Beast: Learning to Breathe (Devil's Blaze MC #5)

“Maybe you could tell me how the hell you knew where I was today. You having me followed? Because club or not, I’m not about to take that shit.” I study them for a minute, making sure my face shows my boredom in having to deal with them. “Tell me boys, does Cade’s uncle know you’re in his area?” I ask them. These fuckers want to pull my chain, then they need reminded, I know what the score is. Cade is over the Blaze’s Florida chapter. His uncle, however, is thick in the Torasani family. The Torasani’s aren’t a family you want to mess with. Messing with them has a nasty way of making it so you stop breathing.

“You just said your people didn’t give a fuck about this place anymore,” Dog growls.

“Blaze may not, but I can’t say the same for Torasani. This is their territory.”

“Where we go is our business. You talk awful big for a man who doesn’t have muscle backing him,” Jack says.

I don’t say anything for a bit. I watch Dog shift in his seat, and I know my silence is unnerving him. I’m doing it mostly to make sure my voice doesn’t crack around him, but let him think what he wants. Finally, I get tired of dealing with them. My face goes ice cold, then I lean up, so he can see how fucking serious I am. “The day I need anyone to back me up when I’m squashing you piss-ants is the day they need to plant me in the ground.”

“Be careful what you ask for,” Jack says, but he doesn’t get what Dog sees. I watch as Dog puts his hand on Jack calling him back. Weak-ass little punks.

“Be careful who you fucking follow,” I warn.

The waitress brings my food to the table and the look on her face says she doesn’t want anything to do with anyone at this table—including me. Probably a wise move.

“You two need to get the fuck out of here,” she tells the other two men.

“You forget yourself, old woman,” Dog says.

“You don’t run this town. You need to leave,” Charlie says, surprising me. I think I might like this woman.

“Listen here, you bitch,” Jack says, reaching out to strike Charlie and fuck me, I shouldn’t get involved, but for some damned reason I can’t stop myself.

I reach up and grab Jack’s hand. “Dog, I think you need to take your little puppy and leave. You’re ruining my dinner. Your message was delivered. Go back and tell Blade as long as you fucks stay away from me we got no issues. We clear?” Dog looks me over, nods his head slowly.

“Let’s go,” Dog tells his boy.

Jack makes a growling noise and yanks his hand free. I let him go, not taking my eyes from them. The diner is silent as they leave.

Once they’re gone, the woman called Charlie looks at me. She blows a strand of gray hair out of her face and the deep wrinkles on her face only get a little deeper as she studies me.

“You don’t keep good company,” she says, watching me.

I shrug, and take a bite out of my burger. Then I do what I do best.

I ignore her.





12





Hayden





“You okay, cupcake?” Charlie asks, and I fight down my panic.

In all honesty, I’m three steps away from a full-blown panic attack, but I’m doing my best to beat it down.

“What are they doing here? You promised this place was safe. I can’t stay here, Charlie. I can’t,” I tell her, and I’m whispering, but even so she can hear the fear thick in my voice.

“They’re gone now, honey. Apparently, they had business with that man you were waiting on.”

“He’s friends with them?” I cry, panicked. The thought of my neighbor having those men at his house. Of being that close again…I’ll have to move. I can’t stay, there’s no way.

“No. I got the distinct impression he didn’t like those men at all,” Charlie says, scratching the side of her chin. “But they definitely have moved in the same circles, so that’s not good.”

She’s right…it’s not good at all. I’m going to have to move…

“I’m going to go home, Charlie,” I tell her, wondering if I can manage to get out of town on the two hundred and fifty bucks I have saved up. My hand goes to my stomach. Maggie deserves better than this.

“Keep your head up, cupcake. I’ll see you Wednesday.”

“Maybe,” I tell her, weakly.

“Don’t do anything rash. I know you’re scared, Hayden,” Charlie says, putting her hand on my shoulder. I know she’s serious when she uses my real name.

“That man lives next door to me,” I tell her, wincing at the terror in my voice.

“Look at me,” she urges, and I bring my eyes to her. “I got the idea that those yahoos were afraid of that man in there. So maybe having him next door is a good thing.”

“I’ve never known any of the Dwellers to be afraid. They think they own everyone and everything.” I should know.

“I haven’t before either, well besides the Torasani family—which is another reason you should stay here. That plus, I definitely saw fear in Dog’s eyes when he was talking to him. So, hold tight for a little while, honey. Maybe this man is what you’ve been waiting for.”

“Doubtful. He didn’t like me before, and you didn’t see his face when they called me…” I break off. There’s no way I can say that name aloud. That’s not who I am. That’s never who I was.

“Maybe, but I have a feeling about him. I don’t think he’ll stand by and let a woman get hurt. I’m telling you he gives me good vibes. Him being here is a good thing, I feel it in my gut,” she says, as her leathery hand comes and strokes against my hair. She lays in the tanning bed way too much—so much her skin is the color of dark chocolate and leathery to the touch. But considering she’s almost sixty-nine, she looks amazing and gets around better than some women in their forties.

Charlie has been wonderful to me. I would have given up a long time ago if not for her and Pastor Sturgill.

“You and that gut of yours.” I laugh it off, but her words have helped some of my panic disappear.

“It’s never betrayed me. It didn’t with you, cupcake.”

“His name is Michael,” I tell her.

“Not much of a name,” Charlie says, she shrugs, curling her lips to the side.

“Pastor Sturgill says that’s the name of God’s most feared archangel who fought evil.”

“Not much of a church-goer, but I’d say that’s a good omen.”

“I hope you’re right.” I smile tightly. Unease is still swimming in my stomach.

“You and me both, cupcake. You and me both,” she answers, hugging me close.





13





Beast





I hear a car turning into the driveway before I see it. I’ve been pranking around on my bike. Turns out not getting roaring drunk every fucking night has its drawbacks. Those mainly being I have too much time on my hands. I’ve been trying to fill my time by tinkering on my bike. I’ve been kicking around the idea of getting a truck or something. I ride my bike and never really cared about finding a cage to drive around in. I had a vehicle through the club in Kentucky…once. I didn’t worry about bringing anything here besides my bike, but fuck, Kentucky winters aren’t this cold. Today is the first decent day we’ve had in a week and it’s still barely twenty. My eyes stay on the road, waiting to see whose vehicle shows up.