Smolder: A Devil Chaser's MC Romance

by Wilder, L

  “Sure thing, but I have to tell you, I’ve gotten a lot better since the last time we played. I might just beat you this time,” Bobby said sounding hopeful.

  “Not gonna happen, Crack Nut. You and I both know you can’t beat me. I’ll give ya a fair shot, though. You break ‘em.”

  We played two rounds, and I beat him both times. He looked a little disappointed, but he had to know that he couldn’t win. No one had beaten me at pool in years. Sheppard was sitting at the bar grinning like the Cheshire Cat.

  “You couldn’t just let him win one game?” Sheppard asked teasingly.

  “Why the hell would I do that? He’d never let me live that shit down. He’s still bragging about beating Doc, and we both know he let him win that game,” I said taking a swig of beer.

  “Yeah, I see your point. Hey, Bishop said that Taylor was coming down for a visit. I thought she’d be here by now.”

  “I’ve tried calling her four times already. She should’ve been here hours ago, and she isn’t answering her phone,” I replied, glancing down at my cell.

  “Aw man, you know how women are. They’re late to everything. I bet she had to fix her hair or something. Don’t worry about it. She’ll be here soon. If she doesn’t show, we’ll go find her,” he said reassuring me.

  “I don’t have a good feeling about this, Sheppard. She sounded strange on the phone. Something was bothering her. I know something isn’t right,” I told him. I really was getting concerned. Something was up, and I didn’t like it.

  “It’s probably some dude. Is she dating anybody?”

  “Hell, I don’t know. Probably. A girl like her doesn’t go single for long. I’m sure she has guys drooling over her all the time.”

  “Yeah, it’s probably just some guy she had a fight with. I bet they made up, and she decided not to come,” Sheppard said.

  “It’s not like her not to call me back, though. I’ll give it some time, but if she’s not here in a few hours, I’m going to look for her.”

  “I’ll go with you. Just give me a heads up. You don’t need to go up there alone. If there is a problem, I’ll have your back.”

  “Thanks, man. I’ll let you know,” I said. I patted him on the shoulder and went back to my room. I pulled out my wallet and removed the folded picture from the side pocket. It was an old picture of Taylor and me. I was standing beside her with my arm around her shoulder. We’d spent the day riding my bike out by the lake, and I’d taken her to my special place by the water. It was one of the best days that I could remember. I knew back then that I’d never want another girl like I wanted her. It almost killed me every time she hugged me or even brushed up against me. As I sat there looking at the old picture of us together, I decided that I would do anything for her.

  It seemed like I had been staring at that picture for hours when I finally decided to try calling her again. When she didn’t answer, I’d had enough.

  “Where the hell is she?” I shouted. I decided it was time to find out what was going on. I went back to the bar and found Sheppard.

  “I’m done waiting. I’m heading to Kentucky. Something isn’t right.”

  “Okay, let me grab a few things. We need to tell Bishop that we’re heading out. Depending on what’s going on, it might be a few days before we get back.”

  I nodded. “I’ll call him. Meet me out front when you’re ready.”

  It was close to midnight when we finally made it to Taylor’s apartment. We parked our bikes out front and walked inside. I was immediately pissed. The place had absolutely no security. No one even tried to stop us from entering the elevator. When the doors opened, we went straight to her door. I didn’t hear noise coming from the apartment, so I tapped on the door. When no one answered, I started banging on it with all of my might.

  “Taylor! Open the damn door!” I shouted. I continued to pound on the door and call her name, until an elderly lady stuck her head out of her apartment across the hall. She was wearing an old tattered robe and slippers. It was obvious that we had woken her up.

  “Haven’t you done enough to her? You need to just leave her alone! She’s a sweet girl, and she doesn’t deserve all this. You need to just go away,” she hissed as she gave us the stink eye.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about lady. I’m a friend of her brother’s, and I’m trying to see if she’s okay,” I tried to explain. “What’s going on? Do you know where she is?” I asked.

