Blaydes Betrayal (Savage Saints MC Book 2)

by J. Lynn Lombard

  “She silenced me for about two weeks the time we were together before our last date because the club called and I left in the middle of dinner. I made sure I took her home first, but she was pissed. Bitching me out the whole ride home. Anyway, we went to the movies to watch some stupid chick flick and we were walking back. We were supposed to go to the Clubhouse, but these boys were taunting and teasing her from the fenced-in courtyard of the apartment building. Of course I didn’t let it go. She’d never seen that side of me. I kept it hidden from her. I knew she wouldn’t like it. But that night, I wasn’t letting that little cocksucker get off easy. After I threatened him within an inch of his life, Monica was scared and pissed. We went back to her apartment.

  “She asked me afterword about wanting kids. How I would raise them, all that fucking shit. Then Monica brought up the subject of me leaving the club if we had kids. Yet again, another big fight occurred and I left. The further away from her rundown apartment I got, this feeling in the pit of my stomach kept growing. Something was wrong but I was so fucking pissed at Monica for bringing up me leaving the club again, I ignored it. I drank myself stupid that night. The next day my dad, Kick, came to my room. I had a job to do.”

  ******

  Blayde – 3 years ago

  The beating rain against my bedroom window awakens me. Thunder rumbles in the distance along with a flash of lightning lighting up my dark room. I sit up, rubbing my eyes. Fuck, I shouldn’t have drank so much last night. My head is pounding and my body is sore. Groaning, I climb out of bed and head for the bathroom.

  I turn on the shower as hot as I can stand it and lean my hands on the bathroom sink, letting the steam fill the room. I look into the mirror above the sink. The man staring back at me isn’t someone I recognize anymore. There are dark bags under my eyes and my tanned skin is pale. Bile climbs its way up my throat, remembering what happened before I went on my drinking binge. The guy from the courtyard, going back to Monica’s place. Her starting a fight with me after we fucked. Me walking out and coming back here. God, why do I keep going back to her? Our relationship isn’t healthy. We’re either fucking or fighting. Or fucking while fighting. She wants me to put her before the Club and that will never happen. Savage Saints comes first before anything else.

  I stop the pity party for one and get undressed, stepping into the shower. I let the steam and the hot water pound into my aching muscles. Washing away anything to do with Monica. I have to stop thinking about her and her toxic soul. I have to end it and it’s going to be today.

  With a plan forming in my head, I turn off the shower, dry off and step into my bedroom, wrapping my towel around my waist. The Savage Saints Clubhouse is one of the nicer ones I’ve been to. Steam put the money into it to make sure each of us has our own small bathroom in our rooms. There are three other bathrooms throughout the Clubhouse for visitors and patch whores to use, but each member has their own.

  Steam, my father Kick, and Kayne’s dad, Switch, God rest his soul, have brought the Club up in the MC world. I’ve gone on a lot of runs with them while they fought their way to the top. There’s shit I’ve done that Kayne has no idea about and I don’t plan on telling him anytime soon. My hands are stained from this club and in reality, I wouldn’t want it any other way. I play a vital role here. I’ve never felt accepted with anyone until my dad patched me in. My mother didn’t want me to live this life, but growing up around these guys, I knew it would happen. It’s what I’ve dreamed about.

  I slide my jeans on and buckle my belt when there’s a loud knock on my door. I grab a black Savage Saints t-shirt and throw it on while I open my door. Kick is standing on the other side. His familiar blue eyes are tired, he has hard lines on his face from the MC life.

  “We have a job.” Kick says, barging in my room. He looks around before sitting in the chair with a groan. “It sucks getting old. Enjoy it while you can.”

  “You’re not old pops. Just ridden a little hard.” I joke.

  “And put away wet.” Kick chuckles at our joke. His face turns serious before he continues. “Listen, this job is going to be rough. We’ve got word a gang in the city is out for our blood and we need their leader taken out. That’s where you come in. With your skills, you should be able to get in, get the job done and get out. Then you can cut ties with that bitch that keeps trying to get you out of the Club life.” His cold blue eyes pierce into me. I can’t lie to him, he always knows.

  “How did you know?” I ask instead.

