Snow was shoved into my mouth and up my nose as my face was pressed down into the ground hard by a strong hand clutching the back of my head.
“You fuckin’ cunt. We should have killed your dumb asses at O’Branaughs but Brooklyn wanted to spare Trey’s little gash of a sister.”
I recognized the voice as belonging to Baxter, Brooklyn’s younger brother. I tried to fight him off me but my struggle was fruitless. He whipped me around so quickly I felt like I had suffered from a bad case of whiplash.
My face was practically numb but not enough not to feel his hand as he punched me in the face. It wasn’t hard enough to break anything but I would have a nasty bruise. He backhanded me before he spread my legs and began to rip at my sweatshirt.
Tunnel vision took over and all I could see was red and black spots dancing in front of my eyes. The nightmare was starting all over again. He was going to rape me.
NO!
This couldn’t be happening.
My arms began to flail and I tried to stretch my body in any direction that would get me away from him. He pressed a knee into my stomach and leaned in. “Stop fightin’, you fuckin’ bitch or I will slit your fuckin’ throat!”
As my right hand managed to slip free, I grabbed his balls through the rank odor of his half open jeans and squeezed as tightly as I could. A noise similar to that of a wounded animal left his mouth as he crumpled to the ground next to me, holding himself and mewling at the same time.
I got on my knees and stood before I staggered to the Escalade. It was open despite me putting the key fob in my jean pocket. I didn’t hesitate to reach for the nine millimeter I’d brought along. By the time I turned around, he limped toward me, a gun in his own hand.
“You’re dead, cunt.” He smiled mirthlessly as he slowly lifted his arm but I was quicker. I steadied my stance, held the nine millimeter with both hands and unclicked the safety before I unloaded into his chest several times.
The recoil took me by surprise but I was so hyped on adrenaline, I barely noticed it. The walk to his dying body felt like a mile instead of twenty feet. He spit up blood and saliva as he struggled to breathe but this was one motherfucker who wouldn’t be going to Carson-Tahoe Hospital.
I shot him in the genitals before I ended his life with a shot directly to the forehead. His brains and blood splattered against the whiteness of the snow, the dark color of his blood looked black in the dark.
Cillian, Cricket and Naomi raced toward me and I didn’t realize I was being thrown into the backseat of the SUV until I was upright, pressed against the door. My whole body ached, especially my face and my stomach but as the adrenaline wore off, the multitude of my actions hit me full on.
I’d murdered a man.
I’d ended a human life and I was no longer any different than Trey.
It didn’t matter if it was just one person or twenty; the result was the same and I quietly cried in the backseat. I wouldn’t accept anyone’s pity, not right now. I was such a fucking mess and I was so sick of feeling sorry for myself. When was I going to take responsibility for my decisions?
Yes, I had killed someone but it was self-defense. He would have shot me if I hadn’t shot him first and yet again, someone from the Lennon clan had made an enemy out of the fucked up motorcycle club known as the White Knights.
Unfortunately, this time, that person wasn’t my brother but me.
Chapter Fourteen
LINX COULDN’T WAIT until their plane touched ground at Reno-Tahoe International Airport. All he could think about was the clusterfuck Trista had been involved with and how she was “not in a good way.” That had been the way Dizzy had explained the situation as if she had merely had a bad reaction to a certain medication.
If Trista was fucked up then it was really bad and she needed him now more than ever.
Trey was no better and he chain smoked on the way to the clubhouse as Cillian drove in silence.
“How the fuck could you let her go to the White Knights clubhouse? You realize this is the second time someone has tried to rape her? She is so fuckin’ far from okay, you have no motherfuckin’ clue!” Trey punched the back of the seat where Hardy sat and got a warning look from him as he turned around to glare at him with cold blue eyes.
“Calm down, brother. We know she’s your sister and we’re doing everything we can for her. The doc looked her over and she’s fine but she thinks she might be pregnant. The doctor took some blood work just to put her at rest but you guys haven’t been gone that long.” Cillian explained in a reassuring voice. “She didn’t even want you to fuckin’ know and if you tell her I told you, I’ll deny it all.”
“Wait a minute…what’s my sister doing pregnant? You’ve already got two kids and she’s only eighteen years old. She’s got her whole life ahead of her. She certainly doesn’t need to be saddled down with kids already, not with the kind of lifestyle you lead.” Trey tossed his cigarette out of the car window.
“Have you forgotten Trista is my wife? What goes on between us is strictly our business. I appreciate your concern but this is something we both want to do. I haven’t pressured her in any way. I just want her to be okay and if she isn’t pregnant then this conversation is moot. Can we deal with the issue at hand and what we plan to do about it?” Linx ran his hands through his hair and sighed.
The day felt like it’d lasted forever and in a way, it had. He was exhausted, worried and just wanted to see his wife again. It was true they hadn’t been gone for long but he was also working on a tight deadline and had to get back them back to L.A. as soon as possible. He had an album to complete and promote.
