Crash and Burn (Back Down Devil MC #2)(23)

Shit.

Avery reminded herself that she wasn’t there for another biker and she definitely wasn’t there to fall for anyone. Landon had brought her to his MC because he thought she was involved with that bombing in the lot. It was obvious she had nothing to do with it, so there was no more reason for her to be there, unless Landon had other plans with her…

Avery paid for the clothing and spotted a side hallway leading to an exit out back. She could just slip away right now. There was no need to bring any trouble to Landon or his MC. If Bry was going to chase her down, he’d do so no matter what. Bry didn’t understand the rules of a true MC and she was certain he didn’t understand that power of a real MC. Images of Landon stabbing that guy flashed in her mind. It wasn’t fighting. It was violence. It was revenge. It was all about sending a clear message.

As Avery walked the side hall to the backdoor she felt guilty. She couldn’t stop thinking about the way Landon reacted when she told him about her past. Thinking of Bry made her sick to her stomach. He used to hit her, hold her down, and force himself upon her and inside her. The worst part was that Bry was big, but it wasn’t muscle. Avery could have fought back sooner, maybe from day one even. It was guilt that made her wonder if she stayed because she wanted him to rape her and hurt her. Pain made it easy to have an excuse.

By the time Avery got to the backdoor, she was on the verge of crying. She really needed to go. Landon didn’t need this kind of mess in his life. Fuck, Avery had wept while pleasuring Landon. She had swung at him, multiple times, when he touched her in the dark. That proved just how fresh those memories of Bry were and it proved that it would take a shit ton of time to sort through it all.

Outside, Avery moved to the left. She gently broke out into a jog, right to the end of an alley, and then surveyed the surrounding area. The beach to her left, the town to her right. She needed to go straight. Straight was south. Avery could get out of town, rest a day, then maybe pick up a beat up car, and then… what?

It killed her to think about what would come next.

Avery crossed the street and made her way toward another alley. She could sneak her way through town, like she had been doing before that pizza fiasco that sent Landon crashing into her life.

When Avery turned to go down the alley, she almost screamed. Halfway down the alley was one of Bry’s guys. Sitting on a motorcycle, no helmet, a skull bandana pulled down from his mouth while he held out what must have been a picture of Avery. He was talking to someone, but the second he saw Avery, he pushed the man out of his way and started to ride. The motorcycle roared like thunder in the narrow alley. Avery told herself to run. Run like hell. Find a store to go into and hide.

But she couldn’t.

This was it. This was happening. Bry was looking. Bry was going to find her. Bry was going to get her again. Her mind was too frightened to imagine the punishment there would be for leaving. He’d lock her up. He’d put her in the basement of the shitty bar and leave her there. She’d be fed once a day. She’d be brought up from the basement only to be thrown to Bry’s bed for his enjoyment and nothing else.

This was her fate.

Avery finally found the ability to move. She took one step back, then another, and slowly, she regained her senses, but her steps were no match to the speed of the motorcycle coming at her.

Then Avery hit a brick wall. Or so it felt like one. She jumped and turned to find the man from the black car standing there.

“What the f*ck are you doing?” he bellowed.

“Help,” Avery whispered as a tear fell from her eye.

The man looked and began to assess the scene. He grabbed Avery by the arm and swung her from the alley against the building next to the alley. He stepped out of the way and stood.

“What are you doing?” Avery asked.

The man ignored her. The rumble of the motorcycle kept coming, growing louder. Avery wasn’t sure if Bry would send his guys with guns or if the guys were crazy enough to use guns.

The sound grew even more fierce and Avery saw the motorcycle come from the alley. Before she could even think about screaming or running, the man protecting her stepped forward and put his long, massive arm out and clotheslined the guy right off the motorcycle. Avery gasped as the motorcycle continued a few feet before the front wheel swayed and the motorcycle crashed to the ground.

“Holy shit,” Avery whispered.

The guy protecting her had his hand around the other guy’s throat and lifted him off the ground with ease.

“Who are you?”

Avery knew Bry’s guy wouldn’t say a word about who he was.

“I’m here for her,” he whispered. “This has nothing to do with you.”

“Get out of this town or I will kill you.”

It was a solid threat and he made sure it was known by throwing Bry’s man against the wall. The thud was sickening.

“Don’t even f*cking walk away from me again,” the man bellowed to Avery. “That’s going to cost Landon a ton of cash.”

He put a hand to Avery’s back and led the way down the street. Avery felt imprisoned again. She looked back and saw Bry’s man struggling to his feet.

“You should have killed him,” Avery said. “That’s going to be a big problem now…”

“I don’t care,” the man said. “I was paid to take you around town and protect you. I wasn’t sent on a f*cking kill mission.”