One Hundred & Thirty-Six Scars (The Devil's Own #1)

  She nods her head before taking her attention back to Beast. “We need to talk.”

  “Talk with Hella,” he replies, taking his eyes off her and wrapping his arm around the back of my chair, pulling me in close.

  She looks between both of us as Beast lands a long kiss on my temple. She swallows and begins shuffling uncomfortably, glancing between all of us.

  “Beast?” she begins but he doesn’t look back to her. Instead, his strong hand cups around my chin softly as he tilts my face to meet his. Searching my eyes, he runs his thumb across my bottom lip, bringing his lips to mine, the warm sensation shooting straight between my thighs. When he sucks my lower lip into his mouth with the strong bitter taste of beer lingering on my tongue, a light moan vibrates off my lips and he groans his reply.

  Pulling back from me, he leans back against the bar, resting his elbows on either side of him and cocking his head. “What, Shelby? You’ve met my Old Lady, you can leave now.”

  Her eyebrows rise. “I need to talk to you, Beast. It’s about Layla.”

  “What? I gave you this job because I thought you were woman enough to handle all the whores.”

  Her shoulders square. “I am, Beast,” she hisses.

  “Watch your fucking tone and remember who you’re talking to,” he answers, clenching his jaw with eyebrows raised.

  “Beast,” I whisper to him. It’s the first time I’ve seen him talk like that. He’s always sweet with me so it shocked me a little.

  “What is it? And why should I care about Layla?”

  “You want to do this here and now?” she whispers loudly.

  He shrugs. “Spit it out.”

  Shelby crosses her arms in front of her. “She killed a client.”

  Beast’s bottle pauses short of his mouth. “Come again?”

  Hella sits forward in interest with a smile on his lips.

  Jada chuckles. “This should be good.”

  Spinning back around, I pour another shot and shoot it back.

  “He tried to go backdoor. She said no, he tried again so she stabbed his dick with a pair of scissors. Asha walked in after she’d done it and he was spitting how much shit they were going to be in and how he was going to burn the entire place down…” she pauses, clearing her throat. “So they both ended him.”

  “Jesus fucking Christ,” Beast whispers, bringing his bottle down. “Where are they now?”

  “In my car outside. The body is still in the room and I don’t know about you, but that’s above my pay bracket.”

  He shakes his head, standing on his feet with Hella standing beside him. He wraps his fingers with mine and pulls me up. “Take the lead,” he says to Shelby and she smiles at me before leading the way to the door. This time, the crowd parts for us as we head outside.

  The sudden fresh air hits me at once and a light shiver runs over my skin. Squeezing my hand into Beast’s we carry on over to the red Camaro that’s parked beside the line of bikes in front of the barn.

  Hella walks up to the car and pulls the door open. “What’s going on with these little murderers?” He laughs into the back of the car.

  We stop short and Beast nudges me behind him as he pulls the door open wider and gestures for them to get out. The inside of the car is too dark for me to make out anything and I don’t want to stare too hard. I know what the Sinful Souls’ club whores are like.

  Two petite girls stumble out of the car. One has wavy brunette hair that hangs in low waves down her back. I think she has more hair than body. She’s stunning too. Her red laced eyes come up to Beast and I tilt my head, staring at her in amazement. God, this girl is not just beautiful, she’s drop dead gorgeous. What’s she doing with a job like this?

  She runs her hand across her cheek, wiping away the tears that have formed. “Beast, I’m so sorry.”

  “What happened, Layla?”

  I take my greedy eyes off Layla and look to the equally stunning girl standing next to her. They look too similar to not be related except where Layla’s hair is an auburn brown, this girl’s is a dark blue-black.

  “I told him I didn’t do anal and he didn’t take no for an answer. After my third “no” he forced me down onto the bed and tried to bind my wrists together. I managed to free my wrist and take hold of the scissors that were on the bedside table which was there after he chopped up his weed earlier. And I don’t know, it just happened.”

  Hella laughs from his position. “Marry me?”

  Layla rolls her eyes. “The answer is still no, Hella.”

  He drops his lip behind a smile, pouting. “I’ll ask you every time.”

