by Lowe, Aden
Georgie absorbed the information and tried to make some kind of sense from it. She felt like she'd fallen through the rabbit hole's back door, because all this seemed far stranger than any story about mad hatters and un-birthdays. It would be laughable if it wasn't so damn scary.
Stuffed, she pushed her plate back and stood. "I'll take care of the dishes in a couple minutes." The water buckets waited on the porch, and even though she'd rather curl up and go back to sleep, she trudged out to the well to fill one. If they wanted more water than that, they could use their voodoo powers to get it.
Doing the dishes took some time, since the water had to heat on the grill first, but she finally finished. Naberius had gone somewhere else, which creeped her out. She didn't like not knowing where the sleazy jerk had gone so she could avoid him. Kind of like knowing where the dog shit in the yard so you don't step in it.
Chapter Twenty-Six
The roar of two dozen motorcycle engines lulled Dix into a sort of trance. Every passing mile brought him closer to Georgie but increased his anxiety ten-fold. Night fell and still they kept going. He was relieved they'd left as soon as the information came in and everyone could prepare. Kellen could have easily said wait for morning.
He had no idea how long they'd been riding when the column veered off the road and into a twenty-four hour gas station. The whole line just pulled up in front of the building and everyone kept their place.
On Kellen's signal, they all climbed off and gathered at the front where he waited. "We're taking ten minutes here, and Trip tells me we're not far out from the farm. When we leave here, stay on my six. We have a rest stop set up for a few hours until daybreak, then we go get Georgie."
Dix's belly rolled with impatience. He hated wasting time, but knew it couldn't be helped. Belial and the others were stronger by darkness, and would pass the day either asleep or at least quiet, as much as possible. It had nothing to do with their beliefs, just that Belial preferred night-time and required his followers to adapt.
They rolled out again, on schedule, all prepared to rough it for the rest of the night. Their stop wouldn't have any of the comforts of home, but none of them seemed to mind. Dix knew from experience they would make up for it when the action ended. They always did.
The place Trip chose for them to wait for morning left a great deal to be desired. Water soaked the ground, leaving a fire or bedroll out of the question. Instead, they got the bikes out of sight behind a collapsed barn and sat on them talking quietly in groups of twos and threes. Dix sat alone a short distance from the others, lost in thought.
Several times he sensed Belial probing, searching for him. The bastard probably wanted more information, or to taunt him again. Not happening. In order to better focus on the battle to come, he took out his knife and the whetstone he kept carefully wrapped in his saddlebag for emergencies, and used the time to put a razor edge on the already sharp blade.
The repetitive movements and sounds of sharpening the knife served to keep the outside world closed away, out of his thoughts. Instead of thinking, he let his mind drift to a future with Georgie. They would have a house, maybe a dog, maybe a couple kids. And most important, they would be happy. No one could interfere with that future.
Eventually the sky lightened and the men had breakfast from whatever they had in their saddlebags. Tired and not in the best of moods, they were all more than ready to kick some ass and get back home. Dix couldn't agree more.
Kellen and Trip filled them in on what they expected and Fabio gave orders and distributed grenades and other goodies. They finally rolled out as the sun came above the horizon. Dix felt as if he could finally breathe again.
They nearly missed the lane that led to Thomas Everett's farm. Long strands of grass and weeds on the pavement gave it away. The bikes rolled in carefully, keeping to the tracks. Kellen passed the word down the line to stay wary of the weeds that could clog shit and disable a bike.
Dix let himself hope they might have it finished soon, Belial dead and Georgie back in his arms. He and the others checked weapons yet again, ready to roll into a heavy fire fight. The passed through a small section of forest, crossed a shallow creek, and climbed back to field where the grass and weeds were rode down more, not such a hazard. And just ahead, a single large tree stood beside a ramshackle house while a barn stood beyond.
The tall grass, even closer to the house, presented a hazard they hadn't planned for. It limited their mobility to the established paths, but the Hell Raiders didn't let it stop them. They gunned their engines the last couple hundred feet, using the noise to disorient the enemy and taking advantage of where a vehicle had worn the grasses down flat to the ground.
