RIDING DARKNESS (A Back Down Devil MC Romance Novella) Page 3

  Ares looked at beautiful Brooke standing with a tray of drinks in her hand. She stopped and her face looked petrified.

  “No need for this now,” Ares said. “I’d hate to ruin your night.”

  “You fucking people think you’re tough,” the Eight Under man said. “You just roll through town like you own it.”

  “Maybe we do,” Bale said.

  “Cut the shit,” Gunner said. “Nobody is here to start shit. We’re here to make sure you all know Back Down Devil is watching.” Gunner then looked at Armen. “We’re on to you too, man. This is bullshit. This is illegal. We’ll need something good from this.”

  “Gentlemen,” Armen said. “I think we’re all here for a little time to relax. To feel safe. To ease up on life a little.”

  “This piece of shit killed two of ours,” the Eight Under man said.

  “They were prospects,” Ares said. “Real dumb fucks too.”

  The gun came closer to Ares. His eyes switched between the man holding the gun and Brooke.

  Stop fucking looking at her. She could be the goddamn enemy for all you know.

  “If there is trouble,” Armen said, “perhaps we can take it outside.” Armen reached back for a drink off Brooke’s tray. He slowly walked forward. “It’s going to be good here. The bets are on the table. The cards are dealt. Smoke in the air. Beautiful women all around. No need for club fights to come forward.”

  “No fight,” Ares said. “I fucked one of the prospect’s girlfriends.” Ares smiled. “And she was fucking terrible, too. Worst pussy I ever had. No wonder she’s with Eight Under. Rot goes to rot…”

  Armen came forward and stepped between Ares and the man from Eight Under.

  “I’m going to kill him,” the man from Eight Under said.

  “Nobody is going to do that,” Armen said. “Gentlemen, I tried to be kind to you. I allowed you in…”

  “We kicked down the door,” Ares said.

  “Fair enough,” Armen said. “But my hospitality has come to an end. This night isn’t meant for warfare.”

  Ares looked down at Armen. “Just what is this night for then? Why the fuck are you in Frelen? Why the fuck is this happening in some abandoned warehouse? Why the fuck are you messing with Back Down Devil?”

  “We’re all here for a good time,” Armen said. “If anyone in your association feels otherwise, why aren’t they here?”

  Ares smiled. “You’re not worth the time. It’s much easier to just handle this like we are.”

  “I’m sorry to say, but you’re time is up here. I’m going to have to ask security to remove you.”

  “Where’s your security?” Ares asked looking around the warehouse. “Hiding in the rafters?”

  “They’re in the back. Closely monitoring conversation. I don’t want them walking around making everyone uncomfortable. But they’re there.”

  “Bring them out,” Ares said.

  “Let them drag us out,” Gunner said.

  “One phone call and this is all over,” Bale added.

  Ares gritted his teeth. He hated when the other prospects chimed in like that. He was better off acting and working alone.

  Yet his eyes looked toward Brooke again. She remained standing there, tray in hand. She didn’t belong with the other women in the warehouse. She didn’t seem to be in sync with Armen either. Something about her was calling to Ares.

  Slowly, Ares started to work his way between the tables. Two of the tables continued their poker games. Men in suits didn’t give a shit about motorcycle club bullshit. The Coast Road guys were keeping close eyes on the room but hadn’t made a move. The only tension was between the prospects of Back Down Devil MC and Eight Under MC.

  When Armen approached Brooke, Ares felt his heart pull a little. He feared Armen was going to say something to Brooke and she would then unleash her true self. Instead, Brooke looked even more worried than before.

  Then, just as Ares knew it was about to happen, all hell broke lose.

  Armen smacked the drink tray from Brooke’s hand. He pushed her and then spun around, a gun now in his hand.

  “Motherfucker,” Ares growled and stepped forward.

  Armen’s gun went off.

  six.

  Brooke fell back and the corner of the wall hit her in the back. Pain shot up to the back of her head and down to her feet. She then lost feeling for a second and went down to her ass. Struggling to keep her dress down was impossible and Brooke sat there damn near exposing herself to everyone in the warehouse.

