Zero and Beauty's Breath (A Satan Sniper's Motorcycle Club Series Book 3 - 4) novel Chapter 46

The day I set my future, that day I chose to walk this path, Marco told me that vengeance always comes at a high price.

He said if you play your cards too soon the opposition will take you out, if you play them too late you will get sloppy. Timing is everything where pay back is concerned.

Finding the right mark and knowing how to place it is just a bonus.

I grab the hotel robe that is hanging on a towel hangar behind the white door and slip it on.

I open the door to see Zero sitting on the bed, slipping on his boots.

He looks at me, and the small visible part of the chain covering my skin. It covers my burn like the polar necks I used to wear.

Beautiful diamonds to cover up the ugliness that is my life, keeping me hidden. Unlike the polar neck material that once served the same purpose, these diamonds do not come off.

Only one person can remove it and he isn't going to. At first when Killer put this necklace on my neck, I was angry and self-conscious wearing so many diamonds. But now I see it for what it is- A permanent protection, a shield, a collar owned by the devil himself.

And looking at the hard glint on Zero's face, he knows it too.

Killer has claimed me and while I may not be the devil's mistress, it doesn't mean I am not owned by Satan.

Zero laces his boots and stands up, coming closer toward my stationary form.

He is wearing a white tee that stretches across his chest and hangs loose around his hips.

He lifts his hand, cupping my cheek. The first tender touch I have gotten from him these past weeks.

I stare into his dark emerald eyes as his fingers caress my flesh, watching as his gaze falters to the necklace.

Lifting my own hand to his roughened skin. I touch him the same way he is touching me, finally earning the depths of his soulful green gaze that haunts my days.

But also breathes life into me for these times it stares at me with such unaltered heat that I am stationary in these moments. I can say in this specific one I see my past, present and imminent future flash before me.

But like life, it comes and goes.

Too bad this won't be how we will stay, too sad that our story is just that, a once upon a time.

“Tonight, you are mine,” His words have my eyes widening.

I gulp.

He gives me a small grin, showing me that part of him I do know. But all too soon the moment is gone. All too sudden he is a masked man.

He touches my nose with his index finger of the same hand that just seconds ago held my face with a caress of a lover.

“I want to be yours now too.” I say in a roughened tone as I drop my hand from his face.

He grabs my wrist and puts my hand behind my back, taking me unaware that I gasp, “What are....”

My words die in my mouth because Zero's lips are mashed to mine. Maybe someday soon I will think of why I open my mouth and use my other hand to grip his waist.

Why I push my body to his. Maybe someday soon I will question whether this kiss was one of lust or was this really as earth-shattering as it feels in this moment as my body hums for more.

But like everything good in my life it ends.

And I am left staring at Zero's retreating form as he leaves me here, with a promise of later, a kiss and in the care of the devil.

He doesn’t look back.

I snap out of my mind and into gear long enough to slip on a pair of dark jeans, Zero got for me a week back.

A white and black-tie dyed t-shirt and a brown leather jacket that is tight around my waist when it is zipped up complete my outfit.

Twisting my hair, I style it in a French plait and pull out my black studded boots, also bought for me by Zero.

He might not have a say about the collar around my neck, but he made sure to draw the line with my clothes.

And I had to give him credit when he didn't bat an eyelash when I said he was childish, considering I already had clothes.

But the man can be persistent and Killer told me to let him have that.

I am still not sure what he meant by 'have that' so I just caved.

I do like the jacket, a lot.

“You ready? Let's move,” Killer yells from not too far from me.

I turn to see him walk into the room just as I zip up my last boot.

He is wearing black denim pants, a black and blue button-down shirt that is rolled up by the sleeves showing some of his tattoos on his arms.

Add in his blonde hair and hardened exterior, Killer will never be able to blend in.

“Are you done?” He asks me as I continue to size him up.

“Yup, let's move.”

He looks at me from head to toe, and I know he isn't checking me out but assessing me.

“Where’s your knife and gun? Strap up,” He orders as he folds his arms across his chest. See, what did I say? Assessing.

