Retaliation: A Twisted Mayhem MC Novel

by Cat Mason

  “This is me,” Ro says, meeting my eyes. Releasing her hold on me, she turns away from me. Bending down, she swipes Ivy’s gun off the floor and heads straight for her. “After you killed my father, there was a part of me that wished I hadn’t stopped Jensen from killing you. I lost him, and so many other people had to die, all because I showed you mercy,” she says, pointing the gun at Ivy. “Thankfully, the other parts of me say this will help with the guilt.”

  The gun goes off, three small pops, thanks to the silencer. Ivy’s body falls back to the floor, her head falling to the side as the blood seeps from the holes in her chest. Closing her eyes, Ro exhales a slow breath. Walking up behind her, I take the gun from her hand. Clicking the safety into place, I pass it off to Torch. Her body sags back into mine as my arms come around her middle to steady her.

  “Got that fucker from the yard,” Doc grins. “Put him down real quiet in the garage. Shithead never saw it coming. I’ll reach out to McKelvy. We’ll take care of him and that other fucker on the porch.”

  “He totally ruined the welcome mat,” Schrader laughs, putting away his gun. “Rude bastard.”

  “Won’t be needed,” I say, shaking my head. “We handle this and save him the paperwork. He has enough on his plate at the moment. As far as anyone else is concerned, Ivy and Laswell skipped town and are probably enjoying umbrella drinks in Rio by now.”

  “I’d kill for a beer on the beach right now,” Schrader huffs. “Or a beer and a blowjob. Either one ends with me feelin’ fuckin’ awesome.”

  “Or a beer and a blowjob on the beach,” Jinks chimes in, waggling his brows. “Why we have to choose?”

  “How about we get this shit cleaned up and the girls back to the clubhouse before you two go scoutin’ nude beach vacation spots?” Doc deadpans, slapping Jinks in the back of the head. Shoving him out of the way, he wraps his arms around his daughter, pulling her close. “Don’t do that shit again, Cheyenne Morgan. You damn near gave me a fuckin’ heart attack.”

  “I’m sorry, Pop,” she breathes, looking up at him with sad eyes.

  “Don’t fuckin’ like it, but I get where your head’s at,” Doc says, shaking his head. “Damn fool that boy was. You can’t let that shit get you twisted up. His loss. Not yours, baby girl.”

  Loosening my hold on Roanne, I run my hands up and down her arms. “Jensen?” she asks, her voice soft.

  “Yeah, baby?”

  “Don’t let go of me just yet,” she says, reaching back with one hand and gripping onto the edge of my cut.

  “Duchess, after the shit you two pulled tonight,” I reply, giving her arms a squeeze. “You better fuckin’ believe I’m hangin’ onto your ass with both fuckin’ hands. Now, let’s get the hell out of here.” Taking a deep breath, I feel the ache begin to ease in my chest for the first time in hours.

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Roanne

  Two weeks later.

  Taking a seat on the front row, I cross one leg over the other and stare up at the photo slideshow Jinks put together for me to have play during my father’s memorial service. Though the funeral we held was kept private, Jensen managed to convince me to put something together that would let those in the community, and within the company, pay their respects to my father once the heat died down from the media blast a bit.

  Right now, I regret ever agreeing to this circus.

  Especially since I agreed to speak.

  I can feel everyone watching me, their pity and unwanted opinions all hidden safely behind sad, sympathetic smiles. Once the story about my father hit the news, every news syndicate latched on and produced their own investigative report into the small-town scandal that is the death of Alfred Frazier.

  However, thanks to Chief McKelvy, the story they have to print is nothing like the twisted reality we have faced in the last couple weeks. According to the report, furnished by the Legion Falls Police Department, my father was a victim of the unstable child of a former employee and a Federal Agent who couldn’t get over our parent’s extra marital affair, who are now on the run together.

  It wasn’t lying, we simply altered the truth to protect the justified.

  Squaring my shoulders, I place my hands in my lap and try to pretend that every set of eyes in the room isn’t focused on me. Sitting down beside me, Jensen reaches over and covers my hands with his. He has traded in his blue jeans for black dress pants, and beneath his cut, is a long sleeved white dress shirt. Looking over at me, he gives me a reassuring smile. “You sure you want to do this, Baby?”

