Raze (Dirty Soul MC: Long Beach #1)

Chapter 29

Iwas fully on my guard as we rode through the Reapers’ roads on our way back from Reno. I wasn’t taking any risks, we have a lot of money’s worth in the back of the cage and Death Valley is a no-go this time of year. Now we’re outta the danger zone I can relax and look forward to seeing Peyton in a few hours.

Sonny and Rocco are both in the cage behind me, I got Wrath and Dev bringing up the rear and Ruckus by my side. With Sasquatch and Vike either side of the cage to box it in, we’re on the home stretch.

I’ll be glad to get this over with, I’ve figured out in a real short time that I don’t like being away from Peyton, especially not while I know Billy Skillet is still out there roaming. I know the likelihood of him finding her is slim, add to the fact he’d have to have steel balls to attempt coming to the club. I just know I’ll feel a helluva lot better when that fucker’s dead.

We’re cruising nicely through the windy roads, and less than a mile out of Long Beach when I hear the first shot. It comes from my right and smashes the windscreen of the cage causing it to swerve.

“Shit!” Ruckus shouts, keeping his head low as more fires come from the woodland on the other side of the road.

Another shot takes Vike off his bike, and I hanker on the brakes and hold my bars one-handed as I take out my gun and fire at the trees.

“I’ll cover ground, see to Vike!” I yell out behind me. Firing another blind shot, and hearing a painful moan.

A loud roar of engines comes from up ahead and when I look at the road in front of me four bikes are heading straight for us. I take my focus off the trees to fire at the men coming at us and feel something slice through my side as I keep popping at the incoming Reapers.

Ruckus goes charging into the trees without any backup and I climb off my bike and use the cage as cover while I send more bullets out in front of me.

“What’s the plan, Boss?” Rocco kicks open the back door of the cage, looking ready for action with the sawn-off shotgun in his hand.

“Just aim and fuckin’ fire!” I yell, checking over my shoulder and seeing Vike on his feet despite the blood that’s pouring from his shoulder.

“Those fuckers scratched my bike!” He yells, in a deep, low voice that sounds real pissed. And when one of their bikes zooms passed us I manage to get a headshot on the fucker that tries to shoot me and send him to his end.

“How many you seeing, Sonny?” I call through the cage to where Sonny has taken cover behind Burlusconi’s supply.” He’s the only one of us with a view out of the cracked windshield.

Three, they’re off, their saddles now.” He calls back.

“How you wanna play this?” Wrath asks, looking to the woods and hearing more groans of pain.

“You cover the back, more might be coming from the opposite direction,” I tell him, pointing forward to Dev, to let him know he’s with me.

“I ain’t covering the fuckin’ back,” Wrath argues, and when another bullet pings off the side of the cage I grip him by his lapels and slam him into the cage door beside me that's still shut.

“Now ain’t the time to be throwing’ ya weight around. I need cover at the back,” I tell him again, releasing him with a shove and focusing on the here and fuckin’ now. I nod to Dev and we both reach our arm round either side of the cage and send out some shots.

“I’m out.” I release my clip and Sonny shows he’s of no use at all when he doesn’t get the hint and toss me a new one.

“I got it.” Rocco climbs back into the cage and tosses me one from the bag between the front seats.

“Woodland’s clear!” Ruckus calls out, and when a shot hits one of the trees near where it came from it gives me a good indication on where to fire my next shot. I keep my back tight to the side of the van then make a quick fire at the Reaper who’s using his bike as a shield and shooting toward the tree line. His friend spots me and lifts his gun to point in my direction, and his head explodes when Rocco puts that shotgun of his to good use.

“I got you, Prez” He reloads it with a proud smile on his face, and looking around at the four dead Reapers whose blood is soaking the tarmac I call out to Ruckus that it’s clear.

He steps out from the trees with a smoke hanging from the side of his mouth as he drags a body by its ankles.

“Everyone whole?” I call out.

“Just about.” Vike touches his hand to the hole in his shoulder.

“Ya did good kid.” I ruffle Rocco’s hair as I pass him, knowing his old man would be proud of him. He stepped up today, showed no fear, unlike Sonny who I’m pretty sure is still quaking in his boots in the back of the cage.

“Shit, you’ve been hit,” Dev points out, looking down at my side and seeing the blood on my shirt. It ain’t nothin’ though, just a clip and I lift up my shirt to show that it's just a bullet graze.

“Come on, let’s get out of here before we get any more excitement.” I nod to them all, and Wrath pins me with his eyes as he picks up his bike and retakes his saddle.

Vike lifts his and checks it for any more damage, and when he decides it’s rideable he hops on too. Rocco uses the baseball bat that’s kept under the driver’s seat of the cage to smash the rest of the windscreen through, so he can see out of it for the rest of our journey, and when one of the Reapers on the ground starts to move, Saint snatches the bat off him and heads straight for the guy.

