Chapter 8 Skel

P resent—

I left Lacey in the panic room as I reached for the guns in my office, taking several with me and extra ammo. I shoved one into the waistband of my jeans, palming the other as I heard someone moving through my living room. I had to steer whoever showed up away from my woman.

The house was so fucking dark. If I didn't know where everything was placed or where my guns were located, I would have stumbled into furniture or made too much noise. But I didn't. My head-mounted night vision goggles were stored inside the top drawer of my desk, and I snatched them, quickly slipping them on.

These ignorant fucks didn't comprehend who they were fucking with. I'd end every threat and spill blood without hesitation. My fucking property. My rules. Fuck around and find out.

The bright flashlight beam shined into the hallway, and I hid behind the door, staying still as it approached, swept the room, and moved on. How amateur. He didn't clear the room. His loss, my gain.

I checked the hall and entered, ensuring no one followed behind me. Following the flashlight as it searched my house, I crept behind the intruder. My mind focused on the task at hand instead of on Lacey. It wasn't easy, but I knew she was safe.

Outside, I heard thunder before a light rain began to fall. It reminded me of the night three years ago when I went to the Halloween party with Lacey and fucked her in a dark corner. Everything about that night had been perfect until we were attacked outside the banquet hall.

I'd been stupid to leave her for the last three years. Luis Diego had waited for the right moment to return, and now he was after Lacey again. This time, he wasn't holding back. Luis wanted my woman dead.

That would be his last mistake. Once I removed the intruders, I would handle this shit. I had to take it to the club. Maddog didn't know the whole story. Before I went vigilante, I had to fill my new pres in on the details.

This wasn't about the RBMC. It was personal.

I never truly left Vegas. I'd kept my house and visited friends. Even crashed a few times at Maddog's place. Breaking all ties with this town meant losing my connection to my brothers, whom I served in the Corps, my father's legacy, and the brotherhood, which still meant everything to him, not to mention the woman I loved. I'd never let that happen.

I might have stopped seeing Lacey, but I never went far. The last night we were together, I installed an app that allowed me to track her phone location. I'd kept tabs on her, watching her routine, and made sure she was safe. Until I came back.

In the last couple of weeks, I rarely checked the app, and now that was a fucking problem because I didn't know about her helping the police or working at a strip club. And now my home had been invaded.

We'd been followed. Or maybe Luis Diego already knew where I lived and waited for me to bring Lacey here. It didn't matter.

Breaking into my house was a death sentence.

The guy with the flashlight never heard me approach. I stored my gun in my belt and crept forward, wrapping my arm around his neck, and pushed on his carotid artery hard, knocking him out fast. He hit the ground, and I followed. Hoping the small thud didn't bring the others running.

I made quick work of subduing him, hoping I could question him at the clubhouse. Manic and Creature would enjoy that. Deciding I couldn't leave him out in the open for the others to find, I dragged him into a closet and shut the door. He was already regaining consciousness, but he wouldn't be able to do more than struggle against the zip ties and the thick tape I placed over his mouth. I'd come back for him.

Moving through my silent house, I carefully hunted the other two intruders. They weren't on the second floor, which meant I had to sneak downstairs. Gunfire alerted me to their location as I ran toward my office.

Lacey!

Two men opened fire on the bookcase, and I pulled out one of my guns, tapping the trigger twice in quick succession. Steady. Controlled. Perfectly aimed. Two matching bullets in two foreheads. Lights out, motherfuckers!

With no threats remaining, I opened the bookcase and swung it wide, hollering for Lacey. Fuck, please don't let her be hurt.

"Skel!" Her frightened cry had me ducking down and rushing inside the panic room, relieved to find her on the ground and uninjured.

"You were so fucking brave, Baby. Come here."

She launched into my arms as I held her against me, keeping my eye on the monitors in case of more trouble.

"Shhh," I soothed. "You're safe. I've got you, Lacey."

It took twenty minutes to calm her down enough for me to make a call. I dialed Maddog's number.

"Skel. What's up?"

"I need a cleaner."

"Shit. What the fuck happened?"

I explained the situation, pressing the end button after he promised to send Creature. I'd have help taking care of the bodies and cleaning up the mess. From men I trusted, which was crucial.

Lacey couldn't stay here. My place was compromised. She wasn't safe anywhere but the clubhouse or home with her dad. I knew she'd choose me, but she needed to fill her father in on everything happening.

I had to take her home.

The judge was in danger, and so was his daughter.

"Who were those men?" she asked, fighting back tears as I sank onto the couch, holding her in my lap.

"Diego's men. I'm sure of it."

"It's been years. Why come after me now?"

"I don't know, but you need to tell me everything, Lacey. I can't protect you if I don't know what the fuck is going down."

She sighed. "I know."

"Then speak up, Baby. Let me help you." I didn't tell her that I was taking her home yet.

She didn't ask about the men who'd been firing at her, and that worried me. Her body trembled as I held her tighter.