Dix let his bike roar right up onto a weathered porch, despite the risk the wood might cave in under him. Kellen and Trip hung back and let him take the lead, and suddenly the rest of the Hell Raiders were on his heels.
Inside a makeshift kitchen, a very shocked Timmy sat eating a bowl of some kind of colorful cereal. "Hey, Dix."
Dix lifted a hand and froze. "Hey, Timmy. 'Sup man?"
The only sensible person out of Belial's followers shrugged. "Figured you were coming. Georgie's nice. I like her."
"Where is she, Timmy?" Panic made his nerve endings vibrate.
"Right here, Samael." Belial stepped through the door from another room with Georgie clutched tightly in front of him as a shield.
A strange sense of calm settled over Dix. He had dreaded this moment for far too long. No more. "Thomas."
"My name is Belial." Anger reddened his face.
"No, actually, your name is Thomas Everett." Dix took a step forward. "You're a fool. The real Belial doesn't give a rat's piss about you or your little cult. He's laughing his ass off at you right now, hiding behind a pitiful human female. You think a demon needs you?"
Right on schedule, a guttural laugh replaced the human voice, and the gnarled features of the demon flashed briefly. "Idiot. I protect my devoted servants."
Dix wanted to scream for Georgie to run, but she remained helpless in Belial's grasp. "Right. Devoted. So devoted they took risks and let you get locked up in a human prison. No doubt, you had plenty of fun there. But not like on the outside, huh?"
The demon's face fully superimposed on the human's, teeth bared in fury. With a roar, he dropped Georgie to the side and took his full form.
Kellen darted in and grabbed Georgie, then passed her off to one of the others. "Get her out of here."
"Take them all and go, Kellen. This one's mine." The calm knowledge that he had to do this alone made Dix's voice strong.
"We'll wait for you outside."
"No. Get down the road. I'll catch up when I'm done here." He couldn't do it until he was certain Georgie would be safe regardless of the outcome.
As if he realized, Kellen nodded once and lifted his hand. "Roll."
In a matter of seconds, Dix stood alone with the demon, who still raged his anger, fully aware he could never actually destroy the creature. What he could do was make it remember the fight. He drew his knife.
Standing on clawed feet and massive legs, the thing laughed at him. "Puny human. You think to stand against me?" It roared again, showing a terrifying array of teeth.
Dix felt as if he took a step aside and something else took over. "He might not alone, but I am with him." His hand raised and white flames shot from his fingers.
Belial bellowed as the fire scorched his already blackened skin. "No!" He leapt at Dix, claws and teeth at the ready.
Dix clutched his knife as whoever had taken charge of his body carried him in a jump under and past the demon. The tip of his blade scored the hardened hide and brought another roar of pain from Belial.
He wheeled to dive back in, but Belial stood still, horrible face a mask of surprise. The thing spun and revealed a much smaller demon with sharp teeth sunk deep into its heavy neck.
So Timmy had finally found his resistance. Dix darted in and sank his knife to the hilt in Be
lial's gut, then ripped the blade up and over to inflict the most pain and damage. Gouts of hot black fluid spilled over his hand and eventually forced him to pull back.
Belial continued to bellow and claw the air, but a human body dropped at his feet. Thomas Everett lay pale and unmoving. Finally the demon stood heaving for breath. "I will eat your soul for this, Samael."
Dix shrugged. "Be my guest." As far as he was concerned, one demon could feed on another for eternity. He had better shit to do.
***
The bike's engine seemed eerily quiet as he rode back out to the road after clearing the house. Lilith and the others had disappeared, hopefully back to Hell. The sun rose high overhead by the time he finished searching the farm and made his way back. On the road again, he watched for any sign of the Hell Raiders. He needed to catch up and quickly, but they were hours ahead. He leaned on the throttle hard, unwilling to wait one second longer than he had to.
Up ahead, movement caught his eye and he slowed, cursing his luck. Then the sun flashed off bright blonde hair. He cranked it again and raced toward the familiar form standing in the middle of the road.
He drew to a stop beside her and just gazed, heart in his throat. "Need a ride, baby?"
She nodded. "I wanted to wait for you, even when Kellen said I had to go on with them."
