DARK FALL (A Back Down Devil MC Romance Novel) (14 page)

“
I
can
’
t fucking believe this,
”
Gaige said.
“
I don
’
t get this fucking shit.
”

“
Calm
down,
”
Miller said.
“
Let
’
s go into the kitchen and talk this out.
”

Landon put a hand out and Erik took
it. Landon helped him up and then they walked to the kitchen.

“
Go
with what we know,
”
Miller said.

“
Means
this guy or group could be close,
”
Erik said.
“
He came in,
forced this guy to fuck with us, all for this diversion. This dead end.
”

“
That
’
s all it is,
”
Gaige said.
“
A dead fucking end.
”

“
Then
we leave and go with what we have,
”
Miller said.

“
Which
is what?
”
Landon asked.

Miller didn
’
t respond. He took out his cell and walked back
into the garage. Erik knew he was calling the chief to report the murder. Erik
was relieved that Kaity wasn
’
t
wrong. Then again, it bothered the hell out of him that she could read a plate
like that and remember it.

Something was off.

Something was off about everything.

sixteen.

Kaity finished her shower and
stepped out, shivering. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around herself. She
walked to the mirror and wiped it with her hand. She forced her hands through
her hair, wishing she had a brush. She also wished she had a change of clothes
and a purpose in life.

When Kaity opened the bathroom
door, two women were sitting on Erik
’
s
bed.

Her heart stopped for a second,
wondering if these were two other whores that Erik had fucked. Or maybe they
were waiting for Erik, to have a wild, biker threesome.

It made Kaity angry.

“
Who
are you?
”
she asked.

“
I
’
m Emily.
”

“
I
’
m Avery.
”
the other woman said.
“
And these are clothes for you.
”

Emily. Avery.

“
We
’
re with the MC,
”
Emily said.
“
I
’
m
with Gaige.
”

“
I
’
m with Landon,
”
Avery said.
“
Sorry to bust in like this. We
saw you around and figured you could use some fresh clothes.
”

“
Yeah,
I could. Thanks.
”

Emily reached down and picked up Kaity's
jeans from the floor. She touched the rips and tear from the bullet.
“
What happened to you?
”

“
Got
shot at,
”
Kaity said.

“
On
your first day?
”
Avery
asked.
“
I guess that
’
s normal. Landon chained me to
his motorcycle the first day we met.
”

“
My
best friend was killed the first day I met Gaige,
”
Emily said.

“
I
’
m sorry to hear that,
”
Kaity said.

“
Why
don
’
t you get dressed and
then come hang out with us for a minute?
”
Avery asked.

“
Hang
out?
”

“
Yeah,
”
Emily said.
“
The guys left. It
’
s never easy to watch them go.
”

Kaity swallowed. She wasn
’
t in a position to argue. Emily
grabbed the clothes off the bed and handed them to Kaity.

“
These
should fit,
”
Emily said.
“
Hope you don
’
t mind sharing panties.
”

Kaity laughed.
“
That
’
s kind of weird.
”

“
Better
than not wearing them at all.
”

“
Bite
your tongue,
”
Avery said.
“
Could be fun without panties.
”

“
I
’
ll take my chances,
”
Kaity said.

She took the clothes and went into
the bathroom. The clothes fit pretty well. Kaity wore her own bra though,
because her breasts were bigger than the other two women. The tight shirt made
her chest look even bigger.

When she left the bathroom, Emily
and Avery were still waiting.

“
Come
on,
”
Emily said,
“
we
’
ll
go crash at the bar and wait for the guys.
”

They offered Kaity a seat at the
bar, and then they sat on either side of her. She knew they were just trying to
be nice, but Kaity worried about getting closer with anyone else. She had too
much to lose if too many people learned the truth about her past.

“
You
’
re with Erik, right?
”
Emily asked.

“
With?
That
’
s a loose term I
think. He brought me here for the night because my car is getting fixed.
”

“
How
did you get shot at then?
”
Avery asked.

Kaity gave the quick rundown of her
day yesterday. By the time she finished, Emily reached across the bar and
grabbed three bottles of beer that were on ice. She twisted the tops off and
served them.

“
That
’
s a messy day,
”
Emily said.
“
I know how that goes.
”

“
It
’
s kind of like that everyday,
”
Avery said.

“
Do
you get nervous?
”
Kaity
asked.
“
When they leave?
”

“
Are
you nervous right now?
”
Avery asked with a smile.

