SAVAGE LOVE (A Back Down Devil MC Romance Novel) (12 page)

Landon lowered his hand.
“
Any chance she knows something
we don
’
t?
”

“
No,
”
Miller said.
“
Jerry had met with Coast Road in his house a few times. And the judge had been there. But not lately.
”

Everyone had a good chuckle.

“
We
need to play this carefully,
”
Miller said.
“
And I think
it
’
s time we talk about the
seat.
”

“
Griffin
’
s
”
Gaige asked.

Miller nodded.
“
I know, it
’
s too goddamn early for that. I
get it. Respectfully, for Griffin, that seat should stay empty for a while. But
look at what we
’
re dealing
with. The table has to be whole. We need eyes, arms, bodies, muscle. We need to
be ready for everything that can go right and everything that will go wrong.
That chair needs to be filled.
”

Slowly, Miller walked around the
table to the empty chair. He put his hands to it and pulled it away from the
table. No way in hell he
’
d
sit there though. Neither would any of the other guys. Just a little dumb
superstition. Hell, to get someone to sit there would be a chore in itself.

“
I
can
’
t allow anyone to
object,
”
Miller said.

“
He
’
s right,
”
Gaige said. The VP stood tall.
“
Leaving that seat empty is a
reminder. And Jerry knows that. Coast Road knows that. That
’
s our weak spot. We fill that
chair with a nasty motherfucker, the game will change.
”

“
So
we vote in someone new,
”
Blaine said.
“
Take a ballot?
”

Everyone started to nod.

“
No,
”
Miller said, shutting the table
up.

The normal way to do this would be
for everyone to sit and think. For everyone to write down a name or two. Then
they
’
d put it into a hat or
box or something. Miller would then take out the names and read them. The table
would vote whether they liked it or not. Then they
’
d see how many times a name was repeated. Sometimes
it could take weeks to figure it out. Bringing someone to table was a big deal.
There were a lot of guys wearing the Back Down Devil MC cut out there that had
never seen the conference room and never would. This place was sacred. This
place commanded a level of respect that only a handful of people could
understand and handle.

“
No,
”
Miller said again. He pushed
the chair in.
“
I
’
m going to make the call on this
one.
”

The room was silent again. The
tension in the room grew by the second, by the breath.

“
Can
we ask why?
”
Shay asked.
“
That
’
s a heavy burden to bear.
”

“
No
burden,
”
Miller said.
“
I have the name already.
”

“
Jesus
H. Christ,
”
Shay said.
“
What
’
d you do? Look at Griffin bleeding out and pick the
next guy?
”

Miller looked right at Shay and curled
his lip.
“
What if I said
that
’
s exactly what I did?
”

“
Aye,
”
Shay said.
“
That
’
s not right.
”

“
That
’
s not what I did,
”
Miller said.
“
But I
’
m telling you right now, I
’
ve made the decision. We don
’
t have time to waste. There
’
s only one right choice for this seat. And it won
’
t be permanent.
”

“
Holy
shit,
”
Blaine said.
“
You want to do a fill in?
”

“
Yeah,
”
Miller said.

“
That
’
s crazy,
”
Gaige said.
“
Bring
someone in on this shit? Give them a cut with a  patch and then send them
packing when the smoke clears?
”

“
There
’
s no other way to do it,
”
Miller said.

“
There
’
s not many out there that would
do it,
”
Landon said.
“
Not like this. They
’
d fill in for the chance to be
voted in for good. Are we going to vote at the end?
”

“
What
end?
”
Nate asked.
“
Wrap your head around it. We
’
re going to kill Jerry. That
’
s going to shake the entire town
to its core. We
’
re going to
have so much heat on us for a long fucking time.
”

“
Nobody
would come in for that,
”
Erik said.

“
Unless
we pay them,
”
Gaige said.
“
I mean, throw some serious cash
and maybe give them a chance to patch in somewhere else. I don
’
t know.
”

Miller listened to the words and
thought about Ella. Wondering if she was sleeping. Hell, wondering if she was
still in his bed topless. Fuck. Topless.

The words started to get louder.
Four conversations happening at once. As though this was an actual meeting with
opinions, votes, the hammering thud of a gavel to end it all.

Miller took out his gun and pointed
it at the back wall. He pulled the trigger and that took care of all the conversations.
Miller kept his arm out, the gun in his hand.

“
Are
we fucking done?
”
he asked.

“
Don
’
t slip, brother,
”
Shay said.
“
Don
’
t let this shit get into your head.
”

“
Nothing
is,
”
Miller said.
“
I know who will fill this
fucking seat. He will represent the patch, the cut, the club. He will give his
life for this war because he understands what
’
s
at stake. If you don
’
t like
it and you don
’
t respect it,
put your cut on the table and take a ride. Go disappear while we fight this
thing out.
”

“
It
’
s all good,
”
Gaige said.
“
Put the fucking gun down for
starters, Miller.
”

Miller lowered his arm and tucked
the gun away.
“
Everyone get
out of here.
”

The room broke up, except Blaine. He finished his smoke and stood there, staring at Miller.