  Layla looks to me and tilts her head. “Hi?”

  I smile, pulling my hand out of Beast’s grasp and holding it out to her. “Hi, I’m Meadow.”

  She takes my hand in hers, looking to Beast.

  “She’s his Old Lady, Layla.”

  Layla’s eyes shoot up in surprise. “Wow, nice to meet you,” she says with a genuine smile. “This is my sister, Asha.” She points to the girl next to her and Asha puts her hand out with a smile. “Nice to meet you.”

  “Sisters?” I ask, intrigued. Walking to them and leaning against the door. I bump into Shelby and she looks to me apologetically. Beast turns toward Hella and starts whispering to him.

  “Cute teddy,” I say to Shelby, pointing to the brown teddy bear with a pink bow hiding in her back seat. Her body stills as she shuts the passenger door quickly.

  “Thanks.”

  Layla chirps from beside me, bringing my attention back to her. “We’re twins!”

  “Wow,” I answer, bringing my hand back into Beast’s.

  I wouldn’t blame Beast if he had slept with either of these girls.

  “Who is he?” Hella asks Shelby.

  She leans her body onto her car. “It was one of the boys from Blood Razor MC, Beast.”

  “Fuck!” Hella yells, pushing his body against Layla’s making her fall against the car. He pushes his groin into her and wraps his hand around the back of her neck, jolting her face up to his. “Do you know how much shit you’ve just caused?”

  She swallows, narrowing her eyes. “I said that I was sorry, Hella.”

  Hella chuckles a sadistic laugh and brings his lips onto hers. “I thought you liked to be thrown around, baby. What? Didn’t feel the same because it wasn’t with a devil?”

  She snatches her head out of his grasp, crossing her arms in front of her.

  Hella steps back, keeping his eyes locked on hers. “I’ll get Ripper.”

  Clearing my throat, I run my eyes down Layla and Asha’s body. “Do you girls want to come and get tidied up? Jada can take us in my car.”

  They both look at Beast whose body stills. I raise my hand up, placing it on his arm. “I’ll get them tidied up. You…” I fluff my hands around out the front of me, “…do what you need to do. Okay?”

  He cracks his neck. “Yeah, all right.”

  “Okay, let me go and get Jada,” I say, pulling my keys out of my back pocket and handing them to Layla. “Go and wait in my car. It’s that one there. Won’t be a sec.”

  I turn around and begin walking over to the barn when I feel my weight lifted up. Beast cradles me like a baby. “I won’t be long. And don’t go anywhere without kissing me.” He smirks, running his lips over mine and kissing me hard.

  Pulling away, I laugh. “All right, I’ll see you a little later.”

  He places me back down and I catch the odd glares coming from Layla, Shelby, and Asha, but Hella is just standing there with a crooked grin watching us.

  Shooing him away, I turn in my steps and pace over to the barn. Walking through, Hannibal stumbles over to me, hooking his arm around the back of my neck. “Woah, big guy, I can’t hold you up!” His beard seems longer. Hannibal is attractive, he reminds me of a caveman, raw, rough and powerful.

  “I know, I know.” He corrects himself, standing to his feet. “I’m real happy for you and Beast.” He smiles before walking, or sh
ould I say stumbling back to the other men.

  Shaking my head, I zoom in on Jada and make my way to her. “Hey, can you drive us home? I just need to find Melissa.”

  She nods her head. “Yeah, for sure. Come on, and Melissa is over there.” She stands from the bar, nudging her head toward Melissa, who’s talking to someone from another chapter. She takes her jacket and I pick up mine from the stool I was sitting on, watching her closely.

  “Aren’t you going to ask me?” she questions with a cocked eyebrow, pulling her hair out of the back of her jacket.

  “Ask you what?” I say, zipping up my hoodie.

  “Ask about Beast and Shelby?”

  I shake my head. “No, if I have anything I want to know, I can ask him.”

  She smiles, linking her elbow with mine. “I’m so glad you said that.”

  I laugh as we walk up to Melissa. “Yeah, I’m sure you are.”

  “Have you seen his house?” Jada asks, whispering into my ear.

  “Whose house? Beast? No, I haven’t. Does he live here?”