I go to the side of the bed and open the draw. My black hunting knife is the first weapon I grab.

I picked this up a few days after we left Kanla. We were in Houston. Spent a few nights with the Houston Chapter and met this woman, names Rangler. She doesn't talk much, and never batted an eye-lash when Zero and Killer walked in. But the spark in her eyes when she pulled out a cloth of knives was something I won't forget.

Bitch sold me this one for thirty bucks. My 9mm silver gun in my hand right now Spade gave me the morning after Lucca's men attacked the Clubhouse.

He said it was customary for my mentor to give me a weapon. I asked him did that mean he finally accepted that he was old.

He laughed and said the only thing that was old was me keep insisting he was.

After checking the safety and re-clipping the magazine, I grab the gun holster from the inside draw and strap it around my leg.

My knife is shoved in my right boot.

Killer loses some silent battle with himself, walks to the white closet, pulls out a black coat that I haven't touched and throws it at me.

“Put that on.”

I wordlessly do as he says, removing my jacket.

It is another fifteen minutes, and a change of boots later to a flat knee length high top black boot that I am finally given the okay from Killer.

At first when he bossed me around, I used to get annoyed, until Zero, Killer and I left to hunt Lucca.

Zero and Killer argued a lot in the first week.

Killer won every time. I couldn't understand why Zero caved.

I told him he was weak when we went to bed the one night and he laughed a good ten minutes, before explaining that he only gave in because it was what Killer needed.

Zero said that most of the brothers were frightened of Killer, and for good reason, but not all.

A few of them understood Killer’s need to be in control of most things. The most important part of those things revolved around his life and the club was his life.

Killer needed his life in his hands to remain sane. The club- they gave him that.

Once I understood it, Killer's ways made sense. I felt a tinge of softening toward his bossy mannerism, but not enough to kiss his ass.

I fight with him, especially when he insists, I leave him to kill Lucca.

Yesterday he said that killing Lucca won't make me feel better.

I told him feeling better wasn't the reason I was going to kill Lucca.

We’re in the black Audi, driving at an illegal speed toward Kylie.

She is three hours away from where we are staying, but with the way Killer is driving, two hours is all this trip is going to take.

Kylie is staying in a hotel suite with Vincent. Not sure why that piece of information was so important but Killer told me this with the warning note in his voice.

Killer makes a last-minute decision and takes the scenic route to Washington DC.

No matter how fast he drives, I can't deny the comfort I feel sitting in this car, with soft leather seats and that musky smell coming through the air-conditioner.

“Have you found anything else about Lucca?” I ask him as we pass a wide stretch of trees, taking the curved road with ease.

“No, he is definitely in Washington. I'm just not sure where exactly.”

“How’s Vincent, is he still killing every one of Lucca's men?” I ask.

Killer informed Zero and I about Vincent’s war. He also told me when Zero left to get food the one night that the police were turning a blind eye and calling it gang wars.

Which was one of the reasons Killer didn't want me to see Kylie.

“Yes, but I think it is more than just killing the outfit. Two kids were found at his last crime scene. Kylie is still not talking, maybe she'll tell you something.”

“Will you stop him if you had to,” I ask the question that I wouldn't ask Zero about his brother.

Killer is different.

We are the same in that regard. I think he knew that the first time I set foot into the clubhouse.

If it needs to get done, I will see it through.

“If I have to, yes.”

There is nothing more to say to that, Vincent is dangerous, I said it before.

Kylie was raped and beaten. She looks at Vincent as her saviour but she doesn't know that he is just as much a monster, if not more so than Lucca, the man he hunts.

There is a reason Lucca and Vincent hate each other, and as much as I want to tell Kylie, I know it is not my story to tell.

A love story more tragic than Romeo and Juliet.

“How're things with Zero. Has he said anything yet?”

“Not yet.” Leave it to Killer to bring in the big questions.

“Maybe you should ask him, might not be the answer you want to hear but at least you'd know.”

“When did you become a relationship expert?”

“I had a few women, here and there.”

I look at him and see the grimace on his face as he says that, and I don't hide my laugh.

“How is that working out for you?”

“Just ask him.”