Slay (Storm MC #4) (2 page)

On my knees, surrounded by blood, my breathing ragged, Leroy lay in front of me, his body a carved canvas of death.  And I was the proud and satisfied artist.  No longer would he cause terror and suffering to so many.

I left him on the ground and stood.  Merrick’s gaze met mine, and he nodded.  We were half-way to where we needed to be today. 

I surveyed the casualties.  There were too many; this had to be stopped before we had more.  “Enough!” I bellowed.  Everyone was smart enough to know that with Leroy gone, I was taking over, and they followed my command.  “You all know where I stand.  If that’s not something you want to support, now’s the time to leave.”

Leroy’s staunch supporter, Ricky, stepped forward.  He’d taken a bullet in his arm and was beyond angry.  “How the fuck do you propose to move forward, Blade?  Leroy was right, there’s no way to pull the kind of dollars in without the girls and the drugs.  And I’m not willing to take a pay-cut.”

One of the best things to ever happen, in my opinion, was for an opponent to walk straight down the path you’d already planned for them to walk down, and to do it thinking it was their own choice.  Ricky Grecian was doing that right now, and all I had to do was keep leading him.  “I can’t promise there won’t be a pay-cut, so I’d suggest you think long and hard about which way you want to go, Ricky.”

He continued scowling, and I knew exactly how this was going to play out.  After glaring at me for a few minutes, he announced, “I’m out.  And I’ll take the girls with me.”

“Not fucking likely, motherfucker,” I growled.  “The girls stay with me.”

“You said you don’t want them.”

“No, I said we would no longer be running them.”

Merrick stepped in as planned.  “You can take the drugs,” he suggested.  And then looking at me, he said, “That works, doesn’t it, Blade?  We don’t want the drugs.”

I took my time thinking about it; this had to appear as if we were giving up something valuable.  Before I could answer, Ricky played straight into our hands.  “It’s either the drugs or the girls, Blade.  Your fucking choice, asshole, but I’m leaving here today with one of them.”

“Take the fucking drugs,” I snapped. 
Christ, Ricky really was a dumb fucker
.

“Right, that’s settled,” Ricky said.  Looking around the room, he asked, “Who’s with me?”

As four men left with Ricky, I turned to Merrick.  “Ten years of this shit, with nothing to show for it except death and destruction,” I muttered.

“Yeah, but we did a good thing here today, Blade.”

Expelling a long breath, I nodded.  “Things will change.  I’ll make fucking sure of it.”

Chapter Two

Blade

Present Day

“Blade!” Ashley screamed, her face contorting in pain as her attackers pressed cigarettes into her skin.  Her arm reached out for me, her hand flailing around trying desperately to connect with mine.  But as hard as I tried to grab hold, I couldn’t do it. 

I never could
.

I failed. 

Every fucking time.

I sat bolt upright in my bed.  The bed sheet stuck to the sweat I was covered in, and I shoved it off. 

I turned to the bedside clock. 

Three-fifteen am. 

Fuck
.

Pushing myself off the bed, I stalked into the bathroom.  I flicked the tap on and splashed cold water over my face.  Resting my hands on the sink, I stared at my reflection in the mirror.  These dreams were getting out of hand, and exhaustion ruled my life.  It painted my face and clawed at my body.

The dreams had haunted me since Ashley’s death, but they’d recently intensified to the point where they were hitting me hard and fast most nights.  I thought they would have stopped after I’d dealt with Bullet and they
had
slowed down for a while.  Fuck knew why they were back now.

I turned the tap off and scowled in the mirror.  I had a lot of work to deal with today and just over two hours of sleep wasn’t going to help me get through it all.  However, I knew from experience sleep would prove elusive.  Better just to start my day with a shower and move on from there.

When the hot water hit my shoulders a few moments later, I dropped my head and rested my chin on my chest.  Closing my eyes, I savoured the heat working its way into my tired muscles.  The years since Ashley’s death hadn’t been kind to my body.  Grief, regret and a lust for revenge had taken hold of both my mind and body, inflicting weariness on me.  I pushed past the exhaustion most days, but these fucking dreams were taking their toll. 

