The Devil's Ride

Touched by Trouble

Scar’s POV

I popped a couple of Dilaudid into my mouth and washed them down with a sip of Jack, hoping they would dull the pounding in my head. The pills hit slower than I wanted, but at least they made the world blur enough that I could focus.

Ace came up behind me, guiding the women toward my booth. The older woman walked in first, and I recognized her immediately, even though I didn’t know her as Morgan. Behind her was a younger girl I had never seen before, timid and careful with every step.

I could not take my eyes off her. She was about five foot six, with a heart-shaped face that made every line and curve perfect. She wore a white crop top tied just under her boobs, with a cut across her chest that showed the top of her cleavage and the color of her bra. Black denim shorts hugged her hips. Blond hair framed her face in a fringe that fell long and soft, and her gray almond-shaped eyes were impossible to look away from. Her lips were full, perfectly kissable, and she had this presence that made her look like she belonged everywhere but nowhere at the same time.

My eyes dropped to her chest. Her t**s were huge, the n*****s poking through her top. I cursed under my breath and finally forced myself to look up. Ace was checking her out too, but that was nothing new.

I turned my attention to Moe. She looked upset, scared, like she had been dragged into something she could not control. My gaze hardened.

“Where’s Paul?” I asked. “And why are you here with that sexy little piece of ass?”

Morgan swallowed, keeping her voice steady. “This is my daughter, Rachel. She’s only twenty-one. I need to talk to you about Paul. Privately, Scar.”

I raised a brow. “What about this one? She doesn’t want to join us?”

Rachel shot me a glare sharp enough to cut through steel. “Ever think that I don’t want to be here? I was dragged here. I have no part in this shit.”

I leaned back, smiling. She had a mouth on her, that was for sure. The way she glared at me made my d**k jump in my pants. I wanted to toy with her. Slowly, I leaned in and brushed the back of my hand across her cheek.

She slapped my wrist away, and I could not help but grin at her scowl. Pretty, fierce, and too much for me all at once.

Morgan’s eyes were urgent, and I knew I had to move. I tossed back another drink and got to my feet, letting my gun catch the light as I walked.

“Ace,” I said, “sit with this little one while I talk to her mother in my office.”

“Sure thing, Scar,” he said.

“I don’t need a babysitter,” Rachel muttered, but I could hear the tension in her voice.

“Watch your mouth, Rachel,” Morgan said sharply. “You have no idea where we are or who these people are. Stop it.”

“Don’t let her out of your sight, Ace,” I said.

“Oh trust me, Scar,” he said, grinning. “I won’t.”

Rachel’s eyes burned into mine as she grabbed my bottle of Jack and took a long drink. My throat went dry, my d**k even harder. f**k!

When I got to my office, Morgan sat across from me while I settled behind my desk. Her hands shook so hard I thought she might snap her own fingers off. I lit a cigarette and watched her through the smoke, waiting for her to speak.

“What’s the urgent news, Moe?” I asked. “Why risk you and your daughter’s safety by coming here to see me? You know what I do.”

“That’s why I’m here, Scar,” she said. Her voice cracked and she tried to hide it but failed. “Because I know exactly what you do. And I need help. A lot of help.”

I stared at her, letting the moment stretch. “Start talking.”

She swallowed hard. “I killed Paul.”

The words hit the room like a bullet.

“We were fighting,” she said in a rush. “He snapped. I thought he was going to kill me. I pulled my gun to defend myself. It went off. I swear I didn’t mean for it to happen.”

“You f*****g shot Paul,” I said slowly. “Jesus Christ, Moe. Where the f**k is his body?”

“In my apartment,” she whispered. “In the living room. I left right after it happened. I came here.”

I dragged on my cigarette, my headache pulsing in the back of my skull. “You know he was a member of this club. That puts me in a hard position. A real f*****g hard one.”

“I know,” she said. Tears filled her eyes but she tried to blink them back. “Please help me, Scar. I cannot lose everything. And you know I will.”

I looked at her for a long time. Shocked on the surface. Not surprised deep down. Paul had always been a ticking bomb. A violent bastard with no control. If he finally pushed someone too far, that was on him.

She leaned forward. “I will give you anything or do anything you want. Just please help me get rid of his body.”

I folded my hands together on the desk, the cigarette hanging from between my lips. Smoke curled up toward the ceiling.

