by Snow, Nicole
We all saw them at the same time.
Their bastard President growled orders at the junkie psychopath next to him, both trying to free the truck's rear tire from where it had gotten stuck. We stepped up, steady and determined, ready to lay into them long before they saw us.
Not how I wanted it to go down. I wanted these assholes to turn around and see how fucked they were, drop to their bloody knees and beg for their lives, then tell us if cutting their throats would put an end to their entire fucked up MC before we went ahead and did it.
Too bad all this shit was destined to wrap up a lot quicker.
The way Blaze was aiming, he wanted it over now. Couldn't say I blamed him.
Whatever, I thought. Long as they bleed out in the snow, we'll just get our girls home sooner, and see about Moose...
I held my gun up, and the bastards turned. Blaze fired first. Tank and I were right behind him, spraying the truck with bullets.
“Shit!” I darted out ahead of the brothers. The fuckers went down and rolled. Looked like only one found its mark in the skinny freak, who hit the ground, letting out a high whiny sound like a big balloon deflating.
Nero ran. I slid on snow down slope, crashed against the truck, and fired, narrowly missing the fucker's head. Blaze and Tank slid right behind me.
Tank kicked at the asshole on the ground, Hatter. The big guy was quick, but the scrawny junkie was faster, rolling like a toy into the brush, not far from the thicket Nero ran into.
“Hold on!” I screamed, finally getting a good fix on the skeletal lunatic with my gun.
Right before I could pull the trigger, the dagger he pulled out went into his own throat. The only thing more fucked up than putting a sick fuck down is watching him do himself in right in front of you. The freak was determined, twisting the blade in his neck, gurgling as he went down.
“Holy fuck,” Blaze said, slapping his head, pointing with his gun.
It wasn't just Hatter offing himself that had the Prez so winded. Nero was heading toward us, his hands out, collapsing just a step away from his dying brother.
I looked at my boys, trying not to grin. This was too fucking good. Maybe we'd get a chance to give this fuck a little more of what he truly deserved before making sure Satan's Scythe found its mark.
We all walked toward the fuckstain who'd caused all this misery. The asshole was paler, and a lot more deflated than before, his eyes bleary as he looked up at us.
Blaze leaned down, his stubble twitching, pulling his knife outta the holster near his belt and running the flat end across one thigh. “Fuck me. Didn't think you'd be the kind to pussy out, especially after your man here did the dirty work himself.”
Tank grinned. I was fucking seething, ready to draw my own knife and plant it into Nero's eye the second Blaze started carving him up. Every goddamned cut was gonna be payback for everything he'd done to this club, everything he'd done to my old lady, and especially the shit he'd done to Moose.
Couldn't think of a better place to start than the bastard's eyes. If our brother lived, he was gonna be half-blind for the rest of his life.
The piece of shit at my feet wouldn't live long enough to find out what that was like, but at least we could make him understand for a few minutes. An eye for an eye, pretty fucking literally.
Nero stayed tight lipped. Pissed me off even more. I brought my boot down on his bad leg, twisting hard near the bullet hole, wanting this asshole to scream.
Fuck. Nothing. He just rolled his eyes in pain, lifted his head up, and looked right at me.
“You Prairie Pussies really think you're something, don't you? Just like your whores...” He looked delirious, like he'd lost way more blood than I'd guessed. “Fucking funny...I used to think the same damned thing.”
I looked down. His hand was jammed into the dead man's cut, a noticeable bulge below it.
“You fucks...somebody's gotta wipe the smug fucking grin off your devil. Let's die together.”
Tank hit the ground and ripped his arm out right as I dove for Nero's throat.
I had a flash of something bright, round, and metallic before I flattened the asshole to the ground and hoisted my knife to his throat.
“Fucking bomb!” Tank roared.
Blaze and Tank both went apeshit, scrambling to get the grenade as far away from our asses ASAP. I lost it in a different way. My murderous rage hit a hateful pitch. The need to see this fuckface dead overrode everything, even base survival.
