Dark Desires (Dark Romance Boxed Set)

by Cerys du Lys

  There was no time to think. A group of men loyal to Crash ran down the length of the clubhouse, kicking in windows to aim inside and shoot. It was utter madness. Women trapped inside screamed. There were children with them, their shrill voices raising the hairs on the back of my neck.

  “Spike!”

  Tank and Max, along with a few others, jogged up to me.

  “What do we do?”

  Why are they asking me that? “I don’t know.”

  It was all over too quickly in a confusing haze of gunshots. Another group left the clubhouse, flanking the Crash loyalists. They shot them before they could figure out they were the enemy.

  All of us stared at the clubhouse entrance, where a tall figure emerged. Cain fired again in the air. BANG.

  “The leadership of the Dragons has changed hands. Crash is dead. From this point forward, I’m President. I do not want any more bloodshed.”

  “Get the fuck out of my way!” Max screamed at Pike and River, who stepped aside when Cain nodded. He brushed past Cain, reentering the clubhouse, and slumped on the ground next to Crash’s head. He moved his friend’s head to the side and wiped the blood from his mouth.

  “You killed him.” I said, my voice almost a whisper. “He took you in and made you what you are.”

  “He had to go. He was a risk to the club’s future. By putting me in jail, he forced my hand.”

  “You put yourself in jail, you crazy asshole.” I no longer cared about the twin guns pointed to my chest. Crash was dead, killed by his own protégé. Behind me, Julia plucked my leather cut.

  “Don’t do it, Spike,” she breathed against my back. “I still need you.”

  I swallowed my surprise. She still cares about me. Julia wasn’t broken after all; she was just pretending to be. She was acting the whole time.

  The extremity of that burst in my head like a firework, fizzling out almost just as quickly.

  The man who helped you find your parents’ killer is dead.

  Cain’s heavy boots creaked the wooden floorboards as he made a beeline towards me. He stared at the patch on my jacket that said: Vice-President. Taking a switchblade from his pocket, he lunged at my chest. I was frozen in place, unable to move. Pike and River had me in their sights. Julia screamed behind me and I hoped for her sake that it would be quick.

  He grabbed my jacket and ripped the stitches around the VP patch and ripped it from my chest as if he dug inside my ribs to snatch out my still-beating heart.

  “Your time as Vice-President is over, Spike.”

  He eye-fucked me and slammed the patch against Pike, who caught it with a shit-eating grin.

  Members bolted from Cain as he swept around and parted the crowd. No one ever killed a President before. The Dragons never had such a ruthless leader, and no one knew how to handle it. Isn’t anyone going to do anything? Are we just going to let him get away with blowing away our President?

  I looked around at the bodies strewn on the floor. Those who stood up against him were dead already. At least a third of the club.

  Max, Tank, and I looked at each other. Tank’s grey hair and beard followed Cain, an expression of blind panic on his face.

  Cain moved around the clubhouse, circling Crash’s body like a shark. “This club will proceed with my agenda to remove the Tigers from Victoria. We will ambush them on Thursday and seize the shipment. I expect every member present. Anyone who doesn’t show up will be treated as a deserter. Pike, remind the club what happens to deserters.”

  “The punishment for deserting your brothers is death.”

  Death.

  I looked at Tank, who had two kids at home. He was too old for raids. One like this would be explosive. It would be a bloodbath. Not everyone would come out alive.

  “Spike, get rid of his body.”

  I couldn’t describe the rage pounding through my body as Cain looked at me with a little smirk, knowing how highly I thought of Crash and how it pained me to see him dead. He thought that he was being cruel by forcing me to bury Crash, but I wouldn’t want anyone else to do it.

  Max and Tank rushed over to help me as I grabbed underneath his arms. I tried not to think about how he was full of life only minutes earlier. His body was still pliable. It was as if he was still sleeping, but the charred, black hole in his chest and the blood dripping from his back said otherwise.

  We carried him outside and paused for a moment when we passed the line of bikes.

  “Let’s set him down here for a moment.”

