Bayou Devils MC: The Complete Series

by A. M. Myers

  “Hey, you know… grocery shopping together is a perfectly normal, boring thing to do,” I tell him as I stand up and shove my little sleep shorts down my thighs and step out of them. His eyes rake down my bare legs and he licks his lip as he nods.

  “You’re right.”

  I snap my fingers. “My eyes are up here.”

  “I know,” he answers, grinning as he meets my gaze. “But I’m busy looking at your gorgeous fucking legs right now, babe. Give me a minute.”

  “Get dressed.” I shake my head as I turn and walk away from him to grab my jeans off of the floor in the corner of the room. Aware of his eyes burning into my backside, I bend over slowly to grab them, smiling when he groans.

  “You’re a dirty fucking temptress.”

  I peek over my shoulder and grin. “The sooner you get ready, the quicker we can get back here so you can do something about it.”

  His eyes widen a second before he flashes me a wide grin and jumps out of bed faster than I’ve ever seen and I laugh as he scoops his jeans off of the floor and begins pulling them on, almost tripping over his own feet. Once he manages to get them buttoned, he grabs a t-shirt and yanks it over his head as he marches across the room. I button my jeans and when he reaches me, he leans in, kissing my cheek before he picks me up and throws me over his shoulder, smacking my ass.

  “Let’s go.”

  Something between a squeal and a laugh slips out of my mouth as I smack his back. “Put me down, Travis.”

  Laughing, he sets me back on my feet before taking my hand and pulling me into another kiss. My body floats up off the floor as warmth rushes through me and I can’t help but smile against his lips as I lean into his body, needing to be closer to him. Lacing his fingers through mine, he plants a few more kisses against my lips before pulling away and tugging me toward the door of our room.

  “Come on. I already can’t wait to get back here.”

  Heat rushes to my cheeks and I can’t wipe the smile off of my face as we walk down the stairs together, hand in hand and my heart is pounding like crazy in my chest. We meet up with Emma, Tate, and Blaze in the living room and Blaze nods in approval at Travis before slipping a gun in the holster at his waist.

  “You armed?” he asks, his gaze bouncing between Travis and Tate. Tate scoffs and reaches behind her back to pull out her pistol as she nods.

  “Always.”

  Travis shakes his head. “I didn’t grab mine but I can real quick.”

  “No,” Blaze says, looking around at our little group before shaking his head. “I think two should cover it.”

  “Three,” Tate calls as she turns toward the door, lifting up her pants leg to reveal a second gun hidden there and Blaze laughs.

  “Sorry, I forgot that you never have just one,” he tells her and she glances back over her shoulder, shooting him a look of disappointment.

  “How careless.”

  They continue giving each other a hard time as we step outside and make our way to the big, black SUV at the end of the driveway. When we pulled up last night and I got my first look at Emma and Nix’s home, I was blown away. It’s a proper southern plantation house set on two acres of land with huge oak trees dripping in Spanish moss scattered around the property, and a large lake in the back with their own personal dock. Once we all got settled, Emma told us how Nix had purchased the house after it had been foreclosed on and fixed it all up himself. It’s honestly so peaceful out here that it’s easier to relax and forget the danger we’re all in for a moment and I think it will be just what we all need. Not that I want us to get careless but each and every person here needs to chill a bit or things will only get worse.

  We pile into the SUV with Blaze behind the wheel, Emma in the passenger seat, and Tate in the back with us. Travis is glued to my side, my hand firmly in his as everyone else makes small talk, a lightness settling over the group that is so refreshing after all of the dark we’ve endured lately. I sigh. After the drama of last night, which honestly seems like a dream now in the light of day, today feels so free and peaceful and I’m so thankful for it. We need, at least, a day to relax and decompress before we hit this Warren situation head on again. Peeking over at Travis, I vow to find a way to help him sort this whole thing out and find answers as his comment about going out on a normal date drifts through my mind. I shake my head. I’m honestly so confused by what’s going on between us and I’m working so hard to keep my expectations non-existent but then he says something like he did in the bedroom that makes me think he sees a future in this.

  No.

  Don’t do that to yourself.