Don't fall apart on me now, Sweet Girl.

"Um, I, uh," she stammered.

"Breathe, Baby. I'm right here."

She listened, calming enough to speak. "I didn't start out trying to help the police. It happened after I saw a story on the local news. Girls being trafficked, a burned truck with bodies, and a man wanted for connection to the murders."

"Luis Diego," I guessed.

"Yes. I swore vengeance on that asshole after he kidnapped me. I wanted him behind bars and went to the police precinct to speak to the detective in charge of the case."

"Damn. Your dad knows about this?"

She smirked. "Hell no. He would have lost his shit."

I bet.

"A case is being built against Luis, but they don't have enough to charge him yet. That's why I'm working at the strip club. They think I'm playing at being a rebel to piss off my father, but I'm there to learn anything I can about Luis and his operation, including information about his partner, Angel Mackenzie."

Well, fuck. The club had a problem with Angel and Luis, too, primarily because of their connection to Ratchet, the president of the Bladed Serpents. But this put Lacey right in the middle of a war between clubs, a dangerous cartel, and a trafficking ring.

"You can't go back."

"Skel."

"No, you can't. It's too risky."

"But I'm the only one who can get close. Angel and Luis are supposed to arrive for a private party Friday night. There was a chance they'd show tonight. That's why I was working."

She didn't understand. I wasn't allowing this.

"Baby, you're not going back to that club. Don't you get it? Diego is back in town, and if he sees you at that club, he'll hurt you."

"But—"

"We'll find another way."

Her shoulders slumped. "How?"

"The club bought the strip club. We're going to remodel and clean it up, turn a profit, and keep the business legit."

She arched a brow. "Legit?"

"Fine. As legit as we can. It's fucking Vegas, Baby."

Her lips curled into a smile, but it quickly vanished. "I know."

"So you need to stick close to home. Stay there and outta trouble." I sure hoped she would listen.

"This sucks, Skel. I've waited so long for revenge. This was my chance."

"We'll get him. I promise."

I never should have left the night I saved her life without telling Lacey what she meant to me. We ended up burning hot and fast, but that didn't mean what we shared was a fling. Far from it. I didn't stop thinking about her for three long years.

"Luis Diego won't stop until I'm dead, will he?"

"No. So that means we make the next move, keep you safe, and I handle Diego."

She swallowed hard. "My dad. He's in danger, too."

"That's why I'm taking you home. I'll talk to the judge as soon as I clean up here."

She buried her head in my neck. "Okay."

"IS IT DONE?" MADDOG asked as I parked my bike inside the lot of our new clubhouse.

The old casino renovation had been a brilliant idea. We had plenty of space, and the original wood added a rich accent to the interior. Construction was coming along, and most of the rooms were in the drywall stage, which was ready for paint next week. The floors had been in great shape beneath all the old carpet, and Maddog opted to hire a company to refinish them. The building no longer resembled the late seventies hotel and casino.

We just had a ton of electrical and remodeling to do with the bedrooms, bathrooms, and main floor. Maddog had shared the plans with us, which included a massive bar, industrial kitchen, and a chow hall that could feed over a hundred people in one sitting. It reminded me of our boot camp days without all the bullshit.

"It is," I answered, noting that he straddled his Harley.

"Good. We're takin' that ride, Skel. It's time."

"No church?"

"Not yet. You'll understand after we ride into the desert."

Yeah, I didn't get that part. That terrain could tear up my bike, and I hated getting a scratch on her. "Alright, pres."

I followed Maddog as he left the lot. Manic and Creature followed as a prospect closed the gate of our new fence behind us. It didn't take long to pass beyond the Strip and out of Vegas, heading down the highway until we turned onto a dirt road. After a few minutes, we veered off and turned right, crossing into the desert as our tires sped over hot sand.

Anyone who's ever traveled through the desert has learned about mirages. They spring up when least expected as a sheen of water across the sand. An optical illusion known to make men crazy with thirst when they've been in the sun too long.

So, I didn't trust the mirage I saw heading my way. It didn't seem like more than a dark blur until I rode closer, catching the image of a horse.

Not just any horse. A skeleton that moved with a grace that shouldn't be possible. No mane but fiery waves that resembled moving hair. He made a noise that sounded like tiny cracks of thunder and pawed at the air as his rider stopped him only a few feet from where I hit the brakes and skid, nearly colliding with the bony beast.

I stared at the being who dropped from the seat, dressed in a long flowing robe. Cinders crackled across the material as red eyes focused on me, glowing with a demonic hue. His hood hid his features as I peered inside.

"Ah, at last, I meet the infamous Skeletor."

He knew my name. My road name, to be precise. The moniker I'd been given as a Marine because I always wore my skeletal mask overseas while on active duty. It kept the dust out of my nose and mouth and intimidated my enemies.

I narrowed my eyes, wondering if I'd fallen off my bike or crashed, and smacked my head. Was this a dream?

