*
“Can we talk for a second?” Gaige asked as he blocked the steps to get to the apartment.
“I’m covered in blood,” Trev said. “I need a shower and a drink.”
“Okay. Just a second, Trev.”
“What?”
“Eden’s not in the apartment.”
“What?” Trev yelled. “What the fuck…”
“She got a call,” Gaige said. “Something to do with her friend that was murdered. I think it’s another friend. She wanted to go for a walk so I told her to stay in the lot and get some air.”
“Are you fucking kidding?”
“Bro, she’s fine. I have prospects with her. She’s a mess right now. It’s all weighing on her bad. The police want to talk to her and she’s hiding out. She’s worried about what’s going to happen.”
“What the fuck were you doing talking to her?” Trev asked.
“Before you pull a gun on me, asshole, she was looking for you. She was demanding you, man. I thought she was going pull a fucking knife on me. She trusts you, Trev.”
“And if she sees me covered in blood, it won’t be good,” Trev said. “She’s new to all of this. She doesn’t get it. She thinks of murder like she’s outside this club. Just keep an eye on her. She’s a target, Gaige. The shit she knows… hell, the shit she doesn’t realize she knows…”
“I know,” Gaige said. “Going up north is going to be a wild ride.”
“It is,” Trev said. “I told Miller, I’m going to the front line to do this. I find anything out about bullshit within this club and I’m slitting throats. Votes or not, I don’t care. You guys could strip my patch, slit my throat as retaliation, I don’t care.”
Gaige nodded. “Start small, Trev. Take a shower. Have a shot of whiskey. Fuck Eden’s brains out. Just take it easy.”
Gaige patted Trev’s shoulder and walked away.
Trev charged up the steps and went into the apartment. The first thing he smelled was Eden. Something soft, gentle, maybe even flowery. A woman, for sure. He walked through the apartment to the bedroom, where the bathroom was attached. The bed sheets were messy, a small pile of her clothes on the floor.
Trev made fists and clenched his teeth. He wanted to keep the rage inside him alive. He wanted to harbor that and keep his eyes focused on protecting the MC. But the sight of Eden’s clothes did something fucked up to Trev.
It made his heart race… with excitement… for a woman…
__
thirteen.
Eden sat on the hood of an old rusted car. She had gotten a call from Andre, Dimitrio’s closet friend. He wanted to know what Eden was doing and where she was. Of course, she wasn’t going to betray Trev and the MC. It was too hard to explain and she knew with each weak word she gave to Andre he didn’t believe her. Andre finally came out and had the balls to ask if Eden had anything to do with the murder.
That hurt really bad.
That’s when she demanded to go for a walk. She was a second away from punching the VP, Gaige, when he ordered two guys to stay close to Eden and told her to stay in the lot.
She called Andre back and explained that she was also attacked. She told him all she could without giving away who she was or where she was. Simply put - she was hiding out with a friend who was protecting her. Why? Because the guys that killed Dimitrio threatened her and were looking for her. That seemed to ease Andre a little, but not enough. Then again, Eden didn’t give a shit anymore. Andre was grieving and had every right to do so.
Eden slid from the hood of the car and saw the two guys looking at her.
“Don’t look at me,” she said.
They both turned their heads.
Eden started to walk again. The lot was full of cars, motorcycles, even trucks. There were several different buildings, all marked as parts, repairs, supplies, whatever. Eden wondered how many people were in those buildings. How many people were killed in this lot. If Trev was killing someone right now.
It made her shiver with fear.
Growing up in the normal world Eden had a sense that murder was bad and bad guys went to jail. The cops would get the bad guys and the bad guys would pay. The cops would protect the good people. But in this world, it seemed different. Very different. And in some weird way it sort of made sense to Eden. They didn’t seem to just run out and kill people. If there was a reason… but that meant they were playing God, right?
Eden sighed and kept walking. Right now her only savior was Trev. With Trev came the MC and the MC had some serious power and control.
When Eden got to the apartment she noticed blood on one of the steps. She looked back at the prospects, figuring she should make them go first.
No. I can do this on my own.
Eden entered the apartment and looked around. There was a smell in the air she couldn’t figure out. She slowly walked through the apartment toward the bedroom. She pushed the door open and heard the shower water running. Relief went through her body as did an intense heat.