Secret Mayhem (Back Down Devil MC #4)(9)

“Okay.”

“I used to belong to Back Down Devil MC. Then shit went south and I bounced before I was killed. This is the alternative to death. One rung above hell. But the guys called me and they need bodies in their town. I want you down there with us.”

“Are any other women…”

“No,” Trev said. “It’s dangerous down there, Ava. They’re in a war. But if I leave you here, you won’t make it a day without problems. You need the protection. And you don’t belong here. Maybe you could find something to do down there. Frelen, California is a beautiful little town on the beach. Fuck, you could go down there and strip if you wanted to.” Trev stood and faced Ava. He touched her chin. “If you were smart, you’d get in with one of the guys in Back Down Devil.”

Ava swallowed hard. “Okay. I don’t know what to say right now. I didn’t plan on traveling…”

“Nobody cares about plans,” Trev said. “Just follow the road, Ava. Whatever one that’s in front of you.” Trev smiled. “Any chance you want to suck my dick?”

“Is that a question or command?”

Trev laughed. His thumb grazed her bottom lip. “Trust me, if it was a command, you’d be gagging.” He took his hand away and walked to the door. Trev paused and looked back. “Be ready to leave… ten minutes. You’ll never see this place again. Consider yourself lucky.”

The door shut and Ava let out a shaky breath.

Consider yourself lucky.

Ava wasn’t sure what luck was anymore. But if getting out of there and away from those men was luck, she’d take it. However, there was no way she was going to get involved with another biker in a MC.





four.



Shay laid on his back on the hard bench that stuck out of the wall. The cell ceiling was a dirty white color with yellowish stains all across it. He had one leg bent, the other straight, and his hands folded across his chest. Every now and again there was the echoing sound of a jail cell closing, the squeak of a door opening, and the murmur of voices. If you focused on them it would drive a man insane in no time. Wondering what was out there. Wondering what was happening. Wondering when it was time to get the hell out.

But Shay was different. He accepted his current fate, knowing damn well the MC would be there soon enough. He appreciated the solitude so he could be alone to think.

To think about his brother.

If Shay had been at the car a minute or two longer, he would have been killed. His goddamn brother would have gotten what he wanted without even meaning to do so. It didn’t make sense for Eight Under to get involved, but then again, Eight Under had seen Back Down Devil with Strokner so they were probably trying to do the same. They think using a suit and tie with power, politics, and money to rattle the enemies was going to give them a leg up. The difference was that Strokner was simply a rich puppet grieving the loss of his daughter.

Shay knew the dangerous potential of his brother, so his decision to allow Eight Under to get involved seemed unnecessary. Shay's brother could wipe out Eight Under without breaking a sweat and then turn Frelen into a living hell.

Shay shut his eyes and sighed.

He was suddenly taken back to a long distant memory.

Shay and his brother were just kids. They weren’t even ten years old. Standing at the end of a pond, listening to the sounds of nature. Crying birds. Chirping crickets. Croaking frogs.

“Hey, Caius, check this out,” Shay had called to his brother.

Caius walked with his hands in his pockets. Even then, Caius's eyes were dark and distant.

“What do you want?”

“There’s a frog,” Shay said.

“So what?”

Shay smiled. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a string of firecrackers. “I heard that if you put them in a frog’s mouth, it’ll explode.”

“Nice,” Caius said. “Are you going to do it?”

“Yeah. I’m not afraid.”

“Good.”

Shay licked his lips and reached for the frog. When he touched the frog, it didn’t jump away. He could not believe the frog was so stupid. It was just going sit there and eat some firecrackers.

This is so cool.

Shay reached back into his pocket and pulled out a lighter. He slowly started to pry open the frog’s mouth and put the firecrackers in it. He looked back at Caius, always worried about his approval for some reason. Caius stared down, not blinking.

Shay looked to the frog again and flicked his thumb at the lighter. As he moved the lighter toward the firecrackers, there was an explosion.

That’s how Shay remembered it, even to this day.

It was a f*cking explosion.

The thundering boom happened the exact second the frog exploded. There was a wet gush sound and then pieces of the frog splashed all over Shay’s face and clothing. He screamed and fell back to this ass, his body shaking.

“You’re a *, Shay,” Caius said.

Shay looked up and saw his brother holding a gun.

A gun!

“Where… did you… get that?”

Caius smiled. “Don’t worry about it. It’s mine now. You don’t need to work so hard to kill something. Just shoot. Make it count. Want to try?”

“No,” Shay said. “I was just messing around, Caius. What is wrong with you?”