DARK FALL (A Back Down Devil MC Romance Novel) (2 page)

“
Who
is this guy?
”
Erik asked.

“
Strokner,
”
Miller said.
“
We
’
ve
kind of
…
scratched each
other
’
s backs, I guess you
could say. He
’
s got an in
with a lot of shit dealing businesses. He
’
s
digging around for us, hoping to uncover something useful about the club, the
town, and Shay. Who knows what kind of skeletons he keeps in his closet.
”

“
Probably
as many hookers and strippers Blaine keeps in his,
”
Erik said.

Gaige laughed and lit a cigarette.
He stood and took a deep drag.
“
Enough
wasting time here.
”

“
Are
you sure you can ride?
”
Miller asked.

“
I
can ride,
”
Erik said.
“
I
’
ve
felt dead from the moment that bomb went off. The only time I felt partially
alive was when that nurse had her mouth wrapped around my cock. Now I want the
open road. Plus, it
’
s dark.
I like the dark.
”

“
Then
let
’
s move,
”
Miller said.

They led the way and Erik walked
out into the clubhouse. The room was full of life yet Erik's mind was full of
death. He wondered if it would finally be the night a bullet would rip through
him and end his life.

two.

Miller and Gaige rode side by side
with Blaine and Erik behind them. Their bikes roared through the streets of
Frelen like two-wheeled thunder. It was pure darkness except for four
headlights that shined into the distance.

Inside, Erik could still feel pain.
There was always pain; so much of it that he wasn
’
t
sure if it was physical, mental, or maybe something else. He told himself the
club was doing all they could. They would someday find the assholes who did all
this and it would get resolved. Knowing that should have calmed Erik, but it
didn
’
t. All he felt was
numbness. Everywhere All the time.

They went around a few wide twists
and turns until there was a set of headlights in a clearing ahead. The thrill
was coming back to Erik as his heart began to race. Maybe this was all he
needed. A little action, the two wheels, and the open road.

Miller directed the four of them to
the side of the road. They filed in together and Miller and Gaige took the
lead. It was their contact. Blaine kept his leather cut open, his hand near his
gun. Erik lingered a few feet behind.

The passenger door on the SUV
opened and a man in a nice suit came out. He adjusted his suit jacket, and
offered a hand to Gaige. Erik could quickly see how uncomfortable Gaige looked
as he shook the man
’
s hand.

“
My
friends,
”
the man said.

“
Nobody
is our friend,
”
Gaige said.
“
Get that through your head,
Strokner.
”

“
Sure,
”
Strokner said with a nod. He
offered his hand to Miller.
“
I
just wanted to start by saying thank you for a job well done with my dear
friend, Charles. We miss him so much. Turns out one of the whores he had been
fucking finally got sick of him. Took him out in an explosion.
”

“
Terrible,
”
Miller said and laughed.

“
I
think that
’
s enough talk,
”
Gaige said.
“
We
’
re
here for business.
”

“
I
can see that,
”
Strokner
said as he looked at Blaine and Erik.
“
Your
friend back there is holding his gun.
”

“
Touching
it,
”
Blaine said.
“
Want me to hold it?
”

“
Whoa,
”
Gaige said.
“
Blaine, ease off. Nothing is
going to happen here. It's all good.
”

“
Friends,
”
Strokner laughed.

“
We
need information on our problem,
”
Miller said.
“
You said you
knew Jonesy.
”

“
Yeah,
”
Strokner said.
“
He helped me a few times. Good
man. Honest. Fair. He
’
d do
anything to get information.
”

“
Give
a finger?
”
Gaige asked.

“
Knowing
him, he
’
s still alive,
”
Strokner said.
“
Hell, I wouldn
’
t be surprised if he sent it
himself. As a way to warn you. A calling. I don
’
t
know.
”

“
So
you
’
ve got nothing?
”
Gaige asked.

“
I
wouldn
’
t say that,
”
Strokner said and adjusted his
jacket again.
“
Just
wondering what I get
…”

Erik had enough. He stepped forward
and pushed between Gaige and Miller. He reached for Strokner
’
s shirt and pulled the man
close.

All the doors to the SUV opened.

“
Easy
now,
”
Strokner said.

“
I
don
’
t know who the fuck you
are,
”
Erik said.
“
But let me introduce myself to
you. I
’
m Erik. See my
fucking face, man?
”

“
I
see it.
”

“
A
bomb went off that was supposed to kill Shay. I was in the car instead. I don
’
t know why I lived, but everyday
I fight to stay alive. All I have are these goddamn scars to show the world.
”

“
Nasty,
”
Strokner said.

“
Nasty
is what I
’
m going to do to
the person who did this. Nasty is what I
’
m
going to do to anyone who refuses to help me, or fucks around. And if your guys
want to kill, so be it. I want to die. I
’
m
ready to die. I
’
ve faced
death and I
’
d do it again.
”

Erik pushed Strokner away. He
stumbled back and put his hands out to keep his guys at bay. Gaige squeezed
Erik
’
s shoulder. Erik was
ready to fight. Ready to kill.
Ready to die.

“
A
bomb did that to your face?
”
Strokner asked.

“
I
wouldn
’
t lie,
”
Erik said.

“
Okay.
All I know is that you guys are about to go up against something dark.
Something really fucking dark. This isn
’
t
a few guys on motorcycles looking to throw fists and call it a night. This is
serious shit. I
’
d advise
you look into Shay and his past. I don
’
t
know anything for sure, but this is big.
”

“
You
mean like a company?
”
Erik
asked.

Strokner laughed.
“
Like the company your club runs?
”

“
It
’
s all a front,
”
Miller said.