Kaity blushed. Of course she was
nervous. She feared admitting she cared about Erik because she had no idea what
Erik wanted. For all Kaity knew, soon she would be back on the highway,
cruising to literally nowhere.

“
I
don
’
t know enough to be
nervous,
”
Kaity said.

“
You
’
ll learn,
”
Emily said.
“
It
’
s a tough life, but it is a free
life. Something brought you here, right? You didn
’
t
just show up. You must have been looking for freedom in some aspect."

“
I
guess,
”
Kaity said. She
sipped her beer and looked at Emily, then at Avery.
“
Do they stay faithful?
”

The question was answered with
silence. It worried Kaity. Whether or not Erik was faithful didn
’
t matter at this second. He and
Kaity were nothing. Erik could fuck anyone he wanted, whenever he wanted. But
there was something between them. Maybe it was just sexual attraction. Or maybe
it was something more.

“
What
did you see?
”
Emily asked.

“
What?
”
Kaity asked.

“
You
saw something that
’
s
bothering you.
”

“
Last
night,
”
Kaity said.
“
He was out here and there was
some woman on her knees
…”

“
Oh,
”
Avery said.
“
Well, that
’
s their life. They could die at
any second I guess. If it means anything, I once caught Landon fucking some
woman while Blaine was in the room.
”

“
A
threesome?
”
Kaity asked.

“
Kind
of like that I guess. But that was before we were together. Trust me, if he
wants you, you
’
ll know.
”

“
Erik
is tough,
”
Emily said.
“
But he got hurt pretty bad.
”

“
What
happened?
”
Kaity asked.

“
You
saw his face
…”

“
Yeah,
so?
”

“
Did
you ask him?
”
Avery asked.

“
Not
yet. I don
’
t want to upset
him.
”

“
You
should upset him,
”
Emily
said.
“
Sometimes they like to
be pushed a little.
”

The three of them finished their
beers and Kaity started to see how things were put together in the clubhouse.
The guys behind the bar were not part of the MC. Neither were the women that
came and went. They all were just there hoping to get involved with the MC. But
the three woman at the bar - including Kaity - were almost like royalty. When
they spoke, people listened. It was very interesting to Kaity.

After three drinks, Kaity felt a
connection to Emily and Avery. They were welcoming and honest. Well, they were
honest about everything except Erik. When she asked about him they insisted
that Kaity talk to Erik. They stayed out of his business and that only made the
mystery of Erik more enticing.

When the guys finally came back, it
wasn
’
t a celebration at
all. They were pissed off. Emily and Avery went to their men, to Gaige and
Landon. The bar filled up, drinks were ordered, and women poured in.

Slowly, Kaity stood from her
barstool. She could see Erik talking to the really big guy, Nate. Erik pointed
to his stomach, shook his head, waved his hands. He was animated and angry.
Nate squeezed Erik
’
s
shoulder and then went to the bar. That
’
s
when Erik turned. His eyes met Kaity
’
s
and there was a moment when the world froze.

They just stared at each other.

Kaity wasn
’
t sure if she was even welcome there anymore. But
then Erik nodded. Just once. And in that simple nod, Kaity felt her heart race
and knew if she stayed in the clubhouse with Erik her life would continue to
change.

seventeen.

Erik was pretty drunk. He had been
building a good buzz the entire night as he played darts and pool. He met with
everyone who normally sat at the table, and they discussed their options for
the silent war that raged outside. His eyes were all over Kaity the entire
time, too. Watching her as she drank. Watching her talk and laugh with both
Emily and Avery. Erik caught himself comparing Kaity to Emily and Avery. How
much prettier she was. How big her tits looked in the shirt she wore. He
noticed her jeans weren
’
t
ripped, which meant she had borrowed clothes from either Emily or Avery.

He couldn
’
t stop picturing her naked body under the hot
water. The sight of her wet skin. The look in her eyes. The way her mouth fit
around his cock. How her body felt against his.

Erik had no idea what time it was
when he fell into the bar next to Miller. Miller hovered over an empty shot
glass. His eyes were glossy and he was drunk as hell.

If Miller showed any sign of
weakness it would flow right through the entire MC.

 
“
What
do we do?
”
Miller asked.

“
We
fight,
”
Erik said.

