Victory Rising (6 page)

“Get your boot off his blasted back!” Logan said. “He’s hardly the kind of footrest you’re accustomed to.”

Devon snickered, a dumb move all things considered. Provoking a crazy man was more insane than taunting a hungry bear with rolls and honey.

“How’s Melinda doing these days?” Logan asked, taking the limelight.

At least he was armed and dangerous. Devon wasn’t exactly deadly at the moment.

“Fine,” Gaylord snapped. “I’ll tell her you asked about her.”

Little did Gaylord know, Logan’s inquiry was an inside joke. She was the cushion for the pushing, also the footrest, doormat, and any other derogatory statement the club could conjure up. No one liked Melinda, and everyone thought Gaylord’s cheating couldn’t have happened to a better woman. At the moment—considering Devon believed she slashed Victory’s tires—he wasn’t Melinda’s biggest supporter.

Logan cleared his throat. “You tell her to come on up here, and the H&R boys will take care of her when you’re done with her. I hear she spends a lot of lonesome nights at home.”

“Good Lord, Logan,” Devon muttered.

Tigger growled. “I’ll say.”

More Heroes and Rogues members gathered round. Hard gazes narrowed. Hands were tucked behind waists, no doubt with a firm grip on a weapon. This could end in a bad way. One twitching finger and it was all over for several of them.

Gaylord snarled. Logan barred his teeth. They looked like a couple of wild and angry wolves. Soon, they’d whip out their dicks, flex their muscles and act like they each had something to prove.

Devon preferred to fight his own battles. “If I see Victory, I’ll let her know you’ve been asking about her.”

“Better yet, why don’t you invite me inside? Let me have a look around. If she ain’t here, you don’t have anything to hide, right?”

“Absolutely,” Logan said, glancing over his shoulder. Apparently, he had more faith in Cara than Devon possessed at the moment.

Logan was apparently misguided, too. If he thought Cara would hide a new broad, particularly one from the other side of the tracks, he must’ve missed some of her earlier cursing. The only person Cara would protect was Cara, and maybe Tigger, if she could figure out a way to help him. Where Victory was concerned, Devon had little faith. Cara had made her position known. Hiding Victory probably never crossed her mind.

“Shall we?” Gaylord asked, nodding toward the building.

“Why sure, Gaylord, I’ll be happy to give you a private tour. We’ll pull up a chair at the bar, slap backs, tell dirty jokes, and watch a couple of girls put on a show. Would you like that?” Logan asked, taunting him.

Logan hadn’t lowered his gun. And he probably wouldn’t.

“I ain’t in the mood for your dry sense of humor, Marcs,” Gaylord said.

“And I’m not too excited by the possibility of being your companion for the night. So I’ll tell you what you can do. Get on your bike and ride the hell on out of here. If you don’t, I’ll start with you, and we’ll have a shootout guaranteed to make the evening news. I’ll still be around to watch
Live at Five
. You, on the other hand, will be dead and buried by seven-thirty or a quarter ‘til eight.” Logan nodded toward a cement truck. “We’re building a new garage. We’re all for adding a few Angels to the foundation.”

* * * *

“Come on,” Cara said, entering Devon’s bedroom and taking Victory by the arm.

“Where are we going?” Victory asked, jerking her limb free.

Cara thinned her lips. Rather than try and help her, she should’ve railed the bitch for bringing down so much heat on her club. Sassy hurried into the room like she thought her presence there would make a difference.

“Cara is trying to protect you, Victory. I suggest you listen to her. We need to hide you in case the guys want to come inside and have a look around.”

Victory copped an attitude, flipping her long hair over her back. Cara debated on whether or not Miss Attitude could protect her own high-dollar ass.

“And why would I listen to the club whore?” Victory asked, eyeing Cara.

“I’d rather be a whore to the Heroes and Rogues than to go through hell with the devil himself!” Cara lunged at Victory, propelling her arm behind her. She would’ve slapped the arrogance out of her, if Sassy hadn’t caught her by the wrist.

