Final Ride (Lords of Mayhem)

by Shyla Colt

  “Look at that grin; she’s loving it,” Ariel said.

  “Well it’s been oh, never since I had a man I loved taking up for me. Plus it’s one of the few lovely side effects of pregnancy so far,” Joey said.

  “Once you hit the second trimester I hear the sickness eases up,” Ariel said.

  “I sure hope so.” Joey sighed.

  “Are you climbing the walls yet?” Evonne asked Ariel.

  “Honestly no. I do my edits when they come in, I read, and I go with the flow. I think I needed the break and didn’t realize it. Not being caught in the mess my parents made lifted a weight, and the absence of a deadline looming over my head is nice.”

  “You have been cranking them out like a machine,” Joey said.

  “I just wanted to establish myself and build a fan base. In the process I kind of sacrificed my life,” Ariel said.

  “What matters now is you’re on the road to getting it back,” Juliette said.

  Ariel smiled. “You’re right.”

  “I feel like we should toast. Let’s go grab a drink,” Juliette said.

  “Funny, wine has turned into beer,” Ariel said.

  “Quiet, Red,” Evonne said, tossing a wink toward Ariel.

  They walked over to the bar and settled in for a few drinks and some conversation, huddled together at the end to be heard above the music.

  “So I hear you’re the one I need to talk to.” The deep voice was unfamiliar and slightly slurred. Ariel glanced up and froze. Rayen stood a few inches away, a mini, watered-down version of his big brother, Hawk.

  “Excuse me?” Ariel said.

  “He couldn’t wait to leave and crawl between those legs. Not that I can blame him, they are sexy as hell.”

  She wanted to cuss him out and make him feel two inches tall. Opening her mouth she clamped it shut. Do I have the right?

  “I think you’ve had too much to drink and you need to go chat up one of the biker bunnies,” Joey said narrowing her eyes.

  “Did I ask you?” Rayen said.

  “No, I told you,” Joey said.

  “Joey, you should calm down,” Juliette said.

  “Yeah, Joey. You should calm down. Bitches don’t get into brothers’ business,” Rayen said.

  “I think you need to watch who you’re talking to like that. I’m more than just some Mayhem bitch,” Joey growled.

  “I think this is getting out of control,” Ariel said. “Whatever you think is going on, you’re wrong. You want to talk to Hawk, then do it. I’m no gateway.”

  “That’s not what it looked like when he scooped you up and carried you off from the big bad wolf.” He leaned closer. Whiskey scented his hot breath, and she turned away from him. “One thing I know about a house mouse is she’s Mayhem property. That means you’ll be spending the night in my bed. It’s been a long time since I had a nice piece of trim. You ready to be ridden hard?”

  “No,” Ariel said.

  “Shut up, bitch.” He wrapped his massive hand around her wrist. “Get on your feet.” He tugged her off her stool. “Your man wants to hide like a bitch that’s fine. I have plenty of other ways to send my message. He always thought he was better than me.” Rayen paused and for a moment Ariel saw a universe of hurt that ran so deep it stole the breath from her lungs. “Let’s see him ignore me now.” He moved away from the bar and the scrape of wood on concrete filled her ears as her girls scrambled to their feet.

  * * * * *

  “Just go and talk to him. It’s time you two buried this hatchet,” Feather said. Hawk scowled at his mother.

  “Mom, I’m not the one with the problem.”

  “Aren’t you? We did wrong, pushing you two together so much. We saw that too late to change the habits. But this is a chance for a new start. You want to throw that away?” Feather said.

  “No, I want to approach with caution. Look, Mom, you’ve been in touch with him. For me, he’s a stranger. One I have a lot of bad history with. Just let it lie for a minute. Give me a chance to observe him. Regardless, he’s Mayhem. I’ll give him the same respect and rights everyone else has.” Hawk shrugged. “It’s the best I can do.”

  “Always so fucking stubborn. Just like your old man.”

  “I think I got some of that from you to, Ma.”

  “Go on with you. I’m due a drink, something potent.” His mother waved him off and turned to make a beeline for his dad. Hawk shook his head. All this time and they were just as rowdy and deep in crazy love. The kind that led his mom to whoop a biker bunny’s ass when necessary. He laughed as his mind recalled the numerous occasions some new girl had slunk in and tried to replace her.

