Crash and Burn (Savage Menaces MC Book 5)

by Kay Marie

  Her eyes widen in fear.

  “I don’t know how many times I have to tell you before you get it through that thick fucking skull of yours. I do not want your dumb ass,” I growl out, tightening my grip.

  “I-I’m sorry, Rascal. I-I’ll stop trying. I promise,” Trix stutters out.

  I throw her ass to the ground and walk to the bar, grabbing a bottle of Jack and a glass, before heading to the pool tables with Raze, Shade and Sketch. I walk up to them laughing.

  “What’s so fucking funny?”

  “Some of these bunnies are relentless,” Raze says.

  “It’s annoying as shit.” I pour some whiskey into my glass.

  “I’ll take some of that.” Shade passes me his glass and I fill it up.

  “Whatever is going on with you and Marley must be serious if you’re threatening Trix,” Sketch states.

  “I wouldn’t say all that. Trix has been a pain in my fucking ass lately,” I state.

  “Right,” he draws out, grinning.

  I flip him off, sipping my whiskey. “Y’all are assholes.”

  “And you’re smitten,” Sketch says and the three of them laugh.

  “Fuck each and every one of y’all.” I turn to Raze. “And you, you started all of this.”

  “What the hell did I do?” Raze’s eyes are full of humor.

  “You had to go and fall in love with the Prez’s daughter. You cursed us all with this love sick bullshit,” I tell him.

  “Are you saying you love Marley?” Shade lifts his eyebrows.

  My eyes go wide. “What? No, nope, hell no.”

  They all laugh again. I slump into a chair, letting out a sigh.

  “Holy shit, you are,” Sketch says.

  “I swear the women around here do some kind of witchcraft,” Shade deadpans. “That’s probably what they’re doing at Minx’s right now.”

  “You’re a fucking idiot.” I laugh.

  “Alright, enough of this shit. Let’s play some pool,” Raze suggests.

  We get a couple of games going. Shade and Sketch playing on one table while Raze and I play on another. We play for a couple hours before we decide to go outside for a bonfire. As I open the front door, my ears are assaulted by a deafening sound.

  Rat-a-tat-tat.

  “Gunshots,” I shout. We all run outside to where the source of the sound came from. The front gate. It’s dark out with not many lights around, but as soon as I come up to the booth where Chains should be, I instantly know something is wrong.

  “Chains,” I call out. The window is shot out. I yank the door open and Chains’s body falls out. “Oh, shit!”

  “What is . . . fuck!” Raze says. “What’s on his chest?”

  I crouch down next to his body. A folded piece of paper sits on his chest. Picking it up, I open it.

  Give us back the girl or death will come to you all.

  “What the fuck is this shit,” Raze asks.

  “The Torres Cartel,” I state. “Get the women back to the clubhouse now. I need to go talk to Prez.”

  I hurry inside and come face to face with Bull.

  “What the hell is going on out there?” he demands.

  “Chains was shot, Prez. He didn’t make it,” I tell him. “And he had this on his chest.”

  I hand him the note, giving him a minute to read it.

  “Son of a bitch!” He roars.

  “Raze is bringing the women here now. Sketch and Shade are taking care of his body,” I explain.

  “Good. We need to get Marley and Minx out of here until we get these assholes taken care of,” Bull says. “You and Raze will need to take them somewhere far away from here, first thing in the morning.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  He walks away just as the women come walking through the door.

  “Rascal!” Marley runs up to me. “What the hell is going on?”

  I grab her shoulders, looking her over to make sure she’s okay even though I know she is. “I’ll explain in a little bit. Right now, I need you to go to your room. I need to talk to Raze then I’ll be right there.”

  She hesitantly nods her head. I kiss her forehead before walking over to Raze.

  20

  Marley

  I do as Rascal says and go straight to my room. Something happened by the front gate and I know now is not the time to be my stubborn self. The girls and I were getting ready to turn a movie on when we heard a noise that sounded similar to fireworks. A few minutes later, Raze barged into the house and told us we needed to get to the clubhouse and fast.

