Page 4 of Devil's Vengeance

I didn't run into Trick again the rest of the night. Mostly because I couldn’t go far from the officers without one of them glaring at me. Reaper pulled me aside at one point, giving me an earful about starting shit day one. The only reason I came out of that unscathed was because I was protecting the girls at the time. But since it was personal and not club related, he was still pissed. He didn’t want them dragged into shit because I was nearby. Neither did I, but I knew better than to say anything when he was worked up.

Rooms were limited because of the rally, so I had to share with a few of the other guys. Bear, I didn’t mind so much, but Viper annoyed me, and Snake Eyes only encouraged him. We played a game of dice to decide who got the bed and who got the floor and when Viper lost, he pitched a fit. I was more than a little happy to kick his ass to get him to stop. Dropping back onto the bed, I ignore his grumbling and Snake Eyes snickering from his spot on the floor. Idiots.

Lying in the dark, my mind shifted back to Trick. Eight years since I last saw the bastard, and here he was, thriving. It was fucked up. He should have died right alongside her. A real man wouldn’t have let his girl die and just walked away from it. Hell, I wasn’t even there, and I didn’t walk away unscathed. If I could’ve traded places with her, I would’ve done it in a heartbeat. But Trick made sure I didn’t get the chance.

I’d had to put off getting back at him for a few years. I couldn’t go after him alone, not while he had a crew to protect him. Between prospecting and all that shit with Hammer, I didn’t have time to come back here and face him. Now was my chance to make things right.

Sitting up, I swung my legs over the edge of the bed. My eyes had already adjusted, so I easily avoided the two snoring on the floor, tucking my piece into my waistline while I tiptoed out of the room. The door was too fucking loud when I opened it, but none of the guys moved, so I slipped out undetected and headed for the lobby. I got about as far as the end of the block before I ran into the last person I wanted to see.

“Going somewhere?”

I bit back a growl. Fucking Reaper. I should’ve known he was sneaking around in the shadows.

“Just getting a drink,” I lied. My spine stiffened as he stepped out on my right when I’d thought he was on the left. The fucker really was part shadow. It didn’t matter that he was on my crew. I still didn’t let my guard down around him.

“Don’t fucking lie to me, Chase. I’ll kick your ass all the way back home.”

Gritting my teeth, I fisted my hands at my sides. This was fucking stupid. “Why are you following me? The girls aren’t around, they aren’t in any danger. I’ve got shit I need to take care of.”

He moved like a wraith, stopping in front of me, his dark eyes narrowed. “You start shit with another crew at a rally, it’ll be an all out war. Being in a hotel doesn’t make them less of a target. Whatever you’re planning, stow it. I’m not letting you put them at risk.”

Old fury, long tucked away but never truly forgotten, swelled in my chest, making me reckless. I lifted my chin, glaring at him, and slipped off my cut.

“It won’t get back to the crew. I’ll handle it on my own.”

I wasn’t going to give up my crew permanently, but I wasn’t going to let the chance to handle Trick get away from me, either. I shoved the cut at Reaper and let it fall to the ground when he wouldn’t take it. Stepping around him, I stalked down the street where a few bars were still open, the noise and light loud against the quiet evening. I’d bet good money Trickwas still there. He was too cocky not to be waiting for me. He’d regret that in the end.

“Wrong answer, asshole.”

That was the only warning I got before a solid fist slammed into my lower back. Motherfucker… I’d be pissing blood for a week if he kept that shit up. I stumbled and swung around, trying to land a hit on him, but he moved like a fucking ninja and I couldn’t keep up. He blocked my hits and rained hell, leaving me curled on the ground coughing up blood before I even knew what was happening.

“Put those girls at risk with your personal vendettas again and I’ll kick your ass out of the crew so fast, your head will spin. Tomorrow morning, you better be on your bike heading home.” He scowled down at me, his face barely visible with the lights spilling out of the hotel. “Thought you were better than that. Guess I was fucking wrong. Bear, take his ass inside.”

He walked away without a backward glance, and I saw Bear’s silhouette near the door to the hotel. Couldn’t see much else. Asshole got me good. I’d be wearing those bruises for a while.

After Reaper disappeared inside, Bear trudged over, offering me a hand. “Should’ve waited until they were busy,” he murmured.

“Yeah, no shit,” I grunted, hissing as he hauled me to my feet. My whole body hurt. I’d taken a beating or two in the past, our life wasn’t a safe one. Had a few bullet holes in me too. None of that compared to this. Reaper knew exactly where to hit to make it hurt the worst. Bear had to help me with my arm slung over his shoulders because I was limping like a bitch and curled in on myself, my free arm hugging my ribs because every movement hurt. The long drive back to the clubhouse was looking like torture with these kinds of injuries.

Neither of the guys asleep on the floor was happy about being woken up, but I wasn’t getting around them without causing myself injury and their beauty rest wasn’t worth adding more pain. I groaned heavily when Bear dropped me onto my bed, rolling onto my back and grimacing when I accidentally rolled onto my piece. It hurt like a bitch to fish it back out and tuck it under my pillow, and took long enough that Viper and Snake Eyes had time to fully wake up and turn on the lights.

“What the fuck happened to him?”

“Reaper. Go get him some ice, will you? Or he won’t be able to see when he drives home tomorrow.”

Snake Eyes, who’d been on the receiving end of Reaper’s wrath before, winced sympathetically and ducked out of the room to get some ice. Viper looked incredulous.

“Dude, what the hell did you do to piss him off that much?”

I didn’t answer. If I told him what I was doing, he’d want to know why I was so insistent on ripping this guy apart. And no one was going to find out that story. Not if I had anything to say about it.

I slept like shit, never able to get comfortable enough to pass out entirely because of the damage Reaper did. Really should’ve thought things through better. Reaper was overprotective in general, but ever since Quinn popped pregnant, he was quick to dole out punishment to anyone who even looked wrong in her direction. Picking a fight with someone from another crew while she was in the area and directly linked to my crew was… stupid. Several hours lying in the dark in pain cleared my head enough to acknowledge that.

Resolved to handle my shit without getting my crew involved and therefore putting the girls into danger, I forced myself off the uncomfortable bed and into a hot shower. It eased some of the soreness, but it’d be a hell of a trip home. When I wiped the condensation off the mirror and took in the damage, I grimaced.

“Fucking hell.”

The whole left side of my face was one massive bruise. The ice helped a little with the swelling, at least I’d be able to see well enough to drive home, but it didn’t do shit for the coloring. Or for the cut on my lip where it split from another hit. And that was just my face. My whole torso was mottled with bruises.

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