Fifteen minutes later, showered and dressed, I entered the kitchen.  I made coffee and logged on to my computer, checking my emails.  The pain of Ashley’s loss was never far away and I felt it as keenly these days as I did three years ago, but my work helped give my mind a break from it.  And that was all I could ask for because I knew I’d never get over not having her in my life.

***

Four hours later, I parked my Jag not far from the front door of Harlow’s mother’s cafe, and exited it into the warm September sun.  Late September in Brisbane should have been spring weather but we seemed to be moving straight into summer, just as we had last year.  The humidity in the air this morning clung to me, and I contemplated yet again moving to a cooler climate.  I’d never do it, though. I was born in Brisbane and I’d die here.  This city was in my blood. 

“You owe me breakfast as well as coffee.” 

I looked up to find Madison standing on the footpath smiling at me.  My sister was the happiest I’d ever seen her; marrying J had been a good decision.  I cocked my head to the side.  “How do you figure that, babe?”

Her smile turned into a grin that lit up her face.  I liked what I saw there.  Not many people meant as much to me as she did, and her happiness touched my cold heart in unexpected ways.  “Well, you were supposed to have coffee with me yesterday, but you cancelled.  It’s only fair you buy me breakfast to say sorry.”

I moved to where she was standing and draped my arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer to me.  Looking down at her, I murmured, “So, just for future reference, if I cancel on you, I’m up for whatever you decide?”

She wrapped her arm around my waist, and we walked into the cafe together.  “Yes!  Finally, a man who gets it,” she said, triumphantly.

Harlow looked up as we entered, just as Madison made her declaration.  “What does he get?” she asked.

Madison let me go and moved to hug Harlow.  “He gets that I call the shots if he cancels on me.”

“Oh honey, I think you have your brother wrapped around your little finger.  Blade might be in charge of everything else in his life, but not so much where you’re concerned. He’d do anything for you.”

I jerked my thumb in Harlow’s direction.  “She might be onto something there.”

Madison hit me with a look that made most of the shit I’d been through in my life worthwhile.  Having her as my sister had changed me in ways no one else had ever been able to, not even Ashley.  Madison made me want to be a better man.  I was buried under a million fucking layers of darkness, and I’d embraced that for most of my life, but with her in it, I was trying hard to find a way out from under the murky depths.

She watched me watch her, and then, on a sigh, she said, “Okay, big brother, time to get your wallet out.  I want pancakes and coffee today, and no skimping on the ice-cream and whipped cream.”

As I pulled my wallet out, I asked, “Cream
and
ice-cream?”

“Of course.”  She shrugged. “Why not?”

Harlow interjected, “A girl needs a pick-me-up after her brother ditches her.”  She winked at me as she said this.

I shook my head and muttered, “Once.  I cancelled on you once.”

Madison continued to rib me.  “And let the record show that you won’t do it again.  Right?”

This type of exchange wasn’t something I was used to.  Kidding around didn’t come easily to me, but Madison had been teaching me how.  I played along with her.  “Right.  Especially not if it means you’ll resort to ice-cream and cream at eight o’clock in the morning.”

Madison and Harlow burst out laughing as I just stood there shaking my head at their antics.  I lifted my chin at Harlow.  “Make it two coffees.”

Harlow had worked out my moods and read me perfectly well now: I was done with the joking around.  She nodded in agreement.  “Done.”

I moved to sit and Madison followed.  As we did this, Scott entered the cafe.  His focus was entirely on Harlow. He didn’t see us.  We both watched him, though, as he and Harlow discussed something.  It looked serious, and I wondered about that, especially as they’d recently moved in together.

Turning to Madison, I asked, “All good in paradise?”

“As far as I know, yes.  But that looks pretty intense, doesn’t it?”

“Yeah.”

“Maybe Harlow’s finally worked out that Scott’s not the perfect man she thought he was.  Living with someone can do that.”

I frowned.  “Are you and J okay?”  I’d never stop worrying about her, and god fucking help him if he ever screwed her over.

“Yes, but you know what it’s like when you do day in, day out with someone.  It’s hard sometimes.  There are days I could kill J, and I’m sure he feels the same way.”

I thought about that, remembering back to when I lived with Ashley.  She was the only woman I’d ever lived with.  “Ashley used to hate the way I cooked.”  It was out before I had time to even filter it, and Madison was straight on it.

