Snake (Twisted Devils MC Book 6)

by Zahra Girard

  “Talk to me, Snake,” she says.

  And, though it’s difficult to do with anyone else, it’s easy to talk to her. To open up those places inside me I keep locked away; to bare what remains of my wounded soul.

  This is the woman I have to leave? The one who understands and cares like no one else?

  “We found Silas.”

  She sits up. “You told me. What happened?”

  “He was hiding out in some crappy motel outside of town. We got in. And he and I had a chat. I did some things to him. To break him. And it was like being at war all over again.”

  She reaches out, puts a hand on my arm. That peaceful touch calms the pain inside me. The pain that comes with thinking about the parts of myself that I had to summon up to do the dark, bloody work that I did; I’d do anything for the club, just into the open mouth of hell if I had to, but that doesn’t mean it wont hurt.

  Her touch makes all that go away.

  “Logan, what happened?”

  “Silas knew nothing. Fucking nothing. Bowen Dale keeps him and everyone else in the operation in the dark, except for what they need to know. Which means that he’s doing the same for his other nephew, Slade. It’s bad. Time is running out, Adella. We’re up against someone who’s fucking crafty, who has the kind of experience to drag this war on for a long fucking time and strike us where it hurts. And unless we find Bowen Dale himself and do it soon, this mess could ruin the club. Stone put a lot of money into that shipment, losing that would be a huge blow, and who knows if one of Bowen Dale’s next attacks — on the club, on you, on Tricia, on any of the old ladies — could get lucky. Our backs are up against the fucking wall.”

  “Then what if we do what he asks?”

  I hesitate for a second, looking at her, trying to figure out if she really means what I think she’s saying. It’s my job to keep her out of this mess, she better not be trying to insert herself into this.

  “What do you mean?” I say.

  “He wants us to get rid of those FBI agents that are after him, right?”

  “And he wants their files. Well, he wants the files that older agent, Agent Jones, has on him. He wants to know what they know, so he can figure out what assets of his are safe so he can start over. But you’re talking about tracking down and killing an FBI agent. That’s fucking insane. We’d have no way to do it without attracting some serious attention.”

  She shakes her head.

  What is she not understanding?

  “You could use me. As bait, I mean.”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “The agent Bowen Dale wants to get rid of has approached me several times. He’s even given me his card and his private number. I think he’s interested in me for more than testimony. You could use me as bait to lure him to us. Then we get rid of him.”

  “Stone would never sanction that.”

  She nods. Looks me dead in the eyes. My blood goes cold.

  “He wouldn’t. But he doesn’t need to know.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  Adella

  “No, we are not having this discussion. Breaking Stone’s orders? Putting you at risk? Addie, have you lost your mind?”

  All I want is to take some of his pain away. Even if it puts me at risk, it’s worth it. You do what you have to do to help your family, even if it involves risk and self-sacrifice. It’s what I’ve been taught from an early age, what I’ve seen every man in the club do time and again. I can see how all of this is weighing on him, on the club. I’m not some girl that needs to be sheltered from the world; if I can help, I’m going to help.

  “I can make my own choices, Logan,” I say. “And sometimes you have to take risks to protect the people you care about.”

  “And sometimes those risks are stupid and get the people you care about killed. This isn’t your war to fight.”

  His words bite me deep, they’re so bitter and angry.

  Can’t he see what I’m trying to do? The club is stuck, I know they’ll never find a man like Bowen Dale on their own — he’s always been one step ahead of everyone; this is the one sure chance we have to get rid of him. Agent Jones will surely answer my call, he’ll meet, and I know it wouldn’t be too hard to catch him by surprise and end this nightmare once and for all.

  “I’m just trying to help. I don’t see anyone else coming up with any solutions.”

  “And you also didn’t see what your father did to Silas, just for him putting hands on your mother.”

  I grab him by the shoulders.

  “Then tell me what happened. How can I understand if you won’t talk to me?”