Trey looked in his direction with cold, hazel-green eyes. “You don’t have to worry about what you’re gonna do because what you’re doin’ is gettin’ my sister the fuck out of Nevada and taking her back to your vacuous life in L.A. Yes, you are a Club member but not the kind like Hardy, Cillian, Ronan, Quinn and I are. This lifestyle isn’t for you. You were brought in but think of yourself as an…honorary member. The only fuckin’ thing you gotta do is keep my sister safe and content, you feel me?”
“Yeah, Trey, I’m feelin’ you.” Linx looked out the window and couldn’t wait to get back to the compound.
The following morning, he was taking his wife and getting the hell out of Birch Tree. Fuck this place. She didn’t belong; her place was in L.A. by his side and the sooner they left this fucked up corner of the universe, the happier they would both be.
LINX WALKED THROUGH the clubhouse with his duffel bag and ran straight upstairs to the room he shared with Trista. He opened the door and she looked up from her iPad with a bright smile on her face. The device was thrown on the bed and she jumped up and threw herself into his arms.
“Fuck, I missed you so much, baby!” she exclaimed before they kissed each other with a hunger and aching need that refused to be denied.
He set her down and held her at arms’ length. Her face was indeed a mess. She had bruises around her eyes and a dark purple mark on her left cheek that looked like she’d gone a round with Mike Tyson in his prime. His fingers went to the bruise and she flinched slightly before she pulled his hand away and kissed his knuckles.
“It only looks bad, baby. It doesn’t hurt that much and nothing happened to me. I was just pushed around a bit but Cillian didn’t put me in harm’s way. What went down…that was just me being stupid and careless. If I had only listened to you and Gisela and even Cillian, I wouldn’t have been out there in the first place. It’s my own fault for thinkin’ I was such a badass.”
“It’s okay, baby. I shouldn’t have left you here alone in the first place. It was such a stupid thing to do and I’m sorry. I shoulda been here for you.”
Linx pulled her close again and she wrapped her arms around his waist and clung to him. “Doesn’t matter. We can’t change the past and all we can do is move forward, right? I love you…with every part of my being…with my heart, mind, body and soul. I belong to you and I always will. Nothing an
d no one can ever tear us apart. This, I promise you.”
He smiled against her as he ran his hands through her silky brown locks. “I love you too. So fuckin’ much it hurts sometimes. My biggest regret is not that I left but you didn’t come with me. That shit’s not happenin’ again. I’m your man but you’re my woman, and I would do absolutely anything to keep you safe. You got that?”
“Yes, I do.” She ran her nose against his neck and inhaled. “You need a shower…but after you get out, I want you to throw me on the bed and make crazy, wild fuckin’ fantastic love to me and then I want you to pound me so hard, I’m raw tomorrow on the way the airport. I want to get the fuck out of this podunk town as fast as motherfuckin’ possible.”
Linx lifted his eyebrows in amusement. “That is a tall order but I think I can make that work. Don’t you dare go anywhere.”
Trista backed up and sat down on the bed, all prim and proper in a long black maxi skirt paired with a cashmere sweater that was a bit too short. Every time she raised her arms, her gorgeous tummy was on display and he craved that sweet, olive toned flesh like no other. Everything about her was seductive, from the soft feel of her skin, to her scent of vanilla and freesia all the way up to those gorgeous blue eyes, which he would never get tired of looking into, ever.
He hated to leave her but he did stink and he planned on rectifying that. Reluctantly, he left her and walked to the bathroom. He couldn’t wait to be buried inside her, moving with her when they became one and he would always cherish that look on her face when she came.
LINX DRIED HIMSELF quickly with a towel, and walked into the bedroom where Trista laid on the bed reading on her iPad. She looked up and her smile was brief but sexy.
“It feels so good to know I don’t even have to find clean clothes. All I have to do is whip this towel off and take you right here, right now—”
“Not so fast, babe.” She set her tablet down though she didn’t turn it off. “Dizzy called a meeting in chapel. It starts in five minutes and you’re expected to be there. Sex is gonna have to wait for now, sweetie.”
“Fuck!” He bent down and rummaged through his duffel bag until he found a black wife-beater and a pair of a dark blue jeans that were clean.
Linx didn’t even pretend modesty as he dropped his towel on the floor and slid his jeans on followed by his shirt and grabbed a hoodie that zipped up. The compound itself was kept warm enough to prevent anyone from freezing but it certainly wasn’t comfortable to walk around without a full set of clothes on, socks and shoes included.
As soon as he’d put his shit-kickers back on with a pair of clean socks, he stalked out of the room and closed the door behind him. He made it to the meeting with less than a minute to spare and was the last member to arrive.
“Close the door, Lennon, and take your seat at the table.” Dizzy indicated a middle seat which put him smack dab in the middle of Quinn and Cricket.
The Prez sat at the head of the table, obviously, and to his direct right was Trey while to his direct left was his brother, Hardy. Cillian sat next to Trey and Ronan sat directly across from Cillian. Bookie was also there and a few other members he only knew by the names of Cricket, Brendan, Sean and Kink, named for his unusual sexual proclivities of fucking women in the ass though he swore he wasn’t gay.
