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

“Don’t need to tell me twice,” she answers, throwing the keys at Jada.

  I chuckle, handing her my helmet. “Oh, don’t think you’re off the hook. I have plenty ideas on how I’m going to punish you.” I wrap my fingers around the back of her neck, her long light brown hair falling like silk around my damaged knuckles. “And trust me, all of them involve you screaming my name until your throat runs dry,” I growl into her ear, my lips running across her earlobe.

  Pulling my head back, I smirk at her and she runs her tongue across her lower lip before pulling it into her mouth, sucking it between her teeth. My cock stirs to life, pushing up against my zipper. “Let’s go,” I growl, readjusting myself quickly before swinging my leg over my bike and kick starting her out of there.

  I’ve been back in Westbeach for a month now. It’s been a month since the explosion where we lost Nyx and Beast’s mom. I’ve been back to Vegas four times, every weekend since I came home. I say we lost Nyx because I feel like those men are my family now. Those two weeks shaped my life significantly, and at the time, while it was happening, I don’t think I even realized it. I miss Beast more than I care to admit, but I’ve been throwing myself into work to keep my mind busy. The day he took me to his house keeps playing through my mind—what it would be like to live with him. To wake up next to him every day and the thought brings my insides alive. Like a torch being lit from inside an dark empty cave. I’ve managed to catch up with Phoebe a few times since I’ve been back, but she’s so busy these days being a rockstar’s wifey and all. She has a crazy schedule, but I did manage to talk to her about what I should do. Her answer was simple, “Fuck yes, do it! Don’t live your life around pleasing other people, Meadow. You’re a free woman.”

  That’s why I love her and that’s why right now, I’m packing up my bag for the last time in this house while I wait for Beast to pick me up. He thinks he’s taking me back to Vegas for the weekend, but I’m thinking a little more permanently. I handed in my notice to the girls at New Home, and as much as they’re going to miss me, they have a steady line of staff now so my departure won’t impact them too hard. I told them I’d stop in there every now and then when I’m back in Westbeach, which will be a lot considering both of my best friends—Melissa and Phoebe—live here. Speaking of Melissa, she’s been a lot better since we’ve been back. She’s apparently been seeing some club bouncer and they have great, non-harmful, sex. Her words, not mine. But I know Melissa, and I see the emptiness in her eyes. Hella challenged her, pushed her. They hated each other with such a raw intensity it could make the entire world uncomfortable, but the roots of that hate came from lust. They drove each other crazy because of it.

  A light knock sounds on my door, as I scan around my apartment again. I’ll be keeping this place and coming back to get most of my belongings before putting her up for rent, so nothing is out of the ordinary.

  “It’s open,” I yell out from the bedroom where I’m throwing my leather jacket on.

  The door opens then closes before I walk into the kitchen area to see Beast standing there, a smile on his face. “Hey, babe.”

  I squeal out and run to him, jumping on him and wrapping my legs around his waist. Putting my hands on each cheek, I kiss him softly before pulling back. “I missed you so much.”

  “I missed you too, baby,” he growls, his dark eyes softening, his hand skimming down my back and over my ass.

  I drop my head into the crook of his neck and inhale him, the smell of leather, burned rubber, musk and soap drifting into my senses, reminding me of home. He’s made up from the perfect ingredients for the perfect potion.

  “Ready?” he asks.

  I nod my head. “Yes, never been more ready.” He takes my hand in his and I put my duffel bag over my chest. I left a lot of my clothes back in Vegas, so I don’t need to pack heavy. Stepping down to the underground parking lot, he pulls out my helmet and passes it to me. Clipping it on, I smile at him. “I missed you.”

  He hooks his calloused fingers around mine, pulling me into him. “Fuck, I missed you too, baby.”

  I smile, leaning into his embrace. “Let’s go.”

  We set off out of the underground parking garage of my apartment and on the highway. The bike’s rumble growling underneath me, bringing me to life. In this very moment, I’m happy. So happy, I’m about to uproot my entire life so I can be with this man every day. Squeezing my arms around him, I rest my head against the cut that sits proudly on his back and let the ride consume me.

