Property Of Drex #2 (Death Chasers MC #2) (7 page)

Then… Then we’d have to deal with my father. But until then, I have a fucking part to play. Not that I can share that with Eve.

I clutch the metal railing in front of me, staring blankly down below at the concrete as I play her words over in my head. Her father? Why would Ben toss out some random shit like that?

An uneasy feeling prickles the back of my neck, and I turn to jog down the stairs. I’m not the only go-to guy to clean up a mess, and Pop knows my stand on that anyhow. I’ll kill any man who would pull the trigger on one of us. But I don’t ice a guy in cold blood if he doesn’t have it in him to attempt to kill one of us.

I wanted Marks dead, don’t get me wrong, but I wouldn’t have been the one to kill him.

Marks was a bitch, but not a killer. Pop would have known I’d refuse the job. But there’s another option.

Rush is propped up against the wall of the game room, tossing a coin in the air and catching it before tossing it up again.

“Marks? Was he a target?” I ask without any preamble.

The coin gets dropped to the ground when he doesn’t make a move to catch it, and he cocks his head as confusion flashes. “As in Aaron? Your girl’s pops?”

I nod, still clenching my fists.

“Hell no. Guy deserved a few broken limbs but not death. Thought he overdosed and left a suicide note and all that. When we looked into your girl’s financials, we found out his insurance didn’t pay out because it was ruled a suicide.”

I crack my neck to the side. “Ben Highland implied today that it wasn’t suicide. Actually, he did more than imply it. He told Eve we killed her father.”

He frowns while staring at nothing, as though he’s thinking it over.

“He swallowed pills?”

“According to the coroner’s report.”

“The report is legit?”

I shrug, and he runs his hand through his hair.

“It wasn’t me. I don’t end weasels; I just work them over. I only kill killers. I sure as hell don’t have the patience to watch them OD.”

Eve’s right. We have fucked her up. I’m asking one of ours if he offed her dad. If this isn’t a recipe for a shit-storm, I don’t know what is. And she… She isn’t meant for this shit. She never was.

Turning around, I stalk back out, trying to wrap my head around what I need to do versus the selfish shit I want to do.

“Where the hell are you going? Herrin isn’t going to tell you anything if he hasn’t told you already.”

“I’m not going to see Pop. I need to fuck something up that deserves it.”

Chapter 9

EVE

It’s after midnight when I hear the music downstairs start to roar. Numbly, I lift off the bed and walk to the door. I’ve spent most of the day getting all my crazy out, and I took out most of my meltdown on all of Drex’s shit. The only thing I didn’t touch was his Death Dealers things.

I’m not actually suicidal, after all.

He might not kill me, but someone would take enough offense to that to do something about it. They’re all just waiting for a reason. Hell, they’re all
looking
for a reason.

Walking to the door, I take a deep breath then pull it open. It’s chaos downstairs. Absolute madness. Men, women, tons of alcohol, and angry music with singers screaming words I can’t understand over the large speakers that have been moved to the center of the floor. I stare from the doorway, not stepping onto the balcony.

But I don’t have to search long before my eyes land on Drex. He’s sitting in a chair, feet propped up as he idly drinks a beer, seeming a thousand miles away as girls dance close to him, trying to seduce his attention.

It sickens me when a pang of jealousy strikes. My feelings for Drex are so fucked up and complicated that I don’t even know what’s real and what’s fabricated for the sake of survival. But I do know it’s not healthy because he will
never
choose me when it matters. It
will
cost me my life one day, and falling for him is the stupidest shit I’ve ever done.

Elise is one girl I recognize, and whistles erupt as she shimmies out of her skirt, wearing her thong and a set of chain-like necklaces designed to be a shirt. She struts directly toward Drex, turns, and drops her front half down to the ground while putting her ass right in his line of view. Then she starts dancing, moving with the music that doesn’t really have a beat.

Drex doesn’t acknowledge her. He’s staring at his beer now instead of off in space. He looks a little lost to be honest, and a lump forms in my throat when that makes me feel sympathy.

