Chapter Sixteen
Dragon
K atana’s presence the moment I step out of the clubhouse into the sticky Oklahoma afternoon is a salve to my singed soul. After fucking Cove, my mind is a goddamn mess. I can’t shake away the terror that crept up on me.
Night Giant.
Most days, I can keep him on the pedestal where I throw all my mental hatred at him and fantasize all the ways I’ll gut him like a fish.
Not today.
Today, he’s a shadowy monster looming in my subconscious. Laughing at me. Reaching for me. Threatening me. No matter how hard I try to shake him from my head, he’s there, suffocating me with his malevolence.
I’ll never escape him.
Not until he’s dead.
This shit has gone on long enough.
“I got your back, bro,” Katana murmurs, voice hard with steely resolve.
He’s always had my back. No matter what. Katana saved me all those years ago when I made my escape out of Night Giant’s sick fucking hold. If it weren’t for Katana, I’d be dead by now. There’s no doubt in my mind. Had I not escaped, I would’ve figured out a way to take my own life eventually.
Laughter in the main house garage echoes loudly, beckoning me toward it. Katana is right behind me, ready to back me up no matter what. Koyn and Copper are standing side by side like a couple of behemoth brotherly tattooed beasts wearing matching smirks as Nees no doubt fucks up another one of his bikes. The kid’s gone through more bikes than our whole club combined. Clumsy ass motherfucker.
“Prez,” I grind out. “A word.”
Copper’s amusement fades away as he scrutinizes me in that ex-Fed way he’s perfected. Like he can cut me open and find answers if he chooses to. I give him the finger before ignoring him completely.
“If you’re coming to tell me you accidentally killed BP in some kinky-ass sex games,” Koyn drawls out, “I don’t want to hear about it. I’m not dealing with Stormy. You can tell her you fucked her brother to death yourself.”
Nees barks out a laugh from nearby. Before I can retaliate, Katana rests an encouraging hand on my shoulder. All irritation for Nees evaporates in an instant.
“I’ll make sure he’s still alive,” Copper deadpans. “Katana?”
Katana waits for my approval. I give him a clipped nod. Behind me, Nees complains as Copper herds him out of the garage.
Just me and Prez and my fury.
“I want him dead.”
“BP?”
I crack my neck, pinning him with a cool glare. “Fuck off.”
“You’re a real pain in my ass, you know that?” Koyn’s tone is gruff, but there’s a hint of affection beneath it all. It’s a reminder a man, a father, a husband lives inside the crazy fucking Royal Bastard.
“My patience is gone. Fucking gone. I’m going whether you allow me to or not.”
Koyn scowls, the scars on his face pinching at the movement. “Give me a couple of weeks to formulate a plan—”
“Tonight.”
“You’re fucking insane if you think I’m going to go for that.”
“Animal has eyes on that trailer. The only place Night Giant goes is to the local grocery store to buy toilet paper to wipe his ass and food. He’s right there, Prez. I can’t fucking sit still or relax knowing he’s right there within reach.”
He plucks a cigarette from his pack and offers me one as well. My nerves are shot, so a blast of nicotine will certainly take the edge off. We both light up and it isn’t until we’ve taken a couple of drags before he speaks again.
“Tonight, huh?”
“I can be there in a few hours.”
“Not alone.”
“I’ll have Katana.”
Koyn takes another drag and blows out a plume of smoke from his nostrils. “We’ll all go.”
“I don’t need everyone, Bizzy’s fat ass included, fucking this up for me,” I growl, cracking my neck. “I’ll get in and get out.”
“No.”
“Prez…”
“Jesus Christ, Dragon, I said no. You’re not doing this alone.”
“You can come, but I can’t do this with all of…them.” Bizzy. Filter. Copper.
He studies me for a long beat, reading between the lines. Night Giant is my weakness. The one chink in my armor. Prez knows firsthand what that motherfucker did to me because he was there when I was just a young man on the run and looking for a safe place to land.
“All right. Give me an hour and then we’ll get rid of this sick piece of shit once and for all.”
Music to my ears.
“Listen up,” Koyn says after pushing away his empty plate from lunch. “Plans have changed.”
Copper gives me a warning glare, which means he must’ve interrogated Cove about this new thing we’re doing. He can shoot daggers at me all he wants, but I’m not quitting Cove. Not a fucking chance.
Koyn waits until everyone is crowded in the big house’s dining room and kitchen. The house is massive and swanky, reminding me of the house I grew up in, but all the tattooed bikers seem out of place. I force images of my mother out of my mind. She’d lose her shit if the Royal Bastards were in her pristine kitchen.
