Death Dwellers Motorcycle Club:: Fifteen Bad Boy Biker Books

by Kathryn C. Kelly

  “I gave them the codes! I told them Meggie had the letters,” she ranted, clawing at him. “That’s why Sharper sent Cee Cee Caldwell to my old house to search. I didn’t know that until later when Arrow explained. Sharper thought Big Joe had hidden the letters with Meggie. All this time, they’d been right here in the club! They kept insisting she carried the key to everything.”

  “Where the fuck they at now?” Outlaw grunted, pinning her to him. “Cuz them motherfuckers gone.”

  She laughed wildly. “They’re with Meggie now and she doesn’t even know it.”

  “Dinah, fuck, listen to me!” Outlaw demanded. “Mort gonna make you up a drink to calm you the fuck down. We gonna get you help. You really is fucked up if you saw K-P get offed by Logan, so we ain’t holdin’ shit against you too much. You just gotta co-op-afuckin-rate.”

  “No, fuck you! Fuck you. All of you killed K-P and all of you killed Big Joe. And now you’re killing my baby. That’s why I fed Arrow whatever information I could and what I couldn’t feed to him, I gave to Peyton. Me! I did. I let them in that morning. They were supposed to ambush you in your house. In your fuckin’ bed and give me back my Meggie once I led them to the letters. Me and Meggie and Arrow were all going to live happily ever after, but you shot Arrow and you shot my baby.”

  Outlaw loosened his hold on Dinah. “I didn’t shoot Arrow and I’d never kill your baby,” he said in a soothing voice. “No matter what else you think of me, you know I love her.”

  “You don’t! Everyone knows that. And Peyton hated you like I did. You threw her sister over after you promised to marry Ellen.”

  “What?” he bellowed, shock etching into his face. “I ain’t ever fuckin’ intended to marry no bitch. Not even Megan—“

  “Liar! Ellen told Peyton how Meggie took you away from her. She wanted revenge.”

  Nostrils flaring, Outlaw swallowed. Bunny couldn’t remember ever seeing him so upset. It wasn’t only anger in his eyes, but regret and sadness.

  “Dinah—“

  “No! Peyton wanted revenge.”

  Outlaw shook Dinah. “Against Megan,” he snarled. “Not me. Fuck, Dinah, that’s why that cunt shot Megan. Now the shit make sense to me. But you let her on the premises to hurt your own girl.”

  She pounded against his chest. “I didn’t,” she yelled. “They were giving Meggie to me.”

  Johnnie stepped closer when Outlaw released her completely. “Where did Megan’s kids fit into this?”

  Mortician nodded to his unconscious brother. “And Digger?”

  At the mention of Digger, Bunny worried her bottom lip and glanced at where he lay prone between two tables, before gazing at the clock. Only twenty minutes between the time Outlaw had begun beating Digger to now.

  “What about Digger?” Dinah wept. “Sharper thought he was nothing but a fucking idiot. He was going to shoot him down but he got away. Always loyal to you and you and you and you,” she repeated over and over again, pointing to Outlaw. Mortician. Johnnie. Val. Cash. And brothers whom Bunny had never seen. Dinah was just randomly selecting men to point to and pin the word, you on. “Arrow and Sharper wanted to reach their goals and they were going to help me and Peyton reach ours.”

  Sagging into a seat near Digger’s saddlebags, Dinah buried her face into her hands and cried so hard Bunny couldn’t help but to pity her. The woman had been through a lot and thought she had been doing the right thing. Most other outfits would’ve put Dinah down for such a betrayal, but Outlaw meant they didn’t hurt women if it could be helped.

  “Mort, get Digger to his room,” Outlaw began hoarsely, and Bunny had never seen him look so haggard, sound so exhausted. “John Boy, escort Bunny to my house. Cash, find a place for Dinah where I can send her to. She’ll need twenty-four hour guard. Val, mean-fuckin-time, get Dinah to her room for now and keep watch on her, ‘til I talk to…” He glanced away, but then cleared his throat and stiffened his shoulders. “I gotta let Megan know her ma not doin’ well.”

  “No!” Dinah’s shout sounded inhumane as she flew behind Outlaw.

  His eyes widening, he staggered back and fell hard into a chair.

  “You fuckin’ stabbed me,” he pushed out, then slumped over, revealing a knife in his upper back.

