AN OUTLAW MONSTER (A Back Down Devil MC Romance Novel) (12 page)

fifteen.

(trent)

I took a shower and had to go back
into the goddamn room to get a goddamn change of clothes. I told myself if
Harlee was awake I would just give in and fuck her. Or at the very least I
would kiss her. I felt almost foolish that I had gone to such lengths to
pleasure her (and myself) yet I hadn
’
t
just taken what I really wanted.

That wasn
’
t like me.

The monster didn
’
t tip-toe around shit.

But that
’
s what Harlee did to me.

She made me tip-toe because I was
split directly in half. One half wanted her ass gone. Get the fuck out and find
a different way to survive without the outlaw life lingering and the reaper
wanting her ass as much as I did. The other half of me wanted to keep her
close, fuck her senseless, and enjoy whatever time we had left together before
she ate a bullet from me, Trev, or someone on the outside.

Christ.

I opened the bedroom door and saw
that Harlee had a small light turned on next to the bed. She was under the
covers and there was a towel next to the bed. I had to laugh at myself knowing
that the towel was covered with my good stuff. Harlee was on her side, facing
the light. Her hair damn near covering her entire face. I had no idea how she
could breathe like that.

I took a step and paused.

I took another step and kept going.

I walked to the side of the bed and
reached for Harlee. I gently moved the hair out of her face and watched her
sleep for a little bit. There was only one other woman I ever stared at like
that and she left when the life got too real. I never blamed her for leaving
and never would. She was better off.

Harlee would be better off, too.

This shit with the O
’
Nuall family and Night
Soul was going to get really messy. Hell, the O
’
Nuall
had cut off the head to a Night Soul table member and sent it to us. A gift. A
warning. A threat. Those Irish men didn
’
t
give a damn when it came preserving their brand of justice and their idea of
freedom. They were ruthless and they were old school. In some ways they were
the outlaws that paved the way for the rest of us.

Now everyone was at war for power.

It wasn
’
t about guns. It wasn
’
t about money.

It was about power.

Maybe that was the same thing with
Harlee.

Power.

That
’
s
what I always had over women. Complete and total power. The muscles, the
leather cut, the reputation of being a monster, and that was all before they
saw me naked and felt what my hands, mouth, and cock could do.

It was different with Harlee.

Maybe I just felt bad for her
because it seemed everything in her life was shit.

My hand started to reach down again
for her. This time I wasn
’
t
going for her hair. I was going for her shoulder. I was going to push her to
her back and lift up her shirt. I wanted to see if she had put on panties or
not. I wanted another taste of her honey. I wasn
’
t
full yet. My mouth had yet to explore the rest of her.

Just as my fingertips brushed her
shoulder, I heard a noise outside the bedroom.

I was unarmed and unprepared.

In other words - I was fucked.

**

My first thought was to keep Harlee
safe.

I walked to the door and peeked
out. Down the hallway, there was nothing.

I gritted my teeth and snuck back
into the bedroom and grabbed my gun. I then jumped across the bedroom to the
bathroom. If someone was going to come down the hallway to the bedroom I could
then ambush them from behind.

I waited what felt like the entire
goddamn night and nothing happened.

But I heard another noise in the
apartment. I knew I wasn
’
t
imaging the sound. Someone was in the apartment.

I gave it another few breaths and
then stepped out into the hallway. I walked down the hallway slowly, gun up and
ready to fire. I wasn
’
t
going to stand for any bullshit. Whoever this was
…

I grabbed a picture frame off the
wall and that was going to be my diversion. When I got to the corner of the
hall I tossed the picture forward toward the kitchen and then jumped out. The
plan was to have the intruder looking at the flying picture frame so I could
get a shot off at the son of a bitch.

In reality the picture frame hit
the counter and shattered. I turned, gun ready to fire, and saw Cash sitting at
the dining room table.

He had a beer in his hand and
looked left to right a few times.

“
Was
that your plan?
”
he
asked.

“
What
the hell are you doing?
”

“
Does
that work for you?
”

“
You
know what we
’
re up
against here?
”
I asked.
“
And you
’
re fucking around right
now like this.
”

“
I
’
m not fucking around,
brother. Jasper had been blowing up your cell for an hour with no response. I
grabbed Kye and shot over here to check on your ass.
”

My fucking cell was on silent and
in my jeans on the floor in the bedroom. While Trev was calling me I had been
face down in Harlee
’
s
pussy and then jerking off on her fine ass.

“
Goddammit,
”
I said and put my gun
down. I grabbed a chair and pulled it out then crashed to it.
“
You fuck, Cash. Fuck.
”

“
Sorry,
bro. Wasn
’
t sure what
you were doing. Was hoping you
’
d
hear me and finish up with your girl. I didn
’
t
want to walk in.
”

“
Yeah,
right,
”
I said.

