SAVAGE LOVE (A Back Down Devil MC Romance Novel) (48 page)

twenty-five.

When Gaige looked at Max, the crazy
asshole was smiling. He then rolled and made a move for the gun Gaige had
kicked out his hand. Gaige lunged forward and managed to get Max by his foot.
He pulled him back and kicked him in the ribs.

Landon and Erik were there, guns on
Max.

“
Don
’
t fucking kill him,
”
Gaige said.
“
He had a fucking bomb in his
hands.
”
Gaige pointed to
Griffin and waved.
“
Hang
back!
”

Gaige looked at the bomb and saw
the counter. There was less than a minute left before the damn thing would blow
up. This was all a fucking rouse. Max wanted to blow everyone up. He was
insane, just like Emily had warned.

“
Fuck!
”
Gaige yelled.

He bent and lifted the bomb in the
blanket. He ran to the car and threw the bomb in the backseat.

“
What
the fuck?
”
Shay yelled.

“
Put
a rock on the gas pedal and let it go,
”
Gaige said.
“
He had a
fucking bomb. We
’
ve got
seconds here, bro.
”

“
My
car
…”

“
I
’
ll buy you a new one, man. Come
on.
”

“
Jesus
Christ,
”
Shay said.

Gaige ran to the side of the road
and found a rock that he hoped would do the job. He came back to the car where
Shay stood with a look of disbelief on his face.

“
It
’
s a fucking car, bro,
”
Gaige said.
“
It
’
ll
be fine.
”

Gaige put the rock on the gas
pedal. The engine roared. Gaige got into the driver
’
s seat with one foot hanging out of the car. He hit
the brake pedal and pulled the car into drive. The vehicle jumped, demanding to
take off. Taking a deep breath, Gaige counted to three, took his foot off the
brake pedal, and then rolled from the car. He hit the ground with a thud.

Shay
’
s
car sped off into the distance. Emily ran to Gaige and he took her hand.

When the bomb finally went off, the
car exploded into a ball of fire. The thundering boom shook the ground for a
few seconds.

Gaige put a hand to Shay
’
s shoulder.
“
I
’
m
so sorry, bro.
”

“
Fuck
it,
”
Shay said.
“
It
’
s
just a car. Is that baby okay?
”

Gaige turned and Griffin was
walking toward them, holding Chief Jerry
’
s
infant son.

“
What
the fuck,
”
Griffin
whispered. The baby let out a cry. Griffin touched the baby
’
s head and bounced gently.

“
We
should call the chief,
”
Shay said.

Miller and Blaine arrived to the
scene. Blaine pointed to the fire and smokey mess of what used to be Shay
’
s car.

“
It
was a bomb,
”
Shay said.
“
I
’
ll
explain.
”

“
I
’
ll make the call,
”
Miller said.

“
Tell
him to wait a few minutes,
”
Gaige said.
“
Emily and I
have to finish this together.
”

Miller stared at Gaige and then
nodded.
“
We
’
ll go down the road a little
bit.
”

“
Thank
you,
”
Gaige said.

Miller welcomed Gaige with open
arms and they hugged.
“
It
’
s done for now, okay? Eight
Under revenge. This bullshit. It
’
s
done. Make it quick and get back to the clubhouse.
”

“
Take
care of that baby,
”
Gaige
said.
“
That
’
s
…
going to seal the deal with Jerry.
”

“
Let
’
s not worry about that right
now,
”
Miller said.
“
Do what you have to do here.
”

Miller nodded and waved for the
crew to follow him.

Gaige took Emily by the hand again
and walked her toward Max. He stopped where he put his gun and knife on the
ground. He took his weapons back and opened Emily
’
s
hand. He put the gun in her hand and looked at her.

“
No,
”
she said.
“
I won
’
t
…
I can
’
t
…”

“
You
’
re not,
”
Gaige said.
“
I
want you to just feel it. To understand why we do what we do. He had a fucking
bomb, beautiful. He wanted all of us to die.
”

Gaige took Emily to Max. He nodded to
Landon and Erik, who slowly backed away and then left the scene. Gaige took the
gun from Emily
’
s hand and
pointed it at Max. He was sitting with his knees to his chest.

