RUTHLESS HOLD (A Back Down Devil MC Romance Novel) (25 page)

When Eden saw the tattoo, she let out
a gasp and actually started to cry.

Trev rose up and slipped an arm
around her.
“
Hey. Don
’
t cry.
”

“
No.
It
’
s
…
perfect, Trev. It
’
s
beautiful. I can
’
t believe
it.
”

“
Believe
it,
”
Trev said. He looked
at Smith.
“
Give us the
room, okay? Go take a break and have a few drinks. Make sure nobody comes in.
”

“
Okay.
Sure.
”

Smith left the room.

Trev locked the door and walked to
a table. He watched as Eden held a mirror up and continued to look at her fresh
ink. The smile on her face proved she really did like it.

Trev took his leather cut off and
placed it on the table. He then lifted his t-shirt up over his head. He climbed
up on the table and cleared his throat.

When Eden saw him, her eyes went
wide.
“
Again?
”

“
Oh,
beautiful, I
’
d fuck that
sweet pussy of yours every hour, every day for the rest of my life. But it
’
s your turn now.
”

“
My
turn?
”

Trev touched his chest, right at
his heart.
“
I
’
ve saved this spot for you. Ink
it up.
”

“
Trev
…”
Eden shook her head.
“
I haven
’
t
…”

“
No.
Right now.
”

“
I
have no designs.
”

“
Use
your mind. You can do it.
”

“
No.
You don
’
t get it. I haven
’
t tattooed since what happened
…”

“
Can
’
t let that ruin your life,
right?
”

Eden looked at the tattoo gun, then
at Trev.
“
You
’
re sure about this?
”

Trev put a hand out and then pulled
Eden right to him.
“
Eden, I
’
ve never been so sure of
anything in my wild life. When it comes to you
…”

Goddammit, beautiful, I
’
m falling in love with
you.

*

Watching her was maybe one of the
sexiest and most beautiful things Trev had ever seen in his life. The way her
eyes were intense. The way her hair kept falling from behind her ears. The way
she approached him so delicately.

The way she just tattooed him
without a design at all.

And it turned out to be fucking
perfect.

It was a tattoo of a heart with
chains, barbed wire, and thorns.

When she finished, Eden looked at
Trev.
“
Be honest. There
’
s nothing I can do about it if
you don
’
t like it.
”

“
I
love it,
”
Trev said.
“
Tell me the story behind it.
”

“
You
know, it
’
s usually the
people getting the tattoos that have the stories.
”

“
Not
this time. You
’
re the
storyteller.
”

Eden smiled and blushed.
“
Okay. It
’
s your heart. I know you have a heart. I
’
ve sort of seen it. The way you
look at me sometimes. The way you make me feel when you look at me. You could
have killed me or tossed me aside, but from day one you believed me and asked
me to trust you.
”

“
And
all this shit around the heart?
”
Trev asked.

“
That
’
s your life. The MC. The guys
that want you dead. The people you
’
ve
hurt and killed. It all squeezes on your heart. It all matters to you but you
can hide it.
”

“
Christ,
”
Trev said.
“
You could have tattooed a set of
lips on my chest or ass
…
that would have been good too.
”

Eden touched Trev
’
s shoulder.
“
I only do stuff that matters,
Trev.
”

He grabbed her hand and squeezed
it.
“
Well, I hope you know
that you matter. What happened here was needed. I have to find out the truth,
beautiful. Accept that.
”

“
I
do. It just hurts like death right now that my mother is out there and I can
’
t talk to her.
”

Trev pulled Eden close.

This is why I don
’
t get involved
…
too many feelings
…

“
I
know,
”
Trev whispered.
“
I promise you though, you will
be able to talk to her. We just have to do this the right way. I don
’
t know what Ripper actually
knows. I don
’
t know how
Miller wants to handle it. There
’
s
more to this than meets the eye. I don
’
t
think Giovanni died in some kind of ambush. If we were ever ambushed, the prize
is the President of the MC. Why would someone kill Giovanni and not Ripper?
”

“
I
don
’
t know, Trev. Is this
something you should be asking me?
”

“
No,
it
’
s not. But I want you to
understand my actions.
”

“
I
trust you. I
’
m not lying
when I say that.
”

“
Good.
”

Trev kissed Eden. He turned and
pushed her against the table.

“
Careful,
”
she whispered.
“
I can
’
t be on my back right now.
”

Trev grinned.
“
That
’
s okay.
”
He turned Eden around. One hand slid up her shirt, cupping her breast. The
other down between her legs.
“
I
’
ll just have to enjoy the view
from behind.
”

Eden turned her head. Her cheeks
were flushed.
“
What is
this? Between us?
”

“
It
’
s everything you feel,
beautiful.
”
Trev started to
unbutton Eden
’
s jeans for
the second time that night.
“
Shit,
it
’
s everything I feel too.
”

Trev stripped Eden
’
s jeans down again and touched
her hips. She thrust herself back at him, making him laugh and making him
painfully hard.

