The tears from Heaven met mine as I ran outside into the rain. It was my presence that brought this whole mess into existence in the first place. I figured the lack of it should end it. But as I stood peering around me through the heavy rain, I realized I had no idea of where we were. I didn't see any type of a driveway, or a noticeable path that I could follow. There were only trees and marshes. As the rain poured down on me, my clothes and hair quickly became saturated. Indecision stilling my steps, I pushed my hair out of my face. I may not know where the hell I was, but I knew one thing for sure, I sure as shit didn't want to get lost. The everglades didn't like giving back what it chose to keep. Heaving another breath, I walked over to a tree. Then sitting down on the ground at its base, I leaned back against the rough bark. I was stuck. I had nowhere to go but deeper into the sloughs, and I really wasn't interested in being an alligator's meal. I had enough problems.~SATAN/T
Damn. Well, obviously we weren't under attack, but now I felt dirty. Jax always made me feel that way. There was just always something in his eyes when he looked at me that made me want to go wash. Glaring at Jax, I quipped sarcastically. "Sugar, your eyes couldn't handle the dazzle."As the words slipped past my lips, I felt a presence slide up behind me and knew exactly who it was."What you think, S? Gun and panties, or gun and nothin'?" Jax asked.Satan remained silent, but the others continued their banter. "What you bet? Will he say gun and panties or gun and nothin?" One asked.Another followed, his voice filled with laughter. "Oh, definitely gun and panties. S likes a little mystery, you know? To wonder, does she got a landing strip or bare muff?"Laughter filled the room, as another shouted, "I bet she allows them to ride a bare muff."Several more obscene guesses' ran the room before Satan sauntered around me. Coming to a stop in front of me, his eyes ran up and down the l
I gave a shrug. Not my conversation. Turning, I retraced my steps, pausing as I caught sight of Burdock storming away from the building, Satan right behind him.My eyes homed in on Satan, on the anger in his face. Well, one thing for certain, whoever the woman was they were talking about, she certainly had both men fired up over her. I gave a small shake of my head. Feeling for the woman, I made my way back toward the clubhouse.**~SATAN/TORIN~**Tell her... Yeah, right. Only if I wanted a knife in my back. At this point, telling Marlowe was the last thing I needed to do. Yet, if I waited and told her later, or she found out another way, there really would be backlash. I was in a tight spot, that was for damn sure. Indecision weighing me down, as well the ache in my leg making me irritable as all hell.I jerked open the doors of the clubhouse and blasted through the entrance, then into the common room. On seeing several of our latest prospects lounging in chairs and staring at a larg
**~BURDOCK~**"Stupid mother fucker," I growled watching Torin. He was just making this worse. With a shake of my head, I stood and pushed away from the bar. Marlowe's heart knew who Torin was, her mind was still blinding her to it though. I could see it in her eyes, her trembling hands when she looked at him. Before long, she was going to put it together and it was all going to blow up in the dumb bastard's face. Pushing off the barstool, I stood and made my way from the bar as well, following Torin. He was in a mood, and I'd been witness to his moods before, usually once he exploded, only a wasteland remained.~~When I finally found Torin, he was in his room and glancing around at the destruction, I knew that we were in for a fight. He was spiraling out of control. I'd noticed he'd been limping earlier, so I put two and two together. Pills, whiskey, pain and anger did not mix, and I feared this time he might just go over that edge he'd been walking. With an about face, I went to
With a sob, I turned and began pushing my way through the men who had gathered in the hall and doorway, obviously having been watching the fight. But as I passed Rook, he reached out, trying to stop me. With a shake of my head, I continued forward. I couldn't deal. I couldn't emotionally handle what I had just learned, and I needed time. Time alone. Satan…was Torin.~~The courtyard was lit up like Wrigley Field, but I kept to the shadows. Phantoms within the bright lighting. The same type of phantoms that wandered within my mind. A collection of shapes and ghost events. Torin was alive, yet he wasn't. Satan was Torin, and Torin was Satan. But they were definitely two different men. The Torin I had said goodbye to, the Torin I had grieved, was not the man I had come to know as Satan. And Satan was not the Torin I had known, the Torin whom I had loved. Yet there was so much of Torin in Satan, my heart had recognized him, had reached out to him, but my mind had told me Torin was dead.