My eyes narrow on his knuckles when he takes another sip of beer, and I notice they look hurt, possibly even bloody. But my attention is back on Elise when she drops to his lap and spins to face him, grinding herself against him.

Drex stands abruptly and she drops from his lap. Cackles break out across the room as Elise slowly gets up. I see his lips moving, but I can’t hear any words. Whatever he says has her backing away quickly and moving toward another guy instead.

He looks up just in time to catch my eyes, and he tenses all over. I back into the room and close the door, sighing as my mind spins too fast for me to catch up. Catching up is bad anyway. It means facing all of this and what it’s doing to me.

Drex isn’t Prince Charming and I’m not Cinderella. Drex isn’t a hero, and I’m not a damsel in distress. Well, not at the moment. I wasn’t in distress ever until this club.

The door opens and he steps inside, leaning against the door as it shuts, and his eyes meet mine. I can’t tell if he’s drunk, stoned, or just tired.

“You okay?” he asks quietly.

I snort derisively, and he nods like he understands the stupidity of that question.

“I meant physically,” he adds. “How’s your head?”

He brings his beer up to his lips, sipping it casually as though his room isn’t trashed. I don’t think he even bothers to notice all the damage I caused during my momentary breakdown.

“Headache is gone. Dizziness and nausea are gone.”

“You were sick?” he asks, pulling his beer away from his mouth.

“Are we just going to pretend we’re having a normal conversation after I accused you of being responsible for my father’s death, made it look like suicide, which kept his insurance from paying out and ultimately led to me landing my ass here?” I try not to sound angry, but it’s not possible.

He shakes his head. “I was just checking on you.” He exhales harshly while walking toward me, and I sit down on the bed just as he does.

No words are exchanged for several long minutes. He drinks his beer until it’s gone, and he tosses the empty bottle to the floor. It just clanks around but doesn’t break, and I absently watch it roll in an arched pattern, back and forth until it stills completely.

“I don’t know if what Ben said is true or not, but I do know I had nothing to do with it, and I sure as hell wasn’t told about it.”

At this point, I don’t even know what to believe, and I’m exhausted with trying. I feel like I’ve been here for years.

My eyes fall down to his knuckles, and they are definitely scuffed like he got into a fight with a concrete wall. That damage wasn’t caused from that one punch to his wall. His other hand looks just as bad.

“What happened?”

I touch his hand, but he pulls it away like he doesn’t want me touching him.

“I should get back down there. Some of the guys are riding out tomorrow for a few days. You should get some sleep.”

It sort of pisses me off he’s just going to leave me up here after all the shit I’ve dealt with. But then I remind myself about this toxic relationship we’re in and how I brought it all on myself.

He stands like he’s about to leave, but then he turns suddenly, bending over and shoving his hands into my hair before crushing his lips against mine. I’m a little stunned and startled, so I don’t react immediately. Not even sure if I should react.

He kisses me anyway, tasting desperate and starved as he roughly devours me. But it’s over as abruptly as it started and he walks away before I can decide whether or not to kiss him back.

The door shuts behind him, and I lie back, staring at the ceiling for hours, waiting on him to return and tell me what all that was about. It’s not like I can sleep right now.

As much as I wish I could not care about Drex, the simple truth is that I
do
care about him. I also don’t even want to think about how he makes me feel things on a level I never even knew existed. I feel alive when I’m around him.

Maybe it’s the danger or the excitement, or maybe it’s the fact I don’t just get overlooked by him. He sees me.

Yeah… I’m stupid. Really stupid. I keep thinking Drex’s feelings are as strong as mine. And I keep falling harder for a guy who could very well be toying with me.

When the sun starts to rise, there’s a knock on the door.

Frowning, I glance at the clock, seeing it’s past six in the morning, and I get up to answer it, but it’s Axle on the other side. His expression is grim, and he’s holding the bag I came here with.

“Drex asked me to come collect you.”

My brow furrows in confusion. “What does
that
mean?”

He blows out a breath, and I swear he looks a little sad. “It means you’re going home.”

