Page 3 of Devil's Betrayal

Templar is already gone when I come downstairs but a fresh pot of coffee sits on the burner as well as a breakfast sandwich. This is typical of him. Always taking care of me and watching my back. When I found out I had a little brother, I wasn’t too happy but he grew on me and quickly became someone I need in my life. Our connection comes through our mother. A woman looking for love in all the wrong places resulting in a revolving door of men who used and abused her. Templar’s father actually loved her enough to settle down and gave her the life she searched for. Despite the countless men I’ve seen over the years living under her roof, she’s a good mom and as I’ve grown older I understand she did the best that she could.

That’s all we can expect from the people in our lives. No one is obligated to give you the world but as long as they do their best, I’m okay with that. I’m not sure if that’s the best attitudeto have but it works for me. I’ve made my own mistakes that have cost me dearly but when Ezra was born, I was determined to be a good father and be in his life despite his mother and I not working out. He has my roguish ways which have gotten him into more trouble than I care to admit and when he became a Devil, I knew that I wanted him to lead my club once I retired. Never in my life did I think I would be considering someone else for the job but here I am wondering when I lost him. I suppose the money, random pussy, and power got to his head but we’ve had countless conversations about how that stuff is temporary. There comes a time in your life when you have to think differently if you want more.

Eagle is younger than I am and therefore has less life experience but Jake taught him how to run a successful club. How to look at the bigger picture because you will grow older, want less, and you won’t have the need for instant gratification in your life. When we fought alongside the Rebels to rescue Harper and Lizzie, I couldn’t help but notice how Eagle lead his men and how all the different chapters dropped everything to come and help them. They even knew what to do with a simple nod of his head. That was an example of true leadership. Experiencing their definition of brotherhood had me feeling like we could do better.

That observation taught me that I had a lot of work to do if I wanted to leave a legacy that I could be proud of. I want to walk away with no regrets, so from now on, we’ll be doing things a little differently, gradually making changes until we’re no longer looking over our shoulders at every turn because someone has a problem with us. The first thing that has to go is the sex trafficking. It seemed like a good idea at first but I have a daughter of my own and every time I look at her I feel sick to my stomach knowing that we have had a hand in snatching young women from their families.

Grabbing my keys and backpack of supplies, I head out the door needing to get some fresh air and there’s no better place to find some peace than visiting Jake’s final resting place. If I could turn back the hands of time, I would’ve never listened to Franklin’s insistence on killing Jake. It was a decision I will regret for the rest of my life. Although I didn’t pull the trigger, I could’ve stopped it. Greed got in the way of my conscience and Jake paid the price of my stupidity. He didn’t deserve it and Eagle never got the chance to know Jake as his birth father. Telling Eagle that truth was a weight lifted off of my shoulders but it came with a high price. Sure, I could’ve kept that secret but I would most likely be dead had I not told him the truth. I still have the scars on my neck from Torch burning me with a fucking blow torch. The smell of my own flesh burning had me telling them everything I knew. It wasn’t from fear but pain and exhaustion. The truth needed to be told because I was tired of the club life and this rivalry.

In the end, Eagle confronted Franklin and was ready to turn him in for his crimes but Franklin took the coward’s way out and shot himself in front of his family. I stood in the shadows as the love of my life buried the man that her family felt was the best choice for her. The need to comfort her punched me in the gut and there were times that I’ve come close to saying “fuck it” and going to her side. Eagle and I have found a space where the Rebels and Devils are not at war despite being rival clubs so I’m not trying to stir that pot. If he knew that I was his mother’s first love that would sever our truce and he would be out for my blood.

Driving through the tall iron gates, I ride slowly along the trail taking in the eerie quiet of the graveyard as if I’m trying not to disturb those that are sleeping. Although death is tragic, the souls lying here taking their final rest, are experiencing a peace that I have longed for. Back in the day I used to takepleasure in knowing that when I cross over, my demons would be celebrating and guiding me straight to the pits of hell. The devil himself would greet me and we’d have one hell of a party. Now, I wonder what’s on the other side of heaven and is it as joyful as preachers talk about. I’ve survived a lot in my life and I don’t plan on leaving here for a while. Whatever time I have left will be spent turning my club around and doing some good for a change.

Pulling in behind the fire engine red drop top convertible, I smile knowing that Camille is here visiting Franklin’s grave. She has moved hell and high water to steer clear of me but we always manage to run into each other every now and again. I’ve kept my distance for the most part but it’s time she knows that I still want her just as much as I did all those years ago. I made the mistake of not fighting for her when she left Iron Forge thinking it was what she wanted but the sadness she carries on her face sometimes is the result of marrying a man whose heart was darker than mine.

Double checking to make sure I have everything I need, I slide my backpack over my shoulders and begin the trek to Jake’s plot. Red and orange leaves decorate the ground as I walk along the path thankful for the quiet that allows me to think and contemplate life. The moments I spend here talking to Jake have cleared my brain fog on many occasions. Making my way down the small hill, I veer off the path onto the grass because I don’t want her to hear me approach. If she sees me, she’ll try to run and there’s no way I’m letting her get away this time.

