Devil May Care (The Grizzly MC Book 12) (3 page)

Gabe was pushing open the front door just as Jakob stepped up behind. They entered Lucien’s house together, and it was the scent of male arousal that filled Jakob’s nose instantly. He turned his head in the direction it saturated, and that was when he saw little Ava Silver and some pierced and tattooed punk groping her. She was making noises, sounds that told Jakob the guy was being too fucking rough. The guy even had his hand around her neck, and Jakob saw red, his bear coming out and wanting blood.

Gabe was on the human a second later, pulling the fucker off and tossing him aside. Jakob went over to Ava, helped her up, and saw her quickly adjusting her clothing.

“He was getting a little out of hand,” she said softly, but out of breath.

“Just stay behind me.”

He’d known Ava since they were little, and although she was eighteen now, he saw her as a younger sister, as did all the guys in both clubs.

Gabe starting pounding on the guy, but the pierced human got a few good shots in given the fact Gabe was drunk and he was sloppy with his movements. Jakob went over to the human, grabbed him around the throat, and lifted him easily off the ground. He stared right in his bloodshot eyes, could smell the drugs coming from the piece of shit, and felt the power and energy move through him. He felt that strength he always had when he was fighting, when he was finding that rush of life.

“I could crush your windpipe right now, just crumble the bone like it was nothing.” The bear in him rose up, demanded that he take over, reign supreme, and take this fucker out.

The human gasped, trying to claw Jakob’s hand away. Jakob looked over at Gabe, saw him talking to Ava, and turned his focus back to the human.

“You think it’s okay to try to take something from a female when they don’t want it?”

“She wanted it,” the fucker wheezed out.

Jakob tightened his hold around his neck until the human’s face turned red and then blue as he started to lose oxygen.

“Jakob, let him go. He’s not worth it,” Ava said.

Jakob stared at the human again, and after another second released his neck and let the asshole fall to the ground. He stayed down for a few seconds, and then stood up, holding his throat and trying to breathe.

“Get the fuck out before I change my mind,” Jakob ground out, needing to take out the fucker, but taking a step back and letting him go. The guy didn’t even look at them as he rushed out of the house. A few seconds later his crotch rocket came to life, and the sound of the engine revving faded away.

Jakob turned and faced Gabe and Ava. She was standing by the window, and Gabe was a few feet from her, his hands in tight fists by his sides, his face red, and the scent of his anger clear.

“What do you think would have happened if Dad walked in on that bullshit?” Gage asked through his teeth.

Ava just shook her head.

“I’ll tell you what would have happened, he would have fucking flipped and killed the motherfucker, which is what I should have done.”

“He got out of hand, I won’t lie about that.” Ava wiped her forehead and breathed out.

“Ava, that fucker would have raped you if we hadn’t gotten here.”

“Gabe, man, she’s been through enough without you bringing that up,” Jakob said, his focus on the other biker. He could see Gabe was barely holding onto his control, but that was expected given the fact on what he walked in on concerning his little sister.

Gabe reached out and pulled Ava into a hug, and he cupped the back of her head, saying something low to her. Jakob tuned them out, because even though he could have picked up on the exact words spoken, he didn’t want to pry into whatever Gabe said to her.

“I’m going to jet,” Jakob said.

Ava pulled away from Gabe and walked up to Jakob, giving him a hug.

“Thank you,” she whispered.

He hugged her back. “You have to stop trying to give your old man and brothers a heart attack,” he teased, and although she chuckled, he could see it was strained.

“I know.”

He gave her a kiss on the top of the head, tipped his chin to Gabe in a bye, and headed out the door. Yeah, after this incident he needed to let off a little steam, and a good bloody fight seemed like just the thing to help him. The only thing he needed to decide was if he wanted to brawl in human form, or shifter against shifter.

Chapter Three

Saya didn’t mind working at the bookstore. In fact even if she hadn’t gotten the discount on her textbooks, she would have enjoyed this place. It had this old, musty and age-filled scent to it, one that reminded her of times gone by. It also allowed her to study and drink as much coffee as she wanted. Not that she’d ever been big on coffee, but after graduating high school she’d gotten this taste for the flavored kind.

She sat behind the counter, her textbook in front of her, and the cup with the vanilla caramel coffee steaming. She hadn’t actually started school yet, but would in the next couple of weeks. This was the first and only textbook she’d gotten, a cheap one she’d found on sale and snagged it up. With a store full of books surrounding her, here was Saya reading her schoolbook when she hadn’t even started class yet.

The bell above the door dinged, and she looked up to see Trist, the other employee and Saya’s “trainer” for the next week. Even though Saya had only known Trist for a few days, the two of them had hit it off right away. Though total opposites personality wise, she found Trist to be genuine and not putting up with any shit. Saya liked her, and because of that it didn’t feel like they’d only known each other for a few short days.

Trist had a bag of donuts in her hand, the brown bag riddled with grease stains, but even from the distance Saya could smell the sweet, delicious scent.