He swings back the bat, then smashes it into the guy’s skull to silence him, and when I turn my back on him and prepare to start my engine, I notice in my mirror that he ain’t stopping. I look back over my shoulder and watch with everyone else as he slams the bat over and over into the Reaper’s head until it explodes all over the road like a smashed watermelon.

“Saint!” I call out, “We ain’t got time for this.” Right now we’re exposed. Someone could drive past any second, and who knows if more Reapers are on their way.

“I don’t think that’s Saint.” Ruckus crushes his smoke out under his boot as all of us watch him continue to batter the body in front of him. His face is completely red from the blood that splatters from his heavy blows, and when he finally decides he’s done, he calmly hands the bat back to Rocco, smiling across at me with blood-stained teeth as he takes his bike and waits for my order.

“He really is a fuckin’ psychopath, ain’t he?” I stare at the guy in disbelief, deciding to let the fact that me and him have a score to settle wait until we get back to the club.

“What the fuck ya doin’ here?” Dev calls over his engine when he sees his brother waiting at the gate.

“You took both ya prospects, so I thought I’d make use of myself,” Corey tells him, as he opens them for us to pull through.

“What have I told ya ‘bout–”

“Leave off, Dev, it’s been a fuckin’ day.” I hold up my hand.

“I appreciate it, Corey,” I nod my head as I ride past him and take my spot.

“What the fuck happened to you boys?” Griller steps through the arch, looking shocked when he sees the state Sinner’s in, while Peyton shoves him out the way and comes racing toward me. All the excitement evaporates from her face when she sees the blood on my shirt and the state the cage is in.

“Oh, my God.” She wraps her arms around my neck squeezing me so tight I almost choke and when she looks down to where the blood is soaking through my shirt she presses her hand over it and makes her palm sticky with the blood that seeps through the cotton.

“It’s fine, just a graze. Pol can stitch it, but she’s gotta see to Vike first.” I keep her tucked under my arm as I start making my way toward the clubhouse. “Grill, you and Saul unload the supply into another cage we need to get it to Burlusconi’s ranch, ASAP.”

“You sure you're okay? Raze, were you shot at?” She sounds so worried.

“Don’t worry there's six dead Reapers to make up for it,” Rocco tells her still looking proud of himself as he heads for the clubhouse.

“Six?” Peyton stops walking, suddenly turning pale. Sinner moves past her, still covered in Reapers’ blood, and when he winks at her it takes everything in my power not to rip him back and use my fist like a bat on his fuckin’ skull.

“We got ambushed, there were two in the woods shooting at us, another four came at us from up ahead. I took my eye off the ball, I thought since we were outta their territory we were good.”

“That’s exactly what they wanted us to think.” Wrath shoves the door to the clubhouse open and storms inside, and as mad at me as he is right now, he’s right. Those Reapers were waiting for us, they knew we were coming and they wanted us to be off our guard. I’ve thought about that fact the whole journey back, and I don’t fuckin’ like it. It makes me think I need to be keeping a closer eye on my brothers.

“You killed them?” Peyton whispers, looking like she’s in some kinda trance.

“Well, not single-handedly. Rocco got a good shot on one of ‘em.” I laugh at her, then have to remind myself that none of this is normal to her when she still looks haunted.

“Look, darlin’, it was a ‘them vs us’ situation and we won. Don’t let it worry ya.” I kiss her on the cheek and feel her shudder. I guess realizing your boyfriend is a stone-cold killer is a tough pill to swallow.

Someone cranks up the music when we step into the clubhouse and when Saul’s sister sees that Vike is injured she comes running over and starts making a fuss of him.

“I’m good, honestly,” he tells her polity, reaching over the bar with his good arm to help himself to a bottle of Jack.

She continues to cluck over him while I move toward Sinner, taking the opportunity while he’s present to have a word with him.

“My office.” I interrupt the conversation he’s having with one of the girls, heading for the door and then taking my chair behind the desk.

He strolls in casually a few minutes later with a bottle of vodka in his hand and his face still stained red with Reaper blood.

“It’s good to finally meet you.” I keep my lips straight and stare at him.

“I don’t think you mean that.” He sniggers, as he knocks back the bottle then wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.

“We’ll get into the shit you pulled with my old lady in a second, but first I wanna address what happened on the road today.”

“Yeah, havin’ Wrath cover the back.” His head shakes as he screws up his face. “That was a shitty thing to do.” He points the neck of the bottle at me before taking another swig.

“I’m not talkin’ about that. I’m talkin’ about the mess you left of that fuckin’ Reaper. It was?—”

“Worth the wait.”

“What?” I shake my head confused.

“I’ve not killed anyone in one hundred and thirty… two days. Almost a record.” He lifts his shoulders.

“Listen, Sinner, I don’t know how Cliff used to manage you, but–”

The laugh he snorts interrupts me and I watch him roll his tongue around his cheek before he speaks.

