B00M39ZWUO EBOK

by Michelle Woods - Catching Trick (Red Devils MC #3) , 25th July

  “Let’s just eat, it will be okay.” Trick said, hoping he was right. They needed to get that fire contained. Otherwise they’d be short supplies for sale and possibly for the club. Going hungry was never a good thing.

  “Okay,” Katie replied, sitting down to eat as well. She knew enough about the Club to know that no matter how many times she asked him, he wouldn’t tell her about club business. Even though it put a grim frown on his face, and most likely worry gripping his gut. She sighed, she’d have to get used to their male overprotectiveness. It wasn’t like she wasn’t used to it from her father. Although, the Red Devils took it to another level. She knew their ‘don’t worry your pretty little head about it’ policy wasn’t something a single woman in the club liked, but they were stone walled every time they tried to talk their men into sharing.

  It was just their way. Men took care of the club and women took care of them. That was the way she’d have to learn to live if she wanted to be part of his life, and there was no doubt that she did. Later that night she was sitting with her feet in Trick’s lap as he cleaned his gun, and she read, when his phone beeped. Trick looked at it, then growled and furiously texted on it before growling again and standing up.

  “What’s wrong?” She asked.

  “Damn it, Bone wants me to leave you alone. What the hell? I can’t go out to the farm.” Trick began to pace in front of the couch.

  “Is what he wants you to do important?” She questioned.

  “Fuck, yes.” He growled, pissed off. Damn it, he couldn’t leave her here alone, but Bone’s text was that they needed help. They hadn’t been able to get the fire out yet and the reinforcements had been delayed, they needed every man they could get.

  “Then go, Trick. I will be fine, the stalker has no idea where I am, and I can keep your gun.” Katie told him.

  “You hate guns.” He grumbled, but he knew she was right.

  “Yes, but thanks to you I know how to use them. I will be fine. I don’t like them, but I can use one.”

  Katie was right, again. He’d made sure that she knew how to use a gun years ago. It was unsafe for her not to know, living around the club. If she’d needed a gun, he’d wanted her to know how to use it. She was a natural. It was too bad she refused to use them.

  “Trick, if they need you go.”

  Pulling her into his arms, he clung to her for a moment, and then he returned to the table, he reassembled the gun. He walked to her and placed it in her hand.

  “You keep this in your hand until I get back, got it!” He growled.

  “Got it.” She parroted back at him.

  “I’ll be back in a few hours, I have my phone, call me if anything happens. Anything.” He demanded.

  “I will.” She said, holding the gun. He left a few minutes later. She waited about two minutes after he left to set the gun on the table as far away from the chair she chose to sit in as she was able. She hated guns. What Trick didn’t know wouldn’t hurt him.

  She was just getting into her book again when she heard a click of the door handle behind her, she got up, smiling. “What did you forget…?” She began, only when she stood and turned towards the door, she was facing a gun leveled at her. Shit, she really should have listened to Trick.

  Monica was standing in the doorway with a gun pointed at her, and an evil smile on her face. Katie knew in that moment that she was the stalker, what she didn’t know was why.

  “Monica?” Katie questioned, not wanting the other woman to know she knew what she was doing here. Maybe if she pretended not to know the other woman wouldn’t kill her. “What are you doing here?”

  “Like you don’t know, Katie.” Monica looked at her with crazy eyes. She flung the gun around as she began to speak. “Oh look its Katie, the Devils darling! Ha, you’re just a whore, and I warned you over and over, didn’t I.”

  “Monica, what are you talking about?” Katie asked, playing dumb. Although, she wasn’t sure what the woman was talking about, she did realize that she was the stalker.

  “Nice try, Katie, but I know you’re not that stupid.” Monica glared at her, leveling the gun at her again. “You didn’t have to die, I wouldn’t have killed you if you’d taken the warnings. You should have left.”

  “Monica, why? Why are you doing this?” She asked, trying again to distract the other woman. If she could just get to the gun on the table over by the wall. Why the hell had she put it way over there? Oh right, she thought looking at the gun which was being waved wildly in the air as Monica seemed to have a conversation with herself.