“
Fight
what?
”

“
We
’
re doing the right thing,
”
Erik said.
“
We keep going. We
’
re strong. Something will give
soon. Remember what that old man said. There was something with the man
’
s eye, right? Like me. That
means a scar.
”

“
Yeah,
but didn
’
t those grease
assholes tell you it was a scar on his neck?
”

Erik nodded.
“
We
’
re
dealing with more than one person then.
”

“
Fuck.
”

“
Strokner
warned us,
”
Erik said.

“
Let
’
s get together in the morning
and figure out our next step,
”
Miller said.
“
I need to
find some comfort for the night and clear my head.
”

“
Plenty
to choose from,
”
Erik said.

He elbowed Miller and smiled.

There were plenty of women strutting
around the clubhouse, looking for some action. But Erik didn
’
t give a fuck about any of them
except Kaity. She sat alone at the end of the bar, peeling the label off a beer
bottle. As Erik made his way over to her he reminded himself that the first
night was out of generosity and for her own safety. If she stayed tonight, this
would mean something more.

Erik put his hand around the beer
bottle and tossed it away. Then he grabbed her face and forced her to look at
him.

“
What
are you thinking right now?
”
he asked.

“
The
truth?
”
Kaity said.

Erik nodded.

“
All
the questions burning in my head about you that I
’
m
afraid to ask.
”

“
What
are you afraid of? What
’
s
the worst that can happen in life?
”

“
Death,
I guess.
”

“
Are
you afraid to die?
”

“
No.
”

“
Then
ask me anything you want,
”
Erik said.

“
Will
you take me to your room?
”

“
Sure.
”

Erik cringed on the inside. He was
falling downhill, and fast. Slipping and sliding, unable to change focus for a
second from Kaity. As Erik stayed three steps behind Kaity, he stared at her
ass in those jeans. He would finally have a piece of ass in his bed he could
really enjoy.

The moment Erik saw Kaity hit the
bed, she looked ready to fall asleep. He stood at the edge of the bed, debating
what to do. He could open his jeans, pull himself out, and find out just how
much Kaity wanted to
earn
her way to be close to him. Then again she had
already been shot at and reduced to fighting off Blaine's sick advances. Did
she really need to prove herself any more than that?

Before Erik could make a decision,
Kaity
’
s eyes were shut. Her
lips parted as she breathed, her chin tucked to her shoulder. The feelings he
had when he looked at her were overwhelming and they created a new urge to just
pull the trigger so that he wouldn't have to deal with them.

Instead, he climbed into bed and
gently moved Kaity under the covers. She purred and moaned a few times, making
Erik grit his teeth as he stiffened. He closed his eyes and the room spun over and
over. He had no idea what the club was going to do about any of it. Severed
fingers. Jonesy being kidnapped. Bombings. Senseless murders. It was big, and maybe
even bigger than what the MC was capable of. That kind of thought scared Erik
more than anything else ever could. If Back Down Devil MC wasn
’
t the strongest presence in
Frelen -
and beyond
- then it wouldn't be long before someone finished
digging the graves for everyone at the table, including Erik himself.

Thankfully, the alcohol did its job
and sleep took Erik away from reality and away from his thoughts. When he
dreamt, it was mostly quick snippets of the day Shay
’
s car blew up and almost killed him. Sometimes he
dreamed he found a kitten in the backseat of the car. He had no idea what it
meant. Maybe something to do with pussy, but it seemed too weird to analyze.

Tonight, as he reached into the
backseat of the car, he heard a scream. A woman
’
s
scream.

“
No
…
just no
…
how are you
…”

Erik looked around and everything
in the dream was normal. The same place. The same guys. The same nice day.
Those were always the worst; the days when life seemed too good. That
’
s when the most bullshit
happened.

The screaming continued.

“
Don
’
t do this to me
…
just don
’
t
…
you
’
re
dead. I know it. You are dead. Brad, don
’
t
touch me. Don
’
t
touch me, Brad
…”

Erik shook his head in the dream,
wondering who the fuck Brad was. It didn
’
t
make sense at all.

Then Erik felt something hit his
face. But it wasn
’
t in the
dream. The dream was suddenly sucked away and he opened his eyes to a mostly
dark bedroom and Kaity next to him in bed, thrashing and yelling.

Erik sat up, turned on the light,
and looked at her.

“
Fuck
you,
”
she growled. She
shook her head.
“
You
’
re dead, Brad. Go away.
”

“
Kaity,
”
Erik said.
“
Kaity, wake up
…”

Erik grabbed her wrist and she
pulled his arm to her mouth and bit.