  But everyone wasn’t looking at Brooke.

  Not once a gun went off.

  They’re going to kill you, Brooke. They’re the ones… they did it all…

  That’s what Armen had whispered to Brooke before hitting the drink tray from her hand.

  Now on the ground, Brooke had some protection from the flying bullets.

  Poker tables were quickly flipped up on their sides to be used as shields. There was no security hired for this, that was all bullshit. But suddenly there were men rushing into the warehouse. They quickly grabbed at the men in suits and started to get them out of there safely.

  “Brooke,” Armen cried out. “You have to fight back. You have to shoot. We have to get out of here.”

  Brooke looked and saw Armen on the ground, crawling like an infant would, scrambling to grab as much cash as he could get. He stuffed the money into the inside of his suit jacket and went from table to table, keeping himself protected.

  “Armen… what’s happening?” Brooke asked.

  “Just get up and move. Quickly.”

  Armen moved up to his knees and put his gun over the table. He started to shoot. Brooke touched her leg and felt the gun. She reached up her dress and grabbed the weapon. She then pressed against the back of the wall and slowly brought herself to her feet. There were men running toward the front of the warehouse, making their escape. There were a few men on the ground. They were bleeding. Maybe dead.

  Brooke started to shake. She had never seen this before at one of Armen’s game nights. There had been fights before. Guns had been drawn. There had been times when Armen set it up for alarms to go off and he and Brooke made their wild escape with money. But nothing like this. Not motorcycle clubs shooting at each other. Not bodies on the ground. Not Armen looking terrified.

  And certainly not Brooke holding a weapon, ready defend herself.

  Brooke turned with the intention of running to the back of the warehouse and hiding. She could grab her bag, get changed, hide, and just wait for all of this to blow over.

  Brooke didn’t make it one step before she crashed into someone.

  Someone big. Thick with muscle. Someone hovering over her with a deadly power.

  “You… you…”

  “Ares,” his voice growled. “That’s my fucking name. And if you’re going to pull the trigger on that gun, make it count.”

  Brooke looked down and saw that she had her gun right against Ares’s body.

  “Do it!” Armen yelled. “Kill him!”

  Brooke looked back up to Ares. “I won’t…”

  A gunshot rang out and Ares jumped back, his hand quickly moving to the small of Brooke’s back and pulling her with him. They turned and Ares had Brooke pinned against a wall.

  “Fuck,” Ares said. “We have to get out of here. You’re going to get killed.”

  “I can’t go. My stuff…”

  Ares pressed his body to Brooke. “One of my brothers is out there dead. Because of your brother. You want to go back out there?” Ares backed up. “Go. Get fucking shot.”

  Ares turned and Brooke jumped at him. She couldn’t believe her hands were around the sexy biker. They froze and Ares looked back at Brooke.

  Brooke gave Ares her gun and said, “I need to get my bag. Please.”

  Brooke went to the back room and found her bag waiting at the door. She grabbed it and Ares hurried to tear it from her hand. He tossed it over his massive shoulder and then grabbed Brooke b
y the hand.

  They moved fast and Brooke couldn’t help but feel her breasts bouncing like crazy as they ran. The dress seemed to hug her body tighter by the second. And, just like before, seeing Ares - and now having him touch even just her hand - had her body going wild and her thong wildly wet.

  Ares led the way out of the building and pulled harder. Brooke almost fell and reached for Ares to keep herself from going down.

  “What the hell?” Ares bellowed.

  “I can’t keep up.”

  Ares stopped and turned. He put his hands to Brooke’s waist. They stared at each other for a few seconds. Inside the warehouse more gunshots rang out. The backdoor opened with a rusty squeak. Ares threw Brooke behind him and lifted his gun.

  “Easy. Just me.”

  Brooke watched one of the guys from Back Down Devil approach.

  “Fuck, Bale,” Ares said. “Gunner is down.”

  “He’s dead,” Bale said. “We have to get him.”

  “No. We can’t. You know the rules. He’s a prospect. That’s it. We report it and they make the call.”

  “Fuck,” Bale said. “Gunner was my…”

  “We have to go,” Ares said.