  Once in my room, I find it impossible to sit still. I’m pacing the room, waiting for Rascal to come. Of course, a million and one things begin rushing through my head. What on earth could be going on? Do I need to worry about the Cartel? My heart starts to race and I stop pacing as my chest tightens. I grasp at my chest, having a hard time catching my breath.

  “Shit! Look at me, Princess. Look at me.” Rascal’s holding onto my shoulders, coaxing me to look in his eyes. I didn’t even hear him come into the room. He brings his hand to the side of my face and neck and I finally bring my eyes to his. “Breathe, babe.”

  He places my hand over his heart and I slowly gain control over my breathing again.

  “That’s it. Deep breaths.” He holds me until my breathing evens out. “Are you okay?”

  “Better now,” I tell him. “What’s going on out there?”

  “Chains was shot.”

  I jump away from him. “What? By who? Is he okay?”

  He lets out a heavy sigh. “Marley, come here.”

  Rascal grabs my hand, guiding me to the bed to sit.

  “Please tell me he’s okay,” I beg.

  “I’m sorry, Princess. He didn’t make it.”

  I fight back the tears that are threatening to fall. Aside from Tink and Lo, Chains was my first friend here. He never treated me like some fragile little girl or like I didn’t belong. He was a good guy and was looking forward to the day he got patched in to the Savage Menaces.

  “It was the Cartel, wasn’t it?” I lock eyes with Rascal. “They found me.”

  He slowly nods his head. “We’re not gonna let them take you. Raze and I are gonna get you and Minx out of here. We’ll take you somewhere safe where the Cartel won’t be able to find you.”

  It’s my turn to sigh. “Will I ever be able to stop running?”

  Rascal pulls me into his side. “Yes. The Savage Menaces are gonna take care of them. We’ll keep you safe. I promise.”

  For the first time in a long time, I trust him. Something about him and the rest of the club gives me hope. That’s something I haven’t had in years. My trust isn’t something that is given freely these days, but sure enough, Rascal is slowly breaking down my walls.

  Letting me out of his embrace, he hands me a small duffel bag I didn’t even notice he had with him. “I need you to pack some necessities in this bag. I can’t tell you where we’re going, but you’ll need some warm clothes.”

  “How long will we be gone?”

  “Honestly, I’m not sure. Pack what you can and we’ll wash our clothes as needed,” he tells me.

  I nod my head. I glance around the room. I’ve been here less than a year, but this has been the first place I’ve felt at home since my mom died. Something about this whole situation feels like I won’t be coming back and it leaves a pang in my chest.

  “Mar, everything is gonna be alright. You gotta trust me.”

  I turn to him, flashing him a small smile. “Believe it or not, I do trust you. Being here, at the clubhouse, I’ve felt the safest I have since before I was kidnapped.”

  “I’m glad you’ve felt safe. I want to make sure you stay safe.” He places a soft kiss on my lips, then stands from the bed. “We’ll leave first thing in the morning.”

  “Where are you going?”

  “To pack my own bag,” he tells me.

  “Oh, okay.” It comes out more sad than I intend.

  “D
o you want me to come back when I’m done?” The corner of his mouth tips into a half smile.

  “You do seem to keep the panic attacks at bay.” I smirk.

  “If you need anything before I get back, you know my number.”

  “Thanks, Romeo.”

  “I’ll be back before you know it.” He covers my lips with his in a sweet yet passionate kiss before he leaves my room. Once he’s gone, I grab the duffel bag, setting it on my bed and start packing.

  I grab some pants out of my dresser. A mix of jeans, leggings and sweats. Also grabbing multiple pairs of socks and panties, hipsters and boy shorts. I fold the pants in half then roll them up so they’ll take up less room in the bag. Moving to my closet, I flip through all my shirts, trying to decide what I want to take. I grab a few hoodies, a mix of t-shirts and some tank tops that I usually sleep in.