She had his ink. She had his heart.

Trev opened his jeans and stroked
himself as he prepared to devour Eden again.

In his mind, he wondered how
many times he
’
d
have to fuck Eden before she finally got pregnant.

__

nineteen.

The evidence was starting to add
up, and fast.

Trev listened as Miller stood at
the head of the table, hand on a map.
“
It
doesn
’
t make sense to me
either. I was letting it roll off my back, trying to focus on the Griffin
situation. But then Jasper called me. He
’
s
beat up over it. He said that Ripper wanted him to take a run and Jasper fought
back. He thinks Ripper is in bed with a gun deal and the O
’
Nuall family.
”

“
Jesus
Christ,
”
Blaine said.
“
That
’
s the mafia. That
’
s
some dark shit.
”

“
They
have legit business from Nevada to the coast, Miller. Lots of desert, lots of
graves.
”

“
They
expanded to the east coast too,
”
Nate said.
“
Heard they were
scooping up real estate after the market crash. Even getting into hotels and
shit.
”

“
They
love their legit businesses,
”
Miller said.
“
They love
their crime, too. We
’
re
talking big stuff here. Not just towns and police. This is bigger. Judges.
Politicians. I
’
m talking
huge here. Something this MC needs to be far away from.
”

“
What
’
s the play?
”
Jace asked.
“
Ripper working for them?
”

“
Christ,
”
Blaine said. He leaned in.
“
Giovanni.
”

“
What
about?
”
Trev asked.

“
His
name. He
’
s Italian. Came
from rich blood, right? Old country shit. His family beefed with the Irish.
”

“
Fuck
me,
”
Gaige said.

“
You
think the O
’
Nuall family
hit Giovanni?
”
Miller
asked.

“
With
Ripper
’
s help,
”
Trev said. He then thought
about it and he stood up.
“
Fuck.
”

“
What?
”
Miller asked.

“
Griffin.
”

“
Griffin?
”
Gaige asked.

“
He
was working with Ripper and guns years ago. I remember it when Griffin was
outlaw. He
’
d come to
The
Lost Men
for space and some time. He was never actually patched in with the
Daurian charter but he was always there.
”

“
Yeah,
”
Blaine said,
“
fucking Ripper
’
s old lady and knocking her up.
”

“
I
’
m worried it was more,
”
Trev said.
“
Maybe that
’
s why the letter was written and
given to Eden when it was. Griffin
’
s
dead and he can
’
t protect
her anymore. Shit. Then someone shows up and tries taking her out.
”

“
Wait
a second,
”
Miller said.
“
We have nothing to connect any
of this.
”

“
You
said Jasper called you,
”
Trev said.

“
Jasper
was drunk and grieving. He
’
s
trying to make sense of it.
”

“
He
’
s beefing with his President,
”
Gaige said.
“
That
’
s not good.
”

“
The
bartender, West,
”
Trev
said.
“
He made a couple
comments.
”

“
Whoa,
whoa, whoa,
”
Miller said.
He folded up the map.
“
Everyone
at this goddamn table shut their fucking mouths. Right now.
”

The table went silent.

Miller looked like a rattlesnake
ready to attack.
“
We don
’
t do this in this club. We don
’
t shoot first and ask later. We
have to approach this smart. That means keeping an open line of conversation
with all those willing to talk. Gaige, you stick with Jasper. VP to VP. Bring
in Griffin
’
s death and help
Jasper. I
’
ll handle Ripper.
”

“
Boss,
”
Blaine said,
“
if he
’
s dealing with the O
’
Nuall
family
…”

“
Then
we reaper vote it,
”
Miller
said.
“
Both charters get a
vote. All patched in members.
”

“
Unless
there
’
s deadly cause,
”
Gaige said.

“
Christ,
”
Shay said.
“
Taking out a President of the
MC. That hasn
’
t been done
in years.
”

Miller nodded.
“
If it comes to it, so be it. We
’
ve been through it all, guys. We
can take this on.
”
Miller
pointed to Trev.
“
How did
Eden do with seeing Jenn?
”

“
She
figured it out fast. Jenn played it off. She
’
s
devastated. But she
’
s calm.
She understands. She
’
s
wearing my ink now. No more bullshit with her.
”

“
Hey!
”
Blaine yelled.
“
You locked down some good pussy
for real.
”