Bayou Devils MC: The Complete Series

by A. M. Myers

  If you want to know the truth, ask Piper.

  Eden’s words run through my mind again, just like they have on repeat for the last two days, tormenting me and making me question everything I thought I knew. And when they’re not running through my head, I’m reading those damn messages, trying to find a clue hidden in her responses to tell me what the hell to expect but there’s nothing. I’ve spent more hours than I care to admit trying to remember everything that went down ten years ago, searching for a clue there that might provide me with an insight for what Eden meant when she said I didn’t know everything but I’m officially stumped. If I want answers, I have to talk to Piper again and I just don’t know if I can. Sighing, I run my hands through my hair and resist the urge to rip it out.

  Goddamn it.

  What are these girls trying to do to me? Piper left because she cheated on me and fell in love with someone else. There isn’t much else to the story so I have to wonder if this is all just another game dreamt up by Eden and possibly Piper, just like the surprise reunion a couple of days ago. Shaking my head, I blow out a breath. As much as I’d like to believe the worst of Piper, I don’t think she had any clue until she showed up to the date because just like me, she looked shell-shocked and for all of her faults when we were together, I never would have accused Piper of being manipulative or someone who liked to play games. Which leaves Eden… God, this is fucking insane. I’m officially losing my mind over a single message from a woman who has already crossed a line when it comes to Piper and me. She clearly has boundary issues and likes to play games with people so why can’t I stop obsessing over her words?

  What is the truth?

  What is Piper hiding from me?

  Why do I even fucking care?

  Suppressing a groan, I scrub my hand over my jaw and stare out at the parking lot as everyone else sets up for the barbecue Blaze decided to throw tonight. Everyone is coupled up except for Streak, who is probably still locked away in his room, and me and seeing them all together, displaying their love and happiness for the world to see makes me feels like drowning myself in a vat of whiskey. My chest aches and my mind spins. I have been off balance since I saw her in that restaurant, looking better than even my best fantasy could remember, and as much as I want to drop this and move on with my life, I can’t figure out how. Goddamn it. I was so fucking close and then just one look from her and she embedded herself under my skin like a goddamn parasite. The worst part is I’m afraid there is no way to get rid of her.

  “Hey,” Streak says, slipping into the seat next to me as he holds out a cold bottle of beer and I grab it, nodding in return before turning to stare out at all of the couples milling around as they set everything up. “Makes you sick, doesn’t it?”

  I glance over at him before shaking my head. The last thing I need is my brothers knowing just how tormented I am by all of their happiness. Not to mention, it’s not fair to them. “Whatever. They seem happy.”

  “Sure, I guess,” he scoffs before taking a sip of his own beer. “But you won’t ever see me looking like these assholes.”

  “Famous last words, Streaky boy,” I tease and he shakes his head, making a face as he leans back in his chair.

  “Hell, naw, not gonna happen.”

  Turning, I study him for a second before taking a sip of my beer as I fight back a smile. “Gotta be honest, I never really saw you as the type to go for dudes but if that’s what you’re into, man…”

  “Fuck you, douchebag. I don’t swear off women in general, I just swear off relationships. They don’t vibe with my lifestyle.”

  “What the hell does that mean?” I ask with a laugh and he sighs.

  “It’s like this, I’m up all hours of the night in front of three computer screens digging up shit for y’all and I rarely even leave this goddamn clubhouse all of which isn’t conducive to developing or maintaining a relationship. Believe me when I say, everyone is better off if I don’t ever fall in love.”

  I shrug as I turn back to the rest of the group and take a sip of my beer. “Maybe you just haven’t met the right one.”

  “You’re one to talk,” he fires back and Piper’s face pops into my mind again, her smile blinding me as the ache in my chest grows. I shake my head and blow out a breath as I try to shove her from my thoughts. As much as I need answers, I can’t obsess over her anymore tonight.

