Savage Love (Back Down Devil MC #7)(69)

"We have to keep this place cleaned up," Gaige said. "It's important for all of us."

"Miller okay with all this?"

"He wants these *s taken out. Doesn't matter how we do it. Hopefully this will send a message."

"Speaking of sending," Nate said. "What if they show up with more than two?"

Gaige pushed from his motorcycle and punched Nate in the shoulder. "We improvise then, bro. Don't worry. They'll be here..."

In the distance there was a rumbling.

"Sounds like they're here right now," Nate said.

"Just stay still and follow my lead," Gaige said. He took his gun out and looked off in the distance.

Lights followed the sounds. Gaige counted one, two, three lights.

"Fuck," he whispered.

"We got more than planned," Nate said.

"Not a problem. Run it the same."

As arranged, the motorcycles pulled to the side of the road and cut their engines. Their voices kicked up, but Gaige couldn't make out what they were saying. He started to walk, tugging at Nate's leather to get his attention to follow.

Quietly, they crept along the ground, Gaige keeping his eyes on the men as they approached the fence.

"Hello," one of them called out.

"Yo, guys," another said.

"What the f*ck is this?" the third voice asked. "Where are they?"

"We're a minute early," the first one said. "Trust me, this will work. We'll get the drugs and the money."

"Hey, what's that right there?" one asked.

The three men spotted the lit cigarettes. It was exactly what Gaige needed to have happen. Walking slow, he and Nate approached the men as they got the fence.

"What the... it's cigarettes," one of them said.

"Is that a sign?" another asked.

"Yeah, it is," Gaige said.

All hell broke loose.

The men turned, drawing their weapons. Gaige shot once, taking the one closest to him to the ground with a bullet through his head. Nate shot and one of the two remaining men let out a groan of pain. The men started to return fire, but they were so flustered and the shots really weren't aimed. Gaige took a chance and ran forward, tackling one of the men. He hit the guy in the face with his gun. When the guy tried to fight back Gaige hit him again and again...

"Stay the f*ck down," Gaige ordered.

Nate came by Gaige and grabbed the third man by the shirt. He pulled him to his gun and pointed it right between his eyes.

Gaige stood up.

"What's the plan?" Nate asked.

"Pull the trigger," Gaige said.

That's all Nate needed to hear. The gun went off, the guy's head snapped back, and when Nate let him go, the guy collapsed to the ground.

Dead.

That left one guy alive.

Nate pointed his gun to the man and Gaige grabbed his arm.

"Don't do it," Gaige said.

"What? Why?"

"Let's send a message," Gaige said.

He reached down and grabbed the man by his shirt. He pulled him up and in the moonlight Gaige could see the blood rushing down his face.

"You want to run drugs through Frelen?" Gaige asked.

"Fuck you," the man said.

Gaige slammed his head forward and connected hard with the man's face. The man cried out.

"Let's try it again," Gaige said. "Do you want to run drugs through Frelen?"

"I'm not running shit," the man said. "I was just..."

"Nate, help me here."

Gaige let the man's shirt go and he crashed back to the ground. Nate came with his massive, heavy boot and kicked the man in the side of the head. The thud was sickening and made Gaige wince.

The man grabbed his face and head. "Okay, okay..."

"You tell everyone you know that you don't f*ck with Back Down Devil MC. Got it?"

"Fine," the man said.

"You're leaving tonight alive so you can deliver that message. If I find out you don't deliver that message, I'm going to find you." Gaige reached to his side and pulled out a long knife. "Then I'm going to cut out your f*cking tongue."

"Okay, man, okay," the man said.

"Get the f*ck out of here," Gaige said.

The man scrambled to his feet and limped away, holding his face.

Gaige looked down to the bodies on the ground and shook his head.

"Fucking scum," Gaige said.

He crouched down and put his gun into the hand of the man he shot. When he nodded to Nate, Nate did the same. There would be no fingerprints from the Back Down Devil MC since Gaige and Nate were both wearing leather gloves.

Gaige stood and turned. He put a hand out and Nate took it.

"Nice kill, bro," Gaige said.

"You too, man."

Gaige went to the fence and grabbed the two cigarettes. He handed one to Nate and kept one for himself. They were still lit. Gaige took a deep drag and ran his fingers through his hair.

The night was still young and Gaige's heart was pumping.

He was in the mood to fight.





two.



Rachel opened the door to the apartment balancing two coffee containers and her car keys dangling from her mouth. Emily rushed to aid her friend, taking the top coffee. She opened it and sipped it, the hot liquid burning her tongue. Emily didn't care, she needed the caffeine. She hadn't told Rachel yet, but she hadn’t slept much in the past week or so. Not after finding out the news about her ex-boyfriend. But time would pass and so would the feelings that kept Emily awake at night. She had already started looking into another apartment, and if need be, it would be time for a name change.