“
No,
really. I have this problem
…
if I walked in and saw you two fucking, I
’
d
either have to join in or jerk off. Right on the spot.
”

“
What
did your parents feed you when you were a kid?
”
I asked.

“
Mostly
macaroni and cheese. Chicken nuggets. Found my old man
’
s porn stash when I was really young. Shit, I
still can
’
t eat
chicken nuggets without getting a raging stiffy.
”

I shook my head.
“
Cash, I
’
m fine. Nobody
’
s been here. Harlee is in
bed, sleeping. I
’
m
going to the couch. End of discussion.
”

“
Whoa,
whoa. You
’
re sleeping
on the couch?
”

“
To
keep her safe. If someone breaks in
…”

“
Where
were you just now?
”

“
Taking
a shit,
”
I growled.

“
Bullshit,
”
Cash said.
“
I
’
ve smelled your shits. You weren
’
t taking a shit. You were
in there with her. What is she
…
gagged and tied? Is she a freak? She
’
s
got to be a freak, man. Running with a MC, even if it is a bunch of pussies in
Night Soul. Oh, man, tell me something good about her.
”

“
I
’
m not talking about
anything with you, Cash,
”
I said.
“
Enjoy your
beer and go the hell back to the clubhouse and unload on someone.
”

“
There
’
s someone right here,
”
Cash said with an evil
grin.

I jumped up and pointed at him.
“
Don
’
t fuck with me. Stay away from Harlee, man.
She
’
s been through a
lot of shit.
”

Cash put his hands up.
“
Damn. I was just putting
it out there before she splits. Heard Trev and Jasper talking about how to get
rid of her.
”

“
She
’
s not
…”

“
Don
’
t worry. They
’
re not going to kill her.
They
’
ve been
arranging for a trip up north. Across the border.
”

“
Canada?
”

“
She
’
ll be fine up there, eh?
”
Cash asked and laughed.

The apartment door opened again and
Kye came in with a gun.
“
I
chec
…
oh, hey Trent.
Everything good?
”

“
Great,
”
Cash said.
“
Trent has that chick tied
up and gagged in the bedroom with some toys in her tight little ass.
”

“
What?
”
Kye yelled.

“
Fuck
off,
”
I said.
“
Both of you. Fuck off.
Harlee is goddamn sleeping. We
’
ve
got four prospects circling the apartment. Get out of here. I
’
ll be at the table
tomorrow.
”

“
Good,
”
Cash said. He stood up
and finished his beer. He pointed at me.
“
Prez
wants to review everything. Haven
’
t
heard from Night Soul yet. My guess is they
’
re
out searching for their missing member.
”

“
We
can give them the head,
”
Kye said with a grin.

“
Speaking
of head,
”
Cash said.
“
How
’
s the chick? Her mouth doesn
’
t look wide enough to take
me, but you, Trent, you
’
re
good, right? Little pencil
…”

I reached back for my gun and pointed
it at Cash.
“
I will
do it.
”

“
I
know,
”
Cash said.
“
Kye, give us a minute.
”

“
Take
it easy, brother,
”
Kye said to me.
“
See
you tomorrow.
”

“
Yeah.
”

Kye left and Cash didn
’
t back down, even with a
gun pointed at him.

“
I
’
m fucking with you,
brother. You bring some chick to the clubhouse and fight for her life. You and
Duke haven
’
t settled
up yet on what happened. You
’
re
treating her like she
’
s
your old lady when she
’
s
not. I know the monster is inside you, Trent. I hope you
’
ve got things figured out because when Prez
says it
’
s time
…
she
’
s gotta go.
”

“
You
think I don
’
t fucking
know that?
”
I asked.

“
I
’
m not sure you do. Get it
together. Don
’
t let a
little good pussy take down the monster.
”

Cash walked to the door, reached
back without looking, and threw me the finger. He had a large ring on his
finger of two women with their legs spread, almost touching, making a X.

Once I was finally alone, I grabbed
my gun and went to the couch. The movie channel that Harlee had on was still
on, playing another chick flick. I muted the TV but didn
’
t turn it off.

I let myself slip into deep
thought.

Harlee would have to go. If the
Prez wanted her ass gone, she was gone. Probably for the best because when the
blood started to spill it was going to get bad. Really bad. Shit, times like
that, just sitting there in need of a voice, it took me back to my childhood.
Abandoned by my mother and my old man constantly scrambling to get off his
crutches of booze, pills, powders, and cards. So many times guys would show up
and beat him up for not paying. A couple times they came after me. That
’
s what pushed me in the
outlaw life. The need for protection and family.

“
Family,
”
I whispered.

That
’
s
when it hit me. I looked toward the hall and started to nod.

There was one way to keep Harlee
around.

