Raze (Dirty Soul MC: Long Beach #1)

Chapter 4

Ilook around the beach hut that the man, whose name I still don’t know, has brought me to. It’s basic, the furniture is dated, and there's dust settled on pretty much every surface. Despite being on the beach front it’s tucked away and almost hidden by all the trees and overgrown bushes that edge the sand. I rest back on the couch and breathe a long sigh of relief. I’m here, at the Dirty Souls’ compound and if my dad’s right in what he says it means I’m safe. At least for now.

I push to the back of my head that I’ve been told by him that I have to leave tomorrow. Instead, I close my eyes and listen to the sound of the ocean.

“I hope you don’t mind leftovers.” I wake up with a start when I hear a female voice, and I’m greeted by a warm smile from the woman who stands in front of me holding a plate in her hand.

“I’m sorry to wake ya, Raze told me to bring ya something to eat hours ago but I got distracted with Grea…it doesn’t matter.” She cuts herself off and shakes her head. “Here, it’s meatloaf.” She looks at it awkwardly as she hands me the plate.

“Thank you.” I sit myself up and take the fork that's balanced on the edge of it.

“So, I take it this is where he’s staying?” Her eyes wander around the place. “It’s been a while. I hope he plans to upgrade some of the utilities.” She laughs looking at the TV and the coffee machine that look dated.

“This is really good.” I smile at her gratefully as I tuck into the meatloaf. Truth is, it’s dry as hell, but Kane always told me never to bite the hand that feeds you.

“Tell that to those ungrateful bastards up there.” She chuckles as she makes her way over to the bed and starts to straighten it out. “You wanna tell me your story?” she asks, fluffing the pillows and placing them square.

“No,” I answer honestly. I don’t mean to sound rude but just thinking about everything that happened back home makes me want to curl up in a ball and cry.

“Everyone around here has a story, and it’s written all over your pretty, little face that you're running away from yours.”

“Ya got me.” I shrug.

“My advice is to keep on running.” She raises her over-plucked eyebrows at me. “Raze coming back here has brought with it a whole lotta hope, but it’s gonna take him some time to fix the mess this club’s got itself in.”

“What kinda mess?” I’m suddenly curious. Raze, I assume that's what his name is, also made it very clear that it wasn’t safe for me to stick around. Now, I’m wondering why.

“This place hasn’t exactly got the best reputation. The man who was in charge before Raze, ran it into the ground and made a lot of enemies. It’s not gonna be easy for him to turn that around.” She flattens out the creases on the comforter before taking a chair at the small square table beside the kitchen counter.

“And Raze, is he one of the good guys?” I desperately want to know more about him. Sure, he comes across as standoffish and grumpy but I sense there's something beneath that tough exterior. Something that made him take pity on me today.

“He was.” She chuckles as she lights herself a cigarette. “I don’t know the man anymore. I haven’t seen him in over ten years. But I’m figuring there's a reason Jimmer Carson chose him to be the one to come here and straighten this place out.” She shrugs. “Him being here will soon separate the men from the boys.” Standing up, she takes my plate once she can see that I’m finished. “You got everything you need here?” she checks.

“I think so.” I nod my head and smile gratefully, and when she turns around to leave I call her back.

“Wait, what’s your name?” Spending this short time with her has made me realize how lonely I’ve been the past few days. My curiosity about this club, and the man who’s apparently been sent here to save it, has distracted me from everything that happened back home and I liked how it felt.

“Polly.” She smiles back at me over her shoulder before letting herself out.

I must have slept for quite a while because suddenly I’m feeling wide awake, and now that my stomach isn’t growling I guess I should find myself something to do.

Raze made it clear that I’m not welcome at the clubhouse but he didn’t say anything about the beach.

I remember Moma taking me and Kane to the beach when we were small. He’d be obsessed with digging the biggest hole, while I’d be fascinated by the ocean. I’d sit and stare out at it for hours but I was only ever brave enough to dip my toes.