“We don’t have time for this,” Sassy said, sounding too sensible, too much like her lover Logan. The more the two of them were together, the more a person couldn’t tell them apart. Outside of boobs and cock, they were one and the same.

Sassy addressed Victory. “I don’t know why you’re here, and I don’t care. What I do understand of this situation, I can’t change. Devon wants you here, and since he’s the club president, none of us have a say-so in the matter.”

Cara grunted and left the room. Sassy followed right behind her. “Cara, wait! I don’t know where the hiding space is.”

“Apparently, Damsel’s old lady doesn’t need to run for cover!” Cara bit out, returning to the bar. She wanted to keep an eye on the guys in case she needed to provide some diversions, set off a few fireworks behind the club or walk outside in her birthday suit, which probably wouldn’t help matters. “Besides, Victory must think all she needs around here is a capable mouth. Tell the bitch she won’t have a throbbing cock in her cheek if an outright war breaks loose between clubs.”

Victory appeared behind Sassy.

“You had no right to call her a whore,” Sassy said, scolding Victory. “You don’t know her. She doesn’t know you.”

“She doesn’t want me here,” Victory said. “That’s fine. I don’t necessarily want her here either.”

“Oh, oh, oh, that’s funny.” Cara slapped her hand against the top of the bar. She needed to place her hand somewhere to keep from decking the newcomer. “You’ve been here what—a few hours—and you think you have enough shine on that golden pussy to out slick me?”

“Girls!” Sassy yelled, swinging her arm toward the door. “Our men are out there fighting to keep this club protected and we’re what? Comparing boobs and discussing pussies?”

Victory looked stunned.

Cara sneered. “Just trying to find out where her loyalties are, Sassy.”

Oh, if daggers could be shot and fired in that instance, Victory Rising would’ve been up in flames and Sassy would’ve been road kill for standing in Cara’s way.

Grief. I should’ve figured as much
.

Damsel Road was once quite notorious for the women he chose to keep. MCs around the world used to joke about the women he took on to raise since he typically dated a barely-legal woman.

Then again, she’d heard varying stories about this one. Supposedly, Victory had put Damsel in his place, turned on him after she found out he’d abused Sassy when she’d been a child. Evidently, Victory had known with absolute certainty that Damsel not only ordered Addison’s death but also pulled the trigger.

She’d stood up for Sassy and Addison in a court of law, and that was worth admiring. Wasn’t it?

Cara focused on the surveillance equipment again, particularly the large screen in the middle. Devon remained on the ground. Gaylord was pointing a gun at his head. Logan had a shotgun on Gaylord, and those bastards were holding Tigger like he was a rag doll.

She needed to pull herself together. The club didn’t count on her for nothing. “You don’t have to like me, but if you’re staying, you will listen to me, Victory. I can’t let you put the old ladies and broads in danger while our fellas are out there cleaning up this mess. I’ve lived here for over ten years. When there’s a standoff between the Devil’s Angels and the Heroes and Rogues, blood is typically shed on both sides. Now, personally, I don’t care what happens to you, but Devon is a friend, and we take care of our friends around here. He’ll want you safe.”

“And you’re willing to hide me?” Victory’s gaze jumped from Cara to Sassy.

“I don’t have any other choice.”

“Actually, you do,” Devon said as he entered the clubhouse and took Victory by the hand. Man, things had changed in an instant around there. She’d only looked away from the monitors for a second.

Devon marched by them like he was in a hurry. He dragged Victory off to his room and slammed the door in Cara and Sassy’s faces when they followed him.

“Damn it, Devon! What happened out there?” Cara demanded, slamming her fists against the door. “Where’s Tigger?”

“He’ll be back.”

“When?” she asked, jiggling the knob. “Damn it! Let me in!”

Devon swung the door open and grabbed Cara. He held her face in the palms of his hands and looked into her eyes. Then, to her surprise, he kissed her.

