SAVAGE HEART (Layne & Shelby Book Two) (A Devil Call MC Book) (9 page)

15.

(Shelby)

There was a knock at the door. I
had a long t-shirt on and nothing else. I walked to the door and pinched my
knees together. I opened it a sliver and saw a woman standing there.

“
What?
”

“
You
need anything?
”

“
Who
are you?
”

“
Amber.
”

“
Looking
for Layne?
”

“
No,
”
she said.
“
I heard you were in here. Can I
come in?
”

I opened the door.

The woman hurried into the room and
then shut the door. She grabbed me by the shoulders and slammed me against the
door. Her hand then came across my face. Before I could realize what was
happening, another hand came across my face. The third time, I was smarter. I
put my hand up, blocked her slap, and then kicked at her. I hit her in the gut
and she flew back and landed on Layne
’
s
bed.

“
Bitch,
”
I said.

She sat up and started to get up. I
jumped forward and kicked. The t-shirt went up and, yeah, I was exposed from
the waist down, but the kick hit her in the mouth. She screamed and rolled back
off the bed. She scrambled back to the wall, hand at her mouth, crying.

“
Okay,
”
she said.
“
Fuck. Okay.
”

“
Who
the fuck are you?
”
I asked.

She took her hand away. Her mouth
was bleeding bad.
“
Amber.
”

“
I
know that part. What the fuck do you want?
”

“
I
used to work the bar before you fucking came along. Before you fucked Finn.
Before he fucking dumped me for you.
”

“
What?
”

“
And
now you just get passed around, don
’
t
you? Just a piece of pussy between Finn and Layne.
”

“
I
never
…”
I sighed.
“
One time. And I never asked
anyone for anything, you bitch.
”

“
Then
why did he get rid of me?
”

“
Because
you
’
re a bitch.
”

Amber froze. She stared at me.
Blood ran down her chin.

And she burst into tears.

I suddenly felt horrible for saying
all I just did. I didn
’
t
know this woman. Yeah, she attacked me, but
…

“
Shit,
”
I said.

I hurried to the bathroom and got a
towel. I sat next to Amber and handed it to her.

“
Here.
Clean yourself up.
”

“
You
kick really hard,
”
Amber
said.

“
You
slap really hard,
”
I said.

We looked at each other.
“
I loved him. I loved Finn. But
he never let me inside. Not like this.
”

“
I
don
’
t love Finn,
”
I said.
“
I never have. There was one time. And you and he
…
I
’
m
sorry.
”

“
It
’
s the life,
”
Amber said.
“
We
’
re
all old ladies to them. They fuck us. They tell us sweet things. Then they
leave us.
”

I thought about Layne.

He was brutally honest, all the
damn time. He wouldn
’
t just
toss me aside for some other woman, would he? And if he did
…
well, who the hell was I? I was
nobody.

“
I
’
m sorry I slapped you,
”
Amber said.

“
I
’
m sorry I kicked you then.
”

“
You
needed to defend yourself. It
’
s
okay.
”

“
You
want a drink or something?
”
I asked.

“
Vodka
and cranberry would be nice,
”
Amber said.

“
I
can make that happen,
”
I
said.

“
Because
your the slut bartender?
”

“
Hey,
bitch. Take it easy. I
’
m
not a slut. And I
’
m not a
bartender. I
’
m not even
allowed to leave this room right now.
”

“
I
don
’
t see any handcuffs on
you.
”

“
Trust
me,
”
I said.
“
They
’
re there.
”

“
I
know the feeling,
”
Amber
said.

My heart sank.

I climbed to my feet and opened the
door to yell for help. A prospect came barreling down the hallway. I told him I
wanted two glasses, a bottle of vodka, and a bottle of cranberry.

If I was going to drink, I
’
d make my own damn drinks.

So that
’
s what I did. I killed time with a stranger who had
tried to fight me. We drank, talked, and sometimes laughed. Layne was dealing
with club business, a serious meeting with the rest of the table members.

After way too many drinks, I was
facing Amber. The tips of our toes were touching, the bottles between us. Both
of us were dead drunk.

She stared right at me.
“
It
’
s
easier outside.
”

“
What?
”

“
Outside
all this,
”
she said.
“
They convince you it
’
s not. But it is. I got a
waitressing job at a steakhouse. I clear enough to afford a car, an apartment.
Enough to survive. You could do it too.
”

“
Not
me,
”
I said.
“
I
’
m
in too deep.
”

“
I
thought so too. Finn asked me to hide weapons. He made me get rid of bloody
clothes. I
’
m tied to murder
in these parts, Shelby. But I
’
m
free. I
’
m good.
”

My drunk mind spun like a top.