I went for the throat, stabbing him there again and again, holding him down as he jerked beneath me. Nero's blood splashed all over me, adding to Moose's, and all of us screamed at once.
No fucking way were we all gonna die in a fireball without this motherfucker getting his finale at my hands. I closed my eyes as I kept on stabbing, seeing Alice the whole time, praying we'd all come home in one fucking piece while this asshole took the bullet train to hell.
“Down!” Blaze yelled, adding his bulk to the crazy pile. Tank fell next, bellowing, throwing the hot death in his hands into the woods with all his might. He had little more than a second to spare.
Nero jerked one more time before he went still. Then the grenade exploded in mid-air, raining fire and metal in all directions.
I'd never felt so fucking numb, right to the bones. It took several breathless seconds waiting for the agony to hit, wondering if I was torn up or bleeding out myself. It never came.
No, fuck no, I was still in one piece. A couple seconds later, I felt my brothers stir on top of me. Blaze and Tank popped up fast, sliding their hands over their bodies, checking themselves.
When Blaze saw everybody was good, he pumped his fists into the air and let out a whoop. “Fuck! Just. Fuck!”
“You said it, boss,” Tank growled, extending a hand to help me up.
Staggering to my feet, I turned and looked at the mess we'd created. At last, every asshole here with a Slingers' patch lay ruined, too dead to cause more mischief.
Blaze pushed between us, looked at the scene, and nodded. I wondered if he'd be pissed because I'd hogged the kill to myself, but he just looked at me with a thin smile, the kind a man wears when he's glad to be fucking done.
“Let's clean this shit up and haul it up to the cabin. The sooner we light all these fuckers up, the sooner we go home. Come on, brothers.”
It took us another twenty minutes to force the truck out of its muddy spot, throw their carcasses in the back, and ride up to the cabin. Took us a little longer than that to stack all the bodies in a pile. We ripped the patches outta their cuts and then threw them all into a heap in the middle of the cabin, stacking extra wood around it, ready for the gasoline we'd brought along for cleanup.
I was moving fast, wanting the cleanup to wind down so I could hang with Alice and make sure she was all bundled up for the ride home.
“Hey...” I looked behind me, doing a double take when I realized Alice was watching me check dead dudes for burning.
“Shit, baby! Go back outside. You shouldn't be in here for this.”
“Really?” She quirked an eyebrow. “When you claimed me, I thought you'd figured out I'm used to this crap. It doesn't bother me. Not anymore.”
I blinked like a fool. “Still...it's club business, baby. You shouldn't have to –“
She cut me off, shoving something into my chest. What the fuck? I reached down and took the crumpled up paper, wrinkling my nose.
It was Mickey's fucking map, the thing that started this shit. And I hoped like hell I never recognized the stink of frozen rat juice again.
“I found it caught in the door. Don't know what you want to do...” The answer was damned clear in her pretty eyes, and I agreed.
“I do. Just let me run it by the Prez first.”
I turned, looking for Blaze. He was several feet away, just finishing up a phone call – probably an update on Moose.
“How's he doing?” I asked, tightening the hellish paper in one fist.
“Em thinks h
e'll live. Lost a lot of fucking blood, though, and his eye's as good as gone. There was no choice but to bring him into the hospital. Her contact there says they're gonna start checking for brain damage tomorrow.”
“Fuck!” My head was absolutely fucking spinning. I inadvertently raised the shitty map over my head, fist shaking, scratching at my ear which was suddenly hot as the goddamned sun.
“What the hell's that?” Blaze pointed.
I brought it to my chest, unrolled it, and shoved it toward his face. “Something we'd be wise to get rid of. This fucking thing almost got our old ladies killed, Blaze, and our brother too. Do we really want this demon hanging out in the clubhouse, drawing every evil cocksucker to us like a fucked up magnet?”
I expected him to put up a fight. I was tired, chilled to the bone, aching just to be alone with a drink and my girl next to me. But I was determined to hold my ground. Anything to wipe this hell out once and for all.
In one quick jerk, Blaze snatched it outta my hands. He started to walk. I stood up, bristling, yelling so loud Tank came over, ready to break up the fight.