I step off the porch and onto the soft sand, wiggling my toes in it and taking a deep breath of salty, sea air. The beach is eerily quiet, the ocean is calm and after I’ve made the journey down to it I actually laugh when the tide touches my toes. Closing my eyes, I lift my head up at the sun to let it warm my face, and for the first time since my life got turned upside down, I let myself relax. Dad was right, there is no safer place for me than here, no Satan’s Reaper would be stupid enough to cross enemy lines, and for that reason, I have to try and convince Raze to let me stay.

It’s past dark when he arrives home and he dumps a pizza box on the table and orders me to eat, in that low, rough voice that makes my stomach flip. He seems in an even worse mood than he was before he left as he reaches up to the shelf by his bed and pulls down a towel. I open the pizza box and pick the mushrooms off my slice as I watch him storm back out the door with the towel and a wash bag tucked under his arm.

A few seconds later I hear the sound of running water coming from the side of the house. I’ve been curious all day as to where the shower is. There’s a door in the far corner of the hut that leads into the bathroom, but there’s only a tiny basin in there. So, I follow the sound, stepping out into the night.

I tip my head around the corner and see Raze, ass-naked, soaking himself up under an outdoor shower. I drop the pizza I’m still holding on to the deck then stand and watch his hands rub over his skin and lather up the soap. I can’t help admiring his tight ass as he runs his fingers through his hair to rinse himself off. All the heat in my body suddenly creeps up my neck and when I notice him start to turn around I quickly dart back into the house and retake my seat at the table. I stare at the pizza box in front of me, trying to get the image of him naked out of my head. That is not what I came here for. It doesn’t matter how tight that ass is, or how broad those shoulders are. I can’t let him distract me from the mess my life is right now.

Raze eventually steps back through the door with the towel hanging low on his hips. I drag my eyes away from the line of hair that trails through his v muscle. He’s got all his clothes balled up in one hand, and my half-eaten slice of pizza in the other.

“You dropped this.” He tosses the pizza at the table, landing it in front of me and my entire face sets on fire with shame.

I somehow keep my eyes focused on the table when he steps behind me and knowing that he’ll be taking off that towel to get dressed makes the temptation to turn around almost impossible to hold off.

I’ve made a big enough fool of myself already and when he comes back to the table with his jeans on and his top half still bare, I fail at not giving my attention to his solid chest and the light coating of hair that covers it. He opens the pizza box, taking himself a slice before he rests back on the couch.

“Had a good day?” I ask, trying my best to sound friendly rather than flustered.

“Coulda been better.” He reaches for the remote and points it at the TV set. I figured it was too old to still work and my theory is proven accurate when it doesn’t turn on. Raze tosses the remote and moves to the refrigerator instead.

“You want one?” he asks, holding up a beer.

“I’m... I’m not old enough to drink.” I admit, chewing on my thumb when I realize how pathetic that sounds.

“Jesus Christ.” He shakes his head and laughs to himself as he slams the refrigerator door shut.

“So just how old are ya?” He furrows his brow once he’s taken a drink.

“Twenty,” I tell him, figuring there’s no point in lying to him, not about my age anyway. “I’ll be twenty-one in a few months,” I add, as if that makes any difference.

“Twenty.” He laughs to himself again and this time it gets right under my skin.

“You find that funny?” I stare back at him, letting him see that I'm not impressed.

“No, I find it fuckin’ dangerous.” His face suddenly turns serious again, his eyes expelling that threat that doesn’t seem to scare me.

“Well, I can promise you that there’s nothing dangerous about me,” I don’t know if that’s a lie or the truth anymore, but right now it seems like my only defense. “Can you say the same?” I tilt my head at him.

“I’m very dangerous, which is why you shouldn’t be here.” He sounds unapologetic.

“And yet here I am, with you, feeling real safe.” I try my best to sound confident, even with my heart thudding in my chest and my stomach tying in knots.

“Well don’t get too used to it, you’re leaving tomorrow,” he reminds me, before taking one of the pillows from his bed and moving back to the couch with it.

