RUTHLESS HOLD (A Back Down Devil MC Romance Novel) (16 page)

Trev grabbed the chair he
’
d been sitting in and took a
seat. He cleaned off the blade with his t-shirt and then tucked it away.

“
Now,
”
Blaine said,
“
you motherfuckers get to unchain
these two traitors and prep them for their final resting place.
”

“
Come
with us,
”
Jace said.
“
We
’
ll
take those cuffs off you.
”

Everyone left the room except
Miller. He shut the door and stared right at Trev.

“
What?
”
Trev asked.

“
That
was deep, brother.
”

“
Deep?
”

“
Yeah,
”
Miller said.
“
I didn
’
t expect that. I figured we
’
d scare them. But you went deep. That
’
s the kind of speech I
’
d give when patching prospects
in.
”

“
Whatever,
”
Trev said.
“
I just can
’
t take anymore bullshit within
this clubhouse. You know? I
’
m
already prepping my mind for what
’
s
going to happen with the Daurian charter. It
’
s
going to get nasty as fuck with Rippy.
”

“
Yeah,
”
Miller said.
“
I said it before, Trev, and I
mean it
…
you
’
d make a hell of a President.
”

Trev rose up, blood on him still.
“
And I
’
ll ask it again
…
you giving up your patch, Miller?
”

“
Not
unless I
’
m dead,
”
Miller said.

“
I
can chain you up and slit your throat,
”
Trev said and smiled.

“
Anyone
else in the world says something like that to me and I
’
d put a bullet between their eyes.
”

Trev dipped his finger into a chunk
of blood on his arm and then touched his forehead.
“
Aim for the red dot.
”

Miller started to laugh.
“
This is why I need you around.
You keep the rest of us on the edge of outlaw. Go clean yourself up, Trev.
”

Miller opened the door and Trev
whistled.

“
Miller.
Thanks for trusting me with this shit. The prospects. Eden. Everything. I
’
ll do whatever you need done to
help with the charter bullshit. I
’
m
not afraid to die, Miller. I visit Griffin
’
s
grave a few times a week. I
’
m
not afraid to be there. Don
’
t
be afraid to put me on the front line of this.
”

“
Okay,
Trev.
”

“
I
’
m serious. Everyone at the table
has something or someone to lose. Christ, you have a kid and the woman of your
dreams. The woman you
’
d
been waiting for for years. Blaine has a woman and a baby. I
’
ve always run outlaw. From the
time I was a kid until now. Put me up front, Miller. I
’
ll do anything to protect this charter, to protect
you, and to protect everyone
’
s
family.
”

Miller grinned like a guy seeing
his first set of tits.
“
Spoken
like a true President.
”

With that, Miller walked away.

Trev looked over his shoulder and
admired his work. Then he shook his head.

No fucking way in hell I
’
ll ever be a President
…
unless it fell into my
lap
…

*

“
Can
we talk for a second?
”
Gaige asked as he blocked the steps to get to the apartment.

“
I
’
m covered in blood,
”
Trev said.
“
I need a shower and a drink.
”

“
Okay.
Just a second, Trev.
”

“
What?
”

“
Eden
’
s not in the apartment.
”

“
What?
”
Trev yelled.
“
What the fuck
…”

“
She
got a call,
”
Gaige said.
“
Something to do with her friend
that was murdered. I think it
’
s
another friend. She wanted to go for a walk so I told her to stay in the lot
and get some air.
”

“
Are
you fucking kidding?
”

“
Bro,
she
’
s fine. I have
prospects with her. She
’
s a
mess right now. It
’
s all
weighing on her bad. The police want to talk to her and she
’
s hiding out. She
’
s worried about what
’
s going to happen.
”

“
What
the fuck were you doing talking to her?
”
Trev asked.

“
Before
you pull a gun on me, asshole, she was looking for you. She was demanding you,
man. I thought she was going pull a fucking knife on me. She trusts you, Trev.
”

“
And
if she sees me covered in blood, it won
’
t
be good,
”
Trev said.
“
She
’
s new to all of this. She doesn
’
t get it. She thinks of murder
like she
’
s outside this
club. Just keep an eye on her. She
’
s
a target, Gaige. The shit she knows
…
hell, the shit she doesn
’
t
realize she knows
…”

“
I
know,
”
Gaige said.
“
Going up north is going to be a
wild ride.
”

“
It
is,
”
Trev said.
“
I told Miller, I
’
m going to the front line to do
this. I find anything out about bullshit within this club and I
’
m slitting throats. Votes or
not, I don
’
t care. You guys
could strip my patch, slit my throat as retaliation, I don
’
t care.
”

Gaige nodded.
“
Start small, Trev. Take a
shower. Have a shot of whiskey. Fuck Eden
’
s
brains out. Just take it easy.
”

Gaige patted Trev
’
s shoulder and walked away.

Trev charged up the steps and went
into the apartment. The first thing he smelled was Eden. Something soft,
gentle, maybe even flowery. A woman, for sure. He walked through the apartment
to the bedroom, where the bathroom was attached. The bed sheets were messy, a
small pile of her clothes on the floor.