  While in my closet, I grab my lock box off the shelf. Blaze let me live with him rent free, so I was able to save most of my money. I have quite a bit of cash saved up for situations like this. After I pack my shirts, I unlock the box and put my extra cartridges and edibles inside and lock it again. I grab a couple pairs of shoes and slide them in the bag before moving to the bathroom to collect any toiletries I’ll need.

  I finally finish packing, change into some sweats and a tank top and am about to lay down when there’s a knock at my door. I move to open it and grin when I’m met with Rascal.

  “I came back.” He glances at my tits and flashes me a sly smirk.

  I smile, shaking my head. “You did. Come on in.”

  “You make sweats look sexy as hell.” He closes the door behind himself, pulling me into his arms. I swat at him playfully. “How are you feeling?”

  “Honestly?”

  He nods his head.

  “I’m sad and scared,” I tell him.

  “Sad about Chains?”

  “Yes. He was a good friend to me.”

  “I was jealous of him at times,” Rascal admits.

  “No way. Why?”

  “Because of how close y’all were. As much as I tried to fight my feelings for you, I really couldn’t. I’m glad you had him though,” he tells me. “I’ll miss the little fucker, too. Come on, Princess, let’s get some sleep. We got a long day ahead of us.”

  21

  Rascal

  The next morning, I wake up to Marley cuddled against me with her leg thrown over mine. I smile to myself. I could get used to this. I kiss her forehead, causing her to stir. I softly run my fingers up her back, under her shirt until her eyes flutter open.

  I grin. “Mornin’, Princess.”

  “Good morning, Romeo.” Her sleepy voice is fucking adorable. “What time is it?”

  “It’s early, a quarter after six. We need to get on the road no later than eight.”

  “Sounds good.” She sits up, stretching her arms above her head before climbing out of bed. My eyes are glued to her as she moves around the room. Even in sweats and a tank top, she’s sexy as hell.

  “Stop staring at me and go get ready,” she tells me without looking my way.

  I chuckle as I roll out of bed. “Yeah, yeah. Is your bag ready to be taken to the truck?”

  “Mhm, it’s by the dresser.”

  I move closer to her, pulling her into my arms. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, I bring my lips down to hers. Pulling away with a giggle, she playfully swats at me.

  “Go, let me get ready,” she demands.

  I back away from her, biting my lip as I do. She’s fighting back a smile, shaking her head. Before I turn around, I wink and blow her a kiss. She loses the battle as a smile breaks out across her face.

  I turn and grab her bag. “See you in a bit, Princess.”

  Walking into the hallway, I damn near run into Saint.

  “Fuck, man. What are you doin’ up so early?”

  “Never went to bed,” he tells me.

  “You doin’ alright?”

  “I don’t even know right now.” He keeps walking, straight to the main room. I shake my head, walking the opposite way toward my room. Something is going on with him, that’s for sure. Once in my room, I set Marley’s bag on my bed and change my clothes.

  When I’m ready to go, I grab my bag and Marley’s and head out to my truck. Bull doesn’t want us to take our bikes because they’ll draw unwanted attention to us. As much as I hate riding in a fucking cage, I have my truck for when I can’t ride my bike. It’s better than any of the Riders’ tiny ass cages, plus I’ll be the one driving. Raze and Minx are taking his truck, too.

  I lock up my room, walk through the clubhouse and out the front door toward my truck. Tossing both our bags in the back seat, I lock up the truck and head back inside to wait for everyone. Saint is sitting at the bar, head hanging between his shoulders.

  “What’s goin’ on, brother?” I sit next to him.

  “Nothin’ I wanna get into right now.” His voice is void of emotion.

  “Whatever it is, you don’t have to go through it alone. You have a clubhouse full of brothers that have your back no matter what,” I remind him.

  He nods but doesn’t respond.

  “You ‘bout ready to go?” Raze walks up with Minx by his side.

  “Yeah, Marley should be out any minute.” As soon as the words leave my lips, Marley walks into the main room. Her dreadlocks are gone, leaving her hair to fall to her collarbone.

  “Girl! You look great but where did your dreads go,” Minx asks her.

