The Lies Between Us (The Devil's Dust #4)(70)

“Give me your best shot,” he pants, taunting me.

Gripping the busted leg hard, I swing it, slamming it against the side of his head. The impact vibrates through the piece of wood into my hand and his head whips to the side as he falls into the kitchen sink. Stepping forward, I grab him by his neck and slam his head into the tiled counter. The bright letters of a Drano bottle catch my attention, and I grab it.

“Hold him!” I order Bull and Shadow. They both step forward and grab his arms. “Turn him,” I instruct, opening the bottle. They spin his body so he’s facing me and pin him against the counter.

Eric’s eyes widen when he realizes what I’m about to do, and he clamps his mouth shut.

“That won’t help.” I chuckle. Gripping the side of his jaw, I apply pressure to his pressure points, his mouth slowly opening as he begins to yell. I shove the bottle in his mouth, his teeth catching the sides, and I squeeze it as hard as I can. Instantly, he starts choking and gagging on the chemical. I squeeze it one last time and notice blood sputter from his mouth. I pull back and Bull and Shadow let go of his arms. He falls to the floor, choking and vomiting, his hands clawing at his mouth as he sways back and forth on his knees. Black chunks of blood spill from his mouth as his nose begins to bleed and his eyes cry crimson. The chemical is eating him from the inside out. It’s fitting, really—his toxic threats and shameful greed burned Cherry from the inside out for years.

“Finish it.” Shadow hands me the gun. I grasp the cold metal and aim it at Eric’s cold heart. “This is for Cherry,” I croak and pull the trigger. Eric’s body jumps as the bullet collides with his heart.

My phone rings, and I growl in frustration.

“Jesus,” I curse, grabbing my phone. “Yeah?” I snap.

“We got a problem, brother,” Kane nearly yells in my ear.

“What?”

“Cherry was taken. Some club called the Sin City Outlaws took her, and said we ain’t getting her back ‘til we agree to do business with them.” My eyes widen, and my heart stills. “The way the man talked, sounded like he knew ya,” Kane continues.

“He wouldn’t.” I look up at Bull, who eyes me curiously. “You just let them take her?” I snap at Kane.

“Dude, Cherry stormed out of the MC and walked right into the barrel of his gun. I tried to step toward her, but he was going to kill her,” Kane breathes heavily into the phone. I clench my jaw in anger.

“We’re on our way.” I hang up the phone. “My brother took Cherry,” I inform Bull.

“I’ll get this cleaned up of any traces and meet you at the club,” Shadow states, and I nod. Shadow is the best at cleaning up DNA and traces of evidence..

“Thanks, man.” I pat him on the back as Bull and I practically run out of the back door and race toward our bikes.

“Your brother, as in the one from the other motorcycle club?” Bull questions as we hurry.

“Yeah,” I reply.

“Thought you said he wouldn’t be a problem?” When I first joined the club, I told Bull about my family, and he said as long as they weren’t a rival club he didn’t care. As far as I knew, they weren’t. ‘til now.

“Well, he wasn’t but lately, he’s been asking me to go into business with him, or to trade clubs. I thought he was just being a pain in the ass,” I tell him honestly.

“Well, now he’s a problem.” Bull shakes his head and I stop in my tracks, eyeing Bull.

“A problem I will deal with. He’s crossed a line,” I grit.

Bull places his hands on his hips and inhales a large breath. “So you’re saying you’d go head-to-head with your brother?”

I take a deep breath, the thought of brother vs brother, club vs club, surfacing through me.

“You know that’s blood against blood,” Bull interrupts my thoughts.

I nod. “I know where my loyalty lies, and it’s not with my flesh and blood,” I scowl.

Getting closer, I notice Bobby hopping in the shadows.

“No, that’s not how you play hopscotch.” Piper giggles.

“We gotta get to the club, brother,” I tell him, getting on my bike.

“What’s up?” I look at Piper and then to Bobby, second-guessing telling him Cherry is in danger in front of her.

“We got a problem, is all,” I inform, starting my bike.

Bobby hands Piper a helmet that is way too big for her and helps her on. I think about telling Piper to get on my bike, but rethink that idea. I’d be too nervous with her on my bike and likely kill us both. It’s best if she rides with Bobby. He’s ridden Doc’s daughter around before, so he knows how to handle a kid on a bike.

“You go slow with her, goddamn it.” I point at him, my tone threatening. Bobby smirks and starts his bike. Who knew I’d like a kid, that I would be protective of her as if she were my own.

“No problem.”


CHERRY

The van rocks back and forth, and rock music is blasting loudly so I can’t hear anything. I have no idea where I am. My heart beats rapidly in my chest, the adrenaline pulsing through me, making me high. I clench my eyes shut, tears threatening to spill. Lip will come for me. The club will save me. I will see Piper again.

The van comes to a stop, and the music is shut off. Silence fills the air and is more deafening than the rock music. My body trembles in fear as I hear the doors to the back of the van being opened. Hands grab me and pull me from the van but I fight back, kicking and screaming to get free.