“
What
the fuck!
”
Erik yelled.

He rolled on top of Kaity, grabbed
both her wrists, and held her down. She screamed and arched her back, trying to
get out of the hold.

“
Open
your fucking eyes,
”
Erik
said.
“
Kaity! Now!
”

“
I
hate you,
”
Kaity cried as tears
ran down her cheeks.
“
I
fucking hate you.
”

“
Kaity,
”
Erik yelled.
“
Wake the fuck up, babe.
”

Erik shook the bed, forcing all his
weight to Kaity
’
s slender
body. He feared breaking one of her ribs or one of her wrists, but, damn, what
was he supposed to do? She was going to hurt herself in this nightmare.

Erik called her name two more times
and then Kaity
’
s eyes
opened. She gasped for air and screamed. Erik let his grip go and Kaity grabbed
his t-shirt and pulled. She sat herself up and buried her face into his chest.
Erik fell back to the other end of the bed, taking Kaity with him.

He held her and she cried.

He swallowed hard, stroked her
hair, and felt his heart racing.

What the fuck
…
?

After a minute of trying to assess
what the hell had just happened, Erik reached down and put his hands to Kaity
’
s face. He forced her off his
now wet t-shirt and stared down into her eyes. Instantly, she made a move.
Lunging up at him, Kaity
’
s
lips touched Erik
’
s. He lost
himself for a moment and kissed her back. Their mouths opened together and he
kissed her hard.

But then Erik stopped.

“
Wait,
”
he said.
“
You have to tell me what the
fuck just happened.
”

“
Nothing,
”
Kaity said.

“
Doesn
’
t seem like nothing,
”
Erik said.
“
Fucking tell me, Kaity.
”

“
Don
’
t. Just, please, don
’
t.
”

“
I
will,
”
Erik said.
“
You were screaming. Hitting me.
Who the hell is Brad?
”

When Erik saw the color leave Kaity
’
s face, he thought she was going
to pass out. She shivered and tried to back up but Erik wouldn
’
t allow it.

“
Fuck,
babe, you have two choices. The right choice is to tell me who Brad is. The
wrong choice is to lie to me. You want to hide? Do it outside. You see the
fucking shit I
’
m up
against. What the club is up against.
”

Kaity lowered her head.
“
Will you tell me about your
face?
”

“
My
face? You
’
re bringing that
up right now?
”

“
I
want to know everything. I
’
m
sorry, Erik. But I want to know.
”

“
So
do I.
”

“
Please
…”

Kaity looked at Erik and her lips
quivered.

Christ
…

“
I
don
’
t know who did it,
”
Erik said.
“
That
’
s what we
’
re
trying to find out. Someone has it out for Shay and I ended up on the wrong end
of it. Now it
’
s a club
problem and they know it is. That
’
s
why things are happening as they are.
”

“
Shay?
”

“
Wild
man out there that talks funny.
”

“
Yeah,
I know,
”
Kaity said.
“
Just how did you get hurt then?
”

“
Shay
bought a new car. Brought it to the clubhouse and got out of it. He went to
celebrate with the rest of the guys and I climbed into the backseat to check it
out. Beautiful black car. I heard a ticking sound, followed by a hiss, and then
it was
…
boom
.
”

“
Boom?
”

“
Car
blew up. Shay was supposed to be in it when it happened. It threw me back,
ripped up my face, and I hit the ground so hard, it knocked me into last
Tuesday. I remember most of it, but then I was in the hospital for a while.
Healing. Thinking. Getting angrier. When I got out and there was no clue who
did it, I went downhill.
”

“
You
’
re here now though,
”
Kaity said.

Erik took note how her hands
gripped him. It was like she was trying to hold him.

“
You
don
’
t get it,
”
Erik said.
“
I
’
m
here but most of the time, I wish I was gone.
”

“
In
a different club?
”

“
Dead.
”
Erik made a gun with his
fingers and pretended to pull the trigger against his temple.

“
Oh.
”

“
Sorry,
babe. It
’
s not some
rockstar fantasy around here. Look from the outside and it might seem cool and
shit, but live this life and you get what life really is. Everyday I look in
the mirror I see the shit I
’
ve
gone through. I get asked all the time about my face. People stare. People judge.
It fucking pisses me off because I have no one to retaliate against for the
scars. Yet.
”

Kaity lifted one of her hands and
touched the scars.
“
It
doesn
’
t bother me at all.
”