  In this world, you had to battle to keep what meant the most to you. Once his mom put out the word, no one tried her. Until the next new girl came into the fold looking to land the cushy spot of old lady to a top dog.

  Hawk scanned the area and froze when he spotted Rayen dragging a protesting Ariel away from the bar.

  “Son of a bitch.” Hawk stalked over and stood in front of Rayen, stopping him in his tracks. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing?”

  “About to have some fun here with your borrowed girl. What any man would do fresh out of jail.” Rayen smirked.

  “She’s not on the menu,” Hawk growled.

  “Have the rules changed that much? I’m pretty sure, house mouses are community property.”

  “You coming into my house, questioning me? Did you forget I’m more than your brother? I’m the vice president. Whatever the fuck I say goes.” Hawk clenched his hands into fists, determined not to let his brother get under his skin. Rayen wanted the attention, but his dysfunction wouldn’t allow him to seek it out normally. Not after spending half his life high, babied, enabled, and then imprisoned. Hawk knew it logically, but the sight of Ariel restrained by Rayen’s hand stuck in his craw.

  “Isn’t that the pres’s job description?” Rayen said.

  “Is this really how you want to start shit off?” Hawk asked, not willing to screw his mother’s happiness.

  “It got your attention, didn’t it? Earlier I wasn’t even good enough to say hi to.”

  “Is that what you think? You guys ambush me and you’re shocked when I walk off?” Hawk shook his head. “Let’s not bullshit one another and act like we parted on good terms.”

  “You going to hold my past against me forever?”

  “From where I’m standing, I could hold the present against you and be justified. I’m only going to say this once, so I suggest you listen. Keep your fucking hands off Ariel. She’s not for you.” Hawk snatched her hand away and shoved Rayen backward. “You got something you want to get off your chest, you bring it to me directly like a man.”

  Rayen rushed forward. “You want to do this now? Get it over with?” Hawk said. “We both know you’re spoiling for a fight.”

  “The shit you did was wrong, and you know it,” Rayen growled.

  “I was tired. The title family only stretches so far before it breaks and simply becomes a matter of genetic sequence.”

  “So now I’m not even your family?”

  “Did I say that?” Hawk barked. “Let’s take this out back. Ariel, stay here with your girls. You’re about to get what you wanted, Rayen. The pound of flesh you think I owe you. Then I don’t want to hear anything else about it. You don’t like me? I don’t give a fuck. But Mom and Pop deserve better. They spent a good chunk of their lives cleaning up after your messes. I’m not about to let them do it again.”

  “Fuck you, Hawk! You’re not better than me.”

  Hawk moved fast, grabbing Rayen by the back of his neck and squeezing hard. The brothers rushed up.

  “You need help, V.P.? Someone forget their place?” a voice asked in the crowd.

  “No, this is family business and will be dealt with accordingly. Don’t say shit else ’til we get out back,” Hawk growled. “If we don’t come back in twenty minutes, come out after us.” Hawk released his brother, whose musc
les bulged beneath his T-shirt.

  Little Rayen had packed on fifteen pounds of solid muscle and had perfected his war face. The snarl would scare a lesser man, but it did nothing to move Hawk. He’d been kicking his brother’s ass from the time he was ten and Rayen was eight. That tradition would not end today with the entire Mayhem crew waiting for them to come back inside. Besides, they needed this moment to take out their frustrations on one another. The disappointments, the heartbreak and the downright misery that came with being virtually shackled to a junkie through the height of his addiction.

  The metal door slammed shut as they stepped out into the back parking lot. Rayen darted forward, landing a blow to Hawk’s jaw. Hawk’s head snapped to the right. Pain exploded and anger bubbled to the surface. Hawk lifted his fists, protecting his face as he circled his brother, looking for an opening. Rayen leaned forward in an aggressive stance. His brown eyes were wide and wild. This was a man used to defending himself at a moment’s notice. A red haze of rage fell over Hawk’s eyes and he struck out like a snake, quick and precise.