  “My son doesn’t come home from a date and get three sheets to the wind. That tells me something happened, yet again. I don’t know why you keep going back to that vile bitch. A woman who tries to make you choose between your livelihood and her isn’t worth keeping. A good, strong woman won’t be so insecure in her role in your life. Your mother understands the Club comes first. That’s why she’s my Ol’ Lady. She gets it. You need to release this toxin Monica brings or you’ll end up hurt.” Kick rests his hands between his legs and releases a deep sigh. He looks up at me, really looks at me. For the first time in a long time, there’s pride shining in his eyes and I’ll do anything to keep it there.

  “I’ll take care of it and the job. You have my word.” I slap my dad on the back.

  “Church in ten. You’ll get your information there. I just wanted to give you a heads up. Steam wants this cleaned up A.S.A.P.” Kick stands and stretches. His back cracks with the movement. “See ya there son.” He walks out of my bedroom door and I finish getting dressed.

  I walk into church a few minutes later and take my respective seat. It’s across from Kayne toward the end of the table. I trace the grooves of Savage Saints logo etched into the table with my finger. This is my pride. My life. Who I am. I will never give it up for anyone. Without the club, I would either be sitting in a jail cell or six feet under. I’ll do what needs to be done to protect this club and my brothers.

  “Blayde, I have a job for you today.” Steam, the President of Savage Saints Detroit, bellows over the room, silencing it. “As you all know The Blood Crypts are out for revenge after we took down a few of their men a couple of weeks ago. Today we’re going in and taking out their whole crew. No one will be left breathing. Your job today will be to get as much information as you can from their leaders then end each one. We go in hot and heavy.” Steam looks at each man sitting at the table making eye contact with every one of us. “Take out any threat but leave the leaders for Blayde. If you find them, restrain them but don’t kill them. Blayde will extract the information we need.” Steam slams the gavel on the table and Church is dismissed.

  I’m the first one out the door in search of greasy food to soak up the raging hangover I still have from last night. Kayne finds me and corners me in the kitchen. Patch whores are mulling around, eye-fucking the two of us.

  “Is there something you need to tell me?” Kayne asks, cocking a blonde eyebrow. He leans his long body against the counter folding his arms over his chest.

  “Why would I have to tell you something?” I answer with a question. Kayne stares at me, his blue eyes sear straight into my soul patiently waiting. I slam back a too hot cup of coffee in three gulps and stuff a few pieces of bacon in my mouth avoiding Kayne. “Fuck. You’re a dick you know that?”

  “Yeah, I do. Now spill.” Kayne’s gravelly voice isn’t letting me get away with not telling him. Something I hoped to avoid, but he is my best friend, my brother. He has a right to know the man he trusts with his life.

  “I’ve been doing jobs for Steam and Kick. I found my place and what I do best, finally. After so many years of fighting, fucking and wandering around with no clue what I can do, I found it. I’m good at getting information from someone then ending their life with a flick of my blade. I have blood on these hands and my soul is stained from this club. I don’t want it any other way.” I look up at Kayne and he’s smirking at me.

  “It’s about fucking time, brother. Grab some more grub and let’s do this shit.” Kayne slaps me on t
he back and fixes his own plate of food. My eyes are huge and my mouth is hanging open. “Dude, close the trap or someone will stick their dick in there.” Kayne teases me.

  “You aren’t mad?” I’m so fucking confused. I thought for sure he’d be disappointed.

  “Why in the fuck would I be mad? I’m happy you found what you’re good at. Now close the trap, pop the eyes back in your head and eat motherfucker. You’ll need your strength. Then we’ll go and take care of the Monica issue.” Kayne plops his plate on the table and straddles the chair, shoveling food into his mouth. I shake my head and follow.

  It’s a few hours later and one less gang to deal with when Kayne, Kick and I roll up to Monica’s apartment building on our bikes. My stomach is churning with dread about what’s going to happen. That job went way easier than I thought it would. All the assholes were in one house and squealed like pigs when they saw me. The leaders gave me all the information we needed on who their drug suppliers were after I tortured them with my blade. Kayne stayed with me the whole time, watching me work. It was gratifying having my brother beside me again. He even helped. It was like old times again. My paranoia was for nothing and I felt like such an ass for keeping that part of me from him. If anyone understands this life, it’s Kayne.