  “You really want to know?”

  “I do.”

  He swallows. Pain swells in his eyes. Pain and doubt — such a surprising thing to see in a man who is usually so resolute, so determined. It’s enough to make me wonder whether I want to hear what happened to Silas at my father’s hands.

  “He was like a fucking animal, Addie,” he says. “He mauled him with his bare hands. Ripped him, hit him, broke him. He choked the life out of him and stared into his eyes, watched the last bit of life leave him, listened to his last gasp with a smile on his face. He was happy that Silas was suffering. All because that man laid hands on your mother. It wasn’t a mercy killing; it was personal, it was brutal. And there’s not a fucking doubt in my mind that, if I let you go through with this bait idea of yours, he’d do the same to me if something went wrong.”

  “I see.”

  It’s all I can say. His description makes me freeze, a chill descends over me. My father’s darkness is something that has always been kept distant from me; no matter how much time I spend around the club, no matter how well I get to know the boys, my father’s always described in glowing terms — a fair leader, a reasonable man, someone they respect, someone who always gives good guidance — and that’s the side of him I always see at home, too. The violent side of him has always seemed like a myth. A ghost. Something only hinted about in whispers.

  But now that spectre is real.

  I love my father. I’ll always be proud to be his daughter. But hearing what this conflict has brought out in him has me more determined than ever to end it by any means possible. I need to end this and I need to find my path and identity away from the club.

  No matter what it costs.

  “If it’s hurting him as much as you say, Snake, that’s even more reason for us to take care of Agent Jones ourselves,” I say. “If we do this now, we could save a lot of other people from being put in danger. What if Bowen Dale and the others try to go after my mom again? Or some of the other old ladies? Or even Josie? How many more people will die?”

  His eyes flare. I knew that name would get to him. For a moment, it looks like he’s wavering, like he’ll finally see sense over his duty. If any man were to actually touch her, or even threaten her, Snake would rain hell down on them. That’s how protective he is of that girl.

  Then he shakes his head.

  “You weren’t there. Didn’t see what your father did. You might think you understand, but this is different. You don’t know what you’re asking, Addie. Doing something like this changes you. It will haunt you. Let’s just head to bed and enjoy the time that we’ve got left together, all right?”

  “The time we have left? What are you saying?”

  “I’m saying what we have has to end. It’s not right, and it’s not safe. I love you, Addie, but if we don’t end things between us, someone else — like Stone, or one of the dozen other people out there that want to kill us — will do it for us.”

  “I think I get a say in this.”

  “If I’m fucking you, it means I can’t focus on my real job — keeping you safe and helping the club win this war.”

  “Snake, there has to be another way.” My voice cracks. I reach out and take hold of his arm, squeeze him, as if holding on to him I can keep him in my life.

  “There isn’t,” he says. “If we stay together, it means at some poin
t you will get hurt. It’s just too dangerous. And I refuse to let that happen. We both knew this relationship couldn’t last, we both knew it was wrong to begin with — you’re the fucking president’s daughter, it doesn’t matter how bad I want you, you’re off-limits. This is how it has to be, Addie.”

  I can feel my heart break with the finality in his voice. But I refuse to give up. He might feel like we need to end our relationship, but things aren’t over between us, not yet.

  I am not giving up.

  Maybe there’s a way that I can take care of this myself. End the threat to the club so he doesn’t feel compelled to end our relationship. Sometimes being an old lady means doing some things your man might not like, if it’ll make his life easier. Taking care of Agent Jones is one of those things.

  But instead of saying my thoughts out loud, I nod so he’ll think I’m dropping the issue.

  “Fine. Let’s go to bed, Snake. Let’s enjoy one last night together.”

  Wrapped in his arms, I stay awake. My aching heart and my racing mind refuse to let me sleep. Over and over, I examine the composition of our problems — my relationship with Snake, my confinement to the club — and break them down with a photographer’s eye; the root of all this pain comes down to Bowen Dale and his assault on the MC. He needs to go.

