Trust The Devil (The Devil's Riders Book 3)

by Joanna Blake

  For the first time in the past year, the first time since she had gone out on her own, the first time since she'd escaped, she hadn't locked the door behind her. Her guard must be down. Normally she did it the second she was inside the door.

  But she hadn't this time because she knew in her gut Donnie wasn't going to hurt her.

  She knew it.

  He hadn't taken her out into the country side to have his way with her and leave her bloody and bruised by the side of the road. He didn't want to beat her up, or insult her, or control her. He just seemed to like her for some obscure reason she couldn't figure out.

  Why would he like her anyway?

  Damnit. She was a fool. Maybe they both were.

  Oh well. Now she'd never know if her instincts were right about him. She felt pretty sure he'd be epic in bed. And more importantly, he'd be good to her out of it.

  It was too late now that she'd acted like a lunatic.

  One thing was for sure. He hadn't scared her off, but she had definitely scared him away. She felt a sense of loss at the thought that Donnie wouldn't be batting his ridiculously long eyelashes at her anymore.

  She'd done it again. She'd insured that she was going to be all alone. Safe. But lonely.

  She stripped and stepped into the shower, trying to ignore the tears that ran down her face. The water washed the salty tears away, along with her sweat and any chance at love.

  She dried off and slipped into her PJ’s. So what if it was early. It’s not like she was going out.

  Or expecting company.

  She was definitely getting a dog.

  Chapter 11

  Donahue

  This day sucked ass.

  Donnie slid behind the bar at the clubhouse. Dev was in his usual spot at the corner of the bar, with Jack sipping ginger ale beside him. They weren't talking.

  That was normal for Jack. But Devlin was utterly silent as well. Donnie grimaced, realizing how bad things were.

  Jack looked calm as usual. Dev… did not.

  He was nursing what looked to be the most recent in a long line of beers. Empty shot glasses littered the bar around him.

  A lot of shot glasses.

  Donnie picked two of them up.

  "Leave them!"

  "I'm just getting us a refill, Dev."

  Dev grunted and watched bleary eyed as Donnie poured two shots of tequila and pushed one toward Dev. They did the shots and Donnie poured another round immediately.

  "Shit man, you too?"

  “Things did not go as planned.”

  Donnie nodded grimly. Jack cracked a smile.

  "Donnie striking out? That's a first."

  "This is different."

  "How so?"

  "I like her."

  Devlin rolled his eyes and Jack's smile got a little wider. Jack had been smiling a lot the last few months, since he and Janet got together. Lucky bastard.

  Donnie downed another shot.

  "Like? Those are strong words for you, man."

  "I take her for a ride and what does she do? She asks me to take her home. The bloody woman was scared of me for Christ's sake!"

  "Scared of you? Now, that is funny."

  Jack finished his soda and stood up. He’d been waiting for Donnie to takeover looking out for Dev. It was unspoken that he wasn’t going to be left alone until he’d calmed down.

  "Well, I better get home to my woman."

  Jack smiled and slapped Dev on the back. Hard. They stared at him as he walked out of the clubhouse. Donnie poured another two shots.

  "Smug bastard."

  Devlin grunted and tipped his head back, downing the amber liquid.

  "I hope his nuts fall off."

  Chapter 12

  Sally

  “Here’s your check. Come again.”

  It was another busy night shift at Mae's. Sally was working alone, with Mae as backup. It used to be a shift she shared with Kaylie, but she was in school full time now.

  Sally didn't mind the extra work though. It was good to be busy. It gave her less time for worries. And regrets. God knows she had enough of those. She regretting meeting Carl, dating him, almost marrying him. She regretted letting him use her as a punching bag.

  But at the moment, she mostly regretted pushing Donnie away.

  A crash sounded and a milkshake hit the floor. A kid started crying and she smiled and brought them a fresh glass. The tired mother smiled gratefully and she told them not to worry.

  Sally was on her hands and knees wiping up the mess when she saw them.

  Big black motorcycle boots.

  She looked up slowly, her eyes following those familiar long legs up to his belt buckle, over his tight t-shirt that hugged all those bulging muscles, to that way too handsome face.

  Donnie was at Mae's.

  And he was smiling at her.

  Her heart did a crazy little flip flop.

  So she hadn't scared him off after all… Her first emotion was relief, followed by a nervous energy that set her blood zinging.

  She gave him a tentative smile and went back to picking up the broken pieces of glass and foamy ice creamy goodness. She hurried behind the counter and washed her hands, trying to buy time to think, to calm down, to erase the bright pink that was suddenly tinting her cheeks.

  He was sitting at the counter pretending to look at a menu when she turned around. He was definitely not looking at the menu though. He was looking at her.

  He gave her a lopsided grin when she caught him staring.

  "Hi Sally."

  Her mouth was dry as she walked over to him.

  "Hi Donnie. So, um, what can I get you?"

  Oh God, she sounded like a stupid teenager! What was happening to her? It's like her brain shut off when he was around. Or at least, her IQ dropped a few points.

  More than a few.

  He was smiling at her like she was a genius though. Huh. Maybe he was feeling the same way she was.

