Death Dwellers Motorcycle Club:: Fifteen Bad Boy Biker Books

by Kathryn C. Kelly

  A sob escaped her and she clutched his hand.

  “What was you doing there? Huh, Megan?”

  “We were looking for a file,” she sniffled groggily. “We were trying to get something on Spoon.”

  Christopher thrust his fingers through her hair, nuzzling her neck, anger bubbling the fuck up. “You got in fuckin’ Club Business?” he snapped, reminding himself she was in the hospital recovering from a beating and loss of blood.

  “W-we didn’t mean to.” Her eyes slid closed, then opened again. “I told Kendall she was in the position to do something to help girls like her sister.”

  He might not have been on the premises a lot recently and it might’ve seemed like he wasn’t paying attention to Megan, but he fucking swore, he’d bet his fucking dick, Megan had had that conversation with Kendall a few days ago. Kendall wasn’t the fucking type of bitch who went the fuck out and did shit immediately. No, she kept her fucking mouth shut, hid shit better brought to fucking light, and still fucking hesitated and thought out shit. So how the fuck did that conversation come to fucking play here?

  “You told her that today?” he asked to be certain. Bitch could always fucking surprise him.

  “No,” Megan slurred. She drew in a breath, ending on a sob. “I…don’t worry…I love you…I’m sorry I lost our baby.”

  He was sorry, too, but he had Megan, the more important one. Selfish motherfucker.

  “I’ll give you many, many more,” he swore, flipping off his conscience.

  A little snore escaped her and he stared at her. She was barely lucid, but he wanted fucking answers and there was no motherfucking way he would wait.

  He was getting a fucking idea of what the fuck had happened. He shook her gently and her lashes fluttered before her lids raised. She focused on him and, in that unguarded moment, Christopher saw everything he needed to know. Everything he already knew. How much she adored him. How much she valued him. If he lived to be a hundred, he’d never stop showing her how mutual her feelings were.

  “Christopher—“ Her eyes started to close.

  “Baby?” He squeezed her shoulder. “You was hurlin’ like a motherfucker when I fuckin’ left and told me you was stayin’ in the room ‘til I got fuckin’ back. How Kendall got you to change your mind?”

  She frowned in concentration. “I had a bad feeling.”

  “Yeah?”

  “Uh huh,” she admitted with a nod and a yawn.

  “Not fuckin’ bad e-fuckin-nuff if you fuckin’ went.”

  Silence. But she rarely volunteered information, so he’d go the usual route.

  “Kendall wanted you to help her get what?”

  “A-a file. I think. USB.”

  “A fuckin’ computer drive?”

  Another nod.

  “Fuck me…what the fuck wrong with you, Megan? Spoon might be a stupid motherfucker but he ain’t a stupid motherfucker?”

  She blinked. “Huh?”

  “If he had a fuckin’ file out in the fuckin’ open he was fuckin’ testin’ motherfuckers,” he yelled. “Where the fuck your fuckin’ brain?”

  Tears rushed to her eyes and she sniffled, starting to cry outright. Her blood pressure began to rise and Christopher thrust his hands through his hair. His own pressure was rising. He balled his hands into fists. He hated his fucking fear and vulnerability, and she’d put herself in that position. Fuck, he should put her over his knee and spank her.

  He bent and kissed her cheek. “I’m sorry, baby. I’m not meanin’ to be a fuckhead to you.”

  She smiled. “Yes, you are.”

  Unable to stop it, a grin broke free. “Fuck me, Megan, you scared the fuck outta me.” He pulled in a breath, just realizing his heart still hadn’t settled back into place. “Ain’t she told you—if you fuckin’ forgot or don’t fuckin’ know—I mean…Kendall…ain’t she told you it was a fuckin’ phony lead.”

  Her brows furrowed and she bit her lip, then her eyes widened in comprehension. She swallowed. “I-I’m tired—“

  “No the fuck you ain’t,” he growled, knowing, deep down, that she was. But knowing her so well he’d seen her grasp of the events. “I wanna know what the fuck happened. Unless…” Narrowing his eyes, he cocked his head from side to side, watching her avoid meeting his gaze.

