Along Came Merrie (20 page)

“What the ever-loving fuck is
this
?” Gray Dog snapped.

Axe shook her as if she were some kind of prize. “I brought her—to show my loyalty to the Demon Devils. I can still join your table and we can take over this county. Like I told you, I have Intel on the Wolves that can bring them down.”

Gray Dog calmly walked around the bar and came to stand a few feet away from where Axe held her captive. He didn’t look at her.

“My sanction for you to join us rested on you providing me with North Tabion’s head,” Gray Dog stated coldly. “But do you know who I got a call from earlier today? None other than that very same fucker who is looking for you. It seems like your shooting skills are lacking. So, Axe, I’m going to have to revoke my endorsement.”

“You can’t do that!” Axe all but screamed. “This bitch is who screwed up my plans and now I’ve corrected it. I’ll kill her right now for you.”

The cold barrel of Axe’s gun pressed against the back of her head. She couldn’t help the small whimper that escaped her. Terror churned in her stomach, making her wonder if she was about to upchuck and as much as she wanted to run away, her feet seemed frozen to the ground.

“That’s all I need,” Gray Dog sneered. “Her DNA splattered all over this fucking bar. There’s too many people looking for her, numbnuts.”

The gun wavered in his hand. Axe was losing control. “I’ve gone too far, Gray Dog. I can’t go back to the Red Wolves. Not now. You owe me this.”

“I don’t owe you shit,” Gray Dog muttered. “You came to me, remember? You asked me if there was any way a Red Wolf could join the Demon Devils. You even asked not to join as a fucking prospect. You wanted the glory and the badge, didn’t you? Well, fuck you, Axe. My club, my rules. You’re a Red Wolf in Demon Devil territory—a fucking traitor.”

The next moment seemed to stretch into infinity. Merrie couldn’t take her gaze off Gray Dog, who simply watched Axe over her shoulder. The stares of Demon Devils crawled over her skin like ants. This must be how they got their name. She certainly felt like she was standing in a pit of Hell.

Axe shifted he gun from the back to her head to over her shoulder. It barely registered in her brain that he now pointed the barrel at Gray Dog before the report of a gun filled the room, only it wasn’t from
his
gun. She flinched instinctively then didn’t move a muscle—not even when Axe’s body fell back with a thud. From behind Gray Dog, a man held a gun, a man with long dark hair and a snake tattoo on his arm—the same man from her car, the one who had been driving. She wondered, in a detached sort of way, if he was going to shoot her next. Would it have been better never to see it coming or to face the bullet head on?

Although she tried to keep herself as still as possible, shivers suddenly gripped her. Gray Dog slowly walked up to her.

“Now what shall I do with you?” he asked softly.

A million ideas ran through her mind, but the only thing that stuck was the realization she was going to have to say something meaningful to him if she hoped he’d spare her life. She looked around the room. Cold blank stares met her.

“I think,” she began, but her mouth was so dry she had difficulty forming words. She swallowed as much saliva as she could find in her mouth and tried again. “I think you found me and rescued me.”

Gray Dog cocked his head. “Come again?”

“You said too many people are looking for me,” she answered steadily, using his own words against him. If she had to play on his vanity to save her neck, so be it. “And Axe has proved himself a traitor to the Red Wolves, which means he would have definitely become a traitor to the Demon Devils. When he took me captive to save his own neck, you realized just how bad a man he was, a liar to his colors and a liar to yours. So, you rescued me. And the media labels you a hero.”

Gray Dog sucked in a deep breath and crossed his arms. “A hero, huh? And you being in my bar?”

“I was never in your bar,” she said, keeping her gaze trained on him.

“And Axe being shot?”

“I never saw that happen,” she stated firmly. “I was tied up in the back of his van. Blindfolded. The next thing I knew, you untied me and I have no idea where Axe went.”

The shooter, who had stood behind Gray Dog, murmured something in his ear. Gray Dog gave a small smile, never taking his eyes from her. The man backed away but didn’t go too far.

“I like being called a hero,” Gray Dog said. “Most people in Destiny would label me the antichrist, so being a hero would give them a big old ‘fuck you’. And now there’s too many roads leading you back to my doorstep, so you better stick to that story, Miss Walden, and I do believe we have ourselves a deal.”

