Satan’s Devils MC -Colorado Box Set: Books 4-6

by Mellett, Manda

  I ignore him and take another drag.

  He raises his eyes to the sky, then looking back down, asks, “You got anything you can’t leave until the morning?” When I consider my workload inside, then shake my head, he explains why he asked, “Demon called asking if I could spare you. He wants a meet with you and the other officers before church.”

  “Now?”

  “Yeah.”

  “No worries, I can leave the Mustang, there’s no rush on it. I’ll just get my shit and go.” I take a second to explain to Shayla why I’m leaving early.

  It’s not unusual for us to have pre-church meetings, so I don’t expect anything of any importance to come up. I’ve been working my butt off all day, when I’ve not been gawking at Shayla’s attributes, and am hot and sweaty, so head for the bar to grab a cold beer. Then put my head around the door of Demon’s office.

  “Can you give me five to take a shower?”

  “Nah, we’re waiting on you, Mace.”

  His loss not mine, I’ve gotten used to the odour of sweat.

  “Should have given him the time,” Thunder complains, pretending to hold his nose as I take the chair next to him.

  “Asshole.” I elbow him in the ribs, then raise the bottle to my lips and take a long swig.

  Demon glares at his sergeant-at-arms. When Thunder smirks, but raises his hands, he proceeds to enlighten us as to the reason he’s got us assembled. “This is gonna have to be raised in church. Wanted to give you the heads-up and get your initial thoughts on it first.”

  Again, this isn’t unusual. If it’s something the club needs to know about it, officers who know about it first can best lead discussions toward where we think they ought to be heading.

  Sitting back in his seat, Demon rubs the side of his nose. “Red’s found Major. Well, found out something about him.”

  “Took him long enough,” Beef remarks.

  “Yeah, well, this isn’t a pimp who leaves his cards in phone booths.”

  “They hand out leaflets on the strip in Vegas,” Thunder remarks. “No need for any fuckin’ secrecy there.”

  “As I was saying,” Thunder’s once again treated to a glare, “Major is high-end, expensive and exclusive. His clients are well vetted and know what he’s offering so there’s no risk in any of the girls complaining they don’t want to be there—in fact that’s part of their attraction. What those motherfuckin’ clients pay for is someone considered disposable. How they use them and how far they go is up to them. The only provision being, if they’re permanently scarred or killed, there’s a premium to be paid.”

  I just stare as my blood runs cold. Just what did Shayla go through before she managed to get free? To be sold for the hour, the night, or whatever, knowing the men could do anything they had a deviant desire for? Even go so far as to kill her? My fingers curl into my palms, nails digging into the skin hard enough to leave half-moon marks.

  She’d told me enough for me to know she was taken unwilling, but by people like that? I don’t know if I could bear to hear the half of what she might have suffered.

  “Hard hearing, Brother.” Beef’s words get my eyes going his way.

  “Tell me we’re going to take him down.” That’s all I want.

  Prez shakes his head. “Mace, I know you’ve got a soft spot for Shayla, and we all fuckin’ hate Esme was involved, but Major’s swimming in dollars. His money keeps him out of sight and can also buy him protection. His clients are tight-lipped to the extent it took Red this long to find someone who’d talk to him. That they themselves are fucked-up bastards with money to burn only goes without saying. Red only got the info after planting Twister in the right circles and got him moaning about bitches setting boundaries. Dude approached him but was wary until they’d met a few times. When he eventually let him in, it was with a promise he knew where to secure girls where nothing was off-limits. He also told Twister he’d be tracked down and killed were he to say anything.”

  “Rope and Cuff had heard rumours there was such a man operating in Vegas.” Beef’s mouth twists. “Some of the motherfuckers with those appetites tried to join the BDSM club they go to but were soon shown the door as they were too sadistic.”

  “So, he’s got money and protection,” I observe through gritted teeth. “What exactly did Red say?”

  “That he’s not comfortable with stirring up shit when it doesn’t directly concern the club. In his view, it’s not only taking Major out, it’s dealing with the disappointment of his clients. The blowback would be enormous.”