They all stared at the Prez expectantly except Hardy who smoked a cigarette casually and really didn’t seem to care what the fuck was going on around him.
“I wanted to say the first order of business is that we have some changes comin’ up in the Club. They affect this one and the L.A. charter. It’s been a long time coming but Hardy has joined me now that he’s been forced to shut down his London charter. He would be vice-President of this charter since he was President of his own but I have decided to break with tradition. I’ve never had to get rid of a President to make room for another but that is just what is going to happen in L.A. Hardy will replace the current President and Ronan will follow him down there and become the new VP and Treasurer.”
“Hold up,” Cricket interjected. “If you’re replacing the Prez and VP of the L.A. charter then what happens to the current ones in charge?”
Ronan leaned his tattooed arms against the dark oak table. “They become nomads or they get dead real quick when we expose them to Aztecas Infierno and how they have been short-changing their VP when he picks up the money for the orders they have delivered. We all know that Lennon’s time here is temporary and he has a wife and a rock star lifestyle that needs tendin’ to. But, we can’t just send them home without protection and that’s exactly why Hardy and I are followin’ them back to the City of Angels.”
“Realize this is a permanent move that is going to cost us a brother in this charter. Quinn will stay on as Treasurer and nothing much else changes but this is a huge change in itself.” Cillian lit a cigarette and dragged on it before exhaling a stream of blue smoke.
“We all know the Prez and the VP of the Los Angeles charter have been fuckin’ up for a while now. Plus, there’s talk they’re both full blown cokeheads. They’re gettin’ high off what Aztecas Infierno supplies us with and that is unacceptable. We’re working on the details now but within the next few days, they’ll both be stripped of their patches. Hardy and Ronan will take over the L.A. charter. That way Kaz, Jaden and Linx have someone to go to if they need any help.”
“So, what happens to you, brother?” Quinn stared at Linx intently.
“I leave and go back to my old lifestyle. I have an album to finish up and then we have a tour planned early next year.”
“Ronan, Naomi and I will be traveling back with Linx and Trista to L.A. You gotta place for us stay until we get everything settled in Glendale, brother?” Hardy’s Cockney accent came through strong but he also made it clear it was a genuine question and not an order.
“Yeah, you guys can stay with us until everything is worked out in Glendale. After that, it’s just a matter of putting you in touch with my real estate agent so we can get you all some permanent digs in L.A.”
“Trista comin’ with you? On tour I mean. If she is pregnant, she’ll be in her second trimester and what are you going to do? Take her along when she should be restin’?” Trey dragged on his cigarette nonchalantly but it was obvious he was still pissed.
“Listen, we don’t know if Trista is pregnant and what goes on between a man and his wife is their business, you got me?” Dizzy stared down his son before his eyes shifted to Cillian.
“We have enough issues to worry about as it is and you have another on the way with your old lady. It’s even more of an incentive to make sure you get off on the charges of murderin’ an ATF agent.”
“I’m leaving tomorrow morning with Trista. She still feels bad about what went down at the compound and she blames herself. She’s gotta get outta here before she drives herself bat shit crazy.”
“She was badass that night, Linx. Pulled all the right moves and now that we have decimated the WK ranks, they shouldn’t pose too much of a problem.”
“Yeah, about that…seein’ as the Sheriff has stepped up on patrols, the lockdown ends tomorrow for everyone. No use havin’ a bunch of pent up, crazy assholes on lockdown when the WKs aren’t likely to mess with us again. Plus, I have contacted Navarro and he’s going to be providin’ protection for all the brothers at the table and their families. I had to take on another fifty kilos a month to get that but I would rather have my family safe than dead.”
“What’s the other order of business, Da?”
“Well, we have a new member to replace Ronan. Please give a warm welcome to Trey Lennon-Cox. He was a Bastard for many years but it didn’t work out and seein’ how he’s my blood, I admitted him to the Club after he was kidnapped.
“He will share the task of computer security and seein’ as he’s one of the best hackers in the country, he should serve us very well. Just know this: you gotta problem with Trey, you bring that shit to me and it gets brought to the table. He has no control o
ver his parentage and I want no rumors, innuendo or double-talk goin’ on in this club. We got enough issues as it is and the last thing we need to do is start tearin’ ourselves apart at the seams. Any questions?”
“Yeah, what position does Trey get?” Quinn’s blue eyes darted around the table.
“Trey will keep his current position and still be Sergeant-at-Arms here.”
“So, basically, he’s just replacing Ronan who was Sergeant-at-Arms?”
“Yeah, bro, he’s replacin’ me but I would rather be in L.A. anyway and Naomi has already spoken about it to her superiors. They think it is a good move. We may just have to hand over some brothers and then blame them for this whole mess. I’m thinkin’ of instead of handin’ them over to Navarro, we can turn them in to the DEA. That way, Navarro doesn’t think the Club has any weak links and we look like we’re more than happy to help out the government and get them the fuck out of our business.”
In Too Deep (The Lovers Duet) Page 12