  “Why, she asks me, why? As if she doesn’t know already. I warned her. I warned her. She knows.” Katie began to edge closer to the table, only she stopped when Monica leveled the gun at her again.

  “Stop.” She muttered in a cold voice that sent shivers of fear down Katie’s spine. “You already know, why Katie. They all love you. They invite you to their outings, you’re the Devils darling, and it’s not fair. They should love me.” The woman began a mocking refrain the gun wavering, and she seemed to slip back into crazy town. “Katie’s so great. Let’s bring Katie. I know who I should ask, Katie. Katie, Katie.”

  Dear lord, the woman was mad. Utterly mad! Katie saw the chance that she may get out of this alive beginning to dwindle.

  “They should love me. They don’t though, they love you. Mary Ann, the old ladies, and Trick. They all love you. When they see me they always hush quickly and rush away. Or be downright rude. Trick patched you, he patched you! I was with him first and he loved me, but you tricked him. Just like you tricked them all! You’re just a whore. A whore!” Monica was tapping the gun against her forehead, which made her look even crazier. Katie tried to edge closer to the gun. Only she found the gun leveled on her again.

  “Stop, moving, whore!” Monica screeched. “Once your dead, then they will all love me, just like they did before. I’ll have my life back. The one you stole from me. Trick will patch me and everyone in the club will love me, as they should already. It’s your fault. This is all your fault!”

  “Trick will be back any moment. He won’t let you kill me.” Katie bluffed, trying to figure out a way to get out of this alive. Monica began laughing, the wicked sound of it made Katie shiver in fear, again. This bitch was batshit crazy.

  “That’s was a nice try, Katie. It might have even worked, you know.” She said laughing again. Monica seemed to be having another psychotic break, as she laughed sounding like a hyena. Then she talked to herself in that weird way, like she was talking to someone else, only in her head. Katie wondered how she’d been able to hide this. She knew that no one had seen any signs of this erratic behavior. She watched the woman hitting her head and waving the gun and edged just a little closer to the table.

  Monica snapped to attention again, damn. “Nuh-uh, Katie. I told you to stay still.” The woman walked closer to her, moving into the living room away from the door.

  “Monica, what is this about?” Katie asked, trying to act confused. Monica looked at her with that cold expression.

  “You know. It’s like you wanted to die. You kept pushing me to do it. I punished you and you ran away. How could you run away? I wanted to see you suffer, and they should have seen who you really were. Only somehow you convinced them that they needed to wisk you away. That was not very well done of you, Katie.” Monica growled, looking at her with a dark scowl. Shit, this was bad. “I had to take matters into my own hands then. I had to get them away from you! I Had to do it. They’ll forgive me. They’ll forgive me.” She said, again making Katie nervous with the wild gun waving.

  “They’ll forgive what, Monica?” Katie asked.

  “The fire.” She replied.

  “You set a fire?”

  “No dummy, how could I do that and be here? I stole a Jackal’s cut and then I paid someone to set the fire. Then when they all left, I stole this.” She said, holding up a cell phone.

  Katie had no idea why that was important. She didn’t know how steali
ng a phone was the winning piece of an admittedly brilliant plan. “A cellphone?”

  “Not just any cell phone, Bone’s cell phone.” And Katie realized that Monica was the reason Trick had left the cabin. She’d sent the text to Trick. Now, Katie was here alone with the crazy bitch, and she was most likely going to die tonight.

  Chapter 20

  Trick felt his phone vibrate in his pocket about ten minutes away from the cabin, and he pulled over, worried it was Katie. He answered, hearing Bone’s voice instead of Katie’s, he was disappointed.

  “Wanted to let you know that we found the weasel who set the fire. Tick, didn’t know the guy had set a fire, but he followed him because he got into a cage wearing his colors. The Jackal’s are fucked up, but even they respect their colors. Tick thought it was odd and followed. Ratchet let him know about the fire, Tick decided to question him. He was paid by a woman to set the fires. I thought I’d let you know. It’s possible that Katie’s stalker is a woman.” Bone finished.