Chapter 10

DREX

“You want to talk about what happened to Jessie last night?” Dash asks me as I sit on my bike, staring at the sweet little house across the street that is complete with the fucking white picket fence.

A set of twin boys are playing tag in the front yard, laughing like their lives are perfect. It’s the kind of neighborhood that’s so fucking sweet it would give you a migraine to spend too much time here. It’s so bright and cheery that I haven’t taken my shades off.

“Jessie got what he deserved. It also sent a message to anyone who gets any ideas now that’s she’s going home. No one will touch her. If I’d do that to one of our own guys, imagine what I’d do to someone else.”

“What happens if Ben tries to come to her?”

My jaw tenses. “If Ben comes anywhere near her, I’ll handle it. But I’m not worried about him right now. I roughed him up enough to send a warning. I’ll do more damage when the timing is right. Can’t strike against him too soon with Benny being such an issue.”

“You sure you don’t want to at least say goodbye?” he asks me quietly, propping his elbows up on his handlebars.

“Nope. It’s better I don’t. I’d rather not see how fucking thrilled she is to be returning home.”

“Yet we’re waiting on her to return home,” he points out. Ass.

“Can’t see the excitement in her eyes from here,” I grunt. “I just want to make sure my talk with her mother worked. I won’t leave until I know Eve will be taken back in. You didn’t hear how pissed her mom was that day Eve called her.”

“Still can’t believe you told her the truth,” Dash groans. “What if the mom goes to the cops? The feds will be all over her the first chance they get as it is.”

I shrug, wishing I could give a damn. “I trust Eve to handle it.”

Blowing out another harsh breath, I lean up on my handlebars, matching his stance. But breathing becomes impossible when I see the black SUV riding by.

I dip my head, trying not to be too recognizable as they pass, and I watch them pull into the short driveway. Axle steps out and opens the back door, grabbing a pretty pale pink bag.

Eve walks around the front of the SUV, and I grow thankful we’re far enough away for me not to truly see into her eyes when her gaze zeroes in on me like a magnet. Her footsteps pause, and she just stands and stares. I’m forced to look away when loud squeals of excitement ring out. The two boys race toward her, tackling her legs in death-grip hugs.

She laughs while bending and hugging them back, and they almost knock her to the ground when she does. The front door opens as Axle places the bag on the porch. The mother eyes him, seeming pale and hesitant, but Axle just walks away without saying a word.

As he backs out of the driveway, Eve’s eyes find mine again, but I crank up my ride, letting the engine roar to life. As soon as the mother embraces Eve and clings to her, shaking as she sobs, I drive away.

If Eve cries with her, I don’t want to see it. In fact, I never want to fucking think about her ever again.

Chapter 11

EVE

He’s right across the street, watching me but not making any move to say goodbye. I can’t believe he’s sending me away without so much as a goodbye.

It pisses me off and breaks my heart at the same time, and I’m still working on processing how I feel about any of this. Home. I’m supposed to be home. But it feels anything but like home.

There’s a void in my chest, and it’s leaving me with an aching feeling that unsettles me.

Mom’s arms are suddenly around me as Drex’s bike roars to life. My eyes stay on him as I hold her. She’s crying. Why is she crying?

Drex drives away without so much as looking back, and the first tear falls from my eye and rolls down my cheek as finality sets in. This is really happening. I’ll never see him again, and he won’t even tell me bye.

Mom sobs and speaks incoherently, but I don’t want my brothers seeing this.

“Let’s go inside,” I whisper to her. I’m not even sure why she’s crying since she hated me the last time I spoke to her.

She nods, and pulls back, wiping at her tears. Fortunately, neither of my brothers seem to take notice, and they go back to playing, chasing each other while giggling. Mom leads me inside, and I look back just in time to see Dash walking into the house across the street.

I’ll worry about questioning that later.

“I can’t believe how I spoke to you when you were going through so much. Sweetie, what were you thinking?”

That confuses the shit out of me.

She shuts the screen door, but leaves the front door open so we can keep an eye on the boys.