  “We… what the fuck is this? You bringing presents to the clubhouse?”

  “No. Her fucking brother is the one who started this shit. She’s ours until we get the truth.” Ares looked back at Brooke. “And if we don’t, she’s not going to make it to the next illegal poker game.”

  Ares turned and lifted Brooke off her feet. For a moment, Brooke wanted to scream. But she couldn’t find the breath to do so. Her mind and heart battled each other between what Ares had said and the way he was touching her. The feel of his hands on the back of her legs. His hands were way too far up her legs, but that was the dress’s fault. His hand at her upper back and shoulders. Walking fast, his strength so eminent.

  It wasn’t the right time for it, but Brooke felt really sexy right now. Being carried in mostly darkness toward a motorcycle. Ares was so damn big and sexy looking, in a mean way.

  At his ride, Ares helped Brooke on. He touched her legs and looked at her. “Got a shorter dress?”

  “I don’t wear this stuff,” Brooke said.

  “There’s nothing I can do about it right now.”

  Brooke looked down. She gasped. She looked back up and saw Ares smiling at her.

  “You can see my thong,” Brooke whispered.

  “Right between those legs,” Ares said.

  Ares climbed on his motorcycle and started it. Next to him, Bale started his ride. Next to that one was a third motorcycle. It was unmanned and would remain that way. The man meant for it was dead in the warehouse.

  The motorcycle started to move and Brooke looked back. She wasn’t comfortable leaving Armen behind, but she couldn’t go back inside there. Not with the bullets. Not with the bodies. Armen was smart. He’d get out of there alive.

  Right now Brooke had no choice but to go with Ares. He had a gun, he had orders, and being with him felt safer than being with Armen.

  It also didn’t hurt matters that he was really sexy and smelled like muscle, man, sweat, and steel.

  seven.

  Ares held Brooke by her elbow and walked her toward the door. He didn’t care how hard he was gripping and he didn’t care that she was struggling again to walk. He pulled, she almost fell, and their journey continued. Bale stood at the door and held it open.

  “I can walk on my own,” Brooke snapped.

  Ares pulled her close and gritted his teeth. “I don’t give a fuck right now, darling. I need to get you into the fucking clubhouse and figure out what the fuck happened tonight.”

  “They’re going to eat her alive, bro,” Bale said.

  The words went through Ares like knives. He looked at Bale. He looked at Brooke. Her fucking tits were pouring from her dress and she couldn’t help it. Her body had curves in all the right places and the fucking dress hugged them in a way that almost made Ares jealous.

  He dropped to one knee and looked up at Brooke.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Proposing,” Ares growled.

  He grabbed Brooke’s left foot and pulled. She gasped and then reached down to Ares to keep her balance. He tore one of her heels off and threw it across the parking lot. Brooke then offered her right foot. When Ares touched her foot, his eyes crept up and he could see right up her dress. The sight of her legs lead way to a black pair of panties that were killer small, only covering the narrow slit of her pussy. Everything else was exposed to Ares’s eyes. Her inners thighs looked delicious. The curve of her body gave way to temptation, leaving Ares’s mind racing.

  After throwing the second heel, Ares stood back up. He pulled Brooke to him. “You keep your eyes down and don’t say a fucking word. Don’t look at anyone. You go where I take you. Got it?”

  “What’s my other option in all this?” Brooke asked.

  “You get spotted and claimed by one of the guys. Then you’re their property for the night.”

  “So if I go with you, I’m your property for the night?”

  Ares didn’t respond. He turned and walked into the clubhouse.

  The place was bustling and thanks to whiskey, music, and relievers working their magic, a lot of eyes didn’t spot Ares and Brooke.

  Of course, Blaine did. He let out a whistle and started to clap, calling at Ares. That attracted the attention of Gaige, Shay, and Erik. They started to circle in, putting the pressure on Ares to stop walking.

  “Let me take her somewhere,” Ares said. “Get Miller. We need to talk.”

  “Hold on,” Gaige said. “Look at this. She’s gorgeous.”

  “Look at me, beautiful,” Blaine said. A cigarette hung from his mouth. “Come on, trust me. I’ll do you no harm. I’ll just do you… all night.”

