Burned (Devil's Blaze MC #3)(8)

Skull roars again. The scream is deep and dark enough to rival that of a wild animal. He jerks the heavy table enough to move it sideways—and that’s not an easy feat. Then, he pushes away and grabs me by the neck, pushing me back quickly until I slam into the wall on the other side of the room.

“How could you not tell me that, motherf*cker?? How am I just hearing about this right now??” he growls, and I’d answer him but I’m pretty sure he’s crushing my trachea right now. “Answer me, you son of a bitch!!”

“Boss, I don’t think he can.” The words come from Sabre. “He’s turning blue.” Sabre sounds calm, but I can see his face and there’s nothing calm about him. Skull pulls away from me slightly, but not much. I’m not stupid; I know I got a world of hurt coming my way. I welcome it. As much as Skull hates me right now, I hate myself even more. What if that was Beth? What if she needed us, and because of me, gave up? Why the f*ck did she wait so long to get in touch with us, anyway? There’s just so many f*cking questions. I try to take air into my lungs without appearing to be a weak son of a bitch whose legs are about to give out on him.

“Boss… I didn’t know. I thought someone was f*cking with us. We saw that explosion. How could anyone survive that? I helped plant the charges myself. I know the extent of the damage. I just couldn’t wrap my head around it. I was sure it was a hoax. I was just trying to prevent… Fuck, Boss. I just wanted to protect you. We all know what losing Beth did to you.”

“I don’t care what you have to do. You get those records, you get video footage, I do not give a f*ck. You get me something I can see in front of me, and do that yesterday.”

“I already contacted my guy that works in records there, boss. I should have it on my computer.”

“Show me.”

“It’ll just be a file, boss. They don’t keep video footage that long. It’s been two years.”

“Show me what the f*ck you got.”

I go to the computer to open the email. It’s records, mainly. Twenty-year-old woman, emergency caesarian, coded on the table. What was that shit? Then, I see the child’s picture and read the birth certificate. Fucking son of a milk cow. I print it out and take it to Skull, then wait.

He drops the papers on the table, all except one piece. The birth certificate. His hand shakes, and I know why. I just read it. His voice is thick with emotion.

“I want the original of this picture.”

“Yes, boss.”

“I f*cking want it now.”

“Yes, boss,” I say again, but this time I start walking to the door. I stop when his voice hits me right before I leave.

“She named the child after my mother…”

“I’ll go get the originals.”

“Do it. And when you get back, pick two men to go with you.”

“Go with me?”

“To Tennessee. You bring back Beth and mi hijo. If you can’t find them, you bring back her f*cking sister. She’ll come out of the woodwork for her sister. I want all of them here. Every f*cking one of them.”

“What if they aren’t in Tennessee? What if Colin lied?”

“Then you find out where the f*ck they are and you drag them back here. Beast, you and Briar check the streets. See if anything is coming out of Georgia or the Donahue network. I want a full report in an hour.”

“I don’t think you should let her back in here. We can’t survive another fight with the Donahues,” says Pistol.

“When your opinion matters to me, I’ll let you know. Get the f*ck out of here, Torch. You have shit to do.”

I nod, then take off. It looks like I’m heading out of state. I just hope it’s not a wild goose chase.

Or worse, a trap.





I kick my feet up on the seat across from me. The chair scoots on the wooden floor, tilts, then rights itself as I cross my legs. Sabre and Latch are going on about some damn trip Lucy wants to go on, a semester at sea or something. They’re dying, and Annie is adamant that it’s a great opportunity. Those two are like old married men now—even if it is to the same woman. I tune them out.

I should be tracking Beth and her sister Katie down. That’s what I’m in this blink-and-you-miss-it town for, but hell, I need a day off. I’ve been working with Diesel and his crew nonstop trying to find these bitches, but they are covering their tracks—and that’s putting it lightly. I don’t know who they’re getting help from, but whoever it is, is damn good. Skull has me, Sabre, and Latch tracking down leads in Texas. Matthew Donahue told Skull he could find them there. Right now, I think the brothers are trying to gain control of the girls first… and using us to do it. It’s all a big clusterf*ck. Trusting either one of them for information is ridiculous, but Tennessee was a total wash. Skull is looking at other states too and called in some markers. My brother is in bad shape at just the thought that Beth is still alive and has been lying to him this whole time. If it’s true—and so far, everything we’re learning says it is—then I kind of pity her.

Skull will destroy her.

I’m not thinking about that shit now, though. My eyes and attention are elsewhere. Specifically, on the woman sitting with her back turned to me at the bar. She’s got curves to make men fall down on their knees and worship at her feet. Her ass is this perfect pear shape, pushing against that tight little black skirt. It draws a man’s eye and makes him want to dig his hands in and hold on for the ride.