  "What's good? Other than you, I mean."

  She opened her mouth to speak but no words came out.

  Was he flirting with her? He was. He definitely was. Duh, Sally. The trouble was, she'd forgotten how to flirt back.

  "Today’s special is a reuben sandwich."

  He made a face.

  "Too messy. Besides, I don't want bad breath. Do you have any soup?"

  She nodded slowly. He didn't want bad breath. That meant he wanted to kiss her, right? That must be what he meant.

  "Chicken noodle or lentil."

  He smiled as if he were genuinely excited.

  "I love chicken noodle!"

  She almost rolled her eyes at how ridiculous he was being. She ladled out some soup and busied herself with the other customers while he ate it. She snuck a few glances at him and had to stifle a smile.

  Donnie was eating his soup verrrry slowly.

  She almost laughed. He was about as subtle as a mack truck. The diner was starting to empty out when he was finally done. She came over to take his bowl.

  "Can I get you anything else, Donnie?"

  He pulled out the menu again and started looking at it with exaggerated interest. This time she did laugh. He frowned at her, pretending to be considering all his options.

  "Yes. I will have…"

  He slammed the menu shut.

  "More soup."

  She shook her head and took his bowl away, replacing it with a fresh bowl of soup. This time she gave him extra crackers. His eyes twinkled as he accepted them from her.

  The man was ridiculous!

  He was adorable.

  She started cleaning up the diner since there were only a few customers left by now. Mae had left after the dinner crowd thinned out, as usual. She liked to be there to tuck her grandkids in whenever possible.

  There was only a half hour left until closing. Sally checked the salt and pepper and sugar shakers, and pulled any ketchup bottles that were running low. Normally she set up at a booth and refilled everything but this time
she brought them to the counter.

  It felt like a bold move considering how jumpy he was making her.

  But this time it was jumpy in a good way.

  Every time she glanced up from restocking the table condiments he was eating his soup. No, he was savoring it. But each time she bent her head again, she felt his eyes on her. In fact, she could actually feel heat where his gaze touched her skin. Her neck… her ear… her cheek...

  Her heart was going fast by the time she finished and started carrying everything back to the tables.

  Donnie leapt up to help her.

  "I can do that."

  "Does that mean you are actually finished with your soup?"

  "Well, there are at least three or four bites left…"

  She was giggling as they carried the bottles and shakers to the tables together. She was nearly ready to close up. There was just one thing. His bowl.

  She walked over to the front and flipped the 'open' sign to 'closed.' Charlie poked his head out of the back and hollered.

  "You about ready to go, girl?"

  She took a deep breath. She could ask Charlie to wait until Donnie left. But she didn't want to.

  She knew she was safe with him. It would be okay. She repeated it to herself a few times.

  Everything was okay.

  "No, that's okay Charlie, you go home."

  The door jingled as Charlie let himself out. She sighed and reached for the broom. She swept up quickly and then came back to the register to close it out. Donnie was staring at her with a serious expression on his face, his spoon still in his hand. He set it down and pushed the bowl away.

  "I didn't mean to keep you late."

  "It's okay. I'm almost done."

  She reached for his bowl and he grabbed her hand.

  "Sally-"

  She froze, staring at his hand where it clasped hers. His hand was so big. He could kill her with that hand. He could do it without even trying.

  She raised her eyes to his, half expecting to see anger, or lust. But his clear blue eyes were earnest and kind.

  She blinked. No one had looked at her that way in a long time. It was like he was really seeing her. Seeing the real her, and liking what he saw.

  But that was how they got you, she reminded herself. Carl had started out sweet too. So full of compliments and flattery. Always opening doors. Always helping her with her coat and guitar.

  She looked away and the spell was broken. She pulled her hand loose and he let her go. Poor Donnie probably thought she was a freak.

  She took his bowl and spoon and disappeared into the kitchen. She stayed there for a few minutes, until the tears that were hovering behind her eyes finally retreated.

  When she came outside he was gone, and a twenty dollar bill sat on the counter. That was quite a tip for two bowls of soup. She touched the bill, staring at it.

  He was being a gentleman she knew. He wasn't full of empty flattery. Maybe he really was different. Pretty soon he'd give up and go away. That was better for everyone right?

  "Stupid. Why am I so stupid?"

  Chapter 13

  Donahue

  Here goes everything.

  Donnie was leaning on his bike, hoping she wouldn't freak out when she saw him waiting in the parking lot. His instincts were to charge ahead like a bull, but he knew that wasn’t going to work in this case.

  Sally was different. Sally was special. And she was worth the wait. If it took him a little longer, he didn’t mind.

  He just wanted to get close to her. More than just sex. He wanted to protect her.

  He was finally figuring out that Sally wasn't afraid of him. She was afraid of something else. He didn't care though. He was going to figure out what it was that was making her so jumpy.

  And then he'd kill it.

  He straightened up and smiled reassuringly when she came out of the diner. She locked up and turned, freezing when she saw him. Then she smiled.

  Thank God.

  "I thought I'd give you a ride."