“What are you—”

“He told me everything. About Ben. Ben Highland is in a biker gang?” she hisses. My lips twitch with the biker gang notation.

“He is, but he isn’t like them.” A sick feeling unfurls in my stomach. “At least I didn’t think he was.”

Then her words register.

“Who told you about what was going on?” I ask, feeling even more confused.

“I have to find a way to pay that money back. The last thing we want to do is be in debt to criminals. I can’t believe your father worked for them. That asshole! How could he keep that a secret? He could have endangered us all!”

I stumble back as though I’ve been slapped.

“How… Mom, slow down. How do you know all this?”

“That tall guy. The one with all the arm tattoos. He came here and told me all about what happened. Even told me you’d been through enough so to be easy with your return. What did that mean? It sounded like a threat, Eve. And what have you been through? Did someone hurt you?”

I’m not sure what details she has and what details she doesn’t have. And hearing
that tall guy with the arm tattoos
does not narrow down the source of her information.

“I’m not hurt,” I tell her, avoiding all the details. “Drex took care of me. And things could have been bad. But—”

“What were you thinking?!” she explodes, throwing her hands up.

For the next ten minutes, I have to hear her tell me all the horrible things that could have happened to me and all the shitty ways I could have died. I also hear an in-depth tribute to my stupidity for all of this.

Good to be
home.

“And now… Now I have to pay that back, even though that guy told me I didn’t. There’s no way we can risk owing them money. And we have to go to the police. We need their protection. Oh no. I should get the boys in. They shouldn’t be outside.”

I grab her arm, halting her ramble and rant.

“Across the street is some protection,” I say on a sigh. The four pristine bikes that are sitting in the garage of the house across from us are proof Drex is somehow linked to that house. And they must be there for a reason.

“Who? Those guys on motorcycles?” Her face pales. “They’re part of the biker gang?”

Shit. This turns into a twenty minute rant from her.

“Drex won’t let anything happen,” I sigh when she has to take a breath. “But I won’t be staying here regardless. It’s safer for you and the boys if I don’t.”

She covers her mouth with her hand.

“And you can’t go to the cops.”

“So you are in danger?” Her lip trembles, and I run a hand through my hair.

“Not from Drex. Just… Well, Ben and his dad could be an issue. It’s a long, fucking complicated story.”

She gasps, mostly because I said
fucking
, and more tears start to stream from her eyes. I wish no one had told her anything.

“The cops can handle this,” she hisses. “You’re not leaving. I’ll take the boys to Laura’s. She’s been helping me out and I’ve been helping her.”

No clue who that even is, but I’m sure it’s one of mom’s work friends.

“No, Mom. Those guys across the street will keep you safe. But you won’t need to be kept safe if I’m not here.”

At least that’s what I hope.

She leans against a chair, slowly lowering herself into it.

“Did you pay off the house and get the car back?” I ask her.

She nods slowly. “Do you have enough to support you?” I go on.

She nods again.

That means I can use the small amount of money I had saved for a rainy day in case we got kicked out and needed something to get us by on until we could find a solution. It’s not much, but it’ll be enough to rent a small motel room for a month. One that’s closer to Drex, just in case Benny comes to collect. There’s one place that is cheap to rent by the month. I can find a job from there to support myself and—

“Why can’t we go to the police?” she whimpers.

Sighing, I bend down so that I’m almost eye level with her.

“Because the last thing you need to do is make yourself a target or a loose end. I’ll contact you as often as possible until this all blows over. If Ben calls, I want you to call Drex’s number immediately. If he comes over, I want you to scream across the street. Understand?” I ask, grabbing a piece of paper and scribbling Drex’s number down on it.

“And only answer the door if you see Death Dealers cuts… I mean… vests that say Death Dealers. Anyone else, don’t answer at all. The guys are watching, so I doubt anyone will make it to your door who doesn’t belong.”

Her face is a mixture of terror and horror, and I blame myself. I did what had to be done, but I never foresaw the true possibility of so many consequences. Naivety at its best.

“Where are you going?” she asks me quietly as I pick my bag back up and head to my room.

