Heart Ripper

by K. A. Merikan

  Once Raja was on the ground, where Blade wanted him, David was more exposed than if he were standing naked in the middle of the club. One bullet could pierce his body and tear his flesh in so many gruesome ways he found it hard to think, but worse still, it could do the same to Raja.

  Blade sneered at him, and it made David’s stomach turn into a tight ball. “Hands up!”

  David instantly followed the order. “Please, I’m sure we can—”

  “Shut your cocksucking mouth! Fuck!” Blade pointed the gun at Raja. “To think that so much started with this kid, and here you are, fucking him months later, and no one bats an eyelash. How do you always fall on your fucking feet? When I set you up with him, I wanted everyone to see you were breaking the rules and deal with you fairly. Instead, you cozy up to the Detroit guys, and also get to fuck Hunter’s jailbait brother while I lose my fingers and my club? What kind of fucking justice is this?”

  Raja’s fingers twitched slightly, but he spoke as calmly as he did before. To keep this kind of cool while being held at gunpoint was something David had believed only existed in movies, but as much as he valued Raja’s courage, he was scared for him too. Blade was a psycho!

  “I forgive you,” said Raja. “Why don’t you come inside with us and just talk over beer? Everything that happened so far can be undone. You can talk to the guys. Maybe you can move to another chapter. I still want you at my side if that’s what you want too.”

  “At your side?” Blade growled, hunching forward, and it must have been only the bile still stuck in the man’s throat that kept him from sending a bullet into Raja’s chest. Maybe this was David’s chance? “You’d throw me under the nearest bus, if—”

  “No, Raja’s always said only good things about you.” David stepped forward, to the completely dumbfounded look on Blade’s face. All David knew was that he needed to act. He needed Raja alive. If Raja was to bleed out at his feet, Blade might as well shoot David straight through the heart. “And he’s on good terms with Hunter now. I’m sure something could be—”

  Blade must have woken up from his moment of shock, because his face twisted into an ugly scowl and he pointed the gun at David. “Did I allow you to speak?” he yelled, his voice muffled by a bang that made David’s ears burst with pain. The smell of gunpowder was now in David’s lungs, and his knees gave up, sending him to the asphalt.

  Raja was up. Blade shot repeatedly, but the two bodies clashed and fell over, tossing and turning just a few steps away.

  Blade screamed, and a horrific, plunging sound resonated in David’s ears as Raja punched Blade’s mid-section again and again. His body buckled, and then he pulled Blade up by the shirt, shaking his limp body.

  “I hate you, I fucking hate you…” Blade rasped and spat blood at Raja, managing to land a weak punch.

  Metal clattered on asphalt and David’s eyes went wide at the sight of a bloodied knife. He crawled away, choking on the thick smell of blood. He couldn’t get up. His knees were too weak to hold him, and he was crying again.

  A crack that for some reason had David’s stomach turning resonated behind his back, and moments later, Raja was pulling him back against his chest. “Did he hit you? David? Are you hurt?” And yet all David could sense was the overwhelming coppery filth that clung to Raja like oil to the skin. He grabbed Raja’s shoulders and held on, uttering broken sobs that he couldn’t stop from coming.

  “I don’t think so.” He sobbed, unable to see much in the blurry darkness.. “What about you? What happened? Are you okay? Is he alive? Oh my God!”

  Raja pulled David close and kissed his cheek, breathing shallowly against his skin. “I’m fine. David, we’re both fine. If something happened to you... I don’t know what I’d do,” he whimpered helplessly.

  David wrapped his arms around Raja’s neck, too shaken to even try to stand up. “I had to do something. I was so scared.” Nothing could compare to the safety of Raja’s arms, and even the loud footsteps approaching them couldn’t make him feel any less secure.

  Raja kissed David’s nose fervently and stroked his face, leaving a slick sensation behind. His eyes were burning in the dark. “I love you, David. I promise this was the last time I put you in danger. I’ll keep you away from the fire from now on.”