  I shut my beast down and remove my helmet. Kayne and Kick follow suit. I dismount and face the two men. “Let me go up first. If Monica sees you two, she’ll flip a gasket.”

  “We’ll be down here, brother. Take care of business.” Kayne responds. He lights up a smoke and stays on his bike.

  Kick nods his head, lighting up his own cigarette. “Go handle your business. We’re just here for support.” This is why I will never leave Savage Saints. No matter what, my brothers will have my back.

  I turn and head up the concrete steps to Monica’s apartment building. The main door is jimmied open and my heart beats hard in my chest. I know she lives in a shitty area and I’ve tried getting her to move several times, but she always refused. I think she likes the attention whether it’s good or bad.

  I climb the stairs and reach her floor. There’s a bloody handprint on the wall at the top of the stairs and smears trailing down the hallway. I follow the trail and stop dead in my tracks. Monica’s door is busted open, hanging on the hinges. I grab my phone and dial Kayne.

  “What’s up?”

  “Kayne, get the fuck up here now.” I growl and hang up. I push open the door further and the food I ingested earlier is threatening to make a reappearance. Monica’s furniture is flipped over, destroyed. There’s blood everywhere. Her whole apartment is destroyed. Nothing is left untouched. What in the fuck happened?

  Boots pound up the stairs and stops short in the doorway. “Holy fuck. Kick, call the club now.” Kayne orders. Kick pulls out his phone, but everything he says is white noise as I wander further into Monica’s apartment being careful not to touch anything.

  I reach her bedroom and my heart is hammering in my chest. The door is closed and I crack it open afraid of what I will find. Kayne is behind me, with a supportive hand on my shoulder. I swing the door open wider and almost fall to my knees. Relief flows through my system. She’s not in here. Everything is ransacked and destroyed, but there’s no body. A bit of blood and signs of a struggle but no body. That I can handle.

  “We will figure this out, Blayde.” Kayne declares. “We will never stop until we get the answers. Now, tell me about Monica. Her family, friends, enemies.” He’s going into leader mode and I’m thankful he’s here.

  Thinking back to all our conversations, I come up empty. “Nothing. She never talked about her family and didn’t have many friends. She always stayed to herself. Fuck, Kayne. What if someone took her to get back at me? What if those assholes from last night followed us here?”

  “Where did you run into them at?” Kayne questions.

  “Just down from the movie theater. They had red bandanas and were taunting her.” I’ll never forget the asshole who thought he would get away with what he said.

  “Come on, let’s take a ride.” Kayne and I leave Monica’s bedroom and approach Kick sifting through her things. “Kick, we’re going for a ride. You going to hang here or go with?”

  “Going. Not much I can do here. Called Steam. He and the boys are on their way. See if they can get some tenants talking.”

  “Let’s roll then.” Kayne turns to me and rests his palms on my shoulders. “We will find her, Blayde. Let the boys do their work when they get here. We’ll see if that fucker had anything to do with it.”

  I nod my head, following Kayne and Kick out the broken door. Defeat and rage burrowing its way through my bloodstream. I want answers and I want them now. If this motherfucker had anything to do with Monica’s disappearance, I will end him.

  Chapter 15

  Siren

  I listen as Blayde tells us about Monica and my heart is hurting for the man in front of me. I see him struggling with this story and I have the urge to wrap him in my arms and take the pain and defeat away from him. Blayde is a strong man, but right now he’s falling apart. I should feel jealous about the way he’s talking about Monica, but I don’t. He feels responsible for her being missing, but there’s no love there, only the pain on failing someone he felt he should’ve protected.

  Once Blayde stops talking, he keeps his eyes cast down onto the table, shame washing over his handsome face. I wish he would look at me.

  “Blayde,” I coax reaching across the table covering his hands with my own. When he doesn’t push me away, I continue. “What did you find out? Is she dead, missing? Did that asshole from the courtyard have anything to do with it?”

  Blayde shakes his head. “No, he wasn’t involved. Monica’s been missing. I think she ran off but why would her apartment be destroyed? That part plagues me every day.”