"Not a dream," the being chuckled. "You're here. I'm here. It's real."

"What do you want?" I glanced around us, no longer seeing Maddog, Manic, or Creature. "Where are my brothers?"

"Brothers in arms. Brothers in a club. You all enjoy your bromances, don't you?"

I shot him a look. "I don't fuck men." Not that I cared if anyone else did; it just wasn't for me.

"No, you don't. Far too infatuated with a woman's pussy, especially your sweet girl."

I froze. "You leave her out of this. Don't speak her fucking name."

The hood knocked back, and I stared into a skeletal face not so different than the mask in my pocket. Where this was plastic and other materials, his was made of sinew, bone, and a few vessels. Not fake. Visceral. Intimidating. And scar as fuck.

"Woah," I blurted, backing up.

"No need to do that. If I wanted you, I'd take you. If I intended harm, you would have experienced it already. Alas, I'm only here to broker a deal."

"What kind of deal?" I asked, instantly suspicious.

"It's more like a trade."

He shrugged, whipping off the robe and flicking it with his wrist, grinning when it flung toward me and settled around my shoulders with a light hum. The vibration felt warm and soothing but also potent. Almost hypnotic.

I lifted my arms, blinking as the fiery fabric rolled across my body, almost like a caress. If I didn't know better, I would think this material was alive. Not in the way that humans live and breathe but in spiritual awareness, as if it was an entity with thoughts, feelings, and desires.

Creepy. Disturbing. Attractive.

"Who are you?"

He smiled as his face formed from shadow into a man's features. I wondered why he looked so familiar until I realized he favored a picture of my father in his youth when he was a new Marine fresh out of boot camp. I'd stared at the photo many times over the years, always proud of the man I called dad.

This wasn't my father.

"Who the hell are you?" I repeated, growing agitated.

The being snapped his fingers. "Lucifer Morningstar." He clicked his heels together as his body blinked, and he appeared in a dark gray suit, lavender-colored tie, and bright white pocket handkerchief. His polished shoes shined in the fading sunlight. Somehow, the day faded into night faster than time would typically allow.

Stars populated the sky as the orange ball disappeared beneath the horizon. The moon suddenly appeared, far too big and luminous. This was fucking weird.

"You loved the stars and moon as a child."

I did.

"You also loved to dissect things in school. Blood never scared you. Neither did the bones."

"What relevance does that have to anything?"

He winked. "I think you're an impressive addition to our club. You're the perfect skeletal warrior. A man wrapped in honor but unafraid to kill. Moral but easily corruptible. Intelligent but unafraid to be violent when the situation warrants."

Wonderful. The devil thought I was fun, contradictory, and a plaything. He could fuck right off with that.

I tried to pull off the robe, but it wouldn't budge. "I'm outta here."

"You shouldn't refuse my offer."

"Why not?"

"Because you can save Lacey."

I rushed him, pissed he spoke her name. "I said you don't say it. You don't think it. You don't go anywhere near my woman."

Lucifer flicked his wrist, and a parchment shot out of his hand. I could see a contract with all the details spelled out, every way in which he owned the people who signed these documents. He provided protection in exchange for shadow warriors.

"And if I decide I don't want this offer?"

Lucifer smiled. "Her life is fragile. I don't know."

Fuck! "Let me see the contract."

He pushed it toward me, pacing as I read it, not worried, just bored. He already knew I would sign it. The crafty, sneaky bastard threw in a clause that ensured Lacey would survive as long as I carried shadows.

My shadows. Dark entities that would live inside me. They had secrets I couldn't access without agreeing to the contract and signing in my blood.

Fuck it. If I got to be with Lacey, this was worth it.

I picked off a scab on my wrist and swiped a finger through the fresh blood. Without hesitating, I signed my name, not a bit surprised when the blood sizzled on the paper, and all of it disappeared.

"We'll meet again, Skeletor. Enjoy your new shadows."

He flicked me in the forehead, and I jolted, blinking as I focused on Manic, Creature, and Maddog.

"Fuck me," I growled. "Lucifer is a dick."

Manic snickered. Creature slapped me on the back.

Maddog ticked his chin my way. "You're one of us now. Get ready for the fuckening."

Yeah, I didn't like the sound of that.

Suddenly, I couldn't focus. My dick swelled, and I grew aroused, not for the men who stood around me, but for Lacey. I could smell her on me. Her musk and sweet pussy.

And I needed her. Now.

Across from me, my club brothers began laughing.

"There's the fuckening," Manic explained. "You'll have wood for days. Trust me, you need to fuck."

"As much as possible," Creature added.

For fuck's sake.

"Did you all go through this?"

Yeah, they did. I could tell it amused them to see me struggling with it. Assholes.

I guess I was on my way to Lacey. Hopefully, she wouldn't find it offensive when I rammed my cock inside her. I had a feeling I'd have her in bed for hours before I had enough. Maybe not even then.

Something powerful shifted inside me. I felt invincible.

Luis Diego was fucked.