Death Dwellers Motorcycle Club:: Fifteen Bad Boy Biker Books

by Kathryn C. Kelly

  Knox had never met a baby thug before, but CJ Caldwell could be classified as one.

  “Enough, potato,” Megan warned. “You need to stop listening to adult conversations. Respect Mr. Knox.”

  “Him bitch Law out, Mommie,” CJ explained, finally stepping around Knox and heading to the table. “Ashfuck Dig!” he greeted happily, going to his parents and wrapping his arms around his mother’s legs. She ruffled his hair as the baby the woman had been holding wobbled past him.

  “Tell him, Christopher,” Megan said. “He can’t talk to adults like he did to Knox, no matter what you say.”

  “Motherfucker did bitch my ass out, baby. My boy just callin’ it like he see it.”

  Megan scowled at her husband, but dropped the subject as CJ went to each man and greeted them while the little girl climbed into Outlaw’s lap and leaned against him.

  The woman who’d walked in went to Digger. Knox realized that was Bunny, the SAA’s wife and Megan’s assistant.

  He turned toward the table and found everyone staring at him, even the children, as if he were a freak show on display.

  Nonplussed, he glanced at Roxy, the only friend he had in a sea of enemies. He owed her an apology. He opened his mouth to offer one, but she turned away and disappeared through the doors that led to the kitchen.

  “Brooks not here yet,” Outlaw said. “Don’t know what time he comin’, so get the fuck out.”

  Sighing, Knox did the only thing he could. He left, vowing to catch up to Roxy later.

  Allowing a few minutes to pass in hopes that Knox left, Roxy walked out of the kitchen and marched to Outlaw’s table. She glared at him. He released a plume of smoke from the cigarette he now held.

  “What did you do to him?” she demanded, telling herself she did so because Outlaw had obviously used the information she sent to him to beat up Knox.

  Unfazed by her question, Outlaw lifted a brow. “What the fuck it look like?” he asked, not admitting to anything but saying volumes. “Why?”

  Good fucking question. Knox needed his ass kicked up and down the club and for a few different reasons. But he’d gone from looking like the world’s hottest sex symbol to resembling a character from the Walking Dead. “You asked for my fucking help. Jumping the gun will either get me killed or make him so distrustful, I’ll never learn his secrets for you. I texted you his address and you used it to go and kick his ass.”

  “First of fuckin’ all, I do what the fuck I wanna with the fuckin’ information I get. Second, you should know me fuckin’ better than that. I ain’t gonna risk you. I told the motherfucker I got his fuckin’ address from tailin’ you. He chose to fuckin’ believe other-fuckin-wise.”

  Roxy snorted. “He’s not that stupid. He knew you weren’t tailing us. The man’s an investigator. He would’ve known if a motherfucker was following us.”

  “The motherfucker is that stupid,” Outlaw snapped. “You was bein’ tailed.”

  “Yeah, Roxanne, you think we letting you walk out this fucking club for a date with some suspicious motherfucker without knowing what was up?” Mortician asked with a scowl.

  Meggie sniffed and rolled her eyes. “Did you put a tracking device on his car or somewhere on Roxy?”

  Outlaw shrugged, not answering.

  Roxy had always found Outlaw’s protectiveness both funny and endearing. She wanted to be annoyed that he’d had her movements tracked. Her rights violated. It had been a very long time since she’d had someone watch over her, however. Usually, she watched over everyone. Besides, she’d be a hypocritical bitch if she didn’t see anything wrong with that behavior toward the girls but flipped a lid when it was directed at her.

  Still… “You need to trust me to handle myself and this situation. Compromising the investigation before it gets off the ground won’t do anyone any good. You’ve probably blown our cover.”

  “No the fuck I ain’t. I beat his ass cuz of Megan.”

  “What the motherfucker did to you, baby?” she asked, looking at Meggie and forgetting her irritation.

  “Other than flirt with Meggie girl right in front of Prez?” Mortician said.

  Roxy frowned, not sure why she felt anything at hearing that he’d come on to Meggie. It wasn’t as if Roxy wanted Knox for anything other than to uncover his secrets.

  “You tailed me, Mortician?” she asked on a sigh.

