“Good,” Finn said. “Now if he doesn’t feel like talking, we’ll just slit his fucking throat.”
I held out the towels Finn asked for and Ax grabbed them.
Just another lovely day in Devil Call MC.
4.
(Layne)
The compound was well secured. Mostly by junk. Cars and trucks were up on lifts, stripped down to skeleton frames. Cinderblock walls stacked maybe twenty feet high or more, a large square design. Hell, it had the appeal of a prison. The parts without concrete walls had thick chain fences with barbed wire rolled up around the top. I saw a few Rottweiler’s hanging around the gates. They watched me with careful eyes and I pulled up to the main entrance.
Two guys stood there wearing dark blue jumpsuits. They had an oval logo on their left breasts - Damage Control Salvage & Custom Parts. On their right breasts were stitched Mack and ack.
“ack?” I asked over the rumble of my motorcycle.
“Jack,” the guy said. “The J fell off.”
“Good to know.”
“What do you need?” Mack asked. “Here for some parts?”
“I’m here for my patch,” I said. I turned my shoulder and showed the back of my leather cut.
“Holy shit,” Mack said.
“You’re…him…,” Jack said.
“Yeah, I’m him. Name’s Layne.”
“Sir,” Mack said.
“No,” I said. “I don’t do that sir bullshit. Are you two prospects?”
“Yes,” Jack said.
“Is your name really Mack and Jack?”
“I’m really Jack. His name is Michael. But all they had was a jumpsuit that said Mack.”
“Got you. What’s happening today?”
“We’re not allowed to…”
Layne gritted his teeth. “Tell me about the Rotty’s over there. What are their names?”
“AJ and Sugar. Both female.”
“Got AJ because she bit one of the guys right at his balls and he called screamed out ‘Asshole! Jerk! Fuck!’ and the name stuck from there.”
“AJF didn’t sound right,” Jack said.
“Why Sugar?” I asked as the two dogs still stared at me.
“Because that’s her name,” Mack said. “She’s ten years old. She’s seen a lot of shit.”
I looked and realized there was a noticeable difference between the dogs. AJ on the left, a firm, beautiful dog, with muscle and worried eyes. Then on the right, Sugar, a seasoned animal who had probably a lot of fights, wars, and death. Her eyes were much calmer than AJ’s, but that didn’t mean she didn’t want rip my fucking arm out of its socket.
“They get taken care of well?” I asked.
“Better than us,” Jack said.
“Good,” I said and grinned. “Now get the fuck out of my way.”
The guys moved and I rode right up to the clubhouse. I climbed off the motorcycle and stretched my neck. The beer with Pep had long since worn off and I could go for another. Hell, maybe six or twelve. Why not? I was here to settle in and take control. The last thing I wanted to do was be a raging asshole. I wasn’t going to kick in the door, pull my gun, and just start commanding.
I pulled open the door and stepped inside.
I opened my mouth and caught two sights at once.
First, there was a woman behind the bar. Arms folded, resting under a beautiful set of tits. In a white shirt, really tight, her off-white bra showed through. That gave me a subtle reminder that I needed a woman. It’d been too long since I fucked someone.
The second sight was the biggest man I’d ever seen in my life, holding another man’s head in place. A second man - wearing a Devil Call MC cut - had a knife to the man’s throat.
He started to move it as the man screamed.
“Hey!” I bellowed and grabbed for my gun. “What the fuck is this?”
So much for a calm entrance.
The man with the knife turned, grabbing his gun. I saw his patch - Finn - and pointed with my other hand.
“Take it easy,” I said.
“Hey, Finn,” someone else said. “That’s him. Put your gun down.”
“Fuck that,” Finn growled. “Nobody comes into my clubhouse and pulls a gun on me.”
He walked toward me. I walked toward him. We were in a stare down.
“Your clubhouse?” I asked. “If it was your clubhouse, I wouldn’t be here.”
“You ain’t wearing that patch yet, are you?”
“Good as mine, Finn. Put your gun down.”