  “Okay, do I still need to head over to the farm, or did they finally get the fire out?” Trick asked.

  “To the farm? Why would you head over there, you have to cover Katie.” Bone sounded as confused as Trick felt. The man had texted him less than twenty minutes ago to go to the farm, but he didn’t seem to remember anything about it. That was when a cold felling settled in his gut.

  “You sent me a text twenty minutes ago to head over ther…”

  “Wait, you’re not at the cabin with Katie?” Bone asked.

  “No, asshole, you texted me to head over to the Dixon farm.” Trick growled.

  “Fuck, fuck. Get back to the cabin, now!” Bone roared. “My phone is missing, someone else must have sent that text. I had to use Molly’s phone. How far away are you?”

  “Ten fucking minutes, but I’ll make it back in five.”

  Trick didn’t bother to talk anymore, the stalker was with Katie. Shoving the phone into his pocket, he spun around heading back to the cabin. Praying that he wasn’t already too late.

  Three minutes later, he pulled into the drive, grateful that the trees lining it muffled the sound of his motor inside the cabin. He jogged up the small walk way, as he approached he could hear voices. He could make out Katie asking, in a bewildered tone.

  “A cell phone?”

  “Not just any cell phone, Bone’s cell phone.” A woman replied, wickedly.

  Shit, he thought as he opened the door, seeing a woman with her back to him. The woman was holding a gun leveled at Katie. She turned to look at him and his jaw almost dropped when he saw that the woman was Monica. She turned the gun towards him.

  “Monica,” He asked surprised, how had he missed that she was insane, he wondered. He’d dated the woman for two months.

  “Why are you here? You’re not supposed to be here! You always ruin everything don’t you, bitch! If I’d just killed you instead of talk, I would be gone!” She was screaming and the gun was again pointed at Katie, then it swung back towards him.

  “No heroics! You put that gun you have down, then slide it over here. Then I will kill the bitch, and you will love me again.” Monica said.

  Shit, she was really insane if she thought he was going to let her kill Katie. Not seeing any other option, he slid his gun across the floor to her. Then he moved around the couch moving closer to Katie.

  “Stop!” Monica screech, now holding his gun, as well as the one she already had. She then laid his on the counter behind her, without looking. “The bitch has to die, so that everyone can love me again. She’s the problem. She’s the problem. You’ll see, you’ll see.” Monica was slapping the gun against her forehead, looking even crazier than she did a moment ago.

  “We all love you, Monica” He said, trying to reason with her. Maybe if he could convince her to leave with him instead of killing Katie, then maybe he could get the gun away from her. “Why don’t we just leave her here? We can just make her stay here. Then you and I can go back to Devils falls, together. I can force Katie to stay here, and we can be together.” He didn’t really speak crazy, but he hoped he’d be able to get her to come with him without trying to hurt Katie.

  “No, you gave her that.” She pointed the gun at the property patch, which was lying on the back of the couch. Shit, he’d hope she hadn’t noticed it. “You’re under her spell. She wouldn’t take the warning, I warned her! I did, I did.” She said, seeming to be having a conversation with herself. The way she was waving the gun around as she did made him jumpy.

  “Yes, she was stupid to ignore you.” Trick said soothingly, his eyes meeting Katie’s. She was looking from him to the table behind her. He took a step to the side, and saw the gun on the table behind her. If he could just get to it.

  “She’s going to have to die, now.” Monica seem to sing as she said this and the smile on her face made his heart almost stop. That smile was creepy as fuck. He edged closer to Katie. Monica started growling.

  “Stop, stop, stop!” She pointed the gun at him again. He stopped, waiting to see what she would do.

  “Now, no more moving! She dies.” She then turned the gun on Katie and this time she got that evil grin again.

  Katie looked at him, her eyes sad as she whispered. “I love you, Trick.”

  Monica’s finger moved on the trigger and Trick jumped towards Katie as the gun fired. He felt the bullet hit his chest as he fell on her. The burning was fucking hell. Fuck that hurt. Katie screamed and she clutched at him as his vision began to fade, why the hell was she screaming instead of grabbing the gun.

