Page 146 of Avenging Devil: Part 2

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Niran

“Got a moment, Niran?”

Reluctantly, I pull myself away from Saffie. It hurts to let her out of my sight. Even though Duke is dead and gone, some part of me refuses to believe that she’s safe and we can focus on our future. A future I’ve got many plans for.

“Sure, Prez.” I get my crutches under me, stand, then follow him into his office.

In deference to my current physical state, he holds the door open, then closes it behind me, before taking a seat behind his desk. He leans on his elbows and steeples his hands, regarding me for a moment.

“I expected you to be breaking my door down this morning to hear what happened with Susie.”

Giving a half-shrug, I explain, “I knew you’d deal with her, Prez. I trust my brothers to have my back. Saffie’s my highest priority.”

“I get that.” He grins, then lines crease his brow. “I was fuckin’ impressed with her yesterday. But how is she after that?”

“Killing Duke?” I grimace, remembering how I’d seen a different side to my old lady. A side that I fully admire, the final piece dropping into place, showing she’s going to be okay with this life. “I doubt her parents would have recognised her. But Saffie’s been through hell and back over the past few years. It’s shaped her, made her the woman she is today. She could have been broken and cowered, hell, for a time, I thought she was. But it’s hardened her, made her stronger. I was shocked, Prez.” I break off to shake my head. “Wanted to save her from any more violence, but she needed to have that control. I read it wrong, but thank fuck, Swift read it right. She needed to see Duke was dead and have a hand in his retribution.”

“She did,” he confirms. His serious expression fades, and he smirks. “Wouldn’t like to be you if you get your old lady riled.”

I grin back. “I think I’ll try not to, Prez.”

His levity fades. “If she needs help—”

“I’ll get it for her.” I’ve already thought she might need counselling, but after last night, I wasn’t so certain. Killing Duke had seemed to bring that chapter of her life to a close, and she’s the better, not the worse for it.

Lost undoes his hands and raps his knuckles against his desk. “Susie,” he starts, capturing my interest.

“You get her story?”

His mouth twists. “We did, yes.” Leaning back in his chair, he takes a deep breath. “Turns out she was exactly what we thought she was—a biker bitch chasing a patch.”

“Her cousin?”

“Second cousin.” He emphasises the relationship. “I’ll get to that in a bit. But what you should know is she homed in on you from the start.”

“Why me?”

“She thought you’d be easy. She’d noticed you didn’t go with the club girls, and thought if she forced your hand, you’d patch her.” He breaks off, his face looking pained as he informs me, “She used GHB on you that night.”

Dropping my head, I rub at my temples. I’d always suspected she had. I’d never gotten so drunk I’d lost a chunk of my memory and had never understood how she’d taken me to bed. I couldn’t even remember being attracted to her.

“She raped you, Brother.”

What man likes to hear that confirmed? What woman for that matter? It might be months in the past, but I feel dirty as though it happened yesterday. It hadn’t been my fault, I lecture myself. But still I wonder whether it was something I’d done, or something I’d said.

“She played on your guilt, Niran. When you didn’t fall into her plans and make her your old lady, she didn’t give up. I think it became a challenge to her. She saw you as hers.”

“So when Saffie came along?”

“She hated her. Saw you as stepping out on her.” Lost pinches at the bridge of his nose. “You’re too fuckin’ honourable, Brother. Salem, Pennywise, yeah, they fucked her, but she knew it meant nothing. You though? You’re not indiscriminate as to where you stick your dick. She thought in time you’d give in and be with her.”

“But that meant getting rid of the competition.” I slam my hand on the desk. “Fuck it, Lost, she never had a chance.”

“Of course she didn’t,” he agrees. “But the woman was twisted as well as single-minded. She got close to Cyn, played on her insecurities, made her believe Saffie would take you away from her.” He breaks off and grimaces. “She used her, Niran. Flattered her, told her how once she was your old lady, she’d be her sister.”

“And Cyn fell for it.” My teeth grind together.

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