Captured Devil's Blaze MC Book 1 (18 page)

I look at my daughter, and she’s beautiful. I’ve missed both her and Katie. They might be twins, but they’re as different as night and day. Beth was always the one who had the more innocent personality. That only grew stronger as they aged. I know she hates me. Why wouldn’t she? I’ve done everything wrong with them from the beginning, including their mother. How I ever got ensnared by that bitch Isabel is beyond me. She cost me everything. I can’t let emotion get involved here, though. I have to protect my daughter, even if she hates me. That’s the only thing that’s important. I lost my chance at being a father a long time ago.

“I’m here. What do you want?” she asks me, and I doubt she realizes how much like Katie she actually sounds in this moment.

“I know you’re upset with me, sunshine, but I really am trying to save you here.”

“I didn’t ask for your help. The way I see it, you gave up all rights to even be involved in my life years ago. Now, I don’t know how you got these men to help you, but I would suggest that you—”

“They work for me,” I tell her, interrupting before she can continue. The hate in her voice is slowly killing me. My words, at least, stop her.

“What? … How?”

“There are things you don’t know about me, Elizabeth.”

“
Imagine that
,” she says harshly.

“Are you going to listen or not? Our time is limited here and I thought you’d be interested in saving your boyfriend.”

“Why would you save Skull?”

She’s suspicious of me, and she has a right to be. Hell, I don’t give two shits about that damned biker. However, thanks to the moves that Colin has made, I’m left with little choice.

“My name isn’t Roger Bailey.”

Beth tenses up with my announcement. I hate to tell her like this, but I have no choice.

“What’s your name?” she whispers, her face pale.

“Redmond Donahue.”

“Donahue?” she asks, even paler than before.

“I’m the leader of the family, Elizabeth.” I tell her. Shock comes over her entire face, her body swaying, and I know she’s going to faint. I see it coming. I lean over and catch my daughter right before she hits the floor.

I come to slowly. I don’t think I’ve been out long because I’m lying in Roger’s… Redmond’s…
whoever-he-is’s
lap. We’re still in the kitchen. His face is laced with concern and I try to block that out. He doesn’t have a right to be concerned about me. Not now. Not ever again. He gave away that right. I jerk up fast and instantly regret it because the world swims.

“Easy, sunshine,” he says.

“
Stop calling me that!”
I scream, and I don’t care if it does sound like a temper tantrum. He left me! He gave me away and now I find out he’s not even the man I thought he was all this time! I jerk out of his arms and stand up without his help. I back away to put distance between us. His face briefly twists with pain. He doesn’t deserve that either. He should try being a little girl and finding out her father, the only person she thought ever really loved her, gave her away. Then he’d understand pain.

“Elizabeth, time is running out.”

“If you’re a Donahue, why can’t you make Colin pull back? Why do you need me here?”

“Because your boyfriend declared war on Colin, but I’m the one who runs the family. To step back after all of the attacks he’s made will make me look weak. You can’t be weak in this line of work sun—Elizabeth. That would only sign my death warrant.”

“What are you doing?” I ask him, worried about what he’s doing to retaliate. I may have to give Skull away, but I couldn’t handle it if he dies. I just, couldn’t.

“It will be a small strike. Nowhere near what I’m capable of. But, I will pull my punches, if you work with me.”

“Work with you? Why would I do that?”

“Because I’m trying to protect you. The family is already viewing me as weak. I have to watch my steps before that bastard Colin succeeds in overthrowing me.”

“Why did I never know you were part of the Donahues? How are you kin to Edmund? Did mom know?” I ask my questions. I have so many of them now and I’m trying to hold them back, but I find I just can’t.

“I tried to retire. It’s something hardly ever done in the family. Isabel had just found out she was pregnant with twins. I wanted to take her and my babies away from all of it, to try and be… a real dad.”

Disgust rolls in my stomach because I know just how miserably he failed at it. “They wouldn’t let you?”

“For a while, but Isabel started talking to my brother. She told him the name I was using and where we were. She hated not being part of the family. She wanted the power and the prestige that came with being one of the Donahues. By the time I realized Edmund had found out where I was, it was too late.”

“Edmund was your brother? Why did it matter if he knew where you were?” I ask. It doesn’t surprise me about my mom. She’s cold, always was. She also loved everything about money.

“He was younger than I was and because of that, I inherited the throne, as it were. Edmund always resented that. Even when I stepped down and he took over, he wasn’t satisfied. The only way he would ever be happy is if I was dead and my heirs contained.”

“Contained?”

“In Katie’s case, it was a hit on her life. In yours, it was to groom you to be Colin’s bride.”

That’s always disgusted me, but now… “He’d be my cousin!
My first cousin!
That’s not just gross, I’m pretty sure that’s illegal!”

“That doesn’t matter to Colin. He’s trying to forge ahead with his Dad’s plans and that means claiming you to gain his position in the family. As long as you and I are alive, Colin’s chance to rule will never happen.”

This family is even more fucked up than I thought, and that’s saying something. “Let’s cut the bullshit,
dad
. What do you want me for?”

“Believe it or not, all I want is to save your life, Elizabeth. Help me to do that. I can’t strike out at Colin right now. He has too many on his side and I’m weak. I have targets through which they can strike out and hurt me. Help me to save your life so I can gain complete control of my empire once more… and I’ll let your boyfriend live.”

My heart stutters to a stop before pounding erratically in my chest. I don’t know why, but somehow I know his plan will destroy me. The problem is, I love Skull. I’ll do anything to save him.

“What do you want me to do?”

“Leave Skull and pretend to die.”

