Tara
“I can’t thank you enough for what you’ve done for me,” Melody croaks.
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
“But you… you’re so normal. Nothing like any of the other old ladies I’ve ever met.”
Grimacing and pushing my hands between my thighs, I can’t help but feel a little awkward. “I’m not exactly your typical old lady. In fact, I’m not even sure I am an old lady.”
Her brows furrow with confusion. “I’m not sure I understand. Maybe it was the knock to my head,” she jokes, lightly pressing the tip of her finger against the cut on the side of her forehead.
Blinking hard, I suck in a deep breath. “I wasn’t a whore, Melody. I met Nate through my friend Braxton. They do business together.”
“Braxton Harris is your friend?” She turns her head, starting to mutter what sounds like a string of curse words.
“Yes. Yes, he is,” I say in reply and she returns her focus on me.
“You know, I thought it was dangerous, reckless even coming here. But you, you are involved with some of the most prolific men in the city. But you seem so, uh, normal.”
Trying to not be offended by her comment, I offer her a smile of reassurance. “They are good men.”
“I definitely got that impression from Nate. Don’t get me wrong, he intimidated me enough to get his way into the club, but he made me a promise. One I knew he meant. It was a leap of faith though, Tara. The Savages have a bad reputation.”
“Jeffries gave the club that reputation. Nate is doing everything he can to repair it. They are good guys, I promise you.”
“And Davo?”
My smile widens as I had wondered how long would pass before he was mentioned. “From what I know, he’s a good guy.” I lean in before continuing. “I haven’t been a part of this whole club life for very long. I had to see Nate in secret and we did that for about a year.”
“What? Why?”
“Just family disapproval shit,” I reply, avoiding spilling the whole details about my cousin, Carter, and what happened with Jeffries. “But with the guys you have to remember their lifestyle. Being part of this club is in their blood. It’s part of who they are. Coming to terms with that can be hard.”
Allowing her eyes to flutter shut, she nods her head a little. “I know all too well. The girls at the club think they’ll be the next old lady. That they can capture the hearts of these thugs and turn them into husband material. But marrying a biker ain’t no fairy-tale dream. These girls just cling onto hope. They’re looking to fill the void that their life never did.”
Swallowing a lump that has grown in my throat, I can’t help but feel for these girls. And I can’t help but feel heartbroken for Melody. To lose both her husband and a child tore apart her life. I drop my hand to my stomach as it rolls, the overwhelming feeling of guilt hits me. To think I ever doubted keeping this child.
Her eyes fall on my hand as I rest it there. With a quick change of subject, I push back my shoulders before making a suggestion. “I gotta run this past my boss, but I think I may have a job that would be perfect for you.”
“Tara,” she pauses, “are you pregnant, honey?”
“What?”
“Are you pregnant?” she repeats.
With a cautious smile I give her a nod. “It’s early days,” I whisper. Without a word, she slowly lifts her arms, wrapping them loosely around me.
“I should really let you rest,” I say, pulling back from her hold.
Resting her hand on my arm she gives it a little squeeze. “Thank you for everything.”
“You have some serious recovery ahead of you. Plenty of rest is in the cards.”
“Yes, Doc,” she replies with a smirk.
“I’ll speak to my boss and let you know about the job. It would be in the same office, working with me. But to be completely honest, you would be doing us a huge favor. We are desperate for some real help around the place. Someone that actually knows what they’re doing.”
“You’d be willing to do that?”
Pulling my eyebrows together, I reply, “Of course. Why not?”
“Well, I was an addict for years. I have a record as long as the bible.”
Chuckling, I shake my head from side to side. “I don’t care about that, honey. We’ve all done bad things. Things that we regret. But that doesn’t make us unworthy of happiness. I want to help you, Melody.”
“You can’t fix my kind of broken, honey.”
“Oh, you’re not broken. You’re hurting and low right now. If I can lift you and help, then I will.”
“I just don’t understand why you want to help me?”
“Whatever you think about yourself, whatever you’ve done, I believe that you deserve a second chance.”
“Oh, I’m not so sure,” she disagrees.
Pressing my lips together, I know I have to work on getting this girl to have some self-belief. Stepping up from the chair at the side of the bed, I lean in, kissing her forehead lightly. “I’m going to be here to help you in any way I can. I’m going to head home and leave you here to rest. One of the guys will be here all night, so you need me, you get them to call.”
“No, I’ll be fine. You go. And… thank you for everything.”
“I’ll be back first thing in the morning.”
Nate
Pulling up outside Plaza I cut the engine, kick out the stand and dismount. As I glance over my shoulder, I see Davo doing the same, the truck Zane drives pulling up just behind. Davo quickly comes to stand beside me, tipping his head from side to side as he stretches out his neck. He clenches his fist, covering it and rubbing it with his free hand. He’s fucking pumped for this and that could be dangerous. I have to rein him in, or this whole shit could blow up in our face.