  Dinah gasped, shock traveling over her face, her mouth open in a silent scream.

  Everyone stilled for a split second. Then, suddenly, gunfire burst from various directions, bullets hitting Dinah in the head, neck, and upper body. The blasts drowned out Bunny’s horrified shrieks at the sight of all the blood flying from the woman as she fell, dead before she hit the floor.

  The near-inconsolable sobs breached Christopher’s fog and he lifted his eyelids, his upper shoulder burning like a motherfucker. Weakness threatened to topple him right the fuck over, so he knew he hadn’t been stitched yet. Blood still oozed out of him.

  But he felt her weight, too. His Megan, clinging to him, her fingers pressing against his wound. To keep pressure on it, he knew. The scent of cherry blossoms filled his nostrils and he drew in deep, fortifying his strength by the smell and feel of her.

  “Megan, sweetheart, we’ve got to move Christopher,” Johnnie crooned softly, and Christopher felt the tug, knew his brother was attempting to pull his wife away.

  Instead, she held tighter, cried harder. “I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry,” she chanted. “I can’t believe Momma stabbed him. Where is she? I swear, Johnnie, when I get my hands on her, I’ll escort her myself to wherever Christopher wants to send her.”

  “Oh, please,” Kendall said around a snort.

  Christopher tensed and a little more blood seeped out.

  “You’re all full of blood, Meggie,” Kendall got out.

  “Meggie girl, c’mon, make sure everything ready in Prez’s room,” Mortician cut in. “We have to move him.”

  “He needs a hospital,” she countered.

  “No,” Johnnie came back harshly. “He doesn’t fucking need a hospital. This is club business. We’ll handle it here.”

  “He needs a hospital,” she insisted stubbornly. “I was sent to a hospital and that was club business.”

  “You were dying,” Johnnie snapped. “He isn’t. We’ll stitch him back up just fine, but you’ve got to move…fuck it,” he growled.

  All of a sudden, Christopher lost the feel of Megan completely.

  “What are you doing, Johnnie?” Kendall gasped in outrage.

  “Put me down!” Megan shouted.

  Christopher slid his eyelids up a little more, just in time to see Johnnie set Megan on her feet and shove her toward the hallway.

  He grunted, too low for anyone to fucking hear him, because the fucking anarchy continued.

  “There I put you fucking down, Megan,” Johnnie yelled. “But if you don’t fucking move, so we can get Christopher to his room, I’ll fucking pick you up again and carry you myself.”

  She must’ve listened because Christopher no longer felt her presence. If he wasn’t so fucking weak, he’d get the fuck up and slam his fist down Johnnie’s throat, then cut off his fucking hands for shoving her.

  “You think that shit was wise?” Mortician gritted. “Meggie girl going through enough without you getting your full asshole on.”

  “It got her moving,” Johnnie retorted. “She can cry on him once he’s stitched up.”

  A shadow loomed over Christopher and he grunted a-fucking-gain. Still not a motherfucker heard him.

  “Meggie needs to know everything about Dinah’s betrayal,” Kendall said briskly. “She thinks the woman escaped. She doesn’t know she’s laid out riddled with bullets or that she was the one who betrayed the club.”

  “Red, c’mon, girl, what’ll that do to Meggie girl but break her heart knowing her mama was such a traitor. Don’t you think she’s been through enough?”

  “I’m not blaming you, Mortician. I blame him.”

  Christopher shifted slightly, amping up the fucking grunt to a fucking groan. />
  Nothing. Motherfuckers were letting him fucking bleed to death. That’s fucking why he was too fucking weak to move.

  “Blame me, gorgeous,” Johnnie said with an irritated sigh. “It was my call.”

  “The asshole won’t agree with it,” Kendall pointed out. “He thinks Meggie should know everything. It’s Johnnie who wants to protect her from the truth. Well, protecting me never helped. You can’t take it upon yourself to protect another man’s wife, especially if your wife doesn’t agree.”

  “Kendall, fuck,” Johnnie said in exasperation. “It’ll be Christopher’s final decision, but none of us want Megan to suffer that type of heartache. Please, take a few deep breaths and be reasonable about this.”

  Better yet, go sit the fuck down somewhere and be as fucking unreasonable as you fuckin’ wanna. Just get the fuck away from my fuckin’ stabbed ass.

