Blaze POV
I’ve spent well over an hour in church defending Dylan, and it’s been exhausting.
The first thirty minutes were purely damage control, trying to explain that he didn’t know about his father’s plan to let me rot in that warehouse.
Slowly, they started to come around. But then I told them everything else Dylan had confessed. How his father kept him hidden for years just to use him as a spy. How he was sent into other clubs to gather information.
He swore he never did it with us. That part caused the biggest explosion.
Accusations flew around the table. Trust was thrown out the window. When I mentioned Declan’s bigger plan, to eventually take over the biker clubs entirely, shit completely blew up. Voices rose, fists slammed on the table, dirty looks were thrown my way like I was the one who invited the enemy in.
“You shouldn’t have fucking accepted him,” Glitch snaps, glaring across the table.
More voices join in, piling on. I slam my hand down hard enough to make the table rattle. “He’s Siren’s fucking friend! Me fucking him and wanting him changed nothing. He came here as Siren’s friend first, so if you’re all so desperate to put someone on the stand and throw abuse, go talk to her!”
Big mistake.
I’m slammed back against the wall before I can even finish the sentence. Echo’s forearm is pressed against my throat, eyes blazing with anger. The rest of the table erupts, some trying to pull him off me.
I rub my throat when he finally lets go, breathing hard. “I didn’t mean it like that. But you’re all coming at me like I snuck him in here. He came with Siren. This wasn’t some guy I was fucking on the side and invited into the clubhouse.”
“But he comes back so much for you, not Siren,” Echo snaps.
“Right, but the fact remains, he would still be coming here even if I wasn’t in the picture.”
Echo drops back into his seat, still fuming. “I don’t fucking trust him.”
“He’s not a bad guy. Just give him a chance.”
“Then he has to tell us everything,” Knox says, leaning forward. “And I mean everything. If he’s ever used us for information, anything like that.”
I nod. I can’t refuse them that. They have a right to hear it straight from Dylan. “Just… go easy on him. If you go at him the way you’ve gone at me, he’s going to struggle to even talk.”
Titan leans back with a smirk. “He does sound cute when he stutters.”
“Shut the fuck up.”
“Hey, I’m just saying. I never thought stuttering could be hot.”
I glare at him. “Well, while we’re on the topic, he agreed, so I’m claiming him. Back the fuck off.”
Titan throws his head back and laughs. “Damn, deciding that without him here? Ballsy move, brother.”
“He agreed.”
Echo watches me for a long moment, then smirks in a way I don’t entirely trust. “Alright. No week trial then. He’s yours.”
“What?” Titan ask, surprised.
“No hate, brother. If it’s clear these two are stuck together, we’ll leave it. If either of you starts swaying, we’ll deal with it. But even I can see Dylan isn’t the type to let anyone else fuck him.” Echo’s smirk deepens. “Now go get him. He needs to tell us everything himself.”Fuck.
I walk out of church and step back into the bedroom, only to find Dylan still sitting exactly where I left him. The papers are beside him on the bed, a few of them slightly crumpled like he’d been gripping them too tight.
“Have you done?” I ask.
“Yeah.” He grabs the stack and hands it over to me without meeting my eyes. “Who the fuck is Julius?”
I laugh and shake my head. “Doesn’t matter right now. Come on.” I grab his arm and drag him up. “You’re needed in church. You need to tell the guys everything.”
“Can it wait?” he asks, pulling away slightly, looking nervous.
“No. The sooner this is done, the sooner you’re actually okay here.”
He glances around the room, shifting on his feet. “I-I-I-I—” He cuts himself off, his face flooding bright red with embarrassment.
“What?” I step closer, frowning. “Please don’t tell me you fucking lied to me, Dylan.”
He shakes his head quickly. “I’m h-hard,” he whispers, mortified.
My eyes drop down and sure enough, there’s a very obvious bulge in his pants. I can’t help the smirk that spreads across my face. “You’re fine. Just walk in behind me and sit down. No one will see. Ten minutes, that’s all.”
I don’t give him any room to argue. I grab his wrist and drag him out of the room, pulling him down the hall toward church. The second we step inside, I push him into a seat and drop down right beside him, my arm resting possessively along the back of his chair.
My eyes keep flicking over to Titan, who’s sitting there with a shit-eating smirk like he knows exactly what’s going on. I don’t like it. They clearly said something while I was out, and whatever it was, I have a feeling I’m not going to like it.
Dylan shifts uncomfortably beside me, cheeks still flushed. I lean in just enough to murmur against his ear, “Be good and get through this. Then I’ll take care of that problem for you later.”
“I’ll tell you now, the only reason I’m giving you a damn chance is because you’re Siren’s friend. Otherwise you’d be out on your ass or in a ditch.” Echo leans forward, eyes hard. “So talk. Prove to me you’re not a fucking threat to this club.”
I sit there and listen as Dylan starts explaining everything.
He talks about growing up with a nanny instead of his father.
How he always believed he was being groomed to take over.
How his father finally admitted he’d only kept him hidden to use him as a spy.
The room stays mostly quiet while he goes through the clubs he was sent into, exactly what information his father wanted, and what he actually got, and from who.
I just stare at him. He’s been in so many clubs, slipping under the radar, going completely unnoticed. The realization hits me hard. Dylan is a natural at this. Too good at it.
The problem is, a lot of that information came from him flirting with daughters of presidents or other high-ranking members. I watch him closely as he speaks, and the truth sinks in.
Dylan is a little fucking flirt. And he clearly has no limits.
“What about Iron Kings?” Ghost asks. “You haven’t mentioned them.”