  “Maybe she did it to make you suffer. You said she wanted you out of the club life. Maybe she set the whole thing up to make you turn against your brothers.” This came from Poison sitting next to me. She has a point. “Maybe Monica had connections you didn’t know about and they helped her stage the whole thing. Did you think about that?”

  Blayde raises his eyebrows. He runs a tattooed hand down his tired face. He’s at the point of exhaustion and defeat. “You might be right. I didn’t think of that.”

  “That’s because you’re too close and need an outsider’s perspective. I don’t know this bitch but I’d love to meet her and give her a piece of my mind.” Poison declares with an edge to her voice.

  Kayne steps forward, “Do you think we can bring some others on board now?”

  “Rooster. Have him dig up anything he can. But I have to deal with Kingston first. That slimy fucking asshole is going down.” Blayde drops his fists on the table, making it rattle in protest.

  “I’ll have him start digging up shit on Monica once he gets back and gets some rest. Once Kingston hears Drex is dead, he’ll be on high alert. We’ll have to be patient. We can’t go in guns blazing and take down the wealthiest man in the county. We have to be smart and hit him where it hurts.” Kayne paces the small space. His mind is running in president mode right now. What’s best for the club and his brothers. He shakes his arms and cracks his neck. “What’s the one thing that can damage him? The one thing that will bring Kingston to his knees.”

  “His wealth.” Blayde remarks. “Kingston doesn’t give a fuck about anything or anyone but his businesses and money. We hit him by taking those away.”

  “Exactly.” Kayne points a long finger at Blayde. “This will take some time. I’ll have Ace start on it after he gets back. We hit Kingston hard but we have to be careful and do it subtly so he doesn’t notice it until it’s too late.” Kayne must have hit his second wind. He’s pacing the floor like a jackrabbit on speed. “We continue with our business like normal. Then when Kingston has nothing left and is groveling at our feet we end the motherfucker.”

  A deep rumble of an exhaust echoes through the house and I’m on my f
eet in seconds, scared of what’s going to happen next. Drex is dead. That past is buried in a six-foot grave. But now I have to face another part of my past. My parents. My face must have expressed the anxiety burning through my skin because Blayde is beside me in seconds. He wraps a tattooed arm around my shoulders drawing me into his body.

  “I’ve got you Butterfly. No one will ever hurt you again. I promise.” He swallows hard and kisses the top of my head. “I might have failed Monica, but I will never fail you.” I breathe in Blayde’s scent. It’s a calm, refreshing feeling knowing someone will have my back and help me when I fall.

  Kayne leaves the room with Poison hot on his heels. They’ll talk to Reaper first before they let him step foot in this clubhouse. The bike shuts off and I strum my fingers on my jeans trying to curb the adrenaline coursing through my body. This will be the first time the three of us are together. The first time I will come face to face with my mother. Will she want me? Will she run screaming the other way? Will she tell me I’m no good? Will she blame everything on me? Or will she hug me? Give me the love of a mother that I’ve always craved? Kiss my cheeks with affection?

  All these questions are floating around in my head as I stare off into space. I didn’t hear anyone come into the room. “Michelle.” A deep voice brings me out of my inner dialogue and I stare into the familiar green eyes of Reaper. “I’m sorry, Siren. I have Cat. She’s in the other room. Do you want to see her or wait?” I watch Reaper as he runs his hands through his black hair. He’s uncomfortable, itching to leave.

  “I want to see her, but how’s she doing?” I swallow past the lump in my throat.

  “Traumatized. Anxious. Drex kept her drugged the entire time so she isn’t herself. That woman in there is strung out and needs help.” Reaper responds. “I want to stay but this is past my comfort zone. I live in the shadows and wreak hell on others without them knowing it’s me until it’s too late. I’ve been in the dark for so long I’ll never be comfortable where either of you need me. Get her the help she needs, please.” Reaper steps forward and covers my hands with his own. His grip is strong, comforting. “I will always watch over you. No matter where you go, I’ll be hiding in the shadows. I’m proud of the strong woman you’ve become. Remember who you are. Who you come from and if you ever need me again, I’ll be there. No hesitation.” Reaper leans in and kisses my cheek. His dark stubble scratches my skin and I close my eyes relishing this moment I’ve been waiting a lifetime for. “I love you, my child. I’ll never be far.”