~*~

Ana W. Fawkes is the author of
several bestselling series including:

- The billionaire erotic romance serial - BY HIS COMMAND

- The paranormal romance series featuring bikers who are werewolves -
FULL MOON MERCY

- The edgy and gritty erotic romance series - WITH THE ROCKSTAR

- The intense and wild MC romance - DEVIL CALL MC

- The seductive paranormal shifter series – RAW RIVER WILD

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RIGHT NOW: http://eepurl.com/ADM0j

~*~

RAW MERCY (A Devil Call MC Book) (Talon & Everly
Book Six)

~*~

The
vote is in and Devil Call MC is officially changed. Talon may not agree, but he
knows his focus must remain the same... settle his debts, win his wars, fight
his demons, and make sure precious Everly never gets hurt again. At any and all
cost.

Everly
is wounded and still hurting. Her heart and mind can't agree on how to get over
everything that's happened. One thing is for sure though - she loves Talon. So
what is she to do when temptation elsewhere becomes all too real?

With
only two books to go after this one, the rebuilding of Devil Call MC faces a
path of destruction... in which love and death collide.

1.

(Talon)

Three shots of whiskey. Lined up right next to each other.
Perfectly poured, with the exception of the last shot glass where a droplet of
whiskey slowly slid down the outside of the shot glass. My hands were balled
into fists, resting on my legs. I stared down at the shot glasses, my mouth
desperately dry, my mind desperately in pain. I’m
not sure I ever felt this kind of pain before. The leather cut on my body never
felt wrong, until now. When people say they give blood, sweat, and tears most
of the time it’s complete
bullshit.

I worked really hard on these reports, Mr. Bossman. I
stayed up until eleven! I really believe I deserve this raise. Or a bigger
project. I think I’m
ready for that, Mr. Bossman. I’ve
given blood, sweat, and tears for this company.

Nobody knows what it’s
really like.

The scars that were on my body proved everything I’d given. I didn’t need to list them, and Christ,
I shouldn’t have had to
think about it. There were much bigger problems on the horizon out there in the
world for the MC.

Behind me, I heard the cackling bellow of Buzzy’s laugh. He and Drave were
shooting some pool. Austin and Ash were throwing darts. Gabel sat on a couch
with a drink in his hand. Still sipping and taking good care of the jaw I had
shattered.

But for me, it was about the whiskey in front of me. Three
shots would be a great start. They would sit well with the three beers I had
already pounded down. Getting blasted and sitting at the table for a meeting
wasn’t the smartest move to
make, but what the fuck did I care? I was supposed to just muster up respect
for Layne? For what the MC had done? This decision… Layne as the voted in President. Of Devil fucking
Call MC.

My MC. My life.

I wore a leather cut now. I was just a patched in member.
And even that I was lucky to have after everything Layne and I had been
through.

Deep within my heart I had to accept the decision. I had to
trust in what the guys wanted and I had to keep the club moving forward. It was
going to be a disaster but I would be there to clean it all up when it toppled
down.

I stood up and grabbed my beer. I looked at the prospect
standing behind the bar and then at the shot glasses again.

“I don’t want them,” I said.

“What?
You don’t…”

I grabbed one of the shot glasses and threw it at the
prospect. He ducked and it missed him, hitting the wall and shattering.

“I said
I didn’t fucking want them!” I yelled.

I swatted the other two off the bar and stared down the
prospect. His face was white and he slowly put his hands up.

“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice shaking. “I didn’t mean any disrespect, sir.”

“That’s what I thought,” I said.

I turned and the entire clubhouse was looking at me. I knew
the tension was still high and would remain high for a while around the clubhouse.
It was understandable. I wasn’t
stripped of my President’s
patch. I didn’t lose it. I
didn’t lose the club. I
gave it up when I went to prison. Maybe everyone around me forgot about that,
but even then, it wasn’t my
place to go around preaching how wrong the decision was. It was about moving
forward. Settling all the bullshit with the outside crews. Making sure everyone
out there knew that Devil Call was a solid MC and would remain that way. No
more drugs. No more senseless violence. No more bullshit.

That didn’t
mean the situation with Jade and Vaughn would go away though. There was some
serious shit lingering and I had to take care of it. Of course, that meant I’d have to go through the new
fucking President for some things, which rocked me to my core.

I slowly walked to the door and glanced over my shoulder. I
knew down the hallway and to the right, in my fucking room, in my fucking bed,
that’s where Everly rested.
Her leg was healing and would continue to heal. The bullet from Vaughn’s gun had come too damn close to
hitting a main artery and killing her. The entire thing was a mess and was my
fault. Jade and Vaughn really had me by my balls over shit and there was
nothing I could do. Except kill them. But I wasn’t
even sure how it would all go down. To kill two people in such high power… the last thing the MC needed
was major drug players coming after us.

God, I fucking loved that woman.

I was in love with Everly.

And I had admitted it to her when she was shot. She heard me
and she wanted to say it back to me. But that was right after she had just said
Layne’s name while I was
fingering her. I was two fingers deep into her beautiful body, bringing her to
the edge of climax, and she says Layne’s
name.

The woman I loved. The woman I was ready to start figuring
out life for… and I had no
idea what the fuck she wanted.

Talk about feeling helpless in every way possible in life.

I walked out to the compound lot and stood in the middle of
the ground. Motorcycles were parked to the left of me, and to the right. The
clubhouse sat behind me. Down the end of the lot there were black gates that
mostly kept us protected. I thought about Everly telling me how she had been
standing outside the gates, tempting freedom. Freedom wasn’t about being out there. It was
about being inside here. Inside the compound. Because we ran the show. Devil
Call MC took care of the town of Brocke. Police couldn’t touch us. And if someone got a stick up their ass
and wanted a piece of the club, they couldn’t
do it. We were the biggest, the toughest, and the smartest.

But in that moment, I started to get it.

Losing everything. Feeling empty.

Goddamn, it had a lingering feeling of prison. Only I had
fresh air and nobody was breaking my balls.

Two cars and two motorcycles suddenly came rolling up on the
compound. The big wheels and long handlebars quickly gave way that it was
members of the Los Ahn MC crew. The two cars stopped and the motorcycles were
right up on the sidewalk, right next to the gate.

“Holy
fuck,” I whispered.

We were under fucking attack.

I looked around. Nobody else was with me. I had no time to
get inside and yell for help. I could only take some shots and hope someone
fucking heard them and would come out to help.

If not, I’d
get lit up with bullets and that would be it.

I’d be
on the ground, dead, ready to be found by my brothers.

For a second I tried to think about the funeral. About the
dark ride I’d get. What
Layne would say. What Everly would do. How’d
she feel. Fuck, how long it’d
take for her to climb back into Layne’s
bed and then have everything with the world be right.

I grabbed my gun and pointed it. I started to walk, my lip
curled, ready for the fate that awaited me. I wasn’t sure who to shoot at first. Probably the guys on
the motorcycles would be easiest to take out. The cars could roll up their
windows and speed away. But at least I’d
be able to send a message.

Don’t
fuck with Devil Call MC.

My finger was on the trigger when a hand clamped down on my
arm, making me point my gun to the ground.

“What
the fuck?” I yelled as
turned my head to see Layne standing there.

The first thing my eyes did was look to the patch. The
fucking President’s patch.

Oh, it fucking hurt even more now.

“Stand
down, Talon,” Layne said.

“What
the fuck are you talking about?”
I asked.

“We’ve got it covered,” another voice said.

I looked and there was Jagg standing there, in front of me,
blocking my view, arms crossed.

I could see his patch on his chest slightly folded. Vice
President.

The fucking VP of Devil Call MC.

I wasn’t
even given the respect or honor of being Layne’s
VP. That’s how far I’d fallen from all this shit.

I was just a patched in member.

And if the President - and the fucking VP - tell you
to stand down then you stand the fuck down.

I reluctantly took my finger off the trigger.

I looked at Layne. “Take
your fucking hand off me.”

“Are you
ordering me to do that?”
Layne asked.

“No,” I said. “You said stand down so I’d like to put my fucking gun
away.”

Layne took his hand off my arm. I put my gun away. Oh, how
badly I wanted to put a bullet between Jagg’s
fucking eyes. And then take Layne down.

I held it all back.

I then watched in shock as Layne gave a wave to Los Ahn. The
guys on their motorcycles waved back and the four vehicles all left.

“What
the…”

“Table
meeting in five,” Layne
said.

He turned and walked away, Jagg behind him.

The two walked into the clubhouse, leaving me there alone.

I should have fucking had those shots.

That was the only thought that kept me semi sane as I walked
back into the clubhouse and then into the meeting room, to take my seat at the
opposite end of the table. To see Layne sitting at the head of the table, the
President’s seat. The gavel
right next to him. Jagg sitting to his left, a cocky grin on his face. Austin
to his right. The rest of us sitting there, just patched in members.

Hell, there was a time when being a patched in member meant
everything to me. There was a time when Layne and I were punk kids doing
anything to get the attention of Devil Call MC. And now here we were, running
the fucking show. Well, Layne was. I used to. Past and present all colliding
together.

“Everyone
shut up,” Layne bellowed.

The table instantly went quiet other than the sounds of
drinking and deep drags on cigarettes.

“Jagg,” Layne said with a nod.

“We’re arranging meetings,” Jagg said. “Get ahead of everything that’s going on. Make it well known
around Brocke - and outside Brocke - that Devil Call MC is not only intact but
we’re stronger than ever.”

Layne looked right at me. “Our
first business is with Los Ahn. They’ve
been silent and they’ve
been working. I fear they’ve
been planning an attack on us. Rilen Lost is hurting and down. They lost a
member because of us, and their VP was shot.”

Layne never took his eyes off me. Jack from Rilen Lost was
shot by Vaughn. Because of me.

“So it’s pretty clear we need to make
it known our stance,” Jagg
said.

I gritted my teeth, wanting to explode.

“Rilen
Lost will come after us,”
Layne said. “We know that.
This isn’t a MC thing. This
is a fucking war. There’s
no pointing fingers at this. It’s
years of bullshit and it’s
going to come to an end. It’ll
be a bloody ending. So I want to control everything else around it first.
Starting with Los Ahn. We’re
having a meeting with them. To discuss our situation as two rival clubs
existing together.”

“You
think clubs can exist together?”
I asked.

“What
choice do we have?” Layne
asked.

“Letting
Los Ahn roll up to our gates without action…
that’s a sign of weakness
to me.”

“That
was the decision for the meeting,”
Layne said. “That was their
way of agreeing to it.”

“So they
have the power. They made the decision to meet.”

“That’s fine with me,” Layne said.

“You’re okay with giving the power to
them?” I asked. “So they control the meeting?”

“Talon,
shut up,” Jagg said.

Layne put a hand out. “No,
no. Let him say his mind here. What would you have done?”

“Me?” I asked. I looked around the
table. Some of these men voted for me as President and more of them didn’t. “I would have just showed up. We control the meeting.
The situation.”

Everyone fell silent.

Layne nodded. “I
appreciate the advice, Talon. It’s
solid advice. But this is how we’re
handling it. I contacted Los Ahn. I set up the meeting. They rolled by to let
me know it was happening. At the time and place I said. I’m discussing because the
pointless fighting has to stop. We are not going out there looking for trouble
right now. We need to stay here and rebuild this club. No more death. No more
fighting. No more prison. It’s
time for this MC to reset itself.”

Reset itself?

What the fuck did that mean? It was all signs of weakness.
Nobody needed to know about our intentions. Nobody needed to know about the
shift in power or the voting. It was club business. Opening those gates out
there meant letting everyone and everything else inside.

“The
meeting is today,” Layne
said. “We’re getting ready to ride right
now. I’m only taking a few
of us, just in case. The rest of you I want here in the clubhouse. Just waiting
and making sure Los Ahn doesn’t
try anything stupid.”

Bravo, Layne, bra-fucking-vo. Keeping people here in case
we get attacked.

Even still, I didn’t
agree with this. Any of it. But what the fuck could I do? I lost the vote. I
lost the patch.

“Talon?” Layne called out.

I snapped out of my own thoughts. “Yeah?”

“You’re coming with us.”

I stared at Layne. He stared at me. When he slowly started
to grin, I knew he had me. He liked the power. He liked the control. He liked
having revenge in the back of his mind.

For the first time in my life, I feared… for the club.

We’re
not going to make it.

2.

(Everly)

I’m
running down the alley. My leg is bleeding everywhere. I touch my leg, it
hurts, and now my fingers are covered in blood. Really thick blood too. Almost
like syrup. I hold my hand up and watch the blood slowly pull itself from my
fingers and dangle before letting go.

I hear another gunshot and know they’re close.

They’re
coming to get me.

Fuck that, they’re
going to get me.

They’re
going to get me and they’re
going to hurt me.

It won’t
just be putting a bullet in the back of my head. No fucking way. That’s way too easy for this. They’ll shoot my other leg. They’ll keep me down. And they’ll…

I trip and go flying into the air. My arms are out and I
scream. I feel like the world is slowing. I’m sailing…
through the air… and
then I hit the ground.

My breath is stolen and I look back. There’s a body on the ground.

It’s
Layne.

Holy fuck, it’s
Layne.

They got to him. They got Layne and killed him.

There’s
a bullet hole between his eyes. They’re
open. They’re lost.
Dead. Gone.

I see their shadows coming down the alley.

I scramble to my feet, my leg throbbing in pain. I run
harder, faster. This alley is never fucking ending. I’m going to just pass out soon.

But then I see the light. A white light. It’s shining. It’s beautiful. I’m about to escape. I’m going to get the fuck out of
here and be done with this. I’ll
steal a fucking car if I have to.

The light grows bigger, brighter.

Then someone steps into the light.

I try to stop and scream, but I realize it’s Talon.

Talon!

He’s
here!

He’s
here to save me.

Layne couldn’t
do it. Layne’s dead.

I jump right into Talon’s arms. He catches me easily and spins me around.

“It’s okay,” he says.

“It’s not!” I cry. “They’re coming.”

Talon looks and his eyes go wide.

“Oh… fuck…”

He hurries and turns again, putting me in front of him,
putting his back to the men chasing us down.

“Talon…”

He looks at me. “I
love you, Everly. I’ve
always loved you. I always will. I don’t
believe in anything…
except you. Me. Love. Devil Call. But right now I’m really hoping there’s something beyond this. Because I can’t…”

The guns start to go off.

Talon holds me tight and his body jerks with each bullet
he absorbs. Each bullet he takes for me. His eyes wide, staring in pain. His
mouth open, shaking, wanting to finish what would be his last sentence.

And I didn't even get a chance to tell him I love him.

My eyes popped open. My leg throbbed in pain and I tried to
cry out but it came out hoarse. My throat and mouth were dry, my head heavy,
and tears in my eyes. I couldn’t
believe I was crying right there. Sobbing like a baby, as I looked around Talon’s room, trying to tell myself
that it was only a dream.

Christ, all I’ve
had were nightmares since coming back to the clubhouse. In a drugged up stupor
I was brought back there. Layne on one side, Talon on the other. Apparently I
had asked both of them to help me. I vaguely remembered it all. Layne pulled me
to the left, but I fought to the right. To go to Talon’s room. My heart completely torn into so many
pieces. One second I have Talon touching me and I’m
saying Layne’s name… and then I’m in the clubhouse with Layne
wanting him to take me to his room and then I pull to go to Talon’s.

All that after the vote.

The vote.

Talon lost the vote.

I was still feeling numb over it.

I touched my leg and cried out again in pain. I must have
been trying to kick my leg during my nightmare. The pain was swelling so bad, I
couldn’t stop crying. I
tried to reach for the nightstand for my cell to call for help. My hand jerked
as I reached for it and I knocked it to the floor.

“Fuck,” I whimpered.

A second later, the bedroom door opened.

Talon stood there, almost like in my dream.

“Fuck,
beautiful,” he said. He
rushed to the bed, touching my face. “What’s wrong?”

“My leg.
I need…”

“Okay,” he said. “Deep breaths, Everly.”

Talon dropped to one knee. He reached at the bottom of the
nightstand where my medicine was located. He hurried to get me a pill that
would take the edge off the pain. This was my life now and would be for another
week or so. All because of a fucking bullet…
it still hadn’t really hit
me that I’d been shot.

