Page 6 of The Devil's Conflict

The second man’s cut declares him as King, Enforcer for the Devil’s Soldiers MC. If he’s not related to Bullet, I would be shocked. He’s not a spitting image of Bullet, but he has his scowl and near same height, though about an inch shorter, and the same dark hair. His eyes are a caramel brown when he lifts his sunglasses to lay on the top of his head, and I would think that most would think him too pretty to be a biker, but clearly this group makes it a requirement to be a part of them. He takes me in quickly, but doesn’t linger, before his gaze also moves to Shadow and Viper.

However, it’s the final person who gives me pause. He’s the final one to climb off his bike and has his back to me, but there’s something about him that seems familiar to me, though I can’t quite place it. When he climbs off to his full height, he stands aninch taller than Bullet, and from here, I can see that the man is in shape.

I take in his broad shoulders, the thick biceps that are both covered in ink that tapers down the rest of his arms, and even up under the sleeve of his T-shirt. The cut hides his back, but I move my gaze down to his ass, which is encased in dark jeans, and a sliver of heat builds in my gut at the sight of the muscular globes moving. I’m unashamedly an ass-woman, and this man certainly pushes the right buttons for me. He moves smoothly, and the way his head moves as he looks around before he turns, I realize this man must also be former military. Like recognizes like again.

But then he turns around, and it takes everything in me not to let my shock show on my face. Holy fuck. It’s the one man I was sure I would never see again in my life, and the man who set me on the path of my career with just one encounter. The one who infuriated me, motivated me. If I’m honest, he’s also the reason my clit was sore for a good few months after. And damn, the man is still as hot as ever, despite the anger I feel toward him. And it infuriated me how obsessed I was with him.

Sergeant Major Grayson Hudson was a legend in our branch, and he was also one of the most feared. And in the case of the other female officers, the object of our desires. A decade has not changed the man, other than a few more lines on his face, and a hardness about him that has intensified. He’s also grown out his hair, slicking it back and a longer, thicker beard that makes my hands itch to run through. His dark eyes lift, and when they catch mine, I see the instant recognition, followed by the surprise, and finally, something dark I can’t quite figure out when he quickly looks me over and then glances at everyone around me.

“Sergeant Major,” I greet when he moves toward me, my voice clipped with the respect that his title requires. I barelymanage to keep myself from saluting him, but my shoulders straighten, stiffening with years of training. Then, before I can tell myself it’s probably not the smartest thing to do, I ask him coldly, “Did you finally take that giant stick out of your ass? I would think that would make riding difficult for you. But then again, you always were a giant ass, so maybe you just don’t feel it up there after so much time.”

THREE

SNIPER

She might not like me, but I certainly haven’t forgotten her.

My eyesnarrow at the woman in front of me. I hear a couple of the men around me curse, one sharp intake of breath, and then a snort, but I don’t even glance at them. No, I just look down at the woman in front of me, who stares up at me with not an ounce of fear or remorse on her face. If anyone told me I would run into Athena Sutton today, or that she would have turned out to be a fucking stunner, I would have called them an idiot.

But here she is, and she’s definitely no longer a young woman still trying to find her place in the Army. Even back then, I knew she was going to be something, but there was a lot holding her back and it pissed me off. I know exactly what she’s referring to, and while a small prickle of guilt settles in my gut, I also knowit was necessary or she wouldn’t be here now. I knew it a decade ago she was going to be something if she actually took the steps needed.

I give her a cool smile, one that has her eyes narrowing slightly, and I say, “Officer Sutton, still have that sharp tongue, I see. If I was still your commanding officer, I’d have your ass running for miles. Might help the stick up your ass loosen up a bit itself.”

Her lips pull into a sharp smile and she responds, “Then it’s a good thing you’re not my commanding officer, isn’t it? And it’s Special Forces Communications Sergeant Sutton, actually. Retired, but I still hold the rank, of course.” There’s smug pride in her tone, like she’s making sure I realize how well she’s done for herself. Or at least how high she rose since our last encounter.

“Impressive,” I return with a slight cocking of my head in acknowledgment. “That explains why that stick up your ass only drove deeper.”

