by Nina Levine
“No, don’t come over. Devil’s just turned up.” I softened my voice when I added, “But thank you. Love you, Dylan.”
“Love you, too, babe. I’ll call you tomorrow to make sure you’re okay.”
I ended the call and threw my phone in my bag. Exiting the car, I smiled at Devil as he approached.
“Fuck, darlin’, you look like hell.” Concern etched lines into his face as he reached for me.
I placed my hand in his and allowed him to pull me close. He was right—my face was black with wet mascara from all the tears I’d cried on my way home from work. “Thanks, it’s always good when your boyfriend tells you that you look like shit.”
He ignored my sarcasm. “Leona called and told me you got into it with Rachel.”
My eyes held his. “So you just dropped everything and came straight over?” I asked softly, my heart beating rapidly at that thought.
“Yeah.” He said it like I’d just asked the dumbest question ever. Like, of course he would drop everything and come to me.
I reached up to run my fingers lightly over his lips. “You better be careful, Dominic Ford, because I might just be falling in love with you.”
He took hold of my hand. “I’ll never be careful if that’s what it’ll get me.”
I moved so my body was flush against his, and pulled his mouth to mine. Before I kissed him, I said, “Only you could show up here, when I feel the way I do, and make me feel like life is so fucking good.”
“What happened with Rachel?”
“She gave me a choice—my job or my charity work. We argued over it for a bit, and then I told her to shove her fucking job. I still don’t know for sure my investor is going ahead, and I really can’t afford to be out of work, but I can’t stay there another day.” I felt ill over my decision, but at the same time, I felt deep in my bones that it was the right choice. At this point, I was putting my trust in the universe for it to all work out okay.
Devil nodded, and pressed his lips to mine. His kiss was gentle, loving. He always seemed to know just what I needed. When he ended the kiss, he said, “You made the right choice, darlin’. I’ve watched you deal with her shit for weeks now, and that bitch doesn’t deserve you. We’ll get through this. It’ll all work out.”
I smiled up at him. “We’ll?” My question was almost a whisper. I was hesitant to fully embrace what I thought he meant by that word, but God, I wanted to.
“Yes, we,” he said with conviction, making this whole shitty day so much better.
I hooked a hand around his neck while also sliding a leg around him so I could lift myself into his arms. “Okay, so I’m thinking we should have dinner here with Gran tonight—she’s making my favourite—and then you should take me back to your place so you can fuck me in ways that will make me scream so loudly it might cause the roof to cave in.”
He lifted a brow. “You don’t want me to do that to you here?”
I grinned. “Smart-ass.” Gran didn’t need to hear me calling out his name over and over.
“What’s your favourite dinner?”
“Sticky pork spare ribs.” My mouth watered just thinking about them. “God, you are going to love them. Gran makes them the best I’ve ever had.”
“I’ll have to get that recipe off her if it makes you this fucking horny.”
I tightened my arms around his neck. “Careful,” I warned. “I’m falling.” Truth be told, I’d already fallen. Hard.
“I’m counting on it, baby.”
At the sound of a car pulling up, he turned, and I saw Aaron parking on the street in front of the house. He stalked our way, his face an angry mask.
“We’re done, Devil!”
Devil put me down and stepped forward to meet Aaron, his shoulders tense.
Aaron’s eyes met mine. “Go inside, Hailee. This is between us.”
I straightened. “No, anything you’ve got to say to Devil, you say to me, too.”
He shook his head and swore under his breath before turning back to face Devil. “I’ve just chased up that number plate from today. Those guys are tied to Marx.” His voice hardened as he added, “They’re the kind of guys who don’t fucking mess around, Devil. They’ll be back.”
“And when they come, we’ll be ready for them.” Devil’s tone was just as hard.
“Exactly how do you see that playing out? Because from where I stand, I see my sister being put right in the middle of danger here.” He jabbed his finger in the air at Devil. “And that is the reason why I told you to walk away.”
I frowned. “Wait. You two know each other?” A vague memory of the day we met in the back of Aaron’s car drifted into my mind, and I realised that they must have known each other back then. I wasn’t sure why I hadn’t connected the dots.
“Yeah,” Aaron said, “We do.”
My mind was a jumbled mess of thoughts. I looked at Devil. “Why is he running plates for you?”
Devil scrubbed a hand over his face. “Fuck, it’s complicated, Hailee.”
My eyes widened, and I turned to Aaron. “You’re running plates to give Storm information, aren’t you?” The sinking feeling I had in my stomach made me feel ill.
“Yes,” Aaron admitted, and everything I knew about my brother was suddenly muddy.
He’s a dirty cop.
“How long have you been dirty?” I demanded, as I wondered what else I didn’t know about him.
“That’s not important. What is important is that you stay away from Storm.”
He reached for me, but I pulled my arm away. “I don’t need to stay away from anyone, Aaron. All I need, right now, is for you to answer my question. How long?”
“Hailee—” he continued to argue with me, but I cut him off, not wanting to hear it.
“No!” I yelled, “You stood there the other day and judged bikers as if you were better than them. I have no issues with bikers. What I have an issue with is someone pretending to be something they’re not, and then lording that over others.” I took a step away. “I need a moment to get my thoughts together.”