  “Well, she’s not okay. Earlier today she was taken to the hospital. I heard her screaming from her apartment, and it sounded like someone was hurting her. Then, when I heard a man shouting at her, I called the police, but he was already gone by the time they got here. She was hurt pretty bad, so they took her to the emergency room.”

  “Fuck!” The old woman jumped as I slammed my hand against the wall. I didn’t mean to scare her, but I couldn’t control my anger.

  Sheppard gave me a warning look before he turned to her and asked, “We need to go see her. Can you tell us which hospital they took her to?”

  She stared at me for a minute like she was trying to decide if I was telling the truth before she answered, “We only have one. They had to take her up to Caldwell County Hospital over on Highway 62. It’s about 10 miles from here.”

  “Thank you. We’ll go check on her. Thank you for looking out for her,” Sheppard told her.

  “She would do the same for me. You tell her to steer clear of that man she was seeing. I told her that he was bad news. She always sees the best in people, but I knew something wasn’t right about that boy.”

  “What guy was she seeing?” I asked as I tried to get ahold of my temper.

  “I don’t know the boy’s name, but he always wore a leather vest like yours. It was different though. I think his had a red dragon on the back. He’s a big guy, and he’s a handsome thing. I just always thought there was something off about him,” she said with concern in her voice.

  “Do you think he’s the one that did this to her?” Sheppard asked.

  I clinched my fists as I became consumed with anger. Sheppard noticed that I was losing control, so he stepped closer to me and tried to calm me down.

  He leaned over to me and whispered calmly, “We need to go see if Taylor’s okay. I’ll come back and talk to the neighbor in the morning.” He turned to her and asked, “You mind if I come back tomorrow and ask you a few questions? It’s important that we know who we’re dealing with.”

  “That would be fine, dear. You come by anytime. I’ll be here.”

  On the way to the hospital, I was overcome with guilt. I’d let Ace down again. I should’ve been there when he made that delivery a few months back. He was my best friend, and he might’ve still been here if I’d been there to help. Now, his sister was hurt because I hadn’t taken the time to go check on her. I should’ve come to see what was wrong. Maybe this wouldn’t have happened if I wasn’t such a selfish asshole. What was I thinking?

  I couldn’t imagine who’d ever think about hurting Taylor. She’d always been softhearted, but she never took shit off of anyone. Now I knew why she’d been trying to get away from here for a while. Some asshole was giving her trouble, and he was going to regret it. He’d better hope she’s okay.

  When we finally made it to the hospital, the nurses wouldn’t let me go back to see Taylor. They bitched because it was after midnight and visiting hours were over or some bullshit like that. I tried to bully my way through, but they weren’t having it. One heavyset nurse threatened to call the police if I didn’t leave. I wasn’t happy about leaving the hospital without knowing if she was okay, but they didn’t leave me much choice. I’d have to come back first thing in the morning and figure out what the hell was going on.

  Chapter 2

  Taylor

  The sound of Renegade’s voice echoed down the hall. I could hear him shouting at the nurses, demanding to see me. Thankfully, they stood their ground and wouldn’t let him in. It was way past visiting hours, and they
told him he had to come back in the morning. God, I didn’t want him to see me like this. I’m sure my face looks like I was on the losing end of a bar fight, and this cast is a total nuisance. He’s going to freak right on out when he sees what Gage did to me.

  I knew things were getting bad for us, but I never thought he’d actually hurt me. I’d gotten in his face several times over the past few months, and he’d never even flinched. I just didn’t think he was the type to lose his temper like he did, but when he saw that I was packing to leave, he totally lost it. I’ve never seen a man with such fury in his eyes. It was like he wasn’t even the same person.