  Pulling into the bright lights of Las Vegas, he pulls off and takes a right turn, down a street that has desert mountains placed around the road. The sun is setting, letting off soft orange hues with flecks of yellow through the sky, radiating off my skin. He keeps driving a few more miles until we pull to a stop and when I look out in front of me, my breath catches in my throat. I swing my leg off his bike, removing the clip from my helmet. I give it back to him and fluff my hair up.

  “It’s beautiful here,” I say truthfully. He leans against his bike and looks at me sideways, nudging his head toward himself. I follow his instructions and walk to him, leaning against his chest, admiring the bright lights of Sin City.

  His lips press on the back of my head and I let out a sigh, my muscles relaxing. I’m an addict when it comes to Beast, he brings out a side of me that I never knew existed. Makes me feel things I never thought I could feel, and has shown me things I never thought I’d see. I love this man, with all my being.

  His hands run down the front of my shirt and to the band of my jeans, his thumb circling my bare stomach, setting off shivers all over my body. My chest rises and falls deeply and I squeeze my eyes closed before turning in his arms. He looks down at me, no play in his expression, his eyes dark and hooded but holding nothing but complete sincerity. That stare has my heart fluttering in my chest.

  Running my hands up to his neck, I smile. “Are you okay?”

  After clenching his jaw a few times, he lets out a small smile. “Yeah baby, just happy is all.”

  “You stare at people like that every time you’re happy?” I ask with a smile.

  He scoffs. “I’ve never been this happy, so I wouldn’t know.”

  Pulling my lip into my mouth, I squirm and his eyes narrow. “What is it?”

  I shake my head and laugh. “This is all a bit cheesy, but—”

  He laughs, pulling me into him, the length of his dick rubbing against me. “Try me.”

  “It’s just… I’ve been thinking. Well, I’ve thought about it I should say, and I sort of already put things in line for it to happen.”

  He doesn’t move, egging me to carry on.

  “I want to wake up with you every day, too,” I whisper, pulling my lips into my mouth, his eyes dart to my cheeks and I let go. I forget that he loves the sight of my dimples, but maybe I also like using them against him. He drives me insane with want and need, if I can do it just by making my deformities appear, I will.

  “Wait,” he looks at me sideways with a smirk. “Are you saying yes to moving in with me?” His eyes light up and a full white tooth grin comes in display, showing me just how breathtaking he is, which is dangerous.

  Nodding my head, I smile. “Yes, Yeah, I—” The air pushes out of me as he picks me up with ease. I wrap my legs around him and he looks up at me with a smile. “Fuck, you have no idea how fucking happy you’ve just made me.”

  I smile, pushing my lips against his softly and pulling back. “I think I have an idea,” I reply honestly.

  He smirks, his hand running up my back softly. “You know,” he says, biting down on my nipple through my tight white T-shirt. “I’ve had this itch that I’ve been needing to scratch for a while.”

  “Oh?” I ask, head tilted. “And what is that?”

  He cups my pussy from behind. “Fucking you on my bike with nothing but that jacket on,” he growls into my neck, the vibrations tickling over my collarbone. I smile, glancing around at our surroundings to find us completely alone an
d shaded. With the sun almost setting and the bright lights of Sin City beaming from a distance, I let the devil have his way with me.

  Two Months Later

  “Layla!” I shout from the bar at the little monster that’s been stuck to me since I moved here two months ago.

  “Coming…” She laughs, pushing away the new prospect that Beast recruited last month. He had to find a fill-in for Nyx and his name is Rorschach. Yeah, don’t ask about the name. The funniest thing is his real name—Tim. When you look at him, he doesn’t look like a Tim. Therefore, he suits his name.

  Layla laughs, running to me, her long hair swishing in the air and her pearly smile lighting up the place like a breath of fresh air in between all the biker smells. Not my biker, he still smells delicious. Beast was right, Asha did let Blood Razors take her instead of Layla, but Layla says that there’s nothing to worry about where Asha and Tiny are concerned. The man is obsessed with her.

  “What are you doing?” I ask eyebrows raised.

  She laughs. “Sorry, he’s a caauuteee though!”

  I shake my head. “Stop, you said you were getting out.”

