Free DARK FALL (A Back Down Devil MC Romance Novel) by London Casey, Karolyn James Page B

walked around the table and
slapped a hand to Erik ’ s
shoulder. He squeezed and said, “ We
love you, Erik. If I could go back to that day, brother, I ’ d take the bomb. It should have
been me. I ’ m VP. I should
have my life in front of everyone else ’ s
in this club. ”
    Erik nodded.
    Gaige left the room.
    “ I
don ’ t want you to pull back
on anything, Erik. But you can't be a loose canon. Your instincts last night
with that little kid paid off. You did what you had to do today. What about
tomorrow? ”
    “ I
don ’ t know, ” Erik said. “ You seem to be putting
everything off until tomorrow."
    Miller leaned against the table. He
crossed his arms. “ My best
friend was killed execution style. We were tied up, three of us. We were too
tough to admit defeat and would rather die than be made out to be assholes. My
best friend tried a fucked up move and took a bullet between the eyes. We weren ’ t supposed to be shot. Just
scared. I watched his brains scatter out of the back of his head. Dead. ”
    “ I ’ m sorry, ” Erik said.
    “ That ’ s his ashes in the middle of the
table here. A reminder. Honor to him. But it was the other guy we were with. He
couldn ’ t stand it. He
couldn't take what had happened. Sure, it fucking hurt me. I went crazy for a
little while myself. Drinking. Riding. Fucking. Killing. But the other guy
couldn ’ t stop. It only
stopped … when I stopped it. ”
    Miller put a hand to Erik ’ s shoulder. Erik looked up at
Miller and saw the fire in the President ’ s
eyes.
    “ It ’ s about the club, ” Miller said. “ Not just one person, but all of
us. The brotherhood we share. The love we have. It's the only way this club
works, Erik. ”
    “ You
killed the other guy, didn ’ t
you? ”
    “ He
couldn ’ t control himself.
We tried to push him to join the Lost Men out there in the deserts, but
he kept coming back. He wanted everyone and everything destroyed. But you know
what? It wouldn ’ t have
changed a thing. Circumstances and events just happen. Is there a plan? I don ’ t fucking know. I don ’ t have time to sit and think of
a plan. ”
    “ I
understand, Miller, ” Erik
said.
    The message was loud and clear.
    Calm the fuck down or you ’ ll be dead.
    Then again, dead wasn ’ t such a bad thing, was it?
    “ Get
out there and enjoy your night, ” Miller said.
    Erik knew his place, even if he was
feeling rebellious. There was no defying Miller. He respected Miller with
everything in his body. Hell, the biggest reason he hadn ’ t killed himself yet was Miller and what the MC
stood for.
    When Erik stood up, he faced
Miller. There were a few tense seconds before Miller opened his arms. Erik
hugged him and then retreated to the clubhouse.
    It was alive.
    Gaige walked up to Erik and handed
him beer.
    “ Drink. ”
    Erik wouldn't argue that.
    Blaine was playing darts with Jace,
betting on two women who were more than willing for some fun. There was an open
pool table and when Gaige nodded to it, Erik agreed. They set up and played
their first game in silence.
    Erik ’ s
mind thought about a hundred things at once. He thought about Kaity in his room,
but he had no urge to go back there. Going into that room wouldn ’ t end well. Erik knew if he went
in there and she was there, he ’ d
end up inside her; which usually wouldn't be a problem. She was a woman. He was
a guy. If they wanted to fuck each other, so be it. But he was glaringly aware
that something else was there between them. Even if it was just because of the
events of the day, it just made more sense to hang in the clubhouse and fuck
around all night. In the morning, Erik could take Kaity to check on her car and
then she ’ d be gone.
    After two games, Nate, Landon, and Blaine
joined in. They started playing in teams, betting some cash and drinks. Erik
and Landon were a lethal team together, cleaning up a couple hundred dollars
and seven shots each.
    Finally, as the clock ticked