  I was shocked when he backhanded me across the face. I could feel the flesh break around my cheekbone as it swelled from the impact. I just stood there in shock. What the hell was I thinking? Why didn’t I run? Or grab something to hit him with? I just couldn’t believe he’d actually hit me. When he grabbed my arm, I tried to pull away, but he was just too damn strong. The one thing that I’d thought was so sexy about him, ended up scaring the living shit out of me. I screamed at him to let me go, but he just laughed at me. The asshole laughed at me. He began shouting and told me that I would never leave him. He kept shouting that I was his, and he wasn’t going to let me go. It was like I wasn’t even a real person to him. I was his possession. He twisted my arm behind my back, and I felt the bone snap as he pulled harder. I dropped to my knees, pleading for him to let me go.

  I never believed that I would be one of those women that would be abused by a man. I just thought it wouldn’t ever happen to me. Damn, I was so stupid. All those little warning signs came flashing through my mind as he started to hit and kick me after I fell to the floor.

  For one, he never left my side when we were at his clubhouse. I thought he was being sweet, but now I realize he was trying to control me. He just wanted to make sure I didn’t stray too far. Then, he’d ask to see my phone to call one of his guys, but now I think he was just checking to see who I’d been talking to. That’s the only way he would have known I’d called Renegade. I’d realized early on that I couldn’t even mention Ren’s name without him getting all defensive about it. Gage always bad mouthed him and told me to stay away from him and the club. He said the Devil Chasers were bad news, and they were the reason Ace was dead. I hate to admit that I’d agreed with him at the time, but I was just missing Ace. I blamed them for not being there when he’d needed them.

  I’d always loved Ace’s club. That’s one of the reasons I’d started dating Gage. I’d missed being around all the motorcycles and the feeling of family, but Gage’s club was nothing like the Devil Chasers. They were not nice men, and most of them gave me the creeps. Actually, I was always glad Gage stayed by my side while we were at the clubhouse. I’m such an idiot. I should have known then to get away from him and his stupid club. He was just so sweet and attentive, not to mention, hot as hell. He was at least a foot taller than me and built like a linebacker. He was always working out, lifting weights, or running. His hair was dark blonde, almost brown, and he had amazing green eyes. When he smiled, it made me weak in the knees. He seemed to have it all. Too bad he was bipolar and almost killed me.

  I couldn’t even see him by the time he walked out of my apartment. My eyes were swollen shut, and I’m pretty sure my head was bleeding from where he kicked me with his boot. I just laid there in the floor praying that someone would come find me. I was in and out of consciousness, but luckily I didn’t have to wait long. The police came rolling in my front door with a thunder. My sweet, nosey neighbor had called them when she heard me screaming. I could hear her telling them to be careful with me. She’s such a sweet thing. I think I’ll bake her some cookies or something when I get back home.

  I have no doubt that Renegade will be here first thing in the morning. It’s going to be hard to see him. I’ve missed the way that he always looks at me. His brown eyes are so intense, and my body tingles all over whenever he’s around. I’ve always had a thing for him. I could just never get him to admit that he felt the same way. Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe he could care less about me. It might all be in my head, but I swear I see something more when he looks at me. His body tenses up every time I touch him. He almost looks like he’s in pain when I put my arms around him for a hug. Sometimes, I would find myself touching him just for the hell of it. I wanted to see if I could still get a rise out of him.

  I fell asleep thinking about the time he took me for a ride on his bike. He surprised me by taking me out to one of his favorite places by the lake.

  Three years ago….

  “Where are you taking me?” I asked Renegade.

  “You’ll just have to wait and see. You know you’ve never been very patient, Taylor,” he said with a chuckle. He was always giving me a hard time about not being able to wait for things. It drove me nuts.

  Today, I decided to make him pay for giving me a hard time. I slowly moved my hands from his waist and moved them lower down the side of his leg. I let them roam across the top of his thighs as I pressed my breasts against his back. I could feel the muscles in his body become tense, and I couldn’t help but laugh at his reaction. He grabbed one of my hands and put it back on his side.