“
You
killed our son,
”
he
whispered.

“
There
was never a baby,
”
Emily
said.
“
You fucking hurt me,
Max.
”

“
You
tried to kill me,
”
Gaige
said.
“
That doesn
’
t fly with me.
”

Max looked at Gaige. Then at Emily.

“
Look
at him,
”
Gaige ordered
Emily.
“
Stare into his
fucking eyes, beautiful. Understand it
…”

“
Do
it,
”
Emily said.
“
Kill him.
”

Gaige smiled. He fucking loved
hearing that.

Max started to close his eyes and
Gaige pulled the trigger.

One bullet. One shot. Justice
properly served.

Max
’
s
head snapped back and he was gone.

Gaige touched Emily and she jumped.
Tears filled her eyes and Gaige pulled her close.
“
Hey, it
’
s
fucking done now. There
’
s
no more, okay? He
’
s gone.
We
’
re here. Now we have to
go.
”

“
What
about
…”

“
It
’
ll work out,
”
Gaige said.

Gaige wanted Miller to show Chief
Jerry Max
’
s dead body as
proof that revenge was dealt. That
’
s
how everything was meant to come together.

At the motorcycle, Gaige took Emily
by her face and looked into her eyes.
“
I
fucking love you, Emily. All this was for you. I give my love, to you.
”

Emily nodded.
“
I
’
m
in love with you too, Gaige. I don
’
t
know what else to say.
”

“
There
’
s nothing else that needs to be
said. Stay with me, beautiful, and I
’
ll
keep you safe. Roads twist and turn, but we always have a destination in mind.
”

Gaige kissed Emily, savoring her
gentle lips and sweet tongue.

They got on the motorcycle and
started to ride. Gaige slowed when he saw the crew on the side of the road.
Griffin looked so happy holding the chief
’
s
baby. It made Gaige smile.

Miller approached the motorcycle.
“
How are we?
”

“
All
set,
”
Gaige said.
“
You can show him and let him
deal with it.
”

“
I
called and he
’
s on his way.
We
’
re good in all this now.
In fact, I just talked to Johnny at the yard and there
’
s a fight next week. He wants us there.
Appreciation for taking care of business around here.
”

“
Good
to know,
”
Gaige said.
“
Listen, Miller, I
’
ve got one more thing I need to
do. I gotta get back.
”

“
Go,
”
Miller said.

Gaige hit the throttle and he and
Emily were set off on the open road again. Gaige knew better than to let his
guard down. Enemies rarely slept and the smart ones already had their next move
in mind. However, Gaige knew that Back Down Devil could maintain and protect
the town.

Once they pulled into the clubhouse
parking lot, Gaige smiled. He parked the motorcycle and looked back at the ramp
to the underground garage. That
’
s
where the last line of business waited.

Gaige helped Emily off the
motorcycle, took her helmet, and then walked her to the clubhouse. Upstairs,
Gaige stopped at the bar and got a shot. It burned, but it tasted great. He
then got two beers and led the way to his room. Once he opened the door, he
stopped.

“
I
have something to do,
”
he
said.

“
What?
”
Emily asked.

“
I
made a promise to someone else. I have business to finish.
”

“
Are
you
…
are you going to kill
someone?
”

Gaige stood tall and let out a breath.
“
Do you want me to answer
that?
”

“
I
don
’
t know,
”
Emily said.

“
Then
don
’
t ask it. I
’
ll be back. Okay?
”

Emily nodded. She blinked fast.

“
Don
’
t,
”
Gaige said.
“
You
’
re fucking safe here.
”

Gaige left the clubhouse and went
back outside. He saw the gate opening and a few of the guys were coming back.
Miller must have decided that there wasn
’
t
a need for the chief to meet with the entire crew out there. Miller, Blaine,
Nate, and Griffin were just fine.