  “What you said to her, baby? Tell me. I swear I’m gonna be fuckin’ reasonable. John Boy,” he snarled, then coughed to cover his rising anger. “She that motherfucker old lady, baby. So tell me. What’d you say to her?”

  “I-I think I told her it was a red herring.”

  Christopher growled and she snapped her mouth shut, so he coughed again. “Motherfuckin’ cold killin’ me, baby.”

  “You’re sick?”

  He waved away her concern. “Ain’t nothin’ but a fuckin’ thing. So you told her she was a stupid fuckin’ bitch—“

  She frowned at him.

  “Er, Kendall. You fuckin’ told Kendall—“

  “I don’t quite remember,” she hedged.

  Bullfuckingshit, but he’d let it pass. “After you might’ve fuckin’ told, er, Kendall, she asked you to fuckin’ go?”

  “No.” Her head listed to the side. “I volunteered. Otherwise, she’d go on her own and she’d already asked me.”

  “And you already turned her the fuck down?”

  “Yes. But I-I couldn’t let her go alone, especially with the bad feeling I had…” her voice trailed off and her chin wobbled. “I-I’m sorry,” she said again. “If I would’ve insisted we stay, I wouldn’t have lost our baby.”

  He wouldn’t mention right now that Kendall had also lost her baby. “It’s okay, Megan,” he whispered. “I swear, baby. I know you hurtin’ right now, but I’m right fuckin’ here for you. Don’t think you goin’ through this shit alone.”

  “I know,” she responded without hesitating, her eyes drifting closed again.

  This time, Christopher let her fall asleep. The doctor said she was looking at two or three days in the hospital. Perfect for Christopher. Megan wouldn’t be around to see heads fucking rolling. Kissing her forehead and her lips again, he swiped at the drying tears, his heart hurting for her and their baby. He hadn’t put nearly as many holes in fucking Spoon as he should have, but, fuck, he’d wanted to hurry up and get back to Megan. If Johnnie hadn’t wanted the motherfucker, he would’ve just beaten the fucker to death in that fucking house.

  The door opened and Christopher glanced over his shoulder, scowling when Zoann marched into the room and headed for him. He anticipated she intended to slap the shit out of him, so he grabbed her hands just as Val walked in. His lips thinned in disapproval at the tight grip Christopher had on Zoann’s wrists.

  “You bastard,” she screamed, struggling to free herself. “You had my house blown up.”

  “I sure the fuck did,” he snarled, wanting to shake her until her teeth rattled for being stupid enough to spit that information out. Thankfully, no nurse or doctor bitches were in the room.

  She already knew what happened, so, why the fuck deny it?

  “One of the brothers was fuckin’ killed and cut the fuck up in that motherfucker. You fuckin’ insistin’ on goin’ back.”

  “It was my house,” she cried. “You had no right to—“

  “I had every fuckin’ right, Bitsy,” he growled and they both stilled. He hadn’t called her by the name he’d bestowed upon her a lifetime ago in fucking years. He’d never thought to call her by that name again, but, fuck him, after he found out what Logan had done to her, betting Christopher’s death or Zoann’s virginity.

  Dirty, fucking, vile motherfucker.

  His grip on her slackened. She pulled her hand back and cuffed him on the side of his head.

  “E-fuckin-nuff, Zoann.” He gripped her hand again, glaring at Val when he stepped forward.

  “Don’t call me Bitsy ever again,” she sobbed. “You don’t have that right. You left me and I needed you. I waited for you, Christopher. I waited for you to help m
e. You never came.” She swiped at her tears.

  Christopher flinched. He’d always been so proud of Zoann. She’d been spirited and perky and had dogged the fuck out of him. When she’d turned into the vile bitch she’d become, he’d swept aside any feelings and all the memories of him and his little sister.

  “Boss told me,” she went on, grabbing his attention. “Boss told me that you were sick of me. You didn’t have time—“

  “Big Joe was a fuckin’ liar,” he snarled. “I always had time for you.”

  “I looked for you. Every time I went there, it was always the same thing. And no one had time for me. Except…except Matthew,” she finished on a strangled voice. “It wasn’t all the time. He just…he seemed like he cared.”

  “Christopher cares,” Meggie called weakly.

  “You’re his wife,” Zoann snapped back. “You’re required to say that.”