“
Everything
is a front,
”
Strokner said.
“
We
’
re all killers on the inside. We like to fight. We
like to win.
”

“
We
need to dig,
”
Gaige said.

“
Dig
deep and fast,
”
Strokner
said.
“
Whoever sent the
finger to you means business.
”

“
I
think the bomb in the car was the signal for business,
”
Miller said.

“
Time
to go,
”
Gaige said. He
turned and pushed at Erik.

“
Let
’
s do it,
”
Blaine said.

Erik eyed Strokner and watched the
man slowly get back into the SUV. Gaige clamped an arm on his shoulder and
said,
“
Come on, bro, we
’
re done here.
”

“
Are
we?
”
Erik asked.
“
Or are we just making this mess
bigger by the day?
”

“
That
talk is best left for the table,
”
Miller said.
“
I
’
m giving the order right now,
Erik. We leave.
”

Erik backed away and got on his
motorcycle. They were riding again, the dark night upon them, the air ripping
across their face. They hadn't learned anything new. Erik already knew that
they were dealing with something more serious when his life was almost taken by
mistake. That didn
’
t mean
for a second that Erik wished Shay had been in the car instead. He just wished
he could go back and never have stuck his goddamn face in the car to check it
out.

Then there wouldn
’
t be any scars.

Then there wouldn
’
t be any pain.

As they rode back into Frelen, Erik
figured he would do what was best for himself and the club. When they got back
to the clubhouse he planned to drink, smoke, and find a
reliever
for
some fun. Sometimes it was best to leave the world outside.

At a four way intersection, Erik
crept up next to Gaige and Miller. They waited and Miller nodded to go. They
made it no more than a foot before a black pickup truck came flying through the
intersection, disregarding the stop sign. Erik cut his bike sideways and bumped
into Gaige
’
s motorcycle to
keep him from getting tagged in the intersection.

“
Fuck!
”
Miller bellowed.

Erik looked at the black pickup as
it sped down the road.

He shook his head as he
straightened his bike.

He hit the throttle and swore he
heard Gaige screaming his name.

But fuck it. It was too late now. This
was the perfect way to let off some serious steam.

The motorcycle roared with thunder
and force. The gears shifted and the speed was intense. He was actually - and
finally - excited about something. To his left and right he saw Gaige and
Blaine gaining on him. They each took turns waving their hands but Erik didn
’
t care. Hell, even if it was
Miller waving, Erik would have ignored him.

Erik focused on the black pickup. He
was closing in on it by the second and when Erik was finally able to make a
move, he went to the left, forcing Gaige out of the way. He moved alongside the
black pickup, moving at a deadly speed. When he got to the driver
’
s window, Erik kicked the door
of the truck. The driver looked at him and screamed '
fuck you'
. Erik
gave him the middle finger and pointed to the side of the road.

It was dumb to do, because for all
Erik knew, this asshole could have had a loaded gun on the seat next to him. Or
the driver could swerve to the left, hit Erik
’
s
motorcycle, and watch him drop. Either way, Erik would probably die. Somehow,
neither possibility bothered him enough to back off.

The driver of the black pickup hit
the brakes and cut to the side of the road. The truck threw dust and rocks, the
tires crunching as it came to a skidding stop. Erik slowed and soon had Gaige,
Blaine, and Miller surrounding him.

“
What
the fuck is this?
”
Miller
growled.

“
He
almost killed you,
”
Erik
said.
“
So I'm going to kill
him.
”

Miller stood, but Gaige put an arm
out.
“
Let him go.
”

That
’
s
all Erik heard.

Let him go.

Erik was off his motorcycle just as
the driver of the black pickup opened his door and jumped down.

“
What
’
s your fucking problem?
”
the driver yelled.

“
You
almost killed someone running that stop sign, asshole.
”

“
Who
the fuck are you? The fucking stop sign police?
”

Erik closed in on the guy and threw
a punch. His right fist smashed off the guy's face, sending him stumbling back.
Erik wasn
’
t done. He stayed
with him, throwing fist after fist. The guy went all way the back and hit the
side of his truck. He tried to put his hands up, but Erik was too quick and too
skilled with his hands. As blood poured everywhere, Erik was lost in his own
dark world and could not control himself.

Then suddenly he heard crying and
he snapped back to reality.

Erik shook his head and stepped
back. The man fell to his ass in a heap of bloody flesh. His head slumped to
the side. Erik was about to kick the guy when he heard the crying again. It was
coming from the truck.

Erik grabbed the open door and that
’
s when he saw how bloody his
hands were. It was like a murder scene. When he looked in the backseat of the
truck, he saw a little boy hugging a dirty white teddy bear and shaking.

“
Shit,
”
Erik whispered.

“
Will
you help me?
”
the little
boy asked.

Erik looked back and screamed for
Miller. All the guys ran over and then they all took a step back when they saw
the boy.

“
What
did you do?
”
Miller said
and grabbed Erik
’
s leather
cut.

“
He
’
s going to hurt me,
”
the little boy said.

“
Who
is this man?
”
Erik asked.

“
My
daddy. He
’
s not supposed to
have me. He
’
s bad. He took
me from my mommy. I want to go home.
”

Erik looked at Miller.
“
Call Jerry.
”

“
Holy
Christ,
”
Gaige said as he
crouched down and pressed his fingers to the man
’
s
neck.
“
Well, he
’
s not dead.
”

“
He
fucking should be,
”
Erik
said.

Erik put his hand on his gun and
Miller grabbed his wrist.

“
Hey,
”
Miller said.
“
This guy did nothing to us. You
want to kill him in front of his son?
”