Havoc (Devil's Boneyard MC 3)

by Harley Wylde

  “My oldest brother,” she said.

  Scratch’s gaze locked with mine and his jaw tightened a minute. “Shit just got more difficult.”

  “Why?” I asked, not having a fucking clue who Jameson Withers was.

  “I’ve kept up with the VPs of Hades Abyss and Devil’s Fury after what went down with Wraith’s woman. I mentioned our latest prospects last time I was talking to Slash. Devil’s Fury has two new prospects. Denver Casey and Jameson Withers,” Scratch said.

  I heard Jordan gasp and when I looked, she had paled and swayed on the stool. I reached out to steady her and she melted against me. Damn but she felt too fucking perfect.

  “What’s the problem?” I asked Scratch.

  “I need to talk to your girl,” Scratch said, his voice lowering as he gazed at Jordan, and I could tell by the look in his eyes that whatever he had to say, it wasn’t good news.

  She clutched at me and I didn’t think she was letting go anytime soon, but the others backed off and gave us some privacy. Scratch moved in closer and reached out to smooth his hand down her hair. He looked like he’d rather be anywhere else right then, and I wondered if the news he had would break the woman in my arms.

  “Jordan, your brother Jameson did change his number. Your other brother, Stuart, did not. And there’s a good reason your other brother didn’t pick you up today,” Scratch said.

  “Where are my brothers?” she asked, her voice subdued and all the fight having gone out of her.

  “Jameson is with a club called Devil’s Fury. He’s a Prospect, which means he hasn’t patched in, but he’s trying to earn his place. Stuart… Stuart’s dead, sweet girl. I’m sorry to be the one to tell you that. He got mixed up in some stuff he should have left alone, and he ended up shot,” Scratch said.

  “Why didn’t Dopey come pick me up?” she asked.

  Dopey? I looked at Scratch and he seemed to be fighting back a laugh.

  “Dopey,” he said, “or CJ as the rest of us know him, was on an errand that I sent him on earlier today. He said he had somewhere to be, but didn’t elaborate. It’s my fault you weren’t picked up.”

  Wait. What? CJ? Our Prospect CJ? Scratch gave me a nod. Yep, I was fucked.

  “CJ is one of you?” she asked, her brow furrowed.

  “He’s a Prospect,” Scratch said. “Jameson tried to get him to go to Devil’s Fury with him, but CJ had been hanging out with some of us already and felt more at home here. He’s been prospecting about six months now.”

  “And what about my other brother?” she asked.

  “From what little I know of your youngest brother, he’s probably been out partying all night and is dead asleep. He may very well come for you when he wakes up, or knowing that CJ is here, he may decide you’ve already got the help you need,” Scratch said. “Either way, that makes you part of two clubs. You can stay here with us, and we’ll protect you, or I can call the VP of Devil’s Fury and tell him what’s up and see if they want you over there.”

  “I don’t… I don’t…” She shook her head, then buried her face in my chest.

  I tightened my hold on her and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. Her life had been turned upside down, after having already lost time on the inside of hell, and I could only imagine how she felt right now. Whatever she needed, I’d see that she had it. Scratch was right. With CJ being one of our Prospects, that made Jordan family, or prospective family. Either way, she was mine to protect. I just hoped she’d let me.

  The clubhouse door slammed into the wall and a harried looking CJ stormed inside, then drew up short when he saw Jordan in my arms.

  “What the fuck are you doing with my sister?” he demanded.

  Yeah, this was going to be fun. Hope Jordan didn’t hold a grudge if I had to beat her brother’s ass.

  Chapter Three

  Jordan

  CJ sounded pissed off as he entered the clubhouse and found me in Havoc’s arms. Honestly though, being held by the ginger made me feel safer than I ever had in my life. With his size and strength I would have thought him to be rough, but his touch was gentle, and his voice both soothed me and made me want things I shouldn’t.

  I tried to pull away, but Havoc held me tight.

  “I’m fine, Dopey,” I said, making my brother wince as he approached us.

  “Do you have to call me that?” he asked.

  “Right. You’re a big, badass biker now,” I said. “Any other changes I need to know about?”

