SAVAGE LOVE (A Back Down Devil MC Romance Novel) (3 page)

“
Good.
Thank you.
”

Miller approached Father Millard.
“
Take care of this? We
’
ll be back with Griffin in an hour.
”

“
Of
course, Miller. I
’
ll have
my guys get right to work. Fresh graves all around.
”

Miller took a wad of cash out of
his pocket and gave it to the priest.
“
You
know, I always heard you can
’
t
take it with you.
”

“
True,
”
Father Millard said.
“
But I
’
m still here. And I like money. Pay up and get the
fuck out.
”

The priest blessed himself and
tucked the money away.

Miller wondered if anyone actually
had a heart and soul.

There was only one person that he
could possibly think did.

Ella.

three.

Beck
’
s
eyes fluttered as he fought sleep. Ella bounced hard, up and down, looking like
she was trying to shake something loose. It was either taking the baby for a
ride in the car or doing this. And since Jerry took the keys to the car to keep
Ella in one spot at all times, she had to do the silly dance.

When his eyes shut for good, Ella
stopped bouncing. She learned a tough lesson a long time ago that when the baby
fell asleep it didn
’
t mean
he was actually asleep. If Ella put the baby down right now he
’
d probably wake up and start
fussing again. Ever since he started teething, it had become a little bit of
hell in the house. If it wasn
’
t
enough that Beck was having teething pain and needed medicine and constant
attention, the whole breastfeeding thing had been taken to another level. There
was nothing quite like the jolting pain of the baby suckling too hard with the
razor edge of a baby tooth against his mother
’
s
sensitive nipple.

In the end, it was all worth it.
Beck was healthy and beautiful. He was full of life, very smart, and would
definitely keep Ella on her toes for the rest of her life. More so, he looked
like her. Thinking that pained her a little, but she didn
’
t need to look into another set
of Jerry
’
s eyes.

Speaking of which
…

Ella turned and faced the window.
The street was quiet, serene. A postcard image of the perfect middle class life
and neighborhood. All the houses were designed the same, just different colors.
Trees strategically planted, shrubs, a park at the end of the road. Everything
created the same for people to live and not have to think about anything but a
normal, perfect life.

Of course, normal and perfect were
far from reality in Ella
’
s
house. Jerry had been under a lot of stress as of late, but it had been getting
worse by the day. The long days and weeks were now longer months. He looked
worn out, scared, unkempt. He screamed, drank, and took swings, something he
had only done one other time and swore he
’
d
never do again. Being married to the chief of police used to be something fun.

Fun.

That
’
s
all Jerry had been.

At one time he had been the right
choice. The easier choice. The straight shooter of a cop who rose up through
the ranks through his honest work. Then he took the head position and let it
all go to waste. From the second he befriended Back Down Devil MC, Ella worried
things would end up bad.

And now they were.

She had no idea why though. Just
the passing stories.

There was one thing though that
stuck in her mind.

Last week on Friday. Right past
midnight, technically making it Saturday. Ella woke to the sound of voices. She
walked to the steps and heard Jerry talking to someone. Then she picked up on
two voices. She took the top step, then the second. Her heart had been racing,
her mind telling her to stay away from it. Being able to deny was her greatest
strength. And she knew how it worked in Frelen. Hell, she had flirted with the
wrong side of life a long time ago.

With Miller.

All those hot and wild nights
…

Ella didn
’
t stop creeping down the stairs though. She went
down far enough to see into the kitchen. Jerry was leaning against the counter,
in his uniform. His gun on the counter like the way someone would toss their
keys. Across from him, on the other side of the black granite countertop
island, stood two large men.

They were bikers.

They weren
’
t part of Back Down Devil MC.

“
We
’
ll take him out,
”
Jerry had said.
“
Once that happens, all the
pieces will fall into place. Trust me. I
’
ve
watched them for years.
”

“
Whatever
it takes to make them die,
”
one of the guys had said.
“
I
’
m tired of it. Now that they
killed Jake
…”

“
He
was useless anyway,
”
Jerry
had said.
“
Good for
paperwork and that
’
s it.
You
’
re the muscle, guys. I
’
m the brains. And the badge.
”

Jerry had then turned his head and
Ella had no choice but to storm up the stairs. She heard him call her name. She
rushed back to bed, tucked herself in, and pretended to sleep. That was
something else she had mastered. The last time they had been intimate was
before Beck was born, making it well over a year. Part of Ella knew her husband
had to have been getting relief somewhere else. Part of her didn
’
t care. She didn
’
t want him to touch her. Not
when he was acting like a monster.

That night, Jerry sat on the edge
of the bed and stroked her hair. Touched her face. Cupped her breast. It took
all of Ella
’
s focus not to
move. She managed that night to stay away from Jerry. But that meeting never
left her mind.

As she stared out the window now,
with Beck in her arms, she wondered what Jerry was up to. The easy path or the
right path - whatever she had been convinced to believe - had gone so far from
that, it worried her. Hell, if it wasn
’
t
for Beck
…

The baby stirred and whined.

Ella started to move again.

“
It
’
s okay,
”
she said.
“
It
’
s all okay.
”

There was a time Ella told herself
she would be the kind of mother who would never lie to her child. But all
parents told lies. They had to. It was the attempt to preserve their child
’
s innocence because it made them
feel that innocent feeling again. But innocence was always stripped away.