She didn’t say anything, just stood still and didn’t look around. The less she saw, the better.

Gray Dog abruptly lost his smile and took a threatening step toward her. “But if you ever breathe one word about what happened here, we’ll have business to take care of. Understand?”

“Yes,” she said firmly. Boy did she understand. His meaning was coming through loud and crystal clear. “All I’ve ever wanted to do was put this…episode…behind me. I’ve no wish to go down memory lane.”

Gray Dog relaxed. “Very well. Then it seems I have a phone call to make and a newspaper reporter to get ready for, plus smile for the camera. My man Gunner will wait with you outside.”

The shooter, aptly named Gunner, strode forward and took her arm. She didn’t look down as he steered her to the door. She had no wish to see Axe’s lifeless body. And she absolutely had no desire ever to see the inside of the Demon Devil’s bar again.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Merrie wasn’t sure what was going to happen. She waited in the parking lot of the Demon Devil’s bar, shivering a little from the cool night air. Gunner stood next to her. He hadn’t said a word to her in the whole time they’d been there. She’d turned her back when several of the bikers had brought out Axe’s body. Soon, she heard the van take off and a few minutes after that, the newspaper reporter showed up.

Gray Dog came out to stand next to her as the reporter interviewed her, forcing her to talk about her ordeal. She changed things just enough to make it sound like the Demon Devils were the heroes of this nightmare, Gray Dog in particular. He’d rescued her, saved her from a madman, who had thought he could become part of their organization.

“I was only doing what anybody would have done,” Gray Dog stated as the camera pushed close to his face. “For so long, people have this warped view of who and what a motorcycle club actually consists of. We are law-abiding, a society of caring people. It was not only my pleasure to save Miss Walden, but it was also my duty from one human being to the other.”

For the most part, Merrie let Gray Dog do all the talking, only nodding and agreeing with whatever the reporter wanted her to confirm. Minutes into the interview, she saw Leo’s truck approaching on the road. Her heart jumped and everything blurred as she left the reporter and Gray Dog behind to run toward her two men.

The truck screeched to a halt and Braden bailed out of it. He ran to her, throwing his arms around her and engulfing her in a warm, tight embrace. Behind her, Leo curved his big body to her back, and just like that, everything in her world righted itself. She didn’t care about anything else, not how Gray Dog was becoming a hero in the eyes of the world, not how Axe’s body was probably going to disappear, and certainly not the secrets she was now forced to keep. She’d do it all and more to be safe, and more importantly, to keep her family safe. She’d come from a hard life and she wasn’t going to let one more dark blight in the past destroy her future. It was over.

The next few hours were devoted to answering questions and repeating the lie that Gray Dog saved her. He had told the reporter that Axe had brought her to his club in hopes of being an incentive to accept him into the ranks of the Demon Devils. Gray Dog flat out said he knew something was wrong and that he had to rescue her. When he’d declined Axe’s request, he said that Axe had grabbed Merrie to take her, but he’d fought him and managed to get Merrie away. After that, Axe had fled and they had no idea where he’d gone.

Givon asked to inspect the bar, which Gray Dog happily complied with. Merrie wondered what the bikers had done to clean up the interior but she quickly let that thought die. From now on, she couldn’t think of those things, couldn’t allow herself to wonder and contemplate the ‘what ifs’. Gray Dog caught her eye and the look he gave her more than reinforced her need to keep her mouth shut. She gave him the barest nod then turned away. She’d uphold her end of the bargain and she’d quickly throw away the memories that went with it.

She told the deputies about the hunting cabin and what had happened to Detective Christianson, as well as his family connection to Axe, but apologized when she couldn’t tell them the cabin’s location since the back of the van hadn’t had any windows. Finally, the long night ended and Leo helped her into the truck, placing her between him and Braden.

Every light shone in the house but she didn’t care. She might even need to sleep with the lights on for a few days, just until the terror faded from her mind. Tears poured from her eyes as relief flooded through her. So much had been drained from her that dizziness assailed her.

She was safe.

It was over.

Axe would never hurt her again.

