not. You don’t bite the hand that feeds you, and I have a feeling Smoke carried him. He never said much and from what I would think, the VP should have been almost as involved as the President. Should have been vocal during Church and Slinger told me he was always quiet. I dunno, maybe it’s just me but it seems like the boss man needs a second that’s worth a shit.”

  Peyton wholeheartedly agreed, her husband needed a good VP, one that the men respected and one who could hold down the fort and command the brothers. She had an idea too, one that would fill the spot perfectly. It was time to have another conversation with her husband.

  The caravan of trucks went south to the spot Renegade had set on the GPS, this was his spot and he knew every inch of it. There were more than a few bodies that had gone to their final rest here, and Ren had done some javelina hunting here too. Since he had bought this property for hunting and other things, it seemed fitting to hunt.

  They pulled a bound and gagged Knuckles from the truck bed Ren had driven, standing him on his feet and pulling the gag from his mouth. Ren just grinned at him.

  “Fucking Renegade, can’t get a woman so you do stupid shit for attention.” Knuckles spat at him, Ren didn’t care at all. What this traitor thought of him mattered not, Ren knew he could get a woman, but there was only one he wanted so he would be patient.

  “You’re the dumbest fucker on the planet Knuckles, you die today either way and I can go get laid if I want. Can’t believe you did this man, we got a good Prez and a shit ton of cash rolling in. But it don’t matter now.” Ren walked away meeting up with Smoke and his Prospect Falcon. Ren had a conversation with the newbie after they had put Knuckles in the bed of the truck and Rory agreed, Smoke had dealt with enough.

  “Prez.” Ren greeted him respectfully knowing what he was about to ask. Smoke nodded, wanting to walk around him and his Prospect but they blocked him.

  “What the fuck is going on you two?” Smoke knew something was up,

  considering the recent events he was suspicious.

  “Prez, let me and Falcon handle this. You’ve been through enough and I’m itching for a little fun.”

  “You know what? Yeah, it’ll be just as satisfying if you do it or I do, so go ahead. Do whatever you’re gonna do, but do me one favor.” Ren waited, he knew he would respect his President’s wishes no matter what.

  “Make it fucking hurt, I w anna hear the screams. I know you and that’s your thing so for me can you please do that?”

  Ren was planning on just that. He waltzed back over to where Knuckles stood, still tied up. Ren pulled out his switch blade again, this time cutting the restraints and he had that same sadistic grin he always did.

  “So , I’m f
eeling generous today, I’m gonna give you a head start. Make it to the perimeter gate and you can walk away, you’ve got ten minutes so I suggest you stop standing there and go.”

  Knuckles knew this was a trick, it had to be so he didn’t move for a minute until Renegade yelled.

  “Run!” And he pulled out his forty -five and started firing at Knuckle’s feet. In a split second, he did just as Renegade said, he ran.

  Ren lit a cigarette and stood laughing, he knew reaching the perimeter gate was impossible with all the traps he had placed. This was going to be a fun game for him, normally he didn’t chase but he wanted his former brother to understand just how bad he’d screwed up. After he crushed out his smoke he looked for his partner in crime.

  “Falcon, go east and take your scope. Bring him down if you have to, but like Jefe, don’t kill him just yet. We gotta have some fun.”

  Rory did what he was asked, thanking God they were on the same side. The rest of the brothers including Smoke waited at the trucks, there was a cooler in the back with beer and a few sodas so they just sat back and waited. Bones wandered over to have a word with Slinger.

  “How you doing man? I see you’ve taken a Prospect, good choice Ink Man. Jace will make a great Devil.” The two sat and talked waiting to see if Ren came back with or without a body. What they did hear were gunshots.

  Falcon had Knuckles in the cross hairs watching him run, he wasn’t far from the gate and Rory had no intention of letting him reach the fence. He shot once, hitting him in the leg and taking him down. Rory knew Renegade heard the shot so he lay in wait until Knuckles started crawling. He couldn’t let him reach the fence so he fired another shot into the opposite leg successfully stopping him.