  She smiles, nodding her head. “I am! Out of stripping, maybe… when I’ve saved enough money to go to college. But for now,” she turns her head toward the new guy that’s sitting at one of the tables, his eyes locked on hers. “Right now, I’m just going to have fun.” Shaking my head, I turn to the bar and take a sip of water.

  “You not drinking tonight, Slippy?” I’ve also inherited the nickname Slippy. After sneaking away from Hella that night he made everyone call me that, and let’s face it, no-one wants to argue with the man.

  Shaking my head. “Not tonight, old man.”

  My mind begins to drift down to my handbag where I know a little paper bag is sitting neatly inside. And inside that paper bag, sits a pregnancy test, a test that could change my life forever. Beast and I have never had the talk on kids, so I don’t even know if this is what he wants. What if it’s just not in his cards right now, or if he doesn’t ever want kids because his childhood was so terrible. I guess I should take it to see where I stand. I could be overreacting for nothing, but I don’t think I’m ready for that, not yet anyway.

  Scooping my bag into my hand, I walk to the bathroom that sits upstairs where all the bedrooms are. Pushing open the door, I kick down the seat with my feet before lining the seat cover with toilet paper. Yeah, there’s no way I was going to be sitting on that bare.

  Taking out the little brown bag, I pull out the box and rip it open in double time, pulling out the tiny stick. I mentally begin preparing myself. It’s okay, you have enough money to last a lifetime still in your bank account. So what if the father is a biker, this baby will be well protected. Oh my God, will they call my baby a demon? Isn’t that what the devil calls his sons. Jesus, no. Nope, I can’t be pregnant. I won’t let it happen. Not until I have at least had the chat with Beast and he needs to assure me that no-one will be calling my child a demon.

  Placing the stick between my thighs, I let my pee drop onto it and pull it out, placing it on the bathroom sink. “Shit,” I whisper, pulling down toilet paper as I clean myself up.

  Swallowing down the hard lump of steel that’s formed in my throat, I begin to chant, “Please. Please, don’t be fucking pregnant. Please!”

  “Meadow?” Layla knocks on the door.

  “Jesus!” I answer in shock, my heart jolting in my chest. “What’s wrong now?”

  “Did you just say what I think you said? These walls are thin you know? Open up.”

  “Fuck!”

  “And did you just cuss?”

  I swing open the door and pull her in by her shirt, closing the door behind her. “Shut up. Yes, I cuss, just not often.”

  Her eyes drift down to the test that sits on the bathroom counter and she breathes out slowly. “Well, hey, it’s going to be okay. Beast will make a great father and I will make an excellent aunt, just sayin’.” She stops when she notices the look on my face. “You don’t want to? If you are, I mean?”

  I breathe out forcefully, weighed down by how very real this could be and just how close I am to a major life curve ball.

  “I don’t know. Maybe. I’d talk to Beast about it first, of course.”

  She places her hand in mine. “We will read it together.”

  Nodding my head, I swallow down and reach for the stick while keeping my eyes locked on Layla.

  “One…”

  “Two…” she answers.

  “Three…” we both whisper together before looking down at my fate.

  “Are you sure about this?” Hannibal stirs beside me. Hella comes out of the donut shop with a box that would fill a small army and one hanging out of his mouth.

  Shaking my head, I look back at Hannibal. “Yes. She’s my Old Lady, she needs her cut.”

  Hella hands us the box with a mouthful of food in his mouth. “Taste this shit, brother. It’s fucking insane. Almost tastes as good as Melissa.”

  Shaking my head, I laugh. “Brother… that ship has sailed.”

  He shrugs, eating the rest of his donut. “Oh, I know.” He smirks, leaning against his bike while shoving another in his mouth. “Just sayin’, her pussy was bomb.”

  “Yeah, you’d have to ask some guy called Chase how it’s been since you broke her heart.”

  His chewing stops, his eyebrows raised. “Come again?”

  Narrowing my eyes. “You heard, she’s been seeing some bouncer named Chase for the past couple months.”

  He drops his donut into the box, placing the box into his side bag. “She’s what?”