  He landed a few shots to Rayen’s ribs and stomach, doubling him over, and quickly followed the move up with an upper cut. Rayen stumbled backward and let out a roar. Rayen charged forward, shoving Hawk backward. Hawk firmly planted his feet to avoid toppling. Rayen drove his fist into Hawk’s belly. Air rushed from Hawk’s lungs and he grimaced. Rayen smirked, standing over him like the overindulged prick he’d become. Anger pushed Hawk past the discomfort and he forced his body back into an upright position. They circled one another like two heavyweight contenders in a ring. Hawk darted forward and faked right, landed a solid blow to Rayen’s left eye. Rayen countered with a blow to Hawk’s ribs. They continued on until they were both bruised, bloodied, and exhausted.

  Their feet shuffled against the ground as they sized one another up.

  “What the hell are you angry at me for, Ray? Haven’t you realized by now you’re the one who placed yourself in this situation?” Hawk said, tired of the drama when they had real threats against Mayhem brewing.

  “Of course I know that. But you just gave up, washed your hands of me and never looked back. Like I was nothing,” Rayen spat.

  “It wasn’t about you, Rayen. For once in my life, it was about me. I needed to step away from the situation, so I did. You know how much guilt I carried around over the years about something I had no power to control?” Hawk shook his head. “You think I hate you, or I look down on you? I really don’t. I did what I needed to do, cut the self-imposed umbilical cord, and let us find ourselves apart.”

  “Why did you stay away?” Rayen whispered.

  “Because it became a bad habit I didn’t know how to break, and I got caught up in the role of vice president. You know shit rolls downhill. It’s not an elaborate answer, but it’s the truth. You broke my trust in you to smithereens. It takes time to get that back. Did you really think you’d just pop in unannounced, and I’d be able to forget the past ten years?” Hawk lifted an eyebrow.

  “I don’t know what I thought. I didn’t expect you to walk off,” Rayen said.

  “There’s an ocean of issues between us. Doesn’t mean we can’t cross them. But it’ll take time to re-establish shit. You’re always going to be my blood, and dude, you’re Mayhem. You know that’s for life.”

  “So, we’re good?” Rayen asked.

  “Yeah, baby brother, we’re good, as long as you keep your hands off Ariel. She’s more than some house mouse ready to entertain the brothers.”

  “Wow, you into her or what?” Rayen snickered. “Never thought I’d see the day you went wild over a little trim.”

  “Shut the fuck up, man. There’s more shit going on there. Just let it lie for once.”

  “All right.” Rayen raised his hands in mock surrender. “I know when to let shit go.”

  “Good, now let’s go back in before they come out here,” Hawk said. He walked over to the man with the swelling left eye and busted lip, and patted his back. They walked inside and Hawk scanned the various faces and locked on the only one he wanted to see. Ariel’s concern-filled gaze did funny things to him. His lips twitched up, and he waded toward her through the rapidly parting crowd of people.

  Chapter Eight

  Ariel paced the living room floor. Today the men would be served their complaints. She’d become the glue holding Karla and the other women together. She felt like Erin Brockovich, gathering the information, coercing the victims to come together and file a complaint. I just hope it’s enough. If this didn’t take them down, they were all in for a world of hurt. We might already be. A knock sounded on the door and she tensed. She glanced at Tex, who sat on the couch watching television.

  “You expecting someone?” Tex asked. She shook her head, instantly on high alert. “Go into your room and make sure you have your gun ready, just in case.”

  Ariel nodded and rushed down the hallway. Her hands shook as she pulled her .45 out of the top drawer of her nightstand. Life had become kill or be killed. She’d seen the destruction these men were capable of.

  “Hey, it’s one of your friends, the blonde one.”

  “Karla?” she said surprised.

  “I guess. I’m going to let her in.”

  Ariel put the safety back on her gun, returned it to the drawer and rushed back to the living room. “Karla, what’s wrong? Where’s Smooth?”

  “I had him drop me off here. I just…I couldn’t sit at home, you know?” Karla’s eyes were the size of quarters and slightly dilated. “I try to be strong for the rest of the girls, but I’m terrified. I’m committed to this; you know I am. Thinking of the things Emmit will do to keep me quiet has me losing sleep.”