  “Blaine,” Ares said.

  “Fuck off, prospect,” Blaine said.

  Ares stopped. He let Brooke go. She looked at Blaine.

  “What’s your name?” he asked.

  “Brooke.”

  “I want to fucking lick every curve on your body,” Blaine said. “Then I want to take my big cock and spread myself everywhere. Claim my territory from these other assholes. They won’t know how to take care of you, beautiful.”

  Ares made fists. He considered his options if he punched Blaine in the face right now. While Ares wasn’t technically patched in, the offer had been presented.

  “I mean, look at those tits,” Blaine said. “I could get lost in those for months. Hold my breath and go wild. Fuck, I think I could die in those tits and be a happy man.”

  “Don’t mind Blaine,” Gaige said. “He’s an asshole. I’m VP here. You need protection? You come to me.”

  Brooke looked around and then reached for Blaine’s face. Fire shot through Ares’s body. He grew angry at himself for being jealous because of this woman. It was insane. But Brooke was smooth and beautiful. Her fingers grazed along Blaine’s cheek.

  “You’re making me hard,” Blaine said.

  Brooke then grabbed Blaine’s smoke right from his lips. She took a deep drag and blew in Blaine’s face. She turned the smoke around and put it back between Blaine’s lips.

  “That’s as close as you’ll ever get to me,” Brooke said.

  “Holy fuck, I’m in love,” Blaine said. “Come with me. Right now.”

  “Stop,” Ares said. He put a hand to Brooke’s lower back. “I have to…”

  “Ease up,” Gaige said. “What the fuck is going on?”

  Ares reached his breaking point. He spotted Miller standing at the door to the meeting room, a beer in his hand.

  “The night was a big fucking mess,” Ares said. “All hell broke loose and Gunner is dead.”

  Everyone fell silent.

  Ares’s hand slid to the right side of Brooke’s body. His fingers spread, feeling the curve of her hip. It was driving him fucking crazy right now. It had been a long time since Ares had a beautiful wo
man like Brooke near him, not to mention while he was sober and would remember anything that would happen.

  Nothing is going to happen. Her brother is a fucking murderer and enemy to the club.

  Miller stepped forward and drank from his beer. “Take the woman to your room, Ares.”

  “My room?” Ares asked.

  “I offered you a patch and you didn’t take it,” Miller said. “You’re taking a room, at least for the night. I want her locked up and out of the hands of everyone else. I trust you.” Miller then looked at Gaige. “I want you, Griffin, Blaine, and Nate at the table.” Miller eyed Ares again. “You too, Ares. I want to know everything.”

  Ares was shocked. Prospects were never invited to the table, let alone even allowed in the meeting room.

  Not wanting to question anything, Ares set his attention back to Brooke. He pushed at her, his body touching hers, guiding her along the bar and away from the main part of the clubhouse. They walked down the hall and cut to the left. Down and around another bend were the spare rooms. They were kept for prospects to share. Some were for relievers if they got drunk and out of control. Other rooms were just for storage.

  After checking three different rooms, the last one on the right seemed clean enough for the night.

  “Where do you sleep at night?” Brooke asked.

  “Doesn’t fucking matter,” Ares said. He threw Brooke’s bag on the bed. “You’re going to stay here. Take a shower, get changed, whatever. Do not leave this fucking room. You hear Miller. His word is final. I can protect you in this room. You leave and you’re up for grabs, darling. Nothing I can do then.”

  “Who are you, Ares?” Brooke asked. “You’re not like the other ones with stuff on their leather.”

  Ares put his hands to Brooke’s waist. She was really sexy. Really seductive. Her innocent eyes were worth filling with sin, just for fun.

  “I’m nobody,” Ares said. “You forget me as soon as you can. And if you’re lucky, you’ll get out of this alive.”

  Brooke bit her bottom lip and made a move at Ares. He quickly backed away and then turned. There was no way he could do this. Not right now. Not like this.

  Ares made fists and refused to look back. If he did… if he saw Brooke in that fucking dress just one more time, he’d lose it. He’d lose all control.