Captured Devil's Blaze MC Book 1 (11 page)

“Colin,” I acknowledge, sitting across from him.

He doesn’t say anything. His cold steel eyes look me over. Everything about this motherfucker sets off alarm bells in my head.

“You have five minutes,” he says, and my hands shake from the need to end the motherfucker.

“I need to know why you and Matthew called an end to our truce.”

“We had no truce. You were merely inconsequential,” he says, leaning back in his chair.

“Fuck that. Matthew and I brokered a truce and it’s been pretty fucking effective the last few years. Then you and the Saints decide to come into my territory and make a fucking declaration of war. I demand to know why,” I tell him, my voice hard. I’m not toying with the asshole. I don’t care who he is.

“Matthew’s not in charge anymore,
chico
,” he says, the slur rolling off his tongue… a tongue I make a vow to cut off someday soon.
Very soon
.

“Does Matthew know he’s not in charge?”

“My brother does not concern you. You’re running out of time.”

“And you did not answer my question satisfactorily. If you want war, believe me asshole, I can give it to you. I would rather not see the shedding of blood if it is not necessary.”

“Are you afraid?” the cocky bastard asks, taking a drink from his glass. There’s an empty glass in front of me and an aged bottle of scotch, but I don’t trust the motherfucker not to have it drugged, so I ignore it.

“Not in the least. Enough of the song and dance, Colin. We both know you wouldn’t strike without a reason, however fucked up it is. So tell me, what the fuck does this come down to? Or, we can both get the fuck out of here and war can begin. I got warm pussy waiting for me at home. I much prefer that to looking at you.”

His lips curl in distaste. My fist clenches under the table so no one can see it. I keep my face impassive.

“Beth.”

He says my woman’s name and my insides freeze. My brain doesn’t comprehend it at first. How does he know her name? Why is he bringing her up?
What the fuck is going on?

“Excuse me?” I ask, feeling my way in the fucking dark and vowing to have a word with Beth when I get back. I planned on learning her secrets… but fuck me sideways, not like this.

“You think you can touch my property? You bought yourself a world of trouble, and the only blood that will be spilled… is
yours
. And that is a promise. This meeting is done.”

“
Your
property?” I ask, my voice laced in ice.

“Mine,” he states, and it takes all I have not to tear him apart with my bare hands.

“Does she know that? Because I don’t remember her saying your name when she was begging for my cock.”

Shock comes over Colin’s face, then jealousy. I see it clearly before he locks it down.

“You’re lying.”

“She’s got the sweetest pussy I’ve ever been inside of. Drains a man dry and begs for more. Too bad you didn’t get a taste when you could, Colin, because she’s
mine
now, and unlike you, motherfucker, I protect my property.” I stand up. “
Now
this meeting’s finished.”

“Return her back to me and I might let you live, Skull.”

“I’ll see you in hell first,” I tell him, not bothering to turn around.  “Let’s go boys,” I call to Torch and Sabre. My mouth got away from me. I know there will be blood flowing in this fucking war, but I can’t stop it. The son of a bitch is never getting his hands on my woman. She is mine, even if I’m going to fucking make sure she can’t sit down for a week.

“Jesus, when you get serious over a woman, you make sure it’s not simple,
ese
,” Diesel says, following us out. I don’t answer him. There’s nothing I can say because he’s absolutely fucking right.

I’m so tired that I stumble with my every step. I’ve been walking nonstop since Marker got me out of there. I kept expecting Beast to find me or one of the others out hunting for me, but so far I’ve been home free. I’m probably overestimating my value. I mean, just because I’m more than halfway in love with Skull doesn’t mean he has the same emotions. He’s told me several times that he’ll grow tired of me. He’ll probably get back and decide I’m not worth the trouble. Up ahead, I can see the bus station.

I find the sight of it brings me both relief and sadness.

I make it through the doors and go straight to the bathroom. It’s been so dry in Georgia that I can feel the dust all over my skin. I freshen up and splash water on my face. Once I make it back to the main lobby, I stare at the big map of the states pinned on the bulletin board. I don’t have a plan about where to go. If I go back to Montana, Colin and Matthew will find me and I don’t want that. Colorado? Texas? Do I pick a small town, or would it be easier to get lost in a big city? There’s so many decisions and I’m scared to death to make the wrong one. I send up a small prayer and hope I’m doing it right.

In the end, I decide to go with the bus that’s leaving the quickest. In fact, this one’s loading right now. I buy my ticket and head to the door. I’m putting my change in my purse and look up just in time to hear that voice hit me.

“Beth. Where do you think you’re going?”

My blood runs cold.

“How did you find me?”

“A better question would be, why did you disobey me?”