“Just fucking hear me out!” I growled. “You know we're asking for trouble by keeping that fucking thing. Even if we got it in an air tight vault, it's like these assholes can smell it ten states away. Anybody who finds out the Devils are screwing with all these routes is gonna find out real fucking fast we've got an inside leak. Don't do it, Blaze. Mark my fucking words, they'll come for it again.”
“Boss, just settle the fuck –“
I shoved Tank's hand off my shoulder, still following Blaze. He stopped, stood like a statue, running one hand over his chin, deep in thought.
“Prez?” I was waiting, but he wouldn't look at me.
What the fuck?
Then he started moving again, this time a shorter distance. My fists were twitching and all the crazy bloodlust I'd had while killing Nero was back. I followed him. It was doused with total confusion when we stopped in front of Alice, next to the door.
“I'm not gonna lie, I was on the fence about keeping this shit. I really was,” Blaze said slowly. “Then I remembered why I voted for such a hardass VP when we got this charter going. It's your job to ride my ass so I'm not making any fuckups that'll hurt the club. And today, Sting, you did it. You fucking did it.”
“Shit, Blaze. I thought you were gonna get greedy and keep that fucking thing.” I relaxed, and so did Tank.
“Don't apologize,” he said, his eyes narrowing on Alice. “If I wasn't a greedy bastard, I wouldn't be wearing this patch. But I ain't stupid. Since your old lady's not afraid of a few bodies, I wanted her to do the honors. Here.”
Blaze held the map out to Alice, right back where it started. She took it, staring at it sadly. Then she nodded and reached for my hand, walking for the pile.
“Make sure that shit gets soaked in gas! Don't want a fucking speck flying outta here that isn't ash before we hit the road,” Blaze yelled after us.
I helped her find the perfect place, right between two planks of wood next to Hatter's corpse. His face was twisted and his eyes had popped open. Growling, I reached for the dead maniac and pushed them shut again, wishing I had some rocks.
“There. I'll get the gas. Don't look at that piece of shit, baby. You just look at me.”
We soaked the whole area, covering the corpses and the cabin. Reb was finishing up the other side, dousing some extra fuel in the splintered cracks on the floor. With the dark winter night and the isolation, it'd probably be springtime before anybody found the scorched ruins out here.
Blaze was serious about letting her do the honors. Saffron and I were at Alice's side as I watched her light the match, all our bikes and vehicles ready to depart as soon as the inferno started.
Shit billowed up fast. I pulled Alice back while Blaze did the same with his old lady.
We should've hit the road, but the fire was hypnotic. Like watching every wall thrust up between our hearts crumble in a crackle of cleansing orange. My girl's fingers tightened on mine.
The storm was fucking over. I had my old lady and my life. Only thing left was getting my brand on the baby girl next to me, and reminding her every single day that I was never gonna stop loving her.
What we had was as hot and insatiable as the flames consuming the darkness.
XI: Smoldered (Alice)
He was so different on the ride home. Ever since he stepped into the cabin after finishing off the men who'd hurt me so much, who'd made me doubt that what we had was right.
When I pressed my hands around his abs on his bike, riding into the darkness with faint, unsettled sparks behind us, I wondered how I doubted this at all.
This was exactly where I belonged, here up against him, the wind running through my soul, my new family riding front, rear, and side. The pain and violence scared me, but it was what I needed to find my way to justice.
Now, I had no doubts. Vengeance was the way home, and home was Stinger.
I leaned into him, breathing in his scent. God, it was addictive. I wondered what kinda crazy magic made him smell even more masculine than before?
Pure, raw warrior flowed up my nostrils and mixed with something in my blood. I couldn't stop myself from scratching at his belly, rubbing my bruised cheek on his neck, mad with need.
Things weren't perfect by any means. Saffron would probably need a few weeks to recover, pushing her wedding back after those bastards hurt her and nearly murdered Moose. I could barely imagine the terrible night that was just beginning for his old lady and his daughter when they heard the news.
But tonight, all the exhaustion, darkness, and heartache didn't do a damned thing to dash the insane need tearing through me with every mile.