  Katie felt her head hit the wall as the two of them went down. Damn that hurt, she thought. She should grab the gun and shoot Monica, but when she sat up she realized that Trick was bleeding. Badly. She was freaking out, that was a lot of blood. Trick had been shot. Fucking shot, by that crazy bitch.

  She couldn’t believe how much blood was already soaking the left side of his chest, and he wasn’t responding to anything she was screaming at him. No, please, don’t let him die, please. Not now when they were finally together. She couldn’t bear it if he left her now.

  “Trick, Trick please!” Katie cried, ripping the blanket off the chair nearby to press against his chest.

  “See what you’ve done, you whore! I shot him. I shot him. It’s all your fault.” Monica was screaming. Katie looked up at her with tears streaming down her face and her heart squeezing so hard she wasn’t able to breathe. Staring at the crazy bitch who’d shot her man. She was shaking the gun at Katie and screaming at her to get away from Trick. Only Katie wasn’t about to move away from Trick, if she didn’t keep pressure on this wound he’d bleed out.

  “Fine, I will kill you then I will take him to Doc. He’ll fix him, and then we can be together.” Monica said, leveling the gun at Katie. Making her wish she’d shot Monica before she’d panicked about Trick being shot. She closed her eyes. Maybe if the crazy bitch shot her, she’d take Trick to Doc and he might survive. She really hoped so.

  Katie heard the gun fire and waited to feel the pain of the bullet entering her flesh, only it never came. Finally opening her eyes, she saw Tank standing in the doorway holding a gun and Monica was lying on the floor with a hole between her eyes. Tank rushed into the cabin.

  “You okay?” He asked, kneeling beside her.

  “No,” Katie said, tears filling her eyes. “We have to save him.” She demanded.

  “Let me look, Katie.” Tank made her release the pressure.

  “Shit, we got to get him to Doc, quick.” Tank pushed the blanket back over Trick’s chest. “Hold the pressure while I move that cage closer to the door. Doc’s at the Dixon’s, thank god. I don’t think he’d make it all the way to Devils Falls.” Tank waited until she pressed down, then stood.

  “Hurry.” She told him, her heart beating too fast and her mind in a chaotic mess. The back of her head throbbed were she’d smacked it on the wall, but she didn’t care. She was crying, pressing down against the wound and praying that he lived. />
  “You have to live, you damn asshole. Who else will drive me crazy, like you do? Please, please don’t leave me.” Katie was still repeating those words to Trick’s still form when Tank rushed back in.

  “Okay, you have to keep the pressure and I will carry him.” Tank told her, she waited till he was ready then held pressure as Tank hefted Trick up. She was surprised that the man didn’t seem strained lifting a man she knew weight at least two sixty. Of Course, Tank was at least two ninety and built like a mountain, so maybe it wasn’t that surprising. They got Trick into the bed of the truck.

  “You hold the pressure on that wound, while I get us to the farm okay, honey.”

  Katie reached out catching his arm. “No, you hold the pressure, I can drive this hunk of junk faster than you.” Katie demanded.

  “No, I will drive, you stay back here.”

  “We do not have time to argue, damn it! Who got Buck to Doc? Which one of us has won twenty eight races? Me, now shut up and hold the fucking pressure!” Katie didn’t wait, she just grabbed his hand and made him keep pressure on the wound.

  “Twenty eight?” Tank asked, surprised.

  “Yeah,” Katie said, ignoring his shock and jumping down to run to the cab. Not many people knew about her addiction to racing. Only about four, if Trick or her father had ever found out she would have been watched like a hawk. They didn’t realize that she hadn’t out grown her wild racing days like they thought. Nope, she went over to Millrun, about twice a month and she always won.

  She drove faster as she raced to the Dixon farm than she could even remember. She did know that the Trucks needle had been at ninety, which was as high as it went. When they screeched to a halt outside the farm, Tank was glaring at her, looking a bit green.

  “Where the hell did you learn to drive like that girl?” He demanded.

  “It doesn’t matter let’s get him to Doc.” Katie growled.

  “What the hell is going on Tank?” Ratchet asked, striding out towards the truck from the main house.