  “Yes,” I nod. Standing to my feet, I make my way up to the podium and look out at the sea of faces. Most of them I have never met before today. “My father was a man of conviction. He took great pride in caring for those he loved and never turned away anyone in need. He was a loving father and friend. If he were standing here today, he would say he lived a happy and full life, but you’ll never convince me that he wasn’t taken too soon. The loss of a man like my dad leaves behind a gaping hole; not only in my life, but in the lives of others. To have known him was to love him.”

  Pulling a white rose from the arrangement in front of me, I walk down to the large photograph of my father, taken as he played on the beach with Jensen and I as children. I smile, remembering the happy memories of that trip. It was a simpler time in our lives, before all the loss and all the death. Pressing a kiss to the bloom, I place the flower against the frame. “Gach mo ghrá, Daddy,” I whisper, swiping at the tear slipping down my cheek. “All my love.”

  My father was a good man, driven to do bad things out of necessity. Though, if the world knew that part of him, I have no doubt that this room would be a lot less full right now. It truly takes agonizing loss, and excruciating pain to be pushed to that point. I know that now. I know how it feels to have that darkness clawing at your throat, whispering in your ear to lash out for what has been taken. It changed me forever. I can no longer trust the black and white version of right and wrong that is pushed on us by the law that couldn’t protect my dad. Or me.

  There is no unseeing the world for what it really is once the veil has been torn.

  There is passion in vengeance. It contains an intensity that reaches to the deepest depths of your soul. It can either debilitate and destroy, or help you find your will to survive. I may not have been able to save my father, but I feel a sense of empowerment and peace knowing that I fought back for him, and for myself. I hadn’t expected that.

  Killing Ivy was never going to bring my father back. I was never delusional enough to believe that it would. The need for retaliation runs so much deeper than that. It became a mission to protect myself and what I love most.

  Once the service is over, Jensen leads me out to the back lot, where his bike is waiting. Stopping beside it, he takes my face in his hands and presses his forehead to mine. “Let me take you somewhere,” he whispers against my lips.

  “Hmm,” I sigh, breathing him in. “Where am I agreeing to go?”

  Kissing me quickly, he nips my bottom lip with his teeth, making my knees wobble. Releasing me, he throws a leg over his bike and grips the handlebars. “Get on and find out.” Completely corrupted by his sexy smirk, I put on my helmet and climb on behind him. “That’s my girl,” he says proudly, as my arms wrap around him. Starting the engine, he revs the throttle and pulls out onto the street.

  I doubt I will ever get used to the way being on the back of Jensen’s bike feels. It is like a rollercoaster. Pressing my body into his back, I close my eyes and allow myself to simply feel the rush of the ride. I lean into every curve, feel the vibrations of the engine run through my body, while enjoying the feel of the sun on my skin and the wind in my hair.

  To think, the first time I climbed on behind him, I was visibly freaking the fuck out.

  I do a double take when Jensen passes the turn for the Mayhem compound. Whipping around the corner, he turns on to the next road, taking us behind the clubhouse and to the top of the ridge. Pulling onto a paved driv
eway, Jensen stops in front of a two-story brick house, with a dark green door, and shuts off the engine. The yard is huge, with tall, rolling grass toward the back of the property and several large fruit trees.

  “What is this place?” I ask, climbing off and removing my helmet.

  Hopping off the bike, Jensen takes my helmet and places it on the seat. “My house,” he answers, taking my hand. “Our house,” he corrects himself, shrugging his shoulders. “At least, that’s the idea.”

  “Ours?”

  “Yeah,” he says, tugging me toward the back yard. “I hadn’t been a prospect long when I spotted this place on a ride with Vic. The moment I saw it, I knew.”

  “Knew what?”

  He stops. Turning to face me, runs his fingers up my arms. “I knew I had to buy it. For us.” He brushes the tips of his fingers over my cheek. “I’ve spent so much fuckin’ time sitting on the tailgate of Vic’s piece of shit truck, staring up at this place, knowing that one day, I’d bring you here. Hoping like hell that you’d want to be here with me as much as I need you to be.”