  “Be still! You are gonna make me have a wreck, and I’ll never hear the end of it from Ace.”

  “So you’re saying I’m distracting you?” I said laughing.

  “Don’t push me, Taylor. Just sit back and enjoy the ride, or I’m taking you back to the house.”

  “Damn, Noah, you’re no fun. Always so freaking serious.” I could see a hint of a smile when I called him by his real name. I didn’t do it often, but I liked calling him by his given name. It was like a secret that he only shared with me.

  We rode quietly until we reached a small clearing by the water. Renegade pulled the bike up close to the edge. It was almost sunset by the time we made it to his special place. I was surprised that I’d never seen it before. I’d been to the lake every summer for years and never noticed it. We were parked up on a cliff looking down on the water, and the sun was beginning to set. The bright orange colors of the sun were reflecting off of the water. It was quiet, and no one was in sight.

  “This is really beautiful. I’ve never seen anything like it before.”

  “I like to come up here to clear my head. Not many people know about it.” He took a moment to look around and said, “I’d like to build a house out here someday.”

  “It would be an incredible place for a house! You should absolutely do that. I’ll even come help you decorate when it’s done. That would be so much fun!”

  “Ummm…. No. That’s not gonna happen. I don’t want a bunch of girlie shit all around my house. I can just imagine how many damn throw pillows you’d have scattered around the place. No way.”

  “Really? Throw pillows? That’s not my style, Ren. You never know. I might just surprise you.”

  He gave me a curious look and said, “You surprise me all the time, Taylor.”

  I rested my head on his shoulder as we watched the sun set. I loved being close to him. He was so strong and always made me feel safe. He never judged me and accepted me just the way I was. I knew I wasn’t like the girls he normally spent time with, but he always made me feel special. I had grown to love him over the past few years, and I hoped one day that he would feel the same way about me. It was a perfect night and the perfect place. I decided it was time to surprise him again.

  I eased my way off the back of his bike and turned to face him. He had a serious look on his face as I placed my hands on the sides of his face. I gently pulled him closer to me as I brushed my lips across his. His hand wrapped around my waist, pulling me closer. The warmth of his body consumed me as he took control of the kiss. His lips were hard and demanding as he claimed my mouth. A deep growl vibrated through him when I opened my mouth and our tongues met. He grabbed the thick of my hair as he deepened the kiss. I began to suck his bottom lip and slowly eased my way between his legs. He was almost lost in hi
s own need when reality came crashing down on us.

  He released my hair and forced himself to pull away from me saying, “Taylor, we can’t do this. I knew better than this. I don’t know what I was thinking.” A worried look crossed his face as he looked at me and said, “We need to go.”

  I stared at him with a raised eyebrow but never said a word. I simply made my way back onto the bike and waited for him to take me back home. I was disappointed that he’d stopped the kiss. I’d hoped that he would finally admit that he had feelings for me, but I knew there was no point in pushing him. When he made up his mind about something, there was no changing it. I would just have to keep my feelings to myself from now on, or I might lose him altogether.

  ****

  With my eyes still closed, I could feel the warmth of the morning sun on my face. I dreaded facing the day. I was just about to open my eyes when I felt tingles creep over my body. Damn it. He’s already here. The room was filled with his scent. He always smelled like a mix of cologne, leather, and sex. My heart was practically beating out of my chest just knowing he was in the same room. I wondered how long I could lay there and pretend to be asleep. I wasn’t ready to face him. What the hell was I going to say to him? He was going to be so disappointed in me for letting this happen. God, I bet I look like shit. I’m just going to keep my eyes closed and pray he goes away. Please, for the love of Pete, let him just go away.

  Chapter 3

  Renegade

  “I know you’re awake, Taylor,” I told her. I don’t know why she was trying to pretend that she was still asleep. She’d never been good at faking anything. Her eyelids have been twitching, and the monitor on the wall showed that her heart rate increased the minute she knew I was in the room.