Talon stood back up and gave me the pill. He ran into the
bathroom and got me a glass of water. He returned to the bed and gave me the
glass.

“Okay,
let me get you up,” he
said.

“Shouldn’t I get you up?” I asked, trying to break up the
tension.

Talon looked at me and smiled. “Fuck. I…”

You love me? Then say it. Say it again. Please say it
again.

Talon kept silent. His hands touched my sides. His thumbs
grazed the edges of my breasts, not meaning to do so. But the most subtle of
touches drove me wild. I was instantly warm, wet, between my legs aching with a
need that only Talon could take care of.

But he hadn’t
touched me since I said the wrong name. And we hadn’t talked about it. Why it happened. What it meant.
How he felt about it.

Talon wasn’t
the kind of guy to sit and talk about his feelings though.

He grabbed me under my arms and lifted me up. I was then
sitting and my leg hurt even more. The pain flared up and then died out. I bit
on my lip, tears in my eyes again. I split my own lip and tasted blood.

I took the pill, drank the water, and the only thing I could
do then was wait a few minutes for the medicine to kick in. To take the pain
away.

Talon moved one hand to my face. His other hand stayed
tucked up tight to my armpit. And he just stared at me. Looking at him wasn’t quite the same now. His eyes
were tough, but sad. His face cut from stone, but hurt. He had bruises and cuts
all over him from getting beat half to death by someone in Rilen Lost. They got
him with baseball bats. I figured that’s
where my nightmares were coming from. To see the toughest and sexiest man I
ever met being so beat up right now just hurt. And there was nothing I could do
to make it go away.

My heart ached for Talon and there was nothing I could do
about that either.

“Christ,
beautiful,” he whispered. “I hate myself for this.”

“No,” I said. “I shouldn’t
have…”

“You
shouldn’t have been there,” Talon said. “I shouldn’t have done any of it. I’m trying to clean this up.”

“I guess
you don’t have to anymore,
right?”

I could tell my question hurt Talon some.

He shook his head. “Jade
and Vaughn are bad people. They’re
not going to stop. Not until they’re
gone. All gone. Layne won’t
command it. I don’t blame
him either.”

“But if
it hurts the club… you…”

“What’s for the greater?” I asked. “That’s how he’s
going to do all this. The side shit will fall away.”

“And
when they try to hurt Devil Call?”

“That’s when he’ll care,”
Talon said.

I started to feel angry. More pain. But then came a sense of
warmth. Not the sensual warmth Talon provided, but the warmth from the medicine
starting to kick in.

Talon’s
thumb stroked up and down my cheek. I closed my eyes and sighed. I turned my
head a little and kissed his thumb.

“Talon,
I’m in love with you,” I said.

I opened my eyes, smiling, wanting to see Talon smile. I
wanted the moment. The fucking moment when two people tell each other
they love each other. That tender, romantic time when two hearts finally open
to each other. But I’d
never have that with Talon because the MC life didn’t allow it.

Talon was staring at me, looking ready to explode with
emotion. I had no problem with him crying in front of me. I would never think
any less of him. In fact, it would be kind of hot to see such a tough man act
tender and vulnerable.

But it didn’t
happen.

Instead, there was a knock on the door and it flew open.

Layne. The Devil Call MC President.

“Everything
okay?” he asked, stepping
into the room.

Talon stood up, his hands leaving my body.

“Yeah,” he said. “She was crying, in pain. I gave
her medicine.”

“Why
didn’t you call?” Layne asked, angry.

“I was
having a bad dream. I woke up and knocked the phone off the nightstand. Then Talon
came in. It’s fine, Layne.
I’m fine.”

Layne made fists and released them. He did three more times.
I knew he was fucking angry over this. Because it was Talon’s fault it happened. But for
good reason.

“I’m taking my hits,” I said, trying to ease the
tension. “I went to jail. I
got shot. I’ll get a
leather cut soon, right?” I
smiled.

Talon smirked.

Layne folded his arms. “Oh,
Everly, if it were possible. Christ, I’d
give you a cut and whatever fucking patches you want. You deserve it. For all
you’ve put up with and been
through.”

Silence fell.

The room was way too serious.

The medicine was working fine now. My leg tingled, was
getting warm, and the pain was finally subsiding.

“It’s working now,” I said. “The medicine.”

“Good,” Layne said. “I’ll
make sure someone keeps an eye on you. Two prospects at your door at all times.
And a woman here just in case you need help with personal stuff. Okay?”

I nodded. “Thank
you.”

I tried not to look at Talon, knowing this hurt him. Not
being able to command help for me. But he was enough for me. He was the help,
the reason, the everything.

But yet my heart…
I still wasn’t done
with Layne.

“Talon,
we’re riding,” Layne said.

His tone was manly, commanding, done on purpose to leave
Talon ripped into more shreds of the biker President he used to be.

Talon nodded. “Can
I finish up here?”

“Yeah,” Layne said. He then looked at
me. “Rest, sweetie. Okay?
Nothing to worry about. Those prospects know that they have to put their lives
on the line for you. I promise you.”

“Okay,” I whispered.

I should have said Thanks again, but I feared Talon
would lose it for good. I couldn’t
help but constantly fear what Talon would do next. It wouldn’t have shocked me if he went off
the deep end and started hurting people. Within Devil Call MC.

Layne left the room and Talon looked down at me again. “I’m
out for a ride. We’re going
to meet with Los Ahn.”

“You don’t seem happy about it.”

“I think
it’s a terrible idea. But I
have no option right now. I’m
stuck, Everly.”

“I know,” I said. I reached and took
Talon by the hand. The medicine was really kicking in now. I started to smile,
knowing it was the wrong time to smile. “But… I feel good. Really good,
Talon. Like… I want you to
touch me… that kind of
good.”

Talon curled his lip. “Are
you going to say the right fucking name this time?”

I gasped. My heart sank.

Before I could respond, Talon grabbed the top of my PJ
bottoms and ripped them down. I let out a whimper as his fingers then slid
between my legs, rubbing my wet center. Two fingers curled against my folds,
pressing, tempting against my pussy.

“Christ,” I growled and jumped, a quick
surge of pain going through my leg. “Talon,
fuck.”

“Good
girl,” he said. “You said the right name. Never
fucking forget my name again.”

“I didn’t…
forget…”

“Shut
up, Everly.”

He came down at me, making me slink back. His lips came to
mine and we started to kiss. Our tongues collided as he thrust two fingers deep
inside me. I sucked in a breath through my nose and moaned into Talon’s mouth. He twisted, turned, curled
his fingers, and pulled. I was nothing compared to him. My desire rolled over
its banks, ready to explode already, which was good because he only had a
minute or two to spare.

Talon opened his mouth and let our lips linger. “Fuck, beautiful, how can you
still be tight? After all I’ve
done to you?”

I touched his face, my nails starting to dig into his
wounds. He didn’t flinch
once. He was, hands down, the toughest man I ever met. My thumb grazed a rough
scab just below his left eye.

“I’m…”

Talon gritted his teeth and dug harder at me. He was perfect
at this. No man should be able to finger a woman this hard, this aggressive,
and especially make her come this easily. But leave it to Talon to do such a
thing. And I was the lucky person on the receiving end of it.

“I’m…”

I lost the sentence again. I wanted to tell him I was sorry.
That he got hurt. That he lost the vote. That he was broken. I wanted to tell
him I would fix him. Just like my leg would heal, he would too. We could have
scars together. We could do anything together…

But instead…

“I’m coming!” I cried out.

I slid my hand down to his shoulder and squeezed as tight as
I could. My lower half convulsed with an intense pressure. I kicked my legs -
good and bad - and felt no pain. Just a warming surge of pleasure all around
me.

Talon gently placed his thumb to my clit and made small
circles. I thrust at him, again and again as I came, working up and down through
waves of pleasure that seemed like they would never end.

As fast as Talon started was as fast as he ended. His hand
pulled away from me, his fingertips rubbing the inside of my leg, letting me
feel my own wetness.

“I have
to go,” he growled and
walked away.

I tried to reach for him and almost fell out of the bed.

“Talon!
Wait.”

The bedroom door shut.

I was warm, numb, feeling so good.

Yet tears were in my eyes again.

“I… love you…”

It was all I could say. But Talon didn’t hear it.

3.

(Talon)

I was at the end of the ride. I wasn’t sure if that was done on purpose or done to try
and rattle me, and I didn’t
give a shit. What did bother me a little was seeing Layne at the front of the
pack and Jagg riding like shotgun right next to him.

We were cruising through Brocke, slower than normal. Maybe
it was Layne trying to show everyone that he was in the front and I was in the
back. But there was one thing to remember. Anyone who saw me at the back of the
ride saw the Devil Call MC patch stretching across my back. And anyone who
followed the MC knew who the fuck I was and knew that if I was riding in the
back, we must have meant serious business.

Yeah, we meant business. How serious? Probably very. But
there’s something Layne
wasn’t considering… why the fuck would Los Ahn just
want to talk? They wanted to fight. They wanted to kill. They wanted to deal
their nasty drugs all around Brocke, and every once in a little while they
would try to step over their lines and we’d
kick them back. That’s how
it worked. Could we run into the other towns and fight? Of course we could. But
it wasn’t worth the war. At
least not with the MC trying to find its path and vision.

But maybe this was our path and vision. Instead of being
strong outlaws we were going to be vigilante talkers.

It made me shiver.

We rode to the edge of Brocke where a line of cars and motorcycles
had been set up. It looked like a goddamn scene from a movie or something. The
way two black cars were facing each other, another two cars on each side facing
us. And then there was a line of motorcycles, strategically placed. They made
some kind of formation, probably something that had meaning to their club.

Layne rode up and cut his wheel, stopping. He didn’t look back at any of us. He
didn’t give us a formation.
We were stacked on each other, which was really stupid. We should have all
fanned out, just in case shit hit the fan.

But, hey, Layne was President.

This was his meeting.

This was his show.

I stepped from my ride and leaned against it, arms crossed.
The guys in Los Ahn were big guys. They were all showing their weapons, but
nobody touched their guns. If it were me I would have had all the cars put
their windows down to make sure there was no ambush in place. For all any of us
knew, they could have been packing autos or semi-autos in there. They could
take all of us down without blinking.

And normally I wouldn’t
believe something like that could happen.

But with Layne as President…

I watched Layne walk to the middle of the space between the
two clubs. He offered his hand first to the Los Ahn President, Acey, and then
they hugged quick. They broke away and two men stepped up to Acey.

Layne stood alone, talking.

He was trying to be tough, but he was too damn vulnerable.

And here I was standing with the likes of Ash, Austin, and
Drave. Good men, yes. Strong men, yes. Men who would take a bullet for Devil
Call, sure. But they weren’t
leaders. I didn’t belong
back here. I belonged up front with Layne. To hear what the hell was going on.

I respected the situation and remained still.

Layne and Acey were talking. Acey smiled at one point. Then he
looked right at me. His stone cold eyes connected with mine. I didn’t give a fuck that he had a
patch that said President on it. The day I got out of prison some of his boys
shot at me and then made comments about Everly.

A few seconds later, Layne looked back at me. He pointed and
gave a nod.

I touched my chest. “Me?”

Layne nodded.

I walked along the side of the motocycles and joined Layne
up front. That’s when Jagg
stepped forward too. Stupid prick.

I stepped next to Layne and folded my arms.

“Talon,” Acey said. “Never thought I’d see you again.”

“Still
ticking,” I said and
touched my heart. “Takes a
lot to take me down.”

“Even
losing your patch?”

I gritted my teeth. “I
never lost it. There was a vote. Layne’s
a good man. Strong and smart. I promise you, Acey, if you fuck with Devil Call,
you’ll end up dead.”

“See?” Acey said to Layne. “Still can’t help himself. Even after I sent him a few
messages.”

“It’s okay,” Layne said. “We’re not here to shake hands and
make amends. I think that’s
at least one thing we all can agree on.”

Everyone chuckled a little. I kept my eyes open, waiting for
something to give here.

“Then
why are we talking?” Acey
asked.

Layne stepped forward. He put a finger to Acey’s chest. “Because Talon is right. If you fuck with us, you
will die. We’ve gone
through some shit as a club. That’s
been settled now. No more bullshit. We’re
whole. We’re ready. And the
rules still apply. You do not fuck around in Brocke. I find anything that
points back to you…” Layne
slowly lifted his finger and put it between Acey’s
eyes. He gave a push. “I’ll kill you.”

Acey stepped back and tensions flared.

Everyone started to scream. Guns were drawn. I had my gun
out and pointed it at Acey. I looked around, waiting for Layne’s next call.

“You
motherfuckers are going to pay,”
Acey said.

“We’ll see,” Layne said.

“We’re not backing down right now,” Acey said. “I’ll
have my boys stand here all day. In a long stand-off. Is that what you want?”

“Try me,” Layne said.

“Fuck
you, Layne.” Acey looked at
me. “Fuck you, Talon.”

“You
look scared,” I said.

“You
look beaten up,” Acey threw
at me.

“You’ve got the warning,” Layne said. “Now get the fuck out of here.”

“Not
happening.”

Layne looked at me from the corner of his eye.

Yeah, good job, President. You put us in a hole here.

Los Ahn had more bodies than us right now. And whatever the
hell were in the cars.

“How do
we settle this?” Layne
asked.

“Fight,” Acey said. “It’s
been a while since my two boys here…”
Acey looked left to right. The guys had some big ass shoulders and they cracked
their knuckles. “… had a
good fight. Everyone has been paying on time lately. God bless the economy
getting back on its feet. Good for business. Good for this beautiful country we
live in.”

A fight?

I thought about stepping forward and throwing the first
punch. Hell, if I was wearing the President’s
patch, that’s exactly what
I would have done. And the guys behind me would have been prepared for all hell
to break loose.

“You
want to fight?” Layne
asked.

“They
do,” Acey said.

Layne didn’t
hesitate a second. He lowered his gun and stuck it in the back of his jeans. He
then crossed his arms and gave a nod. “Talon
will fight.”

I… what?

I looked at him. He wouldn’t
even look at me. The tone of his damn voice was condescending and manipulative.
Like this was some kind of punishment for me.

“He
looks half beaten already,”
Acey said.

“I can
fucking fight,” I said.

“Jesus
Christ,” Acey said. “Your club is a mess. I can see
it in both your eyes. Soon enough, Los Ahn will be taking good care of Brocke.”

Layne still wouldn’t
look at me. He simply turned around and walked away. Acey backed up and took
out a smoke. He lit it up and gave a nod to his two boys.

One guy had clean arms thick with muscle. The other guy had
two full sleeves.

And I stood there still hurting from getting beat up with
baseball bats. But I had to do this. I had to fight. It was the only thing I
knew in life. To keep fighting. The only way I’d
ever stop fighting would be when I was dead.

I made fists and got ready for hell.

Both men came right at me. There were no pleasantries or
respect for fighting. They wanted blood, bone, whatever.

Tattoo man got me in the face while the other one got me in
the cut. I was quickly on my knees. Tattoo grabbed my hair and forced me to
look up at him. He came down with a heavy fist. All those wounds that had
closed up and were scabbed over were now open again. It hurt damn near worse
than getting hit with the baseball bat.

One punch, two punches, a third one cocked back…

The other guy kicked me in the gut. I let out a groan and
fell forward.

They let me go and I heard all of Los Ahn laughing.

“That’s usually how it goes,” Acey called out. “The weak fall. No matter what.”

Weak?

I was not fucking weak.

I made fists and punched them into the dirt. I had two
handfuls of dirt. No way I was going to go down like this. I needed to be
knocked out or dead.

I threw my head back, blood splashing from my face.

“Fucking
pussies,” I said.

Both men stopped and turned.

I hurried to my feet and threw the dirt in their faces.

They both cried out and grabbed their faces. I rushed to
tattoo guy and started to unload on him. His abs were like punching a brick
wall, but my fists were strong. I knocked the wind out of him. He gasped for
air, and with his mouth open, the temptation to knock out his teeth was just
too much. One good punch and I felt his teeth shift and slice against my
knuckles. He fell to his knees and one kick to his face sent him back.

