Dark Fall (Back Down Devil MC #3)(14)

“Why what?”

“Why you want to die. Because… sometimes… I want to die too.”

Erik was taken back for a second. His hand cupped Kaity’s cheek. He didn’t know what to do right now. Scream at her? Throw her to the ground and walk away? Or just f*cking kiss her?

Kaity slowly reached up and with just her pointer finger, she touched Erik’s face. She touched his left cheek and ran her finger down his scars. Erik gritted his teeth and pulled back.

No. Hell f*cking no. I’m not… no…

Erik stood up and offered his hand. Kaity took it.

“Can you stand?” he asked.

“I’ll try.”

Erik pulled and Kaity flew up. She used her right leg and purposely fell back to the building. Erik went with her, as he was still holding her hand. He then placed his hand to her waist, not sure why, but it felt good. He pulled at Kaity, bringing her forward. She pressed against his body and her arms were around him.

“Erik!” Blaine yelled.

Erik looked back. Blaine pointed to the man on the ground as he crawled, blood dripping from his face.

“I have to finish this,” Erik said. “Just lean against the building and we’ll figure something out.”

Erik moved away from Kaity. He told himself not to look back at Kaity. She didn’t see his scars the way he knew everyone else did. She touched him… and she said… sometimes… I want to die too.

Having a beautiful woman wanting him should have made Erik feel good about himself. But it didn’t. It meant shit to him. It pissed him off. He started to walk faster, charging to the man on the ground. When he got there, the man looked up at Erik and let out a cry before Erik kicked him again, this time in the ribs. The man lifted off the ground completely and fell to his back. Erik pulled his gun out and got on one knee, putting the gun between the man’s eyes.

“Fuck, Erik,” Blaine said. “Don’t.”

“Why not?”

“Please…,” the man said. “It wasn’t my idea. It was his. He wanted to ambush you. Make a name for ourselves.”

“Shut up,” Erik said.

Blaine grabbed Erik’s shoulder. Erik spun and stood, the gun jammed into the gut of Blaine.

“What are you thinking right now, bro?” Blaine asked. His eyes were wide and intense, almost as intense at Erik’s.

“I want to keep killing,” Erik said.

“I know, man. I know.”

“Let me then.”

“I can’t,” Blaine said. He put his hand to the gun and pushed it down. “You need to take a breath, brother. Something is going to go wrong and it won’t be good. I don’t want you hurt again, bro. I don’t want you in trouble. Plus, if this guy goes crawling back to his crew, what’s going to happen to him?”

“Good point,” Erik said.

Blaine put a hand to Erik’s face. “You’ve got to work on the pain and hate. I’d start by working on that woman staring you down. She hasn’t been able to keep her eyes off you since we saw her.”

“She’s looking at my f*cking face,” Erik said. “Like the rest of the world.”

“No, man, no. Not like that. She’s soaking wet. I can smell her from here.” Blaine flicked his tongue. “I can even taste her. It’s f*cking brilliant. Goddamn.”

“You’re a sick f*ck,” Erik said.

He pushed Blaine and turned, looking down at the man. His hands were up, shaking, scared into defeat.

“Tell the rest of your friends that if they f*ck with me… f*ck with Blaine… f*ck with Back Down Devil MC… we’ve got plenty of bullets and plenty of balls.”

“Okay, okay.”

Erik lifted his boot and placed it on the man’s throat. “Hear me?”

“I swear…”

Erik applied pressure and the man started to thrash and try to scream. He grabbed at Erik’s boot and pants.

“Erik,” Blaine said.

Erik ignored Blaine. He added more pressure and watched the man’s face turning a deep shade of red. He coughed and gagged, blood dripping down his face.

At the last second, Erik took his foot off the man’s throat and was done with it.

“We’ll have to call it in,” Erik said. “Let Miller and Chief Jerry know.”

“I’m on it, man,” Blaine said. Then he nodded to Kaity. “Figure out what you’re doing with her.”

Erik walked back to Kaity as she touched her left leg. There didn’t appear to be too much blood on her leg. He slowly fell to one knee again in front of her. She instantly stiffened.

“What are you doing?”

“I’m going to touch your leg. Don’t get pissed.”

“Why would I…”

Erik grabbed Kaity’s leg and dug his thumb into the hole in her jeans. She let out a scream and slapped him in the head and face. Erik took his hands away and stood up.

“Fuck, I’m sorry,” Kaity said.

Erik licked his lips and tasted a little blood. “I assume that hurt?”

“Yes.”

“You might have a bullet in your leg.”

“That sucks.”

Erik laughed. “That sucks?”