  “They were faux dreads. I thought it would be a good idea to take them out so I wouldn’t be so recognizable,” Marley explains.

  I move toward her so I’m standing in front of her. Running my fingers through her hair, I smirk.

  “Still gorgeous as ever.” I grab a fistful of her hair, enough to make her gasp. I let go and she flashes me a wicked grin. “Are you ready?”

  “As I’ll ever be.” Her voice is sorrowful.

  “Everything is gonna be okay,” I say softly. “We’ll keep you safe.”

  “I know you will. I just don’t want anyone else getting hurt because of me,” she admits.

  “Come on, love birds. We gotta get going,” Raze calls to us.

  I wrap my arm around Marley’s shoulders and we walk outside together. Opening the truck door, I let Marley in the passenger side and walk over to Raze.

  “Let’s stop at a gas station outside of town to stock up on snacks,” I suggest.

  “Sounds good. See you there.” Raze climbs into his truck and I head back to mine.

  “Is everything okay,” Marley asks as I start up the truck.

  “We were figuring out where to stop to get breakfast and road trip snacks.” I take her hand in mine as I pull away from the clubhouse.

  “Can you tell me where we’re going or am I going to have to wait to find out when we get there?”

  I chuckle. “I’ll let you know once we know for sure we aren’t being followed.”

  She lets out a heavy sigh. “How likely is it that we will be followed?”

  “It’s possible, but not likely. I don’t think they’re dumb enough to be near the clubhouse right now.” I glance at her out of the corner of my eye. She’s gazing out the window, lost in thought. “Penny for your thoughts?”

  She turns to face me. “I’m trying not to worry.”

  I squeeze her hand. “I know it’s easier said than done. I’ll do what I can to help.” I bring her hand to my lips, placing a kiss on the back of it.

  An hour later, we’re pulling up to a Kasey’s Quick Stop. I pull up next to a pump to top the tank off.

  “Do you want to come inside or would you rather stay in the truck?”

  “I’ll come in so I can use the restroom,” Marley says. She opens the door, stepping out of the truck. I do the same, meeting her on her side of the truck where the fuel tank is. I swipe a prepaid card to get the pump started and we walk into the gas station together.

  22

  Marley

 
; We are in and out of the gas station as quick as possible. I grab a chocolate milk and chocolate donuts for breakfast and a few things to snack on throughout the day.

  “Did you get enough chocolate?” Rascal laughs.

  I smirk at him. “Are you judging me?”

  He shakes his head with a smile. “Not at all, Princess.”

  Within fifteen minutes of stopping at the gas station, we’re back on the road, headed who knows where.

  “How long of a drive do we have?”

  “Another eight or so hours,” Rascal tells me.

  I groan.

  “I know the feeling. I’m not a fan of being cooped up in a cage for so long,” he admits. “Why don’t you take a nap after you eat?”

  “You don’t need me to help keep you from falling asleep or anything?”

  He chuckles. “I’ve taken further trips by myself plenty of times. If I need anything, I can always wake you up.”

  “I’ll wait. I’m not very tired right now,” I tell him. “Why don’t we play a game of twenty questions?”

  He glances at me out of the corner of his eye. “We can do that. Get to know each other better.”

  “I’ll go first. Have you ever been in love?”

  “Wow. Straight into the deep end, huh?”

  I shrug.

  “Honestly, no. I haven’t. Have you?”

  “I thought I was, but it wasn’t real.” My eyes flicker to the window, watching the scenery fly by.

  “Do you want to talk about it?”

  “Maybe another time.” I turn to face him. “Do you have a good relationship with your parents?”

  “My mom, yes. My dad, no. He walked out on us when I was a kid.”

  “What do you think of Niko potentially being your dad,” Rascal asks.

  “I haven’t given it much thought. I’m not sure how I feel about it. I’m still getting over the death of my mother.”

  “That’s understandable. Niko might be part of the Bratva, but he’s a good man. As good as one in the Bratva can be,” he tells me. “If you want to get to know him, I’ll be there with you. If you want me to that is.”