I turned just in time to have the other guy punch me again.
He could see now and was fucking pissed. I stumbled back, taking the punch with
pride. I kept on my feet and then lunged at him. My shoulder hit him in the gut
and he quickly wrapped his arms around my body. I dug my feet into the ground
and pushed with a scream. He lost his balance and went back. And back. And
back. Until I slammed him into one of the cars. He let me go and I hurried to
start rocking his face with hard fists.

It was pretty damn obvious these guys were used to beating
the fuck out of someone without ever actually getting into a real fight. They
had no idea how to defend themselves.

I took the guy down to his ass and then started to knee him
in the face like there was no tomorrow. The sound of his head slamming off the
car was thud, thud, thud, thud like a screen door blowing shut over and
over in a wind storm.

When I backed up, his face was nothing but blood. My jeans
were ripped from his teeth, blood on my knee and leg.

I turned and tattoo guy was on his hands and knees. I
smiled, ready to knock his head off. I wanted to do this in front of Layne. I
wanted to kill. I couldn’t
believe I felt the way I did in that moment. I wanted to fucking kill.
It was a surging feeling.

As I rushed to him, I saw Acey from the corner of my eye.
Gun in hand. Lifting it. I spun to my left, reaching for my weapon. As I drew
it, Acey moved by me, not pointing his gun at me, wanting to kill me. He
stepped up to tattoo guy and put the gun to the back of his head. He pulled the
trigger.

“Holy
fuck,” I said.

Acey then turned and pointed the gun to the other half dead
guy on the ground. One pull of the trigger and he was gone too.

“I need
new guards,” Acey said and
then faced me. He walked right at me, putting his gun between my eyes. “You ready, Talon?”

“Ready,” I said. “Don’t
hesitate. You know what happens…”

Acey gritted his teeth. He swallowed hard. He was afraid to
do it. I wasn’t wearing the
President’s patch, but
fuck, I still could command some respect.

Acey didn’t
say anything else or do anything else.

So I spit in his face.

A good chunk of fresh blood in his face.

Acey screamed and stumbled back. I grabbed his wrist,
twisted, and took his gun. His other guys started to come forward, but I
hurried to point the gun at them all. Acey put his arms out and called them
off.

“What
the fuck are you going to do?”
Acey asked, wiping his face.

I looked back at Layne and he just stood there. Not giving a
command. Not giving a shit, maybe.

I unloaded the clip from Acey’s
gun and threw the weapon at Acey. He caught the gun and I dropped the clip.

“Fuck
off,” I said. “Stay the fuck out of Brocke.”

I turned and walked away. Layne came forward and I purposely
bumped shoulders with him. I made a line for my motorcycle and stood there,
trying to catch my breath.

I got on my ride and started it.

Everyone looked at me.

I was done with the fucking thing. I was tempted to speed
away but I didn’t. I needed
to keep respect for Layne. For the President’s
patch. For Devil Call MC.

Layne didn’t
say a word to Acey or the rest of Los Ahn. He got on his ride and started it.
That’s when the rest of
Devil Call MC got on their motorcycles.

Layne led the way from the scene.

My body was on fucking fire. It hurt everywhere. My eyes,
cheeks, nose, mouth. My shoulders, arms, hands, everything. Not to mention my
heart. That Layne would just throw me into a fight like that. Turn his back and
walk away.

We didn’t
make it a mile from the Los Ahn scene before another line of motorcycles
waited.

“Christ,” I whispered when I saw it was
Rilen Lost.

They had guns drawn, ready to fight.

Layne throttled his motorcycle and sped up.

All hell broke loose again.

All of us sped up, took out our guns, and just started
shooting.

We blasted through the barrier of Rilen Lost motorcycles.
Bullets were zinging all around. Austin and Drave almost lost their edges a few
times, but luckily they didn’t
spill onto the ground. Jagg made a wicked cut to the right and I saw a bullet
hit his leg. A splash of blood and Jagg screamed.

Holy fuck, it won’t
fucking end.

We made it through with all our guys intact and on their
motorcycles. Our group was sloppy and Layne didn’t
know what to do but just ride hard and fast back toward the clubhouse. Not that
it was a bad thing to do, but it would have been nice if we were tighter and
looked tougher. Seemed like everyone wanted a piece of us right now.

In that moment, I wondered just what waited back at the
clubhouse.

How Everly felt…
and if the clubhouse was actually still standing…

4.

(Everly)

I had to get the hell out of the bed. I slept, had a dream I
couldn’t remember, and woke
up. I looked around the room and made sure I was okay. Safe. In bed. In Talon’s bed. I then fell back asleep
and had another nightmare. Talon and Layne were standing a few feet apart and
were shooting at each other. Over and over. Their guns fired with endless ammo
and their bodies took bullets without falling. But I could see the bullets
going into their bodies.

It lasted for a long time before I woke up sweating and
crying.

The door opened and a prospect stood there. He asked me if I
was okay and I told him to get the fuck out of the room.

After a few more minutes of feeling like I was going to go
insane, I knew I had to get out of the bed. I couldn’t stand another nightmare. I couldn’t stand another painkiller pill
and getting all loopy and numb. Maybe some people enjoyed that feeling but I
didn’t. Not with Talon and
Layne out there, riding around, fighting. Not with Talon on edge and Layne
getting comfortable with his new power.

I threw the covers off my body and forced my legs to the
floor. I slowly stood, a surge of pain through my shot leg. I stumbled a little
and managed to hop to the dresser and keep my balance. The hospital gave me a
set of crutches to use. I grabbed them and tucked them under my armpits. I
hobbled to the door and opened it.

The prospect standing there turned around and put his hands
out. “Whoa, what are you
doing?”

“First
off, I’m sorry for yelling
at you,” I said. “I was… I was having a nightmare or something.”

“That’s okay. But you should go back
to bed.”

“No. I’m going for a walk.”

“Ma’am…”

“My
fucking name is Everly.”

“Everly,
right. Sorry. Everly, Layne told me…”

“I don’t give a shit,” I said. “I’ll
hit you in the balls with one of these crutches if you try to touch me.”

The prospect’s
eyes went wide. He gave a nod. “Okay
then.”

“You can
walk with me though and make sure I don’t
fall and hurt myself.”

The prospect stayed right next to me but didn’t touch me. We walked down the
hall and just as I spotted the clubhouse floor and the bar, feeling a sense of
some kind of pathetic freedom, the clubhouse door busted open.

Layne came in with Jagg almost in his arms. Layne took Jagg
to a pool table.

“I’m fucking fine,” Jagg said. He touched his leg. “There’s no bullet in me. It grazed me.”

I stopped and gasped. I looked at the prospect. “You better help.”

He ran from me and I looked at the rest of the guys coming
in. Everyone looked okay. No other blood and wounds… until Talon walked in.

His face was a mess. Worse than before. He was limping and
looked completely dejected and abused. The second he saw me, he froze. His lip
snarled and he made a line for me.

“We have
to make sure,” Layne said
to Jagg. “Fuck, man.”

Jagg stood up and dropped his pants. He pointed to his leg. “Fucking look, Layne. It’s a cut, man.”

Talon pushed through the bar and came right at me.

“Talon,” I said. “What the hell…”

“What
the fuck are you doing out of the room?”
he asked me.

“I
needed a break. A walk. Something.”

“You’re going to hurt yourself.”

“Speaking
of hurt,” I said. “What happened?”

Talon touched his cheek. “Just
a fight.”

“Why isn’t anyone else…”

“Just
me,” he said. “It’s
fine. Taking care of business.”

“Did
Layne…”

Talon touched my face. He shook his head. “Beautiful, none of this matters
to you, okay? This is club business. You’re
not part of it. I’m sorry
and I know it pisses you off.”

“I know
more about this club than everyone in this clubhouse,” I spat.

I could feel eyes looking at me now.

“It’s okay,” Talon said. “Take
a breath. We’re all back
here. Just fine. Get some water. Try to relax.”

“Hey,
Talon?” a voice called out.

Talon turned his head. It was Austin standing in the doorway
to the clubhouse.

“What?”

“Detective
John is here,” Austin said.
“Needs to discuss Everly
and her case.”

“Her
case?” Talon asked.

“My
case?” I asked.

“She
fucking hit him,” Layne
said. “Christ.”

“He said…” My lips started to tremble.

“He
wants Everly alone,” Austin
said.

“Fuck
that,” Talon said. “Over my…”

“Everly,
go,” Layne said.

I froze and looked at Layne. He came toward me. He acted as
though Talon wasn’t even
there. He touched my shoulder and gently rubbed it.

“Come
on,” he said. “I’ll
take you out there. I’ll be
right there. It’ll be calm.”

The way he said calm it was a direct shot at Talon.

“Fuck
that,” Talon said. “Layne…”

“Talon,” Layne said without even looking
at him. “Go clean yourself
up. Take a fucking shower. Get a shot of whiskey. Stay inside. I’m not going to repeat it.”

I never saw Layne give orders like this before. And
especially to Talon. It was weird…
but strangely hot. I wanted to be mad at myself. For always being torn between
these two guys. One touched me and loved me. The other brought me here and was
a gentle giant temptation thing.

I looked at Talon. “It’s okay, Talon. Nothing will
happen.”

“You can’t go out there…”

“Better
than John coming in here,”
Layne said. “If he sees
Jagg. Blood. The smell of violence. He’ll
keep coming. Just do what he says for a fucking second.”

I nodded to Talon.

Please…

Talon’s
nostrils flared and he gritted his teeth. He slid his hand to the back of my
neck and pulled me in for a kiss. It was a quick kiss but made my legs feel
numb. He then stormed away and Layne pointed to the door.

As promised, he led me outside.

Sure as hell, Detective John was there. He sat on the hood
of his car eating a hotdog. He looked so cocky, like he knew everything.

Layne stopped and turned. Over his shoulder, he said, “Everly, I’ll keep an eye. I have to protect this club and
clubhouse.”

“I know,” I said. “I won’t
hit him this time. No matter what.”

Layne smiled. “Good.
You’re crazy, sweetie. But
I kind of love it. I won’t
ever let anything happen to you.”

I believed Layne. His eyes offered me a sense of comfort
that I hadn’t felt in a
while. He stepped into the clubhouse, but I knew he wasn’t gone. He was hiding.

I turned and Detective John stuffed the rest of the hotdog
in his mouth and then smiled and waved at me. I used the crutches more than
usual, trying to make my injury seem worse. I don’t
know why I did that, maybe for sympathy. Somewhere deep inside me, I just
wanted Detective John to go away. Vaughn and Jade had the video of Talon
murdering someone. He was supposed to get the video, but I fucked everything up
when I lost my mind watching Jade blow Talon.

“You
look uncomfortable,”
Detective John said.

“I was
shot.”

“I know.
I know everything, Everly. What I don’t
quite know is why…”

“It
doesn’t matter,” I said. “Why are you here?”

“Can’t I check on you?”

“No.”

“Well,
here I am. Might as well stay for a bit.”
Detective John slid from the hood of the car. He took off his sunglasses and
tossed them to the hood. “Jesus
Christ, look at yourself. Is that what you want?”

“You don’t know anything of what I want.”

“Should
I go back in time, Everly? To your mother, father, grandmother? Should we start
turning rocks over?”

“Fuck
you.”

“No,” Detective John said. “That’s where you’re
wrong. That’s the next part
of the plan in all this. Finding out how you fit into this club. It’s not just me interested
anymore. There was another MC that had a private funeral. But the undertaker
they used is a friend of a friend. The body buried had been murdered. People
talk, Everly.”

I swallowed hard. Detective John was digging deep. He
probably knew things I didn’t
even know.

“And
there were two bodies found in shallow graves,”
Detective John said. “Not
on Brocke land though. Just beyond. I’m
talking… oh, twenty yards
maybe.”

“What
does that have to do with me?”
I asked. “You going to
accuse me of killing people and digging graves?”

Detective John laughed. “I
wonder what that would have sounded like before.”

“What?”

“Before
you got sucked into this. Before you turned into this.”

“Into
what?”

Detective John stepped toward me. “I guarantee that if I mentioned anything to do with
dead bodies and shallow graves it would have bothered you. You would have
turned white, turned red, you would have been shaken by it. I mean, it’s terrifying. Someone shot two
men. One in the back of the head and one in the face. One was point blank range
and the other about ten feet away. And there’s
technology to know all this. We can find the dirt mixed with dirt to know where
the other dirt came from. Say…
a piece of dirt from this compound. And that should scare the fucking hell out
of you, but it doesn’t. Do
you know why?”

“Because
it has nothing to do with me,”
I said. “Or the MC. Layne,
Talon, any of the other guys.”

“No.
Because you have the shell around you now. You’re
an old lady, Everly. You’re
the one taking orders from your guy. Or guys. Whatever your fucking arrangement
is in there. And they’re
going to bring you down with them. I can’t
protect you anymore. And look at you, shot in the leg. Heard you got lucky
though. Could have been deadly.”

“That’s right. Lucky me.”

Detective John reached out and stroked my face. I stiffened.

“No
worry,” he whispered. “You don’t have to hit me, Everly. I just… I’m
going to miss you when it all goes down. To see you taken away in cuffs. You’re going to be used up by
authorities. They’re going
to drain you of every piece of information. And then when it’s all said and done… Talon and Layne will be rotting
in prison. The rest of the MC will be in prison. The clubhouse will be
destroyed. Oh, and anyone who has a tie to Devil Call MC will get the orders to
kill you. Because you talked.”

I hobbled back. I swallowed the massive lump in my throat. I
hated when Detective John spoke like this because it made sense. It was laced
with reality, mixed with my personal fantasy. Could Devil Call MC fall?

“That’s a great plan,” I said. “But you need proof of whatever you’re looking for.”

“There
was blood at the scene,”
Detective John said. “It’s all being tested. Any chance
that Talon was in a fight?”

“Ask
him.”

“Where
is he?”

“Inside.”

“Should
I go in there?”

Detective John started to step forward. I lifted a crutch
and pointed it at his dick. “Don’t come closer.”

He smacked the crutch and it fell to the ground. When he
stepped again, his eyes flared with rage. I stepped back, using my hurt leg.
The pain that shot up my leg took my breath away. I twisted and writhed in
pain, falling to the ground.

I hit hard on my ass and cried out.

Before Detective John could take another step, Layne came
barreling from the clubhouse.

Christ, no…

Detective John drew his weapon and stood there, ready to shoot.
But that didn't stop Layne. He ran right up to the gun, letting it touch his
chest.

“Did you
just throw her to the ground?”
Layne bellowed.

“She
fell. She’ll learn how to
walk with a bum leg. If she’s
not dead by then.”

“Get the
fuck out of here, John.”

“I need
to talk to Talon.”

“He’s busy.”

“I need…”

“You
want something? Get a fucking warrant and come back. Stay the fuck off this
property.”

“You’re talking like you run the
place, Layne.”

Layne made a notion to his left breast. Where it read President.

When Detective John saw the patch, he slowly lowered his
gun. “What the hell…”

“I’m the President of this club,” Layne said. “You have a problem, you come
talk to me. You leave Everly alone. You leave all of us alone. I’m the fucking President. I handle
the club business. Or the club bullshit.”

Layne stood tall and hard. The look on Detective John’s face was priceless. Maybe he
never thought his stepson could lose the MC. But it happened.

“How is
Talon taking it?” he asked.

“Fuck
off,” Layne said.

Detective John turned to me and offered a hand. “I’m
sorry, Everly. I didn’t
mean to get aggressive. Or add to your troubles.”

I grabbed his hand, but Layne was right there to stop it. He
squeezed Detective John’s
wrist. Detective John groaned and let me go.

“You
heard what I said,” Layne
said.

Detective John looked at me. “You
have to tell me what’s
happening with Talon. I have to know how he’s
feeling. If he’s okay. He’s my son. I care.”

“You don’t care,” I said. “You
want this all to burn. Because it’s
not the life you demanded Talon to live.”

“No. I
wanted him to become something great. Greater than me.”

“He is,” Layne said. “Now fuck off before I kill you.”

That did the trick.