Could I do it? Could I just up and
leave it all?

Layne
’
s
words burned in my mind.

I
’
ll kill you myself.

Yeah, he could kill me. To do that
…
he
’
d have to find me first.

16.

(Layne)

I climbed off my ride and looked
back at Brett.
“
Take off,
man.
”

“
No,
”
he said.

“
Look,
I
’
m going to check on Pep
and I
’
ll be back.
”

“
Nobody
should be riding alone.
”

“
There
’
s four prospects up there. I
’
ll bring two with me and send
two back. They need to change shifts too.
”

“
Layne
…”

“
I
gave an order,
”
I said.
“
You look like shit. Go back to
the clubhouse. There
’
s
enough going on already.
”

“
If
I leave, I
’
m alone.
”

“
Be
alone,
”
I said.

“
I
’
ll wait out here for you.
”

“
That
’
s fine,
”
I said.
“
Look
alive though. Someone catches you sleeping, they
’
ll
cut your throat.
”

“
That
’
ll keep me awake.
”
Brett took out his phone and
his thumbs flew around the screen. He turned it around and showed me a video of
a girl taking care of a guy with her mouth.
“
This
’
ll do.
”

“
Christ,
”
I muttered.

I went into the hospital and up to
Pep
’
s floor.

I found all four prospects awake,
drinking coffee. The second they saw me they all jumped to their feet.

“
How
is he?
”
I asked.

“
The
same, sir.
”

I let the
sir
thing slide. I
wasn
’
t in the mood to beat
down on some prospects right now.

“
Doctors?
Nurses?
”

“
Were
just here a short while ago. Nothing
’
s
changed. Doctor mentioned they need to speak to next of kin. Might be time to
make a decision.
”

“
Jesus,
”
I said.

That
’
s
all I needed now. Carry that weight on my shoulders.

I put my hand to the door.

“
Sir?
”
one of the prospects asked.

I looked at him. Good looking kid.
With glasses. Should have been working at a bank or something. Not trying to
earn the cut in a MC.

“
What?
”

“
He
’
s brain dead,
”
the prospect said.
“
He
’
s
basically dead already.
”

“
Are
you a fucking doctor?
”

“
No,
sir, I
’
m not. I was in med
school. I dropped out.
”

“
Good
to know.
”

I pushed at the door and entered
the room.

It was dark and quiet, just like
the last time I was there. The curtain was closed and I slid it open, the
little hooks scratching against the track, sounding like nails on a chalkboard.

And there was Pep.

The same as before. Just like the
fucking prospect said - Pep was as good as dead. There was nothing happening in
there. The machines were keeping him alive. The machines were forcing his heart
to pump, his blood to flow. He was long gone in la-la land or whatever the fuck
he believed in after death.

I approached the bed and touched
the railing.
“
You old
bastard. Still fighting through this. If you
’
re
gone, then be gone. There
’
s
nothing here for you.
”

Of course Pep didn
’
t respond.

This wasn
’
t some goddamn TV show where I
’
d say something and he
’
d magically pop back to life.
The bullets had done their damage.

“
The
club
’
s at war. I
’
m sure you
’
ve gone through it yourself many
times. I
’
ll find who did
this to you and I
’
ll put a
bullet in their head. In your honor. You need to let go. You need to rest once
and for all. No more fucking machines doing the work. That
’
s not how you want to do it.
”

The door opened.

It was a nurse.

“
Med
check,
”
she said.

I stared at Pep as she messed the
bags feeding fluids and meds to him. She touched a few things. The machines
beeped a few time.

“
How
is he?
”
I asked.

“
He
’
s here,
”
the nurse said.

“
He
’
s dead.
”

“
In
a sense,
”
the nurse said.
“
I
’
m
sorry.
”

“
He
means nothing to me. Don
’
t
be sorry.
”

“
Oh.
”

“
If
the plug was pulled, how long would he live?
”
I asked.

“
Depends
on the person. Sometimes it
’
s
fast, sometimes it
’
s not.
”

“
When
can I talk to a doctor?
”

“
I
can check for you.
”

“
Do
that. Thanks.
”

The nurse left the room and it was
just me and Pep again. The room was so calm and quiet. Oakville, however, was
anything but. It was swelling. I knew the sense because I
’
d lived it many times in Brocke.
Sometimes it would be quiet and then all hell would break loose.

That was the nature of this beast
we were all riding with. The beast was death and death was everywhere. Whether
we liked it or not. Guys who were afraid of death were taken first. Guys who
believed they couldn
’
t die
were next. I knew death waited to grab me and drag me away. So I had to face
reality, face what was in front of me, and when death came
…

Death came.

Something happened with Pep.

