An Outlaw Monster (Back Down Devil MC #10)(66)

I shuddered and slowly nodded. I held back tears as Trent brought my hand to his mouth. He kissed the diamond ring and leaned down. His lips grazed my cheek and he said he loved me.

I said I loved him too.

He then addressed his father, who stood with a can of beer in his hand.

“Got that money?” his father asked.

Trent reached into his back pocket and took out an envelope with cash. He slammed it to his father’s chest. “Don’t f*ck this up for me, okay? You’ve f*cked up so much in my life. I’m asking just once…”

“Okay, son,” his father said.

Trent then looked back at me. The sight I didn’t like. I knew Trent was lying to his father. Saying anything he needed to protect me.

I knew at the end of this… Trent would come back to get me.

And then he’d get rid of his father for good.





thirty-three.



(trent)



We cruised up the dirt road, a massive cloud of dust all around us. Austin was at the tail end of the group, driving a little stolen car. We were going to ditch the car at the meet and have the numbers scratched off and leave it to rot. Shit, even if someone found the car, there was no tying it to us. It was a beater car registered to someone who passed away three years ago.

Garvan and Bryant were waiting for us, along with a black van. Inside that van was what held the future of the MC. It would set forth a tone and purpose in the new reign of Back Down Devil MC. I knew every single patched in member who voted on the deal was uncomfortable and they had every right to feel that way.

Trev and Jasper climbed off their rides. I followed suit. I was the enforcer and my personal life was tied to this deal.

Trev and Garvan shook hands.

“Aye,” Garvan said. “We ready?”

“As ever,” Trev said.

“This can’t go wrong,” Bryant said. “We need this off our backs. You know that.”

“Nothing will go wrong,” Jasper said. “We have our end under control. This is about moving forward and beyond what Ripper did. After today, all this shit is laid to rest.”

“Aye,” Garvan said. He then looked right at me. “Speaking of laid to rest. Your father” - (sounding like fadder) - “is still breathing” - (sounding like breeding).

“Yeah,” I said. “For the moment. Everything is f*cked up here, okay? We are doing what is right to protect our club and our families.”

Bryant nodded. “Takes big balls to call us out and ask for a favor.”

“It wasn’t a favor,” Trev said. “It was the only way to fix all this. Now, we’re just wasting time. We gave you the cash, you have what we need. Now it’s time to end this conversation and all of us move forward.”

“Agreed,” Garvan said.

Bryant stepped toward me. He put a finger to my chest. “But you mark my goddamn words, lad. If that old man of yours ain’t dead when I want him to be dead, I’m coming for you. I’m coming for everything you have and will ever have.”

I grabbed Bryant’s finger and twisted it. It made a loud pop sound. He tore his hand away and went for his gun.

Jasper sprung to life and got between us. “Okay, men. Trent, go back to your ride.” He then whistled and waved for Austin. “Get up here and drive the van, Austin. We’re out of here right now.”

I walked back to the motorcycle and sat there, waiting. There were a few more words exchanged and then we were all in gear. Somewhere in my dumb heart, I had let too much in. Bad enough letting Harlee creep inside and twist me up, I thought for a second I could maybe save my father. Hell, maybe I still could. Maybe we could all turn something like a new f*cking leaf and end all this.

Back down the dirt road we went and in the cloud of dust, I knew anything new was bullshit. Not with what we had in the van.

This wasn’t going to end the war… this was only going to ignite it even more.

**

The first thing I didn’t like about the meeting was that both Rocco and Gunner weren’t there. They were trying to be defiant about the meeting. It was a blatant sign of disrespect to us because they didn’t feel they needed to meet with us. Instead, they had seven patched in members, none of them the regulars we’ve dealt with. That meant the Night Soul MC clubhouse had all their table members waiting for someone to call and tell them the meeting was over.

That was not how Back Down Devil MC operated. Our meetings were always face to face, and judging by the way Trev had taken over in a storm, he was always going to show up and be on the front line of it all. Even if he ended up dead, he’d at least die with honor.

Trev and Jasper were next to each other, enough space for another motorcycle. Trev looked at me and gave the nod. That was a real sign of trust and respect. Behind us, the rest of the guys were broken up into two groups, leaving a path for the van. Austin backed the van up and got out. He walked to the backdoors and stood there.

“Where’s your President?” Trev asked.

A tough guy stepped forward, wearing sunglasses and tattoos like he was the coolest kid in school. “He don’t have time for you punks. You give us what’s ours and we ride on. This is bullshit. You f*cking steal from us? Fuck that.”

Trev gave the guy the time of day for about five seconds before the guy walked right up to Trev and bumped chests with him.