Detective John slowly walked to his car and got into it. He
stared right at me for a few seconds before starting the vehicle and backing
out of the lot.

Layne then helped me to my feet. He got my other crutch off
the ground and gave it to me. I got set up to start hobbling again, Layne’s hand to my back keeping me
steady.

I quickly stopped and looked up at Layne.

“What’s wrong?” he asked.

“You
think Talon is greater than Detective John?”

Layne gritted his teeth. “You
picked up on that, huh?”

“Layne… all this stuff…”

“Look, I
kept him around,” Layne
said. “I can promise you
that if he was voted in as President, I’d
be gone by now. He would have shipped me to another charter. But I’m keeping him here. He needs to
accept or… I don’t know what.”

Die.

That was the word Layne wanted to say.

Because Talon wouldn’t
accept. He wouldn’t change.
He had his way of thinking, a hundred miles an hour forward, and that was
everything to him.

And I fucking loved him for it.

5.

(Talon)

I let the water wash the blood off my face. I rubbed my
face, not giving a shit that it hurt so bad. Being ordered around by Layne was
getting to me. The Los Ahn bullshit was no good. Even if I won the fight and
Layne made a point to Acey. But Acey made a point too. He shot and killed his
two men, showing that weakness wasn’t
an option for him. Not to mention he looked like a damn fool in front of his
own club. That didn’t make
anyone back down. Los Ahn were bigger and tougher than Rilen Lost.

Fucking Rilen Lost.

They were another headache.

But this was the life and direction Layne wanted. I could
only be there for him. Listen to what he said and do as I was fucking told.

I finished washing myself and turned off the water. I
grabbed a towel and dried off. I stood in front of the bathroom mirror and
wiped my hand across the foggy mirror. My face was a mess again, my left eye
and cheek puffy. Old wounds ripped back open. A cut above my lip. My bottom lip
a little swollen. Aside from the physical look of how bad it was, when I moved
my mouth and jaw, it hurt right down the back of my neck.

Nothing was broken, so I didn’t
have to worry. Everything would heal. Wounds would close. Bruises would go
away. Pain would subside. And if it didn’t… then I’d fucking die. That was the ultimate end of all
this. Get beaten, shot, or stabbed and then let the darkness take you. Get that
final ride… that dark ride… and it all ends. No more pain.
No more thought. No more suffering. Just yourself and your leather cut.

I touched my cheek and pressed hard on it. The stingy pain
made my entire body tingle. I was going to be just fine. Plus, I proved
something to Layne. He wanted to put me on stage in front of everyone and make
an example, fuck that. I made the fucking example.

And I had a way to start and chip away at the problems
surrounding the MC. Shit I was going to do if I had been voted as President. No
matter what, no matter who was the President, Devil Call MC was my reason for
existence. I could hope time would dictate change, but if it didn’t, I was not going to go down to
Rilen Lost, Los Ahn, or the fucking authorities.

I tore open the bathroom door and froze when I saw Everly
standing there. The door was shut behind her, locked. She stood with the
crutches under her arms. She was fucking beautiful. She was fucking everything
to me. She looked tired, weak, and vulnerable standing there.

It broke my damn heart, proving even more that I was not
only capable of emotions but that I was madly in love with this woman.

“Hey,” I said. “You okay? How did all that go?”

“Fine.
He’s not happy at all. They
found bodies in a shallow grave. Just outside Brocke.”

I shook my head. “Fuck.”

“Did you
do it?”

“What?”

“Kill
them?”

“Are you
kidding me? Who told you I killed anyone?”

“Nobody.
I’m just asking.”

“Does it
fucking matter?”

“I guess
not,” Everly said.

She turned and started to move toward the bed. She looked so
uncomfortable. It wouldn’t
be much longer until she could walk and not feel pain. I just wanted her to get
a lot of rest. She didn't need to deal with the MC bullshit. Christ, she wasn’t a patched in member. She was a
woman. She was… she was a
fucking old lady. None of this should have mattered to her.

“Christ,” I said. “Everly, I didn’t
kill anyone. I fought them. That’s
why my face…”

She looked over her shoulder. “You
fought two men? Alone?”

“Yeah.”

“Why?
Weren't the rest…”

I gritted my teeth. “Look,
club business, okay? Layne is trying to find a way to calm things down. It’s not easy to do.”

“What
happened to Jagg?”

“He got
nicked with a bullet. From Rilen Lost. On the ride back.”

“Fuck,
Talon,” Everly said. Tears
filled her eyes. “Is that
what this is going to be? Just this constant…”

Damn, it hurt. It hurt worse in my heart than it did on my
face. This was the exact reason why I never gave a woman the time of day. They
were better off living the fantasy. Fuck the biker. Fuck the bad boy. Fuck the
rebel. Whatever I wanted to be, I was for them. But then they had to go.

Because it never ended the right fucking way.

Just like with Anneliese. That fucking whore got too close
and comfortable. Her little hand stroked Layne’s
cock and ego, bringing him to the edge and almost taking the MC down.

And now Everly…
not a whore. Definitely not a whore. She was just beautiful and caring. So much
love inside her. That’s why
Layne brought her here and kept her here. Even if she was sent out into the
clubhouse to be treated like a whore. Goddamn, the thought of it made me want
to scream and kill someone.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I
can’t make anything up. I
won’t lie to you. This is
where it’s all come to
right now. Change in power. Change in vision. It’s
going to be bumpy for a little bit.”

“And
that other stuff?” Everly
asked.

“What
other stuff, beautiful?”

“That
woman.”

“Fuck
her.”

“You
already did.”

Ouch.

“I’ll take care of that. Why don’t you get in bed, beautiful? You
need the rest. You don’t need
to worry about me. The club. The bullshit.”

I walked toward Everly. I put a hand to her waist and
squeezed. She blinked fast and a tear fell from her eye. I reached up and wiped
it away.

“Come
on,” I said. “You’re too beautiful to cry. You deserve happiness and
I’ll make sure you get
that.”

Everly nodded. She sucked in a breath. “I don’t want you hurt. Or dead.”

“I’ll always be hurt, beautiful.
But death? I can’t control
that. I can only control the moments I have right now.”

Everly looked at me from the side of her shoulder. She was
just goddamn pretty. Straight up naturally pretty. Little curls in her hair. An
angel like face. The brightness of her eyes, like they could talk to me or fuck
with me. And then a strand of hair fell from behind her ear and covered her eye
a little.

That did it for me.

I had to kiss her. I had to taste those lips, her mouth.

I loved her. I needed her as much as I wanted her.

It was almost overwhelming.

Our lips grazed for a second, both of us exhaling. Everly
took a small stutter step back, her body gently touching mine. I was in a
fucking towel so hiding my cock getting harder was impossible. Not that I would
want to hide it from her. Fuck, no. She deserved my cock. She needed my cock.

I licked her sweet little lips for a second before devouring
her mouth. I put both hands to her waist and pulled at her, rubbing her against
me. Fuck this was good. So fucking good.

I broke the kiss just as Everly let out a groan. Such a cute
little sound she made. I loved it. I used my nose to move her hair out of the
way so I could kiss her hair. My lips and tongue raced up and down her neck,
feeling her body jump. Her gasps of were pain from her leg, but her moans of
pleasure were from me.

I worked back up to her mouth and kissed her again. Everly
then pulled back and put her hand to my face. She somehow stayed balanced with
the crutches under her arms. She then reached back and grabbed me through the
towel.

I hissed and gritted my teeth. “Fuck, beautiful. I’m
fucking full and ready.”

“When
was the last time you came?”
she asked.

So fucking bold.

My left hand moved up her shirt and over her bra. I squeezed
her tender breast and felt my cock throb. My right hand cut down into her
panties, feeling a little prickly from her pubes. I don’t know why, but it drove me mad. I had just fucking
touched her and fingered her before going on my ride. But now, it had a
different feeling to it.

My middle finger grazed the hood of her pussy, quick to
pull, wanting to touch the nub of her clit.

“Talon,
please,” she moaned. “I want…”

“You
want to know if I fucked someone else?”
I growled.

I hurried and took my hands away from Everly’s body. I took a chance and
lifted her up and put her on the bed. She cried out in pain from her leg, but I
didn’t give a fuck.

“Are you
putting me on fucking trial?”
I asked.

She sat on the bed, looking up at me. Her eyes were big. She
was nervous but trying to be defiant to me.

I couldn’t
control myself. I reached down and grabbed her shirt. I tore it up over her
head. I threw it to the floor. My cock pressed against the towel, pitching a
tent, like goddamn literally. I slid my fingers into her hair and pulled her
head back. She groaned and gripped the edge of the bed. I slowly leaned
forward, needing her to rip the towel off my body and suck my cock.

“You
know what the fuck I want,”
I growled.

“I know,” she said in a sexy whispery
voice. “But you know what I
want, Talon…”

Fuck, she was working me over.

Everyone was working me over.

I was going to lose my fucking mind.

My hands slid down to her shoulders. If I really wanted it,
I could have pulled her forward. Made her do what I wanted. She was fucking
mine and she knew it. I had the command over her and she knew that, too. But
goddamn if my heart wasn’t
racing and aching at the same time.

Fucking love.

My hands kept going down and around. I grabbed the clasp of
her bra and unhooked it. Everly did a little seductive move and shook her bra
off.

Her fucking tits were succulent. Handfuls, creamy, full. Her
nipples a dark pink color, erect. My thumbs had to play for a second. Her
nipples responded to my touch, hardening even more. I then moved my hands up to
her face again.

I held her.

“What
the fuck do you want from me?”
I growled. “You’re supposed to be my old lady.”

“I’m not sucking your cock if it’s been somewhere nasty, Talon. I’m not that…”

Her bottom lip quivered. It wasn’t that at all. It was jealousy. It was hurt. I got
it.

“I just
got out of the fucking shower,”
I said.

I could see her crumbling. The same way I was crumbling.

She moved her right hand first, pulling at my towel. She
opened the towel and my cock finally popped free. Her hand quickly gripped my
root, squeezing and jerking. Her mouth was already open, eyes lust filled. She
was hungry for me. Just as much as I was for her.

Her hand stroked all the way to the tip of my cock. She
squeezed my engorged head and pushed hard with a tight fist, making her grip
insanely tight. I could have exploded right then.

But I didn’t.

“Do it,” I said. “Suck my cock, beautiful.”

Everly came forward and her lips slowly inched over me. Her
tits dangled forward the more she moved down me. It was fucking amazing to see.
She continued to take me, inch by fucking inch. She shut her eyes, opened
wider, and her hand spread across my thatch of pubes. Her fucking lips touched
the back of her hand for a split second and then she pulled back. The warm
tightness of her mouth made me hiss.

Painfully and perfectly fucking slow.

All the way back until her mouth popped off my cock.

Never before had I felt the way I did right then.

I looked at her, knowing I looked angry. Pissed off. Ready
to kill someone.

And goddammit, I was.

Because Everly was…
everything. To me. My heart. My body.

I was a fucking asshole in love now.

Her hand stroked me up and back a few times as she caught
her breath.

“Fuck,” I growled.

I hurried and dropped to my knees. Now I wanted my fucking
taste.

My hands ripped at her pants, tearing them down. I tried to
take caution with her wounded leg, but I was lost to my fucking needs.

Her panties stood no chance and it much easier to just rip
them off her pretty body rather than work them down her legs. I knew I couldn’t grab the insides of her legs
and force both of them wide open. I was only able to open one leg. I didn’t want to hurt her anymore than
she already was.

Her sweet, glistening pussy waited for me. Her plump folds
curled open, ready to be tasted. I didn’t
fuck around, just as she didn’t
for me. I came forward and engulfed her tender flower. I suckled hard at her,
the tip of my tongue slicing up and down, tasting all of her. I found her clit
and stayed right there. Left, right, up, down, what-the-fuck-ever it took to
make her body curl up and to make her scream my name.

And she did.

She grabbed my hair and pulled hard. Her sweet voice echoed
through the room. I was aching I was so hard, my cock desperate to come. It was
like the first fucking time I tasted good pussy.

It was crazy.

I hurried and licked up one last time and kept going. I
scaled up her body and stopped at her tits. My hands grabbed them, squeezing
them tight. My teeth craved her nipples and the little painful cries Everly
gave me when I nibbled just a little too hard.

My cock flirted with her pussy.

I was ready to fuck her…

“Wait,” she managed to groan. “I have to move…”

She slowly turned to one side, protecting her wounded leg.

She was like a dream. One hand was stretched out already
grabbing the sheets. Her other hand slid down the side of her body, reaching
for her ass. She lifted her leg up in the air and pulled at herself, showing me
her tight pussy.

I grabbed my cock and squeezed tight.

I realized then I wanted this for the rest of my fucking
life. I wasn’t just caught
up in the moment like some stupid punk, like some asshole that says the wrong
thing before, during, or after fucking a woman. That wasn’t me.

Whatever I felt, it was real.

It was so fucking real.

I brought my cock forward with full intentions of just
pounding at Everly’s
beautiful body. But I wanted more. So I gently rubbed the head of my cock
against her, feeling the tightness of her hole, feeling how it gave way for me.
I gently thrust into her, just a few inches. As I pulled back, she clenched at
me, not wanting me to leave. I looked into her eyes and saw the pleasure fill
her face.

I came forward again, sinking even deeper this time.

Everly’s
body bounced and she cried out.

I cupped her ass and hissed. “Beautiful,
did I hurt you?”

“No,” she said. “Just fuck me.”

Beautiful words from a beautiful woman.

So I fucked her. Thrusting and pumping, making sure I didn’t add too much pressure to her
leg. I didn’t want to hurt
her for real. I held her ass with one hand, keeping her steady. I hovered over
her body, inching down, kissing her soft and smooth shoulder. I worked up to
her neck, nibbling at it. Everly groaned and thrust at me. It was killer tight,
more than ever.

I wanted to hold off and last forever. I wanted to be in an
endless fuck with Everly. She and I on a bed for days and weeks. Nothing else
mattered but our bodies and our love.

Our love?

The thought made me shudder. I couldn’t be in goddamn love. I couldn’t fall into this even more.

But I did.

I thrust deep into Everly and let myself go. As I came, I kissed
up to her mouth, needing the sweet and flirty feel of her tongue touching mine.

We kissed as I came, loving her body even after I was
finished coming.

I kneaded her ass gently. My other hand moved from the bed
to her chest, cupping one of her breasts. My chest was against her shoulder. My
lips and tongue were locked in a perfect kiss.

Fuck…
just… fuck…

6.

(Talon)

I pulled the blankets up to Everly’s shoulder. Her medicine had kicked in and her eyes
were shut. She had a little smile on her face as she moaned. Her hair sprawled
across the pillow. I helped her get dressed to make sure she was comfortable.
Our fucking had made her leg irritated. But she promised me it was worth it.

I shouldn’t
have cared. She wanted it, so I gave it to her. Hurting someone wasn’t part of the emotional equation
I had built inside myself. Of course, Everly shattered everything. She made the
wrong feel right and the right feel wrong. I was twisted and torn, yet I wouldn’t have it change.

My hand stroked her face. My thumb traced her jaw and chin.
I flicked at her bottom lip, imagining all the places that pretty little lip
had been. Sliding against the bottom of my shaft. Kissing back at my lips. Shuddering
when I made her come.

“Shit,” I whispered.

I was getting hard again.

I had business to tend to. I had a little project to take
care of.

I retrieved an item from my room in a secret storage
area. I walked to the room with the table and sat down where the VP would sit.
But Jagg wasn’t there.
Actually, nobody was there right now.

It was just me sitting there. The room was completely quiet.
I looked around, thinking about all I’d
heard and seen in this room. Where internal wars were fought. Some won, some
lost. I thought about Layne and I coming together tighter than ever, getting
the approval from the rest of the MC to take it over. Me given the chance to
become President. And fuck, I was a good President. I kept things as calm as I
could, making sure violence and deaths were minimal and outside of Brocke. All
of that happened long before that whore Anneliese. She really fucked things up.

I laughed to myself, because in a way some of this was
Everly’s fault. But that’s okay. She’s worth the war. Worth the
fight. Worth the scars I’d
bear for the rest of my life.

