Burned(Devil's Blaze MC 2)(37)

“It’s just a lover’s tiff. She’s mad I forgot her birthday. It’s not bad enough she’s busting my balls over that, but she’s also on the rag. You know how women get.”

“Yeah, I guess…”

Fuck. I knew he’d talk his way out of it. I guess it’s show time. I put both hands on the door, take a deep breath, then push it open.





I’ve just about gotten the guy calmed down, and the other two seemed to have relaxed as well. They’re about to go back into the dining area of the store when Katie opens the door.

Only she doesn’t look like she did when she went in. Someone beat the hell out of her. I’m about to charge into the bathroom and find out what the fuck is going on. I thought it was empty, but obviously it wasn’t. I’m going to kill a motherfucker for even thinking about putting their hands on her. One thing stops me—and it stops me cold.

“I’m here, I’m here… Just please don’t hurt me again,” she says, her voice breaking, her eyes bright. She looks so pitiful and frail standing there like that with unshed tears and her body trembling. I know I’m going to kill someone, until it clicks in my head: she’s talking to me.

I’m slow because it doesn’t take He-Man and his buddies as long to figure it out. I know this because a fist barrels into my nose as I’m making these observations. Motherfucking son of a milk cow! A fist slams into me, spraying blood from my nose. I hear a crunch in my ears. Skull and the brothers would have my fucking ass for being caught so unawares. I can’t help it, though; my brain was all about Katie being hurt. How the fuck was I supposed to know that the bitch was setting me up?

I know it now, though. There’s not a doubt in my mind. I can see her out of the corner of my eye, curled into one of the other men, scared to death. Looking at her cost me as I’m cross-cut with another left. Fucking bloody hell!

That’s it. I’m going to tear this asshole’s arms off and beat him to death with them, then I’m going to strangle that damned brunette.

I deliver a blow to the gut. When he bends down to protect his weakness, I deliver shot after shot under his chin and to his face. He backs up a good five feet because he wasn’t expecting me to fight back so violently. I don’t have my cut on because I’m trying not to broadcast I’m in the area, so motherfucker has no idea who he’s dealing with. I could eat men like him for breakfast and spit on his grave. I’m feeling pretty fucking great about it because Goliath here falls back against the wall, going down for the count. I’m about to turn my attention back to Katie when I’m brought to my knees with a heavy thud on my head. The room swirls in circles and goes precariously gray. I try to fight through it. I can’t go down like this. I can’t lose Katie. That’s not an option. I try to fight, but I’m sinking further down, falling on the concrete floor with a thud.

I look up. My vision is blurry and I’m seeing double, but one of the truckers is standing over me with a huge metal rack in his hand and there’s sales books all around the ground. The fucker hit me from behind with a magazine rack?? That was a punk-ass move, getting me from behind like that. I’ll remember that for when I get up from here to kill the son of a bitch.

“Is he alright? Oh my God, did you kill him?” Katie’s voice reaches me. I’d like to think that’s real fear in her voice, but I know better. After all, I’m in this situation because of her, the lying little cunt. I’ll make her pay too, as soon as the room stops spinning. And what’s with all the gray?

I’m losing focus. Son of a bitch, nothing I can do will bring it back. I know I’m going out. I keep trying to fight it, but it’s pointless. My eyes flutter closed and, right before I go out, I see Katie walking out with one of the fuckers. She looks over the man’s shoulder at me and I think she’s mouthing the words, I’m sorry. I can’t be sure.

It doesn’t matter. When I catch up to her, she will be sorry; that much I can guarantee.





Guilt is eating me up inside and I hate it! I never meant for Torch to get so hurt. I hope he’s okay. Surely someone has found him by now. Probably that damned waitress who was already panting after him and drooling. Somehow, I ended up with a different trucker than my original mark. I liked the first guy; he had a kindness in his eyes. Torch managed to take him down though and that left me with Mr. Hands over here.

I’ve gone along with him though because after everything I’ve done, I need to get away from Torch. I have to get to Bethie, but more than that, Torch is going to be pissed as hell at me. If he gets a hold on me again, I’ll never get away. He has a right to be pissed, I guess, but he was holding me captive! He was forcing me into a situation that would put my niece and my sister in danger, and he wouldn’t even try to understand. He’s an asshole and I should not be feeling guilt.