  “You want me to live here?” I ask. “With you.”

  He nods. “I get we haven’t talked about it. I also know it’s not even been two months since I got you back, but I’ve loved you since I was a kid. I know where this is going. So, do you, Babe? You’ve told me that you don’t want to go back to your house after what happened. And I sure a fuck don’t want you that far away from me. Sell the place, let it sit empty, or burn the fucker to the ground and let the guys piss on the ashes if you want to. I don’t give a shit what you do with it. But, this,” he says, jerking his chin in the direction of the house. “Is about having someplace that’s only ours. Something more than a tiny room at the compound.”

  “You’re serious,” I blurt, making him laugh.

  “Fuck yeah.”

  “Okay,” I breathe, unable to help my smile.

  His eyes widen in surprise. “Okay?” he asks, sounding skeptical. “That was a lot easier than I expected.”

  “I love you.” Stepping closer, I wrap my arms around his neck, my fingers sliding through his dark brown hair. “Besides…” My lips twitch up into a smile as I try to bite back the laugh that threatens. “I’m determined to have one serious discussion that does not lead to fighting.”

  “I can feel hell freezing over,” he chuckles, his hands dropping to my ass and giving it a squeeze.

  Falling back into the grass, Jensen tugs me down on top of him. I yelp, straddling his thighs just before my knees hit the ground. Yanking him up by his cut, I slam my mouth to his. Jensen groans. Tugging the hem of my shirt from the waistband of my pants, his hands slipping beneath the fabric to run along my skin. “Mmm,” I moan into his mouth. “What are you doing, Jensen?”

  Rolling me to my back, Jensen slides between my thighs. Licking his lips, his eyes fill with hunger. His fingers work quickly, undoing the buttons on the front of my shirt. “Ro,” he says, his voice deep and sexy as hell. Dragging my finger up my abdomen, he traces the line of my bra. “If we’re not fightin’, we should be fuckin’.”

  Chapter Thirty

  Stone

  One month later.

  Climbing off my bike, I slip on my sunglasses, then make my way over to the garage where Jinks stands beside Connor’s truck as the guys load the last of the cargo into the back. Since Roanne and I moved up to the house, leaving her all alone in our bed has become a fucking struggle. In fact, there are very few moments we are at the house when we aren’t in bed or breaking in some piece of new furniture.

  “Everything go smooth?”

  “Other than it being too goddamn early?” Jinks asks, chugging the last of his energy drink before tossing the can to the trash. “Yeah. Everything’s good.”

  “I’m always early, Kid. You should be used to it by now,” Connor says, climbing down out of the truck. “Mr. Teague has doubled my loads. It’s shiftin’ every damn thing in my schedule. Shit’s rough as hell on me, man,” he huffs.

  “I wasn’t aware that Teague was branching out,” I say, shaking his hand.

  Connor’s entire body tenses, his eyes widen. “Well,” he stammers. “I just deliver and pick up the shit on my log. Don’t know any more than that.”

  “Right,” Jinks tosses out.

  “Extra cargo on this shipment,” Connor changes the subject. “Mr. Teague said he’d spoken to you about it.”

  “Yeah. We have an agreement.”

  “You’re all set,” Torch shouts, closing up the back of the truck. His eyes move to me. “We’re headin’ in for breakfast.”

  “Yeah,” I reply, waving them off as they head inside the clubhouse.

  Reaching into his back pocket, Connor pulls out an envelope and hands it to me. “Mr. Teague will be in touch about the next exchange. Take care, Stone.”

  “You too,” I reply, watching him as he climbs back into the truck.

  “I don’t like him,” Jinks says, shaking his head.

  “Doubt anyone does,” I huff out a laugh. “Better hurry and grab breakfast before Torch and the guys clean the place out.”

  “I’m waitin’ to see if she rips any of the others heads off before I go in,” he mutters. “Last time I asked her about food, she handed me a box of Lucky Charms and told me to get fucked.”

  “What did you say?” I ask, swallowing my laugh.