Right now, however, it was all about Devil Call MC.

I thought about Everly telling me that the two bodies were
found outside Brocke. That meant Acey had the balls to just bury the two men he
killed. It put heat on Devil Call though, which may have been a smart move.
Before dealing with them, Rilen Lost needed to be handled.

I needed fucking revenge.

I couldn’t
let it go anymore.

I sat and waited, finding a bottle of whiskey under the
table. My face and hands and ribs were killing me. My body was desperate to
heal but never had a chance to fully do so.

The darkness and stillness of the room actually brought me
peace. There were ghosts in here, lots of ghosts. But they were memories
lingering around. A place of true power. True justice. True outlaw living.
Something nobody could understand unless they were patched in and had the honor
to sit at a table like this.

The door finally opened and Layne froze, staring right at
me.

“You
needed me?” he asked.

“Those
prospects suck,” I said. “So slow to pass along messages.”

“I was
busy doing something,”
Layne said.

“Too
busy for me?”

“What do
you want, Talon?”

“Can you
come in here? Sit down?”

Layne shut the door and looked around. Jesus Christ, was he
really looking for an ambush?

“You
think I’m going to hurt
you?”

“You
have more kills on your hands than I do,”
Layne said.

“I’m just tough enough to do the
work,” I replied.

“You’re sitting in Jagg’s seat, man. That’s disrespectful.”

“Bullshit,” I said. “Jagg was a terrible choice. That was done as a
favor to him and a shot at me. You and I know it.”

“You
really think that?” Layne
asked.

“Fuck
yeah, man. You knew damn well I’d
never just back away from this.”

Layne grinned. He pulled his chair out. “Then I guess I’m smarter than you thought.”

“Yeah,
right.”

Layne crashed to his chair. He looked at me and pointed. “How’s the face?”

“Hurts.
I’ll survive. I always do.” I paused for a second, making
sure my next question didn’t
send me off the edge. Because I felt like going over the corner of the table
and beating the shit out of Layne. “Any
reason you did that to me?”

“What?
You like to fight.”

“You had
all intentions of throwing me out there, Layne. That’s why you brought me.”

“You’re the muscle, right? You have
the balls.”

“Why don’t you just put a bullet between
my eyes?”

“Is that
what you wanted to meet me for? To discuss how you die?”

I gritted my teeth. “No.”

“Good.
Then get to your fucking point. I don’t
have time to waste.”

“I have
a solution to one of our problems.”

“Which
one is that?”

“Rilen
Lost,” I said. “I know how to shake them up for
a little bit.”

Layne raised an eyebrow and gave a head nod. “Part of your plan as President?”

I swallowed hard. I sucked back the urge to knock Layne out
of his fucking chair. I reminded myself that all this is for the better of the
MC. If he’s meant to be
President, then he will be for a long damn time.

“I had a
buddy on the inside,” I
said. “His name’s Mutt. Hell of a guy. Kept me
kind of sane while I waited to get out.”

“Okay.”

“When
Hollis was killed for his drug debt, they brought us a present, didn’t they?”

“His
cut?”

“His
fucking hand,” I said. “Remember that?”

“Those
masked people who took out that prospect.”

“Exactly.
I know who set that all up. That woman in the picture. Her name’s Jade. Her brother is Vaughn. I’m sure this is all shit you’ve figured out by now. But they’re working their way into
Brocke. I’m going to fix
that, Layne. That’s my
problem. I’ll get those
tapes and get it all sorted.”

“Thought
you were doing that… when
Everly got shot.”

“Fuck
you, man. There was an arrangement and she…”

“Oh, she
fucked it up,” Layne said. “So I should kill her, right? She
hurt the club.”

“If you
feel you need to do that, do it,”
I said. “But she’s not Anneliese. You and I know
that. You fucking hurt her, I’ll
burn this club to the ground myself.”

Layne nodded. “Rilen
Lost…”

I reached under the table and put a box on it. “Open that. Careful though. It’s a little rough…”

Layne lifted the lid and quickly dropped it. He gasped,
groaned, and turned his head. His left hand shot out and pushed the box away.
He kept groaning as he started to gently dry heave.

I had to smile. I forgot how weak of a stomach Layne had. He
was the kind of guy that if five of us started to pretend to puke, he would
actually throw up.

“Fucking
hell,” Layne groaned as he
sat back up. “What the fuck…”

“That’s Hollis’ hand, Layne. I kept it.”

“You
kept his fucking hand?”

“Yeah.
That’s leverage right
there.”

“Leverage
for what?”

I grinned. “I’m going to plant it on Jony. And
Rilen Lost.”

Layne had his mouth covered as he stared at me. “Go on,” he said, muffled.

“I hate
to say this… but John still
has a small soft side for me. Fatherly shit, right?  So I play the emotional
card about losing Hollis. I mean, John took him and had this all set up. He
didn't expect the guy to die though.”

“You
think John will go with it?”

“A murder
case?” I asked. “Are you fucking kidding me? He
can’t get dirt on us, but
if we hand him something on Rilen Lost…”

“Christ,” Layne said. “Then what? Send Jony to jail?
Put him on trial? I mean, the evidence…”

“Layne,
fuck, man,” I growled. “What the fuck happened to you?
You’re too much of an
outsider anymore, man.”

“Hey,
show a little goddamn respect,”
he said and pointed to the patch on his chest.

I nodded. “Yeah.
Got it. Jony gets sent to prison, okay? That alone will have Rilen Lost
scrambling. They’ll be weak
and useless. We can either wipe them out then or just let them fall apart. That’s your call, President.”

“Okay.
Is that it?”

“No,” I said. “I get in touch with Mutt.”

Layne closed his eyes. “Shit.”

“I need
the revenge, Layne. I can’t
let it go anymore. He tried to have me killed over and over and over. You want
to see the scar on the back of my neck again? A fucking light saved my life
that night, man. He was going to slit my throat and just let me bleed out.”

Layne opened his eyes and looked at me. “It’s
going to cause problems.”

“Of
course it is,” I said. “But it can’t be linked to us. None of our
guys are inside. And who the fuck cares? The President of Rilen Lost will be
dead. I’ll make sure Mutt
does it the right way. Then it’s
done. They’re at bay while
they regroup and grieve. They can’t
function without Jony. You know that.”

“It’s insane, Talon,” Layne said. “But it makes sense.”

“It’s good. It’s crazy good.”

“And you
expect my approval.”

“You’re the President, Layne. I’m not going to go rogue on this
one. The other shit, Jade and Vaughn, that’s
all me.”

Layne looked at the box and then looked at me. “You really saved that hand?”

“I’ve been waiting for this for a
while. I wanted to give it time to cool off. But this will bury Rilen Lost. I’ll get in touch with Mutt. I
have strings to pull on the inside.”

Layne slowly started to nod. “Okay,
Talon. I’ll go along with
it. Makes sense. We need to attack and make a statement. And you think
Detective John will ride with it?”

I loved how Layne was questioning me. A President shouldn’t question another member like
this. A President listened and had a plan to lead. Part of me wanted to stand
up and walk out of the damn room. Let Layne figure the rest of this out.
However, I needed it to happen perfectly. I wanted Jony dead. If I couldn’t get my hands on him to do it,
then I needed the plan to go without a hitch.

“That’s right,” I said. “It’ll work, Layne. I promise.”

“Promise,” he said. “We used to promise each other a
lot of shit, man.”

“I know,” I said. I touched my swollen
cheek. “No we just throw
each other into the line of fire.”

“Yeah,
about that…”

I stood up, gaining control and power. I shook my head. “Layne, I don’t give a shit, okay? You can put
me into the fires of hell and I’d
go without a fight. For this MC, it’s
everything. For Everly, it’s
everything. And for you, man, yeah…
it’s everything.”

I grabbed the box and tucked it under my arm.

“You
doing this now?” he called
out.

“Right
fucking now,” I said.

“Let me
have someone go with you.”

“No,” I said. “We don’t
need a crowd. I’ll take a
car or something. No motorcycle. Make it low key.”

“Hey,
Talon…”

I stopped at the door and looked back at Layne. “What?”

“Be
careful, man. I don’t want
a dark ride. Not for you.”

I didn’t
say a fucking word. What was there to say? If I opened that door, again, to
Layne, it would just be another flood of emotions. I had business to tend to. I
had revenge to seek. I had a MC to take down. Fuck, I had a MC right here I
wanted to take over.

Bad enough I was already in love with Everly, I didn’t need to go down memory lane
with Layne. I knew all the memories already. They hurt.

And I was in enough pain.

It was time to inflict some pain.

7.

(Everly)

I was awake and actually had a little burst of energy. My leg
felt pretty good, which I knew was just the medicine still doing it’s job. I threw the covers off me
and realized I was in panties and a shirt. No pants. No bra. Like a little wet
dream for Talon, whenever he came back here. I bit my lip and smiled, thinking
of how he touched me and loved me. The way he fucked me, trying to be gentle
but unable to control himself.

It was so damn hot.

When I got out of bed, I stood there without any crutches. I
added more weight to my injured leg, breathing through the pain. It definitely
wasn’t as bad as it had
been yesterday. I was healing. Which was good. I didn’t need any surgery or serious follow up
appointments, unless things got infected or the pain got worse.

But so far, so good.

I slowly started to walk toward the bathroom. I wanted to
take a shower. Well, a bath at least. Just to sit in hot water and relax for a
bit. Slip away with a few candles lit and some dumb fruity bubble bath. This
was what my life had become. All the things that were once normal - and were
probably normal for more women - it was a treat for me. My main concern was
making sure I didn’t get
killed. Making sure that Talon would come back alive. Making sure Layne would
come back safe. It’s all I
could think about.

I hobbled to the bathroom and then stood at the sink,
staring at my reflection. My hair looked sloppy. My face refreshed but still
tired. It was obvious I wasn’t
feeling a hundred percent. It was all because of…
well, I guess Talon. But Talon wasn’t
the one who shot me. It was that guy. Vaughn. And it was his whore of a sister,
Jade, that was causing all these problems.

When I thought of Jade, my blood boiled. My hands started to
shake and I gripped the edge of the bathroom sink. I couldn’t stop thinking about Jade now.
The way her dress held her fucking body so tight. The way her lips slid over
Talon’s dick. Moving up and
down. The look on Talon’s
face, maybe trying to fight that it felt good. Of course it felt good. It was
someone sucking him off. But something clicked deep inside me. Something that
made me not want to take it anymore. All I had to do though was let Talon
finish. Let him explode into her mouth and then Talon would have gotten the
damn video and we’d never
have to deal with them again.

But it all collected and boiled over.

My anger. Rage. Hate. Pain.

That’s
why I jumped forward and wanted to kill Jade. And if Vaughn hadn’t shot me in the leg, then I
would have really tried to kill her.

Fuck, I still wanted to kill her.

The urge rolling through my body was like nothing I ever
felt before. The urge to hurt and kill. It made me wonder if this was how Talon
felt. When he killed Tommy. When he came out of prison to find the MC in
shambles. When he had to face those other clubs. Hell, when he had to hear
about the vote for President not going his way.

It was a seriously intense feeling.

And as I stared at my own reflection, I thought I would calm
down. Become rational. But I didn’t.
The urge grew worse and when I finally was able to look away, it was because I
knew that I’d get to Jade.
I’d get revenge.

Revenge?

It was insane.

I stumbled to the tub and turned the water on. I put in some
bubble bath soap and then stripped out of my panties and shirt. I lit three
candles and turned off the light. It was just enough to give a nice dim light
throughout the bathroom. It was calming with the sound of the water rushing and
the smell of the candles and bubble bath.

I stepped into the tub and sank into the water. I put my leg
up, trying not to get it completely soaking wet. It still hurt when water or
soap touched it.

And I was just there.

In the moment, alone, with my thoughts.

I was really angry. Still pissed off at Talon for letting
himself get into that situation. Those feelings of romance and love just a
short while ago were now fully replaced with something else. The MC life was
real and I was in the middle of the storm. And when I fully healed from the
gunshot wound, I could either stay or go. Either way, I’d be hurt. If I stayed, I’d at least be somewhat protected.

Everything started to sink into me and bad. I had Detective
John snooping into my past. I had been shot. I was in love with Talon but
couldn’t stop my burning
feelings for Layne either. And I didn’t
know what the hell to do with Jade and Vaughn and the fact that I was on a
video with Talon when he killed someone.

I shut my eyes to take a breath.

When I opened them again, I gasped, yelled, and started to
shiver. I looked around the bathroom and realized I must have fallen asleep. I
used my good foot to turn the water back on, needing the tub water to heat back
up. I was shivery and achy, my nipples tight and erect.

I heard a knock at the bathroom door and I jumped.

A pain shot through my leg and I groaned.

That’s
when the door flew open.

When I saw Layne, I gasped. And then I warmed up. Like
really fast.

He looked right at me, scanning me head to toe… I was fucking naked… and then he looked me in the
eyes.

“Are you
okay?” he asked.

“I, uh,
my leg…”

“Where’s your crutches?”

“Bedroom.
I walked to the bath.”

“What
the hell, Everly?”

Layne had seen me naked many times before but for some
reason this felt different. Very different. The way he looked at me. The way my
mind was playing some serious games.

“I’m okay,” I whispered.

“What
are you doing in here?” he
asked. He looked around. “Praying
or something?”

I laughed. “Just
trying to relax.”

“You
scared me.”

“You
were worried?”

“Always,
Everly. I’m always worried
about you. You know that.”

He took a step. My body warmed up even more.

I looked at the water. All the bubbles had dissipated. I was
completely visible. Fully naked. Christ, I was so turned on right now.

“Can you
help me up?” I asked.

I blushed as I looked at Layne. He seemed hesitant for a
second but then nodded and approached the tub.

What the fuck are you doing, Everly?

I didn’t
know what I was doing. I was just going with my mind and body. Not so much my
heart though. That was still torn, hurt, missing a few broken pieces.

Layne crouched down and looked at me. His eyes blinked fast.
He gritted his teeth. “Fuck,
Everly. I don’t know…”

“You’ve seen me before,” I whispered.

“Christ,
I know. But how many times…”
He looked at me and swallowed.

Does he want me?

“What?” I asked. I slowly reached up
and touched his face. The scruff tickled my fingers. “What is it?”

“I
already told you before,”
he said. “Drunk, maybe, but
they were sober words, sweetie.”

I shivered again. My breasts were hurting to be touched. I
was wet and it wasn’t the
warming bath water.

I opened my mouth but closed it. I opened it again. Christ,
I had no words right now. I needed to have words. Either words that kicked
Layne out… or words that
brought him closer…

He let out a sigh. “Let’s just get you out of this bath.
You shouldn’t be moving
without your crutches. You’re
going to end up hurting yourself.”

“I’m tired of feeling weak,” I admitted. “And used. Or useless.”

Layne touched my hair. He moved wet hair from my forehead
and cheek to behind my ear. He cupped my cheek and I settled into his rough
touch.

“You’re not weak. Or used. Or useless.
This life is hard, Everly. On everyone. Not just those wearing a patch.”

“How’s your patch treating you?” I asked.

He smiled. “It’s fine. We’ll all be fine. I can’t say happy, sad, or whatever.
We’ll be fine though. Come
on, let me help…”

His hand slid behind my neck. His left hand moved over the
water and then he kind of froze. His fingertips grazed the water.

“I need
to reach under…”

I swallowed hard. I bit my lip, needing to moan. I needed
relief. There was a wild pressure between my legs, desperate to be touched.

“Like
this,” I whispered.

I put a hand to Layne’s
hand and forced it into the water. I took him right between my legs. My fingers
curled around his fingers curling around my sex. I pressed and held there,
gently lifting and groaning.

Layne looked at me, his face like stone. “Everly…”

“Shut
up,” I growled. “Shut the fuck up. Just… a little…”

I was out of breath already.

I moved my fingers, forcing Layne’s fingers to move. I did it for a few seconds and
then took my hand away. I gripped my own leg and shuddered as Layne kept moving
his fingers.

Two fingers touched my tender slit, sliding up and down, but
not really penetrating me. He was fucking teasing me… or maybe trying to fight temptation. But what did
it matter? This whole thing was about temptation. We all deserved to fall into
it once in a while. Death waited right outside these walls.