“What are you doing?” I ask when he props the pillow against the arm of the couch, lays down, and rests his head on it.

“I’ve had a long-assed day and I’d really like to get some sleep.” He pulls the throw that's draped over the back of the couch over his body.

“I thought I’d be taking the couch.”

“Now that wouldn’t be very gentlemanly of me would it?” He half smiles, before turning his back on me and making himself comfortable. Since I figure I have a huge challenge ahead of me tomorrow trying to convince him to let me stay, I decide I should get some sleep myself.

“Has anyone seen Kane?” I ask, trying not to choke on all the smoke as I make my way through the old warehouse that the Reapers use as a clubhouse. I know my brother’s told me time and time again not to come here, but I really need to speak to him.

“Who ya looking for, sweet cheeks?” I jump nervously when one of the brothers grab my ass.

“My brother, Kane, he’s um…he’s a prospect,” I explain, searching around for him desperately.

“Not yet he ain’t.” An old man who has a woman’s head buried into his lap laughs at me.

“Come with me.” Some other guy steps up behind me cupping his hands around my shoulders and giving me no chance to question him as he marches me back the way I came.

“Your Kane sister, huh?” He releases me once we're out in the fresh air so he can light himself a smoke.

“I am.” I search around still looking for a sign of him, but he’s nowhere to be seen, there's barely anyone out here at all now.

“So that would make you Kenny Longmire’s daughter?” He blows the smoke out of his lungs and offers his cigarette out to me.

“I don’t smoke.” I shake my head.

“‘Course ya don’t. I heard that Kenny had his kids raised right.” He sniggers to himself.

“Well then, you know more about him than I do.” I laugh, trying to loosen the tension that I can feel building.

“Your brother’s workin’ real hard to make up for what ya daddy did,” the guy tells me, sucking back on his cigarette again.

“I know that, and it means a lot to him. He’s nothing like our dad, he’s loyal. He would never–”

“Rat.” The asshole finishes my sentence before I get a chance, with a smug look on his face.

“Look, what my dad did had nothing to do with us. I–”

“Come on, your brother’s loading up a cage for tomorrow's run. I’ll take ya to him.” He smiles, making me breathe a sigh of relief when he grabs my hand and leads me around the side of the warehouse where I see a black van parked in the distance. The closer we get the more I notice how quiet it is back here, and when I realize that there’s no one else around, all that relief disappears and I freeze.

“What ya doin?” The guy tugs at my arm to try and get me moving again.

“I think I'll wait for him around the front.” At least at the entrance of the club, there will be people coming and going. I don’t like how dark it is back here.

I go to spin around but he grabs me, forcing me against the wall so hard that my head smashes against the brickwork and makes me dizzy.

“You're even prettier than you look in the photo.” His rough hand creeps under my skirt and gropes me between my legs and when I turn my head to face away from him his tongue slides over my cheek and leaves a slimy trail.

“Please don’t.” I don’t have a chance to ask him what he means about the photo, I’m too busy pressing my palm into his shoulder and trying to prise him off me. He’s just too damn strong.

“Come on…Girls only come here for one reason, and that's to have a good time. Let me show you one.” He grips my face with his hand puckering my lips together while his other rubs at me through my panties. I thrash and fight to get him off me and when I feel him start ripping at the fabric to get them off, I realize I have to act fast. Trying to push him away isn’t working, so I fumble my hand around his waist hoping that what Kane told me is true and that all Reapers carry knives. Relief takes over my fear when my hand touches what feels like the handle of a knife and I drag it from his belt, not giving myself a chance to hesitate as I plunge it into his side.

“Fuck!” He roars in pain, but his hands are still on me, still restricting me. I watch his eyes stretch wide with agony when I stab him again, then again, until his grip on me weakens and he falls to the ground. I hold the knife up in defense, and it shakes in my hand as his blood slips over the handle and onto my skin. I hear my name being called from somewhere in the distance, but all I can do is stand and stare as the life drains out of the man who just tried to assault me. I slam my free hand over my mouth when I realize what I've done then start to choke on the bile rising up my throat.