An hour later, the skirmish was over—for now at least. We were exhausted, bloody and a few less men, but they were down a hell of a lot more than we were. After they surrendered, we'd allowed them to gather their fallen, then escorted them out of our territory with a warning to never fucking show their faces in our area again. Afterward, I returned to the clubhouse, and Burdock met me at the door, stating, "We're moving in fifteen. Grab your gear. I'll brief you on the way."I hadn't even had the chance to ask about Marlowe before he was walking away. I was shifting from being involved in a biker skirmish, to a black bag operation in a matter of minutes, my mind still on Marlowe. I grabbed a hasty shower to wash the blood off, then slid into my usual apparel of a black t-shirt and pants, that I reserved for assignments. After twisting my hair into a long tail, I pulled it up and placed it back into its customary man-bun. Once finished, I slid my equipment bag over my shoulder and s
**~MARLOWE~**As the first bullet had hit the building, it had startled the shit out of me. The second, third, fourth and fifth—I'd lost count after that—had me ducking and covering. It's not a common thing for a girl to hear bullets peppering the building she's in, and let me tell you, I can't think of a damn thing that can get your heart pumping any fiercer—no joke! With my heart pounding away like a drummer for a heavy metal rock band, I'd begun crawling toward the door. The wayward thought crossing my mind that by the time I got back to the bomb shelter, I might have to change my panties.I hadn't known what the hell was going on out there, and I hadn't known whether I was in a good place or bad. Either way, I hadn't liked it. When I'd finally reached the door, I'd inched it open and poked my head out. A bullet had whizzed past me, and I'd quickly ducked back inside. The thought, damn, damn, double damn, had echoed through my mind as the bullet had been way the shit too close.I
As Rook drove one of the pickups that had been stored in a building, we were both silent. My thoughts were all over the place. His… I had no idea. To be honest, I didn't know what my thoughts were either…what to think, how to feel. Torin was hurt, but…. Then all pretense drained out of me—this was Torin, no matter what he was calling himself. And despite my earlier thoughts, Satan and Torin were one in the same. It was then the tears came. Yes, Torin had hurt me, lied to me, and deceived me. But right now, none of that mattered, he was hurt, maybe worse. I didn't know, and that was the bitch of the thing. But whatever his condition, it wasn't good. If Burdock felt it was bad, then it was bad. He was not the type to inflate a situation.Mind wandering, I turned my head, looking out the side window. A bobbing headlight behind us caught my attention, and as I watched, another appeared, then another, and another, until there were at least a dozen motorcycles behind us. As they quickly
The night was long and tense, the air thick with the smell of gasoline and dust. We had blocked off the entrances and set up makeshift barriers, turning the warehouse into a labyrinth that would slow down any intruder. The brothers had armed themselves with what we could scrounge up—pipes, knives, and a couple of handguns. We were ready to fight, but we were all acutely aware that we were outmatched."Marlowe," Surgeon called out, his voice low and urgent. "We need to get into position."I nodded, my heart racing as I took my place at the top of a set of stairs that overlooked the main floor. From here, I could see the entire area where we had set our trap. The plan was simple—make them think we were easy prey and pick them off as they approached.The radio crackled to life again, and we all held our breath. "Sons of Morning Star, this is Rook," his voice was strained, but strong. "You've got one last chance to leave us alone. If you don't, we'll bring the whole damn place down on you
I didn’t argue, knowing that staying would only make things worse for both of us. With one last look, I slipped out the back door, the night swallowing me up.The woods were dark and foreboding, but I knew the layout of the land. I had been here before, on rides with Rook and the others, and I had a good sense of direction. I had to trust that.The sound of the bikes grew fainter as I pushed deeper into the woods, my heart racing. I didn’t look back, didn’t dare to hope that Rook and his brothers would come out of this unscathed.The crunch of leaves underfoot was the only sound as I made my way through the dense foliage. I could feel the eyes of the forest watching me, the shadows playing tricks on my mind.And then, I heard it—the unmistakable crack of a twig snapping. I spun around, ready to fight. But it was too late. A hand clamped over my mouth, and a strong arm pulled me into the shadows."Mar!" Houseshoes voice hissed in my ear. "You need to come with me, now!"I nodded franti
On the third night, as I lay there, the sound of a bike grew closer, and I held my breath, listening for any signs of trouble. The door didn't open, but the sound grew louder until it was right outside the window.I jumped to my feet, my heart in my throat. Peering through the dirty pane, I saw Rook's bike, and I threw the door open, letting the night air wash over me.He climbed off his bike, his eyes searching the darkness before he saw me. "Mar," he said, his voice rough with emotion.I rushed over to him, and he wrapped me in his arms, holding me tightly. "I missed you," he murmured into my hair.I stepped back, my eyes searching his face. "What happened?""We've found out who the real rat is," he said, his voice laced with anger."Who?" I gasped."Not now," he said, his hand on my arm, steering me back inside. "We need to get out of here before anyone else shows up."The drama unfolded quickly after that. We packed up what little I had left and left the safe house behind, the eng