I couldn’t
believe how it felt. Layne’s
two fingers sliding up my sex and pressing against my achy clit. It was like I
hadn’t been touched in
months. In reality, it was like waiting for months for Layne to finally do
this.

I arched my back and groaned. My leg hurt, but I didn’t want this to end. I lifted my
chest out of the water and sighed.

“Layne…”

“Goddammit,” he growled.

I thought he was going to stop.

But he didn’t.

I looked at him and saw his mouth moving down to my chest. I
tried to gasp but lost my breath when his lips slid over my left nipple. He
suckled gently, his tongue moving up and down, making me thrust my chest at
him.

I wanted more. So much fucking more.

Layne pulled back and grunted as his teeth grazed my nipple.
He then looked at me. He inched in but stopped. His fingers kept playing, but
he wouldn’t penetrate me.

I gasped for a breath and my mouth shivered as I tried to
find words.

Layne slowly slid his hand up. He left my slit warm and
achy. His hand moved along my mound and to my belly. His hand at the back of my
neck pulled, bringing me closer to him. His other hand moved around from my
belly to my ass and he lifted me up.

He took me from the tub and helped me to my feet. I was
completely naked, turned on, trying to balance on one leg. Layne kept a hand to
my lower back and reached back to grab me a towel. He stuck the towel between
us and looked at me, smiling.

“What
the fuck?” I managed to
ask.

“I told
you, sweetie. When it’s
time…”

“I can’t do this. I can’t live with this.”

“I know,” Layne said. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I’m not asking you to hurt me. I’m asking you to fuck me.” I shuddered and then gasped.

Did I really just say that?

Layne helped put the towel around me. He didn’t respond to what I said but
rather helped me from the bathroom to the bedroom. I sat on the edge of the bed
and he crouched down before me, touching my injured leg.

“What
can I get you?” Layne
asked.

“Nothing,” I said. “I’m
fine.”

“Pills?
A shot of whiskey? Talon?”

I swallowed hard. “Is
that why you won’t…”

“I’m not talking about it,” Layne said. “Right now, the club needs peace.”

“And
what do you need, Layne? I’m
not waiting around forever. I hope you know that. I’m going to make a decision soon. I’m tired of being trapped.”

Layne touched my chin. “Whatever
you decide, I’ll support
you. Even if you leave. I’ll
make sure you’re protected.
You won’t suffer because of
this club. Because of Talon’s
decisions. Because of my decisions.”

“What if
I don’t want any of that?” I asked. “What if I just want to
disappear?”

“Talon
will kill himself.”

“I’ll already be dead on the
inside.”

“Christ,
Everly,” Layne said. “I don’t know how to fix everything.”

I looked at Layne and saw him vulnerable. I’m not sure that was a good thing
for the President of a MC. But I saw Talon vulnerable too. The wars out there
were mounting and getting worse by the second.

I reached out and took Layne by the hand. I caressed his
fingers, the fingers that had been touching me.

“You
brought me here,” I
whispered. “With
intentions. I wish you’d
live out those intentions so I can live out mine.”

“It has
nothing to do with what you think,”
Layne said. “I don’t want you to be a pawn…”

“I don’t care.”

Layne lifted my hand and kissed it. He then left the bedroom
and I sat there, alone and cold. Wearing nothing but a towel. And I was turned
on. I wanted someone to touch me. Fuck me. Make me feel okay.

Deep down inside, I just had a terrible feeling that before
this all calmed, Talon or Layne would be gone.

8.

(Talon)

I took care of the hand as needed. Soon enough Jony would be
taken away for the murder of Hollis. Murder in itself was bad, but the idea of
Rilen Lost taking out a guy from Devil Call would make the thing hotter.
Because there would be implications of revenge. It would create worry, tension,
and most of all, it would create fear.

And when Jony would be killed in prison, without someone
from Devil Call MC doing it, that’s
when we’d get complete
respect. Rilen Lost would be done for a while.

I throttled my ride and pulled right up to the door of the
Rilen Lost bar. What I was about to do next was nothing short of a suicide
attempt. I climbed off my ride and walked to the door. I opened it and walked
right into the bar. Ever see a movie where the entire place goes silent? The
scratch of a record needle? Followed by crickets?

That’s
what happened here.

I had twenty guys looking at me. Some in mid shot in a pool
game. Guys with cigarettes dangling from their lips. Guys with drinks held to
their lips, not moving. It was like I walked into a wax museum or some crazy
shit.

And then all at once, every single fucking one of them
pulled their guns out. They pointed their weapons at me, everyone ready to take
me out. Sadly enough, I was fair game right now. I had no fucking extra patch
on my cut. I had no right and no respect to walk into a rival club’s bar like this. I wasn’t a VP. I wasn’t a President. I was just a
patched in member and here I was, standing in the middle of a shit storm.

“I want
to talk to Jony,” I called
out.

“Go fuck
yourself,” someone yelled.

“No. I
said I want to talk to Jony. I know half of you don’t know your stub of a cock from your pinky…”

I waited for the bullets to rip through me.

But they didn’t.

I was still fucking Talon to them. President or not, I was a
crazy asshole who wasn’t
afraid to die. But the secret? I actually was afraid to die. If I died, who
would take care of Everly? If I was dead, it would be Layne to have it all. My
club… my woman…

I couldn’t
believe that death was no longer a friend to me.

I waited, and from the back of the bar came a stumbling and
drunk Jony. He looked like shit and when he got close enough, he smelled like
it. He walked right up to me and then pointed behind me.

“Where’s the rest of them?”

“Just
me, Jony. I’m alone.”

“Fuck
you.”

I opened my arms. “Listen,
not sure what you heard. I’m
nothing now. I lost the vote. I’m
not President. Layne is.”

Jony laughed. “So
you come here? To what? You want to join us?”

The rest of the bar laughed.

“No,” I said. “I wanted to have a drink with you. Let the pieces
fall as they may now. I have no power, Jony. There’s nobody out there for me.”

Jony pointed to two guys and had them leave the bar to
check. He then eyed me, not trusting me one bit.

Christ, if he only knew what I had planned…

When his two guys came back inside and nodded, Jony walked
to the bar. He cleared two spots for us. I approached without caution. No need
to be hesitant here. Just a drink. A goodbye drink. The last time I’d see Jony alive and well.

But he didn’t
know that, of course.

I sat and Jony ordered up two shots of whiskey.

“What
the fuck do you really want?”
he asked.

“I never
thought I’d lose the vote,” I said. “I realized I lost some respect of the guys. For
shit I was doing. My mentality is stuck like I’m
in prison. That’s a whole
different world in there, man.”

“Yeah.”

“I
shouldn’t have disrespected
Jimmy like I did. I know I hurt Jack bad. Our fights should be over land,
drugs, booze, pussy. Not me barging in on a dark ride and messing that up. I
deserved what I got from Jack. I just wanted to apologize and bury that part of
it.”

Jony eyed me again. He was good and drunk already. Some men
were fighters when they got drunk. Some men were lovers. Jony… he forgave when he was drunk.
He pictured a world of peace. I had picked the right time to come in and bother
him.

“Jesus
Christ,” Jony said. “What the fuck is Brocke coming
to when Talon is apologizing?”

“Maybe I’d seen enough. Being on the
inside. Seeing the changes on the outside.”

“Well… salut…”

Jony lifted his glass. I lifted my glass and hit it against
Jony’s. We both took the
shots. The whiskey tasted like shit. It burned, making my eyes water. I flipped
the shot glass over and put it on the bar.

I licked my lips.

“Another
one?” Jony offered.

I laughed. “No,
man, I’m good. Last thing I
need is to go back to the clubhouse stinking of Rilen Lost.”

Jony grinned. “Then
get the fuck out of here.”

“Will
do, Jony. Will do.”

I stood and put a hand to Jony’s
shoulder. He looked back at me. We stared each other down. Maybe to him it was
a peaceful stare, but I was just memorizing his face. Taking in this moment. He
thought I was weak, but I had the power. More than he knew… but he’d find out soon enough.

I left the Rilen Lost bar with two guys on my ass. They made
sure I got on my ride and left without anything happening. Everything was
already in place.

I flew down the road, the wind at my face. The open road
before me. The thundering power of the motorcycle. I couldn’t quite figure out where
everything went so wrong because this felt so right. This was what it had been
all about. Just riding. Just being free. Just living on the edge with our own
set of laws and outlaw justice.

When I saw the nose of the car a quarter mile up the road, I
sped up even more. I knew who the fuck it was and I know he was going to pull
me over. It was me who engaged the entire thing.

I sped by Detective John’s
car and he flew out, cherry top going, speeding up behind me. If I wanted to
get away, I could. I could burn him and leave him days behind me. But I pulled
to the side of the road, shut off my ride, and climbed off. I crossed my arms
and watched as the asshole detective pulled up next to me. He stood from the
car, tearing his sunglasses off.

“What do
you have for me, son?”

Son.

I cringed.

“It’s big,” I said. “You
need to trust me before things get crazy.”

“Crazy?
Heard you lost your patch.”

“I gave
it up,” I said. “I just never got it back.”

“I’m sorry, son. It’s cruel. That’s why I’m trying to help you. Trying to protect you. And
now Everly is hurt.”

“Leave
her out of it.”

He made a fist and slammed it to the roof of the car. “Goddammit, she’s hurt! And I knew it was going
to happen!”

Watching him slam his fist took me right back to a dark
place. When I used to be the roof of the car. Punches. Kicks. Getting beat at
the back of my legs. Not to mention what he did to my mother. The only comfort
I took in her death was that she was free. Truly free. From everything worldly
and mortal.

“She
survived,” I said. “And what do you want with her?”

I saw the look in his eyes. I knew what he wanted with her.
It made me fucking sick.

“What do
you want, Talon? I have work to do.”

“Like
what? Chasing your tail? Trying to find something that’s not there?”

“How
about I arrest you.”

“For
what?”

“I’m sure there’s an illegal weapon on you
somewhere. Maybe a little booze on your breath.”

I opened my arms. “Come
on. Find what you want. I can’t
promise you’ll ever walk
again though.”

“Threatening
me?”

I laughed. “You’re a real piece of shit, John.”

“You
used to call me Dad.”

“I never
wanted to. I was forced to.”

“That’s right,” he said. “Respect.
I’ll get that back from you
too. I promise.”

I nodded. “Want
to settle a beef between Rilen Lost and Devil Call?”

“How?”

“Jony
from Rilen Lost killed Hollis.”

“What?” Detective John said. “Hollis was done in on the inside…”

I shook my head. “I
don’t know what happened to
him. Getting lost in drugs and then getting murdered. It’s not right, John. We’ve
tried to stay calm about it. You know damn well we could be out there causing
some serious problems. But we didn’t.
We just did our own digging. And we found a part of Hollis.”

“A part?”

“He wasn’t all put together after being
murdered,” I said. “Was he?”

“Talon…”

I lifted my hand and wiggled my fingers. “He was missing his fucking hand.
That’s how Jony knew it was
done for real. So there was double crossing. He made the call and arranged it.
And he has the fucking hand.”

“You’re joking.”

“No. We’ve done our homework on this.
Layne is ready to make the call.”

“The
call for what?”

“To
start a fight,” I said. “I stopped him. Which is risky
since he’s the President.”

John rubbed his forehead. “What
the fuck…”

“We’re ready to take the bar down,” I said. “And the only way I can stop it is if you go get
him. Find the hand, arrest Jony. Then we have nothing.”

“Why the
fuck are you telling me this? You’re
setting me up.”

“Whatever,” I said. “Layne has the patch. Layne isn’t violent like me. If I won the
vote… I’d be up there burning the
fucking place down with all those assholes in it. But Layne wants to keep the
peace. He figures if Jony gets put away, it’ll
leave Rilen Lost scrambling and quiet.”

“So you
guys can regain your power?”
Detective John asked.

“Exactly.
Not my way of doing business, but whatever.”

We stood there in silence, staring each other down.

He slowly grabbed his sunglasses. “If I call in help and there’s nothing there…
I’m coming to arrest you,
Talon.”

“I’m not lying,” I said. “I know what’s
there. Okay? And it makes me fucking sick that Jony is going to get protection
from your version of the law. Lawyers. Judges. A jury. Fucking rights. It’s disgusting. He had one of our
guys killed. I know Hollis was fucked up on shit, but he was still a patched in
Devil Call member.”

“And
Layne doesn't want to fight.”

“To be
honest, he wants you to get wrapped up in this and leave us alone. This shit
with you talking about a video…
bothering Everly… lurking
all the time… it’s not good for us. So, yeah, we
benefit in this. I’d rather
put a bullet in Jony’s
head, but this works too.”

“I’m not giving up,” Detective John said. “You fucking fool, Talon. You
were always dumb. And you let that big ox Layne take you down even more. The
two of you together are idiots. I’ll
go up there. If I find something, I’ll
believe you. If I don’t, I’m coming after you and I’m taking you in.”

“Do what
you have to do,” I said.

I turned and got back on my ride.

“Hey,
son?” Detective John called
out.

I looked at him. “I’m not your son. I have no
father. I have the road to guide me. That’s
all I’ve ever had.”

I started my motorcycle, throttled it, and then sped away.

In less than sixty minutes Jony would be in handcuffs and on
his way to prison.

And I was one step closer to getting my club back.

Layne was the President…
for now.

9.

(Everly)

I held my phone in my hand, waiting for it to ring. I was
shaking and I hated myself for being encompassed with so much fear. Fear from a
single text message. But it was the person who sent the message. It was fear of
facing something dangerous. A moment that would be a deciding factor in my
life. Anytime I thought about leaving the MC and just escaping, I had nowhere
to go. I had nothing but this club.

My love for Talon.

My urge for Layne.

Not to mention I had a wounded leg that would make it hard
for me to travel anywhere.

The phone started to beep and vibrate in my hand. I started
to shake even more and thought about ignoring it. But I knew if I ignored it,
the situation would get worse.

I lifted the phone and took the call.

“Hello?”

“Sweet,
sweet Everly,” her voice
purred.

“Jade,” I whispered.

Saying her name made my stomach flip.

“How are
you? How’s your leg?”

“I’m fine,” I said. “You
realize what you and your brother did?”

“Yeah,” she said. “I mean, do you realize what you
did? You didn’t just take a
bullet in your leg… but you
basically put a bullet in the back of Talon’s
head. And all I wanted was to suck his cock. Taste that warm and yummy blow as
he filled my mouth.”

My body tensed. I shut my eyes.

I won’t
let her get to me.

“I mean,
it’s only fair. He already
fucked me. He came but he was wearing a condom. God, I hate that feeling. It’s like a false thing, you know?”

“I
wouldn’t know,” I said. “Talon fucks me the way I’m meant to be fucked.”

Jade laughed. “So
you’re one up on me.”

“I am.”

“What
about Layne?” she asked. “How fat is his cock?”

“I’ve never…”

“Oh,
please. Be a whore once in a while. Enjoy life.”

“What
the hell do you want?”

“Well,
we all have unfinished business,”
Jade said. “My mouth is
eager for Talon’s cock. You
need the video I have, don’t
you? So we are both in need.”

“Fuck
you,” I yelled. “You’re not fucking touching Talon again.”

Jade laughed. “You’re wrong, sweetheart. I own them
all. Our family business and product is such a necessity. And Talon killed
someone so dear to us. Now I want to kill him.”

“You can’t kill Talon.”

“Oh, you’re so cute, Everly. You really
think your boy toys over there are untouchable? You don’t know real power, sweetheart. In fact, maybe if
this all goes well, you can come work for me and my brother. Vaughn would love
your body. Little curves. Little boobs. I know he’ll
get sick of me eventually.”

“Sick of
you? You two… aren’t you…”

“Please,” Jade said. “You don’t understand a fucking thing about life. What I do.
What my brother does. The power we hold. Trust me. This is something you don’t want to fuck with.”

“What do
you want? Why did you call me?”

