Savage Love (Back Down Devil MC #7)(81)

“Vultures ripping their eyes out, right?” Jace asked. His eyes were icy.

Gaige stared back at Jace. “I did what I had to do.”

“Which was what?” Miller asked.

“Three showed up,” Gaige said. “We took care of two and I sent one back with a clear message.”

“He did the right thing,” Nate said. “Eight Under has been sneaking around our backs for a while now. They needed the message.”

Miller made a fist and slammed it on the table. “And that f*cking message came back to us. With bullets. At a f*cking fight. You realize the heat I’m going to take for this? You want to step into that circle, Nate, and swing your big dick around, that’s fine. But bullets?”

“They need to be reminded of who we are again,” Gaige said.

“So the dead bodies weren’t the message?” Jace asked. “Did you… actually do anything to them?”

“Fuck you,” Gaige said.

“Come on,” Jace said. “Come on over and talk.”

Gaige slapped his beer bottle at Jace. The bottle spilled and Jace grabbed it. He smashed it off the table and held it toward Gaige, who grabbed his gun and pointed it at Jace.

“Jesus Christ,” Shay yelled.

“Cut the f*cking shit,” Miller bellowed.

Gaige held his gun out until Jace dropped the broken bottle. Gaige put his gun down and shook his head.

“They almost took out Blaine, myself, and Nate,” Gaige said. “They had automatic weapons. They went right into the circle, shot the two fighting, and then looked for us. This was a blatant attack on Back Down Devil. There’s no f*cking way that the guy we messed up was able to go back to his shithole club and have them send guys out for us.”

“So this was an attack before they knew of our attack?” Miller asked.

“Sounds right to me,” Nate said. “They want to rattle us. Shake us up.”

“They’re moving then,” Griffin said. “It’s a diversion. They want us to look at this while they do something else.”

“Then we spread wide,” Miller said. “We stop this before it becomes something.”

“It might already have become something,” Nate said. He looked at Gaige and nodded.

All eyes were on Gaige.

“What now?” Miller asked.

“Blaine had two women with him,” Gaige said.

“Shit,” Shay said.

“One of them was shot and killed,” Gaige said.

“Fuck,” Miller said. “The other?”

“She’s in my room,” Gaige said.

The table starting whistling and clapping.

“Whoa!” Landon called out. “Soothing the friend…”

“Hey,” Gaige called out. “Fuck off. All of you. Fuck off.”

“That’s a risky move, Gaige,” Miller said.

“No, it’s not,” Gaige said. “Blaine used her best friend as a f*cking shield. Those bullets were meant to be in Blaine. He’s alive because of this woman’s friend. The least I can do… the least we can do… is make this right for her.”

“So what are we voting on?” Miller asked. “Settling this thing with Eight Under… or settling Gaige in bed with some girl?”

The table chuckled.

“We go after Eight Under,” Gaige said. “We stop the drugs. We find the two *s that tried to take us out. And then send our message loud and clear.”

“Okay,” Miller said. “Let’s vote this then.”

“Blaine’s proxy vote… yes,” Gaige said. “As is mine.”

Miller nodded and looked at Griffin.

“Yeah,” Griffin said.

“Yup,” Landon said.

“Yes,” Nate said and tilted his beer bottle toward Gaige.

“Aye,” Shay said.

The other side of the table closed out with two more yes’s from Erik and Jace.

Finally, Miller raised the gavel and nodded. “Yes.” He slammed the gavel and then said, “We need to coordinate this properly. No running out there and just shooting. We need to find their next drug run and bust that up right there on the street.”

“I want the two guys who shot at us,” Gaige said.

“How are we going to know?” Jace asked.

“I don’t know,” Gaige said. “But I made a promise to someone.”

“A girl in your bed?”

“It’s a goddamn big deal,” Nate cut in. “She watched her best friend get lit up with bullets. And she had to deal with Blaine enjoying a dead body on him.”

“Oh, f*ck,” Jace said.

“Yeah,” Gaige said. “Anyone finds any of the Eight Under *s, they call me.”

“Agreed,” Miller said. “I wouldn’t mind saying my peace to these guys too.” Miller cracked his large knuckles.

The meeting broke up with a nod. The table cleared out except for Gaige and Griffin. Griffin turned and wheeled his chair to a desk in the corner. He turned on a lamp and opened a folder.

Gaige finished his smoke and looked at Miller.

“Life decisions based on women…,” Miller said. “I mean, you get that, right?”