  “That would be me,” Johnnie inserted. “Kendall isn’t talking to me, even after I massaged her feet. She came home to ignore me. I had nothing better to do, so I volunteered.”

  She offered a smile, then turned and left the clubhouse. She’d come to give the details of her date—minus the part about the kiss—but Knox’s accusations side-tracked her.

  Outside, she lifted the collar on her jacket, finding the air chilly. Maybe, if she got to the house before Mortician, she could find ingredients to cook a meal. For the entire week Bailey and the kids had been gone, he’d made sure she had nothing to do. When Bailey was there, she made Roxy sit on her ass more often than not. The whole reason Roxy had agreed to move to Hortensia was because Bailey said she needed her help.

  “Roxy?”

  The unexpected sound of Knox’s voice as she headed to the pathway made her jump two feet in the air.

  She whirled. “You scared the fuck out of me.”

  He lifted his hands. “Sorry.”

  Outlaw had really beaten him bad. One eye was completely closed and the other only partially open. He had cuts and bruises on his face, a bandaged nose, and a split lip. He looked a hot mess.

  “What do you want?” she asked coolly. She might’ve felt sorry for him but that didn’t excuse his behavior to her.

  “I’m sorry, okay? I lost my temper. I’m in a lot of pain thanks to Outlaw.”

  “Really?”

  “You can stop pretending. He identified himself.”

  “The boy isn’t stupid. He wouldn’t do anything to incriminate himself. Besides, what reason would he have to kick your ass?”

  He glanced away then looked at her again. “He’s a violent offender. I’ve never given him a reason to attack me,” he lied.

  His answer disappointed Roxy. In the cold light of day, going over the kiss in her head when she’d awakened this morning, she’d felt…wanted. She was needed any number of places, but the differences between want and need were vast. She needed to breathe because she wanted to live. Her family loved her—well, maybe not her son—but she sometimes wondered if they had her around so much for the assistance she offered or because they liked her company. Knox needed to have her puddle at his feet to use her against Outlaw. But if he wanted her, he’d have no ulterior motive other than a desire to fulfill his attraction.

  “Outlaw’s a good man,” she said sincerely. “He has a heart of gold. More importantly, he’s loyal.” She looked him up and down. “Unlike some people I know.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked stiffly.

  Roxy wasn’t sure if it was from his ass beating or the perpetual stick up his ass.

  “Not a fucking thing. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have things to do.”

  Moving fast for someone so fucked up, Knox grabbed her arm. A spark of electricity shot through her body and she gritted her teeth, offended by her attraction.

  She pulled away from him, determined not to feel any sympathy for his injuries. The stupid ass deserved them. “I’ll thank you to keep your hands to yourself and off my person.”

  He scowled at her. “What? No f-bomb?”

  “I’m all out,” she said primly. “I need to reload.”

  “I’m disappointed.” He almost sounded truthful.

  She hadn’t lied when she’d told him he was a smooth-talker. He was. He made her wish for things that she couldn’t have. With him, especially. She was a grandmother. She shouldn’t be thinking such dirty thoughts or be susceptible to lying, dirty dogs.

  She had to be lonelier than she’d realized. Normally, her bullshit tolerance was zer
o. True, she’d first noticed Knox because of his resemblance to a certain movie star, but it was his personality—his charm—that lured her in. Of course, con artists needed charisma to run their scams.

  She shifted her weight and looked him up and down, as if he had no effect on her at all. “Look, Knox, I suppose you followed me to apologize. You have. If there’s nothing else, I need to get home.”

  “Can I call you?”

  “You could if you had my number.”

  A slow grin curved his lips but a wince ruined the smile. “You’re going to make me grovel, aren’t you?”

  “For calling me a bitch?”

  He nodded.

  “No groveling necessary. I’m not that type. Grudges take too damn much out of you. I say what I have to say, mete out justice, and move on.”

  “I really am sorry. I don’t know what got into me. I’m not that disrespectful to women.”

  She didn’t think he was, although she wasn’t sure. Usually, she read people pretty well, so she’d go with her instinct. “Let’s just move past this,” she suggested. “If it happens again, you’ll miss a few teeth and I’ll never talk to you again. For now, it’s over and done with.”