With that, I left them to it and walked inside the house to find a quiet space to think. I loved my brother unconditionally, but sometimes those you loved did stuff you didn’t agree with. I hated that he’d treated Devil so badly, acting as if he were the better man because he was a cop. I believed people were equal. Well, unless you deliberately hurt people or animals.
“Hailee,” Gran said, a frown on her face as she found me sitting alone in the lounge room. “What’s wrong?”
“I just need a moment, Gran, and then I’ll tell you. Can you please go and make sure Aaron and Devil aren’t trying to kill each other out the front?” They’d been projecting that vibe when I left them. I hoped they could both be man enough not to act on it.
She nodded and did as I asked, leaving me alone again. I’d been sitting there for a good five minutes or so when I heard shouting from the front yard. Aaron’s voice.
I made my way out there again, horrified to find them fighting. “Gran! Why are you just standing there doing nothing?”
She grabbed my arm as I tried to push past her to go to them. “Leave them be, baby girl.”
I spun around to face her, just as horrified at her response. “Really? You want us to just stand here and watch as they try to kill each other?”
“You’re being dramatic, child. This is what men do. I don’t understand it either, but it seems to work for them. Maybe after they get it out of their systems, they’ll be able to move forward and leave each other alone.”
And so we stood and watched as they landed punch after punch on each other. I struggled to take it all in, and often had to turn away. By the time they were finished, they both lay on the front lawn battered and bloodied, and I wasn’t sure either could be called the victor.
24
Devil
I sat outside Bronze’s house on my bike early the next morning, contemplating exactly what I would say to him. I’d woken when
Hailee did for her meditation, and had gotten ready for the day, intent on getting to Bronze’s before he left for the day. Hailee had decided to skip her meditation and had asked me to drop her home on my way out. She knew where I was headed, and seemed concerned that we’d get into it again, but I assured her we wouldn’t.
We needed to fix this shit between us. Our fight the day before had been brutal. I’d been left with swollen eyes I had trouble seeing through, cuts and bruises. Bronze had fared about the same. We couldn’t keep doing this, and I suspected we would if we didn’t get our shit together soon. Either that, or he would make good on his threat to walk from the club. That was something I needed to stop from happening.
But what the fuck would he listen to? He hadn’t taken in anything I’d said up to this point, and I really wasn’t sure he would at all. Bronze was a stubborn asshole.
“Fuck,” I muttered to myself as I closed the distance between my bike and his front door.
I knocked on the door a few times, but he didn’t answer it. Figuring he could still be asleep, I pulled out my phone and called him. His phone rang, but it sounded like the noise came from just on the other side of the door.
“Bronze!” I called out, banging harder on his door this time.
My gut churned with concern when he still didn’t answer, so I headed around the back to see if he had any windows open. The unease I felt turned out to be justified when I discovered the back door kicked in. A few moments later, I found him tied up and gagged in his bedroom.
“Jesus fuck,” I said as I pulled the gag from his mouth. “What the fuck happened?”
“Three guys happened. They were all wearing balaclavas, though, so I don’t know who they were.” He grunted while I worked the rope off his hands and feet.
His face was a bloody mess where they’d beaten him, and when he moved from the chair, hunched over, I knew they’d taken to his body, too.
“Fucking assholes will pay for this when I find out who it was,” he said as he shuffled out of his room.
I followed him down the hallway into the kitchen where he pulled ice from his freezer. “You got some enemies at work who’d do this?” I asked.
Scowling at me, he wrapped the ice and held it to his face. “Clearly I do.”
“Don’t be a motherfucker. I’m trying to help you here.”
“Yeah, well I don’t want your fucking help, Devil.”
Ignoring that, I said, “I don’t get it. They came here and roughed you up, and that was it? Did they threaten you?”
He hissed as he repositioned the ice on his cheek. “All they said was that I’d screwed them over and I’d pay. They said they’d be back when it was done. Fucked if I know what that meant.”
Ice slid down my spine. “Fuck, Bronze.” I yanked my phone out of my jeans and dialed Hailee. “Do you think they would have gone after Hailee?”
His jaw clenched, but before he replied, Hailee picked up.
“Hey, you,” she said, and I could tell by her voice that she was smiling.
Relief coursed through me. Letting out a long breath, I said, “Thank fuck.”
“What’s wrong? You sound stressed.”
“Darlin’, I need you to do something for me, and I need you to do it as fast as possible, okay?”
“Devil, you’re scaring me.” Her fear bled through the phone, and I cursed silently that she had to go through this.
“Get Jean in the car and drive to the clubhouse. I’ll text you the address, and I’ll let the boys know you’re on the way in case I’m not there by the time you arrive. I’ll tell you everything when I get there.”
“Shit.” Silence, and then—“Okay.” Her voice was shaky, but determined. That’s my girl.
I’m going to hang up now so you can go.”
Without waiting for her to say anything else, I ended the call and texted her the address of the clubhouse. I then phoned through to the boys on the gate that she was on her way.
“Thanks.”