  Sucking in a breath, I push all of my thoughts away and focus in on the conversation around me again as they all chat about putting together a big family dinner tonight and my mind drifts to the night after the last time we did that. Travis peeks over at me and we both smile. God, that was a damn good night. He gives my hand a squeeze and I lay my head on his shoulder, unable to wipe the smile off of my face as the city of Baton Rouge comes into view.

  The grocery store parking lot is fairly empty when we pull in and Blaze parks the SUV near the back, his eyes scanning the areas around us for any possible danger. Travis’s body tenses, on alert just like Blaze as he nods to me and kisses the back of my hand before ushering me out of the SUV. Adrenaline floods my system, making my muscles feel twitchy as I gaze around the lot and Blaze orders us all to stay together. We don’t even get ten feet from the SUV when a high-pitched whining sound fills the air, pulling all of our attention to a man in all black sitting on a bright red crotch rocket six feet to our right. His face is covered by his full helmet but even through the dark tint of the visor, I swear I can feel his gaze on me and my stomach drops.

  It’s him.

  He revs his engine, looking straight at us and my heart climbs into my throat as his bike jumps forward, taunting us. I try to retreat to the SUV as Blaze pulls his gun out of its holster and holds it at his side, never taking his eyes off of the man on the bike but Travis grabs me and pulls me firmly into his side as he leans down and presses his lips to the top of my head.

  “I’ve got you, baby.”

  Time seems to stall as we stand frozen in the lot, watching the man on the bike as he just sits there, revving his engine and teasing us with the possibility of an attack. My heart hammers in my ears and I struggle to draw air into my lungs as tears sting my eyes. We can’t just keep standing here, waiting for his next move. We’re too out in the open, too exposed, and too far from any help we could get in the store. Standing here, in the middle of an empty lot with this psycho is going to get us killed.

  “Go back to the SUV,” Blaze orders, his voice hard as he keeps his gaze fixed on the man on the bike, his shoulders tight and posture imposing. We all turn, ready to rush back to the safety of our vehicle. Another sound joins the whining of the bike, similar but deeper, as we all stop in our tracks and turn to the other side. A man, also dressed in all black with his face covered by a helmet, races toward us on a dirt bike. Emma is standing off to the side, a little ways away from the rest of the group and his gaze is focused on her as he twists the handle, accelerating across the lot.

  I can’t take my eyes off of him, my legs shaking like crazy and my heart thunders in my chest as bolts of pain stab into me. Squeezing Travis’s hand, I watch in slow motion as he releases one of the handlebars and lets his arm hang at his side, revealing a blade. He gets closer and closer, closing in on us but none of us move, the fear thick in the air around us and all we can do is watch. Images race through my mind, horrific images that I don’t want to see, and a tear slips down my face as a tiny little voice inside screams at me that I need to do something but I can’t.

  I can’t move.

  I can’t breathe.

  I can’t speak.

  All I can do is watch as the cold claws of dread wrap around my heart, crushing it as he closes in on Emma, fear filling her eyes as she stumbles back a few steps and a gun shot rings out. The di
rt bike swerves out of the way before he corrects his course, just mere feet from Emma.

  Oh, God.

  “No!” Blaze yells, pulling her back and jumping in front of her to shield her with his body just as the man on the dirt bike passes us, lifting his arm up to slice through the air and my breath catches in my throat as everything around us blurs and time stands still. A pained groan drifts through the air as Blaze clutches his stomach and crumples to the ground. Emma screams, her eyes wide as she rushes over to his side and drops to her knees. Blood pours out of his stomach and my stomach churns, my chest aching as I shake my head, turning to the man on the dirt bike as he stops next to the other man and lifts the visor of his helmet, revealing his face to me.

  Warren.

  For so long, I’ve wondered what he looked like, what I would see in the face of the man tormenting this club and I guess I always assumed it would be pure evil shining in his gaze but instead, his brown eyes are burning with rage and pain as he stares at me. Travis was right about his appearance – completely average, the kind of man you would walk straight past on the street and not even spare a second glance. I study him, trying to commit his every feature to my memory for later as his gaze bores through me. Slowly, a smile stretches across his face and ice seeps into my bones. He winks, sending a shiver twisting down my spine and tears gather in my eyes but I can’t look away.