He grinned. "I'm glad you didn't listen to him."
"Me too." She swung on behind him, wrapping her small form snug around him.
Darkness fell as they rolled back into Stags Leap. Dix roared past the Rattlesnake and headed for the treehouse. He had no intention of sharing his woman with a bar full of people at the moment. Anxious, he parked and led her over the bridge.
"You know we could have stopped at my apartment?"
He nodded. "I know. I wanted you to myself, at least a little while." He unlocked the door and flipped on the lights.
Georgie hesitated. "Dix, is it okay if I get a shower? I must stink to high heaven and I'd like to get that filth off."
"Shit, Georgie, I should have thought of that sooner. I’m sorry. Go get started and I'll bring you towels." He felt like an inconsiderate jerk. He should have considered her first.
She lay a finger against his lips. "Hush. I wanted to get home first anyway. Now give me a few minutes?"
He nodded and watched as she walked along the narrow decking, trailing one hand over the rail while the tiny lights played over her form. His throat went dry. He could have lost her so easily. He'd gone in fully prepared to die at Belial's hand, but praying they would both survive. Thanks to whatever helped him when he finally faced the demon, they had.
Enough worrying about what could have been. He stripped, grabbed an armful of towels, and went to the shower. She turned to face him and held her arms out to him. He stared, determined no other man would ever see her. First thing in the morning, he intended to pay a little visit to a photographer. He went to her without a word.
Warm water cascaded over and between them while he helped her wash her hair and smoothed fragrant suds down her body. His hard-on jerked every time she touched him, but despite the desperate need, he waited. Finally, they were rinsed clean and dried.
Restraint exhausted, Dix lifted her into his arms and carried her inside and up to the loft. He lowered her to the bed with reverent care, intending to go slow and gentle, but she hooked her heels behind his thighs and dragged him down atop her.
Blue eyes sparkled as she stared up at him. "Yes."
"Yes?" He wasn't sure he'd heard correctly.
"Yes, I'd like to spend the rest of my life with you. I love you, Dix."
Need drove him hard as he sank into her. "I love you, Georgie." All his intentions for slow and romantic lovemaking fled as she clung to him, whispering his name and all the things she wanted to do with him.
Her heat, her love, carried him beyond the stratosphere. Locked inside her, he drove them to an unachievable pinnacle, something he'd never dreamed might exist. But there it was, just out of reach, waiting for them. Her body clenched around him and suddenly, he was there, falling over the edge with her and flying on endless waves of ecstasy.
At some point, the need to breathe forced him back to Earth, and he lay there in her arms, finally at peace. Georgie was his, and would be forever.
THE END
Epilogue: Two Weeks Later
Dix strode into the ratty-assed apartment, pulling his leather gloves on as he went. Trip's call had come as he dropped Georgie off at work. Stella and Ryker were already there, sitting on the photographer who thought it was okay to spread nude pics of unsuspecting women all over the internet.
Mason LaSabre sat on his secondhand couch and stubbed a cigarette out in an overflowing ashtray. He jumped up. "Who the hell are you?"
"Georgie sent me." Dix grinned. "Remember her?"
The man's lip lifted in a sneer. "Remember her? Hell, yes, I do. Little bitch owes me for a new camera."
Dix nodded. "Well, I'm here to settle up for her."
"Really?" He smiled. "Well, that's news I can drink to." He grabbed a bottle from the table and tipped it back.
"I doubt you'll be able to drink when I'm done settling up." The first blow landed and split the fucker's lip.
Justice had taken longer than he intended, what with Georgie being kidnapped by Satanists and the fight with Belial, but no matter. The little fucker would never victimize another woman that way. Trip would make sure all the pictures were removed from websites. Nothing could be done about any that might have been saved to devices, but at least they could make sure the originals were gone.
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Hell Raiders MC Romance Series
Kellen’s Redemption (Hell Raiders MC Book #1) – https://amzn.com/B00YE0X8LU
Hunted Love Series
Big Game: Hunted Love #1- http://amzn.com/B00NMVS01K
Bounty : Hunted Love #2- http://amzn.com/B00RGT2NSK
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Ride The Bench – Coming Winter 2015
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