Page 5 of Taming the Demon

“I know, babe,” Darrow said in his ultra-sultry, sexy voice.

Thenerdof the club stood six-five and packed well over two hundred pounds of brain and muscle. Darrow was the kind of guy who could beat you with his fists and also wire up some random things around the house into a bomb. He was maybe the deadliest of the outlaws. Handling the tech side of things which had a huge influence on the motorcycle club. Not to mention he did well working with Slade to make financial decisions.

Mara listened to the heavy footsteps as Darrow went into the bedroom. She shut her eyes and took deep breaths. She knew there’d be no more vomit. Her stomach was empty as it was, and the vomiting came from the intense adrenaline rush of fear.

It’s going to happen… Darrow is going to have to tell the truth. There’s no choice. He’s not going to put himself on the line for me. No fucking way. Even right now, what he’s done so far? He’s a dead man. That’s why when they find me, I’ll never tell the truth. I’ll say I showed up and he told me to stay and wait, then he went to get the club. That’s the least I can do. Better yet, maybe I should just down the entire bottle of Xanax and go to sleep for good. Handle business my way.

Tears filled Mara’s eyes. She heard Darrow’s footsteps once more, coming back toward her. Without saying a word and without an ounce of judgement, Darrow filled a whiskey glass with wine and placed it next to the kitchen sink, along with a pill.

Mara reached, refusing to look at Darrow. She felt weak and shameful, but what the fuck was she supposed to do in this situation? It wasn’t like Darrow was carrying her on his broad shoulders into theSOFRAWclubhouse, ready to die to prove her innocence.

Mara tossed the pill into her mouth and downed it with the wine. She finally looked at Darrow.

“I’m going to run you a bath,” he said. “You need to calm down. Fully. I’m not going anywhere right now either.”

“You just want a chance to see me naked, don’t you?” Mara asked, managing to attempt to be silly and maybe flirt for a second.

Darrow half smirked. “You caught me, babe.”

Mara licked her bottom lip.

If you want to see me naked, Darrow, just rip my fucking clothes off… I won’t even think about trying to stop you…

Mara sank down a little more into the scalding water and let out a sigh. She watched the water and bubbles overtake her breasts. Without realizing it, she looked at the bathroom door and bit her bottom lip.

Darrow…

She closed her eyes and couldn’t stop her mind from racing. Picturing Darrow just opening the bathroom door. Definitely not knocking. Darrow was an outlaw and outlaws took what they wanted, when they wanted. She pictured Darrow dropping down to one knee and reaching into the water, no hesitation necessary. His huge, outlaw fingers touching her soft, wet pussy. Two fingers pressing against her, entering her, making her head fall back and hit the wall. Her upper back arching, her breasts lifting out of the water, hot and sudsy.

Mara’s eyes popped open and she swallowed hard. The Xanax and wine were definitely taking hold of her. It felt good. As much as she hated to admit that. Then again, this was the life. Plenty of inked up old ladies who popped pills, chugged booze,and plenty who did even worse just to survive another day being hitched to a biker.

But not a fucking rat,Mara thought to herself.

She reached for a washcloth and soaked it in the water, then placed it over her face. The hot water felt good. So did the wine. And the Xanax. And the fact that she knew Darrow was outside the bathroom somewhere in the apartment. Mara took a steamy deep breath.

How the fuck did I get here…she exhaled slowly and let it all come back to her.

She always hated Fitz in some regard…but when it came time to get inked and hitched, there was not much of a choice in the matter. Not that it mattered now. What was done was done. The life had settled in and around Mara a long time ago.

Lately she’d seen a change in Fitz. He was angrier. Way more violent. Just three nights ago he threw a glass at Mara’s head. She stood in the kitchen, shocked. That was the one thing…

She would never tolerate abuse.

A glass shattering near her head was one thing, yes. But then Fitz had the balls to walk up to the counter and grab a shard of the glass. He stared down at Mara with bloodshot eyes. Tired eyes. Desperate eyes.

“Don’t fucking talk to me anymore,” Fitz said to Mara. “When I need you, you’ll know. If I want your mouth, I’ll jam my cock into it. Otherwise I’ll just go for your pathetic cunt.”

Fitz lifted the glass shard up to Mara’s neck. She froze in that moment and had since hated herself for it. A voice in her head screamed to kick Fitz in the balls.

But then what? If she hit first, it gave Fitz all the allowance he needed to go back at her. And the look in his eyes told Mara if she was lucky she’d only end up in the hospital. Chances were, she’d end up in a casket or a hole in the ground in an unmarked grave.

Fitz was fucking insane. Something was eating at him. That’s when Mara hung around the clubhouse a little more. Getting to know Nova. Hating the fuck out of that little slut Maggie. Meeting Nelle. The life of an outlaw never slowed and certainly never calmed. The thing was… nothing stuck out to Mara as being so far over the top that Fitz would act the way he did.

Then there were the fleeting moments when Darrow would show up. A casual glance here and there. The time Mara got too drunk and he made sure she got home safely.

Why… what the fuck, Darrow? Why? Why wasn’t it you…?

Mara told herself her hatred for Fitz had written a story in her mind about him that simply couldn’t have been true. At least not until the night she came home to Fitz drunk out of his mind, half asleep, curled on the floor just outside the bathroom. Eyes shut. Mumbling…

---