  “Boss was a fuckin’ liar and that’s the fuckin’ truth. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you when you needed me, but you ain’t fuckin comin’ in here insultin’ Megan.”

  “Why you needed Christopher so bad?” Val asked.

  She lowered her lashes. “It doesn’t matter,” she said after a moment. “It’s over. I don’t need any of you now, so I’m not staying at your stinking club. Ever.”

  “Puff—“

  “Zoann—“

  “Let me talk to her alone,” Meggie called, interrupting both of them.

  Not a fucking good idea. She was just this side of fucked up with the pain meds and sedatives.

  “I don’t think so, baby,” Christopher began. All the activity prevented her from sinking completely into oblivion. But, then, she wouldn’t have a fucking filter and would blurt any-fucking-thing to Zoann.

  Zoann threw him a venomous glare. “I want to talk to her.”

  Of fucking course. Val looked horrified but Christopher shrugged, then indicated they leave. He walked out of the room in time to see Mortician and Johnnie coming down the hallway. Fucking Johnnie still hadn’t put on another shirt and Christopher wanted to laugh at the way those nurse bitches ogled him.

  And Mort. That motherfucker…Christopher was waiting for his balls to explode. As much as he liked to fuck, he hadn’t touched one fucking bitch since Bailey’s departure. Motherfucker thought no-fucking-body noticed his dick hiatus. As much as he worshipped his fucking cock, it was hard not to fucking notice.

  The moment they got into range, Christopher intended to blast Johnnie for having a throwed off bitch around Megan.

  He took a good look at him. Devastated. Angry. Christopher’s brother. They’d been through so much shit together and Johnnie needed to be happy. He needed his own family and a good woman.

  Kendall might’ve made a fucked up decision that’d led to some disastrous fucking goings-on, but, Megan was alive. Besides, Kendall probably wanted a piece of that motherfucking Spoon herself. He wanted to shake the fuck out of her, but, just as he had to give Bitsy a fucking pass, he had to give Kendall one, too. When all was said and done, those girls had been through some fucking horrors, so they needed some fucking understanding.

  Christopher would just chain Megan to the fucking bed when he had crazy motherfuckers to deal with.

  “So, excuse me,” Johnnie finished, breaking into Christopher’s thoughts and he realized he’d gotten the tail end of the conversation.

  Hanging his head, he stuffed his hands into his pockets and walked toward Kendall’s room.

  “What the fuck with the hang-fuckin-dog look?”

  Mortician rubbed his neck. “John Boy think Kendall never going to be safe as long as she’s with him.”

  “Don’t fuckin’ tell me,” Christopher snapped. “He’s breakin’ the fuck up with her?”

  Val nodded.

  Glaring at the two of them, Christopher followed the direction Johnnie had gone.

  He would start fucking charging for turning into Dr. Fucking Love.

  The though made him smile—

  “Christopher!”

  Zoann’s cry cut into his thoughts and he spun, everything else shooting from his head.

  Focused on his sister. The tears in her eyes. And the uproar going on amongst the nurses rushing to Megan’s room.

  And rolling a defibrillator in.

  Chapter 26

  Johnnie placed a kiss on Kendall’s forehead, rubbing his hands through her ruined hair, slightly vindicated at Spoon’s demise and his role in it. But it didn’t bring her little sister back. It didn’t bring all the other girls back. Nor did it take away all of Kendall’s personal pain. Or put their baby back in her womb.

  Nothing could do that. If not for him and his grandfather, she wouldn’t have suffered half as much. She was strong and smart, deserving a man who wouldn’t have the club as his mistress in their marriage. Because he couldn’t…he just couldn’t…walk away from the Death Dwellers.

  Selfishly, he didn’t want to walk away from her either. He wanted to marry her, have many, many babies with her. God, he was such an asshole to think this, but she’d been drugged and given alcohol. Who’s to say the baby wouldn’t have been damaged? He would’ve loved it anyway it was born, but, maybe, this way was best.

  Distant commotion broke into his brain, but Johnnie ignored it, wanting to be at Kendall’s bedside.

  She looked so peaceful in sleep, even with all her injuries.

  Jesus. If Christopher wasn’t so paranoid about Megan’s safety, Kendall would’ve gotten killed. Both of them would’ve gotten killed. He would’ve been hurt to his core if something had happened to Megan, but if anything had happened to Kendall, he would’ve been devastated.