He says it so simply, so matter-of-factly… the words seem so benign, so easy and unassuming. They aren’t, though. Just the thought of those words rips my heart out. I keep hearing Latch tell me I need to have faith in my man. I’m already shaking my head no and backing away from this monster who wants to call himself my father. Unfortunately, I back straight into Pistol. He grabs my arms, refusing to let me leave.

“Listen to him,” whispers Pistol in my ear. “If you stay with Skull, you’re both going to die. There’s nothing to stop it.”

“Elizabeth. It’s the only way. I can save your man,” my father joins in, and my stomach is turning so much that I want to throw up. 

“Why?” I whisper. “Why would I trust you, let alone
help
you, in this crazy scheme?”

“Because I have something you want, and proof that I can protect you and this Skull.”

“What’s that?”

“Your sister, Katie.”

“What?”

“Katie is alive, Elizabeth. Alive and happy.”

If I had it in me, I’d faint again. If I had the courage that Latch says I have, I’d run straight to Skull. Instead, I stand there as
Redmond
hands me pictures of a blonde who looks so much like me that we could be twins—because we are. It’s Katie. There are at least twenty pictures of her. Pictures of her growing up, pictures of her laughing, pictures of her singing, pictures of her blowing out birthday candles—all pictures of Katie.
My twin
. The woman I thought was lost to me forever. My best friend. My…
sister
.

I’m crying my eyes out, sinking slowly to the floor. I hold the pictures to my chest like you would something precious…
because they are
.

My sister is alive.

“What are we doing here?” Beth asks, looking at the small white house I’ve parked in front of. She’s been different ever since I picked her up from the hospital. I asked her what’s wrong, but she only said she was tired. I can’t help but feel like it’s something else. Still, I’m not pressing her on it because there are more important things to deal with.

“This is the local circuit judge of the county.”

“Judge? Is something wrong?” she asks, looking at the house like it’s haunted.

“No,” I tell her, grabbing her hand. “Beth, I think we should get married.”

I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t for her to look at me as if I’m trying to kill her. Suddenly what I thought was a great plan doesn’t quite seem that way.

“
Mi cielo?
You said you loved me. Don’t all women want marriage?”

“Skull, I can’t marry you!”

“Why the fuck not?”

“Because! We’re in the middle of a war with my family!”

“The Donahues are not your family. Your mother might have been stupid enough to connect you to that clan, but you
querida
are not a Donahue. You don’t have that slime running through your veins. Do not even put yourself down suggesting you do.”

Her face goes whiter. I hate that we’re going through this. I need to fucking kill Colin, and soon.

“I can’t marry you right now. We don’t even know what tomorrow will bring.”

“My baby could be in your belly. I want my name on you, too.”

“Then let the war pass, and if we’re still standing, we’ll get married!”

“What the fuck do you mean ‘if we’re still standing’…?”

“I’m just saying we don’t know what tomorrow will bring. Look at what happened with Beast’s family,” she whispers, and the tears are in her eyes. I catch a couple on my finger and pull her close so our lips are barely a breath away from each other. The only thing between our bodies is the console of the SUV we’re in.  

“That is not us, Beth. We are meant to be together.”

“Skull, I want to believe that, I do,” she whispers tearfully, and the sob that escapes from her sounds like someone is ripping her heart from her body. “There’s just so much. I don’t want to marry you with all of this hanging between us.”

“Beth…”

“Please…?” she begs, and I doubt she even knows the pain she’s causing me with these words. Before I can respond, Torch is banging on the window. I give Beth one last pained look, then hit the button to roll the window down.

“You okay, boss? It’s not safe to stay out in the open like this too long,” Torch says, and he’s right. As it is, I’m in a cage and have five men following me on their bikes. I feel like a sad fucker, but I can’t take any chances with Beth. “Boss?” he prompts when I don’t respond.

I don’t look at him. I don’t take my eyes off of Beth. “Change of plans for now. We’re going back to the compound.”

“But, boss…”

“I said we’re going home. Load them up.”

“I’m sorry,” Beth says, still crying. I wish I knew what the fuck to say to her. I turn back around and start up my vehicle.

“So am I,” I mutter. “So am I.” Then, I pull out onto the road.

It’s a quiet ride back to the compound. I chance a look over at Beth every now and then and she’s just staring out the window while silent tears fall down her face. If she’s so torn up over this shit, then why wouldn’t she say yes? I don’t get it. How the fuck did I get here? I should have just carted her ass in the house and told her didn’t have a choice, but hell. I want her to say yes because she
wants
to be my wife. Jesus. Listen to me. I sound like some sad
Dear Abby
fuck. I never wanted to get married in my life and here I am, bending for a woman. Fuck that, I’m bending over backwards.

We get out and I know I have to let off some steam or I’m going to say something I regret. “Torch?”

“Yeah, boss?”

“Make sure Beth is safe and gets back to our room below.”

“Hey wait, Kemosabe! Where are you going?” Briar asks me.

“To pound something,” I growl back.

“Skull—” Beth cries. 

“Later, Beth. Just…
later
,” I tell her because I’m just about done for the night. I need to go pound the gym bag, something to vent. I don’t want to hurt her. I know she’s dealing with a lot too, but
son of a bitch,
that shit… hurts. Jesus, I do sound like
Dear Abby
.

“Can I join you, boss?” Sabre asks.

“Only if you don’t mind me pounding your ugly face,” I tell him, still walking and not turning around.

“Same goes, boss. Same goes.” 

“Skull!” I hear Beth call my name. Maybe I’m a fucking bastard, but I still don’t turn around.