I take three steps backwards until I’m pressed up against the side of the building.

“You had a meeting today…”

“And it’s over. Imagine my surprise when I get a call that you’re walking along the side of a road. Let’s get in the car. We’ll discuss the trouble you’ve caused me then.”

“Colin, I don’t want to go back. I don’t want to be here. Let me go. We’re not family, not really.”

His cold face, which has always been scary to me, turns even colder.

“You are my property, Beth. You can’t leave. You do as I say, when I say it. Get in the car. Don’t make this worse on yourself,” Colin warns.

I bite my lip and the coppery taste of blood releases into my mouth. I knew escaping was going to be a longshot, but I thought I would get further than I did.

I’m about to take a step towards Colin when another voice, this one from my opposite side, stops me.

“Beth, if you take one more step, I will tan your ass more than it was already going to get.”

My heart turns over and then slams quickly in my chest, beating so fast I’m sure people can see it shaking my body.
Skull.

“Skull…”

“Get over here, woman, and let’s get back home.”

“If she goes with you,” says Colin, “I’ll wipe you and your whole club out. That’s my family you’re messing with. It will not happen.”

“You shouldn’t be sporting a fucking hard-on for your sister anyway, Colin. Talk about disgusting,” Skull taunts.

My legs quake. I wonder, if I took off running, how far I would get? When Beast blocks the door back into the bus station, I figure any hope of that is gone.

“She’s not my sister, but she is mine.”

“Beth. Now,” Skull orders, ignoring Colin.

“You do, and you will live to regret it,” Colin says to me, his eyes filled with hate and every bit of it is directed at Skull.

“She’ll be fine. If I were you, Colin, I’d worry about myself, because I’m going to fucking
end
you. I told you, Beth was mine. I really didn’t expect this of you. Who knew you’d be so eager to get my sloppy seconds?”

“Skull!” I gasp. I know he’s just taunting Colin, but surely he knows how stupid this is. “Colin, he didn’t mean—”

“I sure as fuck did. Told you before, Colin. I’ve had her, and I’m not letting go. That young pussy,
cabrón?
Fucking delicious. I broke in that tight little snatch and formed her to fit only my cock. I’m not giving that shit up, so you’re out of luck.”

“Beth…” they warn me together.

“Will you both hush!” I growl, stomping my foot. “I’m not
property!
I’m a real person! I want to leave. I’m not going back with any of you!”

“Beast.”

“Got it, Boss,” Beast growls and, before I know what to expect, he grabs me and throws me over his shoulder. He moves us behind Skull and the other men. Over my yelling, I can hear Skull in the background.

“You’re giving me a license to wipe you off the map, biker. I don’t think you want to do that.”

“It’s not going to be that easy. You want war, you got it, but I warn you now, Colin, I will fucking make it my mission to cut your head off and mount it for your brother.”

Panic fills me. I have to stop this. Doesn’t Skull realize how much he has to lose? Doesn’t he know the kind of power that Colin and Matthew wield? Beast will not let me down and, in desperation, I plant my teeth into his shoulder, hoping the pain makes him drop me.

“Ow! Fuck, Skull! Your woman bit me!” Beast growls, trying to pull me away. I give up when it’s clear he’s not going to drop me.

“This isn’t over,” Colin says, motioning to the men around him. That’s when I see Colin’s men holding guns. Skull’s men have guns pointed directly at them. How did I miss that? At Colin’s signal, they back away but keep their guns aimed. “It looks like you got your war,” he says and my stomach rolls with the implications of that.

“So be it. I’m not giving her up,” Skull says.

My tears fall at that declaration. The thing I was trying to prevent just happened. How many deaths will be my fault?
Will Skull’s?

Beth rides on the back of my bike all the way to the compound. I’m so pissed at her, I’m afraid of what I’d say right now. I need to calm down, but I don’t see that happening. We pull into the garage at the compound. The boys are as silent as I am. This fucking shit is going to be bad. There’s not a fucking thing I can do to stop it. I’m not giving up Beth. Hell, even if I delivered her back to Colin at this point, there’d still be war. Anything less would make me a weak motherfucker and I’m sure Colin feels the same.

Beth climbs off first and I follow. She’s wringing her hands, betraying her nerves. I can’t feel sorry for her. She should have fucking told me this shit from the get-go. I’m not sure it would have changed anything, but she knew what kind of fucking secret she was hiding. She might be young and inexperienced, but she’s not stupid.

No. Instead, she made me the fucking last to know.

“Torch, increase all the security around the compound. Then, you call Church. If they wear a motherfucking Blaze cut, they are there. No exceptions. I also want Pistol’s brother on the phone. It’s time to batten down the hatches, motherfuckers. Nothing in or out unless I clear it.” 