“Somewhere farther away. Trust me. Don’t call the cops, and don’t trust any bikers besides the Death Dealers. I’ll find out how long they’re sticking around,” I call over my shoulder, fighting off tears that want to fall for so many reasons. Drex won’t put anyone over there he doesn’t trust personally.

I grab my hidden stash of a few hundred dollars, and shove it into my bag. Then I walk back out to hug my mother, promising her it will all be okay. I’ll find out how well they’re watching the house.

She argues for a minute, but I remind her the boys are here and need to be safe. With reluctance, she finally lets me go, and I jog across the street.

Before I can knock on the door, Dash is opening it and staring at me in confusion. Guess they’re watching pretty closely.

“How many of you are watching my house and for how long?”

He frowns before pocketing his hands like he’s been caught. Did he think they were unnoticeable?

“Five of us will be watching at all times for a few months. We’re taking shifts. Why? What’s going on?”

Five. That’s a good number.

“Keep them safe, please,” I tell him with a forced smile.

“We’ll keep all of you safe. Drex would kill anyone who let harm come your way.”

Just his name has my heart squeezing in my chest and emotion wads up in my throat.

“Thanks.”

I turn and walk away, but Dash jogs up when he sees me heading toward the bus stop.

“The fuck are you going? You just got home.”

“And I need to get far away from that house,” I point out. “My brothers live there.”

“Yeah. Which is why we’re all watching diligently. You’re safe here.”

“They’re safer without me.”

Just as the bus pulls up, Dash grabs me at the waist and lifts me off the ground to keep me from getting on it.

“You’re supposed to stay at home,” he growls. “Where are you going with a bag full of clothes?”

“You do remember the fact I tried to destroy your dick the last time you got in my way?” I hiss.

People gasp and walk by quickly, while Dash chuckles. “Which is why I’m holding you with your back facing me and keeping those pretty knees and hands far away from my beloved jewels.”

I twist, bending just right to reach between my legs
and
his legs to grab onto his crotch before he can do anything about it, and I clamp down on his jeans until I grab a good handful. Air hisses between his teeth, while people stumble over themselves to look at how ridiculous we must appear.

“Damn it! What are you? A fucking circus freak?”

“Put me down and let me go. I have to be somewhere else, but I want all of you here to watch over them. You decide if you want your dick intact or not while you watch over them.”

He growls, but he loosens his hold on me, slowly lowering me to the ground. It’s an awkward arrangement, since I’m still reaching between my own legs to grab his crotch. Finally, I release him and jump back. He makes no move to come after me.

“You’re a fucking menace to balls,” he growls, rubbing himself without shame as more and more people take notice. Poor sweet neighborhood. They’re not used to such spectacles.

“Do you have a weapon and an address as to where you’re going?” he asks me as he continues to massage the pain away from his groin.

“I’ll be at the motel downtown. About twenty minutes from your warehouse. The one with the stars, boobs, and boots on the sign.” He grimaces, but I don’t see how he can judge. It seems like his kind of place. I also add, “I don’t want a weapon.”

He looks around, then jerks my bag out of my hand. Before I can protest, I see a glint of black being shoved inside.

“If you have to use that, fucking call me immediately. Or at least wipe my damn prints off it. We’ll send some guys out there to watch you too.”

“Keep them all here. I don’t want anyone pulled off my family.”

“Drex will send others there, Eve. No one will be pulled off.”

His name again.

Tears fill my eyes this time, and my lip trembles. Dash’s look softens and he finally quits playing with his balls.

“You can go back if you want to. He won’t mind.”

I snort derisively. “He sent me away for a reason. And he didn’t even bother saying goodbye. And last I checked, most of you assholes want me dead if the mood strikes you right.”

Guilt flashes across his face, and he looks down.

“A team will be there later. Need cash?”

I shake my head. “Paying my own way now. Thanks though.”

Turning around, I load up just as the second bus appears, but Dash is pulling me back off the bus again. Do I have to rip his damn balls off to prove a point?

“Bus is not happening,” he tells me. “I’ll give you a ride.”