Christ, I
’
d have to take it to the table and get
everything in order, including her willingness. But it could work. It would
work. Then she
’
d have
full protection from me and the MC.

“
Family,
”
I said again.

I rose up and thought about my top
drawer. Tucked away, hidden behind an old pair of socks. A perfect little
diamond ring that I never got to use.

Until now.

I was going to claim Harlee.

It was her only chance at
surviving.

She
’
d have to become my
wife.

sixteen.

(harlee)

I walked through the apartment and
couldn
’
t find Trent.
My body was still feeling him from last night.
And that was from just his
hands and mouth.
Everywhere I looked in the apartment he was nowhere to be
found. The couch was empty and I touched the pillow, wishing he was there. I
wanted to repay plenty of favors to him.

The lingering smell of coffee hit
my nose and I stumbled my way to the kitchen. I poured a cup of coffee long
before I saw the note on the table. When I did see the note, I sat down and
sipped the coffee, reading it.

My life was about to get insane.

Harlee -

Table meeting. Not sure when I
’
ll be back. Do not
leave the apartment without an escort from the prospects. I need you to make a
decision and then come to the clubhouse so we
can
talk. I haven't
lied to you yet and I don
’
t
plan on starting now. When you
’
re
done reading this, burn it. Then go into the bedroom and open my top drawer.
There will be something there for you. It
’
s
your decision to take it or not. If you take it, you
’
ll be protected and
you
’
ll
have a family. If you decide not to take it, I will do everything I can to help
you get out of this town and out of this war in one piece. The second we hit
the border, you
’
re
then on your own.

Make your decision.

I
’
ll be waiting.

-
    
Trent

“
My
decision?
”
I
whispered to myself.

I had no idea what Trent could have
been talking about. I stood up from the table and saw a lighter on the counter.
I did as the letter said and set it on fire. I dropped it into the sink and
watched it fold up into itself until it was just ashes in the sink. Then I
turned on the water and it was like the letter never existed.

In the bedroom, I feared what I
’
d find in the dresser.

I wanted to trust Trent. I wanted
to really believe in him and take it for what it was worth that he hadn
’
t lied to me. But now I
had to choose between staying and going? I had no intentions of leaving, at
least not right then. Unless the club wanted me to go. Daxton thought I was
dead, right? There was no purpose for me anymore. Except to fool around with
Trent. And even that
…
the way he held back off from me, that was just pure torture. Having his cock
so close to my body and he finished himself off. Torture, but wildly hot. So
wildly hot.

I slowly peeled open the dresser
drawer.

I half expected to find a gun.

What I didn
’
t expect to find was a diamond ring.

An engagement ring
…

Trent wanted me to marry him?

**

I opened the door and a young
prospect stood there. He had a toothpick in his mouth and quickly spit it off
the balcony.

He was clean cut, too boyish for
the life he thought he wanted to live.

“
Do
you need something?
”
he asked.

“
A
ride to the clubhouse,
”
I said.
“
Right now.
”

The prospect checked his watch.
“
Not yet. I
’
ll let you know when it
’
s time.
”

I went back into the apartment.

Then it struck me.

I
’
m not fucking kidnapped.

I dove forward and ripped open the
drawers until I found the one I wanted.

I grabbed a knife and walked back
to the door.

I was done with this shit.

Trent wanted an answer? He would
get an answer from me.

I had the ring in my pocket and the
answer in my heart.

When I opened the door again, the
prospect smiled at me. I sliced the knife through the air, coming too close to
him, actually startling myself. He ducked and fell to the right, tripping over
his own two feet. I bit my tongue and kicked his ass, literally, and sent him
to the ground.

I pointed the knife at him.
“
Take me now, prospect. Do
you know who the fuck I am?
”

The prospect stared at me, shocked.
“
I
…
Trent said
…”

“
Trent
wants an answer from me and I
’
m
not waiting any longer,
”
I said.
“
If you don
’
t take me, then I
’
ll walk. And if I get
hurt, what do you think Trent would do?
”

His faced turned white. He grabbed
for the railing and pulled himself up. He put his hands out and waved at the
knife like he could make it disappear.

“
Put
the knife down,
”
the
prospect said.

“
Take
me to see Trent.
”

“
Okay.
I will. But put the knife down.
”

I tossed the knife into the
apartment and shut the door, staying outside.

I fully expected the prospect to
charge after me or something, but he didn
’
t.

He listened to me.

I was in control of him. Because of
my affiliation with Trent and Back Down Devil MC. I was higher up in the MC
than the prospect that gave me his bucket helmet to wear. That was power.

And it had nothing to do with me
personally.

It was because of the diamond ring
in my pocket.

The prospect started his ride and
three more appeared.

I was getting a full escort to
the biggest decision of my entire life.