  And I know how to get rid of him.

  When I’m certain Snake is deep in slumber, I detach myself from him. I pick up my phone and I head into my living room.

  I make a call.

  Ruby answers, her voice is sleepy and slow.

  “Dear Addie, it’s early. And I’m a little busy right now. Is something wrong?”

  “Ruby, I need you to get me a gun. Tomorrow morning. And it has to be a gun that can’t be traced back to anyone in the club. There’s something I need to take care of.”

  Chapter Eighteen

  Snake

  Addie’s fast asleep when I wake up at the crack of dawn, as has been my habit ever since the military; one of the many things ingrained on me from my time in the service. I’m careful to be quiet when I get up; though I’m sure she’s deep asleep, I don’t want to disturb her. Let her enjoy one last quiet morning, one more full night’s sleep where we’re together. Because, when she wakes up, we will face the reality that we need to separate.

  I know it’s for the best, but thinking about breaking it off with her makes me ache to my heart. It’s for her protection, it’s the right thing to do, but I still feel like I’m walking away from a woman who needs me. Abandoning someone looks at me like I’m a good man, instead of the oath-breaking soldier I see in her eyes.

  But it’s the right thing to do. Breaking orders has consequences and I can’t let them fall on Addie’s shoulders.

  I need to clear my head. Get myself right with what I need to do.

  After making a quick call to Axel to have him come over and watch Adella’s place for me, I write her a brief note — Out for a ride, be back soon — and head outside to my bike.

  Even without thinking about it, I steer my bike through town toward Kendra’s place. I need to feel like a hero again, and there’s only one other girl in town who looks at me like that.

  The sun’s barely climbed above the horizon when I’m knocking on Kendra’s door.

  There’s a look of bewilderment on her face when she answers.

  “Snake, what’s going on? What are you doing here so early? Is something wrong?”

  I clear my throat, fold my arms in front of my chest.

  “Sorry to bother you so early, Kendra. Is Josie home?”

  “You’re here at dawn to see my nine-year-old daughter?”

  “I need to talk to Speed Demon about something,” I say.

  It isn’t the truth. Not really. Mostly I need to hear something from her. I need to feel like a hero in someone’s eyes.

  “Well, you’re lucky she’s up. You know, she used to sleep in before she met you.”

  “Oh?”

  “Then she heard you were a Ranger. So she looked up online what time Rangers have to get up when they’re in boot camp or whatever. That’s what time she sets her alarm to, now.”

  I smile. “Really? I can have a talk with her about that, if you want.”

  “You know, I don’t mind the early wake up. But it’s the other parts of the routine that get to me. She saw that you all do long marches in training while wearing your gear. So, every morning, at the crack of dawn, she loads up her school backpack with a bunch of junk and then she marches through the house — up and down stairs, too — while doing made-up military chants. I feel like the Army owes both of us a salary, now, because we’re basically enlisted at this point.”

  I laugh. I know I’ve made the right decision coming here. Little Speed Demon never fails to make me smile.

  “Send her out. I’ll take her for a little ride and have a chat with her.”

  “It’ll be a minute for her to get changed. Unless you don’t mind her wearing her uniform?”

  “Uniform?”

  “She made her own camo Ranger’s outfit.”

  “That’s fine. Send her out, Kendra.”

  All it takes to get Josie out is for Kendra to turn around and yell, “Josie, Snake’s here for you.”

  In seconds, there’s the thud of feet running down a staircase, and then she’s standing in the doorway, overstuffed backpack slung over her shoulders, wearing hiking boots and a mismatched camouflage outfit that looks like it was plucked out of the bargain bin at Walmart.

  She’s huffing and puffing, with a sheen of sweat on her forehead, but she is all smiles.

  Just being around this kid makes my world better.

  “Snake!” She yells and she clomps over to me and throws her arms around my waist in the world’s tightest hug. “Are you here to train with me?”