  He looked away, but not before the I saw the pain in his eyes.

  “They told me about Stuart,” I said softly. “Why didn’t any of you come and tell me what was going on?”

  “You had enough to deal with,” he said.

  “Is that why no one came to see me?” I asked. “Colby came twice, and then I didn’t hear from any of you again. I thought…”

  “She thought you fuckers had abandoned her, asshole,” Havoc said. “And you sure as fuck did. I found her passed out on the side of the road between the prison and here.”

  CJ paled. “I’m sorry. Scratch sent me on an errand, and I tried to get back on time.”

  “Have you even been to the prison or called to check on her?’ Havoc asked.

  “No, I was going to drop off the stuff I was sent to pick up, and then I was going to go get her.” He looked at me, but what I saw wasn’t reassuring. I didn’t believe him.

  “With CJ being her brother, we can permit her to stay in a room here at the clubhouse,” Scratch said. “But she may not like all the things she sees. The offer still stands to come stay with my family.”

  I didn’t want to release Havoc, but Scratch’s words played in my mind. If I went with Havoc, that meant I was letting him claim me, and I didn’t want that. And I was almost certain he didn’t want it either. Yes, there was an attraction between us, but we hadn’t even known each other an hour. Surely they didn’t just go around claiming random women they’d never met before.

  “In light of who her family is and everything she’s been through, maybe we should let her decide what she wants, VP,” Havoc said. “I think she’s had enough stress for the day.”

  Scratch rubbed a hand across his beard before nodding. “All right. Jordan, where do you want to stay? Or if you would prefer to go to Jameson’s club, I can make a call and have it arranged.”

  I looked at my brother. To everyone else, he probably just seemed concerned about me, but I could see beneath that. He didn’t want me here, and he wasn’t pleased that I wasn’t still locked up. No matter what he said, he’d kept everything from me for his own reasons and not to save me. I didn’t know who Dopey had become while I was locked up, but I didn’t think I much cared for this version of him.

  “I want to stay with Havoc,” I said. “But I don’t want…”

  I bit my lip when I felt Havoc tense. Maybe he didn’t want me to stay with him. I should have just asked to go stay with Jameson. That would have been the smarter thing to do. It was obvious that CJ didn’t want me, and Havoc sure as hell didn’t want to claim me. I tried to pull away, but he wouldn’t let me.

  Scratch moved in closer. “You don’t want what?”

  “You shouldn’t make him claim me. It’s not right. We’re strangers and may end up hating each other,” I said.

  Humor flashed in his eyes. “I seriously doubt Havoc is going to hate you. If anything, you may get sick of his overbearing ways and want to kick him in the balls.”

  “I do have experience hitting men where it counts,” I said. “Maybe he should be worried about that.”

  Havoc started laughing, and I wasn’t sure what to make of it. He didn’t seem the least bit worried about me hurting his family jewels, or any other part of him. Guess I could see why. The man was huge, and I doubted that many men, let alone women, decided to take him on. He shouldn’t underestimate me though. If I had to fight to protect myself, or someone I loved, then I’d do it. I thought I’d proven myself capable of handling things if the need a
rose.

  “Wait,” CJ said. “Claim? Like in…”

  “Havoc is going to make your sister his old lady, if he takes her home with him,” Scratch said.

  “No fucking way!” CJ’s face flushed red and fury came off him in waves. “That’s complete bullshit! I’ve been busting my ass around here for six months to prove myself, and you just pick her up on the side of the road and she’s automatically a part of the club?”

  Scratch and Havoc both went still and focused their gazes on my brother. I wondered when it would click in his pea brain that this was an “oh shit” moment for him, and he should probably start groveling for fucking up. Neither man seemed to be the type to take that kind of shit, especially from someone who wasn’t officially part of their club. I’d noticed Scratch’s leather vest said VP and Havoc’s said Sergeant at Arms, while the others just had their names on it. And in the case of my brother, not even his name was on his. Which meant he was at the bottom of the totem pole and had likely just fucked up big time.

  “What did you say to me, boy?” Scratch asked, his voice a low growl.