  Another gunshot rings out and my gaze snaps to the side. Tate is holding her pistol in her shaking hand, her phone pressed to her ear as she glares daggers at Warren but when I turn back, the visor is down again and he turns with his partner, racing out of the parking lot as the roar of their bikes fill the air. My stomach rolls and I turn back to the others, hoping one of them saw what just happened but Emma is frantically pressing her sweater to Blaze’s stomach, blood all over her and Tate is relaying his condition to the nine-one-one operator, her gun at her side again. Travis is staring down at the whole scene with wide, blank eyes, his hand gripping mine so tightly that I don’t know how it hasn’t broken.

  Ow.

  “Rowan!” Emma screams and my head snaps to her. “Help me, please!”

  I nod, yanking my hand from Travis’s and it seems to snap him out of his daze as he looks around the lot, noticing that our friends are gone for the first time as I rush to Blaze’s side, opposite of Emma and place my hands on the sweater, applying pressure to his wound.

  “Blaze,” Emma whispers, tears streaming down her face as she grits her teeth. “Don’t you dare leave us, you hear? You do not get to die today.”

  He nods weakly.

  Blood pools on the ground around him and I glance up at his pale face, trying to make sure he’s still breathing as I press my shaking hands harder against his stomach. He groans and winces as he tries to move but Emma shoves his shoulders back to the ground, instructing him to stay down. When he’s still again, I lift up part of the sweater, gasping at the sight below. There is a gash all the way across his stomach and blood pours from the wound. It’s too much. The cut is too deep and he’s losing too much blood. My stomach drops and tears fill my eyes.

  We’re going to lose him.

  “Where is the ambulance?” Emma screams, her tears growing more frantic as she glances up at Tate. If Tate replies to her, I don’t hear her as I watch Blaze’s chest, begging him every second to take his next breath but it seems like the time between each breath keeps getting longer and my mind screams, begging for help. I know I haven’t known Blaze for very long but in the short time I’ve been here, I’ve seen the kind of man he is and I’ve felt his kindness and warmth. He’s too good, too important to every member of this club to die.

  “Emma,” he whispers, his hand weakly rising off the ground. She grabs it in both of her blood stained hands as I use my whole arm to apply pressure to his abdomen, picking up her slack and praying that the paramedics get here soon. “Need you to do something for me, Darlin’.”

  She shakes her head, a sob bubbling out of her lips. “Don’t you dare say your good-byes. You hear me, Malcolm. You still have too much life to live to give up right now.”

  “Just in case,” he murmurs, his voice growing weaker and my heart hammers in my chest as I shake my head, the image of my mom lying on a hospital gurney filling my mind. “Tell my boy how sorry I am, will ya? Tell him I only wanted to protect him and that I love him more than anything else in the fucking world.”

  “Blaze,” she wails, shaking her head but he ignores her.

  “Tell him that I’m so fucking proud of the man he’s become and the family he’s built with you. This is going to hurt him but I’m not worried because I know he has you and you’re the best thing that has ever happened to him.”

  She presses a hand to his face and his eyes open slightly. “We still need you, Blaze - this family and this club needs you. You can’t go leavin’ us.”

  He doesn’t respond and my breath catches in my throat as I stare at his chest, willing him to breathe.

  Oh, God, no.

  No.

  No.

  No.

  Emma sobs, shaking him a little and he sucks in a ragged breath, dragging his eyes open again as a ghost of a smile dances across his lips.

  “I see her…”

  “Who?” Emma asks him, jostling him again to keep him talking. “Who do you see, Blaze?”

  His smile widens, happiness filling his eyes as he looks up at the sky. “Sarah… my Sarah. She’s waiting for me. I have to go to her.”

  A sob rips through the air and I peek over my shoulder at Tate as tears streak down her face and she gasps for a breath, her phone hovering in the air next to her ear and her eyes wide. Sarah was her mom and Blaze’s one true love but for a bunch of reasons, they had been a secret for a lot of their relationship. When she died last year in a car accident, the truth came out and it brought Tate and Lincoln together but I know she’s still grieving the loss. She wobbles on her feet and spots dance in my vision as the babies pop into my head.

