Page 80 of Avenging Devil: Part 2

“What?”

Circling my hand around, I explain, “They’re too well behaved for bikers.”

It’s Stormy, who, putting his arm around his old lady, barks a laugh and enlightens me. “The music’s kept down when Swift’s around.” He hugs his woman tight for a second then releases her. “It fucks with her hearing aids. As for women,” he glances as if to check there’s none around, “there’ll be enough patch chasers here at the weekend. The work we do, Saffie, needs full commitment and attention. It’s actually rare we’re all here. Often, a number of us are out on missions. Sure, we let our hair down, but fuckin’ isn’t the end-all be-all for us.”

They might wear cuts, but I start to wonder whether they qualify as bikers.

Changing tack, he addresses Niran. “What are you going to do about your sister?” I notice Road tilts his head, seeming interested in the answer.

Niran brushes his hands over his head, linking them behind him. “Fuck knows. I’ve been trying not to think about that.”

“San Diego’s waiting on a decision from you.”

“Yeah.” He nods. “Lost told me.”

“She betrayed me,” I remind him. “And nearly got you killed. How could you ever forgive her?”

“If she knew what she was doing, I can’t,” he says, firmly, pain spreading over his face. “Cyn…” he stares straight at Stormy as though his words are for him, “Cyn’s a kid in a woman’s body. I’m not sure she knew what she was doing. She might have been lording it over Susie, showing off what she knew.”

Stormy shakes his head. “Oh, I think she knew. From what I can gather, Cyn’s possessive of you. She hadn’t a clue she’d hurt you but didn’t give a damn about what happened to your ol’ lady. Just wanted her out of the way and knew that Susie would help her.”

Niran sits forward, his brow creasing. “But why the fuck’s she fixated on me? I barely know her. We didn’t even grow up together. She came to see me out of the blue.” Pausing, his eyes glaze as though he’s thinking back. “She didn’t know I was a biker, and when she found out, she took to living at the club like a duck to water.”

“Patch chaser?” Stormy’s brows rise.

Niran waves his hand dismissively. “None of my brothers would go near her. They got the message to be hands off, loud and clear.”

Stormy takes a long sip of his beer, “Would they be interested if you took the reins off?”

Niran snorts. “After she all but got me killed? Maybe crippled me? I doubt they want much to do with her right now.”

“See,” Stormy puts his bottle back down, “this is what I’m thinking. Cyn sees something she likes and doesn’t want to leave. Is it you, her big brother, or the club itself? Could there be a brother she wants?”

Niran chokes on his soda. “Whether she does or does not, none of my brothers would give her the fuckin’ time of day.”

Stretching out his legs and folding his arms, Stormy asks, “Remind me. Why’s she with you, and why’s she not heading home?”

“She objected to her parents splitting her and an abusive boyfriend up. Trouble is, it looks like Cyn still wants him, and if she goes back, it’s likely it will be to him.”

Now I can see why Stormy gets his name. His face grows thunderous and dark. “What’s the fucker’s name?

“He goes by the name of Hester, that’s all I know.”

“Want me to dig into his background? See if there’s anything we can use to put some distance between him and her? If we can, then problem solved, she can go back without worries she’ll fall back into the same relationship.”

While I’m thinking that wouldn’t hurt, Niran slowly nods his head. “Sounds like a plan. Hell, Stormy, I feel bad asking the club to keep an eye on her while I’m not there to take the slack.”

“They told her what happened to you?”

“Nah. I told Lost to tell her I was away on urgent business.”

I tap Niran gently on the arm. “Why don’t you call her?”

“You got taken.” Niran turns flaring eyes on me. “You could have been killed. I thought you were fuckin’ dead, you feel me? And I might never walk again. Yet you want me to talk to my bitch of my sister as if nothing’s wrong?”

Shaking my head, I explain my thoughts. “She’ll get suspicious if you don’t go back. Tell her you got hurt. She’ll either deny her involvement or confess. If the latter, she’ll be distraught at the outcome.”

“At some point you’ll have to,” Stormy puts in, reasonably.

Niran shakes his head. “I don’t know if there’s a big enough river to flow under that bridge before I want to hear her voice again.” He reaches out his hand, touching me as if to ensure I’m real. “Saffie would have been killed if she hadn’t fallen over her feet. That’s my fuckin’ recurring nightmare, Stormy.”

Stormy’s eyes darken. For a moment he’s silent, then he gives a sharp nod, and getting to his feet, bids us goodnight and leaves us.

“Can’t she just go home, Niran?” I wonder aloud.

“No.” Swift speaks for the first time. “Keep your enemies close. I think there’s more going on with Cyn than it appears on the surface. If you want, I can come back and ask her myself.” Apollo jumps on her lap. Idly, Swift strokes him, but on her face is a fixed glare.

Her expression makes me shudder and realise I wouldn’t want to be questioned by Swift.

“I’m tired as hell.” Niran pushes his chair away from the table. “And you look dead on your feet. Let’s call it a day, Saffie, and go to bed.”

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