  “By the way, have you come up with anything on Mitch?” I ask in an effort to distract myself and he groans, slamming his forehead against his open palm.

  “No. Dude is a goddamn ghost.” He glances up at me. “I’m honestly impressed with how low of a profile he has online and if I had to guess, I would say he’s into some heavily illegal shit.”

  “Hmph.”

  Well, shit.

  There goes that idea.

  “Rodriguez did bring him in for questioning once, though. Right after Dina died.”

  I nod. “But he didn’t find anything?”

  “Don’t know,” he answers with a shrug. “You’ll have to go talk to Diego. I promised not to hack into his files anymore.”

  “That something you did often?” I ask, glancing over at him with a smirk and he shrugs again. That’s about as much of an answer as I’m going to get out of him. Streak got his road name for being the luckiest son of a bitch any of us had ever met but he is also really fucking smart and careful. He won’t ever say anything that would incriminate himself or that someone could use against him and his main goal is to be the smartest guy in the room and to be holding all the cards. I suppose that is also another point against him in a relationship, though.

  “Ugh, just look at them,” he grumbles as I turn as Storm pulls his old lady, Ali, into his arms and kisses her before taking their baby girl, Magnolia, from her. My chest burns and I shake my head as I look away.

  Fuck.

  Streak is right.

  Being around these guys and their never-ending happiness is fucking torture even on the best days but when all I can think about is this big secret that Piper has been keeping from me for God only knows how long, it’s unbearable. Someone turns some music on and “I Knew I Loved You” by Savage Garden starts playing.

  “Aw, fuck,” Streak growls as Moose pulls Juliette out of her chair and into his arms. She laughs as they begin swaying back and forth and it feels like someone dropped a boulder in my stomach. “What is it with those two and that damn song?”

  I shrug, remembering the winter formal I took Piper to our freshman year of high school where we danced to this song and my arms ache with the memory of holding her.

  “You know, it’s not even a good song. At least pick a decent fucking song, right?” Streak continues and I just nod, my mind consumed with the memory of Piper in her black dress and her red curls falling down her back. Closing my eyes, I remember the way she leaned into me and the smile she flashed me all night long, like she was keeping a secret except that time, we were both in on it. I can still remember the way she looked up at me as we swayed together under twinkle lights and multi-colored streamers like we were the only people there. Her honeysuckle perfume fills my nose almost like I’m right back there with her in that gym and my heart thuds in my chest.

  “Savage fucking Garden,” Streak hisses and I open my eyes, glancing over at him. He shakes his head, disgust rolling off of him as he finishes off his beer before standing up and turning back to me, pointing to my bottle. “You want another one?”

  I shake my head. “Naw, I’m good.”

  He heads back into the clubhouse and I lean back in my chair as I stare out at the rest of the club and their old ladies. A few of the girls have talked their men into dancing with them as well while Blaze fires up the grill and that damn ache in my chest only gets stronger. Pulling my phone out of my pocket, I open the dating app that I haven’t gotten around to deleting yet and scroll through some of the girls on the site but no one snags my interest when all I can see is Piper.

  Fuck.

  She ruin
ed me.

  She ruined us.

  Shaking my head, I cross my arms over my chest and do my best to steel myself against thoughts of her but it only works for a second before another memory slips through the cracks. I squeeze my eyes closed and suck in a breath as pain fills my chest and images flash through my head. Since she and I just went down to the courthouse to get married, we didn’t plan a reception or anything but my parents surprised us with a little get-together in their backyard with my family and some of our closest friends. It was a lot like the parties Blaze is so fond of throwing with good barbecue, good music, family, and lots of laughs. Before she left me, I considered that night one of the best of my life.

  Hell, maybe it still is…

  Maybe that is the whole fucking point. I can’t ever move on with my life because Piper still owns a piece of me that I’ll never be able to get back. She used to say that we were destined for each other and that after all of the bad that she had been through and all the pain she had endured, I was her reward. So then why the hell did she throw all of it away?