Although she couldn’t ever say that statement aloud, it was enough just knowing justice had been served. It might not be civilized justice, but perhaps that was for the best. There wouldn’t be a trial, she wouldn’t have to relive the terror and she’d never have to dread the idea of Axe being paroled.

Braden swept her up in his arms and carried her to the bathroom, where he and Leo turned on the shower and stripped her. Leo kept his body against the sting of the hot water while Braden pressed in behind her. She had to keep her cast dry, so she turned to hang her wrist through the curtain.

Braden couldn’t seem to stop touching her—her face, her hair, her neck, her shoulders. It was as though he couldn’t get enough confirmation that she was there and safe. It would be a while until she was truly fine, but for now, being okay was good enough.

“What really happened?” Leo whispered into her ear. He rested his cheek on top of her head.

“What do you mean?”

“Honey, the Demon Devils don’t do anything that doesn’t put something in their pocket,” Braden said. “Gray Dog wouldn’t have
rescued
you, not unless he’d been promised something.”

She didn’t say anything, unwilling to lie to them, but at the same time, Gray Dog’s words screamed through her head.

“Merrie?”

She smiled up at Braden. “I don’t know—”

“Don’t lie,” Leo said.

“I have to,” she replied.

“Why?”

She didn’t want to say it. She wanted to forget it.

But Braden and Leo wouldn’t let her.

“Always tell us the truth, sweetheart,” Leo said.

“I need to protect you,” she whispered.

Braden grasped her chin and lifted her head. “How about we protect each other? Whatever happened, we’ll protect your secrets.”

She nodded. “Let’s get out of the shower first.”

They quickly washed and dried off. Only when Merrie wore her sleep shirt and lay tucked in between Braden and Leo in bed did she tell them about her abduction. From beginning to end, everything poured out, even the threats Axe had used against her. When she got to the part where she had been standing in the Demon Devil’s bar, she stumbled a bit. To say the words aloud would make it real and she didn’t know if she wanted to relive it. But they both took hold of one of her hands and held tight, then her words just poured out.

“He pulled the gun on Gray Dog then…he was dead. A man named Gunner shot him, and he was the same guy who was driving my car that night I jumped from it. I recognized the tattoo on his arm.”

“What happened to Axe?” Leo asked.

“I don’t know,” she replied. “I really have no idea what happened to the body and I don’t care to know. But Gray Dog was wondering what to do with me and I had to think of something. I didn’t want to die, so I persuaded him to be my hero.”

“That explains the newspaper,” Leo replied. “North’s going to love that.”

The sarcastic tone suggested anything but. Not that she gave a shit. The only things Merrie cared about were the two men sitting next to her.

“He said as long as I hold my silence, we have a deal. If I tell anyone…the deal’s off.”

“Okay,” Braden said. “Then this doesn’t go any farther than this room. Agreed?”

“Agreed,” Leo said.

Merrie nodded. “Agreed.”

Braden kissed her softly on the lips. “Listen, Merrie, I know we haven’t known each other long and I know I’ve been a colossal prick for some of that time. But I more than care for you, Merrie. I…I’d like for you to stay, to see if we can build a future.”

“Oh, Braden. I more than care for you too.”

Leo turned her head toward him. “Will you stay with us, Merrie? Will you see if we can have a future together?”

“Yes!” she exclaimed. “Of course, yes. As long as sharing never becomes an issue between us. I’d never want to be the thing that separates you two.”

Leo smiled tenderly. “Braden and I promise to never let that happen.”

“Yeah,” Braden said. “Any issues that arise, we talk about it together. I’ve learned my lesson.”

“Good.” She softened the word with a giggle. “I won’t be afraid to crack my whip.”

“I love your strength and your courage and I can’t imagine going through life without you,” Leo shared with her.

Merrie smiled. “You’ve both given me the thing I wanted most—a family. And I love you both for it.”

Braden and Leo used actions to express their love. Leo trailed his hand up her leg, pushing her T-shirt as he went, touching her inner thigh and gently reaching higher until he realized she wasn’t wearing panties. His gaze flew to hers and he offered her such a sexy, wicked grin that wetness instantly flooded her pussy. He explored her folds, coating his digits in her juice before dipping inside her. As he explored her with his talented fingers, Braden engulfed her sensitive nipples with his mouth. Merrie arched, wanting more.