Riding Darkness (Back Down Devil MC #4.5)(7)

“What the f*ck are you doing here?” he growled at her.

“Who are you?”

“Ares. You realize what you’re in the middle of?”

“Maybe I do,” Brooke said. “Let me go.”

“You’ll end up dead if you keep playing this game.”

“Then tip me well enough so I don’t have to anymore.”

“Come on, bro,” Gunner said. “Don’t worry about her. There’s half a dozen of them. High paid relievers.”

Ares turned his head and snarled his lip. Relievers. They were the women who hung around the clubhouse and took care of the guys. They started with those at the table. Then they settled for those with patches on their leather cuts. If nothing was available, then the prospects got a little action.

If Brooke were in Back Down Devil clubhouse, she’d get scooped up in a second. But they weren’t in the clubhouse. They weren’t anywhere near it right now.

“Serve your f*cking drinks and watch your ass,” Ares warned.

“Better yet, you watch my ass,” Brooke said.

Ares did just that as Brooke walked away. The way her hips and ass moved left to right, again and again, it was almost hypnotizing. She was taunting him with that wicked body.

“What’s the plan here?” Bale asked. “I feel like I’m sticking out like a sore thumb.”

“That’s the plan,” Ares said.

He stepped forward. Gunner and Bale followed.

As Ares scanned the tables, the eyes were at him again. He folded his arms, letting his muscles flex.

“Back Down Devil is here,” Ares said.

“Doesn’t look that way,” someone said. It was a massively built guy from the Coast Road MC crew. “Nice cuts. Think you’re missing a patch or two.”

“Just know who we are,” Ares said.

He had to let the comments roll off his shoulders.

They kept walking and only stopped when Ares saw four men sitting next to each other that all had Eight Under MC on the back of their leather cuts. The second Ares saw the men, they turned and looked at him.

If tensions weren’t already high, they slowly started to boil over.

Two of the men threw their chairs back and stood up.

“That pair of aces is going to bite you in the ass,” Ares said to another one of the Eight Under.

“Motherf*cker,” the man yelled. He tossed his cards to the table and stood up, drawing his weapon.

“Holy f*cking hell,” Armen yelled.

Ares looked at beautiful Brooke standing with a tray of drinks in her hand. She stopped and her face looked petrified.

“No need for this now,” Ares said. “I’d hate to ruin your night.”

“You f*cking people think you’re tough,” the Eight Under man said. “You just roll through town like you own it.”

“Maybe we do,” Bale said.

“Cut the shit,” Gunner said. “Nobody is here to start shit. We’re here to make sure you all know Back Down Devil is watching.” Gunner then looked at Armen. “We’re on to you too, man. This is bullshit. This is illegal. We’ll need something good from this.”

“Gentlemen,” Armen said. “I think we’re all here for a little time to relax. To feel safe. To ease up on life a little.”

“This piece of shit killed two of ours,” the Eight Under man said.

“They were prospects,” Ares said. “Real dumb f*cks too.”

The gun came closer to Ares. His eyes switched between the man holding the gun and Brooke.

Stop f*cking looking at her. She could be the goddamn enemy for all you know.

“If there is trouble,” Armen said, “perhaps we can take it outside.” Armen reached back for a drink off Brooke’s tray. He slowly walked forward. “It’s going to be good here. The bets are on the table. The cards are dealt. Smoke in the air. Beautiful women all around. No need for club fights to come forward.”

“No fight,” Ares said. “I f*cked one of the prospect’s girlfriends.” Ares smiled. “And she was f*cking terrible, too. Worst * I ever had. No wonder she’s with Eight Under. Rot goes to rot…”

Armen came forward and stepped between Ares and the man from Eight Under.

“I’m going to kill him,” the man from Eight Under said.

“Nobody is going to do that,” Armen said. “Gentlemen, I tried to be kind to you. I allowed you in…”

“We kicked down the door,” Ares said.

“Fair enough,” Armen said. “But my hospitality has come to an end. This night isn’t meant for warfare.”

Ares looked down at Armen. “Just what is this night for then? Why the f*ck are you in Frelen? Why the f*ck is this happening in some abandoned warehouse? Why the f*ck are you messing with Back Down Devil?”

“We’re all here for a good time,” Armen said. “If anyone in your association feels otherwise, why aren’t they here?”

Ares smiled. “You’re not worth the time. It’s much easier to just handle this like we are.”

“I’m sorry to say, but you’re time is up here. I’m going to have to ask security to remove you.”

“Where’s your security?” Ares asked looking around the warehouse. “Hiding in the rafters?”