Riding Darkness (Back Down Devil MC #4.5)(2)

Ares welcomed it all.

The good, the bad, the bloody. Whatever the hell it was, he wanted it. He wanted the missions from Miller. He wanted the bitch work to keep his mind focused on something else. Because when Ares closed his eyes, all he saw was…

Ares, we’re going to die.

Ares opened the door to his apartment building and was faced with two men. One had a gun pointed at him. The other one stood with a fist cocked back. Before Ares could make a sound or a move, something hit him in the face. He wasn’t sure if it was the gun or the fist. Either way, it knocked him out cold.





two.



Brooke stood on the balcony that overlooked most of Frelen and enjoyed the last few drags of her cigarette. She stared east, looking at the city and then what had the appeal of a desolate desert. If it were the other side of the building, she would have been able to see the ocean. That was the good view. That was the expensive view.

Armen would never spend that kind of money, not for a view. Hell, Brooke was surprised he even paid for this room as it was. The last time they had been moving around and trying to set shit the f*ck up Brooke slept in an abandoned building using newspapers as some kind of blanket. That meant this hotel was a goddamn luxury right now. And the cigarette tasted great. All Brooke needed was a cup of coffee.

The door behind her slid open and Armen stood holding a steaming cup of coffee.

“You have to taste this,” Armen said. “This is good shit.”

“Perfect,” Brooke said. She took the mug and smelled it. She loved the smell of fresh, hot coffee. She sipped the coffee and then took a deep drag on the cigarette. With her eyes shut… “Perfect…”

A calming sense came over Brooke, but it lasted all of a few seconds before Armen spoke and ruined it.

“We’re close,” Armen said. “We have to get through tonight and then we’ll run again. Okay?”

Brooke nodded. The coffee mug in her hand shook. “Why? I mean, I get why, but I just…”

“Brooke, we have to do this. Someone in one of these dirty motorcycle clubs is the enemy. Remember that. These guys like money, booze, and *. I’ve got four other girls lined up for this one. I offered to give them a cut.”

“But you won’t.”

“Fuck no. They’re f*cking whores. They don’t need a thing.”

“And I’m doing this too?”

“Yes,” Armen said. He walked to the railing and stared out to the horizon. “Yes. I need you there, Brooke. I need you to look like a whore. Just like the rest of them. You’re smarter and you’ll collect a lot of cash on this. Then we shut it down and run like hell.”

“What are you going to find here?” Brooke asked.

Armen turned his head. “I don’t like being questioned. If you don’t want the f*cking truth, then get the f*ck out. I promised you that I would keep you alive and I did. The ends and the means…”

“Okay,” Brooke whispered. “I’m sorry.”

Brooke didn’t like this at all. It never seemed enough for Armen. It always seemed about getting more money and fast. So they could run. So they could keep traveling. Armen told Brooke people were coming and that’s why they needed to move. They needed a lot of cash to get ready to stockpile weapons. That would be the only way to defend the honor of what was taken.

“I have something for you,” Armen said. “Come inside with me.”

Brooke looked out and wished she could be there. Out there, anywhere. She turned and went into the hotel room. Armen turned from the bed and had a gun in his hand.

“I want you to take this,” Armen said. “I want you to get ready for tonight.”

“Christ, what are we doing?” Brooke asked.

“You don’t get how bad Frelen is. There’s a lot of bullshit happening. Okay? A lot of guys that want to kill each other. And trust me, just because you have a set of tits and a *, it don’t protect you.”

Brooke swallowed hard. She put her hand around the gun and nodded. “Okay. Thank you, Armen.”

Armen closed in on Brooke. He reached up and touched her face. “Brooke, you may need to use that weapon. You can’t be afraid to pull the trigger. Remember what was taken from you. From us. Okay? You have to be strong. Revenge is easy in our minds, but so hard in reality. When it finally does happen, we’ll be set free. For the rest of our lives.”

Armen came closer and closer. His nose touched Brooke’s. His lips fluttered and his eyes went wide. Brooke hated the temptation her body gave Armen. She couldn’t control it. She couldn’t help how she looked or what Armen thought.

“Stop,” Brooke whispered. “You’re my brother.”

“Alleged,” Armen whispered. “We both know I don’t look like our parents. I bet I’m adopted. I bet we’re not even blood related, Brooke. You know what that means…”

“I said stop,” Brooke said. She backed up. She held the gun out.

Armen started to laugh. “Helps if there’s bullets in the gun.”

Brooke froze and gasped. “I…”

“That’s good,” Armen said. He grabbed the gun from Brooke’s hand and threw it to the bed. He then pulled Brooke close, his hand to the back of her neck. “That’s good. Don’t be afraid. Okay, sister?”