Dylan tenses visibly. “I-I was supposed to get the same information as the others. Then that day you stole the bike… I was there. My father had heard someone in your club was working with the West Crew to take him down. He suspected one of the members. I suspected Grim. So I flirted with him. He said enough for me to realize he was the one working for them.”
I tense up beside him. I didn’t fucking know that. He never told me that part.
“Wait, if Grim was all up for fucking you, why the fuck would he have punched you?” Knox tilts his head, and I realize Dylan lied about that too.
“H-h-he didn’t. It was my father,” Dylan admits, voice shaking. “He wanted to know what you knew about the club. Said even rival biker clubs know things.”
Ghost scoffs. “You fucking used us? Lied about Grim hitting you to get what? What did you get from us, Dylan?”
“F-f-found out about the weapons. My father didn’t know what was coming in.”
“So you used us,” Glitch slams his hand on the table. “You planned to keep fucking using us?”
“Don’t,” I warn, glaring around the table. His stutter is getting worse by the second.
“L-l-l-ook, I thought I was taking over soon,” Dylan pushes on, clearly struggling. “I t-t-thought I could use that to keep this club out of his plan. M-m-my dad might have fucking agreed to step back from this club for Siren.”
“We’re connected to others,” Echo leans back, voice cold. “So him taking over other clubs would fuck us all over. What’s his plan for the clubs?”
“He said you g-g-guys can get things moved easily, on the ground. P-p-plan is to use evidence against members and the club. E-e-either agree or he hands it in and takes the club down.”
“Evidence you gave him,” Knox snarls.
Dylan shakes his head quickly. “N-no. I didn’t give him anything he can physically hold.”
“Enough,” I cut in. “He’s telling you everything. There’s no need to be fucking assholes about it.”
Echo stares at Dylan for a long moment. “You want to be accepted by this club? Trusted? That means if I ask you about something, your father’s operation, anything, you tell me. No half answers. You say everything.”
Dylan nods. “Ask away. I won’t hold back.”
I jump in before anyone else can. “He already told me he’ll tell you everything. He won’t care if you take his father down, as long as his sisters and brother are okay.”
Echo nods slowly. “Right. Well, you lot get out of here. Dylan, you stay.”
I stare at him. “What?”
“I want a personal word with him. Without anyone else here. Including you. Off you pop.”
I sigh but nod. I follow the rest of the guys out, glancing back at Dylan one last time before the door closes.
The moment I step into the main room, I realize something is very wrong. The clubhouse is packed. Way more packed than it should be for a random evening. I glance around, confused as hell.
“What the fuck is this?” I look at Titan.
“Just a friendly get together,” he says with a straight face.
Friendly my ass.
Theo is here with Nathan and Mason, along with a bunch of other guys and women from the club. Including multiple guys I’ve fucked in the past. This feels like a setup.
“Celebration!” Theo shouts, throwing his arm around my shoulders and shoving a drink into my hand so aggressively some of it spills.
“What are we celebrating?” I ask warily.
“You sticking to one guy! Claiming someone! Good move, brother.” He nudges my glass. “Drink up. We’ve got plenty more to come.”
Oh fuck. That smirk on Echo’s face earlier suddenly makes a lot more sense. I’m going to be so wasted I won’t be able to stand by the end of the night.
Half an hour later, Dylan is still in with Echo. I can’t even complain about it, that’s a good thing. It means Echo is actually giving him a chance. But I hate it because I can’t use him as an excuse to escape this madness.
“He’s so wasted,” Mason chuckles. “Ease up, Theo. He’s not Echo, remember?”
Too fucking late. It’s been shot after shot. I swear I’m seeing double. Maybe even triple. My head falls back against the couch and I groan loudly.
“You didn’t do this with everyone else,” I mutter.
“Hey.”
I turn and squint, trying to make out who it is. I recognize the face instantly. “Not interested.”
“Just like that, Blaze? No chance at all? Not even gonna let me offer?”
“No. Because I’m sworn to someone. Just one someone.”
Oliver nods and steps away. I think he’s the fourth guy I’ve fucked who’s come over to “say hi” like this is some kind of reunion. I still don’t understand why they’re all here.
I down another shot Theo shoves into my hand. It’s not like I have much choice. I know how unhinged Theo gets when he’s in party mode.
“Let’s fucking play!” Theo grins wildly, eyes manic.
“No.”
“It’s easy. Dare or shot.”
“I’ll take the dares if it gets me out of more fucking shots. I daren’t even try to stand right now.” I gesture at him weakly. “Continue.”
“Give Julius a goodbye kiss.”
My head tilts. “W-what?”
“Hey.”
I turn and groan. “Where did all my past fucks come from?”
“Ouch. Is that how you see me?” Julius laughs, stepping closer.
“Well… yeah.”
“Shot.” Theo pushes another glass toward me.
I shake my head. “I’m going to puke on you if I drink another.”
“Then goodbye kiss,” Theo mocks, clearly enjoying this way too much.
“That’s not how this game goes.”
“Dare or shot!” Theo starts chanting, slamming his palms on the table. The whole room joins in. My world spins. My head is killing me and I swear I’m seeing things that definitely don’t exist.
My hand shakes as I reach for the shot. Julius stops me at the last second.
“Fucking hell,” he snaps, and suddenly his lips are on mine. I jerk back, eyes wide.
“There. Dare done. Now no more. He’s wasted.”
“I’m drunk,” I mutter, staring at Julius in confusion. “You kissed me?”
He rolls his eyes. “To save you from another shot. Take it as a fucking win.”
No, because we haven’t seen each other in over a year, and now he’s here. Along with what feels like the entire army of my ex-fucks. Like it’s a goddamn parade.
A Blaze fuck buddy parade.
And knowing Theo, this is only the beginning.