  She needs help.

  “Travis!” I yell and his head whips up, his haunted eyes meeting mine. My heart aches for him but I can’t do anything to help him right now so I nod to Tate. “Help her.”

  He blinks, staring at Tate for a second before he nods and moves to her side, wrapping his arm around her to keep her from collapsing as I turn back to Blaze. Emma shakes him again and he takes another breath.

  This can’t be happening.

  I don’t know what to do, how to help him, and my mind spins so I do the only thing I can think of which is to press down harder on Blaze’s wound but it works. He gasps in pain and takes another ragged breath as his eyes open. Looking up at Emma, he smiles again and wipes the tears from her face.

  “Don’t cry…baby girl… it’ll be okay…I’m so lucky…to call you my daughter… and I’ve lived an amazing life… don’t be sad.”

  She shakes her head, sobbing loudly as she buries her face in his shoulder. “You can’t leave us, Blaze… you can’t…”

  “Have to… darlin’… Sarah’s waiting for me… miss her so much…”

  Her sobs get louder, joining the wail of sirens as she sits back up and shakes his hand. This time he doesn’t open his eyes again but he does take a labored breath and I will the ambulance to move faster as I stare at his chest, tears dripping down my face as pain tears through me - old and new twisting together and fueling each other as I think about everyone I’ve already lost and all of the people I could still lose. I may have only been around this club for a month but Blaze was right, we’re a family and I love all of them. Emma shakes him again, screaming at him to breathe as I continue focusing on his chest.

  Come on, Blaze.

  Breathe.

  Fucking breathe.

  Please…

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Rowan

  Dark, ominous clouds loom over our heads, threatening rain, and the wind whips through the cemetery, indicative of our collective shit mood as we stand huddled together,
watching the casket slowly being lowered into the ground. A clap of thunder makes me jump as the tears drip down my cheeks and I cling to Travis as the scene from four days ago plays in my mind over and over again – the whine of the bikes, Emma’s screams as she tried to keep Blaze talking, and the racing of my heart as I tried to process it all. At the time, everything seemed to move in slow motion but looking back, it all happened so fucking fast that it’s getting difficult to keep the details straight but that hasn’t stopped Warren from haunting my dreams for the past few nights. Or erased the image of Blaze lying dead on the pavement from flashing through my mind every time I close my eyes.

  Sighing, I glance up at Travis as he stares at the casket, his eyes vacant and his lips pressed together in a thin line. I give his hand a squeeze and grip his bicep with my free hand as I cuddle into his side, hoping I can bring him even a sliver of comfort but I’m not holding out hope since nothing else I’ve tried to ease his suffering has worked yet. Today is the first time since Blaze was murdered that he didn’t wake up and immediately start drinking but that’s only because he had to drive his bike to the funeral and Storm chewed his ass out last night about not being drunk during the funeral but I have no doubt that as soon as we get back to Emma and Nix’s house, he will go straight for a bottle again. My throat feels tight as I watch him but he never takes his eyes off of the casket, swimming with so much pain and anger that I suck in a breath and drag his arm over my shoulder so I can cuddle into his side. He clings to me, holding me tight to his body as a single tear falls down his cheek and he quickly wipes it away, gritting his teeth. The pain in my chest is so potent, so overpowering that I want to wrap my arms around him and tell him how much I love him, tell him that he has me but that little voice in the back of my head stops me, reminding me that doing that will only end in even more heartbreak for me.

  The casket comes to a stop, deep in the ground, and Travis holds me tighter, pressing a kiss to my head as two men who work at the cemetery step forward with shovels and behind piling dirt on top. Sniffles surround us as everyone else turns away and starts making their way over to the bikes parked on the street but Travis doesn’t move. Peeking up at him, my heart breaks all over again, just like it does every single day as I watch him try to come to grips with his loss. He’s so sad and so angry and so lost but I know better than anyone that there is no shortcut wen it comes to grief. As awful as it is, he just has to wade through it but he won’t be doing it alone. Gripping the front of his black button up shirt, I give it a tug, prompting him to glance down at me.