Riding Darkness (Back Down Devil MC #4.5)(16)

Ares was a rider. He was meant to be part of a club. To wear a cut. To live the life. He understood the true meaning of life and death. He’d seen death and he’d caused death.

“Grab a coffee and get over here,” Gaige said.

Ares did just that. He sat next to Gaige and blew into the coffee.

“Black?” Gaige asked.

“The only way to drink it.”

“How was your night?”

Ares glanced at Gaige. “Is that what you wanted to talk about?”

“No,” Gaige smiled. “Just wondering how it was. I love fresh * around here. You know that.”

“Maybe you should get your own,” Ares said. “And then settle.”

“It’s going to take a hell of a woman to make me settle,” Gaige said.

“Fair enough.”

Brooke is a hell of a woman…

“Miller is taking care of Gunner,” Gaige said. “Shitty situation there.”

“Just a prospect.”

“Spoken like a true member.”

“No patches here, Gaige.”

“Which is f*cked. You going to punish yourself forever?”

“There is no forever,” Ares said. “Death ends the possibility of forever.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Gaige said. “That was a big mess last night with that poker game. We’re getting heat on it already. Chief of police calling Miller. Other crews wanting meetings with us to discuss why our prospects raised hell. We look like the bad guys in this.”

“We didn’t shoot first,” Ares said.

“And you’re sure that Armen guy did?”

“Bet my life on it. He tried to get me. Ended up with a hole in my cut.”

“And then you took his sister?”

“Look, I made a call. Okay? I grabbed her and carried her to my ride. I figured it would keep Armen on his toes. He’d look for his sister. We could keep him close.”

“And then what?” Gaige asked.

“I don’t know. I’m not at the table. I don’t vote.”

Gaige nodded. “Well, you did good by grabbing her. What’s her name?”

“Brooke.”

“Brooke. Yeah, she’s something. Her brother is a piece of shit. I don’t know where this is going to end up for you and her, Ares, but we took a vote this morning. We have a guy who digs around on the inside for us. Turns out Armen is a real target. On a lot of different levels. He’s been running and stealing for years now. I honestly don’t know how or why Brooke is involved in it all. I don’t trust anyone, including her. But we have her and we will use her. She’ll give us everything we want, Ares.”

“Good,” Blaine called out. “I’m hard as a rock over here. Give me them tits for a few minutes.”

“Not like that,” Gaige said, shaking his head. “We need her for information.”

“So she needs to use her mouth?” Blaine asked.

Ares gripped his coffee mug. He felt like exploding. “What about Armen?”

“He’s wanted on local levels, state levels, even federal. He just runs and runs and runs. He picked the wrong town to f*ck with this time. We’re not taking this without revenge. I know he was going to rip off Eight Under, Coast Road, and some suits and ties, but he was in our town. Running what turned into a shootout. Killing one of our prospects. Fueling the fire for some wars with other crews.”

“So what’s the plan?” Ares asked.

“Kill him,” Gaige said. “He needs to die. He needs to be stopped.”

“Seems fair enough,” Ares said.

“Not just that…” Gaige turned and faced Ares. “We voted and you need to do it. It’s your kill.”

Ares stiffened. “My kill?”

“Yeah,” Gaige said. “No more f*cking around, Ares. Make this kill, take your patch, and be part of this club.”

“If not?”

“Then you’re out. Take your empty leather cut and find another crew.”

“What about Brooke?”

“Like I said, I don’t trust her. I don’t know what we’re doing yet.”

“I know what I’d like to do to her,” Blaine said. He finally sat up. “Just give me her for a few days. Let me wear that out before we kill her.”

“Kill her?” Ares asked. He stood up from the bar. “You can’t just f*cking kill her.”

“Easy,” Gaige said. “We have to understand her role in all this. Like I said, we use her and then we move on. It’s what we do. If she’s free and clear in all this, then we can set her up with some cash and send her on her way. Have another charter help her settle somewhere new.”

Ares wanted to argue. He wanted to f*cking fight. His eyes saw the patches on Gaige’s leather. He was a member. He was VP. Ares had nothing. So he just nodded.

“Got it,” Ares said.

“Where is she now?” Blaine asked.

“Sleeping.”

“Go wake that pretty ass up and get some information,” Blaine said. “Before we’re under attack.”

Ares nodded and left his coffee on the bar. He took a few steps and looked over his shoulder. Blaine had an arm around Gaige as they talked. Erik was leaned in too. On each of their backs was the Back Down Devil name and logo. It would be a foolish lie if Ares didn’t admit to himself that he somewhat wanted that damn name on the back of his cut. But he couldn’t forget the past. And right now, in the present, there was a mess to figure out.