  “Can I cook dinner for you to make it up?”

  “Can you?” she threw back at him.

  He huffed out a frustrated breath and scrubbed a hand over his face. “If you’ll allow me.”

  “I’m busy for the next few days. The club’s hosting the annual Halloween party.” It would be a prime opportunity for Outlaw and the guys to see Knox in action and determine just how big of a threat he really was. “Why don’t you come as my date?”

  He didn’t hesitate. “Will I need a costume?”

  “It’s optional.”

  “I suppose clothes are optional for people like them.”

  Roxy reared back, all the better to glare at him. “Hold up, motherfucker. I’m one of those people. My daughter’s one of those people. Who the fuck do you think you are? You’re no better than us or any of the men here. You’re sure the fuck not better than me. You might have an education and live in a nice place. That just makes you lucky, not better. You know what? Fuck you. I don’t need a sadity ass motherfucker who looks down on me.”

  Turning, she headed down the pathway.

  “Wait, wait, wait, Roxy,” Knox called.

  Judging by his huffs and puffs, he was struggling to catch up to her. Finally, he did and barreled in front of her. She almost collided with him. Sweat popped from his forehead. He was red-faced and grimacing in pain.

  “I’m sorry,” he said again. “I know you aren’t like them.”

  “There you fucking go again. You’re just not getting it. These are mighty fine men and I’m proud to know them. You disrespect them, you disrespect me. You’re not better than us, Knox. We were all made equally. It’s when you forget that, that you lose sight of your humanity.”

  “I can’t ever say the right things to you,” he said, not commenting on her words. “I don’t like Outlaw. He should be in jail.”

  Had the ass-beating lowered his defenses so much that he would open up to her and admit to being undercover? She had to choose her words carefully, and not tip him off that she was on to him.

  “I disagree,” she said. “Just because he’s the president of this club, doesn’t mean he’s a criminal.”

  Shoving his hands in his pockets, he glanced away. “I’ve heard differently,” he mumbled, unable to meet her eyes. “The club’s well known and my friends advised me to be careful. The Death Dwellers are suspected in a lot of cases. Most recently, that of the destruction of Brooks’ law firm and the disappearance of his son-in-law.”

  Keeping her expression unchanged—not that it mattered since he still wasn’t looking at her—Roxy glanced at Knox’s profile. “Brooks filling your head with all that bullshit?”

  She hadn’t been there during that time, but she’d heard about Outlaw’s jail time and Brooks’ role in it.

  “No. Brooks hasn’t mentioned it to me. Other than talking about the cases he needs help on, he doesn’t seem interested in getting to know me.”

  “If you believe the rumors, it seems as if you’d want to find out from him.”

  Finally meeting her eyes, Knox nodded. “Maybe, I will.”

  “As nice as it is talking to you, I’m starting to freeze my ass off.”

  Instead of allowing her to go, Knox grabbed her hands and sandwiched them between his.

  “Your hands are so cold,” he murmured.

  “Didn’t I just say my ass was fucking chilled to the bone?” she asked irritably, resentful that his touch affected her.

  Knox was one shady motherfucker. And, if she wanted to be honest and thought long and hard, discovering he’d flirted with Meggie and knowing he liked younger women, the age difference intimidated her just a bit. It galled the fuck out of her to admit that and it brought her back to her days as K-P’s old lady.

  She’d had as much of a problem with who she was as some of the women here. She hadn’t been comfortable in her own skin, so she hadn’t told them to fuck off. Then, Logan Donovan had gotten to her, and called her all kinds of ugly names. Roxy was sure the motherfucker had made up some of them. He’d referred to Bailey as a mongrel and a half-breed and…a lot.

  Fuck. It didn’t matter. That was then and this was now, and her entire reason for even approaching Knox was completely different.

  “See? Is it so bad to not say anything and just let me warm you up?”

  She laughed. “If only you knew what I was thinking. I wasn’t quietly enjoying your hands on me.”

  “Care to fill me in?”

  She reclaimed her hands and tucked them into her sides to capitalize on Knox’s leftover warmth. “I sure the fuck don’t.”

  Knox shook his head. “Am I still invited to the party?”