“I hope you have your appetite, because they gave us the greasiest donuts they had,” Trist said, her black hair in a ratty birds’ nest style around her head. She had on white foundation, and this light rose and maroon colored eye shadow had framed her eyes. The small hoop through her septum showcased a tiny skull, and the labret piecing caught the light for a second, the silver metal glinting.

She set the brown bag on the counter, and the concentrated scent of powdered sugar filtered up to Saya. Just as she reached for the bag Trist’s phone went off. As she answered it, Saya opened the bag and grabbed greasy, powdered sugar covered goodness.

“No shit? Yeah, I’m down.” Trist turned around and looked at Saya with a smirk. “Can I bring someone?” Trist lifted a pencil-thin black eyebrow. Once she hung up the phone Trist just stared at Saya for a second.

“What?” Saya asked, wanting to eat this damn donut, but sensing this mischievousness coming from the other woman.

“You want to get down in the trenches and see something really wild?”

“Wild? You mean more intense than the bookstore?”

Trist started chuckling. “So intense you’ll feel it cover your skin.”

That sounded intriguing. “I don’t know. Sounds kinds of crazy,” Saya said, but she smiled. “But then again I’ve always lived a crazy life, so what the hell.”

Trist started chucking. “Yeah, I knew right away you and I were going to get along just fine.”

****

Saya and Trist had to wait until they closed up the bookstore for the night before they could go to this wild and crazy thing that Trist wouldn’t tell her about exactly.

Saya looked out the passenger side window at the bar in front of them. They’d driven just twenty minutes, and were now on the outskirts of Steel Corner. Harleys lined the front of the parking lot, as well as some beat-up trucks. The bar seemed familiar, not because she’d ever been here before, but because it reminded her of her father and the club. The MC always had trucks and motorcycles lining the bar they owned and hung out at a lot.

“You ready?”

“I don’t know what to be ready for,” Saya said honestly, but was looking forward to whatever Trist wanted to show her. Saya hadn’t told Trist about her life, that her father was the president of an MC, that she knew wildness and intensity and had her whole life. But the way Trust had been talking about tonight, like this was something she’d never experienced, did have the interest in Saya rising to the point she couldn’t ignore it.

“Saya, this is something I doubt you’ve ever seen.”

Saya looked over at the other woman. Trist’s face looked extra white from all the makeup and the glow of the moon coming through the windshield. She smiled again and opened her car door.

“No time like the present,” Trist said and got out of the car.

Saya followed after her, and the two of them made their way toward the bar. But instead of going through the front door like she’d assumed, Trist led them around back. A guy with a cigarette hanging between his lips leaned against the back of the building. There was a beat to shit looking door beside him, and the sound of the music coming from inside was loud and slightly obnoxious.

“Kind of late for little girls to be out, isn’t it?” the guy said, and lifted his hand to remove the cigarette from between his lips.

“We’re here for the show,” Trist responded.

“The show?” the guy asked, took one more puff from his cigarette, and snubbed the butt out on the brick wall. “What show?”

Trist exhaled, as if annoyed. “Brinx told me what was going down.” There was a moment of silence. “So unless you want me to call him and say you’re giving me a hard fucking time…”

The guy held up his hands and turned to pull the rusty as hell door open for them. “No need to call Brinx.”

Saya followed Trist inside the back of the bar, and the sound of music and shooting, and the smell of spilled beer and the tang of old vomit surrounded her. She held her breath as she followed the other woman. They took a flight of stairs, the scent of age intensifying even more. The noise was intense, even more so than upstairs at the bar.

Yelling, curses, and the distinct sounds of animals had Saya’s heart racing.

They finally reached the bottom landing, and Trist grabbed her hand as she started shoving her way through the bodies of guys standing.

“Brinx is over here.”

Saya didn’t know who Brinx was, but he—or she—allowed them to get down here without that asshole upstairs giving them anymore shit.

Trist finally stopped, and Saya looked up to see a big ass guy standing in the corner, this dark trench coat doing nothing to hide the fact he was tall and muscular. Trist let go of Saya’s hand and rose on her toes to kiss him.

“Brinx, this is Saya. She started working at the store and is cool as fuck,” Trist said and looked over at Saya.

Saya lifted her hand in a greeting when Brinx tipped his chin. Not that Saya judged anyone, but she would have never thought Trist would go for a guy like Brinx. He seemed the total opposite of her, but then again maybe that’s why they clicked so much?

“You like shifter fights?” Brinx asked in a slightly accented voice.

Shifter fights?

“Um, I’ve never actually been to one.”

Trist grinned. “Brinx runs these fights, and if I didn’t feel your energy or genuine chemistry, I wouldn’t have brought you here.”

“They aren’t exactly legal, but then again I can find you if you tell anyone.”

Saya laughed a little nervously at the serious tone in his voice, but the sound died in her throat when he looked stoic.
God, is he serious?

“Brinx.” Trist elbowed him. “You’re freaking her out,” Trist said seriously. “He’s kidding, although his sense of humor is shit.”

Saya smiled, but it was tight and felt unnatural.

Breaking, popping, even growls and heavy breathing, filled Saya’s head.

