Ride With The Devil (The Devil's Riders Book 2)

by Joanna Blake

He pulled on it deeply, filled with self loathing.

  He'd almost taken her in a Goddamn alleyway! Next to the trash. He'd treated her like trash.

  He closed his eyes, seeing her tear filled eyes as he'd thrust her toward Mike. Why should she care if a piece of garbage like him didn't want her? It didn’t make a lick of sense.

  But she had cared. She'd cared enough to make her cry.

  He’d made her cry, dammit.

  He had a shit ton of work to do in the morning, a lucrative custom job, but he didn't care. He didn't care about anything in that moment.

  "Hey, I heard you hit that sweet piece of tail in the back! Let us know if you are through with her, would you? I’d sure like a taste.”

  He looked slowly over his shoulder and saw Frankie K. The red haired son of a bitch was waiting for him to high five him.

  Jack's mind went blank. He saw everything that happened next through a haze of red. It was like he wasn't even there. In the back of his mind, he wished he wasn't.

  Him grabbing Frankie's hand. Him crushing his hand in his fist. Him pummeling the guy into the ground until someone pulled him off of him.

  Not someone. A bunch of guys. He'd find out later it had taken five guys to pull him back.

  Frankie was screaming as he held his broken hand on the ground. Donnie pulled Jack away.

  "You better jam, man."

  Jack almost laughed. As if that piece of shit crying on the floor mattered.

  As if anything mattered anymore.

  He picked up the fallen tequila bottle and stalked out of the bar to the back stairs and up onto the roof.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Janet

  Janet crawled back into her window, the frame biting painfully into her stomach. She didn't care though. She didn't care about anything.

  Jack didn’t want her. He was probably in bed with that other girl right now. Touching her… kissing her like he’d touched Janet. He was a badass who could have any girl he wanted.

  He’d been horny and she had been there. That was it. End of story.

  She was an idiot for reading anything more into it than that.

  As soon as her feet hit the ground the light flicked on. Her mother sat on her bed while her father stood by the doorway. They'd been waiting for her.

  Oh no…

  She wasn't even surprised. Nothing could surprise her at this point. Jack had picked up another girl in front of her. As if she meant nothing to him. As if she were replaceable.

  Obviously, she was.

  She stared numbly at her parents as they started to yell at her.

  She was a disappointment.

  (That didn't surprise her.)

  She was to be harshly punished.

  (Not exactly surprising either.)

  She was going to be locked in her bedroom until further notice.

  That last one she managed to respond to, rolling her eyes.

  "What if I have to go to the bathroom, mom?"

  Her eyes widened as her mother held out a bucket.

  "You're joking."

  "No, I am not. This is for your own good. You will not be coming out until we can be sure you won't humiliate us again. We know where you've been going and with whom."

  Janet's jaw dropped. She almost forgot about Jack for a moment. Almost.

  "Bikers Janet? Really?"

  Her mother's cheeks were red with fury.

  “You have humiliated me for the last time, young lady.”

  So that's what she was worried about. Her good name. Give me a break. Janet's world tilted as her father shook his head sadly.

  They stood up and walked out of the room, shutting it behind them. She heard a dead bolt slide into place.

  "What if I need some water?"

  "There's a bottle on your desk."

  She turned to see a small bottle of water. How long would that last? How long did they plan to keep her in there???

  "What if there's a fire? Or would that solve all your problems?!?"

  All she heard was footsteps walking away from her. Leaving her alone. They didn’t care if something happened to her.

  They didn’t care at all.

  She glanced at the window and decided to make a run for it. She could crash with Kaylie. Just start over, on her own. There was no time to pack. She grabbed her book bag and laptop and ran for the window.

  Just as she reached it, her father slammed it shut in her face. From the outside.

  She pressed her palms against the glass.

  "Don't do this dad! Please!"

  He ignored her, nailing the window into the frame. Her eyes got wide as she realized what was happening. Really wide.

  He was shutting her in there. Permanently.

  Janet sank onto the bed and wondered how she'd managed to ruin everything. Her parents hated her. Her career as a dancer was over.

  She had nothing now. No school, no freedom, no Jack.

  The last one burned the most. She'd felt so alive in his arms. So desired.

  It had felt like she was the most cherished woman on Earth when he kissed her.

  And she'd wanted him more than she'd ever wanted any man before. Who was she kidding? She'd never kissed anyone like Jack, not that she had much experience. She doubted she ever would again.

  She pressed her hand to her lips.

  She could still feel him touching her… she felt hot and cold all over, just thinking about it. She still wanted him. If he walked into the house right now, she would beg him to take her away.

  To do anything he wanted to her.

  Everything he wanted.

  But he didn’t want her.

  Jack had made sure she understood she was disposable. One of many.

  Kaylie had been wrong. He probably had a different girl every night. The thought burned into her, stealing away any hope.

  He didn’t want her.

