Banished Souls MC (9 page)

At first she couldn't make out who it was. A man, walking toward her.

When he noticed her looking at him, he stopped.

Caine?

No. This guy was wearing a baseball cap, pulled down tight on his head. His clothes were different, too.

As her eyes became more focused with the lighting she caught her breath.

Oh, God. Oh, no, no, no! It can't be.

The man stared at her intently, locking her gaze.

She knew that look all to well. Her world started to spiral around her.

It was Devlin.

Chapter 10

Cherish

Cherish stood stunned, frozen like a mannequin on the stage.

The crowd was still applauding, but she no longer heard them. Her entire reality come down to one thing.

Devlin.

She looked at him in amazement. How could he be here? This can't be happening.

The elation she felt from finishing her dance evaporated instantly, replaced by a cold vice which squeezed at her heart.

Devlin watched her, perhaps enjoying her confusion.

Cherish was struck with another thought. Didn't he realize the danger he was in? Sneaking around as a full patched Krimson Klown in a rival club's territory was a guaranteed way to get himself killed.

"Clear the stage for the next contestant, please," called the announcer, snapping Cherish out of her thoughts.

Quickly, she picked up her discarded clothes, feeling almost numb. As she headed off stage she looked back but could not see Devlin anymore.

Back stage she tried to get herself together. She sat on a chair clutching her costume to her naked body, shaking. Another girl appeared in a slinky cowgirl outfit, and the announcer sent her onto the stage. Music blared, mashing against her thoughts.

There was no way Devlin could have just stumbled across her. Someone had to have told him. A spy? Someone local who knew her connection to the Klowns, and to Devlin?

But who?

When she realized who her heart stopped in her chest.

Caine.

He was the only one she had told, that she could remember. She had been careful. Even her mother didn't know, or any of her old friends back home.

It could only have been Caine.

Her chest started to clench, and she found she was crying. He did this? But why? How could he?

The bar crowd was now cheering the cowgirl, the music thumping loudly.

She had to think. But she didn't want to have to deal with Devlin. He would be waiting for her.

She quickly put on her slinky office costume again, while trying to look out past the curtain for Devlin in the crowd. She couldn't see him anywhere, but knew he wouldn't leave without confronting her.

Or maybe he had left, to follow her once she was outside. In here, she was safe. Wasn't she?

But if Caine had snitched on her, perhaps as some deal with the Klowns, it wouldn't matter where she was.

Caine. He was all business after all.

Tears streamed down her face. She couldn't think of that. No. It was just too much right now for her to deal with.

Uncertain of where to go she moved out from behind the stage. All eyes were on the Cowgirl, who was now shaking what God gave her for the hungry eyes of the crowd.

She pushed her way past people, and only glanced in the direction of Caine's table. He was still sitting there, talking with the Dark One. Neither looked in her direction, lost in some sort of business dealings.

This only served to confuse her more. Wouldn't he be smug now? Wouldn't Caine want to rub her face in her gullibility. Using her as a pawn in some Biker Club deal?

Not wanting to even look at him anymore she moved past the bar, and toward the back exit. She noticed two people looking at her. She turned and saw both Addie and Basher standing side by side. Watching her. Neither moved, nor tried to speak with her. They were just watching.

Cherish ignored them, intent on leaving. When she approached the hallway that lead past the bathrooms and the rear exit she saw him. Devlin.

She stopped. He was leaning casually against the wall at the entrance to the hall. He was looking at her. Eyeing her with that awful nasty grin of his.

She turned and made for the change rooms, for lack of anywhere else to go. She would dress, head for the front door this time and grab a taxi real quick.

Telling a Banished Soul member of Devlin's presence was a possible option. It would be bad for Devlin, but would give her time to escape.

She shook her head. But if Caine had actually told Devlin she was here, would the Banished Souls even lift a finger now?

Crying, she entered the change room. It was empty, everyone was now out by the stage watching the auditions or waiting for their turn.

She went to the farthest stall and sat down in front of the mirror. Her reflection spoke volumes. Mascara ran down her face in wet smudges. Her lipstick was smeared at one corner of her mouth. And her expression was that of a hunted animal. A hunted animal who had just been caught.

When she grabbed her purse, she started to get up to leave.

To hell with it. She would make for the front door. See if Devlin was around and try and avoid him as best she could.

It was all she could do right now. She had nothing else. She had no one she could trust. Just the urge to run.

The change room door opened.

She looked over, knowing who it would be. Dreading it.

Devlin walked in. He saw her immediately.

"Hi, honey," he said with a grin. "Long time no see."

He looked exactly the same. Not that she really expected him to. have changed. But she really felt she would never have seen him again, and the last memories of him would have been it. Which would have suited her just fine.