  Sally chewed on her full bottom lip for a minute, driving him absolutely insane.

  "Not tonight okay, Donnie? I just want to walk, I could really use the air."

  He shrugged.

  "I'll walk you home then."

  "You don't have to do that."

  “It’s fine.”

  “Is it safe? To leave it here, I mean.”

  He smirked. She was so cute to worry about his bike. Like anyone in this town would even breath on his bike.

  They all knew better.

  “Yeah, it’s safe. No one will mess with my ride.”

  “Suit yourself.”

  She walked out of the parking lot and onto the sidewalk. He jogged a bit to catch up, flashing her a megawatt smile. She gave him an exasperated look. She was so cute it he could barely stand it. He was glad she'd left that ratty old sweater at home.

  And he loved it when she sassed him. Partially because it was sexy. But mostly because it meant she was relaxed.

  "Are you following me, Donnie?"

  "Escorting you darlin'. Big difference."

  She rolled her eyes and turned her head away, but not before he caught her smile. He had a big shit eating grin on his face as he followed her home like a puppy dog.

  He knew he was being ridiculous. If any of the Riders saw him going for a stroll they would laugh themselves stupid. But for some reason he just didn't care.

  “You really aren’t afraid to leave your bike?"

  "Nobody would mess with a club ride in this town."

  She didn't say anything for the next block or two. He didn't mind. He just liked looking at her. She smelled nice too. Sort of like… roses.

  That was it. Roses. Maybe honeysuckle too. His mom loved honeysuckle. She had it growing all over the yard.

  Finally they walked up to a tiny house. It was old and decrepit, but she'd planted some pretty flowers in front. He followed her to the front stoop.

  "This is me."

  "I know. I drove you home remember?"

  "Oh. Right, of course."

  He leaned on the side of the house and smiled at her. He was going to get a kiss no matter how hard she made it for him. He had to know if she would feel as good as he thought she would.

  Her eyes grew wide as he pulled her toward him. He lifted her chin and stared into those huge hazel eyes. Then she sighed and her eyes fluttered shut. That was the sign! The green light!

  He couldn't wait. He kissed her like his life depended on it.

  Hell, maybe it did.

  Her lips were so damn soft! He moaned as he angled his lips over hers. He nudged her lips apart and magically, she opened them for him. She felt so damn good in his arms as he used his tongue to tangle with hers.

  Jesus, the girl could kiss.

  It started slow but then they were kissing each other madly, his hands roaming down her back, her hands sliding down off of his shoulders and gripping his waist.

  Oh God.

  Twenty minutes must have passed by the time he was stroking her sides, sneaking his hands forward to caress her breasts. She made a little mewling squeal of protest.

  Damn it. What was the problem? He wanted to touch her damnit. She wanted it too.

  Then he realized what was bothering her.

  Oh crap. They were still outside.

  With an effort he tore his mouth from hers and stared in shock into her eyes. She looked as surprised as he did by the passion of their kiss.

  He'd never kissed anyone like that in his life. Not even close. He wanted to kiss her again. He wanted more. Right fucking now.

  Sally wasn't looking at him though, she was checking the street. Her eyes nervously scanned up and down, even turning her head to look behind her.

  For what?

  Was she afraid of the neighbors seeing them? Inviting him in would take care of that pretty easily. He waited, expecting her to ask him into her house.

  He had never wanted anything so badly as to be invited ins
ide. Even if he was able to restrain the urge to take all her clothes off and bury himself in her. He just wanted to keep kissing her dammit!

  But she was about to bolt again. He could see it a split second before she pulled away.

  "Sally-"

  She had her keys out and was unlocking a series of what looked like four or five deadbolts. He frowned at the number of keys she had. That was weird. She glanced over her shoulder at him, barely making eye contact.

  "I have to go- I... Good night Donnie."

  “But-“

  Then she was inside, shutting the door swiftly behind her. Gone, just like that. He stood aside her house, breathing heavily. He wanted to break the door down. But that would scare the shit out of her.

  What the hell had her so spooked?

  The lights came on inside and he snapped out of it, pushing away and walking away from her house. Then he was trotting, then running.

  He needed to get his bike and ride home.

  He needed a God Damn cold shower.

  Chapter 14

  Sally

  Way to go, Sally.

  Sally leaned against the door and put her hand over her mouth. She could still feel him there. The pressure of his lips, his warmth, even the safety of being wrapped in his thick, strong arms.

  Oh God- she could still feel him everywhere. She was hot and cold all over. She moaned, realizing how close she'd come to letting him into her bed.

  No, not letting.

  She'd been on the verge of dragging him into her bed and making him stay there. What the hell was wrong with her? She felt like a teenager. Not that she'd ever experienced lust like this before.

  That's all it was. Get a grip. Just garden variety lust.

  She turned and slowly started throwing the locks. Her trusty baseball bat was leaning in it's regular spot by the front door. There was pepper spray hidden under her couch cushion and another in the bedroom. There were brass knuckles in the kitchen drawer.

  Basically, she had weapons stashed all over the damn house. She shook her head. No. She didn't need them anymore.