We’d eaten at a little deli, and then taken in some of the shops lining the street in the touristy area. Marie had been given some money from Reaper and told to buy something sexy. So we were in an exclusive lingerie shop, trying stuff on. Judy and Bee were in the store next door, and the prospect was waiting outside the door for us.
“You look hot, girl!” Marie gushed, looking me over thoroughly. She’d talked me into trying some things on with her. “Get it.”
“I don’t have any money on me.” I moved to check myself out at different angles in the full length mirror. The ivory colored chemise was sheer with the exception of the tiny silk thong. It was definitely designed to tease and entice anyone it was worn for. What made it even sexier was that it was open all the way down the sides and kept together with loosely tied ribbon.
“Reaper gave me more than enough, so I’m getting it for you.” Her tone told me that she wouldn’t take no for an answer. “What do you think of this?”
I didn’t even have to think about it. Marie had chosen a black lace form fitting chemise with a matching G-string and garters. The sheer black hose came up to about mid-thigh, leaving a small section of her thigh naked. She looked like a lingerie model, she was so exquisite.
“You need to ask?” I joked, smiling. “You know you look sexy in that thing.” Her expression said she that knew it, too.
“Okay, I guess we made our choices.” She spun around to head back into one of the individual dressing rooms. “We should hit the salon while we’re here, too.”
I sighed, that sounded good to me, too. Maybe I’d get my hair trimmed. Would Raze like it shorter? Remembering how he liked to wrap my hair around his hand in the moment, I figured probably not. We changed, paid for our purchases and met Judy and Bee out front.
“What did you buy?” Judy asked, taking note of our packages.
“What else?” Marie laughed. “Something sexy.”
“I used to shop a lot from there,” Bee grinned, patting her extended belly.
I really liked Bee. She was sweet, too sweet to be an old lady in my opinion, but who was I to say any different? She seemed happy with Wolfman, and he treated her like she was a princess when they were together. It was really cute to watch them. We began to cross the quiet street. “That’s probably what got you into the family way,” I joked.
She laughed softly, nodding in agreement. “Are we−”
I think we all heard the sound of a motorcycle approaching at the same time, because suddenly we all stopped and turned our heads in that direction. I recognized the biker immediately, he hadn’t changed at all since I’d seen him last. He looked just as scary and grungy as before, with his long hair flowing out behind him and his face full of whiskers. Just as evil. I caught my breath when it became clear that he was going to stop when he reached us, because he was already slowing down.
The prospect cursed, and reached for his gun. Judy and Marie cried out and rushed to the other side of the street onto the sidewalk. Bee was slower, and hung back with me. In the next instant a shot rang out, and I watched the prospect fall to the ground. Someone screamed, I wasn’t sure who, and I grabbed Bee and pulled her behind me. Everything happened so quickly that it was hard to comprehend.
Evil pulled up close, blocking our way to the sidewalk. “Get on or she’s dead,” he snarled, motioning to the woman behind me. I knew he’d follow through on his threat, too, and wouldn’t care that she was obviously pregnant.
“Don’t, Rosa!” Marie called out.
“Shut up, bitch!” Evil sneered. “Or I’ll shoot you, too!”
I looked to see that she and Judy were crowded together safely on the sidewalk. Bee’s hand was on my arm, and I could feel her trembling. Still, she said in a low tone close to my ear, “Don’t, Rosa.”
They didn’t know Evil like I did. He’d always been on the crazy side, and over the years it had gotten worse. It couldn’t be blamed on his drinking or the drugs, either, because sober he was just as scary. He’d shot the prospect without a second thought, and I knew that if I didn’t do what he wanted he’d do it to the women, too.
“Do it now or they all die!” Evil threatened, losing patience. I could tell that he was in a hurry, probably worried about police showing up. He pointed his gun toward Marie and Judy. “You know I’m not fucking kidding!” he snarled.
“Rosa!”
I glanced down at the unconscious prospect, seeing the blood and wondering if he was still alive, and then I met the panic in Marie’s eyes. “I have to,” I said simply. There was no other choice but to climb on the back of Evil’s bike. People were beginning to spill out onto the sidewalk from the surrounding shops to see what was going on. Surely someone had already phoned the police. As we sped off I shot Marie a last look, wondering if it would be goodbye for good.
Evil had even more reason to hate me than Raze did. I’d gone against him, had rejected him in front of his club, and he wasn’t a forgiving man. He was also violent, and I knew that when we finally came to a stop he’d let me know exactly how he felt. Three years ago I’d left him, implemented him in the cover up of a crime that had sent Raze to prison. He’d been brought in for questioning, but it had been my word against his, and no real effort had been put into discovering the depth of his involvement. The video had freed Raze.
I tried to hold my fear at bay, knowing how Evil thrived on it. I didn’t know where he was taking me, but his club was a good guess. I’d been surprised to learn the Winged Demons had opened a chapter in Saranac Lake. Had it been just a coincidence, or had they known that I’d eventually return to New York? I loved New York, and though I hadn’t returned to my home town, I still considered myself to be home.