Trev made fists and clenched his
teeth. He wanted to keep the rage inside him alive. He wanted to harbor that
and keep his eyes focused on protecting the MC. But the sight of Eden
’
s clothes did something fucked
up to Trev.

It made his heart race
…
with excitement
…
for a woman
…

__

thirteen.

Eden sat on the hood of an old
rusted car. She had gotten a call from Andre, Dimitrio
’
s closet friend. He wanted to know what Eden was
doing and where she was. Of course, she wasn
’
t
going to betray Trev and the MC. It was too hard to explain and she knew with
each weak word she gave to Andre he didn
’
t
believe her. Andre finally came out and had the balls to ask if Eden had
anything to do with the murder.

That hurt really bad.

That
’
s
when she demanded to go for a walk. She was a second away from punching the VP,
Gaige, when he ordered two guys to stay close to Eden and told her to stay in
the lot.

She called Andre back and explained
that she was also attacked. She told him all she could without giving away who
she was or where she was. Simply put - she was hiding out with a friend who was
protecting her. Why? Because the guys that killed Dimitrio threatened her and
were looking for her. That seemed to ease Andre a little, but not enough. Then
again, Eden didn
’
t give a
shit anymore. Andre was grieving and had every right to do so.

Eden slid from the hood of the car
and saw the two guys looking at her.

“
Don
’
t look at me,
”
she said.

They both turned their heads.

Eden started to walk again. The lot
was full of cars, motorcycles, even trucks. There were several different
buildings, all marked as parts, repairs, supplies, whatever. Eden wondered how
many people were in those buildings. How many people were killed in this lot.
If Trev was killing someone right now.

It made her shiver with fear.

Growing up in the
normal world
Eden had a sense that murder was bad and bad guys went to jail. The cops would
get the bad guys and the bad guys would pay. The cops would protect the good
people. But in this world, it seemed different. Very different. And in some
weird way it sort of made sense to Eden. They didn
’
t seem to just run out and kill people. If there
was a reason
…
but that
meant they were playing God, right?

Eden sighed and kept walking. Right
now her only savior was Trev. With Trev came the MC and the MC had some serious
power and control.

When Eden got to the apartment she
noticed blood on one of the steps. She looked back at the prospects, figuring
she should make them go first.

No. I can do this on my own.

Eden entered the apartment and
looked around. There was a smell in the air she couldn
’
t figure out. She slowly walked through the
apartment toward the bedroom. She pushed the door open and heard the shower
water running. Relief went through her body as did an intense heat.

Trev. The shower? Naked
…

She made it three steps into the
bedroom and then saw clothes on the floor. Jeans and t-shirt. They were covered
in blood. Eden gasped and covered her mouth. She looked to the bed and saw Trev
’
s leather cut. More blood.

She rushed forward to the bathroom
and feared she was going to find Trev injured, or worse, dying.

Instead, she found Trev standing at
the shower, his back to her, butt naked. He was standing fine and didn
’
t seem hurt. All worry and care
about him being injured was quickly swept away as she watched the muscles of
his back cascade down to a perfectly tight ass that made her knees almost give
out. She touched the sink and let out a little moan, then felt her cheeks turn
red.

Trev looked back. There was blood
on his face.
“
Eden
…”

“
Trev?
Are you okay? Are you hurt?
”

“
No,
beautiful, I
’
m not hurt,
”
he said.
“
Go wait in the bedroom.
”

“
Turn
around, Trev.
”

“
I
had work to do,
”
Trev said.

He put his right arm down and Eden saw
the blood on his arm.

“
Please
…
turn around. I want to see. I
want to understand.
”

Trev sidestepped and turned.
Sideways, his shoulder looked like a basketball, leading down to his defined
arm. A round tricep and chiseled cut bicep. Beyond that, his chest, abs,
everything cut and pointed down to his cock. He just hung there, flaccid, but
so long and so thick.

Then Trev turned completely and
faced Eden.

The full sight of him naked made
Eden bite her lip. Her body was on fire. Her nipples erect and pressing against
her bra, making it uncomfortable to be clothed. The hot water heated up the
bathroom, the steam creeping along the ceiling. She was sweating and not just
from the steam. Between her legs, she was a sopping mess. Being near Trev was
dangerous. She told herself she should have packed more panties because he was
ruining all she had with her.

Eden blinked a few times and then
started to focus on the blood. There was so much of it. It was almost caked on
him as though he
’
d been
playing in mud or something.

“
None
of that is yours?
”
she
whispered.

“
Not
a single drop,
”
Trev said.
“
Does this scare you, beautiful?
”

Eden nodded.
“
Yes.
”

“
That
’
s what I was worried about.
”

Trev stepped back and Eden jumped
forward. She ran to him and grabbed his left hand, blood and all.

“
Wait.
Trev.
”

Eden licked her lips and felt such
an intense passion inside her body. It was like nothing she ever felt in her
life. It was about Trev being dangerous, scary, sexy, and caring all rolled
into one. He was a man who came back to the apartment and slept on the floor,
next to the bed, just to make her feel safe. That meant something. He could
have had someone else do that while he killed more people or fucked other
women.