Page 13 of Creature's Vengeance
Manic wasn’t wrong. “People will always spend money on their vices. It’s the shit that makes life worth living.”
“Exactly.”
I turned to Maddog. “Let me get this right. We’re remodeling an old casino as our clubhouse, buying property around us to run a strip club, porn studio, and a few other businesses. And we’re bringing in Marines to help get it sorted.”
“That’s right.”
There wasn’t much else that I needed to know. “I’m in.”
He belted out a laugh. “Yeah, I thought so, Balen.”
Manic’s grin widened. “Welcome to the club. You’re almost a Graven Bastard.”
Maddog gripped my shoulder. “You ready?”
“For?”
“Your initiation.”
Fuck. “What do I have to do?”
“Take a ride into the desert. There’s someone I want you to meet.”
Chapter 4 Creature
There was something hauntingly beautiful and mysterious about the desert at night. Under the cover of darkness, predators hunted, and blooms folded closed to avoid the chilly air. Animals burrowed and found shelter. The desert seemed to hold its breath until morning, a collective breath that released with the rising sun. In the Great Basin, it was a kill-or-be-killed scenario—survival of the fittest.
And humans were at the top of the food chain.
Darkness encroached from every angle. I couldn’t see further than the headlight on my bike that illuminated enough of the sand, tumbleweeds, cacti, and Juniper Trees to warn me before I ran them over. Snakes, scorpions, spiders, and other creatures slithered and scurried into the shadows as we rode through their domain.
Across the endless expanse, a shimmer of light whispered with seductive promise. The best part about Nevada was the stargazing. It didn’t disappoint tonight, with bright white lights twinkling above our heads as they surrounded the moon.
I gripped the handlebars on my bike and followed Maddog. I relaxed in the saddle, at peace with the wild, untamed beauty around me. The vibrations of the engine zipped through my body and settled. I loved the way my bike purred when I rode her.
Bikes had different sounds, but there was no mistaking a Harley. Unique, deep, and rustic. Like a rumble of thunder shooting through me as I felt every RPM of the motor. Other bikes just sounded off, as if they lacked the guts of a Harley, but not my old man’s Dyna Wide Glide. Goosebumps ran down my arms as the wind caressed my skin with chilled fingers. Ridinga bike he loved and being in the same saddle meant the fucking world to me.
For the first time since arriving in Las Vegas, I began to relax. Out here in the untamed wilds of the desert, no enemy threatened us. I didn’t have to look over my shoulder because I could feel the presence of Maddog and Manic as we rode across the sand.
So when I saw a giant ball of fire hurtling toward me, I had to blink to be sure I wasn’t imagining it. The flames flickered over it and swarmed like a breathing entity as it pulsed. It freaked me the fuck out when the ball landed a few feet in front of my bike. I slammed on the brakes and nearly catapulted over my fucking handlebars.
“Maddog! Manic!” I shouted, turning my head to find they had disappeared. No Harleys. Nothing but desert all around me.
A crater had opened in the earth from the impact, and the flames began to fade, flickering instead of raging. Thick smoke lifted from the ball that resembled an asteroid. I would have stuck with that theory, but it began to vibrate. An odd humming noise followed.
Slowly, bit by bit, cracks began to appear. They crackled over the blackened ball as the smoke lifted from its surface and curled in dense gray toward the sky. I could imagine it was hot as hell and didn’t approach it. But I did rise off the saddle of my bike.
When it hatched,fucking hatched, I stumbled backward.
What in the actual fuck?
I had to wonder if someone put something in my drink. I had to be trippin’.
A creature with massive leathery black wings unfolded from inside, stretching its limbs as clawed hands opened and its shoulders rolled back. The being stood and stepped over the shattered black shell, placing hooved feet on the sand. He had to be seven feet tall.
Red eyes met my curious gaze as I realized the facial features were humanoid. Masculine, too. The creature had to be human when my gaze dipped briefly, and I caught the hanging, jutting cock between his thighs. Jesus. Christ. I didn’t want to see his swinging dick. That thing was more oversized than a horse cock.
Laughter spilled from his dark lips, followed by a scowl. “I do hate hearing his name. It’s such a downer.”