“Davo,” I address him and he looks me dead in the eye. “Follow my lead. I know you’re invested in this, but we can’t afford for this to blow up in our face.”
Pointing his finger toward the old building he says, “We go in there, get the bastard, and make him pay for what he did to Melody.” Turning his finger, he stabs it against my chest. His teeth clenched as he continues. “And when we get in there, that motherfucker is all mine. Deal?”
“Sure. You want to finish him, then let’s do this.” Without another word, Davo storms forward, his hand landing heavily against the entrance door of the club. Thrusting it open, he draws out his gun and I have to pick up my speed to catch up with him.
“Don’t move a goddamn muscle, cocksucker,” Davo yells over to the middle-aged, bald guy leaning back against the bar.
“What the hell…” the guy gasps, his eyes widen with a mix of shock and fear.
Darting over to him, Davo keeps the gun locked on him, grabbing his upper arm. “Why don’t we go grab a private room, huh?”
“Yeah, sure. Whatever you want, just don’t hurt me, okay?” he rushes out.
“Just fucking move,” Davo roars and the guy jerks his head in surprise.
I scan the entrance, noticing all eyes on us. So much for the quiet entrance. Every whore and customer in this place have seen us.
“Just continue about your business,” Zane says, pulling himself onto a barstool, watching that no one makes any rash movements. “I’ll stay here,” he says with a lift of his brows, “and keep an eye out front while you guys talk it out. Just a little misunderstanding,” he says a little louder addressing the faces staring at him.
“Let’s go into my office,” the guy stutters out. “Through here.” He points at the door located just behind the bar. Grabbing his shirt at the back of his neck, he leads him around the bar, to the small wooden door. Levin opens it and they step inside. Following closely, I walk in shutting the door behind me. With an almighty shove, Davo thrusts Levin forward and he stumbles, tripping and falling to the floor.
“I… uh…. don’t know what this is about,” he stutters. “If it’s money you want, there’s a safe over there.” He points to the corner of the room and I slowly stroll over, dropping to a crouched position, ready to take whatever we can before we finish this fucker.
Walking closer to him, Davo lifts his foot, pressing his black boot against his neck. Pressing down, Levin garbles and chokes, struggling to breathe.
“The code,” Davo demands, just lifting his foot enough to allow the guy to speak.
“Six, six, eight, nine, one,” he chokes out, gasping as soon as Davo stamps his foot down, resuming his earlier position.
Swirling the large dial from side to side, I enter the code, unlocking it and open the large safe. Lifting my eyebrows, I suck in a sharp breath at the sight of all the cash and firearms sitting in an open duffel bag, staring back at me.
“This will do as compensation.” With a look in Davo’s direction, I narrow my eyes. “Get him up off the floor. In the chair.” I point to the large leather chair behind the desk. I pull out the bag, picking up the handguns and cash, giving them a quick glance.
“Get up, cocksucker,” Davo growls, but Levin doesn’t respond. Weak and lifeless, he clutches his throat while Davo hauls his ass into the chair. I look around the room and locate some black tape.
“Hey,” I say, catching Davo’s attention before throwing it in his direction. “Use that. Make sure he’s secure.”
Nodding, he starts to wrap the black tape around his wrists, securing him to the arms of the chair. Swiveling the chair, he starts wrapping it around Levin’s chest as the tape snaps from the roll, the sound echoing through the silence of the room.
Dropping the bag onto the desk, I lift my leg, perching on the edge. Glaring down at this cocksucker, my heart beats with pride at knowing he’s going to get exactly what he deserves. And more.
“You’ve been a real asshole,” I tell him, glaring and shaking my head disapprovingly.
“I… uh… don’t know what this is about,” he struggles out.
“Let me give you a little clue,” Davo says, rearing back his fist and pounding it against his cheekbone. Levin’s head snaps to the side, the satisfying crack as his knuckles connect with the flesh on his face. Levin lets out a howl. Studying the guy, it’s obvious that he doesn’t plan on admitting what he did to Melody. Because that admission might just cost him his life.
“I think you know full well why we’re here.”
“You goddamn outlaws don’t need a reason,” he spits back, lifting his head, his eyes slowly locating the badge on my cut before his eyes meet mine. “Prez, huh?”
Looking over me carefully, he lets out a hum. “But your father. He was in charge before you,” he splutters, his head falling forward.
“We’re not here to talk about me, cocksucker. We’re here to right the wrongs you forced upon Melody. See,” I say, dropping my legs and stepping up from the desk. “I don’t much like woman beaters or rapists. You know, I’m nothing like my father. He may have turned a blind eye to that kind of behavior. But not me.” Thrusting out my hand, I place my palm against his sweat-covered forehead. I push back his head because I want this asshole’s eyes to meet mine. So he can see the devil in front of him. With my free hand, I draw out my knife from the holster, contemplating my first move.