His body jumped for a few seconds
and then he looked relaxed. The machines all stopped functioning. The heart
monitor went flatline. It was a single beep that rang out through the room.

I blinked fast, trying to come to
terms that I had just watched Pep die. The old son of a bitch finally let go. I
touched his shoulder and squeezed.

“
Rest
easy, brother,
”
I
whispered.
“
I
’
ll take care of the rest down
here.
”

I heard a
clap
and I jumped.
Then another clap, and another. I turned and watched someone entering the room,
clapping. Shoes on the floor, one after another, the silhouette coming to life,
revealing itself.

Well, himself.

“
Nicolas,
”
I whispered.

The mafia member stood there in a
perfect suit.
“
Layne.
”

I went right up to him and grabbed
his shirt.
“
You fucking
ever look at Shelby again
…”

“
Hey,
hey,
”
he said.
“
Hey. Don
’
t make me the enemy. I came with favors. Gifts to
you, Layne. My friend.
”

“
Fuck
you.
”

“
I
didn
’
t hurt her. I reminded
her who I am. Who she is. And I got her out of there, didn
’
t I?
”

“
What
are you doing here?
”
I
asked.

“
I
’
m everywhere. All the time. Did
you meet my personal nurse?
”

“
What?
”

Nicolas grinned.
“
She took good care of Pep.
”

I looked back at Pep. Then at
Nicolas.
“
You fucking killed
him.
”

“
I
didn
’
t kill him,
”
Nicolas said.
“
I aided him. He didn
’
t feel a thing. No pain, I
swear. We
’
re not all that
violent, when we don
’
t want
to be. A quick little drip in an IV bag and he
’
s
gone.
”

I reached back for my gun and
Nicolas put a hand up.

“
Layne,
take it easy,
”
he said.
“
You know he was never going to
wake up. I also have two guys out there ready to come in and slit your throat.
”

“
Tommy
and Paul?
”

“
Yeah.
”

They were the two thugs that beat
the shit out of me when Nicolas ordered my kidnapping. I would have loved to have
taken on both of them. Fight them to the death.

I gritted my teeth.

“
I
have prospects out there,
”
I said.
“
They
’
ll die for the MC.
”

“
I
know,
”
Nicolas said.
“
They did.
”

I stepped forward and pushed
Nicolas out of the way. I tore open the door. Tommy and Paul stood there,
grinning at me. Guns in their hands. There were long silencers attached the
weapons. And the carnage waited for me.

All four fucking prospects were
dead. A bullet through the head. Blood and brains on the wall, on the floor.
All of them on the floor, gone.

I turned and walked back into the
hospital room.

“
I
’
m sorry, Layne,
”
Nicolas said.
“
I knew they weren
’
t patched in. They were
prospects. They come and go, right? None of them were going to get a full cut,
right?
”

I didn
’
t speak. I debated what to do. I could kill
Nicholas right now. By doing that though, I
’
d
be killing myself. I
’
d be
killing the MC. Oakville would be decimated. And then they would spread. The
war on territory was a war of respect. Give and take. Fight when needed.

“
That
was my second gift,
”
Nicolas said.
“
You don
’
t need prospects like that. They
didn
’
t even see me coming.
And when they did, they sat there. I told them I was the Medical Director. They
didn
’
t even realize Tommy
and Paul were there with guns.
”

“
I
’
ll ask again,
”
I said calmly,
“
why are you here?
”

“
Because
you still haven
’
t listened.
And I
’
m getting annoyed.
”

“
Is
that so?
”

“
Kill
the bitch,
”
Nicolas said.
“
I gave you the name. The place.
You know what to do, Layne.
”

“
I
’
m working on it. In case you
didn
’
t notice, we
’
ve been having problems.
”

“
The
world has problems.
”

“
It
’
s not exactly easy to just leave
Oakville.
”

“
Not
my problem,
”
Nicolas said.

“
Get
out of here. You
’
ve made
your point. Remember what I
…”

“
Wait!
There
’
s one more for you.
One more gift. Me to you, Layne. Friend to friend.
”

Nicolas stepped to the side and
reached down. He lifted a bag. It was a black bag. He held it out and nodded.

“
Take
it,
”
he said.

“
Is
this a bomb?
”

“
Yeah.
I
’
m going to blow you and
me up.
”

I shook my head. I took the bag. It
was heavy. I opened it and there was a familiar scent.

“
So,
this is going to cause big problems for you,
”
Nicolas said.
“
This is my
final warning. Next time I come around, I won
’
t
let Shelby go. I won
’
t just
kill prospects. I
’
ll go for
patched in members. Don
’
t
fuck with me, Layne. Don
’
t
ruin this.
”