  “I love you so much,” was all that David could choke out. He thought he would never hear those words from Raja, no matter how frequently Raja expressed his feelings with his actions. But the confession was like a missing puzzle piece, and it didn’t really matter whether Raja would ever be able to articulate it again.

  Raja shuddered and blinked several times, petting David’s face, with a haunted look in his eyes.

  A light suddenly went on above them, and Tooth rushed in from behind the building alongside Milk. He slowed down, taking in the situation with a deep scowl.

  David looked up at Tooth, clinging to Raja as if letting go could separate them forever. His teeth rattled.“I-I-I think he’s dead.”

  Raja looked up slowly and nodded, clutching David even tighter. “Yes. The bastard attacked us. Shit.”

  Milk walked over to Blade, scowling at whatever he saw. Slowly, he turned around toward Tooth and scratched his nose. “I suppose we still have some cement left from the construction site.”

  Tooth kicked something and growled like a spited lion. “We’re not burying the body on club grounds. What the hell are you thinking?”

  Milk groaned. “Just saying. What’s your idea, VP?”

  David couldn’t help the sob rising in his chest, and he hid his face in Raja’s beard to stop seeing all the blood in the yellow glow coming from above.

  “First of all,” Tooth said, “Raja, take the boy inside. This is my clubhouse, and he’s staying here until I talk to him.”

  Raja gave a shallow nod and pulled himself up, then reached out to David, oddly blank-faced. The front of his shirt and hands were stained with bright red. David hesitated, but grabbed Raja’s hand, no matter how wet it still was. Self-defense. That’s what it had been. Raja had no choice but to fight back.

  But when Raja pulled him up, David’s knees gave in, and Raja had to hold him up.

  “I’m sorry,” David uttered, shaking uncontrollably and wiping tears out of his eyes. He’d never seen anything like what happened tonight, and his body couldn’t handle it.

  Raja kept him up and pressed a quick kiss to David’s temple. “It’s not your fault. You should have never seen this,” he said and leaned down, grabbing David’s knees. The world turned on its head, and David was gliding through the air in Raja’s arms.

  Raja was there for him. Even when David was too shocked to walk. Raja carried him to the club despite going through a horrific ordeal himself. It made David think that whatever were to happen, they would take care of each other in moments of weakness.

  David would carry Raja’s secrets, and Raja would always be there for him.

  Epilogue

  David smiled at Hunter as he adjusted the tie of his all-black suit. The style of the wedding wasn’t to his taste whatsoever, but it wasn’t his ceremony at the end of the day, so vampire-meets-biker was the theme. He even made a small sacrifice for Hunter’s sake and as the best man, wore an all-black suit as well, even though he thought the color made him look like a zombie.

  The guests were already gathered in Asty and Hunter’s garden, which served as the venue for the occasion. With the simple plastic chairs wrapped with black fabric, and the dark-hued flower arrangements that David had carefully planned out and prepared with Lindell’s help, the space was now something out of a Gothic fairy tale, and the bright sun only brought out all the different shades of dark.

  Hunter slapped David’s hand away when David tried to adjust the red flowers in Hunter’s lapel again. “It’s fine, stop fiddling with it.”

  “Sorry, I’m nervous.”

  Hunter snorted and pushed back some of his long hair. Thanks to Lucky’s attention earlier, it looked better than ever. “You’re nervous
?”

  David took a deep breath. “I know, I know. I just want everything to be perfect for you.” And Raja was still not here. He’d gotten a call at five in the morning and stormed out to deal with some sort of emergency. With the Toledo chapter still not manned enough, it wasn’t all that rare for him to have to change his plans, but David couldn’t believe that out of all days, it happened merely hours before the wedding. Raja promised he’d arrive on time, but Asty would be walking down the aisle soon, and he was still nowhere to be seen.

  Hunter laughed. “You’re too cute for your own good. I bet Raja has it good with you.”

  David couldn’t hold back a wide grin. “You wouldn’t believe it, but he’s sweet with me too.” Living together with Raja wasn’t without its challenges, but such a joy he’d never choose any different arrangement. He loved waking up early to eat breakfast together, and they didn’t have to worry about meeting up, because even if their schedules shifted, at the end of the day they would see each other in the place they both called home.

