Biker's Beautiful Flame

Chapter 7

Killian's Pov

The door to the church slid shut with a light thud, shutting out all of the noise from the outer bar that had stirred after the initial silence that followed the Geeks departure.

I dropped into a large, cushioned armchair to my left while Cole, who'd walked in before me, was already pacing in front of the old, oak table that had transcended generations of presidents.

He reached for his cut, undoing a quarter of his it’s snap. His face was molten cold and the dim light from the bulb overhead cast shadows across his face.

The wall behind him was full of various designed maps, old photos, knives that hung off magnetic strips. The club colors stood atop his head, blown up in a large display.

"f*****g bastard," Coke muttered, halting his steps to fix his eyes on me. "The cocky little s**t's been looking for a reason to muddle the waters since last year. You would think he would show some tact after we saved his ass from the cops last year but the prick just can't keep his mouth shut."

I kept mute, knowing Cole wasn't venting to me. He was just frustrated but wasn't one to use others as an outlet.

He began to pace again then paused and turned to me, while I crossed my arm.

My brows raised when I caught a whiff of a feminine fragrance that still clung to me and then my face wrinkled, morphing into a frown.

"He's got a problem," Cole said, not noticing my expression. "Someone killed one of his boys and he is somehow convinced it's one of the reapers."

My brows arched even higher than it did earlier, "Was it?"

I knew my brother, they weren't stupid enough to get into such dipshit but Vince's allegation couldn't be unfounded either.

In response, Cole glared at me, "If any of my men were dumb enough to start that kind of war without my say, I would stick a knife through their heart myself."

He paused and breathed in deeply, "No, it wasn't one of ours. Vince is just convinced it is, and that's very telling."

"Someone's trying to stir up s**t between the clubs, and muddy the pool and Vince is too blind to see it."

The weight of Cole's words hung in the air between us.

Broken only by another sigh of his, "If the Geeks keep poking, it won't be long before this cracked truce of ours shatters."

I let his words settle, "Maybe it's time to stop pretending there is peace after all. What use is a fragile truce?"

Cole's gaze cut to me, hard and piercing, "You need to temper your bloodthirtiness Frost. You are too eager."

I shrugged, "I'm not eager, just prepared like I have been taught to be all my life."

A silence fell between the two of us, for a couple of long minutes, easing the tension until it became comfortable.

He cleared his throat then pushed himself off the edge of the table that he had leaned against, and walked to the old counter to the side of the room where a bottle of whiskey and a glass stood.

It was placed almost as if he had been planning to drink before Vince's arrival.

He grabbed the glass then reached for another on the top shelf and poured two drinks then stretched one to me.

I took it and took a small swig, feeling the hot liquid burn a path through my stomach.

For a couple of minutes more, we didn't speak and when he finally spoke again, his voice was different.

The gravelly tone was gone, replaced with a more softer, probing timbre, "Now tell me, what's your deal with the Monroe girl? Didn't think I'd find her here."

I didn't either.

Ember had walked into the club and burned every lie I'd told myself into ash.

She stood out like a sore thumb, a single flower in a bush of thorns, except she didn't seem like a woman who had prickles for defenses.

A damn bunny who had no idea the kind of fiery hole she'd walked into.

She didn't belong here and Cole's words were an attestation to that fact.

My fingers tightened around my glass and I pressed my lips together, not answering.

Cole gave a mirthless chuckle, "Don't act so uninterested. You looked ready to slit someone's throat minutes ago."

I stared down at my glass of whiskey, watching the small ripples that emerged on the surface with every little shake. "It's complicated," I let out with an airy sigh."

Cole didn't push, he knew me too well to know that I would speak if and when I wanted to. I didn't need prodding.

When it came to Ember, I had no feelings. The damn girl meant nothing to me or so I told myself but every single pout of her lips did something to me.

Her pure eyes made my body pulse with a strange tingle and I hated the bloody feeling.

She was the daughter of my sworn enemy, a danger to everything I promised to avenge yet, earlier, I'd felt an unshakeable need to keep her safe, as though her safety was mine to guard.

Cole leaned forward, eyes cutting deep into me like a blade, as if he could read my thoughts, "So what now?"

"Planning to play with fire or use it?"

That touched on a raw spot, and it unearthed everything I had been keeping deep within me since the first night I set my gaze on Ember.

I swallowed hard, making a decision that shouldn't even have been so tough, "I'm going to use it."

"Use her?" Cole's brows raised questioningly.

I nodded once and met his eyes, "You know damn well what her father did, Cole. If getting closer to her gives me a chance to put a bullet through Monroe's head, then I'm laying all my cards on the deck."

Saying that somehow felt like telling a white lie. I could still feel the warmth of her breath against my lips.

Cole's expression softened a beat and then it hardened again, "You really think you can pull that off?"

"I can," I nodded firmly.

All of these long arduous years of my life were leading up to this moment. The time was now.

A faint smirk emerged on Cole's lips but it waned shortly after, "Fine. I'll back you up if you want to okay the long game but just make sure you don't let your d**k or your heart f**k up your head."

Cole left not long after, leaving me alone in the church with my thoughts.

I stared at the glass in my hold, as though I wanted to bore a hole through it.

To Cole, I had said I'd use her and even told myself the same thing but I couldn't get the image of her eyes out of my mind.

How she'd looked at me when I told her to leave-The trust in that gaze.

That blind, dangerous trust was scary, because it made me want to protect her, not use her.

Something told me then, that if I wasn't careful, Ember Monroe was going to be the thing that ruined me.