  She laughs, leaning back into my ear. “No, he doesn’t. He lives in Summerlin West, it’s really… different to here.”

  “Okaayy?” I say, glancing between her and the floor. “Different, how?”

  We reach Melissa and she turns to us. “Hey! This is Bullet.” She points to the man standing next to her, sporting a Devil’s Own MC cut.

  I smile. “Hi. Hey, we need to head off. I’m taking a couple of girls back.”

  She looks to Bullet then looks back to me.

  “You Beast’s Old lady?” he asks, head cocked, running his hand through his long beard.

  Clearing my throat, I nod and say, “Yes,” smiling at him before looking back to Melissa. “You coming?” She looks back to Bullet and he smirks at her. I run my eyes to Jada nervously, and she smiles with her eyebrows raised. “Come on, Bullet. You coming or what? Don’t beat around the bush, I have a kid to get home to.”

  Melissa raises her eyebrows at him questionably and I shake my head. “Melissa…”

  “He’s coming,” she answers, wrapping her hand into his.

  Jesus, what the hell is going on with her?

  Hella has sent her overboard. Maybe she should have never come, she should have stayed at her damn fancy boutique bakery making fluffy pies and humming along to Dr Dre.

  Jada and I begin walking back to the entryway with Melissa and Bullet following behind us.

  I whisper to Jada just before we hit the door, “Is there a cure for slut?”

  She laughs, swinging her head back. “Unfortunately, I think her cure is standing outside with Beast.”

  Shaking my head, I exhale. “Yeah, I don’t know how that even happened the first time.”

  Walking out, we step into the cold air and head toward my car where they’re all standing around. Hella’s making moves on Layla again. When he sees us in the corner of his eye, his smile drops as he zones in on Bullet and Melissa, who are behind me. His jaw flexes before he pushes off the car again and stalks to us, heading straight for Melissa. I step out of the way as he grips onto Bullet’s collar, pulling him back.

  “Bro, what are you doing?” Bullet asks, pushing his hands off his collar.

  “The only devil that has and is entering that fortress—is me!” he growls, pushing his chest against Bullet.

  “Woah, hang the fuck on here a minute.”

  “Here we go.” I roll my eyes, crossing my arms in front of me. Beast walks up beside me with Layla and Asha following close behind.

  “You have dipped your dick around the whole fucking time I’ve been here, Hella. Fuck you. Come on, Bullet,” she says, gripping onto his arm.

  Bullet stands still, feet lodged into the ground. He looks at Beast before shaking his head. “Nah babe, maybe some other time.” He turns around and walks back into the barn.

  “Hella,” Melissa yells, shoving him in the chest.

  “Well, at least, they’re actually talking now,” Jada mutters.

  “You are such a fucking piece of shit! I came all the way here because you wanted me safe, and then when I get here you sleep with every slut walking,” she whips her head toward Layla and Asha, “no offense…” before continuing, “I even saw you getting your motherfucking dick sucked, Hella. So screw you!” She walks up to him, pointing his chest. “And I will fuck who I want.”

  He grabs onto her hand, pulling her body up against his. “No, you fucking won’t.”

  Yanking her hand out of his grasp, she begins walking to my car. “We’ll see about that, Hella. You may control who I sleep with here, but out there…” she points to the road, “…you have nothing over me.”

  “Keep thinking that, baby.”

  She flips him off while continuing to my car. I shake my head, turning to Beast. “What time will you be finished here?”

  “Not too late hopefully. Get some sleep. I want to take you somewhere tomorrow.”

  “Oh. Where?” I ask, wrapping my hands around his neck.

  “To my house. I want to take you out there before we leave,” he answers, kissing me before pulling back. “I’ll see you a little later.”

  I nod. “Okay.”

  When we pull up to the house I’ve been living in, I turn in my seat to face Jada. “Why is it so difficult for Melissa and Hella?”

  She clears her throat, eyes glaring in the rear vision mirror where Layla and Asha are sitting quietly.

  Jada shrugs. “Why do you ask me? Why not ask Layla, she was one of his regulars.”

  My eyes dart to the back seat at Layla flicking her nails nervously.