  Crash’s body looked broken as it lay on the dirt. It was wrong. He didn’t belong there. I felt a pang as I realized he wouldn’t get the funeral he deserved. He paid for my folks’ funeral, and all he would get was a crude hole in the ground. Cain would never allow for a funeral. It was too risky. Word would get out to the other chapters.

  “What the fuck do we do?” Max said suddenly.

  “We need to contact another chapter and ask them for help. Tell them our VP has gone ballistic.”

  “They won’t believe it. They’ll try to contact Crash and then Cain will find out. He’ll kill all of us.”

  As we debated what to do, Crash’s bloody leather cut flapped in the breeze. His face was frozen in an expression of pain. It was beyond physical pain. He looked like he had his heart ripped out. I felt like mine was beating on the dust next to his body.

  “Let’s bury him first.”

  We dug his grave together, finding a few shovels tucked in the basement. Dirt flew into the air as we stood in the grave, Crash nearby in the shade. I chose a spot in front of the toughest looking tree. His body stiffened and his cheeks were sunken, and the tears flowed as I worked ever more furiously.

  The others climbed out to hand him over to me. I laid him carefully on the freshly dug earth and kneeled next to him.

  “Give me a minute.”

  My strangled voice sounded strange in my ears. I thought I would die with the pain in my chest. I adjusted his hands on his chest. It was hard to move his body because his limbs were stiff.

  “I’m sorry,” I said quietly to his ruined face. “I let you down. He was two steps ahead of me the entire time.”

  Another man’s blood is on my hands. When is this going to stop?

  The weight of his hand on my shoulder, squeezing slightly. His voice whispering words of comfort: It’ll be all right, son. We’ll get the sons of bitches. I promise.

  When I spoke again, my voice cracked. “I promise, Crash.”

  But already I was shoving him in a locked box in my mind, far and far away. Never again. I don’t ever want to feel like this.

  Then I thought of the woman who got me in this mess. Could I let her go? I tried stuffing her in the same box, burying her like I was burying Crash, but I couldn’t do it.

  When I tried, a sorrow like I’d never felt threatened to suffocate me. I knew I’d die for her, just like I knew I wouldn’t rest until I avenged Crash.

  “Spike.”

  She appeared in front of me like an apparition, standing over the grave. Her hair glowed in the sun like a halo. She climbed down into the grave, unperturbed by the body. Julia was tough as hell and it was one of the many things I loved about her.

  “It’s okay, Cain left with some of the others. Spike, I—”

  She slipped her arms around my waist and my head tilted down, catching her lips in a kiss. Her back hit the dirt wall, but she tightened her arms around me. Everything I felt exploded in my chest and I just wanted her—even if it was crazy, even if we were standing in a goddamn grave.

  “Spike.” Her voice was breathless with alarm, but even when she was scared she was so damn beautiful. Her thumb wiped tears from my cheeks.

  “Everyone’s lost their place in the world. We need to get the hell out of here before we’re both dead.”

  “Just follow my lead. Trust me.”

  I squeezed her tiny shoulders. What could she possibly have her sleeve? How could she be capable of stopping him? “Julia, this is nuts
. Every minute we spend here, we’re giving him more time to prepare. We need to get out, now. We could contact the other chapters for help.”

  She shook her head, looking terrified but determined. “You’ve forgotten. I’m a hustler. This is what I do. Let me fool him. If we leave, he’ll find us.”

  I wanted to argue, but her fingers dug into my sides as she kissed me again. Goddamn. What was it about her that made my heart fly out of chest? It was if nothing happened, as if Cain hadn’t beaten the shit out of her. She stepped back and smiled, strength blazing from every pore on her skin.

  Maybe she was stronger than me.

  * * *

  Over the week, the rest of the club fell into line as Cain assumed control. There was no more democratic voting; Cain was the dictator. He was undermining every rule of MC. No one was happy. You could tell from the tight, drawn faces on the members.

  No one would stand up against him. Not after what happened.

  This has always been his plan. From the beginning.