I wanted Stinger right now, worse than anything I'd wanted in my entire life. I kissed at his neck when we were entering Missoula's city limits, loving how his body tensed up each time my lips warmed his flesh, my warmth mingling with the sweet coolness left by the wind.
When we roared into the garages, Em was sitting outside on the stairs. She ran to Tank as soon as he parked. I overheard her spilling grim updates about Moose's condition.
Jesus, and I thought Saffron and I were frazzled after being prisoners most of the day.
Blaze reluctantly walked off with Tank and Emma to hear the latest, leaving us to help Saffron inside. She'd twisted her ankle really bad, trying to fight when those assholes dragged us into the rear room.
We all headed for the bar and took our seats. She uncapped a fresh bottle of whiskey and pulled out a few glasses, shoving them toward us.
“Here. We're gonna need a lot of this to take the edge off tonight. Hurry, before Em comes in and starts nagging us about drinking our water. Dehydration's dangerous, ya know.” She stuck her tongue out.
I laughed, relieved to see her spirits were returning after we'd left hell behind. Stinger was quiet, sipping slow shots as we talked about the wedding. When I mentioned those wicked heels she'd picked up right before our world went to crap, she lost it, cracking up and crying on my shoulder.
“It's okay! We'll be in Reno before you know it. All this shit will pass...right, Stinger?” I looked at him hopefully.
His eyes were intense, real. No BS hidden in his dark whorls.
“Damned right, baby. This club's seen enough mayhem for a few more months. Come on, Saffron. Blaze's gonna tell you the same fucking thing I just did, and you're gonna believe him. We don't need this shit to keep the edge off. We need our friends and our lovers.”
His eyes shifted back to me. Reaching for my hand, he pulled mine close, his grip reassuring and insistent at the same time.
The door slammed and I jumped. Sting held on, refusing to let go, even as Blaze approached.
“Go get some fucking sleep. They won't let us see Moose 'til morning,” he said. “We'll debrief on this shit tomorrow. Roller's keeping guard with the family, just in case the Slingers had any rogues out there in sleeper mode.”
“Got it, Pre
z,” Stinger said. “We're gonna crash in the clubhouse tonight. Too tired to drive after all this warming up.”
He picked up the bottle of Jack and shook it. None of us had really had much at all, but Blaze got the point. He pushed past us and grabbed Saffron, easing her onto her feet, before reaching for the bottle and downing a good third of it.
“Come on, baby. You shouldn't be drinking this shit in your state, so I'm gonna have enough for both of us.”
“Asshole!” Saffron playfully slapped his chest.
Seeing them smiling like kids made me smile too. Next thing I knew, we were all alone, listening to the door to the bathroom slam shut. If anybody needed a long, hot shower after tonight, it was Blaze and his blushing bride.
Not to be outdone, Sting grabbed my other arm and pulled, lifting me totally onto his lap. A sticky, shaky heat spiked through me, pooling between my legs, reigniting the animalistic need I'd had on the back of his bike.
“I hate that anyone had to get hurt, but I learned some lessons tonight,” I whispered.
“Yeah? Enlighten me.”
I leaned closer to his ear, resisting the temptation to nibble on his lobe. “I learned that I'm not afraid of this anymore...the MC, the things you've got to do, what we've got. It's my life, and I'm not running.”
“You got no fucking clue how long I've been waiting to hear that, baby.” He moved in for a kiss, but I peeled away, holding him in suspense just a little while longer. He looked at me, surprised. “You gotta be kidding me. There's more?”
“Yup. Tonight's the first time I can safely say I've wanted to throw you down and fuck your brains out without anything getting in the way. No, more than want. I need it, Lucas.”
I could practically feel the current running through him when I hissed his real name. This time, there was no wriggling out of his grasp – not like I would've wanted to anyway. He threw me over his shoulder and started down the hall, turning toward the infirmary near the bar.
“Gotta clean up first, baby. Fucking love getting down and dirty, but screwing with other dudes' blood drying all over me is something else.”