“Don’t say my name like you know me.”
“Tell me what’s happening here,” I said. “Now.”
“Fuck you.”
I put my gun to the floor and pulled the trigger. Finn jumped back, eyes wide.
“What the fuck…”
I tucked my gun away and went for Finn. I grabbed him by his shirt and spun him around. I threw him toward the bar, sending him crashing into the barstools.
That’s when the giant let the other guy go and came at me. He was lumbering with footsteps that sounded and felt like boulders crashing to the floor. His massive hands outreached, like a goddamn monster seeking death.
I caught sight of his patch - Ax.
Small name for the largest man to ever attack me.
“Ax!” someone shouted. “You can’t do this!”
I threw a punch to his gut and my fist ricocheted back. The pain that went through my wrist and arm told me I had shattered bones. Ax had the hardest stomach I ever punched. He was made of steel.
His left hand clamped on my shoulder and it felt like getting bitten by an animal. I had to act fast or this lumbering asshole was going to kill me.
I made a fist again, wincing in pain, and punched forward and up. I hit Ax in the throat, right at the Adam’s apple. It startled him enough that he let me go. Now, I should have ran, right? Gotten the fuck out of the way and explained things. But I had a message to send now.
I punched Ax again and again at his throat. I then gripped his windpipe like a vise. I twisted and pushed, swinging my right foot. I hit Ax’s leg and I had him off balance enough that he went down. The sound of him crashing to the floor could have been measured on the fucking richter scale.
The second he hit the ground, the entire bar went silent.
I pulled out my gun and put it between his eyes.
The man on the pool table was sitting up now. He looked beaten to fucking death. I don’t know how the hell he was sitting up. His throat pulsed as blood leaked out from the cut.
“Don’t fucking move,” I yelled at Ax. Then I looked around. “That goes for everyone. Nobody fucking move.”
I looked back and saw Finn sitting on the floor, arms resting on tipped over barstools.
“Now,” I yelled, “I’m going to ask again… what the fuck is this?”
“They… attack…” the man on the pool table tried to say.
I pointed the gun at him. “I don’t want to hear you talk. You don’t have a cut on.”
I put my gun away and offered a hand to Ax. He took my hand, and wrist, and half my fucking arm.
I pulled and helped him up to his feet. He towered over me, staring down.
“Sorry for that,” he bellowed in a slow, deep voice.
“Don’t sweat it,” I said. I turned and went to Finn. I offered my hand. “Stand up, Finn.”
“Fuck off,” Finn spat.
He didn’t take my hand. He instead kicked up to his feet and tried to save face.
We stood there in complete silence.
“There’s something going on around here,” Finn said. “I’d rather talk in private.”
“You have a guy beaten almost to death on a pool table. You were going to slit his throat when I walked in. It’s looks pretty fucking wild in here. Who gave you authority to make that kind of call, Finn?”
Finn bumped his chest to mine. We were eye level. “I did.”
His black hair and black eyes were intimidating. There were scar
s in this man’s soul that ran deep and were terrifying.
“Then let’s talk for a second,” I said.
I walked along the bar, all eyes on me. I didn’t know any of the guys. Some of the faces looked somewhat familiar, probably from a time or two when we had to make a call for backup down in Brocke.
I grabbed the door handle to what would be my conference room… my table… my clubhouse…
It was a lot to take in and accept.
I stood and held the door open. Finn raced inside and stopped at the table. I looked over my shoulder, the clubhouse still looking at me.
“Ax,” I said. “Keep that son of a bitch on the pool table. And keep him alive.”
“Yeah,” Ax grumbled.
I met eyes with the woman behind the bar.
Fuck… she’s gorgeous. Hair, face, eyes, tits…
I shook my head. I needed to get a decent fuck, and soon.
I shut the door and leaned against it.
“Are you going to take your fucking seat?” Finn asked.
“No,” I said. “I don’t have the patch, remember?”