“I’m not sure. Maybe I missed your
sweet innocent voice. But you’re
right, we should do this in person. So I’m
calling to tell you I’ll be
there to meet you soon. I promise you, Everly, I will get Talon. I will fuck
him. I will suck his cock dry. He’ll
always want me and I’ll get
him. It’s the only way he
can save you. Save his biker club. The only way he can save his life.”

I swore I heard Jade pucker up and make a kiss sound. Then
the phone call ended.

I sat feeling weaker than ever.

I hated that slut of a woman, but she was so right. So
fucking right.

A fire started to rage within me. The kind of fire that used
to burn before Talon got out of prison. The fire that kept me in a bottle and
kept my ass for the taking.

I forced myself to my feet and walked to the dresser. As a
joke (at least I think it was) Talon brought me a bottle of vodka the day I
came back from the hospital. He told me it was the best painkiller out there, but
not to mix it with the meds.

It was untouched.

Until now.

I started to drink from it and did so like the stuff was
water. The burning down my throat made my eyes water and it took away the pain
in my leg… and in my heart.
I couldn’t drink like I
used to, meaning I wasn’t
able to down half the bottle in one big gulp.

Instead, it took me a few hearty drinks to actually put a
dent in the bottle.

But by the time I did and sat back down, I was feeling it. I
was feeling fucking good. My head was heavy, my mind getting a little mushy.

Jade’s
voice kept running through my mind though. And with that came the images of
Talon. The picture of him fucking her. Being there in person while she went
down on him.

The bedroom door opened as I was ready to break down into
tears. I saw it was Talon and I should have just started to cry. He could have
comforted me. Told me it was going to be okay. Held me. Loved me.

But it would be a lie.

There was no okay. The end of it all was death. All I
had was the time between now and death. The same thing everyone had, but for
me, it seemed so much shorter. So much more precious.

So I sucked back my tears and emotions.

“Hey,
beautiful,” he said. “What’s wrong?”

“I’m drinking,” I said. I grabbed the bottle
and drank some more. “And
it’s fucking good.”

“Everly… what’s…”

“Shut
up,” I said. “I’m
going to take my clothes off, Talon. And you’re
going to fuck me. That’s
all I want and need right now. Desperately.”

He rushed to the bed and touched my hair. “Dammit… this isn’t
you…”

“No,” I said. “This is me. Now fuck me.”

I saw the look in his eyes. For a few seconds we were
matched up. That desperate need to fuck and the reality of all that waited.

Talon’s
hand closed around my hair and he pulled. “You’re not going to command me to
fuck you, beautiful. I’m
going to fuck you because I want to.”

I nodded. “Hurry.
I’m already halfway there.”

I slowly stood and turned around. I kept my balance and felt
Talon grab my sides. He did it because he didn’t
want me to fall. I swatted his hands away and groaned. I grabbed the bottom of
my shirt and lifted it up over my head. I reached back and unsnapped my bra,
leaning back into Talon’s
hard chest, letting my breasts become exposed. His hands were quick to slide
around my body and cup me. When I looked down at my left breast, I realized
Layne had been there a short while ago. Suckling, tasting, nibbling.

Christ, I should have felt wrong about it, but I didn’t. Like Jade said… sometimes it’s good and fun to just be a
whore.

Plus, shutting everything else off made it easier. I didn’t feel any pain. Other than my
leg. Which I could help with some painkillers. Vodka and painkillers… I was like a rockstar. Partying
to die.

I reached back and cupped between Talon’s legs. I groaned and wiggled.
My fingers flirted with his zipper as his fingers came together and playfully
tugged at my nipples. He managed to squeeze each nipple with his thumb,
pointer, and middle finger on each hand. He pulled and twisted, making me cry
out. I wanted to cry out and move to my toes, but fuck, my one leg was bad.
Remember?

The vodka swooshed through my veins and brain some more. My
hand dug inside Talon’s
jeans and I found the curled up thick monster he called a dick. He was mostly
hard and one stroke from my little hand brought him to full capacity.

I continued to stroke him, turning my head so I could look
up into his eyes. He stared back at me. He wanted to kiss me. But he held back.
This was straight up lust and greed right now. Maybe it was the way Jade did
it. Luring him in with her fucking body and nothing else.

With my free hand I pushed my pants down. Total benefit of
having a hurt leg. I was okay with being in PJ bottoms all the time. Easier
access for Talon. I hadn’t
bothered to put on panties so the second my pants were down to my knees, I was
ready to go.

I started to bend over and felt Talon try and fight me. I
groan and wiggled. He released his hold on my breasts and brought his hands
around and up to my shoulders. He held tight, letting me be slightly bent. I
tried to keep the weight on my good leg, but it was hard to do. With my hand
wrapped tight at the middle of Talon’s
shaft I guided him to my body. I pressed his thick head against my throbbing
hole. I pulled and thrust back.

Talon grunted and thrust forward. When he did, he pulled at
my shoulders, forcing me back harder. He entered me with a feeling of fire
throughout my body.

I cried out and reached for the bed. I grazed the sheets and
grabbed them.

Talon let go of my right shoulder and brought his hand to
grip my ass. He held me there and started to pump me back and forth, matching
the speed of his cock.

He was definitely fucking me now. Just like he used to do.

“Fuck,
beautiful,” he groaned. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Fucking
hurt me,” I said. “Just fucking do it.”

I didn’t
know what the hell I was saying. I just loved the feeling of him diving in and
out of me. Each thrust forward made my leg hurt, but I tried to ignore it. The
pleasure was greater than the pain, so fuck it.

I matched his thrusts as I threw myself back at him, making
sure he was as deep as possible. We worked ourselves fast and hard. His body
slapped off mine. My cries matched with his grunts. It was completely feral and
the passion was nothing but the sex. No feelings. No memories. No caring.

Just fucking.

His hands hurried to grab my sides and he pulled me back and
held me there. I kept rocking at him, my pussy clenching, wanting him.

“What
the fuck is this?” he
growled. “You trying to
prove something.”

I looked back. “I
just want to be fucked.”

“This is
angry shit, Everly. You have something to say, you better fucking say it.”

“I said
all I had to. Now fucking finish.”

Christ, I was so mad. And Talon was too.

He pulled back and thrust forward once. Hard. He repeated it
over and over like a jackhammer, tearing into me and tearing through me. So
slow and calculated. And then he pulled from me and slapped his cock against my
ass and lower back. I opened my mouth to scream and watched as he gripped
himself and with one pump, he started to come. I watched him come and felt the
warm release cling to my back. Over and over, his hand worked as his body was
still thrusting. His legs bumped into the back of my legs as he came.

It had been a long time since he pulled from me like this.
He usually didn’t give a
shit. But now he did.

When he finished he smacked his hand against my ass and ran
it down, leaving the rest of his orgasm spread across my cheek. He then backed
up and tucked his cock away.

“Better?” he asked.

“Talon…”

“I’m doing all I can here, Everly.
To save this place. To save you. Fuck, to save myself…”

I thought about Jade.

I promise you, Everly, I will get Talon. I will fuck him.
I will suck his cock dry. He’ll
always want me and I’ll
get him. It’s the
only way he can save you. Save his biker club. The only way he can save his
life.

“I didn’t ask you to save me,” I said. “I shouldn’t
have been there and gotten shot. I should have known better. What this life is.
Look at me. Bent over again, right where I started.”

Talon’s
face burned with rage. “No.
You’re not some fucking
whore, Everly. Dammit.”

He ran to the bathroom and grabbed a towel. He made me stand
and cleaned himself off me. He took my face into his hands and stared at me.

“You’re drunk,” he said. “You
need to sleep it off. It’s
going to be okay.”

“I’m tired of everyone telling me
that,” I whispered.

“I have
things in order,” he said. “I’ll
explain it to you. Just rest, okay? Get sleep. Let your body heal.”

I nodded and I let Talon put me in the bed and tuck me in.

I was naked, comfortable, looking at him.

He came down to kiss me and kissed my forehead.

Then he stormed out of the room.

He didn’t
kiss me. He didn’t
come inside me. What the fuck…

I shut my eyes for a few seconds and opened them to find it
was two hours later. My head felt heavy, my mouth dry. The only thing within
reach was the bottle of vodka. So I grabbed it and took another drink. I
started to sit up in the bed when the door slowly opened.

It wasn’t
Talon this time.

It was Layne.

He smiled and gently knocked with the door half open. “Sorry. Did I wake you?”

“No,” I said. “Not at all.”

“You are
drinking?”

“Yeah. I’m kind of drunk.”

“Everly…”

“Don’t lecture me. Don’t give me your opinion. I just
need today. To be this.”

“Okay,” he said. He came into the room
and shut the door.

Then he locked it.

The sound of the lock clicking set me right back on fire. My
toes curled under the blankets and when I moved a little I realized I was
naked. Completely fucking naked.

Layne approached the bed, arms folded. There was something
different about him. Just the way he held himself, the patch on his breast
definitely holding some kind of meaning to him. But his eyes were the same old
Layne. Gentle, caring, worried. A man of thick, natural muscle, like a gentle
bear or something.

“Why are
you doing this?” he asked.

“Because
I’m sick of it all,” I said. “I hated what I was when I came here, but I kind of
miss it.”

“Miss
what?”

“Just
not knowing anything. Or caring. I had a purpose and it was always fulfilled.
Except by you. You wouldn’t
do it, Layne. You brought me here…”

“Stop,” he said. “Don’t go back there.”

“I am.
What’s wrong with me?”

“Nothing.”

“Then
touch me.”

“We went
that route…”

“Stop
being a fucking pussy then,”
I said. Why was I so turned on? Maybe because I had control? “Do something, Layne. You’re the President now.”

“And
what the fuck does that mean?”
he growled at me.

Yes, growl…
get angry…

“Do me,” I said. “That’s
what we’ve both been
waiting for. Right? I’m
right here. I’m naked under
these covers. I’m ready.”

“Christ,
Everly…”

“What?
Still hung up on Anneliese? She’s
dead, Layne. I’m not.”

Holy shit…
did I just go there?

I didn’t
care though. I was tempting Layne with a horrible part of his past.

But when his hand grabbed the covers and tore them off my
body, I knew it was worth it.

He stared at my naked body, teeth gritted.

“Fucking
hell,” he said. “This is what you want? You want
to feel it?”

“Bad,” I said. “I just need to know…”

“Roll
over then,” he said.

It was going to happen. Just like that dream I had.

All the temptation leading to this moment.

I slowly turned and managed to prop myself up on my knees. I
looked over my shoulder, offering myself to Layne in a way I never had before.
I was wet and I knew he could see it and smell the scent of my desire. My hands
gripped at the sheets tight as he came closer to me.

His fingertips grazed my ass. He was still gentle. Sliding
up my back, he stopped near my ribs and pushed. My back arched and my ass went
higher in the air. My leg throbbed in pain, but I didn’t care. I needed to fight the pain. I needed to let
this happen. Right now.

Layne brought his right hand down and cut between my legs.
Two fingers touched and then plunged into me. The wild fire it set off made me
groan. I shut my eyes and threw my head back.

“Yes,” I whispered.

Layne pulled back out and I looked back at him again. His
hand was at his pants. Unzipping, his hand grabbed at himself. I lost my breath
when I saw Layne’s cock. He
was long and hard. I tried not to compare him to Talon, but my mind started to
match them up. Length, thickness, the shape of the tip.

That’s
when Layne looked at me.

His eyes spoke it all…
there was no fucking turning back.

That’s
good. I wasn’t going to
turn back on anything. I wanted and needed this. I had been waiting for this
long before Talon. Maybe there’d
be hell to pay for it, but I didn’t
care. He came forward. The thick tip of his cock touched my wet folds. His
fingers started to spread me.

I shut my eyes, waiting for the pressure and pleasure to
take over.

But then it was gone.

All fucking gone.

I groaned and took a breath as Layne stepped back from me.
His left hand still held my ass. I tried fighting for a second, thrusting back,
thinking I could get to him.

“No,” he said. “This isn’t how it works, Everly. You’re not a whore. You’re
not my whore. You’re not
Talon’s whore.”

His hand was wrapped tight around his cock.

“I’m not a whore then,” I said. “But I know what I want.”

“So do
I,” he said.

He forced his big and beautiful dick back into his pants and
zipped up. His hands were shaking as he guided me back to the bed. To my back.
I was still naked, just lying there, feeling…
weird.

He fell to one knee and stroked my hair. “You’re beautiful, Everly. But I know what’s real and what’s made up. This is made up. The
way you think you love me and the way I love you is nothing compared to what
you and Talon have. I’d
like to think I’m better
than him anyway. He fucked my girlfriend. I won’t
do that to him.”

“I hate
him,” I said as tears
filled my eyes. “I can’t stop thinking…”

“That’s your problem. Stop thinking.
Let it all unfold.”

I reached up and touched Layne’s
face. “Just kiss me one
more time then.”

Layne nodded. His lips touched mine and I sighed. Our lips
parted, our tongues touched, and that was it. There was no more raging fire. No
more crazy temptation and wonder.

Fuck, Layne was right.

If he had fucked me…
it wouldn’t have worked. At
all. It would have just dug another hole deep into Devil Call MC.

The kiss broke and he kissed my forehead, just like Talon
had done.

“I’ll always protect you,” he said. “You never have to worry. But
your heart… and Talon’s heart… you two are fucked. Together. That’s all there is to it.”

I blinked away a tear and nodded.

I then watched the President of Devil Call MC stand and walk
away.

My heart was pounding.

I didn’t
feel ashamed. I felt relieved. But once I was alone, that was washed away by
fear.

I had to face Jade next…
and I knew this bitch was going to drive me even closer to the edge. Someone
was going to get hurt. Going to die. And nothing was going to be the same ever
again.

10.

(Everly)

I pulled my hair from the back of my shirt just as Talon
walked into the room. Seeing him sent a wave of tension and heat through my
body. Looking at him made me realize how much I cared and loved him. Layne was
a great man and I loved him in a different way. We had come so close…

“Why are
you dressed?” Talon asked,
cutting through my thoughts.

“Because
I want to be,” I said. “I, uh, kind of have a meeting.”

“A
meeting? You?”

“Don’t seem so surprised,” I said. “I’m
pulled into this, right?”

Talon came at me. He grabbed my arms. “No, you’re not pulled into anything. This is fucking
bullshit. You’re a… you belong here.”

“I’m a… what? An old lady? Used to relieve tension? Maybe
I should get you a drink and suck your cock?”

“That’s what you wanted to do
yesterday,” Talon growled. “Remember that? How’d that vodka taste going down?”

“Where
did you end up?” I asked. “You never came back.”

Talon’s
face became stone. “I had
business. None of which is your concern right now. And then I saw Layne coming
here. To my fucking room. And you know what? If that’s his grand scheme in all this - to get me back by
fucking you - then so be it.”

“You
think I fucked Layne?” I
asked.

My voice shouldn’t
have sounded so hurt. I mean, we were just one thrust away from consummating
the damn thing.

“Look in
the mirror, guilty eyes.”
Talon moved away. He made fists. “How’s your leg feeling today?”

“Actually,
better,” I said. “Doesn’t hurt so much when I move. Which is good.”

“Good.
You’ll be healed soon
enough. Then you can leave.”

“Leave?”

“Yeah,” Talon said. “That’s what you want, right? You want out. You need out.
You deserve out.”

“Christ,
Talon, I didn’t sleep with
Layne.”

“Your
eyes…”

“I
wanted to!” I yelled. “Okay? He was the one who brought
me here. Who saved me. It had been lingering for a long time. I never understood
why he wouldn’t. Like the
temptation of something I couldn’t
have. I don’t know. Like I
wanted his approval of… me.”

“The guy
that brought you here? Wasn’t
he the one who let you get passed around?”

“The
clubhouse was a mess, Talon. You don’t
even know…”

“Don’t tell me what I fucking know,” he growled at me. His eyes went
wide, flaring with anger. “I
was inside, fighting to stay alive. And then I come out and start cleaning up
fucking mess after fucking mess…
and they all turn on me. They vote for Layne. Because of violence? Are you
fucking kidding me? Yeah, I shouldn’t
have killed Tommy so quick…
but you know what? Vaughn and Jade are the reasons why Hollis was hooked on
drugs. Why he’s dead. I can
see what’s happening. Layne
didn’t do that.”