Ignoring the longing to hug my mother, I focus on Koyn. Somehow, he became more than a biker brother. He became a surrogate father when I was too ashamed and broken to go back to mine. I might be a shithead most days, but I’ll forever be grateful for the life Koyn gave me when I no longer had one.
“Tonight, we’re taking down Night Giant.”
“Hell yeah,” Nees shouts, fist pumping the air. “About damn time.”
“Not you, numbskull. Me, Katana, and Dragon.”
“Prez,” Filter starts, irritation in his tone. “I’m going too.”
“No,” Koyn grinds out. “It’s the three of us. In and out. We’ll be back by morning.”
“What about the intel?” Payne asks. “I thought we were using him to smoke out others.”
“Fuck the intel,” I snarl. “His expiration date is up.”
“We’re taking Hadley’s Tahoe,” Koyn continues, ignoring the arguing. “Filter, Halo, Gibson—make sure we’re stocked up on weapons. Bermuda, get in contact with Animal. Let him know we’re headed that way.”
Everyone begrudgingly breaks up to do as they’re told. I grab some of my favorite knives after a quick shower. Washing Cove’s scent off me wasn’t by choice. I just hate the idea of Night Giant smelling him. That bastard took enough from me. I’ll be damned if I let him take something as intangible as Cove’s smell too. Once I’m showered, dressed, and strapped for battle, I head outside.
A fucking angel awaits me.
Cove, dressed from head to toe in black, leans against Hadley’s Tahoe. His blond hair is messy on top of his head, like a chaotic halo. My wrecked angel. He’s been dragged to hell and clawed his way back out.
“Came to give me a goodbye kiss. How sweet,” I spit out, not meeting his penetrating stare. “I’m not in the mood.”
I’m absolutely in the fucking mood, but the second I get my lips back on him, I won’t be able to stop.
“Shut up, Dragon.”
His icy words are daggers in my heart. I love the cold pain of them. Cutting, stabbing, chilling.
“Go back to the clubhouse, Baby Prospect.”
“No.”
I stalk over to him, unable to keep from shoving my hips against his. His ass hits the side of the vehicle and he sucks in a sharp breath.
Don’t touch him. Don’t touch him. Don’t touch him.
My hand shakes as I ghost it over his delicate cheek. His lips part, inviting me to do so much more than touch. To kiss and devour and own.
He reaches up and grabs my wrist, tugging me closer. I study his pouty lips as he molds my hand around his throat. A thrill shivers down my spine.
“What are you doing?” I demand, my hand giving in to his need, tightening around his neck. “You’re a distraction.”
“I’m going with you.”
“You’re not.”
He grabs my leather cut, pulling me impossibly closer. I love the ragged sound of his breathing as my grip around his throat shackles him to me.
“What happens when he gets inside your head, Chase ? What then?”
I recoil at my real name, shuddering as it violates me with memories of a boy I once was. Everything darkens around me. Despair claws at me inside my chest. The world spins and then my head slams against the hard earth.
“Look at me,” Cove demands, scowling down at me.
He’s an avenging angel straddling me. Fire and brimstone in his blue eyes. Beautiful and terrifying.
“You need me,” he murmurs softly. “Admit it. I somehow understand what goes on in that fucked-up head of yours.”
My heart no longer races and thuds heavily in my chest. I grab hold of his shirt, tugging him down to me. His lips press to mine so sweetly and reverently, I almost don’t feel worthy of such a tender kiss. The sweetness fades as his tongue plunges into my mouth, teasing me in filthy ways that get my dick incredibly hard.
“You’re manipulative,” I complain.
“Whatever works.”
“Stormy teach you this shit?”
“Family trait.”
“Hmph.”
He grins against my lips. “That sounds like a yes.”
“You’re fucking deaf too.”
“I’m coming, Dragon.”
I grab his ass with two hands, squeezing tight. “Not yet. You will be when this is over.”
“For fuck’s sake,” Koyn barks out. “You can’t fuck in my front yard.”
“We were having a discussion,” Cove mutters.
“Yeah, me and Pageant Girl have the same fucking discussions all the time. Always ends up with my dick in her mouth too.” He grumbles all the way to the hatch and starts tossing shit into the Tahoe. “I’m leaving, Dragon. With or without you.”
I grab Cove’s jaw, bringing his lips to mine. “You can go with us. But Night Giant is mine. Understood?”
“Yeah, psycho. I’m not into that bloody shit like you. I’m just there to have your back.”
We get lost in another kiss, ignoring Katana’s sniggering as he passes by us. It isn’t until Koyn starts laying on the horn like a crazy-ass motherfucker that we break apart.
Time to put down the monster once and for all.