  I cleaned the bloodstained floors with a mop, relegated to menial labor after Cain ripped my VP patch. Members who were jealous of my promotion sneered at me. I didn’t fucking care.

  It was all for her.

  Julia kept her head down as Cain went about his business in the clubhouse, occasionally offering me a smile or a look to let me know that she was okay, but no one was okay. I was just biding my time.

  Max, Tank, and a few others were my only real allies. Every time I thought about how hopeless our situation was, I wanted to laugh. I walked by Crash’s grave every time I left the club and I thought that I could almost see his rage bubbling to the surface.

  You can’t just let him do this to me, Spike! C’mon!

  I’m trying! I thought desperately.

  Cain traveled everywhere with a pair of bodyguards and there was no telling what the rest of the club would do if I tried to get rid of him. Would they back me up or was their fear of Cain so strong that they would do anything he said?

  My stomach felt like lead when he called us in the office to discuss Thursday’s raid. To my surprise, an uncomfortable-looking Julia stood nearby in the corner, returning looks of confusion that everyone gave her. Old ladies were not allowed in the office.

  But Cain cared nothing about rules.

  We all listened as Cain went over the ambush, laying out a map on the table and pointing out where our positions were. Cain would lead the line of assault.

  Good, hopefully you’ll get killed.

  According to Cain’s sources there were several hundred thousand pounds of Red arriving at the docks. It would make the club rich beyond their wildest imagination.

  “Julia, you’ll be waiting in a car.”

  “What?” It was Tank who spoke.

  “We need a driver,” he said in poisonous voice.

  A stunned silence followed his words. Even Pike looked doubtful.

  “She’s an old lady. This is club business. They’ve no place in a fucking raid.”

  There were more than a few murmurs of agreement until Cain sent his icy stare down the table. “She is my old lady and I’ll decide what I want to do with her. If you insult her, you insult me. She is more than capable of driving a fucking car.”

  “It’s not about whether she can drive a car. That ain’t her place. It’s too dangerous for a woman.”

  Fuck you, Cain. Hatred boiled in my stomach.

  He was twisting the knife in my side. He was too busy sneering at me to see the looks of contempt thrown his way. We all filed out after the meeting. Julia hung back deliberately and I walked to her as the last members filtered out.

  “Julia, this is nuts. He can’t involve you in this.”

  She crossed her arms, staring outside. “This is an opportunity.”

  I still shook with rage. Why couldn’t she understand how risky this was? She had never been in a firefight before. I could see her face crumpled in pain as bullets burst through her body. I wouldn’t be able to handle it. I would never forgive myself.

  Her blue eyes narrowed. “Spike, I’m more than capable—”

  “I will never be able to live with myself if you get hurt.”

  I felt a deep tug in my chest that became almost painful when she brushed her fingers over my hand.

  “Why?”

  Why? “Because I’m in love with you.”

  It burst from my mouth before I realized what I was saying. Stunned by my own admission, my heart raced. At the same time, I felt it down to the marrow of my bones. Only love could make me feel so much pain and joy at the same time. From the moment I met her, I knew I would never be the same again. For her, I would do anything.

  The corner of her mouth twitched and her eyes slowly filled with tears, but she shook her head. “We can’t—this isn’t the time.”

  Terrified, she glanced outside where Cain waited. Her lips trembled and she furiously blinked them away. Dropping my hand, she whisked around and stalked outside. The terrible ache in my chest throbbed again.

  * * *

  The convoy of bikes roared through the sleeping city like a horde of angry bees. The docks were in the southwestern part of town. Behind them all was Julia’s inconspicuous convertible, roaring like a loud-mouthed redhead. She split up from the group as we neared the docks and I leaned into my bike to follow her. I was charged with guarding the western exits, with only one other guy to back me up. If Cain was trying to get me killed, he was making it remarkably easy.

  I sped past Julia’s convertible as she parked down the street. If anyone was injured, it was her job to drive into the blazing gunfire to save them.

  Maybe he’s trying to get rid of both of us.

  I couldn’t stop the dread from climbing up my throat like bile. We were riding into a firestorm, but so far nothing happened.