“Talon,
please…”

“No,” he put his hands up. “No. Fuck that, Everly. Fuck
that.” He pointed at me. “You want to fuck him? You want
to feel whatever… go for
it.”

“Talon,
I love you,” I said. “I wanted to and it stopped. It
wasn’t meant to be. It
never was. Layne knew that and stopped everything. He’s hurt because of what you did.”

“To save
the club. If fucking you was going to help the club, then he would have fucked
you.”

I wasn’t
sure if I was allowed or capable of moving as fast as I did right then. One
second I was standing near the bed, the next second I was two inches from
Talon. Before I could control myself, my hand swung and slapped in the face.
Oh, but I wasn’t done
there. No way. I brought the same hand back and did it again.

After the third time, I wound for a fourth and Talon finally
stopped me. He blocked my wrist but didn’t
grab me and hurt me. Instead, he just stared at me with his cheek burning red,
his eyes looking hurt.

“Fuck
you,” I said. “I have to meet with Jade today
because of you.”

“That’s your meeting?”

“Yes.
Outside in the lot. That’s
what she wants. Because she controls everything right now. She has the tapes.
She has you by the balls. And she’s
going to have control of the MC. I’m
trying to make that go away.”

“How’s meeting her going to help
anything?”

“How the
fuck should I know?” I
yelled. “I’m just doing what she tells me
to do.”

“That’s what she wants.”

“She’s going to…”

Talon pulled me in. His lips crashed to mine. He kissed me
hard, deep, and then broke it off as quick as it started.

“Fuck,” he groaned. “Just fuck. This is why… I should have never let myself
fall in love with you.”

“You let
yourself…?”

“No,” Talon said. “No…
that’s a lie. The second I
saw you. On the back of Layne’s
ride. I just knew I needed you. Not want. I wanted to fuck Anneliese. I wanted
to kill Anneliese. I wanted to hurt Layne and show him how dumb he was. But,
you, Everly, beautiful… I
need you.”

“Then
you need to let me talk to Jade. And let me hit that bitch in the face.”

Talon nodded and stepped to the side.

I opened the door to his room and walked the hall, alone. I
made my way through the clubhouse with all eyes on me. I felt like a prized
fighter, walking the halls of some arena, looking for the entrance way to the
ring.

Nobody spoke as I walked outside. There were half a dozen
prospects all standing there, no weapons drawn, making some kind of line for
me. At the end of the long lot was a black car waiting for me.

I couldn’t
imagine what Jade wanted me for. Maybe just to rub everything in my face. To make
me feel weak and useless. But I refused to let that happen to me. Not now, not
anymore. I wasn’t weak and
I wasn’t useless. I had
more credibility in this fucking MC than more than half the patched in members.

I walked all the way to the car and waited. The back door
opened and I saw the red heels and legs before the rest of Jade’s perfectly cut body. She stood
wearing a black dress, her hair pulled back, her lipstick matching her heels.
She had big, bug-like sunglasses on that she slowly peeled off her face. Her
eyes were big, beautiful, and completely seductive. Christ, looking at her shot
a little fire through my heart and I was as straight as an arrow. She probably
bled men dry left and right.

“Look at
you,” she said. “On that bad leg of yours. Don’t you need crutches?”

“Not
anymore,” I said. I skipped
the crutches. Fuck looking weak. And fuck the pain. “What do you want?”

“Just to
chat. I’m glad it’s just us. Men tend to muddle
things up.”

“Where’s your brother?”

“My
stepbrother, Vaughn? He’s
handling some business. You know, losing a supplier like our dear Uncle Tommy
was hard. Not to mention our customer base shrinking a little… with the death of Hollis. That
sexy boy could shoot up some serious stuff, Everly.”

“You
fucked Hollis?” I asked.

“What can
I say? I’m a sucker for
leather, tattoos, and a hard cock.”

“You’re a whore. He was paying you
for drugs and sex.”

“Money
is money, sweetheart. You’ll
learn that. Soon enough.”

Jade reached into the car and pulled out a tan envelope. She
then walked toward me, one foot in front of another, being obvious and
seductive as she did so.

“Do you know
what this is?” she asked,
waving the envelope.

“No.”

“This is
a gift for you.”

“A gift?”

“Well,
Vaughn did shoot you. He’s
so overprotective of me. And jealous of Talon. You know, I actually caught him
looking up motorcycles online the other night?”

“Is that
so?”

“The
poor guy. He wants me to want him like I want Talon. I sucked him off just to
make him feel a little better. But face it, he’s
not Talon. Talon is all man. A real man.”

My blood started to boil. “What
the fuck is in the envelope?”

“The
video,” Jade said. She
tossed it in the air and I caught it. I squeezed it, feeling surprised. “There you go, sweetheart. There’s your ticket.”

“What…”

Jade giggled. “Look,
if I want to take the MC down, I will. We will. Me and Vaughn. It’s a little project for us. And I
want Talon. I’m going to
get him, Everly. For some reason I kind of feel bad for you. You don’t belong here. So go. Be free.
Take that video and go.”

“Are you
kidding me?” I asked.

“No.
That’s the video. You hold
the fate of everyone. You can use that video to get yourself some money. Or
hand it in and watch the MC crumble. Go see that cute detective with the hard
face.”

Jade grinned.

She knows everything…

“Why?”

“Stop
asking why,” Jade said. “With you here, Talon won’t come near me. And if I kill
you, I fear he’ll grieve
like a little bitch. Nobody wants that. I take care of one bitch already with
Vaughn. I need a strong man to fuck me. And if you leave, he’ll be crushed. Angry. Just
imagine how hard he’ll take
it out on me.”

“You’re sick,” I said. “You
twisted fucking bitch.”

Jade smiled. She put her hands on her hips. “Now, you can go, Everly. I’ll even arrange for some money
for you to leave with. Now that your leg is better. Time to go, sweetheart. You’re just a little stumbling block
for me and Talon. It’s time
for Talon to have a real woman. Not some little play thing like you. I need him
for a little longer. To fuck and play before I kill him.”

I gripped the envelope with one hand. I made a fist with the
other.

“There
was one reason I agreed to meet you today,”
I said.

“Oh
yeah? What’s that?”

“To
fucking hit you…”

So I did.

I swung with a closed fist and smashed Jade in the nose. I
never hit someone like that before. Her nose exploded with blood and she went
tumbling back.

“You
fucking bitch,” I growled. “I’ll
kill you. If you ever… I’ll fucking kill you. I swear on
it…”

Jade’s
eyes were wide.

I slowly turned, wanting to be the one with power now. As I
turned, I saw her reach into the car. I saw the gun a second before my mind
could make sense that I was probably going to get shot again.

“Don’t fucking do it,” a voice said.

It was fucking Talon.

Standing next to Jade. I did a complete double take and
stared at him.

How the hell did he sneak out here? How… why…

“I’ll get you,” Jade warned.

“Get out
of here,” Talon said. “Before I kill you, Jade. Now’s not the time. Not until I
watch Vaughn cry over your dead body. Right before I kill him.”

“I gave you
the video,” Jade said. “Take it and run. You’re going to end up dead, Everly.
I know it. You can’t
survive this life…”

“I can
and will,” I said. “Because I have Talon. And you
don’t. And you never will.
Bitch.”

“Come
on, go,” Talon said.

He pushed at Jade’s
waist and slammed the car door when she was finally inside. He kept the gun
pointed at the car even as it left the lot.

Once it was out of sight, Talon finally turned to me. He
tucked his gun away and approached me. His hands grabbed my face and he held
there. His lip snarled. Angry. Maybe wanting to hurt me.

“You’re fucking crazy,” he whispered.

“I have
to be to survive this shit.”

“You
have your way out now,” he
said.

“The
only way I’m leaving this
place, Talon, is with you.”

11.

(Talon)

“Don’t pull out.”

Those were three magical words to me. Almost as magical as
when Everly said I love you.

I thrust deep and hard into her sweet, tight pussy. My cock
ached and let go. My hands pulled at her ass, keeping her tight to me as I
came. I didn’t move but let
her work it all out of me. The way her hips cut left to right so subtle. Her
insides throbbed, those warm walls making sure every single drop came out of
me.

When I was finished, I pulled back and thrust again. I
gently eased my way for another minute or so, taking deep breaths, letting my
body and mind memorize Everly’s
perfect body. Goddamn, I was really in love with this one.

I pulled from her for good and then turned her around. I
crashed to the bed, next to her, and held her. Our legs hung off the side of
the bed and we just stared at each other. Every few seconds we’d smile. Sometimes we’d laugh. And then we’d kiss. And fuck if each kiss
wasn’t somehow better than
the previous one.

It was so calming. The room was in some kind of peace.

I was waiting for a message to be delivered to me. I had
made all the arrangements with Jony in prison and had talked to a few guys on
the inside who had certain privileges. They needed to communicate with Mutt for
me and then it would all be taken care of.

Goddamn, things were going to get right back on track. And
if that meant I had to bow to the President’s
patch for a little while, so be it. I had the greatest gift and honor of all… and that was holding, kissing,
and fucking Everly. No patch could overtake that feeling.

Christ, I was a pussy. Falling hard for a woman like this.
Feeling her love was greater than the MC life? Now that was complete and total
insanity.

A knock at the door sounded and I yelled, “What?”

The door opened and Jagg stood there, getting the show of a
life time. My cock still half hard, resting on my belly. Everly with her legs
off the bed, slightly parted.

“Christ,
sorry,” Jagg said.

“Don’t be,” I said.

Everly scrambled to grab some covers but we were on top of them.

“Just
wanted to let you know a message came for you.”

“Yeah?” I grinned. I couldn’t directly talk to anyone, not
until the deed was done. So it was all done right now via backdoor channels and
tons of communication.

“It’s good to go,” Jagg said. “They, uh, have the part you were
looking for. That new exhaust? Right?”

“The new
exhaust,” I said and
smiled. “Fucking right,
brother. Now get out of here.”

Jagg hurried and shut the door.

I looked at Everly and kissed her.

I got off the bed and dressed. I needed to talk to Layne
about this. To let him know the plan was going along. Soon enough Jony would be
dead. It would send a ripple through the prison and all the clubs and charters.
That’s when Mutt would ask
to speak with me. I’d get
to see him and thank him. Of course, there were a lot of palms that needed to
be greased to ensure a private meeting so we could say whatever the fuck we
wanted.

That would happen in time.

I left the room and went looking for Layne. The clubhouse
was surprisingly empty and when I opened the door to leave, it was a fucking
war zone.

I stopped dead when I saw all the patched in Devil Call
members standing with their guns drawn, ready for battle. I then saw Layne with
his hands tied in front of him, his face bloody. If that wasn’t enough, there were four
prospects on their knees, blindfolded.

“What
the fuck…”

I saw Vaughn at the center of it all. The second our eyes
met, he gave a nod. A big guy stepped up behind Layne and put a large knife to
his throat. Tension rose even more. I grabbed for my gun, but I knew the drill.
Anyone moved and Layne would have his throat slit.

What happened next I didn’t
see coming though.

Four men approached and in the blink of an eye, they pulled
out guns and shot the four prospects in the head. The thundering shots were
followed by a painful silence. The four prospects all fell back to the ground,
pools of blood and brain behind them.

I charged forward.

Vaughn turned and pulled out a gun.

“What
the fuck are you doing?” I
growled.

Vaughn came at me, rage in his eyes. “Where is she?”

“Who?”

“Jade!
You fucking took her…”

“What
the fuck are you talking about?”

“Someone
took her,” I heard Layne’s voice say. “He thinks it’s us…”

“I don’t need to think,” Vaughn said. “I fucking know.”

“We didn’t touch her,” I yelled. “Who the fuck…”

“She was
here yesterday!” Vaughn
yelled. “I have all her
vehicles bugged. I heard it all. Everly saying she was going to kill her. You
saying you were going to hurt her. Hurt me. Give her back right now, Talon, or
I’ll keep killing.”

I looked around.

Devil Call MC was under fucking attack.

“I’m not the President,” I said. “I…
we didn’t…”

Vaughn gritted his teeth. He came closer to me. “This is a war you cannot win,
Talon. President or not. I want Jade back or else I’m going to kill every single member one by one.”

I looked to my left. The knife pushed against Layne’s throat. The look in his eyes.
The fear. The man I loved as a brother. Fuck, we had been ripped apart so
fucking bad. So fucking bad.

Vaughn gave a whistle and the knife was gone from Layne’s throat. The guy behind Layne
kicked him in the back of the legs and took him down. I froze, fearing Layne
was going to get popped in the head next.

“I don’t fuck around,” Vaughn said. “I’ll
be back soon. And when I come, you better have Jade. And she better be alive.
If not, someone with a patch is going down. You can’t win this war, Talon.”

Vaughn walked backward slowly. His eyes locked to mine. His
gun pointed right at me.

I wasn’t
sure if this was an attack, a war, or something worse.

All I knew was that I now had to find Jade… and I had nothing to do with
her disappearing. If it were my call, she’d
be dead. Not kidnapped.

I looked over to Layne. He shook his head.

Someone had Jade and Devil Call MC was taking the fall for
it.

That’s when
I knew… once and for all… we weren’t all going to make it out of this alive. And when
it came down to me and Layne, the lines were drawn, crossed, redrawn, and
crossed again.

There was only room for one of us in the MC. President or
not.

Christ, I loved Everly so much and time was ticking away.
Seconds falling, time lost, meaning not being able to tell her how beautiful
she was and how much I loved her.

Vaughn kept walking and went to the trunk of his car. He
stuck his hand in his pocket and the trunk opened. That’s when I caught sight of something terrifying. All
I could see was a back… a
leather cut with a Devil Call MC name and logo on it.

Vaughn let out a cackle and slammed the trunk shut.

He was taking one of us.

I looked around, trying to figure it out… who did he take? And where the
hell was Jade?

I was cold, numb, tired, angry…
but at least I wasn’t dead… yet.

The DEVIL CALL MC
series will continue soon…
don’t miss a single book!

THERE ARE ONLY 2 BOOKS LEFT WITH TALON, EVERLY, AND
LAYNE… HOW IS THIS GOING TO END?!

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QUICK QUESTION BEFORE YOU LEAVE YOUR
REVIEW ON AMAZON…

~*~ DO YOU LIKE ALPHAS? ~*~

~*~ DO YOU LIKE MEN WHO ARE BIG, STRONG, AND DOMINATE?
~*~

~*~ DO YOU LIKE MEN WHO CAN PROTECT YOU IN A WAY YOU
NEVER THOUGHT POSSIBLE? ~*~

If you’ve
answered ‘yes’ to any of those questions… KEEP READING…

Welcome to the world of RAW RIVER
WILD

These are men. These are beasts. These are alphas.

They’re shifters. They’re wolves. They’re
everything fantasies are made of…

… and they’re ready for YOU

In the first trilogy in the RAW RIVER WILD
series, SCENT OF CLAIM brings to life the *wild* *sexy* *dominate*
*alpha* world that has two alphas – Roman and Dalton
– ready to fight to the death for the *sweet*
and *luscious* curves of a beautiful woman named Emily.

SCENT OF A CLAIM (Emily, Roman, Dalton)

(Raw
River Wild)

~*~

Emily hates her curvy body, but that's the least of her worries after she is
not only eye humped by one sexy alpha and literally crashes into a second one.
Both are part of the Raw River Wild pack... they're big, bold, and they're
shifters.

Emily's body quickly loses control to fantasies that don't seem possible...
that is, until a knock at her door makes it all - and more - possible.

It's the chance to have a night she'll never forget, if only she's willing to
fully submit. With her wrists tied to a bed, she's off to a great start. But
what Emily doesn't know is the war she's started... and the alpha who's
going to taste her first isn't the one she thought would be.

~*~ READY TO EXPERIENCE WILD ALPHAS LIKE NEVER BEFORE?
~*~

*---> http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00U37BKM2/ <---*

This book is a work of fiction.  Any references to historical events, real people, or
real locales are used fictitiously.
Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events or
locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

First electronic edition March 2015

Copyright © 2015 by Ana
W. Fawkes

All rights reserved, including the right of
reproduction in whole or in part of any form.