“This is going to be so much fun. Watching this rat scream and squeal.” Davo chuckles, eyes fixed on me as I rear back my hand that clutches the knife. Driving it down, I pierce the skin on his hand, pushing until I feel the resistance of his bones against the knife. But I don’t stop, despite his ear-piercing shrill.
“Oh, what’s wrong?” Davo mocks, pushing out his bottom lip in a mock pout. “You don’t like it, huh? You don’t like being hurt by us?”
“My hand! Fuck!” he yells. “My hand!” His eyes are wide as he gawks at the knife still in his hand.
“You took advantage of her, didn’t you?” I smile widely at him as I slowly draw out the knife.
With clenched teeth, he forces out his words. “And what if I did? What’s she to you guys?”
“This happened because of us. We were the ones who forced her to let us in,” I tell him, pushing my knife back in its holster.
“I had no idea.” His eyes widen and his head flits between me and Davo. “I knew that someone had gotten to the Deathseeker boy, but I wasn’t sure of the details.”
“Details don’t matter. The fact remains you beat her. You used her as your own little plaything and took advantage of her because of her past.”
“No.” His voice shakes and his head falls forward.
Davo lifts his hand above his head, striking down, hitting Levin with the back of his hand.
“Jesus Christ,” Levin cries out. “Listen, I get it. You’re pissed. You wanna beat the crap out of me, teach me a lesson, then let’s get it over and done with.” He yells so loudly, the muscles in his neck strain, his eyes bulge and saliva flies from his foaming mouth.
I laugh. Loud and with a sinister tone. “Have you heard this joker, Davo?”
“Motherfucker is crazy.”
“What… what are you talking about?” His voice gives out as the fear takes hold of him.
“We ain’t gonna beat the shit out of you, man.” Davo slaps him loudly on the arm, tilting his head to the side as he stares at him. “Oh, no. It’s going to be worse. Much worse.”
“Fuck no!” he screeches, thrashing wildly in the chair, desperately trying to go somewhere. Only, there’s nowhere for him to go. “You can’t do this! HELP!”
The cocksucker is yelling for help and my patience is fading. “We need to shut him up,” I snarl at Davo and he nods, his brows drawn together. Using his huge hands, he grabs a hold of his jaw, squeezing until Levin is focused on him. Freezing, he drops his jaw and Davo grabs the end of his tongue, forcing him to hold it out. With his eyes focused and frozen with fear, I quickly draw out the knife and with one smooth motion, scrape the sharp blade across the tip of his tongue.
His mumbled screams fill the room, blood filling his mouth and rolling down his chin, dripping onto his lap.
Davo turns to me, holding up the small tip of Levin's tongue. His eyes wide and his lips pulled up in a curl. “The fuck you want me to do with this?” He chuckles a little, flinging it across the room. I watch as it connects with the wall, slowly sliding down until it finally drops to the floor.
“What now?” Davo asks.
“Let’s finish this.” Making my way over to the bag on the desk, I pull out a pistol, looking at the chamber indicator, checking to see if it’s loaded.
“Loaded,” I inform him, handing him the gun. He takes it from me, cocking the gun and sliding his index finger into the trigger guard, resting it against the trigger. Taking a small step back, he holds out his arm, aiming the gun at Levin who continues to mumble and garble.
“Bye bye, motherfucker!” Davo fires the shot and the sound rings through the room. I watch as blood floods from the wound on the side of Levin’s neck. He makes a choking sound, but it doesn’t last long. Davo must have hit a main artery. The blood flows fast and within seconds, Levin is slumped over and no longer breathing. Throwing the pistol at his lifeless body, Davo draws out his own gun, cocking and discharging it. Bullets hit his chest rapidly and his body jerks on impact.
“He’s dead,” I say, placing my hand on Davo’s chest, making him step back and snap out of his hatred-induced tirade.
“Sorry, brother,” he says, his head lowering as his chest expands and retracts, his breathing ragged and out of control. The red veil of anger lifts and it’s like he’s suddenly back in the room.
“You okay?”
“Sure. Pumped, but okay. Feels good to know we made him pay.”
Grabbing the bag from the desk, I sling it over my shoulder. “We need to get out of here.”
“What about the body?”
I grab the keys resting in the lock of the door.
“We lock him in here and come back to take care of the body later. We can bury him in Holly Road Woods. We go out there, tell the girls this place is under new management and close up for the night.”
“What?” he says, sucking in a deep breath. “This place. Run by us?”