  “Because I don’t think she’s the right girl to ask.”

  Jada reaches for her belt buckle, swinging it over her shoulders before exhaling. “Hella is very complicated, that’s all I can really say.”

  My eye twitches as I narrow them in on her. “Do you think he and Melissa have a shot?”

  She stills, keeping her eyes locked on the house that’s lit up from the inside out, sending off a warm alluring energy. My feet are aching, begging for me to take them to bed.

  “No. I don’t think they do,” she whispers, pulling her long inky black hair into a high messy bun.

  “Why?” I ask, peering at her. Her eyes dart toward the back to Layla before coming back to me.

  “Because Melissa is a sweet girl. Under all the façade, she’s a sweet girl with a good heart. There’s a reason Hella is called Hella.”

  “And why is that?” I ask, fishing out the keys to the house in my deep handbag.

  “Because…” Layla adds from her position, “…Hella likes to play games and Melissa won’t be up for it.”

  Shrugging, I pull off my seatbelt and swing my door open, the full moon lighting up the large acreage. The girls jump out one at a time, closing their door behind them. Flicking the keys between my fingers, I toss up what Layla said about Hella and how he plays games. Melissa is one of the strongest people I know, but even for her, Hella has become quite the pain in her ass. Maybe Layla is right, or maybe Layla has an ulterior motive, I wouldn’t know. I plan to, though, I may not be as strong as Phoebe, but I won’t let anything happen to her.

  Walking up the steps to the house, I push open the door and flick on the lights, our eyes straining under the sudden brightness.

  Dropping the keys on the little console table beside the door, I turn to face Laya and Asha. “Come, I’ll make you a hot drink.”

  They both nod their head, removing their jackets and hanging them on the coat hanger before following me to the kitchen. Flicking on the jug, I pull down five heavy ceramic mugs from the top cupboard. Placing them on the counter, I turn around and lean against the kitchen counter as I wait for the jug to boil. Both girls are sitting there watching me closely.

  “Can I ask you something?” Asha says, playing with the rings on her fingers.

  “Sure,” I answer though I’m not sure what she would need to ask me. Asha is the eldest of the two I gues
s just by the way she carries herself and how Layla seems to always hang back behind her.

  “I used to be Beast’s favorite girl,” she begins, her eyes not faltering.

  My eyebrows shoot up as I turn and begin spooning cocoa into the mugs. “Okay,” I answer, internally having a one-on-one chat with myself to calm down.

  “He’s always been about business and the club, never once gave any clues that he was looking to settle down with an Old Lady…”

  Stirring the hot water in the mugs, I pick them up and carry them back to the table, placing one in front of each of them and smiling at Layla, who picks up the mug and blows on it, the steam blowing her bangs slightly.

  “Beast and I met a long time ago. That’s all I’m really going to say about that,” I answer politely, pulling my seat out and crossing my leg over.

  She smiles and nods, leaning into her chair and taking her mug in her hands.

  “Do you need a shower or anything?” I ask both of them.

  Asha shakes her head but Layla nods. “Yes please, I feel like death.”

  Asha scoffs. “That’s because you killed someone.”

  I smile, taking a drink of my hot cocoa and pulling out my cell phone to text Beast.

  Me – What’s the plan?

  Beast – They want revenge. We’re going to have to keep them here until I sort something out.

  Me – They can stay here, we only have another week here anyway?

  Beast – Your time here is undecided.

  Me – I need to go home, Beast. I can’t stay here forever.

  Beast – Why not?

  Me – Why not what?

  Beast – Why can’t you stay here forever?

  Is he serious? I pause my texting, running my eyes to the wall and narrowing them.

  Is he fucking with me? He must be.

  “You okay?” Layla asks, her head tilted.

  I smile, nodding my head. “Yeah, I’m fine. You can go and take a shower, the towels are in the bathroom cupboard and I can get something for you to slip into.” I look to Asha. “You may as well, too. Beast is keeping you girls here I think… at the clubhouse.” My phone vibrates in my hand and Asha nods at me. “Thanks.” She smiles, pushing back her chair and rinsing her mug in the sink with Layla following behind her.