  “Nothin’,” he bites out, rubbing a hand over his shaved head. “I ate the damn cereal and left her the fuck alone.”

  “Smart man,” I laugh, clapping him on the back. “She’s dealin’ with a lot. Gotta let her sort it out for herself.”

  “Yeah,” he nods. “Guess so.”

  Flipping open the envelope, I count the money quickly as I walk toward the clubhouse. A flash of yellow mixed with the cash catches my eye. Pulling the small sheet of paper from the envelope, I unfold it and read.

  You’ve burned me, Stone.

  Now it’s your turn to feel the heat.

  Consider our agreement terminated.

  “What’s wrong?” Jinks asks when I stop. “The fucker short ya?”

  Whipping around, I lock eyes with him as the auto parts building and garage explode. I dive for the side of the clubhouse to take cover. “Jinks!” I shout, looking around the corner. Debris and glass are everywhere. The building engulfed in flames. “Jinks!”

  “What the fuck?” Doc shouts, flying out the door, his gun drawn and ready.

  Jinks climbs out from behind the van, limping our way. “What the hell just happened?” he asks, swiping at a gash on his face.

  Balling my fists, my teeth grind together so hard it hurts. “Maxwell Teague just declared war on Twisted Mayhem.”

  To Be Continued…

  Acknowledgments

  Welcome, Ladies and Gentlemen, to my favorite part of the book. Where I show fuck-tons of gratitude to all the awesome people who keep my crazy ass from losing what little sanity I have left after kids, college classes, the Hubs sick obsession with watching Alaskan Bush People and American Pickers, and the old dude who rammed my buggy yesterday in Target just so he could get ahead of me in the check out line. <--- The fuck is up with that guy?

  First, my amazing betas- Cybill, Dana, Jackie, Tina, Linda, Mandi, Mary Lou, and Monica- You have been through so fucking much with this book. You have fought over these guys, loved them, freaked out, and now, are left wondering what's and who's next. Prepare to get dirty, because Schrader is coming.

  Asli- Once again, you never cease to amaze me. You take the shit I manage to scribble onto a page and make it sound like I meant for it to. HA HA. My commas and I love you hard.

  Mel- Woman, you took my idea for a badass biker and ran with it. This cover is fucking epic. Now, it's time for booze. HA HA.

  Drue- Seriously, what you manage to get done in the given day makes what I do look like child's play. I have no clue how you rock the shit out of life the way you do, but damn, lady you should be giving lessons. Thank you for everything
you do for me and the indie community.

  Chelle Bliss- Because every author needs another amazingly badass talented author to tell her to filthy and type the word 'cunt'. HA HA HA. I love your face!

  Michael Rowan- Because your movie night, two years ago, gave me the idea that inspired this whole damn series. I always wanted to write an MC series, but held off until for the right idea, that sealed the deal. Thanks for not minding too much when your wife drools over my fictional men.

  Hubs- Because there are days when deadlines and steamy banter let those fictional men rank higher than you, but you don't let it get you down. Instead, you wait (kind of) patiently, watch the most idiotic shit on tv while I'm writing, and then let me snuggle on your chest until I pass out from deadline exhaustion. <--- This is why you win at life. I love you hard core.

  Readers, Bloggers, and those who use my books to steady wobbly table legs- Thank you for reading, buying, and testing the durability of my books. Without you, the stories in my head would have nowhere to go.

  Retaliation Playlist

  Take Me to Church- Hozier

  Bodies- Drowning Pool

  Hail to the King- Avenged Sevenfold

  Give in to Me- Three Days Grace

  Waking Up the Devil- Hinder

  Bohemian Rhapsody- Queen

  Natural Born Killer- Avenged Sevenfold

  No Ordinary Love- The Civil Wars

  Another One Bites the Dust- Queen

  Read Me My Rights- Brantley Gilbert

  Sucker for Pain- Lil Wayne, WIz Khalifa, Imagine Dragons

  Unsteady- X Ambassadors

  Bad Things- Machine Gun Kelly and Camilla Cabello

  Million Reasons- Lady Gaga

  Mercy- Shawn Mendes

  The Reckoning- Halestorm