Secret Mayhem (Back Down Devil MC #4)(22)

The Lost Men started to cheer. Their fists pounded against the walls. It sounded like wild thunder. Shay looked around the table at his closet brothers. Everyone had a little concern on their face, but that was okay. This was a time to be concerned. This was a time to be afraid. But it was time to fight. To prove what the MC was made of.

“I appreciate that, Trev,” Miller said. “At one point or another, all of you had to take orders. I’m not giving orders, but you have to respect what I say. The last thing I want on my watch, on my hands, or in my clubhouse, is the death of those not patched in."

“We handle death our own way,” Trev said. “It's the end of life. Nothing else. And you’re right, Miller, at some point we were all with a club. We had rules. But… we’re here. Enough bullshit talk. Talk business.”

“Here, here!” Shay yelled as he slammed a fist to the table.

Miller nodded and smiled. “Fair enough then. We have two things that need to happen right now. A good, honest man is coming through Frelen and he needs protection on his trip south. You’ve all heard of Jakey, right?”

Everyone nodded. Anyone with a leather cut knew Jakey. Hell, all law enforcement from the Oregon coast down to Tijuana knew Jakey.

“That’s who we need to help,” Miller said. “He cannot get wrapped up in any of this bullshit. This has to be done quietly and done right. I want a mix of Back Down Devil and Lost Men involved in this. Okay?”

Everyone nodded.

“Our second line of business is to confront the * club that is tying themselves to the guy or group that wants us dead. The Eight Under crew are scum. They do what they feel they need to do to survive, like the rest of us, but they do not have the town's best interest at heart like we do. Eight Under wants to run through and destroy it. That will never be allowed under my watch. They have no idea what they’re doing. So I want them to understand who they are getting involved with.”

“What’s the call then?” Nate asked. “How are we splitting this?”

“I need to be there for Jakey,” Miller said. “So I’m going to trust Gaige, Nate, Blaine, Erik, Landon, and Shay to go find Eight Under. See what you can dig up. Don’t start a fight. Don’t pour gasoline on the fire. There’s a right and wrong way to do this.”

Shay cracked his knuckles. “If they look at me the wrong way…”

“I’ll f*cking kill them,” Blaine said. “I don’t care.”

“You will care!” Miller bellowed, slamming a hand down on the table. He pointed to the fingers on the table. “You will… care…”

Miller then gave the pairings from the Lost Men. Trev was going to ride with Miller to get Jakey. Protecting Jakey meant keeping him comfortable, safe, and getting him where he needed to go.

Shay knew what their role was going to be about. They were to keep tabs on Eight Under while Miller and Trev moved Jakey. It was just about protection for right now. The calm before the storm. The silence before the war.

The second Shay left the meeting room, he went to the bar and got a beer. He drank it leaning against the bar, his head spinning. So much going on and the last thing he needed was to worry about a woman in his bed. But then Shay watched Nile walk out of the room and Shay knew that if he pushed Ava away. She’d end up hurt and dead.

Nile was riding with Miller and Trev. Which meant Shay wouldn’t have to deal with Nile. Which was good. Because part of Shay wanted to take Nile somewhere secluded and put a f*cking bullet in his head.

As Nile walked away to leave the clubhouse, Shay focused back on his beer. Gaige and Erik stepped up to the bar. Erik threw a punch at Shay’s shoulder and nodded.

“All good?”

“We’re good, brother. Always.”

Erik put his hand out and Shay took it.

“Good,” Gaige said. “Finding Eight Under is going to be easy. Resisting the urge to f*cking light them up is going to be hard.”

“We’ll manage,” Shay said. “Just make our presence known. When we ride up with the Lost Men behind us, it’ll make them shit their pants. They’ll run crying to… whoever is doing this.”

They’ll run to Caius. They’ll tell him what’s going on. He’ll get even more pissed. Things will get even worse. And it’s my fault.

“You okay?” Erik asked. “You look lost.”

For a split second Shay considered telling Gaige and Erik the truth. That their newest and greatest enemy was his brother.

“Hey, love,” a voice purred.

Erik turned and Shay saw that Kaity was standing behind them.

“Hey,” Erik said with a smile.

“Sorry to bother you…”

“Never,” Erik said.

He put an arm around Kaity and pulled her close. The scars on Kaity’s face angered Shay. He felt so guilty. Kaity had fought a woman twice her size and managed to win, only to have Caius cut her so she would scar like Erik. Too many people were getting hurt because of this secret, but he had no idea how to tell the club without getting himself killed.

“We’re getting ready to ride,” Erik said. “Just trying to pull the stick out of Shay’s ass.”

“Because of Ava leaving?” Kaity asked.

Shay spun around. “What did you just say?”