Her blue eyes flash as she looks up at me, and I can tell she wants to tell me to fuck off, but all that training keeps it back. My lips pull up in amusement. The woman has always been cool and calm, other than with me. Even back then I saw the fire in her eyes. When I told her she was worthless to the Army if she didn’t grow some balls and buck up, I was harsh about it and I knew that. She was close to quitting, and I couldn’t allow that to happen. She had something then, and I wanted her to succeed, but when I told her that, it lit the nonexistent fire in her eyes and it burned constantly for months. Every time she saw me, she worked harder, just to prove me wrong. And while my methods were asshole-ish, it worked.

And you also didn’t want her to leave because you liked to look at her and obsess over her like some dirty old man.

I push that thought aside instantly. There is no way I’ll be going there. Thea is ten years younger than me and that’s far too much of a gap for me to ever consider looking at her that way. Even if she is as stunning as I knew she would be. Not that she wasn’t then. She was twenty-two then, her body just starting to lose that baby weight and look, but now she’s definitely all woman.

She’s five-eight of lean muscle but with good curves that make my hands itch to trace them. Her golden blonde hair is pulled up into a clip, some of it framing her face, and giving her a softer look. But the minute I look into those electric blue eyes, that softness is gone. In its place is a hardened soldier that has no problem going toe to toe with anyone in her way, even me. I don’t see any visible tattoos, but I would bet my favorite gun that she’s got a couple hiding under those tight as fuck clothes. Her heart-shaped mouth is bare of any lipstick or lip gloss, and is currently pulled down into a scowl. I push the thought aside that if I was any closer to her, I could lean down and take a bite of that full lower lip.God, I need to get a grip.

“I take it you two know each other?” Shadow drawls sarcastically. “Sniper, we’re trying to recruit her for our team, so how about you don’t scare her off?”

“Oh, I won’t scare her off,” I drawl back, my gaze never moving from Thea’s, whose blue eyes flash again. “She’s made of sterner stuff, aren’t you, Sutton?”

Instead of answering me, she turns away, dismissing me, and looks back at Shadow, Viper, and the other men now standing with them. Bullet shoots me awhat the helllook, which I ignore. King is grinning like an idiot, while Viper looks intrigued. No doubt the tongues will be wagging at the clubhouse before long over this little exchange, and that means the women will be at me about it too. Fucking hell. I don’t need this right now, but like everything else, I’ll handle it.

It helps that most are too intimidated of me to say much to my face. Well, other than the women. Especially Rose, though I doubt she’s intimidated by anyone.

“I’m not sure what you would need me to do,” she replies to Shadow.

“We have a lot of things you will be well suited for,” Viper assures her. “And it ranges. We can go over it all if you’d be actually interested. Most of it is security work, and it would be great to have a female employee because we have a lot of female clients that would feel more comfortable with you than one of us.”

I see something flash on her face so quick I doubt anyone else noticed, but since I’m staring at her, I catch it and the hair on the back of my neck tingles. Yeah, there’s something there, and Viper’s statement set it off. I frown slightly, but I don’t ask, instead, just wait and listen. “I’ll think about it,” Thea replies noncommittally. “I’ll get back to you by the end of the week.”

Viper and Shadow both nod. Shadow steps forward and pulls a card from the front pocket of his cut. I have the inexplicable urge to snatch it away, telling him she’s not going to be anywhere near him, but I don’t move or act on it. What the fuck is wrong with me? I’m in her presence for all of five minutes and I’m already losing my mind. This is exactly why I avoided her as much as possible in the short time we were around each other.

She messes with my head and makes me want things I have no business thinking about.

“Just give me a call,” Shadow offers. “I’ll have a contract drawn up that will outline the offer and send it over to you or give it to Theo to give you. Then you can decide.” She nods and takes the card, pocketing it. Shadow turns to the man near him who must be Theo. Who is he to Thea? I look him over, but then realize his eyes are the exact same as Thea’s, and the closer I look, the more I realize the similarities. I relax, realizing thismust be her brother. “And Theo, we’ll put your name forward for a vote as a Prospect, and when I hear back on it, I’ll let you know. If you’re accepted, you need to be ready to get to work as a Prospect immediately. Understood?”

“Got it,” Theo says with a wide, excited smile. Clearly, the guy is happy at the idea, which isn’t something I’ve seen a bit. But we also need more prospects and I’m glad it’s someone older this time and not a kid. Carson and Kaleb, our current Prospects, are damn good, but the others we’ve had recently are either too immature or flunk out and leave us high and dry.

Bullet and I share a look that says it’ll be brought up at the Church meeting later. The one we need to have in a few hours to discuss the shit show that happened at the bar last night. And the very reason we’re here to talk to Shadow and Viper.

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