I glanced up to find Bronze staring at me in what could only be described as begrudging thanks. Nodding, I said, “Yeah.”
“I’m gonna head out and try to figure out who it is and what they want.”
“Call me if you figure it out, yeah? I’ll get the boys onto it as well.”
As he walked back down the hall towards his bathroom, he said, “This doesn’t change anything, Devil.”
I was under no illusions. Bronze was a stubborn ass. All I could do was make sure Hailee and Jean stayed safe.
I was on my way out of Bronze’s place when King called me.
“I heard what happened to Bronze,” he said. “And I know you’re on your way to Hailee at the clubhouse, but I need you on something first.”
“What’s up?”
“I’m supposed to be meeting Dragon with Hyde and Nitro in half an hour. He’s got news for us on Marx. Hyde can’t make it, so I need you with us.”
“Where?”
“That old warehouse on Jezebel.”
I frowned. “Seems like a strange meeting place.”
“Yeah, that’s why I want you and Nitro over anyone else. This whole meet feels off. He’s just called it in the last half hour and seemed keen to make it happen straight away.”
“Okay, I’m on my way.”
I hung up and sped off in the direction of the warehouse he’d mentioned. I had that churning in my gut again. Thank fuck Hailee would be safe at the clubhouse soon.
King and Nitro were waiting when I arrived. They stood at the back of the old warehouse that was eerily quiet that morning. It wasn’t so much the warehouse that was quiet; it was the street. It was like a fucking ghost town, which was unusual because it generally had traffic on it all day every day.
“What time’s Dragon scheduled to be here?” I asked.
King checked the time on his phone. “Now.”
“And where’s Hyde? This seems like something he shouldn’t miss.” Irritation crawled over me. It came out of nowhere. All I could put it down to was the urge to get to the clubhouse to see for myself that Hailee had arrived okay.
“Yeah, was wondering the same thing,” Nitro said.
“He didn’t give me an explanation except to say it had something to do with his family,” King said.
“His family? I’ve never heard Hyde mention them before,” I said.
“Fuck, Devil,” King muttered. “Can we stop fucking going on about Hyde.” He was jumpy as shit. In an effort not to piss him off further, I nodded my agreement.
“I think we need to up our club security again,” I said. “After what happened yesterday with me and Hyde, it might be a good idea to put more eyes back on our families.” We’d pulled back a little over the last couple of months, but I felt an unease I hadn’t in a long time.
“I agree,” Nitro said.
King nodded. “You take care of that, Nitro.”
Ten minutes passed, in which time King grew increasingly more agitated when Dragon didn’t show. He called him, but Dragon didn’t answer his phone.
“I don’t know what his fucking game is, but I’m done with waiting,” King grumbled. “I’ve gotta take Jen to the doctor. I’ll be back at the clubhouse after that.”
“Jesus, I haven’t seen him this ugly in a long time,” Nitro said as we watched King head to his bike.
“Jen’s really fucked him up.”
“Yeah, betrayal’s a cold bitch.”
My phone rang, and I scrambled to answer it, hoping it was Hailee.
“Hey, you,” she said, making my fucking day. “We made it to the clubhouse okay, but I forgot to bring Gran’s medication with us. Are you able to collect it when you come?”
“Yeah. Where is it?”
“I got it ready to bring, so it’s in a bag on the kitchen counter. I can’t believe I left without it.”
“I’ll head over there now. I should be at the clubhouse in about an hour or so. You okay there?”
“Yeah, one of the guys introdu
ced me to Kree. She’s lovely. Gran’s talking her ear off.”
Thank fuck.
Some of the tension in my shoulders eased once I knew she was safe. The rest wouldn’t disappear until I saw her for myself.
The goddam traffic was a bitch all the way to Hailee’s house, and the heat had stripped any patience I had. This all meant I was in a mood by the time I turned into her street.
And then I saw Hailee’s home.
Burning to the fucking ground.
I slowed my bike as I approached. A crowd had formed outside as the fire department worked hard to control the flames. From what I could figure, though, the fire was too intense. Hailee’s home and all her belongings would be ash soon.
The motherfuckers who did this would fucking pay.
25
Devil
Hailee burst into tears when I finally arrived at the clubhouse a couple of hours later. I’d spent some time talking with the fire department and tried to salvage anything I could from her house. In the end, though, nothing had been salvageable. I’d turned up at the clubhouse with nothing but bad news.
Clinging to me, she said, “Who would do this?”
“I don’t know, darlin’. I suspect it’s tied to what happened to your brother this morning.” I’d filled her in on everything while watching the fire destroy the house. I was fucking thankful I’d told her to leave earlier that morning.
Nitro joined us. “Have you heard from King yet? I thought he’d be back by now. Or at least that we would have had a call.”
I shook my head. “No, nothing.”
“What about Hyde?”
“No.”
He rubbed the back of his neck. “Okay, I’m taking care of upping our security. Let me know the minute you see or hear from King, yeah?”
“Will do, brother.”
Hailee stepped out of my embrace after Nitro left. Wiping her face, she said, “Gran’s devastated. All our family photos and things are gone. I don’t care about my stuff, but I hate that she’s lost everything.”
