At least I got to sleep with him, Maggie.
“Look at that grin,” she said. She took one more deep drag and put her smoke out. “Just don’t go getting yourself into trouble with him. Believe me. There is nothing good about those guys. Other than their bedside manner, I’m sure.”
Maggie shut her car door and walked away, bouncing her hip off mine.
I stood there alone, thinking.
Duke had always been a wild fantasy of mine. The ultimate bad boy now turned outlaw.
There is nothing good about those guys.
I shook my head. They were rough and tough guys, yeah. But if they were that bad they’d all be in jail, right?
I turned to go back inside and my mind asked itself one last thing: Is Duke really that bad of a guy?
chapter fifteen.
(duke)
I cruised down the back roads for a little bit, letting the night really sink in. I tried to ignore the lashing I took from Jim but I could only hope it would help the son of a bitch. Sadly, there was only so much you could do for a person before they either took control, or just went off the rails completely.
I wasn’t all that far from the house when I realized I had to take a piss. I thought about going back to see Belle again but I knew where that would end up. Shit, I had club business to take care of. I couldn't disappear for days at a time. Not with the delicate situation we were in.
Pulling over to the side of the road, I climbed off my ride and stepped into the woods. It was thick as fuck as I stood there, taking my dick out, picking out what plants to piss on. As I pissed, I heard a voice straight ahead. Not an animal, but a voice. I finished up, zipped up, and stepped deep into the thick brush. It only lasted a few more feet before opening up to a large piece of open land. Gathering up my sense of direction, I could figure out right where the land began and ended.
That wasn’t the concern to me though. The concern was what I saw.
Hell Five.
I picked up on Durango and Jop standing there with two men in suits. Behind them were another two guys. I could easily tell those two pricks were prospects.
What the fuck was the Hell Five doing out here?
My mind raced and my fingers were aching to pull out my gun and start going wild. But I knew better. I was outnumbered and I couldn’t fuck anything up to give the Hell Five leverage over Back Down Devil MC.
So I had to hold back and wait.
I didn’t do the waiting thing. I was an action guy.
I saw Durango shake hands with one of the guys in a suit. Then the guy opened his arms and did a little turn. It was like he was welcoming Durango to the land.
Something big was happening. And it was right outside of town. A perfect spot to hideout and cause some serious trouble.
Too close to Belle.
The land probably ended right where her land began. It was all vast up there and houses were few and far between.
The men in suits walked away.
Durango and Jop then faced each other. They slapped their hands together and pulled each other in for a hug. The prospects did the same thing only to have Jop turn and grab one by the shirt. He shouted something - by the time it hit me it was all muffled - and then pointed. Durango handed a phone to the other prospect and pointed in a different direction.
They were splitting up.
That was good.
If they were coming back into town, they’d have to take the road I was pulled over at.
I rushed back to my ride and opened the case on the back. I always traveled well prepared for anything. That meant I had everything I would need to do a little hunting.
Well, better put: a little catching.
**
I had my motorcycle on its side in the middle of the road. Shit, if a car or truck came by, I was in big trouble. If the Hell Five ended up sticking together and coming my way, I was in even bigger trouble. This was a one chance thing.
Funny how crazy my day changed in just a few minutes. I had been making out with Belle on her porch and a short time later I was getting ready to cause some serious trouble. I stood with my gun in my hand, dropped back into the brush, hidden.
When I heard the sound of the motorcycle engine in the distance, I tensed up. I loved the thrill of it all. Even if it did bring back some bad shit. My memory tried to churn and normally I could control it, but after seeing Jim…
I heard the sound of the tires crunching the rocks. The bouncing feeling. Looking at the other soldiers I was riding with. Wires dangling from up front, swaying back and forth. Riding through another small town, trying to find out who the fuck was killing people. Looking down at my weapon, knowing that in any given second, all hell could break loose.
Then it did.
The explosion… turning my head to see Jim’s convoy…
The motorcycle engine got louder. I caught myself shaking when I caught sight of the motorcycle.
It was the fucking prospect and nobody else.