  “Megan’s finally a full-grown woman. Twenty-one. As an adult, she has no choice but to handle this.”

  “Jesus fucking Christ, Kendall. Go and fucking tell her,” Johnnie bellowed. “If it makes you happier and this time on you easier, go tell her all the fuck about Dinah.”

  “You called me to help!”

  Yep, cuz he was a stupid motherfucker like that.

  “My opinion is that withholding information from her isn’t in her best interests.”

  “No, it’s not in your best interest,” Johnnie snapped, cheering up Christopher until Kendall started to cry.

  “Great going, motherfucker,” Mortician said sarcastically.

  Christopher squinted, trying to bring the scene into sharper focus. He thought he saw Mort hug Kendall.

  “Red, what the fuck’s got into you since you got shot? I mean, we going through enough bullshit.”

  “She’s pregnant,” Johnnie mumbled.

  Yeah, Christopher would mumble that shit, too, cuz that meant the return of super psycho bitch.

  “Well, fuck. Now, I know what the fuck got into her.”

  Christopher grunted a laugh. Leave it Mort to make a joke.

  “Prez?”

  Squinting, he opened his eyes further. A blurry image of Mort loomed in front of him. “Yo.”

  “Christopher?” Johnnie called, sounding relieved.

  “You fuckin’ shoved Megan, motherfucker,” Christopher got out weakly. “I’m beatin’ your fuckin’ ass for that.”

  Mort snickered. “Meggie girl don’t have to worry. You going to be just fucking fine.”

  Instead of responding to Christopher, Johnnie pulled Kendall into his arms. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. Okay? Let me escort you to our old room, so you can rest.”

  “Okay,” she said miserably. “You think I should get back on my medicine?”

  “Uh…” Johnnie’s voice trailed off. “Whatever you want to do, I’m behind you one hundred percent.”

  “That’s the fucking problem,” Mort said under his breath.

  “Mortician’s right,” she said tearfully. “I don’t want to start…I’m way past that. Meggie and me have made up and everything.”

  “Shhh, it’s okay,” Johnnie swore. “Kendall, listen to me. I’d prefer if you were on your medicines. The OB has assured you it’s safe for the baby.”

  “None of those drugs are safe!”

  Johnnie sighed. “Sit, gorgeous. Let me help Mort get Christopher to his room and then we’ll talk.”

  “Okay.”

  “You up for walking, Prez?” Mort asked, already positioning himself on one side of Christopher, while Johnnie got on the other side.

  The clubhouse was quiet, as if the massive crowd from earlier had all been an illusion, although Christopher knew better. He knew the scene with him and Dinah had played out in front of officers and members from this chapter and others.

  Fucking Dinah…whiny, loony motherfucking Dinah had fucking stabbed him and…fuck.

  He halted halfway to his room. “Dinah dead?”

  “As a motherfucker,” Mort confirmed. “We didn’t pull on her, but brothers take it as a personal fucking insult when she try to fuck up our Prez. Not only do you run the mother chapter, but you the prez over the entire organization. That’s serious shit, Outlaw.”

  “Fuck, I know, Mort,” Christopher growled, starting forward again, his shoulder hurting with each move he took. “After she fuckin’ bragged about bein’ a fuckin’ traitor, she fuckin’ stabbed me.” None of his brothers knew if she would’ve turned a weapon on them. He understood. That didn’t fucking mean he had to like it.

  Johnnie pushed his bedroom door fully opened and Christopher swayed between them. Megan sat on the edge of the bed, her eyes and nose red from her silent weeping. How many fucking tears had been shed over the past month?

  How much blood?

  He’d known the cost of getting to Sharper would be extraordinarily high, so he’d dragged his ass about bringing shit to a head.

  “Christopher!” Megan cried, running to him, but just catching herself before she launched into his arms. She smiled through her tears. “You’re on your feet.”

  He nodded. “Take more than…” He trailed his voice off, not sure what to say.

  “More than my mother,” Megan whispered, an endless amount of hurt in her eyes. “I’m so sorry.”

  Grabbing her hand, he started forward again before he fell on his fucking ass. Together, the four of them got to the bed, where Christopher fell onto his stomach.

  “Call Bitsy. Tell her to come stitch me up.”

  “I’ll do it,” Johnnie volunteered. “She’s helping Roxy with the kids.”