“Nobody manages me.” He’s got a wicked smile on his face “Not even Saint.”

“Well, that’s about to change.” I stand up and lean over my desk.

“I don’t know why you stick around, but if you want to remain a member of this club, you will abide by the rules I set. The first of ‘em bein’ stay the fuck away from my old lady.”

“Relax, Prez, I ain’t interested in ya girl, she’s far too sweet for me,” he whispers that last part and makes the blood move faster through my veins. “I was just looking to have some fun, test some limits.” He swipes over the end of his nose with his thumb a few times keeping the cocky grin on his face.

“Well, mine ain’t the kind you test, less you wanna end up like Griller?” I warn him. “You’ve been relyin’ on the fact that everyone around here is loyal to Saint for too long. You cross me and I’ll strike.”

“And you’ll come to learn that this club needs me a hella lot more than I need to be here. Don’t forget that I’m the dominant one.” He taps his head as if he has Saint locked away inside it. “I know exactly when it’s time to come out and play.” His words set a chill over my skin but I don’t let him see that he’s got me unnerved.

“Well play nice, or me and you ain’t gonna see eye to eye.”

“Guess Griller should have heeded that warning, huh?” He laughs to himself like all this is some kinda joke.

“Sinner, I fuckin’ mean it. If you–-”

“She likes you to touch her when she wakes up from the nightmares, don’t she?” He interrupts me, knocking me completely off guard.

“What?”

“That girl of yours, she needs you to touch her when she wakes up from her night terrors,”

“How the fuc–”

“It’s a coping mechanism, having you touch her makes her forget about whoever he is and what he did to her.” I have no idea how the fuck he knows all this but it’s pissing me off as much as it’s freaking me out.

“You doubt that what she feels for you is real, every time you look at her.” He pulls down one of the slats on the blind so we can see through the glass window and into the barroom. Peyton still looks lost among the chaos, her arms are wrapped around her shoulders like she’s shielding herself from something. I hate to think that something could be me.

“Every time she asks you to take her bad memories away you wonder to yourself if that's all you're good for.”

“Now, you're just talkin’ shit.” I shake my head and refuse to let him get inside my head.

“Am I? You mean to tell me that you don’t doubt why she’s fallen for you. I see things Raze, I see things that no one else does and I see how much she scares you.” He releases the blind and steps closer. “She scares you because even if she’s using you, you’d let her. You’d do anything to keep her.”

“Sinner, I suggest for your sake and everyone else’s you stay away from her, and from me.” I make my way to the door, holding it open for him.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like to have a little fun before I leave, playing Whack-a-Reaper is real thirsty work.” Knocking back the bottle he’s still holding, he passes me and heads toward the bar. He slams his palm right into Cara’s ass cheek as he approaches her. It makes her squeal and when she spins around she has an excited smile on her face.

I leave him to it, heading over to the table where Polly has a long set of tweezers and is digging around in Vike’s shoulder. The hard-assed fucker sits there showing no expression while Saul’s sister shows her concern.

Peyton still looks pale, she’s chewing on her thumb the way she always does when she’s nervous and I don’t like that she’s unnerved. Yeah, today’s been a bad day, but there will be much worse. She needs to be able to handle it.

“You good?” I frown when I notice that her hands are shaking.

“Yeah, I’m fine, just worried about what happened today, you were lucky that's just a graze.” She looks down at my shirt again

“Got it.” Polly sounds victorious as she drops the bullet into a bowl on the table.

“Now let’s get this hole stitched up.” Alicia stands by her side, handing her the gauze and alcohol, and I note the way Griller narrows his eye at her as he watches her being so tentative to Vike. Saul is far too busy enjoying the entertainment Sinner and Cara are providing to notice that there's definitely something going on with Griller and his sister, though from the way she’s stroking her hand over Vike’s arm, I’d guess that it ain’t reciprocated.

“Raze, the men you killed, how old were they?” Peyton asks me, proving that all this shit is really getting to her, and with the words that Sinner said in my office still spinning round my head, I feel everything I’ve been convincing myself of start to crumble.

“Does it fuckin’ matter, they’re dead.” I snap at her, getting the attention of the whole club and making her pale skin turn red with embarrassment.

It turns out Sinner had everything fuckin’ dead-on accurate when he called me out a few minutes ago. And I don’t know at what point I stopped listening to my instincts and let this fantasy of her and me become a thing.

Peyton came here to seek solace and protection. She doesn’t love me, how can she? She doesn’t know anything about me. And now that she’s starting to learn, she’s already not liking it. I may just be a protector to her, but she’s becoming the start and end of my fuckin’ world. I’ve let myself get tangled up with feelin’s before. I know they only lead to disappointment and heartbreak, and yet the thought of pushing her away and letting her go feels like too much of a consolation.

“I’m sorry.” She looks hurt as she turns her back on me, leaving me to sit in misery corner with Sonny.