  “Fuzz.”

  Opening my eyes, I arch a brow as Blaze sits in Streak’s vacated chair and nods a greeting at me before he glances out at everyone dancing and laughing.

  “Blaze,” I reply, following his gaze as my stomach clenches and jealousy rages through me.

  Fuck.

  How amazing would it be to be out there with all of them, Piper in my arms again…

  Wait… What?

  With a sigh, Blaze crosses his arms over his chest, mirroring my posture before glancing over at me. I wait for him to say something but he just stares like he’s waiting for me to start the conversation and I squirm in my seat.

  What the hell?

  “What?”

  He shakes his head. “Nothing.”

  Okay, then…

  “Something I can help you with?” I ask when he still doesn’t tear his eyes from me and he shakes his head again, trying like hell to appear casual but I can see the wheels turning in his mind. That man is up to something.

  “Uh… you need something?”

  “Nope,” he answers, shaking his head as he turns to stare out at my brothers again as a smile tugs at his lips. “Sure is a nice picture, isn’t it?”

  I follow his gaze to the couples out in the parking lot and nod half-heartedly. “Yep.”

  “Let me ask you something…”

  Oh, here we go.

  “What?”

  He turns back to me and pins me with a stare that radiates power and Blaze’s signature no-nonsense attitude. “You planning on pulling your head out of your ass anytime soon?”

  “Excuse me?” I ask, jerking back as my eyes widen. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

  “Do you think you joined this club without me doing my research on you?”

  I arch a brow, still unsure about where this is going. “No, I suppose not.”

  “So, then you know that I know about your wife.”

  “Ex-wife,” I growl, sinking into my chair as I glare at the pavement and tightening my arms across my chest. He sighs.

  “You haven’t signed the papers.”

  I flick my eyes in his direction.

  How in the fuck does he know that?

  “What’s your goddamn point?”

  “Look, I don’t know exactly what went on between y’all but I do know that you’ve been moping around this clubhouse for years, missing that woman, so throw your pride out of the window and go find her.”

  “I am not missing her,” I snap, dropping my gaze to the ground as the pain in my chest seems to throb in agreement with Blaze’s words.

  “Oh, save the bullshit.”

  “I’m not bull…”

  He holds his hand up, interrupting me as he rolls his eyes. “Save it. I know the look on your face too damn well. The only difference is, in your case, you can do something to change it but you’re just too stubborn to try.”

  “You don’t know what you’re talking about,” I growl. Blaze’s story is a sad one for sure and there were things that were out of his control that kept him away from the woman he loved but it doesn’t mean our situations are the same. Piper cheated on me. Am I just supposed to let that go? He shrugs as he stands up.

  “Fine. Do whatever you want. Just didn’t realize we patched in a little bitch.”

  He walks away before I can say anything else and I stare at him as he goes back to the grill and takes over for Storm, anger eating away at me. Fuck him and his goddamn assumptions. What Piper and I had, when we had it, was fucking everything and there is no way in hell I can go back after what she did. Things would never be the same and what the hell would it make me if I just forgave her for her betrayal?

  As I stare out at everyone else, laughing and having a good time, my mind drifts back to right before I left for my first deployment. I took Piper out as often as I could then, trying to pack as many memories into as little time as possible and we had an amazing month together before I left. Despite the fact that we’d be apart for almost a year, we still had such grand plans for our life and we were happy… at least, I thought we were. Maybe I didn’t know anything at all, though. Piper’s face pops into my mind, all red hair, freckles, and her green eyes shining with happiness and I shake my head.

  No.

  We were happy.

  I know we were.

  So why the hell did she leave?

  God, I hate all the fucking questions I still have but the truth is, I don’t even know if the answers would make me feel better at this point. Piper leaving me was the start of a downward trend in my life. I started drinking and fighting. Anyone that even looked at me funny was liable to get a fist to the face and I didn’t care about what would happen to me. I mean, my girl was gone so what did it matter if I got my ass kicked, kicked out of the Marines, or arrested for assault?

