Devils Cut

Chapter 20

Corvus King

That morning, I stared at the grainy footage, my jaw clenched in frustration. Nothing. Not a damn thing on those cameras installed outside the house. It annoyed the crap out of me.

”Corvus, man, there”s nobody around the car,”Hammer said, leaning over my shoulder when we watched it last night.”It just...caught fire and blew up on its own.”

”Like hell, it did,” I muttered, rewinding the video again. No one walked up to the car, no one touched it. But cars don”t just spontaneously combust. Something was off, and I didn”t like it.

I had gotten Hammer to arrange for it to be taken to Danny’s shop today to see what happened.

”Fuck,” I whispered, anger boiling inside me. Whoever was behind this wasn”t going to get away with it. I”d make sure of that.

I nursed a cup of coffee and mulled over Tempest”s words. She had told me the car was old, bought from some shady guy in LA when she first landed. Maybe it really did just blow up on its own. But my gut said otherwise.

”Fuckin” piece of shit,” I muttered, taking a swig of the bitter brew. The thought of her driving that death trap made my blood boil. I wanted to protect her and keep her safe, but there was still so much I didn”t know about her past.

”Everything alright?” Tempest asked, walking into the room, her eyes full of concern.

”Fine,” I grunted, not wanting to worry her more. ”Just thinking.”

”About what?” Her curiosity piqued.

”Nothing important.” I waved it off, not ready to delve into the mess surrounding her car.

”Corvus, you can talk to me, you know.” Her voice was soft, vulnerable.

”Later,” I promised, finishing my coffee and setting the mug down. ”We”ve gotta head into work.”

She nodded, understanding, and left the room. I couldn”t shake the feeling that Tempest”s story was darker than I”d initially assumed. So far, I knew she”d been abused, came from Australia, and didn”t like people touching her. But there had to be more – something she wasn”t telling me.

”Damn it,” I whispered, running a hand through my hair. I wanted her to trust me, to open up and let me in. The secrets that lay behind those beautiful eyes were eating away at me. One day, I hoped she”d tell me everything.

For now, though, I”d just have to be patient. And make sure no one else tried to hurt her. I”d kill anyone who so much as laid a finger on her. That much, I knew for certain.

”Corvus?” Tempest called from the other room. ”We should get going.”

”Coming,” I replied, pushing my thoughts aside for the moment. There would be time to unravel the mystery that was Tempest later.

The morning sun cast long, dark shadows across the room as I walked into the lounge room. Tempest stood there, arms crossed, her eyes darting between me and the bike parked outside.

”Come on, we”ve got to head into work,” I urged, motioning towards my motorcycle. ”Unfortunately, your car”s gone, so you”ll have to ride with me.”

”Didn”t you say I could drive the Audi?” she countered a hint of desperation in her voice. ”I mean, I”d prefer it.”

”Sure, I”ll get it dropped off here today, but for now, you”re riding with me.” My tone left no room for argument.

”Fine,” she sighed, relenting. She disappeared into her room and reemerged wearing jeans and a long-sleeved top. I couldn”t help but laugh.

”Really? I”m offended by your lack of trust in my riding skills,” I teased.

She shot me a defiant look. ”Oh, I trust you. I just don”t trust that death trap.”

”Hey, this ”death trap” has kept me alive for years,” I said.

”Okay, let”s get this over with,” Tempest muttered, stepping towards the bike.

”Good girl,” I praised, slipping my helmet on her. As she climbed onto the back, gripping my waist tightly, I could feel her anxiety radiating from her like heat from a fire.

I couldn”t help but find it amusing that Tempest, my old lady and the VP”s girl, hated motorcycles. Our club was built on the brotherhood of bikers, and here she was, practically trembling at the thought of getting on one.

”Relax,” I told her, feeling her body pressed against mine. ”I”ve got you.”

”Easy for you to say,” she muttered under her breath.

”Trust me, princess,” I assured her, revving the engine. She flinched at the sound but didn”t let go.

”Here we go.” I revved the engine and started off slow, making sure not to scare her any more than necessary. The wind whipped around us, the bike”s purr humming beneath us. As we rode, I could feel her gradually relaxing behind me—her grip on my waist lessening, her breaths becoming steadier.

”See? Told you it wasn”t so bad,” I called out over the roar of the engine.

”Fine. Maybe it”s not the worst thing in the world,” she admitted, though her voice still carried a hint of reluctance.

We pulled up to the bar, Tempest climbed off quickly, and I could see the relief washing over her face. ”That wasn”t as bad as I assumed, but I”ll be happier when we get four wheels, not two.”

”Aw, come on, babe. Don”t you trust me?” I teased, laughing at her again.

”Of course I do,” she shot back, her eyes sparkling with defiance. ”But you can”t deny that cars are safer.”

”Safe is boring,” I retorted, smirking devilishly. ”Besides, what”s life without a little risk?”

”Ask me that when you”re not dragging me onto a death machine,” she said, rolling her eyes. But there was a smile tugging at the corner of her lips, and I knew that despite her protests, she was starting to embrace the chaos that came with being part of this world.

———————————————————————————

The burnt-out carcass of the car sat in Danny”s garage. Work had passed by easily today, Hammer taking care of business as usual. He”d made sure the wreck made it to Danny”s, who was just finishing up his assessment.