  Hunter shook his head. “Oh yeah? He brings you flowers and cupcakes?”

  David shrugged and stepped away. “You won’t get a word out of me. It’s private.” David was a safe where Raja could store all his secrets, and they would never come to light if Raja didn’t want them to.

  David never thought he’d see someone die, and it hadn’t been without consequences. He’d had nightmares for months, and for some time he even needed pills to sleep through the night, but it all became more bearable once he moved in with Raja. There was something about falling asleep in those strong arms that made David feel completely safe, even from the ghost of a man who’d wanted to end both their lives over petty jealousy.

  He’d never shared this with Raja, but he decided not to confess the truth about Blade’s death. After Father Joseph’s betrayal, David knew he couldn’t unconditionally trust a priest ever again, and living with the sin still on his conscience seemed like a small price for guaranteeing Raja’s freedom. Even if Blade’s death was the result of self-defence, Raja was a member of a motorcycle club, who possibly had valuable information that the police could want to pull out of him. On top of that, Raja admitted that he experienced more harassment than his crew. David himself even noticed that when he was out with Raja, people would give them dirty looks—even in gay venues—but David had made his bed, and he would sleep in it with Raja.

  He exhaled when Lucky’s head popped out from behind the kitchen door. With all the guests seated already, this could only mean one thing. The bride was coming, and Raja was—

  David’s mouth stretched into a wide smile when he noticed the raven-black hair in the last row on the right. It bothered him that Raja was in a green T-shirt underneath his cut, and hadn’t even changed into something slightly dressier, but he supposed with the party being somewhat informal anyway, he had let it slide. Raja always did his own thing.

  Raja winked at him as he sat down, but everyone’s attention immediately shifted when the first dramatic chords of the organ streamed out of the sound system, informing the guests that the bride had arrived.

  David straighten up and bit back a smile when he heard his brother gasp.

  Asty was led their way by Tooth, and with all the black lace and tulle, she reminded David of an eighteenth century mourner rather than a bride, but it was her day, so if she wanted to have a Satanic wedding, she could have one. Sadly, it also meant David’s parents wouldn’t be coming, but Asty and Hunter had definitely taught David that life wasn’t about trying to please society.

  David smiled and glanced at Hunter, who was grinning like the Cheshire cat and didn’t seem at all bothered that David was the only member of his family who chose to attend this event. Tooth looked a bit stiff in a black button-up, but he was adequately serious and delivered Asty to Hunter before stepping away somewhat awkwardly and sitting down next to the baby’s crib. With Lucky joining them at the canopy of flowers that David had made himself, and the music slowly dying down, Asty’s father joyfully met the bride and groom. He’d been so pumped about finally making use of his wedding officiant certificate that he gave up on leading his daughter to the altar. Then again, since when did this family ever follow tradition?

  *

  Time passed like a breeze, and despite the evening party being a mix of metal music and burgers from a food truck hired for the occasion, it was weirdly nice to not be around people who would judge if the food was wedding-y enough or not. What seemed to matter most was that everyone was having fun, and David certainly was, despite hating the music. After almost a year of being around bikers, he was finding a new home in this community. He’d even started attending a more liberal church he drove to every Sunday, which made him much more at ease with his sexuality.

  After the main part of the ceremony, David put his property vest on over his jacket, and sat around watching everyone, chatting, and eating the deliciously unsophisticated food. Even though he knew in his heart who he belonged with, the vest gave him that extra confirmation of being claimed. Of everyone around knowing he was off-limits, because he was Raja’s. Just thinking about it made him grin.

  All of a sudden, the music died down, and he looked up, still munching on a delicious chocolate sponge cake with cream and cherries. Hunter and Asty stood at the low stage where they’d gotten married earlier, and he was surprised to have their eyes spotlight him of all people.

  Hunter raised his voice so that everyone could hear him. “We wanted to give special thanks to someone without who this day wouldn’t be as spectacular as it is. David, we’re talking about you.”