  She curled into a ball as wracking sobs shook her body.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Kaylie

  Kaylie stood outside Janet's front door and knocked. She hadn't heard from Nettie in three days, since the night of the barbecue.

  She'd heard something happened after she'd left. Something between Janet and Jack. Dev had given her the PG version, but supposedly people had seen them together.

  That was good. She wanted her friends to be together. In their own ways, they were two of the loneliest people she knew.

  And two of the best. Both of them were amazing people, and she loved them. So yeah, them hooking up was a very good thing.

  This radio silence was… bad.

  She couldn't help it, she was worried. Janet had always been a carefree girl, stubbornly ignoring the problems she faced at home. Lord knows she had enough of those. Kaylie had watched for years as her family wore her down.

  Her wealthy parents had put so much pressure on her to succeed as a classical dancer that it had nearly destroyed her. The accident had done more than finally end her ballet career once and for all. It'd made her invisible to her parents.

  Since then, Janet had been in a tailspin.

  Kaylie sighed and rang the buzzer.

  She dreaded this conversation. If Janet was hiding out because of Jack, she didn't know what to tell her. He was a complicated guy. Devlin had told her that Jack had his reasons for being so solitary, but he wouldn't tell her why. Either way, she didn't want her friend to be hurt any more than she was already.

  "Yes?"

  Janet's dad was at the door. He looked over his shoulder nervously.

  “Is Janet at home? I haven’t heard from her in a few days.”

  “That’s because she lost phone privileges.”

  Kaylie frowned and shifted her weight on her legs.

  “Can I see her please?”

  He shook his head.

  "You shouldn't be here, Kaylie."

  "Who's there?"

  A shrill voice came from further inside the house. Janet's mother appeared in the doorway beside her dad.
She looked crazed.

  "Get out of here you tramp! I know you're the one who took my daughter to that- that place!"

  Kaylie stepped backwards in shock. What was wrong with them? Where was her friend?

  "Where's Janet? I want to talk to her.”

  “You can’t talk to her.”

  Kaylie lifted her chin. Mrs. Mahoney was freaking her out but she would not abandon her friend. Their words meant nothing compared to her love for Janet.

  “Why not?”

  “You are a bad influence, that is why! Stay away from her! And you can tell that giant who keeps driving by to stay away!"

  "Giant?"

  “The criminal with the long hair and the devil bike!”

  They must mean Jack. That was interesting. He'd been driving by Janet's house? Since when?

  What the heck had happened between them?

  Kaylie wanted to get away from these horrible people as quickly as possible but she had to find out where her friend was. Thankfully Janet's mom disappeared back into the house.

  "Please Mr. Mahoney. Where is she?"

  He glanced over his shoulder and smiled apologetically.

  "She's in her room. But she’s not coming out any time soon.”

  “Her room? You are locking her up like a criminal?”

  He looked ashamed for a moment.

  “Sorry Kaylie."

  He closed the door in her face. Kaylie stood there wondering what the heck was going on. Then she squared her shoulders.

  She knew where Janet's room was. No one could stop her from peeking in the window.

  She snuck along the side of the house and stared aghast at the hastily nailed shut window frame. They really were treating Janet like a criminal. Kaylie shuddered, sympathy twisting her guts.

  She might have lost her dad early on, but he'd loved and protected her. So had her mom.

  Growing up she'd thought her well off friend had the best life. The big house, two parents… Kaylie had figured out that it wasn’t so simple a long time ago.

  Now she realized just how wrong she had been all those years.

  She knocked tentatively on the window. She tried to see into the room but it was hard without any lights on inside. Janet's face appeared in the window. There were circles under her pretty blue eyes.

  She looked awful.

  Janet held a finger to her lips signaling silence. Kaylie nodded and waited while Jan disappeared from the window. She was back after a few moments, holding up a piece of paper with hastily scribbled words.

  Three days.

  “You’ve been in there for three days?”

  Janet nodded and wrote something on the back of the page.

  Scared. No food or water.

  Kaylie covered her mouth with her hand, horrified. Janet's head disappeared from sight for a moment. She reappeared in the window with a fresh piece of paper.

  'I need to get out of here.'

  Kaylie nodded and mouthed 'I'll be back later! Let me talk to Dev.'

  She wasn't sure if her friend understood her. She ran across the lawn, pulling her cell phone from her pocket. Dev would help her figure out what to do.

  They had to help her. They had to save Janet.

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Jack

  Misery. Pure misery.

  He stared at the beer in his hand. He’d been drinking it like water. Trying to fight the urge to go to her.

  Janet had not answered his texts or come out of her house when he slowly drove down her street.

  He finished the beer and grabbed another.

  He would not ride past her house again. It was stupid. It was something a fucking teenager would do.

  Just leave the girl alone.

  But he couldn’t.

  He felt like he was tearing up inside. The look on her face when he’d pushed her away… he’d hurt her.

  She’d cared enough that he had hurt her.