After another thirty minutes, Ella
put Beck into his crib. She backed away and sat down in the rocking chair in
the bedroom. She slowly rocked, telling herself she
’
d wait a minute to make sure the baby didn
’
t wake up. Then she
’
d go to bed. She
’
d wake up and Jerry would be
home. Yeah, he
’
d look like
shit. Yeah, he
’
d ignore her
and Beck. But at least there would be the attempt at a family.

Ella put her head back. Her mind
started to slip away. Back to a night when she had been waiting for Miller.
Sitting out in the middle of nowhere, on a rock. Staring at the stars. She knew
that Miller sometimes had to do things.
Do things.
That
’
s how he always put it. For the
motorcycle club. Sometimes he looked hurt and had marks and bruises. Sometimes
he was distant. But when they looked at each other, it was fire. Instant and
crazy fire. He was her first and for a long time she thought he
’
d be her only.

That night, as she sat on the rock,
she heard the blip of a siren.

Jerry got out of his car to check
on her. He knew about Miller. He knew about Back Down Devil MC. It wouldn
’
t have been a shock to find out
if Jerry and Miller were working side deals then. They hated each other as much
as they respected each other.

And that night only sealed the deal
for whatever felt like forever. Because that was the night Jerry told Ella he
loved her. That was the night he stole a kiss from her, something no sane
person would do to a woman dating a biker. But Jerry was strong enough and
brave enough do to it.

Truthfully, it turned Ella on. That
Jerry was powerful enough to be bold and that he was on the other side of the
law and justice. The right side, or so she thought for a long time.

Ella fell asleep in the chair,
thinking about that night. Wondering what would have happened if Miller had
shown up on time. How much her life would have been different
…

A hand covered her mouth and Ella
’
s eyes flew open. She gripped
the arms of the chair and wanted to scream. She saw Jerry staring right at her.

“
Shh,
”
he whispered.
“
I don
’
t want to wake Beck.
”

Ella nodded.

Jerry slid his hand away.

“
Downstairs,
”
he whispered.
“
Let
’
s talk.
”

Ella nodded again. Jerry came
forward and planted a soft kiss to her lips. That kiss used to mean so much to
Ella. But not so much lately.

She left the room and shut the door
without a sound. She went downstairs and met Jerry in the kitchen. His gun and
badge were on the counter. He had an open beer.

“
How
was your night?
”
Ella
asked.

“
A
fucking nightmare. You
’
re lucky
you get to be here all day.
”

“
I
’
m sorry.
”

“
You
’
re always sorry. Worried when I
leave, sorry when I come back.
”

“
What
do you want me to say, Jerry? I stand there with the baby and wonder where you
are. What you
’
re doing. If
you
’
re okay. If you
’
re
…”

“
If
I
’
m what? Fucking other
women?
”

“
I
never said that.
”

“
You
think it.
”

“
Look,
I know we haven
’
t been
close
…”

“
Christ,
Ella. Give it the fuck up. You don
’
t
want me to touch you. Or fuck you. I wonder if you
’
re fucking someone on the side.
”

“
Don
’
t you dare say that,
”
Ella said.
“
I
’
m
here with Beck all day. And since you took my keys
…”

“
Oh,
is that what it is?
”
Jerry
yelled.
“
Fine. Here.
”

Jerry took out the set of the keys
and threw them at Ella. She tried to catch them or swat them away. They smashed
against her cheek. The keys hit the floor and Ella clutched her cheek.

“
Asshole!
”

Jerry launched around the island
right at her. He put her against the counter and lifted her up.
“
That
’
s right, baby. Get nasty with me.
”

“
Stop
this.
”

Jerry
’
s
hands moved to her inner thighs and up to her panties.
“
You fucking need it. I know you do.
”

Ella looked at her fingers and saw
blood.
“
You cut me. You
hurt me.
”

Jerry hurried and put a hand to her
neck, pushing her back against the cabinets.
“
That
’
s all you can think about! Yourself.
I fucking know everything, Ella.
”

“
Know
what?
”
she asked, shaking
from deep within her body.

“
You
heard me talking. I know it. You were fucking faking sleep. Like you always do.
I
’
m a goddamn cop. I
’
m trained to know everything.
”

“
I
didn
’
t want you to get mad
at me,
”
Ella said.
“
You woke me up. It wasn
’
t my business.
”

“
You
’
re goddamn right it
’
s not,
”
Jerry growled.

He pushed harder with his hand to
Ella
’
s neck, his other hand
between her legs, pressing against her panties. She quivered, hating the feeling.

“
I
didn
’
t hear anything,
”
Ella said.
“
And if I did, who am I going to
tell?
”

“
I
’
ve had a bad fucking day. Now
open your legs and let me take some worry out.
”

“
Jerry,
not like this. You have me scared. I can
’
t
…”

“
What?
Your pussy can
’
t get wet
for me now?
”

“
Look
at you. Look at the way you
’
re
acting.
”

“
What?
You don
’
t like it rough?
”

“
No.
You know that.
”

Jerry stepped away from Ella. He
lifted his right fingers to his nose and smelled. Then he shook his head.

“
You
can
’
t even get wet for your
fucking husband,
”
he said.
“
You wonder why I have to do what
I do.
”

“
So
you fuck other women?
”

“
I
’
ll fuck anyone I want.
”