”Sometimes old cars just catch on fire,” Danny said, over the phone. ”Ignition gets stuck on, alternator overheats, and boom.”

I frowned, thinking about the implications. If the car had just randomly combusted, we wouldn”t have much to worry about. But if someone had torched it…

”However,” Danny continued, ”the fire looks like it started somewhere near the back, far away from the engine bay.”

”Fuck,” I muttered under my breath. This wasn”t good. Not good at all. We had enemies, sure, but who would be bold enough to pull shit like this? My thoughts raced, trying to piece together any recent events that could have triggered an attack.

”Thanks for checking it out, Danny,” I said, hanging up the phone.

The clock ticked away at 4:30, and I was drowning in a sea of paperwork that threatened to consume me. Sighing, I pushed myself up from my desk and rubbed the tension from the back of my neck.

”Fuck this,” I muttered, needing a break. The weight of Danny”s news still bore down on me, but right now, all I wanted was to hear Tempest”s voice. Something about it soothed the storm brewing inside me, even if only for a moment.

I made my way to the bar, the scent of booze and smoke filling my nostrils. Neon lights flickered overhead as I took a seat right at the front of the stage, the worn leather of the chair creaking beneath me. The anticipation tightened in my chest, like a coiled snake ready to strike.

I glanced up to see Amanda walking over, placing a whiskey in front of me like she could read my fucking mind. The golden liquid shimmered under the dim bar lights.

”Thanks, Amanda,” I muttered, lifting the glass to my lips. My eyes found Tempest across the room, tending to customers with an easy smile. She caught my gaze and waved, her dark hair framing her face like a halo. I winked back, feeling that familiar tug in my chest.

”Corvus, man,” Hammer”s voice boomed from behind, followed by Trey”s laughter. They swaggered over, their boots thudding against the worn floorboards.

”Hey,” I grunted, shifting over to make room for them.

I took a sip of my whiskey, the burn in my throat grounding me. Tempest”s eyes were a constant pull, dragging my gaze back to her behind the bar.

”Hey,” Trey leaned in, his voice cutting through the noise. ”Have you spoken to Tracey about the new blood she”s vetting for the clubhouse?”

I shook my head, taking another deep swallow. ”No, haven”t had a chance. Why?”

Trey smirked, glancing toward the back bar where Emily and Amy struggled to keep up with orders. ”Some of them are perfect. And we need to replace Lisa back there. The girls are swamped, and since Lisa”s gone, they”re being deadly quiet.”

I followed his gaze, seeing the frustration on their faces. ”Yeah,” I agreed, grinding my teeth.

”Tracey better find someone soon,” Hammer chimed in, his eyes narrowing. ”We don”t need any weak links.”

”True.” My mind raced, considering the implications of bringing in someone new.

I eyed Trey, weighing my options. ”Do I need to take them off the bar now? Or do we wait for Tracey to vet what we have first?”

”Vet,” Hammer chimed in, his voice like gravel. ”We don”t wanna put trash on the bar. The trash can stay at the clubhouse.”

I nodded, knowing he had a point. ”I agree.” My gaze drifted back to the girls behind the bar.

”Okay, your call, VP,” Trey said, shrugging, but his eyes didn”t leave mine.

I glanced at my watch, the seconds ticking away, counting down to five o”clock. The anticipation buzzed in my veins, knowing that soon Tempest would take the stage again.

”Showtime,” I whispered, catching her eye from across the room.

”Get up there, princess,” I called out, whistling and pointing to the stage. She finished serving Billy, the sorry bastard keeping his head down since I taught him a lesson, and sauntered over to me. Standing up, I pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, tasting the promise of something real. The bar fell silent as she took to the stage.

Her voice filled the air, weaving a slow, twisted version of ABBA”s ”Mamma Mia” that had the hairs on my neck standing up. Goddamn, her voice was intoxicating.

The moment she finished, the crowd erupted in cheers, unable to contain their appreciation for the siren among us. She stepped off the stage and straight into my waiting arms.

”Y”know, if bartending ever falls through for you,” I murmured into her ear, ”we could always hire you out as the person who makes the scary music in horror movies, princess.”

She frowned, pulling back to look at me. ”Why?”

”Your voice is like a siren,” I explained, grinning as she laughed. ”You pull men in with it. You”ve got power, princess.”

”Come on, Corvus,” she teased, playfully swatting my chest as we walked out to my bike. She glanced at the motorcycle, then back at me as I threw a leg over and sat down.

The bike roared beneath me, a beast waiting to be unleashed. Tempest frowned at it, an uncertain mix of fear and excitement in her eyes.

”Ah, fuck it,” she muttered, quickly climbing onto the back, her arms wrapping around my waist once more. I grabbed the helmet from the handlebars and handed it to her. She unwrapped her arms, slipped the helmet on and tightened the strap before encircling me again.

”Ready for another ride, princess?” I asked, grinning as the rumble of the engine rumbled beneath us.

She leaned into me, her breath tickling my neck. ”Nope, but I trust you.” She replied.

I smiled, ”To infinity and beyond,” I murmured, making her laugh wildly.

”Ride like the wind, Bullseye!” she shouted, her voice barely audible above the roar of the engine.