Her eyes widened in surprise.  I never spoke about Ashley.  “Why?” she asked softly.

I took a deep breath.  This was the last thing I wanted to be discussing this morning.  “She said I made too much of a mess, and she would have preferred I washed up as I went.”

She listened but didn’t say anything, and then she reminded me of one of the reasons I loved her; she let it go.  Turning her attention back to Scott, she asked, “Have you spoken to him lately?”

“No.”

“Will you?”  Her question was short, but her eyes held all the words she hadn’t spoken.  She was worried about him.

I nodded slowly, hesitant to commit but wanting to put her mind at ease.  “Yeah, I’ll touch base with him, babe.”

Her chest rose on a sigh, and some of the worry eased out of her expression.  “Thank you.”

“J doesn’t tell me much about what’s going on, and Scott’s never around to talk to, so I don’t really know what’s happening.  I hate what Griff’s done to the club; to Scott and the boys.  And I hate not knowing what they’re going through.”

I shifted forward slightly in my seat so I could bring my gaze closer to hers.  “When a friend betrays you like that, it’s not something you ever recover from.  Not for a long time, anyway.  And I know women like to talk about that shit over and fucking over, but a man doesn’t want to rehash the betrayal, babe.  I doubt you’ll get J talking about it anytime soon, at least not with the kind of details you’re looking for, so I suggest you let it go and just be there for him.”  I said what I had to say and then settled back in my seat, hoping she’d take it in.

“Why don’t you have a woman?” she asked, throwing me with the sudden change in direction.

“I had a woman.”  My shoulders tensed as I answered her.   

“Yeah, but why don’t you date now?  You give me all this advice about men and women, and you seem to know your shit, so any woman you date is going to be lucky.”  Her voice softened.  “Ashley was awhile ago, Blade.  Don’t you think it’s time for you to move on?”

“Are we talking dating or are we talking fucking?  ‘Cause I’ve got one of those covered, and I’m not interested in the other.”  My voice had hardened, and I couldn’t control that as much as I may have wanted to. 

“I worry about you,” she said, concern clear in her tone.

“Don’t worry about me.  I can look out for myself; been doing it my whole fucking life.”

“I know you have, but you’ve got me in your life now, and it’s my job as your sister to worry and make sure you’re okay.  I think you should reconsider the dating thing.”

Keeping myself under control around Madison was something I worked hard at.  I didn’t bother with anyone else, except my mother.  However, she was pushing me today, and I feared I was about to snap.  My tone was hard and firm when I said, “Madison, it’s not going to happen.”

She opened her mouth to say something, but I silenced her with a glare.  After a moment, she said, “Okay, I’ll let it be for now, but I’ll revisit this at some point.  Someone’s gotta push you and I know you don’t have anyone else who is game, so it looks like it has to be me.”

At that moment, Harlow came over with our coffees and pancakes.  I looked up at her.  “Thank you.”

She smiled.  “Anytime.” 

I watched as she made her way back to where Scott was waiting for her.  He looked our way and nodded at me before giving his attention back to Harlow. 

Madison drew me back to our conversation.  “Did you hear what I said?”

“Yes, and I have no doubt you’ll do what you said, but babe, you need to know Ashley was everything to me, and I’ve never met a woman since who even came close.”

“But how are you going to
know
if you’re so closed off to it?”

“I’ll know.  Trust me, when a woman has what Ashley had, I’ll fucking know.”

She took that in, and finally acknowledged what I’d said.  “She must have been pretty special.”

Memories flooded my mind and pierced my heart.  Fuck, they still managed to do that even now, and I feared they always would.  “She was.”  I took a moment to get the words out.  “She was the kindest, gentlest woman I’ve ever met who had a heart of gold.  She accepted me and accepted what I did, but challenged me to do better.  She dragged me out of that shit, and set me on a new path.  If it wasn’t for her, I’d still be in deep.” 

Madison leant across the table and reached for my hand.  “I think you’re amazing, Blade.  You’re too hard on yourself sometimes.”

Fuck, if only she knew the half of it
. 

I pulled my hand away from hers.  “I’m not, and if you knew the truth about me you wouldn’t think that,” I snapped.