Page 1 of Hidden Desires (Bikers of Mayhem #2)

BLADE

T he sound of heavy breathing cut through the silence of the dark as he surged ahead.

Beneath his feet, twigs snapped with every heavy step he took.

His chest burned, and his forearms had been all scraped up from the attack.

Well, it wasn’t an attack when you were the one doing the attacking. His wounds were what police would call defensive wounds—cuts and bruises brought on when someone tried to stop you from ending their life.

But what choice did he have?

When your name was on his list, your life was forfeit.

He grabbed onto a tree as he made a sudden turn to his right.

They were almost there.

At the clearing, not far from where the forest meets the street.

If the guy could just get past the clearing and through the last set of trees, he might actually have a shot at getting himself help.

But Blade wasn’t about to let that happen.

No. When someone’s name was on the list, they never made it past the clearing.

A cry of pain pulled Blade’s attention back to the young man he was pursuing.

Jimmy.

A twenty-something, aspiring musician, with a heroin problem and no means to pay his debt.

Blade watched the young man scramble up from the dirt and continue running into the clearing.

This was it. This was the moment when the person being pursued had a glimpse of hope as they spotted the thin line of trees leading out to the busy street and, ultimately, their salvation.

But none of them knew.

None of them knew Blade and his special… talent.

Stepping into the clearing as well, Blade watched his victim charge across it, running toward what he thought was his salvation.

Poor lad.

Blade reached into his belt and pulled out one of his several blades.

The cold, sleek steel shone as it caught the last glimpses of the evening moonlight. It was just after one a.m. on a Saturday night, and the air around them was raw and thick.

Still. As if the air around them knew what was coming.

Blade did, but poor Jimmy didn’t.

Raising his blade above his head, he concentrated on his breathing and relaxed his mind.

Without thinking twice, Blade released the blade and watched as it landed in the square of Jimmy’s back.

The man let out a yelp before falling to the ground, still only halfway across the clearing.

Stalking toward his prey, Blade pulled out another blade and admired the way the moon reflected off this one as well.

“You know, I hate it when people make me chase after them. It gets me all sweaty and out of breath. Then it puts me in a bad mood because I smell like BO when I have to go talk to my boss about the dude I just killed. Tell me, Jimmy. Why did you make me run?”

Blade stopped next to the man’s squirming body. He was trying to reach behind him and pull out the blade that was stuck in his back.

It was not a fatal throw. Just a throw meant to slow down your opponent.

He would get to the fatal throw later on.

“Well? Got anything to say to me, Jimmy?”

The man groaned as he turned onto his side, craning his neck to look up at Blade.

“Please. I’m sorry. I’ll get you your money.”

“It’s not my money,” Blade said sarcastically, stroking the blade with his index finger.

He loved the way the smooth, cold metal felt against his skin.

“Please. I can pay half now. I’ll get you the rest in three days,” the man squealed, sobbing uncontrollably as he tried to pull the blade from his back.

“Three days?”

The man nodded quickly, his long hair flopping around his head as he moved.

“Half now, the rest in three days. Oh, and tack on ten percent interest in late fees,” Blade countered.

His eyes remained on the blade as he waited for the injured man to respond.

“Yes. Yes. Thank you!” the man rushed, flashing Blade a smile at being able to continue living for at least the next three days.

Normally, Blade didn’t grant extensions, but he kind of liked the dude’s music, and he hoped that the man would find enough money to pay back his boss.

If not…

Blade knelt down and pulled the man’s phone from his pocket.

“Enter your passcode,” Blade ordered, holding the man’s phone up to his face.

The guy entered his passcode, then fell back against the ground.

Blade scrolled through the phone until he came to the guy’s cryptocurrency app.

“Here. Transfer me the funds now.”

The man did as he was told, then held up his phone to show Blade the confirmed transaction.

“Good boy,” Blade said, pulling his blade from the man’s back, then patting him on the stomach. “There is a pharmacy down the block if you need bandages, and a hospital further up if you think you might be dying. Either way, I’ll see you back here in three days with the rest, plus my interest.”

The man nodded his head without responding.

“Good. See you later, Jimmy.”

Blade stood up, wiping the man’s blood off his blade with a handkerchief. He placed the blades back into his belt and proceeded to head toward the street.

Listening to the man sob behind him, he felt guilty for what he had just done. He had chased a man down and almost ended his life.

But what choice did he have? His boss was the one who gave him the orders. His boss was the one who kept him off the streets.

He wasn’t going back to that life.

Cold. Alone. And starving.

Not now. Not ever.

Lowering his head, he stepped out onto the street and made his way back home to his tiny apartment.