“You have no money, Moe,” I said. “And there is nothing I want from you. Not yet.”

Her breath caught but she stayed quiet.

“I’ll take care of Paul’s body,” I said. “I’ll clean up the mess myself. Then I’ll think of a way for you to pay me back.”

Relief washed over her face so fast it made something twist in my chest. She should not have felt relieved. Not even close.

“Thank you, Scar,” she whispered. “I’m so sorry for killing one of your men.”

I flicked ash into the tray and looked her straight in the eye.

“Don’t thank me yet, Moe. You still have no idea what I am going to want from you.”

Rachel’s POV

The guy in charge of watching me sat across from me, smirking like he owned the whole damn world while his eyes dragged over my body. I felt my skin crawl.

“What the f**k are you staring at?” I asked.

“The best set of f*****g t**s I have ever seen,” he said without blinking.

“Well, enjoy them,” I shot back. “Because once I leave here, you’ll never see them again.”

“Oh, I highly f*****g doubt that, little bird,” he said. “But you can think whatever you want to think.”

I rolled my eyes so hard it hurt.

Right then, the same chick from earlier strutted back to the booth and plopped herself on his lap, staring me down like I was some disease.

“Hey, Ace,” she said. “You ready to get out of here?”

“Nah,” he said, squeezing her thigh. “I can’t. I’m doing a job for Scar.”

The air shifted and I felt it before I even looked up.

Scar walked back over to us, and I could not help staring. He was tall, like too tall, towering over the table at around six foot four. Tousled golden hair that looked like someone had dragged their fingers through it. Olive skin stretched over a strong jaw and cheekbones sharp enough to cut glass. A straight nose, a damn near perfect cupid mouth, and eyes so dark they pulled me in before I could fight it. His T-shirt clung to an athletic body with veiny forearms and a full tattoo sleeve on his right arm. He looked like sin and danger put together. The type of man you never wanted to be close to, but also could not look away from.

The girl on Ace’s lap wrinkled her nose at me. “What the f**k is happening here? We’re babysitting little girls now?”

Scar barely looked at her. “Maybe. If she needs a babysitter.”

“I already said I don’t need one,” I snapped.

The girl smirked. “You do, if you’re anything like your mother. You’re probably a weak leech, just like her.”

Scar turned his eyes on me, watching and waiting, like he wanted to see what I would do.

I lunged across the table and threw my drink straight into her face. The whiskey splashed over her eyes and she shrieked.

“Ah, what the f**k? It’s stinging my eyes.”

She jumped up and shoved me, hard. I hit the floor on my hip, pain shooting up my side.

I got back to my feet, fist tight, ready to knock her out cold.

“Hold it,” Scar said.

He put his hand on my chest, right above my t**s, and stopped me like I weighed nothing. One hand. That was all it took. His touch burned through me. It should have pissed me off, but it calmed me instead. I hated that. I hated how steady his hand felt and how my body didn’t want him to move it.

“Ella, you need to chill the f**k out,” he said.

She gaped at him. “What the f**k? You’re just going to let this happen?”

“You’re the one who started it,” he said. “Get the f**k out of here, Ella. Now.”

“Really?” she said, scoffing. “Fine. f**k the both of you.”

A cold chill ran through me as Scar lowered himself back into the seat across from me, his eyes glued to mine like he could see every thought in my head.

“Now,” he said. “You ladies are going to sit your asses right here until Ace and I get back.”

“Why do I have to stay?” I snapped. “I have to be at work tonight.”

“Call them,” he said. “You’re not going anywhere until we get back. Someone will be guarding you.”

I glared at my mother. “This is the f*****g help you wanted?”

My mom’s face fell. “I had no choice, honey.”

Scar shared a look with Ace. My legs felt like they wanted to run even though I was sitting.

“I’m the best one for the situation your lovely mother put you both in,” Scar said. “So shut the f**k up about it, little bird.”

“I hate you,” I said slowly. “I don’t even know you but I f*****g hate you.”

He reached under the table and wrapped his hand around my knee. His grip was firm, almost warm, and when he looked at me, I felt something shift in my chest that I didn’t want to feel. His eyes were locked on mine, daring me again.

“Trust me, little bird,” he said. “I don’t like you too much either. But I’m sure you’ll grow to love me.”

He squeezed my knee gently, almost possessively.

“I think you’ll come to discover there’s a fine line between love and hate.”