Secret Mayhem (Back Down Devil MC #4)(24)

When Shay looked to his right, he saw her. He saw Ava. Sitting there on the sand, her shoes next to her, her feet buried. She stared out to the water. Her hair danced in the breeze and she looked incredibly gorgeous. Shay took two steps and then hesitated. Maybe Ava didn’t want this. Maybe she preferred running, hiding. Hell, maybe she wanted to die.

But Shay didn't care what she wanted. He had told her to stay put so that he could protect her, and that's what he was going to do. He was not going to let her get hurt or killed on his watch. He would keep her safe until it all blew over and then she could leave and go anywhere she wanted.

When he got to Ava, he was pissed off. Care for her twisted with anger. He looked down at her and when she looked up at him, her eyes went wide.

“What are you looking for?” Shay asked. “What is this?”

“Nothing,” Ava said. “I went for a walk. How did you know…”

“I can see through it all,” Shay said. “You’re not meant to be here. You were not Stein’s old lady. Fuck, you don’t even know what a MC is. Or what it’s about. The violence in your memory is fresh from the Lost Men. And I bet that bag of yours has secrets that could be found in a second.”

Ava’s chin started to quiver. Shay didn’t want to scare Ava, but he needed to cut through her fake wall before something bad happened to her.

“You want to just up and run? Then just up and run. But don’t leave your shit behind and want me to track you down. Because you know what? I did track you down. And I’d do it again. But every second we’re wasting right now is a second I'm not out there finding the man who tried to kill me. The man who almost killed one of my brothers. The man who hurt Kaity.” Shay took his sunglasses off and made damn sure Ava was staring him in the eyes. “And that man… would think nothing of killing you, Ava, for the simple fact that you’re talking to me. This isn’t a game. This is dangerous."

“I know,” Ava said. “I know dangerous very well. I’ve been trying to get away from the danger. And I’m trying to keep it away from you.”

“You can't keep danger away from me, love,” Shay said. He put his sunglasses back on and offered his hand to Ava. He pulled her to her feet and looked at her. “What did you want to find out here?”

“Nothing,” Ava said. “Just wanted to look and wonder what’s out there.”

“Fucking water,” Shay said. “And some land… but you’d never get there. You want to live in a fantasy? Go swim in the ocean and become a shark’s dinner.”

Ava smiled. “I’m sorry, okay? Nile cornered me. He’s going to hurt me. And when Trev finds out…” Ava turned her head. “Just, it’s not good. You are right. I’m not who anyone thinks."

Shay put a finger to Ava’s chin and turned her head so they were looking at each other again. “Is your name really Ava?”

“Yes.”

“Swear on it?”

“I swear. I wouldn’t hide my name. It’s all I have I guess.”

“No. You still have those eyes. They cut through me, love.”

Ava smiled again. “Thanks.”

He wanted to kiss her. He wanted to throw her right down on the sand and take her. Tear all those clothes off her and see those hips and perfect little breasts again. He wanted to nibble on her nipples until she screamed and clawed his back.

Fuck.

“You have to ride with me,” Shay said. “We’re on a run to track down some guys.”

“Seriously?”

Shay nodded. “Can’t take you back now. I don’t trust it. Half the guys are on a protection run with Miller and Trev. And Nile. The rest of us have to keep shit from stirring up.”

“Is that possible?” Ava asked.

“I doubt it. But you want to see how real and dangerous things can be? Follow me.”

Shay walked and Ava was by his side. He reached for her hand. He had no idea why but he just wanted to touch her. Once they hit pavement, Ava brushed off her feet the best she could before putting her shoes back on.

“Ready?” Shay asked.

“You're taking the sexy lady?” Blaine asked.

“Yeah,” Shay said. “She’s all mine, Blaine. I’ll protect her.”

Blaine nodded and Shay looked down at Ava. The way she looked up at him drove him mad. This woman was more dangerous than the war waiting to be fought.





ten.



Ava wrapped her arms around Shay and held on tight. The motorcycle rumbled. The road twisted and turned. The town of Frelen soon thinned out until it was a few scattered businesses, random buildings, and then just land. Members of both Back Down Devil and Lost Men surrounded them on bikes. They all looked pissed off and ready to fight and kill without warning. The anticipation of something happening was what stirred in Ava the most. She could have been comfortably back at the clubhouse, locked in Shay’s room, figuring things out. She could have been planning right now.

Instead, she held onto Shay's strong stomach as she anxiously wondered where they were going and what was going to happen when they got there.

Riding at the front of the group was Shay with Blaine and Nate on his right and Gaige, Landon, and Erik on his left. They took up both lanes of the road. They were on the hunt right now.