Secret Mayhem (Back Down Devil MC #4)(53)

The words were a mix of a shock, anger, and regret. Her mind flashed images of when they first met and how he had swept her off her feet. And then she replayed all the times he sexually abused her, and what his plan had been all along.

“Dead?” Ava whispered.

“Yeah, love. Dead.”

“How?”

“There was an accident,” Shay said. “Police report read that he lost control of his car and went over an embankment. Drug and alcohol tests weren’t properly reported and everything was swept under the rug.”

“He was killed then,” Ava said. “I mean, murdered. I know it. It had to be the people he was dealing with... or maybe my father did it. Stein did it, Shay. To protect me. To help me. Because he loved me. "

“Ava,” Shay said with a growl. “You don’t know that. Look at the truth you have…”

Hearing him speak her name made her knees weak. She closed her mouth and swallowed hard. She then asked in a whisper, “What do you believe?”

“Look at me,” Shay said. “He’s gone. He can’t find you. He can’t hurt you. That part of your life you have to let go. If your father did it, then Stein is a good man in my book. But what’s done is done. Death is final, Ava. You have to realize that right now. I’m so sorry, Ava, for what’s happened to you and what’s going…”

The door to Shay’s room exploded open. The guys that piled in were a mix of Back Down Devil and Lost Men. Ava jumped behind Shay. Her fear was instant.

“She was never Stein’s old lady!” Trev’s voice boomed. “She f*cking lied to us.”

“Stop for a minute,” Miller ordered. “Goddamnit, Trev. Show some respect.”

“Shay, help me,” Ava begged.

Shay turned and put his arms out.

“Move,” Trev warned. “I’ll f*cking kill you. You *s protected her.”

“We didn’t know,” Shay said. “And it doesn’t matter. You want to f*ck Stein’s daughter? After all he did…”

“All he did?” Trev yelled. “What about what I did?”

Shay stepped forward and Trev punched Shay in the face.

Ava let out a scream. She jumped back into the bathroom and thought about closing the door and locking it. She needed to protect herself.

But everything was moving too fast.

Miller came forward and grabbed Trev by his leather. He threw him back. Miller reached down and grabbed Shay by his shirt and pulled at him.

“I’m sorry, Shay,” Miller whispered. “But if he wants you. He gets you.”

Ava watched Miller’s fist come down and connect with Shay’s face. Ava screamed and Miller looked right at her. There were no words to say. He was the President. Shay had lied. This seemed to be how they handed out punishments.

“What about Ava?” Trev asked.

“You are still in my clubhouse,” Miller said. “You still listen to my f*cking commands.”

“Fair enough,” Trev said. Some of the Lost Men started to grumble in disagreement. “Let us take what we came with and leave. You have this all worked out. Right, Miller?”

The Lost Men all started to cheer.

“Calm down,” Gaige said. “We’re not celebrating a f*cking thing. Get Shay up and deliver him as requested.”

“Deliver?” Ava asked. “What are you doing?”

Miller looked at her again. “What needs to be done.”

As fast as the room had filled was as fast as it emptied out. Gaige and Miller grabbed Shay and put him back on his feet. As they walked him from the room, Shay looked at Blaine. Ava heard him say something, but wasn’t sure what it was.

Blaine and Nate hung back until all the Lost Men were cleared out. Trev looked right at Ava's mostly naked body and shook his head.

“You'll pay!” he called out.

“My father was protecting me!" Ava screamed back.

Trev reached for his gun, but Nate threw him from the room before he could do anything.

Blaine was the last to leave, looking back at Ava. He shut the door and Ava was alone in the bathroom. She looked to the toilet and fell to her knees, wishing she could throw up again. When she tried, it only came out as screams that ended in cries.

What is happening? Where is Shay? What are they going to do to him? What are they going to do to her?

The thoughts raced through her mind.

Ava forced herself to stand up. She splashed cold water on her face and then left the bathroom. There had to be something she could do. There had to be a plan. Her eyes went to the door. If there was a way to escape, she could go find Chief Jerry. He could help her.

While Ava got dressed, she tried to think of a way to get out of the clubhouse without being seen. There weren’t many windows where she was, obviously done on purpose to protect the members of the club. Her only option was to go through the clubhouse. But that was a suicide mission.

Unless I run. Or find a weapon first.

Or both.

Ava opened Shay’s door and looked around the hall. It was empty, quiet. It was perfect. She crept from the room until she saw a door. Gently, Ava touched the doorknob and turned.

It was locked.

Shit.

Ava kept walking. She came to the end of the hall and peeked out. There was noise, the normal rumbling of voices, bottles clanking, laughing, the pop of the cue ball smashing into a ball on the pool table. Everything was business as usual.