  Raja’s arm slid over David’s shoulders as everyone started clapping in appreciation.

  David quickly swallowed the cake and smiled, instinctively leaning against Raja. “You’re welcome, I’m just so happy for you,” he said quickly, feeling his cheeks heat up from all the attention.

  Asty looked at him with a broad grin. “We know you don’t like any of our music, so we thought we could dedicate a special song, just for you.”

  “And everyone better enjoy it, because this is the only time this artist is gonna be played tonight,” added Hunter.

  David’s lips parted at the first notes of a sweet Taylor Swift song, and he laughed, both embarrassed and enjoying it already. There was only one thing that could make it better, and he didn’t have much time if it would be the only light song tonight.

  David looked up at Raja. “Will you dance with me?” he whispered.

  He was anticipating the unhappy frown even before it appeared on that handsome face. Raja had never been much into dancing, and David knew he disliked being the center of attention for his relationship, but this was David’s moment.

  Raja sighed, briefly looked past David, but eventually settled his gaze on him. “You owe me,” he said, already getting up.

  David’s smile widened, and a few people whistled when David pulled Raja out to the dance floor, but none of that mattered when Raja’s arms slid around him and David put his cheek on Raja’s shoulder. The dance was more of a sway to the gentle music, but it was exactly what David craved.

  From the moment David met Raja, his life was forever changed.

  The end

  Thank you for reading Heart Ripper – Coffin Nails MC.

  If you enjoyed your time with our story, we would really appreciate it if you took a few minutes to leave a review on your favorite platform. It is especially important for us as self-publishing authors, who don’t have the backing of an established press.

  Not to mention we simply love hearing from readers! :)

  Kat&Agnes AKA K.A. Merikan

  kamerikan@gmail.com

  http://kamerikan.com

  NEWSLETTER

  If you’re interested in our upcoming releases, exclusive deals, extra content, freebies and the like, sign up for our newsletter.

  http://kamerikan.com/newsletter

  SIGN UP

  We promise not to spam you, and when you
sign up, you can choose one of the following books for FREE. Win-Win!

  Road of No Return by K.A. Merikan

  Guns n’ Boys Book 1 Part 1 by K.A.Merikan

  All Strings Attached by Miss Merikan

  An Onanist’s Journey to Reclaiming his Seed by K.A. Merikan

  The Summer When it Snowed by K.A. Merikan

  Please, read the instructions in the welcoming e-mail to receive your free book :)

  About the author

  K. A. Merikan are a team of writers, who are mistaken for sisters with surprising regularity. Kat’s the mean sergeant and survival specialist of the duo, never hesitating to kick Agnes’s ass when she’s slacking off. Her memory works like an easy-access catalogue, which allows her to keep up with both book details and social media. Also works as the emergency GPS. Agnes is the Merikan nitpicker, usually found busy with formatting and research. Her attention tends to be scattered, and despite pushing thirty, she needs to apply makeup to buy alcohol. Self-proclaimed queen of the roads.

  They love the weird and wonderful, stepping out of the box, and bending stereotypes both in life and books. When you pick up a Merikan book, one thing you can be sure of - it will be full of surprises.

  http:/KAMerikan.com

  K.A. Merikan on Goodreads

  Facebook

  Twitter

  The Devil’s Ride

  Sex & Mayhem #2

  — You don’t fuck with the club president’s son. —

  Tooth. Vice President of the Coffin Nails Motorcycle Club. On a neverending quest for vengeance. The last thing he needs is becoming a permanent babysitter for a male hooker.

  Lucifer. Fallen. Lost. Alone.

  After a childhood filled with neglect and abuse, followed by his mother’s suicide, Lucifer set out into the world alone. There was nothing for him out there other than taking it one day at a time. As the bastard son of the Coffin Nails club president, Lucifer never got much fatherly love. So when the Nails show up at the strip joint Lucifer works in, the last thing he expects is to be put in the custody of Tooth, the Vice President famous for his gruesome interrogation techniques. The man proves to be the sexiest beast Lucifer has ever met. He’s also older, straight, and an itch Luci can’t ever scratch.