“Well, Saya, you came for a show,” Brinx said and pointed behind her. “Enjoy.”

She turned around, feeling her eyes widen as two men stood in the center of the room, one already shifting into a big black bear. The other guy had his back to her, but she couldn’t help the flash of heat that filled her at the sight of his back and bare ass. He was covered in tattoos, the broad expanse of his back covered in ink, and those designs moving over his biceps and forearms. His hair was short and dark, and as she felt her heart start to beat faster when he turned slightly toward her, this feeling of “knowing” him filled her. It was impossible though, right?

“Those are the Grizzlies,” Trist said by her ear, and lifted her hand to point at a group of bikers in leather cuts off to the side. They were focused on the guy still in his human form, and it was then that she realized she
had
seen the naked guy before. Although he’d been fully dressed, he’d been riding a Harley and she’d thought he’d been looking right at her.

She got a side look of his face, and it was then cemented that he was definitely the same guy she’d seen. His square jaw had a covering of dark facial hair, and his eyes looked hard, dead almost. This tightness started in her body, this heat following closely behind. He closed his eyes, rolled his head back and forth, and she knew that what she was about to see would rival everything else.

****

Jakob sensed his bear rise up, felt the power, excitement, and sensation of being alive wash through him. It was being reckless, getting into these fights, and allowing himself to just absorb the punches, the danger move through him, that had that spark of life filling every part of him.

Back in the day the Grizzlies owned a barn in the middle of the woods in Steel Corner. They’d held shifter fights and made money off of it, but that was long gone. They stopped that once the younger generation started taking over. They could still have the revenue rolling in with the fights, but they had bars, restaurants, and did back alley deals concerning protection that had them sitting good money-wise.

Jakob stood off to the side, leaning against the beam that supported the ceiling above them. This fight was currently in the cellar of a bar on the outskirts of town. All of these illegal fights moved around, for obvious reasons. No one wanted to be caught and thrown in jail for exchanging money for watching people beat the shit out of each other.

“You’re up.”

Jakob looked over at the guy dealing with the funds for this fight. He held a stack of cash, and several guys came up and placed their bets.

Jakob went into the center of the room, stripped out of his clothes, and started getting his muscles warmed up. He shook out his arms, focused on the bear shifter moving into the center of the room, and felt that rush of warmth and adrenaline move through him.

There were humans and shifters alike all around, ready to watch blood getting spilled and bones being broken. A few of the next generation Grizzly MC were in attendance, but Jakob didn’t need any moral support, and he knew they weren’t here to pat him on the back. They wanted to watch a little violence, too.

Cain, one of Jagger’s sons, stood beside Jakob’s brother, Bodhi. Maverick, Lucien’s other son and member of the Brothers of Menace MC, had also shown up, maybe to fight another human and get bloody. Even Havoc, one of the newly patched in Brothers of Menace members, pushed his way through to stand beside the other Grizzlies.

Despite the Brothers being human and the Grizzlies bear shifters, the two clubs were tight. They were family, had been through a lot of shit together, and because of that they had each other’s backs, no matter what. Havoc might not be a Grizzly, but he’d been coming to the fights and hanging out, and a few times shit had started he’d had Jakob’s back.

Havoc was a big fucker, even rivaling the biggest Grizzly Patch they had in the club. With a head of short dirty-blond hair, light blue eyes that looked creepy as fuck, and an ugly scar that ran down his left cheek and to his jugular, Havoc wasn’t that pretty, but dammit if he couldn’t kick some fucking ass and take names.

At nearly fifty years old Havoc was a force to be reckoned with, and Jakob knew the man had been friends with Lucien, the Brothers of Menace club President, for nearly his whole life. But for whatever reason he’d only become an actual Patch within the last twelve months. Why he decided to leave everything behind and be a biker to the core wasn’t Jakob’s business. Havoc was here now, protected his club, and also the Grizzlies, with his blood, and that was all they cared about. They were all family, and if someone couldn’t fuck shit up, even losing their life in the process, to protect everyone else, they had no business being a Patch, no matter the club they were patched into.

Bodhi started saying something to Havoc, but the human just crossed his thick fucking arms over his chest and nodded. Havoc looked perpetually pissed off, like he needed to kill someone to feel anything. He hardly spoke to them, and most times just grunted and said what he needed to when he was pounding the shit out of someone.

Jakob brought his focus back to the opponent. He looked at the black bear shifter, his hair as dark as the night and his eyes like twin pieces of coal.

“Fuck him up,” one male shouted.

“Tear him apart,” another asshole yelled out from the back of the crowd.

Jakob kept his focus on the male in front of him. The black bear started undressing, his muscles impressive, but Jakob had no doubt he could take him. Hell, Jakob had enough anger and energy moving through him he probably could have taken down a brick house.

And then he let his grizzly out. Shifting into his animal always made him feel light, free, like he didn’t have to worry about anything. But it also had the effect of making him crave this primal need for blood, of violence. It was his bear that wanted to tear a man apart for sheer sport alone. And because he already had all this darkness inside of him, this almost lifelessness, it made him even hungrier for destruction.