Secret Mayhem (Back Down Devil MC #4)(3)

Shay looked back and saw his brother looking in their direction.

This wasn’t a setup. It was some kind of demonstration. Eight Under was jumping into bed with a monster.

“Holy f*ck,” Nate said. “Gaige…”

Shay and Nate got to their feet and ran. They worked around the chunk of metal on fire that just a minute ago was a car. Gaige stood at the motorcycles, his cell in his hand. They ran to Gaige and Nate grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him.

“Are you good, bro?” Nate yelled.

“We were just there,” Gaige said. “What the…”

“It’s not good,” Shay said. “We have to get out of here right now. There’s no time to waste. It’s just us three and we need a lot more to take these guys down.”

Shay climbed his motorcycle and put on his helmet. He waited for Gaige and Nate to do the same before they all started their rides. The rumble of engines would definitely be heard by Eight Under and Shay’s brother.

But Shay didn’t care at that moment. He needed to get away from the monster, from his brother. He needed to be close to his true brothers. And he needed to prepare himself for the finale of a war that started a long time ago.





two.



Shay drank a shot and then nodded to the bartender for another. The prospect behind the bar started to tip the bottle of whiskey to fill the empty shot glass and Shay slapped the shot glass away. It hit Cade in the shoulder and then fell to the floor.

“Give me the f*cking thing,” Shay barked as he grabbed the whiskey bottle from the prospect’s hand.

“Sure. Sorry.”

“What’s your f*cking name?”

“Jon.”

“You want this life, Jon? Bullets coming at you… enemies lining up to slit your f*cking throat… nothing to call your own… not even family…”

“You have family,” Jon said with straight, honest eyes. “They’re all around you right now.”

Shay curled his lip and turned around. He looked around the clubhouse. Landon and Erik were arguing over a pool shot. Blaine was holding a dart between his lips as he held his cigarette like he was going to throw it at the dartboard. Brady and Aiden were laughing with beer bottles in their hands. Gaige and Nate were hanging out on the couches talking.

This was Shay’s family. He knew that already and had known it from the second he put on the leather cut and became a table member of Back Down Devil MC. He’d taken punches for these guys. He’d had plenty of bullets zing right by him, inches away from killing him. He’d killed people for these guys. People that he didn’t even know, because his brothers needed him to.

His family was based on respect, not DNA.

Shay glanced back and the prospect gave a head nod and a half smile.

“Fucking prospects,” he muttered to himself as he pushed from the bar.

The doors to the main room opened.

“Meeting,” Miller bellowed. “Now.” He looked around and then said, “The rest of you keep drinking. Savor the night while you can.”

Gaige and Nate were first to walk into the room. Landon, Griffin, and Jace went in next. Blaine, with the dart still between his lips, walked up to Shay and hit him with his elbow.

“What are you doing?” Shay asked. “Trying to be funny?”

“Try’n’ not t’ poke m’ fugin’ tong’…,” Blaine said.

Shay grabbed the dart from Blaine’s mouth. “Asshole.”

“What? I’m trying to ease the mood. Can’t you smile?”

“Yeah… by doing this,” Shay jabbed the dart into Blaine’s arm. Blaine screamed and then Shay pulled the dart out and threw it toward the board. The dart smacked bullseye, leaving everyone speechless.

“Nice shot,” Blaine said and put his arm around Shay’s shoulder. “My arm is f*cking killing me now.”

“Good. Maybe it’ll take your mind off f*cking around.”

“That won’t happen,” Blaine said. “Unless I’m dead, all I see and smell is *. *. Beer. Fighting.”

“Get in here,” Miller said.

Shay shook Blaine away and walked into the room.

“No, wait,” Blaine called out. “*, beer, whiskey, fighting.” He stopped walking. “Wait a second. Let me start over. *. Beer. Whiskey. My ride. And fighting.”

“Are you done?” Miller asked.

Blaine held up his hand and wiggled his fingers. “Do blow jobs count as *?”

“What the f*ck are you talking about?” Miller yelled.

“Telling Shay my favorite parts about being alive.”

“* and blow jobs are different,” Jace chimed in.

“Damn,” Blaine said. “I need to revise my list then. *. Blow jobs. Beer…”

Miller slammed the door. “Can we get down to business?”

Blaine froze with three fingers up and nodded. He retreated to his chair and looked at Shay. He winked once and Shay shook his head.

Sometimes he really f*cking hated Blaine.

Miller walked to the head of the table and sat down. He just stared at everyone for a few seconds to give them all a chance to calm down and focus.

“I take it our night didn’t go as planned,” Miller said, eyeing Shay.