The streets were quiet, the only sound the hum of the engine as we sped through the city.We arrived at a new location, an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of town. The headlights cut through the darkness, revealing a handful of bikes parked outside. The Raven's had gathered for an emergency meeting.As I stepped out of the car, the tension was a cloak surrouding us. The members' expressions were grim, and I could feel the anger radiating off of them. Rook was there, his eyes bloodshot, a bruise already forming on his jaw."What's going on?" I demanded, my voice shaking."We're being set up," he snarled. "The cops are looking for a reason to take us down. Jax is dead, and we fucking didn’t do it!"The room erupted in shouts and curses. My knuckles turned white as I gripped the edge of the table, my entire body trembling."We split up," he continued. "Find out who Jax was dealing with. We're not going down without a fight."With that, the group dispersed, everyone eager to do thei
As Rook’s words dropped between us, he took my arm, guiding me, and as we made our way through the crowd towards the back, Tonya grabbed Rook’s arm. "Be safe," she whispered.He nodded. "I will," he assured her.The alley behind the Hideout was dank and narrow, the perfect place for a private confrontation to turn into a brawl. Keeping me close against his side, we made our way over to Rook’s bike. Handing me the spare helmet I’d used earlier, he murmured soberly, "This is club business and shouldn't affect you in any way, Mar. So, you should be safe. I'll be in contact when everything's clear. Now, let’s get to what we need to." Afterward, he climbed onto his bike, avoiding my eyes.With a heavy heart, I straddled the bike behind him, my arms tight around his waist. The engine roared to life, and we sped off, leaving the Hideout behind us.Minutes later, as we pulled up to my apartment, I climbed off the bike, and looking at me, his eyes glinting in the moonlight, he instructed, his v
The Hideout was a dingy place, the kind that had seen better days. The smell of stale cigarettes and cheap whiskey lingered in the air along with an underlying tension. The counter was crowded with what I assumed were regulars. I recognized Tonya from my days at the Raven’s compound, Rook spotted her as well, his eyes narrowing as he took in her nervous glances. He leaned closer to me, speaking into my ear so only I could hear, "She knows something."I nodded, my eyes flicking over Tonya. She had always had a soft spot for Rook, and I knew she would be willing to help if she could. As we approached the bar, Tonya slipped away from the group, meeting us halfway, her eyes pinned on Rook."What's going on, Rook?" she whispered, her voice trembling.He didn't mince words. "We have a snitch. Someone's been selling us out to the cops."Tonya’s eyes darted about the room before she spoke, "I think I know who it might be," she said in a hushed tone. "But I need to be sure before I say anything
I sat, clutching the phone in my hand, feeling more alone than I had ever before. I couldn’t just sit, waiting to hear something, for something to happen; I would drive myself insane if I even tried. Instead, I decided to go for a walk to clear my head. The night air felt good against my skin, and it helped to calm my racing thoughts.As I wandered the streets, in the distance I began to hear the rumble of motorcycles, and I felt my heart skip a beat at the sound. Chances of it being Rook and the other members of the Raven’s was slim, but there was always a possibility. As I quickened my pace, the sound grew closer, and I ducked into an alley, my heart pounding in my chest. If it wasn’t the Raven’s, I didn’t want to be caught on the street alone.The bikes began roaring by, and as they did, I caught the Raven’s emblem on the back of their kuttes. Stepping out of the shadows and onto the street, I watched as several passed, before one of them peeled off from the pack, slowing down and c
In the weeks that followed, Rook's visits to the bar became more frequent, and each time he walked in, the atmosphere seemed to shift. The customers liked him—his rough charm and easy smile were engaging.On occasion I’d catch him silently gazing in my direction and I felt a pang of something I hadn't felt in a long time—jealousy. It wasn't that I wanted Rook for myself; because I didn’t, it was more the way he looked at me, with a genuine concern that seemed to have vanished from Lucien's eyes. Lucien and my stolen moments together had begun to feel less like a romantic escape and more like a dance with the devil, each step bringing me closer to the fire.As the night passed, the bar remained packed, with Rook's laughter ringing out above the clinking of glasses and the murmur of conversations. The air was filled with the scent of alcohol and cigarette smoke, and I couldn't help but feel a twinge of nostalgia for simpler times, when I had worked the bar at the compound.Finally, as th
The next day was a blur of uncertainty. Each time the phone buzzed, I’d find myself hoping it was Lucien, and my heart would skip a beat, yet in the back of my mind, was the nagging voices of both Jess and Brian telling me to be careful. Their caution wasn’t something I could just dismiss as merely a friends’ concern.Was I jumping too quickly after all? I couldn’t help but wonder. After all, what did I really know about Lucien? 1. He was gorgeous. 2. He made my heart beat for the first time since Torin’s death. 3. He was damn good in the sack. And 4…He was a Mob Boss’s son.Earlier that day, I'd found myself restless, and had decided to head into work early. I'd kept myself busy for most of the time, but now the steady flow of customers had begun to lag, and with a small sigh, I picked up a cloth and began wiping the counter down.When I’d finished, I was in the process of folding the cloth to set aside, when the hairs on the back of my neck stood up under the tingle of someone's gaze