  CJ tensed and I watched as the red faded from his skin and went nearly albino white. “I didn’t mean… Sorry, VP.”

  “Something wrong with your sister being part of this club?” Havoc asked.

  He hadn’t let go of me yet, and I wondered if that was all that had saved CJ from getting knocked on his ass. Havoc seemed like the type who might hit first and ask questions later. At least with other men.

  “No, sir,” CJ said, taking a step back. “It’s just… she’s a criminal! She’s not like Clarity or Josie.”

  I looked up to see how Havoc felt about that and he had arched one of his eyebrows. Releasing me, he took a step toward my brother, then another until he was right in CJ’s face.

  “If you have a problem with people who have done time, then I’d suggest you turn in that cut right now and haul your ass out of here as fast as you can,” Havoc said.

  Cut? What the hell was he talking about?

  CJ clutched at his vest and I figured that’s what Havoc had meant by cut. I’d never really paid attention to biker shows before and it seemed I had a lot to learn.

  Scratch put himself between me and my brother, which was sweet but unnecessary. Even if CJ did come after me, I could hold my own against him. We’d been fighting amongst ourselves since I was big enough to be a pain in all four of my brothers’ asses. Jameson was twenty-nine, Stuart would be twenty-eight if he were still alive, Dopey was twenty-six, and Colby was twenty-five. I was the baby at twenty-one, and definitely an “oops” since Mom had thought she couldn’t have more kids. She’d had her tubes tied after Colby, but apparently they’d grown back, and I came along four years later.

  “No problem, Havoc,” CJ said.

  “Or didn’t you know that quite a few men in this club had done time?” Havoc asked. “Myself included. I spent quite a bit of time in the same hellhole as your sister.”

  Havoc had been in prison? Before my life behind bars, that would have sent me running the other way. Now, not so much. I’d met some really great women inside. Some were doing time for crimes they swore they hadn’t committed, others like me had done the crime but for reasons we thought were legitimate, and then there were those who had no remorse and would likely be locked up again shortly after they were released. If they ever got set free to begin with.

  It also explained how he knew about the letter I’d been given. Had he received the same thing? I didn’t like the thought of something bad happening to him inside, but he seemed to be fine now. Whatever had happened, it seemed to be firmly in his past, which is where I was hoping to leave my time served. Even though I knew it would haunt me the rest of my life, every time I applied for a job or if I wanted to finish college. I’d screwed up my life because of my stupid temper.

  “I didn’t mean anything by it,” CJ said. “Just thought you deserved someone better.”

  I gasped as Havoc hauled back his fist and slammed it into my brother’s jaw. Part of me felt like I should rush to CJ’s side, but the fact Havoc had just defended me against my own flesh and blood sent me scurrying over to him instead. He was reaching for CJ, likely to pummel him some more, when I wrapped my hand around his bicep. Or tried to. Really, what the hell did the man do for a workout?

  “Havoc,” I said softly, drawing his gaze down to me.

  His jaw tensed. “I won’t apologize for hitting me.”

  “I don’t want an apology,” I said. I pressed myself closer to him. “Thank you.”

  His eyebrows shot upward. “You’re thanking me? For hitting your brother?”

  “You were defending me.” I leaned up and tugged him down so I could whisper in his ear. “And it was really hot watching you do that. Maybe I can thank you properly?”

  His gaze heated as he tossed me over his shoulder again.

  “VP, if this means she’s mine, so be it. We’re going home,” Havoc said, slapping my ass and carrying me outside.

  I could hear the others inside laughing and my brother cursing. Just like that? No real conversation between us? Not so much as a kiss, and he was okay with having to keep me? I still didn’t quite grasp what being an old lady meant. If it was like a wife, did that mean there was some sort of biker divorce if things didn’t work out between us?

  Havoc set me down on my feet and the world spun for a moment. It had been a while since I’d had anything to eat, and that bottle of water was long gone. He gripped my waist with his hands to steady me, and I could see the concern in his eyes.

  “What’s wrong, baby?” he asked.

  “Just a little dizzy.” My stomach chose that moment to growl, loudly. My cheeks flushed and his lips thinned.