I should have known that Evil would eventually turn up in my life again.
The years with Evil had begun fairly good until Moby, a new president, had been sworn in. After that things had gradually changed, including my feelings for Evil. As club activities became more and more dangerous, violent, and destructive, with senseless and unfair killings, I knew that I had to get out of there. The straw that had broken the camel’s back had come when Evil had used my dying mother against me and forced me to lie about Raze on the stand.
Later, I realized that I’d only become involved with Evil in the first place because of Raze’s rejection. I’d never really loved Evil, and eventually I grew to fear him. It wasn’t until after my mom passed that I was able to break away and try to right a wrong. I’d gone in hiding for the first couple of years, hoping that would be enough time for Evil to give up looking for me. Then I’d reconnected with Marie and had started over. She’d been a godsend at a time in my life when I needed her most.
We came to a sharp curve and I leaned into it as Evil took it at a dangerous speed. Two of his brothers had been waiting for us, falling in behind as we raced by. I didn’t recognize the area, but assumed that it was a back road to Saranac Lake, less traveled except by the locals. We had the roads mostly to ourselves, and he took advantage of that. If there were speed limits he ignored them. He raced right through a couple of stop signs, traffic lights were non-existent to him. I held on tight and closed my eyes, because I didn’t want to see the accident before it happened.
The only thing I could hear was the rumbling sound of Evil’s bike, and the two on either side of us. We rode like that for several miles until he surprised me by slowing down. I could hear other motorcycles coming our way, and I glanced over Evil’s shoulder and caught my breath. It was the Wreckers! Reaper was out in front, but suddenly Raze was shooting forward and taking the lead. We came to a stop in the middle of the road and so did the Wreckers, just a short distance separating us.
Raze’s gaze zeroed in on me, moving over me rapidly, as if looking for any injuries. “You okay, baby?”
“I’m−”
“What do you fuckers want?” Evil’s question was directed at Raze. So far, thank God, no one had pulled a weapon.
The laugh Raze released didn’t fool
me. There wasn’t an ounce of humor in it. “We’re on our way home, minding our own fucking business, then get a call saying what went down. Now we come across ousted members of the Winged Demons and I’m wondering why my woman is on your fucking bike.” It was said with such deadly calm that it sent a shiver down my spine.
Evil was no longer with the Winged Demons?
“Your woman?” Evil snorted. “Bitch belongs to me.” I could feel the tension in his body. “She’s always been mine.”
“Then how come I’m the one fucking her?”
I knew that would set Evil off, and anticipated him pulling me off his bike. I didn’t anticipate the gun at my temple, though. Movement behind us told me that his friends must have also dismounted. Suddenly, the Wreckers were off their bikes and on their feet, pointing their weapons directly at us. Evil kept me close to his side, squeezing my arm roughly.
“Evil−”
“Shut it!” He sneered the words into my ear. “I’ll deal with your fuckin’ ass later!” The hand around my arm tightened until he forced a cry out of me. I could see the lethal look in Raze’s eyes right away, and could sense that he was close to losing control. “Go ahead, fuckers!” Evil snarled back at the Wreckers. “Chances are, you’ll fucking kill her, too!”
“Let her go, and we’ll let you go. No one needs to die today.” Reaper spoke the words calmly, standing next to Raze. Raze’s expression said that he wasn’t making the same declaration that his president was.
“Rosa goes with me,” Evil insisted. “Or I’ll see her dead myself.”
“Ain’t no pussy worth dying for, man,” said someone behind us, one of Evil’s men.
“Shut the fuck up!” Evil sneered, baring his teeth.
“You’re not leaving here with her.” I’d never heard Raze’s voice so deadly calm before.
“Watch me.”
Chapter 17
Raze
I don’t know what held me back from going over and ripping Evil’s fucking head off. He had Rosa, my woman, which meant that he’d put his hands on her. The fact that he had a gun at her forehead told me how fucked-up her ex was, and desperate. She looked okay, thank fuck, but it wasn’t enough. I wanted her with me, at my side, where I could keep her safe. Where I could fucking love her.
Jesus! If anything happened to her…my finger twitched on the trigger. For the first time in my life I was truly afraid. I wanted to hate Rosa, but it just wasn’t happening.
“She came with me willingly, didn’t ya, baby?” The fucker nuzzled his nose in the side of her neck.
My gaze shifted to Rosa for an explanation. “I did but−”
I ignored the knife twisting in my heart. “Doesn’t matter!” I snapped back. “Turn her the fuck loose. Now.”
“You won’t win against us,” Moses said. “You threatened club women, most of their men are here. They’re eager to end this with bloodshed.” Wolfman grumbled, nodding. Everyone knew he’d had the most to lose when Evil had threatened Bee. Reaper considered Marie his woman now, which also put her under protection of the club.
“You think I give a fuck?” he asked stupidly.