Devlin glanced at the change room door. There was a latch which he engaged. Locking her in here with him, alone.

He regarded her again. "Have you enjoyed your little vacation? I would have expected someplace tropical. Not this dump of a town."

As he spoke he never lost his grin. That grin, which had inflicted more suffering and fear than she wanted to remember. And here he was, grinning at her again.

He was wearing clothes which were meant to not draw any attention to himself. A simple long sleeved flannel shirt, jeans, boots and a dark baseball cap which caused his dark hair to stick out at the sides. This was all intended to hide his myriad of tattoos, and to reduce the risk of being recognized as a Krimson Klown.

Again, Cherish was hit with confusion. If Caine had sold her out, why the average joe getup? A side deal the Souls were not suppose to know about?

"Not so talkative now, huh?" Devlin said. He walked toward her, slowly. Just like a predator enjoying the last terrified moments of its prey. "But I'm not here to argue with you honey. I'm here to take you home."

Despite her terror, shaking, and tears she heard herself say, "No."

It was more of a whisper, than a firm statement.

Devlin's brow furrowed. He had used that expression many times before with her, whenever he was mocking her, or putting her down. "No? But, sweetheart. I came all this way for you. I love you, you know that, right? Why else would I be here?"

Cherish backed away from him until she was up against the wall and couldn't go any further.

This isn't happening, this can not be happening, her mind said over and over again.

He stopped a few feet from her. He was in no hurry. Enjoying this. "Babe, I love you. Why else would I risk my neck... my very life to come here? You know what they would do to me if they knew who I was?"

Beat your ass, she thought. But she couldn't verbalize it. It would only make him angry. He was like a coiled snake. It wouldn't take much to make him strike.

"They would hurt me, sweetie," he said, and stepped within arms reach of her. "They would hurt me because of you. Because I came here for you. Tell me that you understand."

Cherish found herself nodding a little, but she couldn't tell what she was nodding about. That he would be hurt, or that he was there to take her away? Tears continued to blur her vision.

"How did you know? How could you have..." she started to say.

He was watching her intently. Then finished her sentence for her. "How could I have found you?" He laughed. It was an easy going laugh. It sounded genuine. But for the life of her, Cherish could never remember a time when it never disguised a deep malice.

He slowly reached forward, and clasped both her shoulders with his hands. His grip was gentle.

"Honey, I've connections everywhere," he said as if speaking to a child. "It's not like you being here has ever been a secret."

Through the fear that clouded her mind, Cherish felt doubt over his words. If he knew she was here the whole time, he would have come earlier to collect her. Of that she was almost completely certain. Also, why would he have called her parents to try and trick them into revealing her location?

So many doubts. But there was two certainties she had to deal with right at that moment. Devlin was here, and there was no way on Earth he would leave without her. And the other was that Caine had betrayed her. It was the only logical thought she could come up with.

There was a knocking at the change room door. Someone tried the knob, but the latch held firm.

Devlin looked over at the door with naked concern, but quickly regained his cocky composure.

So, she thought, he was worried. There was some small satisfaction she could take from that.

He looked at her again, practically pinning her to the wall with the intensity of his eyes. "Well, you've really done it now. It looks like I'm not going to leave here without some serious problems. And all because of my love for you."

Cherish was past the point of terror, riveted in the spot. Unable to speak. Things were ratcheting up, and only getting worse.

And Devlin was right about one thing, as much as she hated to even admit it. This was all because of her.

His so called love for her may be true, or it might just be a game to keep her under control. But she didn't care which right now. She just knew she no longer had any friends here. She had no where else to go. No one to turn to.

No more Caine.

There came a harder bashing at the door. Someone was now kicking it.

Devlin looked almost resigned to his fate. As if this truly was how he expected things to end up when he came here.

"Remember honey," he said, turning to face the door which shook even harder. "When they hurt me, it's because I love you so much."

The door flew open.

Instantly, two, then three, then five very big men entered the room. The bouncers looked very similar to the the Banished Souls that employed them - enormous.

The head bouncer, the biggest one pointed a large finger at Devlin. "What the hell is going on in here?"

Devlin raised his hands. "We're just talking. That's all. We locked the door for privacy." He seemed to realize just how bad the situation was. "I'm not looking for any trouble."

The bouncers inched forward. Their expressions were of wild dogs moving in for a kill. Devlin was in for a serious beating, at the very least.

The head bouncer looked at Cherish. "You know this dick-head?"

Cherish knew that her answer would seal Devlin's fate. Her mind flashed to Caine the night before, during a moment of their passionate love making. It had not been real. It had all been a game. She had been played.

Now she just needed to survive.