  “You know we’re not going to let anything happen to you.” Ariel took Karla’s hands in her own and squeezed.

  “I know. I know.” Karla took a deep breath. “I just needed somewhere to just be with no mask, no bravado.”

  “Well this is the right place.” Ariel released her hands and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. “What can we do to cheer you up? I have a carton of birthday cake ice-cream.”

  “You don’t have to tell me twice. To the kitchen!” Karla said, offering up a shaky smile.

  “Trust me, girl. One way or another, Emmit and Linden are going to get theirs,” Ariel said. Savagery rose inside her, and she couldn’t help but wish the court case would fall through. As far as Ariel was concerned, the two men deserved more than the pain that would be dished up in prison. They should be tortured and made to beg for their lives. She understood the need to draw attention away from Mayhem though. Too many ex-boyfriends of Mayhem old ladies going missing or being killed under questionable circumstances would bring the feds to them in the blink of an eye. Mayhem had an understanding with the local law, but these men had plenty of money and the links to powerful people to do them real damage.

  “Here, have a seat at the table and I’ll get us two spoons. I think today is a splurge day if ever there was one,” Ariel said. She walked to the fridge, took the carton from the freezer, and placed it on the table. “Whipped cream too?”

  “Of course, if I’m going to shoot my calorie count through the roof I might as well do it in style.” Karla’s wry tone made Ariel laugh.

  “I can tell you’re already feeling better.”

  “Yeah. I just needed a freak-out moment. The others girls look up to me. The pressure of not wanting to let them down weighs on me. When we first met up, we were all a mess. We jumped at every loud sound, checked in with each other daily to make sure nothing happened to anyone, and slept with all the lights on. If we slept.” Karla shook her head. “No one should have to go through what we did. But what made it even worse was the knowledge that no one would believe us, and if they did they’d be bought out or bullied. Anyone we brought in on our secret would be placed into danger. So we kept our mouths shut.”

  “Yet you found one another,” Ariel said as she retrieved spoons from the drawer and sat down across from K
arla.

  “Our one act of defiance.” Karla pushed the open tub to the middle of the table and skimmed a layer off the top. “Most of the women wanted nothing to do with us. They wanted to forget, bury it and never look back. I knew I was taking a risk trying to get us organized, but I couldn’t help but think there was some sort of safety in numbers.”

  “Smart thinking,” Ariel said.

  “I hope so. If this goes south, it’s all on me. I convinced them to put themselves out there and relive this nightmare.” Karla shook her head.

  “You guys deserve real peace, and we both know that can’t happen with Linden and Emmit out there lurking on the wings of society, wreaking the same kind of horror on unsuspecting women everywhere,” Ariel said.

  “That’s what I keep telling myself,” Karla said. “If Peter could come back for Juliette after all that time, none of us are safe.”

  “Exactly. None of this is your fault. It’s all them. Sick fucks,” Ariel snarled.

  Karla took a few more spoonfuls of ice-cream. “The most frightening thing is the guises they hide behind, powerful, attractive men who have their pick of women. Those unsuspecting females have no clue what monsters they’re courting. Money shouldn’t allow you to get away with murder, and I say that literally. I know there are times when they went too far.”

  “Karla?” Ariel tensed. “Is there something you want to tell me?”

  “I heard him, them…talking.” The blood drained from her face.

  “Heard who, Karla?”

  “Peter and Quinn…he-he said they’d gone too far, and the girl had died, that they needed to call in someone to clean up the mess. God it was like something out of a mob hit. I knew then I couldn’t stay.” Karla trembled. “I started making plans that night to make Emmit move on. I knew what he liked, and what he didn’t. I risked his wrath and took some of the worst beatings I ever had at his hand, but in the end it worked. A month later he declared himself through with me, and I scurried away into obscurity. I left behind everything, clothing, furniture, jewelry, and dropped out of my college courses. I told them I had a family emergency and wouldn’t be able to finish out the year. All that mattered was going off the map. All the work I did for the next year was under the table.” She shook her head. “I alienated myself from my family and friends. That’s when I came up with the idea of contacting others.”