“Pey.” I turn around and see Kane, who’s staring between me and the body in shock.

“They’re letting Billy out.” I drop the knife from my hand and reveal what I came here to tell him.

“Pey, Peyton.” He moves forward, grabbing my arms and shaking my body so hard my bones rattle.

“Peyton, Did you…Did you do this?” he asks, looking over my shoulder at the body on the floor.

“He was gonna…” I try to explain but can't get the words out. “I couldn’t let it happen again.” I tell him.

“Pey, you gotta get outta here. If they know you did this, you're dead. We’re both dead.” He carefully picks up the knife from the floor and starts to drag me toward the black van. I feel numb as he helps me into the passenger seat and slams the door.

“Fuck, fuck fuck.” I hear him cursing under his breath as he sets to work opening the back doors and loading the man who I just killed into the back.

“It's okay. Don’t worry. I’ll figure it out,” he tells me, getting behind the wheel and starting the engine.“It’s going to be okay,” he keeps repeating as he drives down the narrow alley that runs between the derelict buildings. I figure it’s to avoid passing the club entrance and being seen.

His eyes remain fixed on the road when we get onto the main street but I can see his hands shaking as they grip the wheel.

“What are we gonna do Kane?” I can barely force my voice out as I look back at the body in the back and my stomach rolls.

“Just let me think,” he snaps.

“There was blood all over the floor, they’ll notice it as soon as it’s light.” I wipe my hand over my face and when I feel his blood still sticking to my skin I burst into tears.

“Stop that. Don’t you dare lose your shit. We have to think about this. Did anyone see you back there?” he checks, driving frantically and skipping a red light.

“A few, in the clubhouse, maybe, definitely one. I was asking for you. A letter came to the house saying that Billy was being released and I panicked. I needed to be with you.”

“It doesn’t matter about fucking Billy.” Kane slams his hand against the wheel in rage. “You just killed a club member. Do you know what that fuckin’ means?”

“That I’m going to jail.” I cry into my hands, this time not caring about the blood.

“No Pey, you ain’t going to jail. The Reapers wouldn’t let you. Blood for blood, that's how they work and you gotta get your ass out of this town before they put two and two together and figure this was you. They won’t notice the blood till the morning but I’m guessing Malice’s bike is at the club so they will be wondering where he went without it.”

He pulls up outside the garage where he works and gets out of his seat. I watch him march inside and come back out with a set of keys.

“Here.” He opens my door and places them in my hand before dragging me out and leading me to a banged-out car that’s parked on the other side of the parking lot.

“We can’t just take this car, Kane, you’ll lose your job.”

“It’s my car, I bought it a few months ago.” He pops the trunk and I’m shocked at what I see.“There’s water, two sleeping bags, and a few sets of clothes. The gas tank’s full and there's 150 dollars cash and a burner phone in the glove box, but only use that if it’s an emergency.”

“Kane, what's all this for?” I stare at him confused.

“I always figured Billy would get out or Dad would come looking for us. I had to have an escape plan. Now, you need to get in this car and drive the hell away from here.” He opens the driver’s door for me.

“What about you, you can come with me.”

“I can’t, I gotta stay here and get rid of him.” He looks back toward the van, “I gotta make sure they never suspect you.”

“Kane, I can’t go without you, I’m too scared. We’ve never been apart. I need you.” I start crying again which I know isn’t helping. But what he’s suggesting is crazy.

“You need me here more. Pey, they will hunt you down like dogs. Now get out of here, go home, get showered, and hit the road as fast as you can. Do not look back and don’t try to contact me. I know the number for the phone, you wait until you hear from me.” He pulls me onto him and hugs me tight.

“I love you Pey, and I promise I’ll figure this out.” He forces me into the car and slams the door. I start the engine as he races to get back in the truck and when I place my hands on the steering wheel and see the blood that covers them I know my life will never be the same again.