“Yeah. With the help of Melody, it makes sense. She practically ran this business for that bald cocksucker. Now she can run the place for us. Our way.”
“This is a bad idea, man.”
“Look at it this way,” I say, pressing my finger against his chest. “We get a business we can make money from. Clean the place up a little and attract more than just the Deathseeker juniors.”
“But, that’s exactly why this is a bad fucking idea, brother. The Deathseekers.”
“We keep it on the downlow. They don’t need to know we’re the new owners. But, what it does give us, is inside knowledge on the boy. The one I need to give me all the intel on my father. And what better way than owning his favorite haunt?”
A smile stretches across Davo’s face. “Not just a pretty fucking face, are you?”
“I like to think I have more than just my good looks going for me.” Clamping his hand against my shoulder, he leads us out and I turn, closing the door on the slaughter we just left behind us.
“Hey,” Zane shouts to us as we make our way around the bar.
“Where is he?” a sweet, young voice speaks and I whip my head trying to catch the owner of that voice. I look at the familiar face, a smirk spreads as I remember exactly who she is.
“Precious,” I address her.
“My name is actually Samantha, but Mr. Levin decided that it didn’t quite fit the whore persona they like around here. So where is he?”
“He’s got some business to take care of. But for now, you girls need to go home.” I make sure my voice is loud enough for the girls to hear me, and their shock is evident in the mumbles that roll out.
“This place is under new management. Mr. Levin is no longer your boss. So for now, we need to figure out the details…”
“What? No!” Precious shrieks. “You can’t do that. I need this job. I need the money.”
“No one said you were out of a job, honey. They said that we’re closing for today. But be back here tomorrow, first thing, and it will be business as usual.”
“Is this something to do with Melody? Is she okay? She was supposed to be in today but no one has seen her.”
“Melody is okay. We’re taking care of her.”
“Taking care of her? But why? What’s happened?” Her ice-blue eyes pierce mine and I can’t help but study them. They are the palest blue color I’ve ever seen. She steps to the side a little, snapping me from the stare that I had on her.
“Huh?” She flicks her hip out resting her small hand against her hip. My eyes lower, landing on the red scar on her chest and I internally grimace, remembering I was the one who did that.
“Considering I was the one that did that to you, you’re not as scared as I would expect.”
“You haven’t hurt her, have you?” she blurts out and her eyes widen.
“No. Quite the opposite,” I quickly reply. “Zane, Davo, clear this place. Let’s get it emptied and locked up.”
“I still don’t understand what’s happening here.” Her eyes bug out and she throws her hands in the air.
“Come back tomorrow and all will be revealed. But for now, let’s keep this between us. That includes not telling your little boyfriend that we were here.”
“Hunter is not my boyfriend. He’s a client.”
“I don’t give a fuck what he is to you, but he doesn’t find out about us being here. Not yet, anyway.”
“And Melody? When will I see her and know she’s alright?”
“You ask an awful lot of questions, don’t ya?”
“I think I have a right to know what’s going on here.” Glowering at me, I can’t help but laugh a little. I like this girl. She has guts.
“I’ll be sure to get her to call you. But for now, trust me when I say she’s okay.”
Chuckling, she twirls several strands of hair around her finger. “The man who scared me just to get what he wanted. Yeah, not happening.”
With a lift of my shoulders and a roll of my eyes, I walk over to the door, holding it open and pointing outside. “Let’s go.” My eyes widen, instructing the whores to leave. The few men jump to their feet and shuffle out the door. I wait for the girls to gather their things before Davo and Zane escort them out.
After a few minutes, when the whole place is empty, I close the door, locking it and securing the metal shutters at the windows.
“Call the guys, get them to clean up this mess.”
“Yes, boss.”
“We meet back here early.” Stepping back, I shove my hands in my pockets looking at my newest venture, nodding discreetly. This feels right. So fucking right, and I don’t know why. But, the world works in mysterious ways, and I’m sure I’ll find out why. “I have somewhere to be. Can I trust you guys to handle this?”
“Absolutely, brother,” Zane answers without a second’s hesitation. But Davo, he stands, pushing back his shoulders, his fingers slide down his chin as he strokes his beard.
Clearing my throat, my eyes land on Davo. “What about you?”
“Sorry, man. My mind is elsewhere. I’d kinda like to go see Melody. Check she’s doing okay.”
“She needs to rest.”
He blinks, his hand coming to rest against his neck. “With all due respect, man, I’m going to check on her. I thought I’d stay at the clubhouse. Don’t feel right leaving her there with guys she doesn’t know.”
“Fuck, she doesn’t even know you yet, man. Listen, you get another brother to help out Zane, and you can do whatever the fuck you want.”
Holding his hand out to me, I take it. Pulling me in for a man hug he pats me heavily on the shoulder. “Thanks, man.”