  My mouth drops open. Shayla escaped, but what exactly had happened to her previously? We can’t let this man stay breathing.

  “We’re not taking revenge?” Thunder questions at the same time I say, “We’re not rescuing the other girls?”

  Thunder glances at me then shakes his head. “They’re all someone’s sister or daughter, and we’re leaving them to end up dead? Not happy with that, Prez.”

  “I want him wiped out of existence.” I stare at Demon, but his face is set.

  “As it stands, he’s not a threat to the club either to us here or Red’s crew in Vegas. Hate to say it, Mace, but he’s just one player in these types of games. You reckon we should step in and deal with all the fucking traffickers and pimps?”

  “Prez, I know we can’t take them all on, but Major, fuckin’ right I do. He fuckin’ had Shayla. He marked her. Only Shayla’s quick thinking saved Esme from a fate she’d probably wish to escape from by death. He marked that kid, Demon. Fuckin’ marked her. I want revenge. Even a slow death is less than he deserves.”

  “Mace,” Prez snaps. “Esme’s back with her parents, and Brett Waterman has taken actions to make sure she’s safe. Shayla is here under our protection. What if making a move against Major goes wrong, and all it does is bring them to his attention? Yeah, just the thought of what he fuckin’ does makes me want to throw up, but I’ve got everyone’s safety under consideration. I’m proposing we make no move unless we know Shayla or Esme are in direct danger.”

  For once, I hate my prez’s decision. I sit shaking my head, unable to comprehend he’s even suggested it. As an outsider, I appreciate how he’s thinking, that his priority is keeping everyone here safe, and that means not attracting the attention of a powerful enemy in Vegas. But he’s not seeing it from where I’m standing. It’s my woman who suffered at this fucker’s hands. Suffered in ways I don’t want to imagine. My woman? I realise I don’t dislike the sound of it.

  “Have you spoken to Esme’s parents?” Thunder asks.

  “Updated them, yes. They’ve passed an ‘anonymous’ tip-off onto the cops. Hopefully the heat will come down on Major from that direction, and I’m quite content under the circumstances to let the feds do their job. Had enough bother when we got involved in cop business last time.” I know he’s referring to Ink being arrested. A wrong time, wrong place matter, but he could have gone away for three decades, so albeit reluctantly, I understand Demon’s thinking.

  “Will you be keeping Shayla close, Mace? Thinking of claiming her?” Beef asks.

  “Yeah to the first, nah, to the second.” How can I fuckin’ claim a woman who never wants to be property again? But I am starting to think I might want to keep her.

  “Look, let’s cut to the chase so Mace can have his shower before sitting down with the rest of the brothers.” I take it that’s Demon’s way of letting me know I do indeed stink. “We’ll update everyone but head off any suggestion of tackling Major head-on. Red’s got eyes on him, Mace, so if he looks like he’s heading our way, we’ll revisit the subject again. Shayla’s safe here, as long as she doesn’t leave.” He stares at me.

  To me, what he’s said, is unacceptable. If the club’s not going to do anything, I’ll go to Vegas, take out the fucker myself. Knowing they’ll try to stop me, I keep my thoughts quiet.

  “No going it alone, Mace.” The VP glares at me. I startle, not having known mind reading was one of his skills. “Yeah, I know what you
’re thinking as I’d do the same in your place. I was in on the call with Red, okay? None of us like this but going head-to-head with a man like Major wouldn’t work. He’s so well fuckin’ protected no one knows anything about him. Rope and Cuff are going to try to get on the inside, well,” he grins, but it quickly fades, “while they’ve got peculiar tastes, they can exaggerate the lengths they will go to, and Twister’s already got an in. Any retribution will have to be worked on carefully. Us rolling in hot and heavy won’t help for now. The important thing is keeping your woman safe.”

  “We’re not letting him get away with this.” I glare at Demon. “Let me go to Vegas and help smoke him out.”

  “And leave Shayla here? Or take her with you?”

  At Prez’s challenge, I realise neither option is attractive. My shoulders slump as I realise, I’m defeated.

  “Second thing before you go get that shower, Mace. Lizard.”