  “I think training will need to wait for a bit, Speed Demon. I’m here to take you for a ride and maybe give your mom a little break so she can get back to sleep.”

  “A ride on your bike?”

  “Yeah, so you better go grab your helmet.”

  “Are you sure I have to wear a helmet? I saw Blaze riding without one the other day and I don’t like how they mess up my hair.”

  “Are you really going to look to Blaze for life lessons, kid?”

  She only thinks about it for a moment before shaking her head.

  “No, maybe that’s not a good idea. I’ll be right back with my helmet. Don’t go anywhere, OK?”

  Before I can even answer, she stomps off and comes back with her helmet clutched under her arm. She’s decorated it a lot since the last time I saw it — it’s covered in tons of designs, everything from the club emblem, to skulls, to zombies, and, front and center, there’s the silhouette of a motorcycle and a rider, with flames coming off the tires and the words ‘Speed Demon’ written in rainbow letters above it.

  She holds it out to me, proud.

  “You like it? Sophia helped me do it the other day. She even let me borrow some of her art supplies.”

  I take it, marvel at it. This kid is all kinds of talented.

  “You really did this? This is some real magnificent work, kid.”

  “I did most of it. She’s been showing me how to draw and paint, since she has me over sometimes to help babysit Matty.”

  “Well, Speed Demon, I like your art so much that, next time I decide I want another tattoo, I’m going to ask you to draw it for me.”

  Her eyes get so wide and her mouth drops nearly to her feet. “Are you serious? Can I?”

  “You have talent, Josie. I’d be so proud to have a tattoo you drew.”

  “Can I do a zombie?”

  “Only if it’s a bloody zombie. I have a reputation to keep up, you know,” I say, and her eyes somehow get wider. She’s so excited she’s practically vibrating. “But we can talk about that later. Put your helmet on and let’s go for a little spin.”

  She does as I ask, even beating me to my bike and I’m half convinced that, if I w
as even a second slower getting on it, she’d be starting it up herself and leaving me in the dust. Together, we ride, and I keep it just fast enough for her to enjoy it without us going too fast that I’ll put her at risk. With every hoot, holler, and yelp of excitement over every sharp turn and speedy straightaway, the little Speed Demon brings a childish smile to my face. It’s a smile that lasts until I take us to an overlook above the town — a jutting edge off a mountain road that affords a view of Lone Mesa and miles of the surrounding desert.

  It’s there I get off my bike and Josie hops down nimbly behind me. Up here, I need to think in the way that I can’t do while riding.

  “Why’d we stop?”

  “I need some quiet for a minute, kid. I have some thinking to do.”

  “You brought me along to do some thinking?”

  I shake my head. “I brought you along because you always make me smile. Even when the things I have to think about make me want to do anything but.”

  “Why do you need to think, anyway?”

  “Because I have to figure something out.”

  “What’s that?”

  “You wouldn’t understand, kid.”

  “I’m not a kid. I’m practically a Ranger. I’ve been training for weeks, Snake. And Ranger School is only 62 days, so I’m over halfway there.”

  “You mean you’ve been waking your mom up and doing that marching stuff every morning for the last month?”

  “Yeah, duh. I have to be ready. I’m going to start ambush training tomorrow.”

  “Listen, Speed Demon, I will make you an honorary Ranger if you promise not to practice ambushing your mom at five in the morning.”

  “How did you know I was planning on practicing on her?”

  “Because I know you.”

  “OK, fine, so I won’t practice ambushes on my mom. Which means I’m an honorary Ranger. Which means you can talk to me about what’s bothering you.”

  “Well, you’ve got me there,” I say. Then I take a moment to think because, as tough as Josie is, I still can’t fill her in on all the bloody business the club’s involved in. “I’m in a sticky situation, Speed Demon. The club is, too. There’s something I can do to help them out, maybe even fix the problem, but it’s against the rules. It’s also dangerous. And not just dangerous for me. It would put someone I really care about in harm’s way.”