Gaige rushed down the ramp and went
into the underground garage. He unlocked the door and found Vinny near the
door. Bloody from the motorcycle accident. Scratched and clawed from Emily
’
s attack.

“
Hey
asshole,
”
Gaige said.

Vinny looked up at Gaige.
“
Just fucking do it, okay? I
’
m not telling you anything. I
’
m not sorry for anything. I don
’
t give a fuck what you do.
”

Gaige smiled. He slid his knife out
and looked at the blade.
“
You
’
re going to really regret saying
that
…”

Gaige knelt down and slammed Vinny
’
s head to the ground. Vinny
cried out and looked at Gaige.

Slowly, Gaige brought the knife
down to Vinny
’
s left eye
…

One more promise to keep.

twenty-six.

Emily couldn
’
t sit. She paced the room, her body shaking, heart
racing. When she looked around the room all she could think about was Gaige.
The smell of the room. The bed where they fucked each other. The way he touched
her, held her, loved her. But when she closed her eyes, she saw Max
’
s face and then heard the sound
of the gun and spray of blood and brain out of the back of Max
’
s head.

Gaige had done it. He had kept his
promise to kill Max.

Emily opened her eyes and rushed to
the bathroom. She fell to her knees in front of the toilet and tried to vomit.
She screamed and coughed, but nothing happened. Her hair covered her face as
tears dripped from her eyes to the toilet.

That was it.

There was no getting sick. The
feeling inside Emily was unfiltered anger. Anger because revenge had been
sought yet it fixed nothing. Rachel was still dead. Max had still beaten the
hell out of her years ago. Nothing changed the past and nothing changed the
present. It was only the future that had a brighter outlook, if Emily could
shed it all from her mind.

Emily stood and went to the sink.
She turned on the water and washed her face. She looked at herself in the
mirror as she came to terms with it all.

Max was dead.

Vinny would be dead soon.

Mr. Strokner would have no choice
but to mourn the loss of Rachel and move on.

Just like Emily would.

Reaching into her pocket, Emily
pulled out the necklace that had been around Rachel
’
s neck. She put it on the bathroom sink.

“
I
’
ll never forget you,
”
she whispered.
“
But I have to let go.
”

Emily closed her eyes again and
took deep breaths. Her life was changed now forever. She belonged to Gaige
which meant she belonged to Back Down Devil MC.

The door to the room opened and
Emily spun around.

Gaige
’
s
shirt and hands were covered in blood. She reached for a towel and put it under
the running water. She walked the towel to Gaige and handed it to him. He
stared at her as he wiped his hands free of blood. When he moved his hand to
throw the towel, Emily took it from him. She took it to a trashcan and dropped
it in.

She walked back to Gaige and slowly
stripped Gaige off his leather. She could smell the blood, a smell she would
never forget.

Emily then put her fingers to his
shirt, touching the blood.

“
Emily
…”

“
It
’
s okay,
”
she whispered.
“
It
’
s okay
…”

Emily ran her hands down to the
bottom of Gaige
’
s shirt.
She rolled it up and helped him take it off. Again, she took the shirt to the
trashcan and dropped it in. She went back to Gaige and put her hands to his
beautiful, chiseled body. She smeared the blood from her hands down his body
and stared into his eyes.

“
It
’
s done?
”
she whispered.

“
It
’
s done. I took care of
everything.
”

“
Now
what?
”
Emily asked.

Gaige smiled and put a hand behind
her neck. He pulled her in for a kiss and then licked his lips.
“
I
’
m
covered in blood, beautiful. I need to shower and clean up
…
but I
’
m not fucking doing it alone.
”

Emily smiled back. She liked the
idea of falling in love with a biker and never doing anything alone again.

Gaige stepped by Emily and dropped
his pants.

What a perfect ass
…

Emily bit her lip and hurried to
strip herself.

All Emily could count on right now
was the moment in front her
…
and that moment she would savor for as long as she was alive.