  I scoff. “Leave her alone, Hella.”

  “Did you see me going out and finding a replacement for her?”

  “What the fuck are you talking about?” Hannibal adds. “You’ve fucked how many women since she left our hands.”

  “So?” Hella exclaims. “Did I wife them? Get all cozy and shit with them? Fuck that,” he says and a chuckle leaves my mouth. I knew this day was coming. “Oh, but she gonna learn today,” he adds, swinging his leg over his bike and removing his cap before placing his helmet on.

  I whistle out. “Hey! Where the fuck do you think you’re going?”

  He kick starts his gloss candy apple red Harley that reads ‘Hellraiser’ across the body, flicking me a smirk. “To Westbeach.” Before he pulls out of the parking lot and onto the highway.

  “Fuck!” I growl, looking at Hannibal. “Go with him and make sure he doesn’t make a mess for me. I don’t need Sinful Souls riding my ass.”

  He nods, swinging his leg over his bike and riding out.

  Walking into our house, I close the door behind me and switch on a couple lights. “Meadow?” I call out.

  “In here,” she answers from the kitchen. Walking in, I smile at the sight in front of me. Meadow walking around the kitchen with an apron on that reads ‘Queen’ on the front. Alaina bought it for her for our house warming. Apparently she wears an identical one, it’s a rite of passage for the president’s Old Lady. Not as traditional as what I’ve got in my bag, though.

  “Hey, baby.” She beams at me, a smile spread across her face. If I didn’t know better, I’d say she was glowing.

  Pulling her into me, I run my lips over hers softly, pulling her lip into my mouth before letting her go.

  “What’s in the bag?” she points down to the brown paper bag that I’m clutching in my hand.

  “Oh, this?” I smirk. “This is your patch.”

  Her eyes widen in shock. “Pardon?”

  I laugh, handing her the bag and taking a piece of chicken out of the frying pan and placing it in my mouth before sucking the sauce off my fingers slowly, I watch her eyes get lost in the gesture.

  Smirking, I repeat myself. “It’s your property patch, baby. You don’t have to wear it every time you’re at the clubhouse—although I’d prefer it—but mainly when we have a lot of different chapters over or people from different clubs. This is how
they recognize that you’re mine. You’re safe once they know who you belong to, but there’s a space in between where they won’t know until maybe it’s too late. Wearing this patch…” I pull out the small little black vest that will probably sit around her belly button and be tight as fuck, “…will execute that possibility.”

  Her mouth hangs open as she zones in on the tiny piece of leather in my hand.

  I point to the front. “The front has our patch logo that sits on the top left side, over your heart.” I flip it around to show the back and her eyes water. “The back,” I whisper. “Has who you belong to.” The top arches and says ‘Property of’ and the bottom curves up reading ‘Beast’ but in the middle of those, is a red rose that sits there brightly with the devil himself coating the rose protectively. “Baby?” I whisper, her eyes still not moving from the piece. “The devil is me. I’ve got you from here on out until you don’t need me anymore. And even if you get sick of me? I’m not going anywhere.”

  A tear drop forms in her eye and a sob escapes her lips. I haven’t heard nor seen her cry since those nights all those years ago and my heart shatters at the sight of it. Dropping the patch, I pull her into me roughly. “Shit, fuck. I’m sorry, baby. I thought you were ready for it. Fuck. I’m sorry, I’ll throw it away, you don’t need to wear shit, I’ll just get a photo of you blown up and plastered on the clubhouse wall with the words ‘my woman’ over it. I’m sorry,” I whisper into her hair and hold her. Holding her tightly like I wanted to all those nights that I would hear her cry. All the nights she gained another scar and I wasn’t there to protect her. I hold her for that.

  She pulls away from me with a smile, wiping the tears from her eyes. “No, please. I’m not crying because of that, Beast. I’m crying because I love you, and I love that patch, and I love being yours. I love that you’re protecting my apple, but most of all…” she says, wiping the tears that have fallen again and my eyebrows draw together my heart twisting. “Most of all, I love that you can love me.” She picks up the patch, bringing it to her cheeks and resting her face on it. “I thought I was pregnant,” she says casually, almost too casually.