Savage Love (Back Down Devil MC #7)(98)

Emily watched Belle walk away.

She couldn’t believe how suddenly her life became involved with the MC. No matter what she did, it was all connected to Gaige and Back Down Devil MC.

Yet Emily wouldn’t trade it for anything else.

When she returned to her desk, she saw one of the lines was on hold. She picked up the phone and pressed the button, thinking nothing of it.

“Hey, you sweet girl,” a voice said.

Emily almost dropped the phone.

It was Max.

“What do you want?” Emily asked.

“I’m calling for another meeting. The first one didn't quite go to plan.”

“Stay away, Max,” Emily said. “You have no idea…”

“Oh, I think I got the idea. You took off with my baby.”

“No, I lied,” Emily blurted out. “I said I was pregnant so you would stop hitting me.”

“I don’t believe it,” Max said. “I felt it. I touched you, sweet girl. There was something there. I know it. Now I want it. I want it to be mine.”

“Just go away,” Emily said. “You don’t understand what’s going to happen to you.”

“Same for you, sweet girl. I’m going to gut you and then take our baby.”

“There is no baby,” Emily said. “I swear, Max. I’m trying to help you.”

Max laughed. “Help me? My sweet girl runs out on me. Takes our child with her. Now you’ve got someone else, huh? Another guy on a bike. Just can’t help yourself, can you?”

“It’s not like that.”

Emily had her cell phone in her hand, sending a text to Gaige to come get her.

“What’s it like, sweet girl?” Max asked. “To be running this long, waiting for me to come save you. You don’t have to live like this anymore.”

“Because you’re going to love me again?”

“Never,” Max said with a growl. “You’ll never be loved. You’ll be bleeding on a floor. The last image you’ll ever have is of me walking away with our baby. Just tell me, is it a boy or girl?”

“Max…”

“Just f*cking tell me,” Max yelled. “Boy or girl?”

“It’s nothing,” Emily said. “You need to realize that.”

“It’s a boy then,” Max concluded. “That’s the only reason you’d hide like this. Because you know what having a boy would mean to me. If it was some little slut like you, you wouldn’t care. I’m coming to get my son, sweet girl.”

“You can’t,” Emily said. “You can’t get through the MC. It’s suicide.”

“Not unless I’m smarter than you realize.”

The line went dead and Emily held the phone to her ear. She just stared straight ahead. She trusted in Gaige and she believed he would protect her. But this was Max, and he really believed that Emily had left pregnant. He was looking for a child.

“Are you okay?”

Emily blinked and saw Janine standing at her desk.

“Fine. Strange phone call. I think I have to leave now.”

“Oh, look at you,” Janine said. “You should have taken the week off. Let me walk you out.”

Emily stood and grabbed her stuff. “No. I’m fine.”

She stormed by Janine and out of the building.

Within minutes Emily heard the rumble of the motorcycle. Then she saw Gaige barreling up the road, another motorcycle behind him. Judging by the size of the rider, she was sure it was Nate.

Emily let out a breath and felt somewhat relieved.

Somewhat relieved, however, wouldn't keep Emily safe or alive.





seventeen.



Gaige sat at the table. He took the last drag of a smoke and put it out. He drank from his beer and looked at the few guys at the meeting.

Miller was at the head of the table. Then there was Blaine, Shay, Nate, and Griffin.

“How can he threaten this?” Shay asked. “I thought we had everything secured.”

“It’s just words,” Miller said. He swatted at the piece of the paper.

“But they’re serious words,” Gaige said.

“He might just go up there and dig to be a prick,” Griffin said.

“Then we go after him,” Shay said.

“It’ll be too late then,” Nate said. “He’ll get a slap on the wrist and we’ll be f*cked.”

“Smart man,” Miller said.

Gaige put his hand on the piece of paper and slid it back to Miller. “I’m just sharing what I know. Mind you, he also had someone shoot at me about eight times.”

“Christ,” Griffin said.

Miller grabbed Gaige’s shoulder. “Must have been a terrible shot, huh?”

“He wasn’t aiming to hurt or kill,” Gaige said.

“He did it to send a message,” Nate said. “And to piss you off so you’ll do something stupid.”

“Not me,” Gaige said. “It’s time we settle all this shit. I know what I can do to make Strokner happy. We need to just deal with his bullshit right now.”

“I’d say we are,” Miller said. “I shook his hand at his daughter’s funeral. So did you.”