Riding Darkness (Back Down Devil MC #4.5)(19)

“He ever hurt you?”

“Do I have to answer that?”

“I think you just did.” Ares made fists as the water continued to pound on his body.

“Yeah, well, this is where I am, Ares. I don’t know where I’m going or what I’m going to do.”

“You’re going to stay with me, darling. I’ll protect you for now. But you have to realize what your brother did. And what’s going to happen to him.”

“So tell me.”

“That bullet hole in my leather cut… that was from him. The first shot… that was from him. The bullet that took out one of the prospects… that was him. He smacked that drink tray out of your hand to create some kind of diversion and allowed all hell to break loose.”

“Armen did all that…?”

“Are you blind or in denial?”

“I don’t know, Ares.”

Ares tore open the shower curtain. Water dripped from his body. “Look at me, Brooke. It’s pretty simple. He killed one of the prospects. He wanted to kill me. He came into Frelen thinking he could sneak in and out and f*ck around. That’s not allowed. It won’t be tolerated. I took you from that warehouse because I needed to know the truth. But I also did it because something about your eyes… it made me want to trust you. And I still want to trust you. But you can’t be blind to all this. Your brother is going to die for what he did.”

Silence fell in the bathroom other than the sound of rushing water.

Brooke slowly put her feet to the floor and faced Ares. She was so pretty. Naturally pretty, which was something that just always got to Ares. From her dark eyes, to her full breasts, down to the curves of her hips. She was just something special.

“Okay,” Brooke said. “What happens to me?”

“You cooperate, life is good. I’ll protect you and the club will set you up with something. We’re not here to kill unless it’s deserved.”

Brooke nodded. “Okay.”

“There’s one more thing though. I need you to hear it from me.”

Brooke’s eyes locked to Ares’s. She nodded again.

“It’s my job,” Ares said. “I’m the one who’s going to do it. I’m going to kill your brother.”

There was more silence. Brooke didn’t blink. She just stared. Rightfully so, Ares figured. Brooke seemed innocent enough in all this mess that it would take a little for a statement like that to sink in.

“You understand that?” Ares asked.

“Yes,” Brooke whispered.

“I need you to help me,” Ares said. “You need to realize how bad of a guy your brother is. If you can’t handle it, then I’ll offer you something. One time.”

“What?”

“An escape. I’ll get you out of the clubhouse and to safety. If the club ever finds out, they’d kill me. And if you dare to run to your brother, the club - including me - will have no choice but to kill you too.”

More silence. Brooke slowly hugged herself, covering her breasts. She turned her head, but just before doing so, Ares saw the glistening in her eyes. She was going to f*cking cry. Just what Ares needed right now.

“So,” Ares finally said, “what do you want to do?”

Brooke looked at Ares. A stray tear left her eye. “I want to come into the shower with you.” She slowly walked forward. The heat was rising and it wasn’t just the steamy water. Once close enough to Ares, Brooke reached out and touched the scar on his chest. She ran it beginning to end. “And I want to know what this is.”

“It’s a scar, darling,” Ares said.

“I want to know why.”

“That’s a hefty demand for a woman in danger.”

“I guess I take risks after all,” Brooke whispered.

Her finger moved back up Ares’s scar and her free hand came forward and touched him.

Beauty and sex were a deadly combination.

Ares put a hand to the small of Brooke’s back and pulled her into the hot water.





fourteen.



The kiss was hot. The water poured over Brooke’s face as she kissed Ares with as much passion as he offered her. Their tongues battled for space and the water rushed in and out of their mouths. Brooke’s hand gripped tight to Ares and she hated herself the second she opened her hand. She put both hands to Ares’s chest and pushed gently.

Ares broke the kiss and then held Brooke by her waist. He pulled her close and she felt his growing erection between her legs. He was so thick and perfect.

“Tell me,” Brooke said.

“Why does it matter?” Ares asked.

“Because you don’t belong like the others.”

“Oh yeah?”

“The other guys are big and tough, like you. You command with your voice like they do. The second I saw you in the warehouse I knew you were different. The other two you were with were smaller, afraid. There’s a difference.”

“So you’re saying I shouldn’t be a prospect?”

“If that’s what you are now, then no. You should be making the decisions…”

“Maybe I did, darling. I’m the one who is going to kill Armen. Can you live with that?”