3

Micah

Watching from behind a large tree, I observe Camille’s tension filled frame as her voice carries on the wind and although it’s considered intrusive, I listen as she talks to the man who ruined her life. There’s no love lost between me and Franklin Bardot, heir to the Bardot Whiskey fortune. When he and Camille moved back to Iron Forge with their little boy, I was shocked when he called me. They rode off into the sunset while I slummed it here after our high school graduation. He had money at his disposal but somehow managed to be in debt with the wrong people and they wanted their money or his blood. We made an agreement for the Devils to clean up his mess in exchange for a continuous flow of cash into my club. We were new and I needed the funds. He also paid the chief of police to turn his head when the Devils came to Iron Forge to have a little “fun.”

“Franklin, I’ll never understand the motives behind your actions and the turmoil you subjected our family to. Why youchose to conceal so much of your life from me and left me here alone with so many unanswered questions,” Camille mumbles as tears stream down her beautiful face.

Sometimes I wonder if she would’ve been better off with me than with Franklin. Maybe things would’ve been different had she stayed with me instead of going off to college. She could’ve easily steered my crooked path straight or at the very least given me a conscience to sometimes do the right thing. Although I could never say the words, I loved her enough to change for her… only for her. She was the calm to my storm and there was nothing that I wouldn’t do for her.

“You weren’t the man I thought you were and I’m uncertain if I could ever forgive you. I just need to understand why. Why did you do this to our family? Everything was so perfect and to know that you were the one responsible for Jake’s death breaks my heart. He was our son’s birth father and you took him from him. How could you carry that burden and still be in Gideon’s presence knowing you robbed him of his father? Yes, I acknowledge my part in keeping it a secret but Gideon has forgiven me and we’ve moved on. I thought I was doing what was best but perhaps if he had known all along it would’ve been harder for you to betray him,” she laments, a mixture of sorrow and bitterness evident in her voice.

“It wouldn’t have made a difference to Franklin one way or the other. He was nowhere near the man you thought he was,” I interject strolling over a few plots over to Jake’s resting place. She startles at the sound of my voice but visibly relaxes when she sees it’s me.

“What are you doing here Micah?” She questions, trying but failing to sound irritated.

"Whenever I crave some peace and quiet, I visit this place and have a conversation with Jake while I tidy up his grave.The weight of guilt from what happened still gets to me, and ironically, this is the one spot where I find solace."

Her gray blue eyes flicker in surprise as if she’s granting me a temporary reprieve. Those very eyes once gazed into mine in the past, expressing love in a way words couldn't.

“How can you live with yourself knowing what you and Franklin did?”

“A man with a soul like mine finds it easy to justify his actions in the heat of the moment and the nightmares used to haunt me but I made peace with living alongside my demons a long time ago, Cami. I carry many regrets in my life but what happened with Jake is the biggest one. The guilt still gnaws at me sometimes and coming here to express my sorrow for what happened feels like a form of penance. Over the years, I’ve managed to forgive myself and although I can’t undo the past, I believe Jake has forgiven me.”

“How can you be sure of that? Jake was your best friend and you betrayed him.”

“I’m not sure of anything Cami but Jake had a big heart and despite the evils of the MC life, he managed to always see the good in people,” I reply in a gentle tone as I polish Jake’s headstone and remove the leaves. She’s vulnerable right now and I don’t want to scare her away.

She doesn’t say another word but the weight of her stare makes me pause and for a brief moment guilt creeps back in overshadowing the peace that had just settled over me. The tumultuous emotions reflected in her eyes convey a mixture of passion and anger like a silent storm that suggests a longing for a different reality. It’s as if she’s struggling with the urge to come to me and if she does, I will welcome her with open arms. Tears stain her cheeks as she turns away from me severing our connection. Quickly standing, she hurriedly walks up the path and I drop my cloth to go after her.

Every time we’ve seen each other or run into each other, she finds a way to evade me but this time, I refuse to let her slip away. We’re alone and although I have no clue what I’ll say, I need to have a conversation with her, be near her just to discern if what we shared all those years ago still resonate in her heart. Reaching her car she pushes the fob to unlock it and swings the door open to get in but she’s not fast enough. Gently taking her by the wrist, I pull her away from the door and turn her to face me.

“Cami, why do you always run from me?” I whisper over her skin as I breathe in her delectable scent. After all of these years, she still uses the same coconut shampoo that makes her smell intoxicating.

“I don’t always run from you Micah and please don’t call me Cami,” she chastises, her words barely rising above a whisper.

“Oh, but you do, my love. Every time I came to Iron Forge to visit Franklin you would quickly excuse yourself like you couldn’t stand being in the same room with me but we both know that wasn’t the case, don’t we? The truth is it was because you couldn’t control your feelings around me. Your flushed cheeks always gave you away.”

“I – I’m not sure what you mean Micah,” she stammers, each word a blatant lie that tumbles from her mouth... a mouth that I want to devour, nip, and taste. The pulse at her throat throbs erratically begging for my attention. Giving into the pull, I run my nose along her heated skin and gently bite her neck. Her breath hitches as I guide her back until her thighs meet the side of the car ensuring she doesn’t escape me this time. Driven by pure lust, I slowly kiss along her jawline and press my hips against hers needing to feel her softness. When her body stiffens, I pause allowing her to break free if that’s what she wishes. Instead she grumbles through her teeth in mock anger,

”Let me go Micah! I fucking hate you! You hurt my son and I’ll never forgive you!” The false bravado is endearing because her breathing has picked up, she could barely get the words out, and she hasn’t tried to move out of my grasp. Despite her plea to let her go, the way her body molds into mine suggests a different narrative. Her irises pulse with challenge, daring me to continue. Challenge fucking accepted! Running my mouth along her neck, I tease,

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