Finn turned. He pointed at me. “Someone inside this clubhouse has been giving out information. I reported it down to Brocke a little while ago and it must have gotten misplaced.”
I nodded. “Well, in case you didn’t hear, it hasn’t been all roses down there.”
“Hasn’t been roses here either, man.”
I stuck my hand out. “Layne.”
Finn stuck his hand out. “Finn.”
We shook hands. The respect of the Devil Call MC patch.
“Who is that guy?” I asked.
“Name’s Alan. He’s a small arms dealer near the Canadian border. He helps people move shit back and forth without a hassle. Makes a nice little piece for himself. But lately, man, there’s been too many coincidences going on. So I took it upon myself to do something about it. I poked around and there’s someone out there talking. Telling Alan and another crew our every move, conversation, decision. Fuck, Layne, I was worried of an attack. I haven’t fucking slept in weeks. Waiting for the call about… you…”
“Let me ask you something,” I said. “Why aren’t you wearing the patch?”
Finn stiffened. “Let’s stick to the current problem.”
“Fair enough. So you want to kill Alan?”
“Yeah. Leave his body near the border. A sign. A message.”
“What about our inside guy?”
“I got a name,” Finn said. He shook his head. “Fuck, Layne, I got a name.”
And with that… my first day in Oakville as President of their Devil Call MC chapter, I was going to have to kill a patched in member.
5.
(Shelby)
My heart pounded.
Layne wasn’t bigger than Ax, not by a long shot, but he took him down. He took Ax down. He squeezed his throat and tripped him. Then he put a gun to Ax’s head and shut the beast up. It was something impossible. And before that, he threw Finn like a rag doll right into the bar.
Nobody fucked with Finn.
Not when you knew his story, who he was, what he was capable of.
Holy fucking hell.
If that weren’t enough, Layne was beautiful. Yes, a man could be beautiful. And Layne was. Thick dark hair, a little scruff on his face, wide and round shoulders, thick arms, a thicker body, everything that screamed complete and total alpha control. When he spoke, people listened. And when he looked at me… it made my toes curl. It made my thighs quiver.
Never fuck a biker.
My one rule. Christ, my one damn rule.
I repeated it in my mind two dozen times as I stared at the closed door.
Layne had come in like a storm, leaving the clubhouse silent. Hell, even the guy Finn was about to murder just sat there, surprised. Ax stood across from the guy, arms crossed.
Nobody dared to move or speak.
The door opened and Layne and Finn came out. They weren’t bleeding, which was good. It meant they hadn’t beaten the hell out of each other. In fact, Layne stepped to the side and grabbed Finn by the shoulder. He gave a quick nod.
Finn nodded back.
He then approached the pool table.
From the corner of my eye, I saw Layne coming behind the bar. He walked right up to me, without an ounce of fear. His hand touched my lower back, setting my body on fire. Inside my belly, I burned. In my panties I was even hotter.
“Look away,” he whispered. “Don’t want you to…”
It was too late.
I didn’t look away. And I couldn’t look away.
Finn took a long knife out its holster and rammed it into the guy’s back. He let out a curdling scream. Finn pulled the knife out and he threw the guy down to the pool table. He brought the knife down to the guy’s chest, through the heart, and twisted the blade.
Finn then backed up and ran a hand through his hair.
“Jesus, sweetie,” Layne whispered to me. “I told you to look away.”
I looked up at Layne. “Not the first time I’ve seen it. Reminds me of the truth of this place.”
“You ever get hurt? Threatened?” Layne asked.
“I get paid to be here.”
“Stay put,” Layne said.
Finn looked at me. I was suddenly torn between two men. Just what I fucking needed.
Finn pointed and snapped his fingers. “Towels.”
“No,” Layne said and tightened his hand around the back of my shirt. He kept me steady. “Ax, you get the towels.”
I never had a man stick up for me before. It made me nervous as anything, but I kind of liked it.
Layne then opened his hand and pushed by me. As fast as he came, he was gone. He went around the bar and pointed to the guy on the table.