  “What about him, Prez?”

  “He asked Thunder whether he knew if his FXDR was at the shop or here at the club.”

  I sit up fast. “He asked about his bike?”

  Thunder grins. “Yup. I let it go by and just said no idea. Didn’t make a big thing of it. You know the funny thing? He wouldn’t have been able to afford a brand-new model Harley when it first came out if he’d been paying support for his wife and kid. Strange how things work out.”

  I shake my head, not certain where Thunder’s going with that and getting back to the point in hand. “He’s remembered more about the time when he served. He asked why I called Ink ‘Leatherneck’ but not him. I wasn’t conscious I’d done so in his hearing, but wasn’t sure, and like you, ignored it.” I raise my chin at Thunder. “Didn’t push as I couldn’t be certain I hadn’t either. And…” I break off.

  “And?” prompts Beef.

  “Nothing.” My cheeks feel hot.

  “And?” Beef’s not letting up.

  I sigh. “When I’d cut his hair and he left my room, he wondered why it made him think of ginger.” I glare, but it does no good.

  “There’s a fuckin’ story there.” Thunder leans back, crossing one ankle over the other and linking his fingers behind his head and chuckling loudly. “Want to share, Brother?”

  “I’d bet sharing is at the root of it, isn’t it, Mace?” Beef cottons on fast and laughs loudly. “Ginger root at least.” He snorts. “Can I assume it was on a female victim and not Lizard himself? Scrub that. If it is, please don’t tell me. I don’t need that visual.”

  “It was Titsy and Breezy,” I say fast. I don’t want that picture in my head either. Much as I like my brother, I don’t want to get anywhere near his ass.

  “So things are starting to come back,” Demon starts slowly. He seems to have a silent conversation with the VP, ending with a nod. “What we’ve been discussing is bringing him into church, seeing if the discussions will prompt more of his memory.”

  I raise my hand. “Wearing my enforcer hat, I’m worried about that.”

  Thunder copies my action, flashing his fingers briefly. “As sergeant-at-arms, I am too.”

  Raising my chin toward him, I take over, “He seems to be settling in, but hasn’t mentioned staying after the month has passed. He talks about going back to Denver with Vanna if they can make it work. What if he walks away carrying our information in his head?”

  “We get people to prospect so we can find out if we can trust them to bury a body and keep its location locked down. I don’t know this man, Lizard now purports to be. Mace is right. It’s dangerous.” Thunder nods my way.

  “So we keep talks of bodies and burying to a minimum.” Beef looks far less worried than me.

  “What’s he going to hear? Our finances and how our businesses are doing? Not exactly trade secrets. Buzz does submit everything to the taxman.”

  “Not quite everything, Prez.” Beef grins.

  I sit forward, clasping my hands and lowering my head while I think. I address my next words to the floor. “If he comes to church, he has to wear his cut.” I look up to see their reaction.

  “Too fuckin’ right,” says Beef.

  Chapter Forty

  Lizard

  “Church?” I stare up at Demon. “Isn’t that your secret meeting, no non-members allowed?”

  He glares down at me. “You’re a fuckin’ member. This here is proof of it.” He pushes the leather vest I’d hidden at the back of my closet at me, but the last thing I’m going to protest is how he got hold of it. I’m more concerned with why he wants me to wear it, and whether or not I do myself.

  I’m surrounded daily by these men wearing their leather so can’t escape the smell. But there’s something about the scent of the vest now in my lap that triggers a flash of light behind my eyes. My eyes squeeze shut.

  “Brother?”

  I wave my hand. “It will pass in a sec.” It does. I open my eyes again to see Demon looking concerned.

  “Perhaps it’s too soon.”

  Maybe I’m more like my son than I think, or probably that should be the other way around as now he’s suggesting I don’t go, I stubbornly want to do the opposite. I struggle to my feet, balancing on just one crutch, and realise I should have put my cut on sitting down.

  Demon’s huffs good-naturedly as he sees my predicament and helps me get myself organised and my arms though the right holes. As the weight settles on my shoulders, I realise it doesn’t feel alien in the slightest. It feels… right.