  “I think I need to revoke my invitation. You’re going to come here with an attitude and antagonize one of the bikers.”

  Even injured, his look sharpened. “And what? Not that I would do that, but suppose I would? Would I then turn up missing, too?”

  Fuck, she’d slipped slightly. Caught up in the moment with the snake in the grass and memories of the past, she’d let her guard down. “Fuck off. I’m through talking to you. Don’t bother to apologize this time because I’m not interested.”

  “See you later, Roxanne,” Knox called as she hurried away, with the sound of his laughter ringing in her ears.

  Chapter Ten

  Knox watched Roxy storm away, amused that she pretended disinterest. He was sure if he apologized to her again, she’d accept it. Again. She was more bark, than bite. The memory of her kneeing his dick crossed his mind. Well, most of the time.

  Turning, he headed back to the parking lot of the clubhouse, debating on going inside to await Brooks, staying out there, or visiting his uncle. Since he never knew what time Brooks would make it to his ratty office, Knox decided to call Charlotte and ask her to meet him at his Uncle Avalon’s.

  “Good morning, Corinne,” Knox said in greeting to the maid when she opened the door.

  She smiled at him, lowering her lashes. She was a pretty, doe-eyed woman that always sent signals to him. However, he wasn’t comfortable sleeping with the housekeeper simply because he wasn’t sure if his position would give him an unfair advantage over her. Certainly, if an affair was discovered, they’d blame him and her, but she’d be out of a job.

  “Where is he?” Knox asked, ignoring the flirty look.

  “In the breakfast salon with Mrs. Redding.” She wrinkled her nose.

  “Tsk, tsk,” he chastised. “Dare you bemoan such a bastion of society?”

  “If it means what I think it does, then, yeah, I curse the day I see her because she looks down on me.”

  “Lower your voice,” he advised on a chuckle.

  She blushed. “Sorry, sir,” she said, not sorry at all.

  He winked at her. “Your secret’s safe,” he pro
mised and headed to his uncle.

  In the breakfast salon, Knox found Charlotte enjoying a cup of tea while Uncle Avalon drank coffee. Her black eye and bruised face shocked him as much as his appearance surprised her.

  Their eyes widened as they looked at each other. Shit. Roxy really had beaten her up. Jesus, the woman had no fucking class. No decent lady would lay her hands on anyone. Roxy was damn right when she said she was one of them!

  Uncle Avalon frowned. “What happened to you, Knox?”

  “Outlaw Caldwell,” Knox said without hesitation.

  Charlotte set her cup down. “Well, that Roxy woman happened to me,” she said bitterly and turned tear-filled eyes on him. “Oh, Knox, can you please do something soon? I fear my husband will meet the same fate as my poor son-in-law.”

  “Now, now, Charlotte,” Uncle Avalon soothed. “Brooks can handle himself. That’s why I agreed with the other partners that the firm represent a motorcycle club in the first place.”

  No, he’d agreed for the money, but Knox kept that to himself.

  “I’ve known Brooks since college. He won’t allow some low-lifes to best him.”

  “He has!” Charlotte sobbed. “He’s completely defeated. He doesn’t care that we’ve lost everything. The club has frozen all of our assets!”

  That was the first Knox was hearing about that. Something else he’d have Cam check out. “What? How can that be? They don’t have the authority to do that.”

  “Charlotte, my nephew and his partner are crackerjack private eyes. Give them a chance to gather all the evidence we need to go to the FBI. Kendall Donovan was a patient of your brother’s. Knox is right in the thick of things. And Brooks has access to all of their records. We’ll avenge the lost firm and poor Kyler.”

  “And my battered face,” Charlotte wailed, indicating herself. “Don’t forget that. I want that Roxy woman behind bars as bad as I want that despicable Outlaw and the reprehensible Johnnie. Please throw Megan in there if possible. The others I don’t care about, one way or the other. But Kendall needs to be from under their influence.”

  Knox shouldn’t care that Roxy was thrown into the mix. After all, she was little more than a thug herself. But she was also a survivor, in the sense that she overcame whatever she faced. She wasn’t easily impressed and she didn’t hesitate to put him in his place.