Sassy immediately excused herself, and Cara gripped the doorjamb with both hands, wondering what kind of slow death Tigger would deliver once he caught them together like this.

Instead of resisting, she kissed Devon back. It wasn’t a smooch she particularly enjoyed, but Devon was the club president. He wanted to kiss her so she obliged. As the club sheep, her responsiveness remained an unspoken duty.

When they parted ways, Devon took a deep breath and winked. “There. Now, we’re both ready to go on and start our lives.”

After a few moments of silence, Cara collected her thoughts. Behind him, Victory looked amused. Perfect. Just perfect. Another pair made in heaven, two of a kind. They would get along well with Logan and Sassy.

“What the hell was that about?” Cara asked, her mind churning with conflicting thoughts.

“I’m taking a leap of faith and following my heart. You need to do the same.”

“What
are
you jabbering about?” Gaylord must’ve given him a swift kick in his thick head and jarred something loose.

“I’ve been waiting for the day when I could bring Victory here and make her my woman.”

“You could’ve fooled me,” Cara said, dragging the back of her hand across her lips. “How do you explain kissing me?”

“It was a final kiss, Cara. I’m saying goodbye to my life as a bachelor.”

“Oh, I see,” she drawled. “So, you’re ready to settle down with Damsel Road’s old lady now, are ya?”

“She doesn’t belong to Damsel anymore.”

“I never really did,” Victory said.

“You shut up,” Cara said, pointing at her.

“Cara,” he said, shocking her when he didn’t address her as “Mama”. “We’ve had enough trouble with the Devil’s Angels. What do you say you and Victory sit down and get to know one another?”

When hell freezes over
. “I know all I need to know.”

“Which is what?” Victory challenged her.

“You were in bed with a monster. That’s enough for me. Birds of a feather flock together and head south into a whirlwind of flames where they all belong.”

“That’s enough,” Devon warned.

Cara started to storm off then changed her mind. “If I were you, I’d go see Damsel and verify what she’s telling you. You may get too comfortable and find out later she’s been working you all along.”

“I’m sure he’d be more than willing to put my mind at ease,” Devon said, his tone loaded with sarcasm.

“You’re doubting me?” Victory asked.

“Yeah, he is,” Cara said, answering for Devon. “Sucks for you, huh?”

“Go wait for Tigger and—”

“You’re too close to the situation, Devon,” Cara interrupted, tilting her chin at Victory while keeping her voice low so only Devon could hear her. “For all you know, she’s here for another reason. Maybe Gaylord sent her.”

“I plan to test that here in a minute.”

“How?”

“Use your imagination.” He swiped his tongue across his upper lip. “If that doesn’t work, come back in about an hour. Then, you can watch.”

Once they were alone, Devon pursued Victory. With all the commotion, he had one thing on his mind when he stalked her. He could only hope she shared his goals and aspirations.

“Hang on there, stud.”

“Stud, is it?” He liked the nickname. Maybe it would stick.

“I have to take care of something,” she informed him, walking by him.

“Wait a second,” he said, restraining her. “Where are you going?”

“I need to talk to Cara.”

“About?”

“It’s best if you don’t know,” she said, placing her palm to his cheek.

“Why? Would I try to stop you?”

“Come on, Devon. How long have you known me?”

“A while.”

“Then you understand when I have my mind set, there’s no changing it.”

She left the room. He took a seat at the bar. Retrieving a crystal decanter, he poured a glass of bourbon. By the time he took his first sip, he could hear some elevated voices down the hall. He took Victory’s earlier behavior to mean a few things. The handwriting was all over the wall. The little vixen had made up her mind.

Victory Rising was playing for keeps.

Chapter Four

Sassy left the room as soon as Victory entered the kitchen. Victory took the other woman’s departure as a sign. She wasn’t necessarily against Victory, but she wouldn’t stand with her, especially when the time came to confront Cara.