Page 31 of T-Bone (Steel Demons MC #11)

Faith

M y throat burned. My lungs screamed. My legs were on fire and every single step felt like it might be my last. On top of all of that, I was lost in the woods. Deep in the woods if I’d been running from the crazy bikers for as long as I thought I had.

Why did I head into the trees?

It provided excellent cover, that was why, but it had backfired because now I was lost.

I didn’t know which way would lead me out of the woods or deeper inside, but I knew which way the bikers were. I heard them clearly, whispering loudly as they tried to figure out where I was hiding. They didn’t step lightly either, which worked out for me. Mostly.

I double checked my gun and then the extra clips, confirming I had two backup clips just in case I had to shoot my way out of the goddamn forest.

Crouching behind a giant tree, I slowed my breathing and listened to the heavy-booted footsteps of the bikers. From what I could gather, there were three of them now, Nate, and two of his club brothers.

“Where the fuck is she?” One of them asked.

“How the fuck should I know? Shut the fuck up, she’s around here somewhere.”

They were frustrated and growing desperate.

“Faith, I know you’re out there. We can do this all night.

Can you ?” Nate’s words were taunting. He was trying to draw me out, but I wasn’t some rookie cop, easily goaded by a criminal.

He laughed, the sound was dark and menacing.

“It’s too bad you’re gonna die without knowing the truth about your niece. ”

I moved positions while Nate talked, loud enough to scare all the night critters. Their sounds masked my movements, but I moved enough that I was now positioned behind him, which didn’t help because I didn’t know if that put me closer to the edge of the forest or the center.

“Faith, don’t make this harder than it needs to be.” I heard the smile in his voice, and I couldn’t let it stand.

If I was going to die tonight then it would be on my terms, and I’d not go without a fight. I shouted out, “You know, it’s too bad you’re going to die still thinking your buddy Marcus was a good guy.”

“Fuck you,” he shouted even louder, his anger getting the better of him. “Don’t you fucking talk about him!”

I smiled to myself. “Can’t handle the truth, huh?”

The sound of the gun clicking echoed in the forest and I took shelter behind a tree just in time.

The next shot sent me diving onto the forest floor.

He shot again and I got to my knees, crawling away from the direction the bullets were coming from as quickly as I could.

“I was gonna take it easy on you, since my beef ain’t with you. But now I’m gonna make you suffer.”

“That’s what you guys do right?” I moved away from my last position after I shouted at him. “Beat up on women who are too small or too scared to fight back? Makes you feel like a big man?”

“Stop fuckin’ lying!”

His frustration mounted and though it wasn’t ideal, it was better to have him off-kilter than to have him thinking clearly, if that was something he was even capable of doing.

“Oh come on Nate, don’t act like you didn’t know.

” He shot the bullet off before I could duck and it sliced right through my left side, not penetrating any organs just enough to hurt like a son of a bitch.

I bit back a groan and dropped to my knees. “Fuck,” I whispered quietly.

“Yeah, that’s what I thought. Don’t talk shit about my brother,” he shouted. “Me and Marcus grew up together. We worked together to make this MC what it is today. He loved Chloe.”

I breathed in through my nose and let out the pain through my mouth on the exhale. “He never loved her. He wanted to own her. To control her. And when he couldn’t, he beat the shit out of her.”

“Lies!”

I managed to get to my feet, and I saw him, looking like a crazed man bathed in moonlight.

“He loved her and that little girl so much.”

I held back a snort and rolled my eyes. “Yeah, then explain the black eyes and busted lips. Explain the broken arm. Or the broken clavicle when she was pregnant with Gemma. Or the other three babies he beat out of her.”

“Shut the fuck up!”

Gotcha. The moon acted as a spotlight and I took aim and squeezed the trigger, tagging his left shoulder. He hit the ground with a loud grunt. “He beat her so badly she couldn’t even leave the house for weeks at a time.”

“He didn’t.” Nate’s grunted disbelief was palpable, almost anguished.

“He did and if you’re saying you didn’t see it then you don’t know your brother as well as you thought you did. And if you did, then you’re as much of a monster as he was.”

“Marcus would never.”

Footsteps sounded to my left and without hesitation, I turned, aimed and shot once.

A groan sounded followed by the sound of a body hitting the forest floor.

“Matrix? Chico? Answer me goddammit!”

He was worried now, afraid that he hadn’t brought enough men.

“I’m here.” The deep voice was close, but I couldn’t get a good direction on the sound.

“Chico, thank fuck! Get that bitch and bring her to me. Now!”

Assuming the man, Chico, was coming from the opposite direction from where the other guy went down, I crawled towards the body that still hadn’t moved, but I wasn’t quick enough. A pair of hands grabbed my hair, catching me off guard.

“No!” The word left my mouth before I thought to hold it back.

Nate laughed. “Gotcha, bitch.”

Chico started to walk, and I made it as difficult as possible, calling on the skills I taught the women who attended the self-defense classes I taught twice a week after handing in my detective’s shield.

I kicked my legs and twisted my torso, making it impossible for him to take more than a few steps without stumbling.

My foot finally connected with the space between his legs, earning me a grunt.

“Fucking bitch.” He dropped me to the ground and hooked an arm around my waist, which allowed him to carry me more easily.

“That’s right, bring her to me.” Nate stood there, proud and smiling. “Now that we have her, we’ll just have the Steel Demons trade the little girl for this pain in the ass.” His smirk only pissed me off.

Trade. That was his big genius plan? We didn’t even know Gemma was there for certain.

Though I hoped if T-Bone and his club brothers were following my lead, they’d get to the cabin and find her.

I decided to buy myself some time and let Nate think we had her, “That’s a dumb fucking plan,” I finally said. “They won’t trade.”

“We’ll see about that. Chico get this bitch back to the bike.”

I laughed, distracting him while I figured out my next way out. “Yeah, we will see. Or you will, anyway.”

He shook his head. “Too bad we’re meetin’ like this. I might’ve liked you.”

There it is. I found what I was looking for, hooked to my belt loop on the right side.

I slid my finger through the cold metal hook and gripped it tight.

“Too bad abusive assholes don’t really do it for me.

” I reached back with my right hand and drove the finger blade deep into Chico’s throat.

Over and over I stabbed him, in quick, staccato jabs until his grip went slack and his body began to fall.

I fell to my hands and knees about ten feet from Nate, quickly scrambling to my feet and putting more distance between us. “I really didn’t want to have to kill anybody, but you left me no choice.”

He flashed a tight grin, but his eyes were dark with malice and delight. “Don’t worry because Chico is the last person you’ll ever kill.” He raised his gun and aimed it right at me. “Get ready to die, bitch.” His finger slid to the trigger, hand as steady as the trees that surrounded us.

“You first,” I said and then lunged forward, leading with my finger blade. I knew I had to be aggressive because despite my training, Nate was bigger and stronger. The blade sank into his side, but he reacted quickly, slamming both hands—and the butt of the gun—down on my back.

I dropped to my knees with a grunt.

And that was my final mistake.