“Fuck, no!” Wolfman lost his patience and his cool, probably thinking about how scared Bee had been, thinking about his unborn child. He fired first, and then all hell broke out.
Evil turned his gun toward the Wreckers. Everyone on both sides was suddenly scrambling to use their hogs for cover. Evil let Rosa go in the madness raining down around him.
“Rosa, down!” I hollered.
I knew that she’d heard me over the noise when she fell to the ground. Her arms automatically came up to cover her head, but I knew that wouldn’t protect her from a stray bullet. I winced at the sound of every shot, knowing that she was vulnerable on the ground next to Evil’s bike. The shooting seemed to go on for a long time, but in reality it lasted only a couple of minutes. Then someone was shouting out from Evil’s side, followed by the other man that was with them, and then they were tossing aside their guns and standing up with their arms in the air, surprising everyone.
The shooting stopped.
“You fucking cowards!” Evil yelled in rage, turning on his own two men. He shot them both down. Rosa screamed, getting his attention again. He started toward her with a murderess glare in his eyes.
“Don’t fucking touch her!” I shouted angrily, a sick feeling in my gut as I realized that I had to do something before it was too late.
Rosa was getting to her feet when my first bullet hit Evil. The force spun him around and he fell to his knees. In his blind rage he raised his arm and pointed his gun at me. “Fucker!” he rasped.
“No!” Rosa cried out, stepping in front of him at the same time that his gun went off. I saw the bullet tear into her. I didn’t have to imagine the searing burn as the bullet tore into flesh and muscle like a red-hot poker, because I’d been there before. The momentum of the bullet hitting her forced her backwards, and then she hit the ground with jarring impact.
“Rosa!” Christ, she’d taken a shot for me.
“You fucking bitch!’
Evil shouted out at the same time, but it was my voice that Rosa turned toward. Our gazes met briefly before I shifted back to see Evil aiming his gun in her direction, hate twisting his features, and I knew that he was going to shoot her again. Before he got the chance to kill her—and there was no doubt from the wild look in his eyes that he was going to do that very thing—I emptied my gun into him, running toward Rosa at the same time.
She’d laid her head back on the ground with a moan, clutching her side where the warm thickness of blood was running through her fingers. Her breathing was labored. I dropped to my knees next to her. “Baby.” My eyes moved back and forth between her face and her wound. “Keep your eyes open for me. Stay with me.” The slightest curve turned the corners of her mouth up, but she didn’t make an attempt to open her eyes. Instead, she finally let the void of sweet relief lure her in.
“Someone get me something to stop the bleeding!” I bit out, giving Reaper a desperate look.
“I’ve got something,” Razor said, opening up his saddle bag.
“The rest of you brothers get those bodies and bikes off the road and into some bushes,” Reaper ordered. He walked over to me. “How bad is she?”
“Fuck if I know, I’m not a doctor,” I said in a frustrated tone. “Looks like the bullet went through, but she’s losing a lot of blood. We need to get her to a hospital.” Razor tossed a tee down at me. “Thanks, brother.”
“If the bullet went through a few stitches and antibiotics should be enough,” Reaper began, taking a closer look at the wound before letting me cover it with the shirt. “Yeah, I’d say it went through. Your girl’s lucky. We’ll bring her back to the club and call in doc to look at her.” He rose to his feet.
“No. She goes to my house. The doctor can see her there.”
Reaper nodded. “She took a bullet for you, brother. You know what that means.”
Yeah, I knew. She’d risked her life for mine. Rosa’s debt to the club had been paid, but that was the last fucking thing I was worried about in that moment. I pulled the shirt back, satisfied to see the flow of blood had slowed considerably. Her paleness kept me worried. I gathered her carefully in my arms, clenching my jaw at her whimpers of pain. Fuck, she’d have to ride to my house on my lap.
“I’ll put a call into doc and have him meet you at your place.”
Reaper acknowledged my chin lift before walking away to where Puck, Razor, and Moses were stashing the bikes and the three ex-Winged Demons far enough off the road so that they wouldn’t be seen. They’d been voted out of their MC for doing too much shit outside the club and going their own way. No one would miss them, and if anything we’d done the Winged Demons a favor ridding them of ex-members who still wore their cuts and continued to cause their club trouble.
They’d been the fuckers who’d attacked our club from the lakeside the other day. It had been Evil’s idea once he�
�d discovered that Rosa was there.
Our visit to their town had started off rocky. We’d gone there expecting a fight, surprised to find a new president, Red (so named because of his red hair and beard), had been voted in. Red had a new direction that he wanted to take the Winged Demons in, one which began with cleaning up their reputation in their town. That had meant voting out the MC members that liked to go rogue. Unfortunately, that was most of his club, other than a handful of like-minded men. Red had his work cut out for him, but all we fucking cared about were the boundaries that had been set-up between our clubs. We’d left there with a good feeling. Time would tell if the motherfuckers could be trusted.
None of that fucking mattered as I carried Rosa up the steps and into my house. Doc Jarvis was right behind us.
His Possession Page 11