  Without her, I had nothing to lose.

  The thought echoes through my head and I release a heavy breath as I sit forward and scrub a hand down my face. Shit. Here I am, talking about how fucking epic our love was and how lost I was without her but I never even went looking for her. I didn’t even try.

  Why the hell not?

  Why didn’t I fight for her, for us?

  Maybe if I had, I would have the life that I want so goddamn badly.

  Turning my gaze back to all of the couples milling around the clubhouse, I shake my head. No matter how hard I fight it, Piper is still the only woman I can see spending the rest of my life with and as I think about her betrayal, I can’t even find the energy to care anymore. I loved her since I was a fucking kid and if I’m honest with myself, that never went away. There are still a whole lot of answers I need before she and I can begin to fix this but Blaze is right.

  It’s time to get my woman back.

  Chapter Twelve

  Piper

  I take a sip of my wine as I walk out of the kitchen and cuddle into the comfy armchair by the window that I found in a little thrift shop a couple of blocks away from my apartment. Raindrops streak down the window and I stare out at the dreary sky, the gray ominous clouds perfectly reflecting my mood for the past two days. My phone rattles with an incoming call and falls off the windowsill, crashing to the floor and I lean down and pick it up. Eden’s smiling face mocks me from the screen and I sneer as I decline the call and set the phone back on the sill. I don’t care how many times she tells me she is sorry or she was just trying to help because the damage is done and there is nothing she can do about that. Wyatt knows I’m keeping secrets from him and I’ve spent the past forty-eight hours waiting for his next move.

  Then again…

  Maybe I will luck out and he’ll just let it go. Shaking my head, I sigh as I take another sip of my wine. No, I know better than that. Now that he knows that I didn’t tell him the truth, it will eat away at him until he decides to finally confront me for answers. God, walking into the restaurant was such a stupid idea and I can’t believe I let
Eden talk me into it. Things were good… okay, well, maybe not good but I was okay before I came face-to-face with him again and now, all I feel is turmoil. The worst part is seeing him, right in front of me, full of rage and looking better than he has a right to, reminded me just how much I love him. Not that I ever truly forgot but most days, it was easier to ignore than it is now. Closing my eyes, I lay my head back against the chair and let out a groan. I can’t believe I asked him to help me have a baby, too. Of all the stupid things I could have said, I definitely picked the worst.

  He must think I’m insane.

  Hell, maybe I am.

  Knocking pulls me out of my thoughts and my head snaps forward before turning to look at my apartment door with a scowl. I would bet that Eden decided to drop by personally since I haven’t taken any of her calls since our “girls’ night” and I shake my head before turning back to my window. It’s not like this is it for Eden and me. She is one of my very best friends in the world, something I didn’t really have until I met her, and I’m not ready to throw all that away but she can certainly sweat this out a little. It serves her right for sticking her nose in my business and crossing more damn lines than I can count.

  “Piper!”

  Oh, fuck…

  Wyatt’s voice bounces off the walls in the apartment and it feels like I’m moving in slow motion as I turn to stare at my front door.

  This is exactly what I was afraid of and now that it is happening, I don’t know what to do. I am not anywhere near ready to tell Wyatt the truth about what tore our marriage apart and I don’t know if I ever will be but I know I can’t avoid him forever. The Wyatt I knew ten years ago was persistent and I can’t imagine that particular quality has mellowed out in the years since.

  “Goddamn it, Piper! I know you’re in there.”

  Sucking in a nervous breath, I down the rest of my glass of wine and set it on the windowsill before climbing out of the chair with shaky legs. I press my hand to my stomach and take another deep breath as I start slowly moving toward the door. Wyatt’s fist pounds against the other side, making the wood crack and I shake my head.