  He kissed her again and flattened his hand on her belly. Penance for always believing in and protecting Logan? Perhaps. Something to do with the sins of the father falling upon the child.

  Kendall’s eyelashes fluttered and she stared at him through glazed eyes.

  “Kendall, sweetheart,” he croaked, caressing her belly.

  “Johnnie,” she whispered, attempting to lean toward him and over the railing to hug him.

  “Keep still,” he ordered.

  “M-Meggie?”

  “Is fine,” he reassured her, although he really didn’t know. He hadn’t asked and no one had given him the status of her condition.

  “Baby Biker?”

  Baby Biker. He drew in a deep breath to keep from roaring in rage. “Gone, baby.”

  She covered her mouth with her hands, but the sob still bounced in his head, breaking his heart.

  “It’s my fault,” she cried.

  “No. It isn’t. Megan—“

  “Told me not to go,” she whispered in a broken voice.

  “What?”

  “I didn’t listen. She came because she didn’t want me to go alone. I wish she would’ve let me.”

  Johnnie stroked her hair. “Shhh. It’s okay, Kendall.”

  “It isn’t,” she insisted, sobbing her heart out. “Baby Biker—“

  “Is at peace.” He wished he believed that. But he didn’t know where anyone went in the next life. Had never really thought about it. Now, though, with their baby lost…gone before it had even had a chance to take its first breath. Now, he wanted to believe different.

  His heart twisted and it felt as if it would splinter. Their baby, his child…son or daughter, it didn’t matter…lost. He fought the urge to cry, the heat surging through him a combination of grief and guilt.

  What now? Where did they go and what did they do? In the back of her mind, Johnnie knew she’d always believed he was with her because of Baby Bi…Fuck, no. He couldn’t think of the baby that way anymore. It hurt too bad. It was his precious angel now. Kendall’s, as well.

  He got the bed railing down and gathered her in his arms, allowing her to cry out her pain and frustration, embarrassed at his tears sliding down his cheeks. “Don’t worry, sweetheart,” he whispered once he controlled his sorrow. “Everything’s going to be fine. I promise.”

/>   Opening her eyes, Kendall glanced at the chair Johnnie had been in the last time she’d awakened. Empty now. Like her life. Like her belly. She’d lost Baby Biker. Her baby…Johnnie’s child.

  She covered her face with her hands and a sob escaped her.

  “Kendall?”

  Christopher’s voice startled her and she jerked her head to the other side of the room. He stood near the window, the sunlight framing him, silhouetting his long, muscular body and glinting off his blue-black hair. He walked forward, the dark circles around his eyes and the tightness in his mouth alerting Kendall to his concern. He stopped at the edge of the bed, his green gaze roaming from the top of her head to the foot of the bed where her feet were tucked beneath the covers.

  “You okay?”

  She licked her lips, wanting to cry all over again at softness of his voice. She wasn’t okay. Far from it. She shook her head. “I lost Baby Biker,” she sniffled.

  “My wife lost ours.”

  Huh? “What do you mean—“

  A chill settled into Christopher’s eyes and he gave her a hard stare. “Listen up, Kendall. I didn’t take this directly to Johnnie because he’d defend your miserable fuckin’ ass. As well he fuckin’ should. You wanna fuckin’ tell him, that’s your fuckin’ business. But seein’ as how you been such a tight fuckin’ lipped bitch about life and death shit, I suspect you keepin’ the fuck shut up about whether me and him become mortal fuckin’ enemies.”

  Tears rushed to Kendall’s eyes and she turned her head away, not having the strength to order Christopher gone. She couldn’t begin to express the sorrow over Meggie’s lost baby, but she’d lost hers, too. She was paying the price for her stupidity in the most horrible way imaginable. She hadn’t heeded a single word anyone had tried to impart to her.

  And for what?

  She’d wanted acceptance, had needed to do something to make Johnnie see her worth to him. After so many weeks of hiding, she’d wanted to feel like she had value to herself.

  Christopher stared at her, not showing her a shred of…anything. Kindness. Humanity. Not even like. Palpable hatred clung to him and she trembled. He was a horrible asshole.