“
What?
You have something else you
’
d
like to add to this?
”

“
No,
”
Blaine said.
“
You
’
re the President. I
’
d
die to save you. And you want me to die to save that woman? I
’
m in. I love you, Miller. I love
this club.
”

“
I
appreciate you taking over what needed to be done.
”

“
Not
a problem. It was a pleasure to cut that fucker up.
”

Miller laughed.
“
You
’
re sick, man. Really sick.
”

“
I
’
m used to it.
”

“
But
you have a heart. I trust you, Blaine.
”

“
You
almost shot me, Miller.
”

“
I
couldn
’
t hear it anymore.
The second we start doubting each other, it
’
s
over. That
’
s what Jerry
wants. That
’
s his game. I
’
ve watched his game for years.
”

“
And
his wife, right?
”

“
Look,
I know it
’
s a lot to ask,
but Ella is here. The kid is here. It
’
s
done. They
’
re not leaving.
They mean
…”

Miller shook his head.

“
Hey,
I get it,
”
Blaine said.
“
Free pussy. Big tits full
of milk. A nice little history to warm your cock up.
”

“
It
’
s not that,
”
Miller said.

“
Jesus.
You still love her.
”

“
Why
don
’
t you go out there and
enjoy the rest of your night.
”

“
I
wanted to tell you something. When I started to take care of that guy, he
looked me dead in the eyes and said Jerry was coming. That he
’
s going to get us one by one.
”

“
Yeah?
”

Blaine nodded.
“
It was just intense. The guy
’
s gushing blood from his throat
and he
’
s saying that to me.
I can
’
t stop thinking about
it.
”

“
Let
it go. It
’
s tough talk.
”

“
You
don
’
t think he
’
ll hire outside or something, do
you?
”
Blaine asked.
“
I mean, have someone real nasty
come in and start attacking us?
”

“
Blaine,
”
Miller said.
“
We
’
ll
fight together. We
’
ll die
together. This clubhouse is safe and will remain safe. When we need to ride, we
do it smart. Jerry will only push so far. He knows the power we have.
”

“
Okay,
brother,
”
Blaine said.
“
Okay. I feel better now. My cock
is twitching a little. Ready to go on the hunt.
”

Miller shook his head and pointed
to the door.
“
Go. Hunt.
Fuck. Whatever.
”

A little bit after Blaine left, Miller did too. The clubhouse was in full swing. But each time one of the guys
looked at Miller, he could feel it. There was worry in the air. Doubt flirting
with their minds. Rightfully so. The entire MC was at risk. Going against the
entire Frelen PD was dangerous. One call for bigger help and the MC would be on
the run.

That
’
s not going to fucking
happen
, Miller told himself.

Back Down Devil lived in Frelen and
would remain in Frelen. No matter what. The war would rage, maybe subside, but
then a new enemy would show its face.

As far as the empty seat went, to
Miller it was a no-brainer who he had to call. And he knew the guy would be
crazy enough to come to Frelen and sit in the chair and contribute. The leather
cut and club was like a tattoo. A symbol of love and loyalty, something that
had a story. But the outlaw life, the biker desire, that came from deep within
the heart. Knowing it was right to be wrong, it was okay to fight back against
a justice you didn
’
t agree
with. It took balls and it was sometimes a lonely road.

Miller stopped at the door to his
room. He told the two prospects at the door to fuck off.

Sometimes, it wasn
’
t lonely.

He opened the door and froze when
he saw Ella.

She was fast asleep. She had put
her shirt and bra back on. And now she wasn
’
t
alone in the bed. Beck next to her, sleeping on his side. Ella had an arm on
the other side of the baby, her mother instinct working hard to make sure the
little guy didn
’
t get hurt
during the course of the night.

Miller approached the bed and felt
a wicked pain shoot through his heart. He made fists and thought for a second
he was having a damn heart attack. But it wasn
’
t
a heart attack, not even close.

He felt like he could cry.

This should be my life.

If that goddamn night hadn
’
t gotten all fucked up. If the
truth hadn
’
t reared its
ugly face and thrown Miller into a wall and left him with no real good choice
except to take his heart out of it and help to push Ella in the right
direction.

Little did she know, she was
sleeping just feet away from a diamond ring that was supposed to be put on her
fucking finger that night. Instead, she ended up tongue fucking Jerry and the
rest had become history.

Only now the history was right
there in his bed. Her body lingering with the scent of their sex. But all that didn
’
t matter because of the baby on
her side, wearing a dark blue one piece pajama set. There were little monkeys
and bananas all over the pajamas.