Free BROKEN ROAD (A Back Down Devil MC Romance Novella) by London Casey, Karolyn James

message.
    Jake had seen enough.
     
    Gaige -
     
    It ’ s bad but not exactly bad for us, yet. These
guys either need to be wiped out or offered some help. I ’ m going to help them earn
some cash and then I ’ m
out.
    Check back here as much as you
can. It ’ s
almost time for me to ride again.
    The cartel is strong and they ’ ve turned their backs on
Rusted Devil MC. The MC wants nothing to do with the cartel though. There ’ s no double-cross
bullshit.
    I ’ ll be safe … when I ’ m
dead.
     
    -      Jake
     
    Jake leaned forward and got on his
knees. He touched his leather cut and felt the sting of pain in his heart. He
wanted to put the leather cut on. He wanted to walk back to the Rusted Devil
bar and give them all the advice they fucking needed.
    All he could offer though were his
fists and his heart. The heart of a fighter.
    Keira swirled through his mind like
a smooth and potent whiskey. He never had a woman stick to him like that
before.
    Then again, Becca was right there
in the back of his mind too. He was supposed to care for her. He was supposed
to love her. He was supposed to protect her. But she couldn ’ t take care of herself. So what
made it seem like Keira could take care of herself? Not to mention how deep she
was … her stepbrother was
the VP of the Rusted Devil MC. That alone put Jake and Keira at opposite ends
of the world. Now that Jake had gone undercover and let his lies spread through
the MC, it made it worse.
    Jake knew all he could do was
fight. Help the MC get some cash, let them gear up for a war with the cartel,
and then slip away. He could take his regret, guilt, and heartache back to Back
Down Devil MC and take care of himself.
    Jake buried his reply and his
leather cut. He then stood and turned, only to see he wasn ’ t alone.
    There was a black car sitting just
a short distance away.
    Waiting.
    Who the hell are they waiting
for? Jake thought.
    The answer came a few seconds
later, with the rumble of a couple motorcycle engines.
    Jake then watched in shock as
two members of Rusted Devil MC approached …

fifteen .
     
    Keira watched Kami finish off three
cups of coffee before he looked a little more human. The third cup of coffee
was completed with a shot of whiskey mixed right in. Kami took a few more pills
and then wiped his mouth.
    “ We
need to get moving, ” he
said.
    “ Kami,
how bad is this thing? ” Keira asked. “ The cartel …”
    “ Jake
wins this fight and everything changes, ” Kami said. “ We can get the
necessary weapons and protection to push back. ”
    “ I
don ’ t get it. ”
    “ The
deal is off, ” Kami said. “ Okay? It was a bad deal to make
and we ’ ve learned our
lesson. There ’ s no pointing
fingers, Keira. That ’ s what
you have to understand. Some of us voted for it and some voted against it.
Majority always wins and the gavel is the final call. Okay? So we made a deal
with the cartel and it didn ’ t
work out. They want a distribution channel without the fee and it ’ s not going to happen. Rusted
Devil MC will rebuild and fight back. We have no choice. ”
    “ You ’ re going to get rid of Jake no
matter what, ” she said. “ I know it. I see it in your
eyes. ”
    “ Look,
we have an open membership right now. Apollo hasn ’ t
really spread the word just yet. He made a few calls here and there, looking
for a fighter. Jake shows up. He ’ s
a fighter. ”
    “ And
that means he can ’ t ride? ” Keira asked. “ You know how many guys …”
    Kami put a hand up. “ It ’ s
a club vote. Patch in or hit the road. Chances are, after the snake pit ,
he ’ s going to want to bolt.
This life is too real. ”
    Jake is too real.
    And Keira realized that more than
she should have.
    Maybe this was Kami ’ s way of seeing that and trying
to protect her.
    “ Jake
saved me, ” Keira said. “ He stormed in and showed no fear
in fighting that guy off me. ”
    “ Off
you? ” Kami asked.
    “ He
was about to … you know