  We should be getting shot at. We were deep in Tiger territory on the day of their massive shipment, and they hadn’t closed the blocks? Something’s not adding up.

  I made a decision at the last minute to pull into an empty alley, shutting off the lights as Boomer followed me inside. I brought two shotguns with me, along with a sidearm, and a pistol with a sight.

  “What are we doing here, Spike? I thought we were supposed to go a few more blocks?”

  Boomer, a big fellow, slid from his bike with a little less grace. He was a good shot, but he’d be hopeless in a hand-to-hand fight.

  “I don’t know.” I leaned against the wall and looked down the street. There was nothing but the wink of streetlights. “It’s too quiet. I’m going to scout the place.”

  A fire escape led to the top of the apartment building. I stepped on the first rung of the ladder. “Stay in sight. Give me a shout if you see anything.”

  Boomer nodded and flattened his back against the brick wall to stare at the streets and I turned back to the ladder. Wind whipped my jacket as I climbed higher, passing by darkened windows as I climbed the next level. Finally, my head peeked over the top of the building. The rooftop was deserted so I climbed over, my legs shaking a bit with the strain of climbing so quickly.

  Looking down from the roof, I could see everything. I saw Julia’s car parked at a safe distance, half-hidden in the shadows. Traffic was nonexistent. The docks bobbed in the dark water as a giant shadow slowly drifted closer and closer. A procession of bikes blocks away sped towards it like bullets—Cain’s crew, most likely. Then I saw a bright flash out of the corner of my eye and heard yelling in the distance.

  A few blocks ahead, River and his group screamed something as glass exploded from the store behind them. They ducked inside and fired back.

  Where the hell are they?

  The crack of gunshots snapped through the air. I looked on the streets and couldn’t see a goddamn Tiger anywhere. Something moved ahead of me, a dark huddled mass on the buildings next to me.

  Fuck.

  Tigers were hunched over, completely swathed in black as they sat near the edge of the rooftops, picking off D
ragons milling in the streets. They knew we were coming. Of course, they knew. The man I interrogated had plenty of time to warn his people, and they set up an ambush for us.

  I squinted in the dark, trying to make out how many there were. Fuck, I couldn’t see shit from my building. They were well hidden. I needed to get down to tell the others.

  “Boomer! They’ve got the whole place staked out.”

  “Fuck.”

  Climbing down the staircase, I hit Cain on my cellphone. As much as I wanted Cain out, I couldn’t let my brothers die from his arrogance. I froze, thinking of Julia in her car, horribly exposed on the street.

  “What?” Cain’s malicious voice cracked into the speaker.

  “Cain, the Tigers are staked out on the rooftops. They’re picking us off.”

  “So what the fuck are you doing calling me? Take them out!”

  “We should pull out. We’ve walked into an ambush.”

  “Either get rid of them, or don’t bother coming back.”

  The line went dead. So that’s how it’s going to be, isn’t it? My instincts told me that it was hopeless. That I should get Julia and leave, but I couldn’t stomach it. I wouldn’t desert my brothers. Boomer watched my face anxiously.

  “I’m going to take them out. You’ll stay on the bottom and cover my exit.”

  “Spike, that’s crazy! You’ll never be able—”

  “I don’t have a choice.”

  River and his team were pinned down. I could only pray that they managed to take him out. Another loud gunshot made both of us duck. I dialed Julia as we walked back to our bikes.

  “What is it?”

  It was somehow hard to talk to her. “Listen, whatever you do, stay back. They’ve snipers on the rooftops and they’re taking us out.”

  “Shit.”

  I might not make it. “Julia, I—” I couldn’t tell her I loved her. She would know something was wrong. “I’ll come back as fast as I can.”

  “Okay. Be safe.”

  Her last words echoed in my head as I slipped the phone into my pocket. We hugged the walls, deciding that it would be safer to walk the two blocks to the snipers. Boomer’s red face streamed with sweat as we prepared to round the corner. I hoped to God the men on top wouldn’t hear the gunshots.