  “I’m not taking very good care of you, am I?” he asked. “Can you manage a short ride on the bike?”

  “I think so.”

  He climbed onto the silver and black Harley Davidson, then nodded for me to climb on back. I wrapped my arms around his waist and he leaned over to position my feet.

  “Don’t want you to get burned on the pipes,” he said. “Jeans and boots are better for riding.”

  I didn’t exactly have either of those things. Hell, I didn’t have anything anymore. I didn’t know what my brothers had done with my stuff, but if Dopey’s reaction to me was anything to go by it had likely been sent to Goodwill or burned. I didn’t understand how he could hate me so much. And how the hell did two of my straight-laced brothers end up affiliated with motorcycle clubs? It baffled the hell out of me.

  Havoc started the bike and eased out of the parking lot in front of the clubhouse. There was a road that stretched in either direction inside the gates and he headed left. I could see a few houses, and I wondered if everyone in the club had a house here. Then I remembered hearing that the VP lived outside of the gates. So not everyone then, but Havoc did, and probably some of the others.

  He stopped in from a yellow clapboard house with black shutters and white trim. It seemed so… cheerful, and not at all what I would have thought the biker would choose for a home. Or maybe it had just been given to him without input. Either way, I thought it was cute, and I could easily picture some flowerbeds out front filled with brightly-colored blossoms. It seemed like a nice home to raise a family, not that I had any intention of having a family. I was definitely not mother material.

  I climbed off the bike and Havoc took my hand, leading me inside. The little walkway leading to the front door looked rather plain, but I could imagine it with some cute little lights on either side. If he was seriously claiming me and this would be my home, maybe he’d let me add a few things here and there. Like plants and lights.

  He pushed open the door and we stepped inside. The entry was small, just a tiled section that was a probably six feet square, if that. A hall lay ahead of us and I could see four doors, all of them shut. The living room was to my right, and a kitchen and dining area were to the left. The house was small, but nice. And surpri
singly clean.

  “I like your home,” I said.

  “Your home too, if Scratch was serious.”

  “Does that bother you?” I asked.

  He shrugged, then his gaze swept over me from head to toe. “Not really. I’ve never been tempted to claim someone before, but the thought of you being permanently mine doesn’t make me want to run away.”

  Not exactly a glowing endorsement, but I’d take it.

  “Well, I guess I should tell you that the thought of being with you for more than a night doesn’t make me want to run screaming into the night either.”

  He smirked and led me over to the small table and chairs. He pulled one out and nodded for me to have a seat. While I scanned the room to get a feel for what kind of man Havoc was, he pulled stuff from the fridge and cabinets.

  “I hope spaghetti is okay. It’s just sauce from a jar, but I add meat to it,” he said. “It’s the quickest thing I can make other than a sandwich, and I thought you might need something more filling than a few pieces of meat and some bread.”

  “I love pasta,” I said, and it was true. I’d eat pretty much any type of pasta he put in front of me.

  He grinned and turned back to the stove. It wasn’t long before the scent of seasoned meat teased my nose, and I could hear the water starting to boil for the noodles. He drained the meat and added the sauce, then turned down the temp on the stove. After he added the noodles to the boiling water, he turned to face me, folding his arms over his chest.

  “I’m going to guess that your brothers are all older than you,” he said.

  “Yeah. I’m the unexpected baby of the family,” I said. “Turned twenty-one while I was locked up.”

  “If I had any damn sense, I’d send you back to the clubhouse and let someone else watch over you,” he muttered and looked away.

  “Why?”

  “Because I’m too damn old for you,” he said. His gaze locked with mine. “I’m thirty-nine, Jordan. I’ve seen more shit and done more shit than you can even imagine. I was locked up for a while, but before that I served six years with the Marines. I prospected for Devil’s Boneyard for about a year, and was patched in. Six months later, I did something I shouldn’t have and got caught. They locked me up indefinitely, but I got out after three years served because some guards thought it would be funny to let some other inmates try to beat me to death. So I’m not a good man, Jordan. You deserve a lot better than me.”