  At the same time he hurt himself.

  He’d thought that she’d be confused and that was all. No good girl in her right mind would want to be with him, for real. She was just sowing her wild oats, and he was trying to keep her from getting hurt.

  From getting dirty, just by being near him.

  It was the hardest damn thing he’d ever done, and it had backfired. He was still tied up in knots, wanting her more than ever.

  And now she hated him. Thought he was only using her. Thought he wanted somebody else more.

  What a cruel joke.

  Nothing could be further from the truth. She was the only one he wanted. The only one he’d ever wanted like this.

  It felt like he was being twisted into two halves. The smart Jack who should be glad that she hated him. And the Jack that wanted to tear the world apart, just to get to her.

  Didn’t matter that she was too good for him.

  He wanted her anyway.

  And now, it was too late.

  He threw his beer against the wall. It smashed, spraying his tools with foamy white beer.

  He stared at it, breathing hard.

  Then he walked to the fridge in his studio and pulled out another one.

  Maybe if he kept drinking, this ache inside him would fade.

  Just a little.

  Maybe it would be enough.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Janet

  This is a very, very bad idea.

  Janet closed her eyes and tensed her body, ready to leap out of the way. She was holding her desk chair in the air, barely able to keep it up with her trembling arms. She was already so weak from lack of food but she could do this.

  She had to do this.

  Her parents had left her in there for almost four days now. Four days with out food or water. Janet was starting to think they weren't ever going to let her out.

  Tears stung her eyes.

  She'd always known her mother didn't really love her, but to do this to her? And her father, weak as he was, he'd cared a little bit. She'd thought he had anyway. Apparently she'd been wrong.

  Just like she'd been wrong about Jack.

  She'd thought he cared about her. More than just wanting to take her to bed. He'd acted so protective of her when those guys had stepped to her at the mall.

  But he'd just been doing what he did. He was like a medieval knight in that way. A hero who always did the right thing. It didn't mean he cared.

  Nobody really cared about her.

  She swallowed back the sob that caught in her throat. No time for tears. She was on her own now, once and for all. She had to do this herself. She was strong. She's survived shin splints and bloody toes on a weekly basis when she was dancing. She'd survived the loss of her chance to be a prima ballerina… the one thing she loved doing most in the world, the thing that defined her.

  She'd taken on of one the Spawn's toe to toe for God's sake.

  She could do this.

  She knew Kaylie would try to help her but she didn't know how or when. Maybe once she was on her feet. But what could Kaylie really do?

  No, Janet was on her own in this. Kaylie couldn't solve this disaster. She was no match for Janet's evil witch of a mother. She said a little prayer of thanks to God for giving her one true friend.

  Her only friend in the world.

  Then she swung the chair back over her head and threw it at the window.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Jack

  Red…

  He cracked his eyes open and tried to shake off the dream. She’d been there, telling him she wanted him. Begging him to take her in his arms and-

  Well, fuck if that wasn’t the worst possible time to wake up from a dream.

  Jack sat up. He was on the roof with the worst hangover he'd had in his life. No, wait, that was yesterday. Or the day before.

  Today was the worst hangover anyone had had, ever, in the Goddamn history of man kind. He moaned and rolled over to a seated position. It was the fourth day of his bender.

  He picked up the empty te
quila bottle and grimaced. He needed a cup of coffee. He needed a shower.

  He needed a shower with coffee instead of water.

  "Jack man, you up there? Come down! We gotta talk to you."

  Dev was calling him. He stood unsteadily and headed to the roof hatch. He flung it open and took the service ladder down to the main level.

  When he got downstairs, a terrible feeling of foreboding came over him. He rubbed his head, wondering if it was just from the abuse he’d heaped on his liver. But he couldn’t shake the feeling.

  Something was wrong. Something was very, very wrong.

  “We’re out back!”

  Kaylie and Dev stood in the back alley. She looked distraught. Hell, even Dev looked worried about something.

  "Man, you look like shit."

  Jack ignored the comment. He just waited. But they looked at each other, neither of them speaking. Finally, he spoke.

  “What is it?”

  Kaylie stepped forward nervously, as if she weren't sure she should be telling him something. He stood there silently, watching her decide what to say. She swallowed and finally opened her mouth.

  "It's Janet."

  He said nothing, fully expecting her to tear into him for what had happened in the alley. What had almost happened.

  He almost laughed. He should have just taken her up against the wall. Then maybe she'd be out of his system by now.

  That was a joke. Nothing would do that. He knew that now.

  God knows the booze hadn't blotted her from his mind.

  She was it for him, and he’d blown it.

  "I don't know if there's anything going on with the two of you, or if you care about her but…"

  He looked at Dev over her shoulder to see if his friend was mad at him. How was he supposed to explain this fiasco to him? To anyone?

  He had taken the sweetest, fieriest, most beautiful girl in the world, and made her hate him. And he didn’t blame her one bit.