“Got it, Boss.”

I grab Beth by the arm and look at her. “Who’s the motherfucker that helped you get out of here?”

“Skull…”

“Names, Beth,” I warn her, at the end of my rope.

“I promised I wouldn’t—”

“I think you’ve kept enough fucking secrets from me. Give me the names.
Now.
”

“Marker.”

“Torch, chain his ass up,” I order over my shoulder. “Who else?”

“Skull, I think this is something we should discuss in private,” she pleads, her face pale.

“The time to discuss shit with me privately would have been before everything went to hell. Now you just fucking tell me. One more time, Beth. Who the fuck helped get you out of here?”

“The bathroom window was unlocked, really. I mean, I could have just got out on my own.”

She looks down at her hands as she answers. She looks nervously over at Beast. It clicks into place.

“Beast?” I ask. Beth looks up, stricken with fear.

“No, Skull! It wasn’t Beast! He even stopped me in the hall to make sure I was alright! I lied to him, I swear! He’d never betray you.”

“Beast?” I prompt again, ignoring Beth. My hand is so tight on her upper arm that I know it will cause a bruise. That’s good. She needs to remember the fucking stunt she pulled today. She needs to remember what happens when she keeps secrets from me.

“Yeah, Boss?” 

“Your old lady. Was she around when Beth escaped?”

“Jan?” Beast asks and then I see it hit him in the face. His old lady is a bitch and, I’m pretty sure, a fucking cokehead. I’m tired of seeing my man keep blinders on his eyes.

“Fuck, Boss…”

“Beast,” Beth tries to interject. Beast gives her a fucking look that most men would shrink from, then turns away from her.

“You lock your old lady down. Got me, Beast?”

“I’ll get it taken care of, Boss.”

“Get moving, boys. I know the Donahues aren’t going to wait until we’re ready to attack.” 

Everyone moves out, leaving me and Beth alone. 

“Skull, please, just let me explain,” she begs.

I ignore her, throw her over my shoulder, then walk her through the club and back to my room without stopping to acknowledge anyone else.

I throw her on the bed. “Skull,” she says as she bounces on the mattress.

“What the fuck were you thinking, Beth? How could you not tell me that Colin and Matthew were your fucking family? Or that Colin wants to stick his fucking dick in you? Don’t you think that’s something I need to know?”

“No. I mean, you said you’d grow tired of me. I thought I’d be long gone before—”

“Were you always planning on fucking leaving?”

She flushes guiltily and betrayal dropkicks me
. Fuck.

“Skull, it wasn’t because of you. I just knew I couldn’t stay here because of Colin. I had to leave.”

“So you were planning on leaving me today regardless? You weren’t even going to fucking tell me?”

“You’re the one who said you’d grow tired of me! Remember? What are you getting so upset about?”

“When were you leaving me, Beth?
When?”

“Tomorrow. I couldn’t stay knowing Colin might take it out on you.”

“And you weren’t going to tell me. Right, Beth? Be fucking honest for once, since it appears you haven’t been from the beginning. You weren’t going to tell me a fucking thing. You were just going to disappear.”

“Yes.”

“You’re locked in this fucking room. You manage to get some other bitch to help you, I’ll make you sorry and I’ll kill the motherfucker who helped you. Do not test me, Beth.”

“Skull, if you just let me go—”

“I’m not fucking letting you go. Don’t you get it yet, Beth? You’re mine. I’ve claimed your lying ass and I’m keeping it. You’re never getting away.”

“You can’t just keep me here like a prisoner!”

“The fuck I can’t. Just watch me,
querida
. Just fucking watch me,” I growl and slam the door. 

I stomp back out to the club. It’s been deserted by all except Latch. Before he can make it to the room where we have Church, I stop him. 

“Latch, you’re on duty with Beth. You go in that fucking room. You do not let her so much as take one step off the bed. She doesn’t go to the fucking bathroom, she doesn’t fucking do anything but breathe. You got me?”

“Got it.”  

“Good. I’ll be back after Church. Sabre can catch you up.”

He acknowledges the command and heads back to my room. I take a deep breath. When that doesn’t calm me down, I plant my fist through the fucking wall. The sheetrock caves with the force of my hit and the pain hurts like a son of a bitch. I don’t feel one bit better either. She was going to fucking leave me and I never would have known. Colin would have gotten his hands on her and destroyed her. I slam my fist into the wall again, ignoring my bruised and bloodied knuckles. I feel like I could pound the fucking wall for days and I’d still be pissed off.

I can’t, though. I have to figure out how I can keep my men from dying, all while keeping Beth safe. This is war. Once I get that settled, then I’ll deal with Beth. I just don’t know what the fuck to do with her.