  “Is anyone looking for momma?” Megan asked quietly.

  “We will, Meggie girl,” Mort promised. “We just had to get shit under control here first. Don’t worry about nothing.”

  Silence, and then, “I need to talk to Christopher alone.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, Christopher saw her draw her knees up and lean against her favorite brick wall. When they were alone, he waited for her to speak.

  “The wound has to be superficial,” she said finally. “Otherwise, you’d been dead by now.”

  He tried to smile at her soft words. Mostly, he just wanted her pain to go away. He’d give up his fucking life if it meant she didn’t look so devastated. Despite her rapid blinks, tears streamed down her face and he reached out his hand.

  She stared at it, instead of automatically taking it as usual. Closing her eyes, she shuddered and Christopher removed his hand. Even as he understood, her withdrawal stung. He wanted to believe their earlier argument contributed to her action.

  “Megan—”

  “She’s dead, isn’t she?” she interrupted.

  “I didn’t kill her,” he blurted before he considered the words confirmed Megan’s fear. “Megan, baby…”

  “There’s nothing you can say that’ll take this away,” she said quietly. “She was my mother and I loved her.”

  He swallowed. “I know.”

  “You’ve got to let me grieve for her.”

  “Whatcha tellin’ me?” Or trying to tell him, because she was getting at something, that was for fucking certain.

  “That I loved my mother.” Her face crumpled and she licked her lips, trying and failing to control her tears. “But she tried to hurt you. Take you away from me. I don’t…” She cried harder. “Had she lived, how could I have had anything to do with her ever again?”

  Instead of holding out his hand, he fucked with his stab wound by lifting up and dragging himself closer to her. This time, she curled next to him and allowed him to thread his fingers through her hair. Pain and confusion darkened her blue eyes.

  “Where is she?”

  “I don’t fuckin’ know, baby.”

  “Please don’t let them…the meat shack…”

  “Fuck, no, baby, I swear, I ain’t gonna let that happen to her. We’ll give her a proper fuckin’ burial.”

  “Put her in Daddy’s grave.”

  “Let’s talk ‘bout it later, Megan.�
� When she wasn’t so upset and he could remind her that the grave had just been opened for Arrow. It was still sealed. Dinah would have to go in the grave with Patricia. “Tomorrow or the next day.”

  She nodded. “Do you think she’s finally at peace? Her and Daddy are together again?”

  “I don’t fuckin’ know. I ain’t ever thought ‘bout questions like that too fuckin’ deep. Me and God ain’t got the best relationship.”

  Her fingertips skated along his jawline and he leaned into her touch.

  “We’re going to survive this,” she whispered. “And we’re going to come out stronger for it. We’ve both lost so much and…and I still don’t really know why. Because of your grandfather’s sex trafficking? Sharper’s involvement? Both? Does it have something to do with Big Joe? Or Sharper’s mega-church? What’s so important that so many people have had to die? Our son, Patrick. Kendall’s unborn baby. Her sister and mother. Bev. Avery. Nia. Sasha and your other two nieces. Tyler. K-P and Arrow and Momma and…” Voice trailing off, she swallowed a sob, but Christopher knew what she’d been about to say.

  “And Big Joe, huh, baby?”

  Her chin wobbled, but she nodded once more. He palmed away her tears.

  “I know you…don’t see it that way. That he was just an evil man who deserved to die.”

  “Megan, baby, if I once fuckin’ did, I don’t now. Not all the fuckin’ way. In that fuckin’ moment, I had to fuckin’ choose. Him or me. I fuckin’ chose me and I hated him for makin’ me have to make that fuckin’ choice. But Big Joe ain’t even had a fuckin’ choice. He was as much a casualty as Arrow and K-P, and don’t let no motherfucker ever fuckin’ tell you other-fuckin-wise.”

  “If Daddy hadn’t been killed the year before we met, I’d think this had something to do with me.”

  It did, thanks to fucking Dinah, but he’d never tell Megan that. Some shit she never needed to fucking know, and he’d fucking kill whoever he had to, to keep her in the dark.

  “We gonna get through this,” he swore, echoing her words. “We gonna bury our family members and we gonna stand fuckin’ strong. You and me. Just like we always fuckin’ do. Just trust me to get motherfuckin’ Sharper and make this shit right.”