  Hating my right arm’s still wasted and weak, and my right leg isn’t much help to my left, I limp behind Demon, pausing as he does in front of the prospect holding a box full of phones. Realising what’s being asked of me, I take out my own and place it in with the rest. Then, I step inside the hallowed area where only members are allowed. Mace, Thunder, and Beef are already sitting down, but the other members haven’t arrived as yet.

  There’s a tingling sensation within my skull, not pain, sort of as if ice is melting. Used to odd feelings now my brain’s been fucked with, I ignore it, and walking around to the opposite side of the table, head for a seat halfway down.

  I notice Mace cocking an eyebrow at Thunder, and the sergeant-at-arms answering grin. When they don’t say a word, I speak.

  “What? Should I sit somewhere else?” I hadn’t thought to ask.

  “Nope,” Mace pops the ‘p’. “You’re fine right where you are, Brother.”

  The door opens to reveal Judge who comes in and sits down. Seconds later, Wills walks in. Now the door is constantly opening as one by one, everyone else arrives. Each spares me a surprised glance, then a grin or a chin lift.

  “Fuckin’ good to see you there, Brother.” Ink sits his ass opposite me. “Been too fuckin’ long.”

  As soon as everyone’s seated, Demon kicks off by banging the gavel. “Right. How we doing, Buzz?”

  I listen as Buzzard runs through the financial health of the club, talking about the strip club takings increasing on nights when guest dancers make appearances and suggesting to Sparky and Wills, they should try to get more in as they’re a good draw. He comments, with a wink in my direction, that the accounts for Devil’s Ink are better produced than they’ve ever been before. I should think they are with Vanna having put my handwritten notes on the computer now.

  I touch my hand to my head as I hear a noise like the buzzing of a saw, but as no one else notices, I realise again, it’s only in my head like some form of tinnitus.

  The auto-shop is good—Shayla’s providing much-needed assistance—and Devil’s Pins is still getting sufficient customers in through the door.

  Ink gives his update when asked. “Dirt’s nearly finished with plumbing in the showers and heads. Drywalls are up. Just the decorating, and the purchase and installation of equipment to complete now. Then the final inspections and we’re good to go.”

  “Give us some warning so we can get publicity done. Have you talked with Buzzard about membership fees yet?”

  “Yeah.” Ink nods toward th
e treasurer. “If we can get enough people signed up, then it should pay for itself.”

  “Staff?”

  “Got a couple of hopefuls lined up for interviews.”

  “That sounds great.” Demon looks impressed.

  “You’ll get more uptake in memberships after Christmas,” Mace observes. “People will join up as part of their New Year’s resolutions and then won’t turn up more than a couple of times.”

  “But keep up with their membership just to say they’ve joined a gym,” Judge chuckles.

  “Shame Christmas is six months off,” Bomber puts in.

  Ink stares across at me. “Tomorrow, Brother. I want you downstairs trying that elliptical out.”

  I give him a nod. Not sure how much I’ll be able to do, or whether I can get the thing moving at all, but if I don’t try, I won’t get anywhere.

  “Moving on.” Demon sighs, pinches the bridge of his nose for a moment, then continues onto the topic that looks like it’s one he doesn’t want to broach. “Red’s found Major.”

  Major. Why does that name have significance? Something akin to an itch I can’t scratch is twinging in my head, but I can’t quite catch hold of it.

  I content myself with doing what everyone else does and look toward the head of the table for more information.

  “Prez?” Thunder starts, leaning forward so he can jerk his head in my direction, then back to Demon.

  Demon stares at me for a moment, then shakes his head, leaving me to wonder what the silent conversation was about. Something to do with me.

  Whatever it was, Demon moves on. “Major runs a tight and lucrative business. If you want a girl you can do with what you like, you go to Major. If you want to choke a girl until she expires, if you’ve the money, Major will supply her and deal with the remains when you’ve finished.” There are gasps from around me as I watch the members reactions. From what I’ve learned about them, their expressions of disgust are what I expect and genuine. Far from my previous thoughts, Satan’s Devils don’t mistreat women.