“Everyone know who that is?” he called out.
A few people responded.
“His name was Alan. He was giving up information about the club. This is what you get. I’m not here to fuck around. Everyone, outside.” Layne looked at Ax. “Ax, I want you to take this guy and get rid of him.”
“We usually bury them,” Ransom said.
“Dig a hole,” Layne said. “Bury… then burn. Let it be a message to anyone who thinks of fucking with this club.”
Layne walked to the door and opened it. Slowly, the guys started to leave. One by one, out the door. Layne went last, looking back at me. He half grinned, then gritted his teeth, like he regretted grinning at me.
I wanted him. So fucking badly.
I rushed from behind the bar and reached for the door. I opened it and saw Bain standing right there. I bumped into him as he held his cell with one hand. He dropped his cell and then hurried to pick it up.
He looked at me. “Fucking moron.”
“Fuck you.”
“Yeah, come on,” he said. “You want to fuck me…”
His eyes were at his cell.
He then shut off the screen and went to join the rest of the guys.
I hated when the guys talked to me like that. Maybe Layne would put an end to that.
Yeah, right.
There were bigger things to worry about in the MC than my feelings. And I was on my own mission to get away from Dad and to find my mother. Whether she wanted me or not, she was going to get me. Help me. Save me so I could catch my breath and move the hell on from everything in my life.
I stood and watched as Layne lined all the guys up, making them stand next to their rides. It was Layne against an entire crew. Yeah, I’m sure there were orders or something about Layne being President. But that didn’t mean anyone would respect or accept him. At least not without Finn leading the way.
Layne scanned them. Left to right. Right to left. Again and again.
He was searching for something.
I knew this move.
He wanted to see who would sweat first.
AJ and Sugar started to bark.
I took a couple steps forward and saw - and heard - a group of motor
cycles approaching. The guys at the front started to shout.
Attack! Attack!
They hustled back, pulling out guns.
Before they could shoot, a gun went off.
I saw Layne’s body twist and fall to the ground.
I gasped and covered my mouth.
There had been attacks here before. And I knew the drill. Get down on your belly and cover your head. If I could… run like hell and take shelter so I didn’t get kidnapped. Finn made it very clear to me that if I was ever taken, nobody would ever come looking for me. They wouldn’t negotiate for my safety or life. So I was better off hiding or just killing myself.
But seeing Layne get shot left me frozen.
The group of motorcycles sped by. Everyone started to return fire, but the walls were too high to do anything. Even if they got on their motorcycles and started a chase, then what?
This is how it went.
Attack after attack.
Retaliation. A fight. Calmness. Then repeat.
The thunderous cries of the motorcycles faded out in the distance.
I ran to Layne, fearing the worse. He had just gotten here, literally just gotten here.
I dropped to my knees and saw Layne already trying to sit up.
He’s not dead.
He grabbed for his right shoulder and groaned. “Fuck.”
“Holy shit,” Brett said.
“We need to call for meds,” Hawke said. “Finn…”
“NO!” Layne growled. “Just help me the fuck up. Somebody.”
Bain offered his hand and Layne stood up. He grabbed Bain by his shirt and then threw him back.
Layne hurried to take off his leather cut. He saw me and reached out, letting me take the cut. I gripped it, my hand shaking. It was like holding a relic, something so powerful and meaningful.
I then watched as Layne lifted his shirt up over his head. He threw the shirt to the ground. From my angle, all I could see was muscle and blood. Just below Layne’s shoulder, there was the wound. The blood ran in separate streams down his arm and to his hand, dripping to the ground. His chest was wide, powerful, cut in a way that made my fingertips tingle with a needy ache to touch. To kiss. To bite.
What’s wrong with you?
I needed to get it together here.
Layne touched his arm, his fingers pressing into the blood and wound. He growled and sucked in a breath. He looked left to right, back and forth across the lot.
SAVAGE ROAD (A Devil Call MC Book) (Layne & Shelby Book One) Page 2
