Changing Lanes: Devil's Knights 2nd Generation, #4

Table of Contents

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Coming Soon

About the Author

Dive into the 1st chapter of Downshift

You’re beautiful no matter what they say.

Chapter One

Like always...

Bristol

I need to get up.

Pie grunted and pulled me tight against his side. It’s Saturday. You don’t need to go anywhere other than back to sleep.

I rolled my eyes and pressed a kiss to his bare chest. I need to get back to Wyndemere. Marco let the staff know yesterday that construction on the main entrance is done, and he’ll be moving back in with Royal and the baby on Monday. That means I have to get back in the kitchen and make sure it’s stocked with everything I’ll need. I needed more than two days to get everything done, but I had to make do with the time I had.

It’s going to take you two days to get the kitchen together? Pie asked. His arm tightened around me and he pressed a kiss to the side of my head.

There were a ton of things I needed to do. I hadn’t been in the kitchen of Wyndemere for two weeks. Everything that had been in the fridge was expired, and I would need to do a complete restock. Not only did I cook for Marco and whoever his guests were, but I also fed all the other staff. When I was working, I was pretty much cooking and baking all day and into the night. I wish I had a week to do it, but I’ll make it happen in two days.

At least I would have the basics and necessities right away.

Pie moved his arm and threw it over his head. Well, I don’t want to stand in the way of your culinary genius.

I rolled out of bed and stood. Stretching my arms over my head, I peered down at Pie over my bare shoulder. You want to—

The ringing of his phone cut off my words.

Who the hell is calling me at this hour? Pie moaned. He reached for his phone and put it to his ear. Yeah? he barked.

I laughed and reached for my discarded cami from the floor. After I pulled it on, I spotted my underwear by the door.

Right now? he asked.

I grabbed my underwear and pulled them up my legs.

Fine. I’ll be there in twenty minutes.

I grabbed a hair tie off my dresser and piled my hair on top of my head. Everything okay? I fastened my hair in a messy bun and turned to Pie.

Just club stuff. I do have to run.

As always. No problem. Like I said, I have to get to Wyndemere. Not like I was going to ask him if he wanted to get breakfast at the diner with me before I went to Wyndemere...Nope, wasn’t thinking that at all.

Pie sat up and ran his fingers through his hair. The bright morning sun shone on his tattooed chest and arms, and my eyes devoured every inch of his bare skin. For two weeks, this man had been in my bed almost every night, and I still couldn’t figure out why he kept coming back for more. Hell, I didn’t think he knew why he kept coming back.

What time are you gonna be done tonight? he asked.

I shrugged. More than likely late. I plan on staying at Wyndemere from now on.

I needed to get back to work. With Marco and Royal together now, I knew they would be at Wyndemere much more. I had overheard Royal tell Indiana that she wasn’t going to leave Rockton, which meant Marco was going to be spending a lot more time here also. Once Royal was settled into Wyndemere, she was going to start working at Pole Stars once the studio was ready to open.

Cool. Pie rolled out of bed and bent over to grab his shirt. You mind if I hop in the shower before I leave?

I was about to head that way and wondered if Pie would want company. Uh, I was about to jump in, but if you—

Just need five minutes, babe, and it will be all yours. I’ve got to get to the clubhouse, he interrupted me.

I pasted a smile on my face. Of course. I’ll just make a pot of coffee while I wait. It wasn’t like I was on timeclock or anything. Plus, I needed a cup or two of coffee myself.

Pie grabbed the rest of his clothes and pressed a kiss to my cheek as he breezed past me. Thanks, Bristol.

Anytime, I murmured.

Pie disappeared into the bathroom, and I wandered down the hallway to the kitchen.

The feeling of being alone settled over me. Just like it did every time Pie was about to leave. I didn’t understand why I felt that. Before Pie had stepped foot into my life, I never felt alone. Even when I was alone, I never felt like it.

I grabbed the coffee pot, stuck it under the kitchen faucet, and turned on the water before I reached up in the cabinet for the coffee grounds.

Five minutes later when the pot was full of fresh coffee, Pie breezed into the kitchen, fully dressed with his cut tossed over his shoulder. Bathroom is all yours, babe. He grabbed his keys off the table and pressed a hot, scorching kiss to my lips.

I stepped back and braced myself on the kitchen counter. Pie’s lips fit perfectly against mine, and I couldn’t hold back a moan.

See ya around, Bri. Pie winked at me, stepped back, and slipped out the back door without another word.

Loneliness settled over me like a thick blanket.

He would be back.

For two weeks, he had come back.

He would again. At least, I hoped he would.

Chapter Two

Titties and tofu...

Pie

W here the fuck were you?

I grabbed a beer from the fridge and popped the top. Nowhere.

Easy chuckled. "You sure have been spending a lot of time nowhere."

I shrugged and downed half of the beer. You know why King called church? I wasn’t going to talk about where I had been this morning. It wasn’t anyone’s business besides mine.

Easy shrugged. No idea, but it has been pretty quiet since Savana was found at the gas station and Meeks took off the front of Wyndemere.

That was the damn truth. It was almost as if things were back to normal. You listen to the news today? I asked.

Easy shook his head. I didn’t, but something tells me I should have.

Church, King bellowed.

Someone needs to get laid, I muttered. I could tell by King’s tone that this meeting was not going to be a fun one.

Easy groaned. Can we please not talk about King getting laid. Old balls, man.

I slapped Easy on the back and pushed him toward church. We’ll all be there someday.

Easy shook his head and nabbed his beer off the bar as we walked by. We’re a long ways off from that.

Thank god for that. Easy and I were both in our mid-twenties and had a fuck-ton of living left to do.

We filed into church and took our chairs at the end of the table. King sat at the head of the long wooden slab with Hero next to him. King was in the process of passing things over to Hero, but it was slow-going. As much as Meg bugged King to step back from the club, he still was in charge of everything. I figured he had done it for so long that he didn’t know how to do much else. Having Hero taking his place fully was a good ways off.

Where’s Slider? King asked.

He’s helping Royal and the baby move into Wyndemere, Gambler answered. He said to tell you to chill, and he’ll be here as soon as he can.

Chill, King chuckled. He better be thankful he married into the Banachis or I’d kick his ass.

Hell, I’m surprised that is stopping you, Rigid laughed. You’re getting soft in your old age, he teased.

King curled his lip. I’m not fucking old, he growled. I got a lot of time left in front of me.

Hero smirked. Sure.

King turned his head slowly toward Hero. You wanna say that again while I kick your ass?

Hero held up his hands. I thought we were just stating the obvious.

Dumbass, Rigid mumbled.

Kid didn’t fall far from the tree, huh? Gambler called. You’re both dumbasses.

King slammed the gavel on the table. Everyone shut their dumbass mouths, yeah?

And that was a normal start to church. Dumbass remarks tossed around until King got pissed off and told us all to shut up.

Felt like home.

A knock sounded on the door.

Ten bucks says that is Meg. Demon pointed at Rigid. You in?

Rigid shook his head and held up his hands. I would never bet against that.

Come in, King bellowed.

Mouse, a new prospect, opened the door. Uh, you have a visitor, King. He moved to the side, and Ransom stepped into the room. Mouse closed the door behind Ransom, and there was an uneasy silence.

Oh, fuck. It was never good when a cop walked into church, especially when it was detective Ransom.

A heavy feeling settled over the room.

It had been two weeks since we had seen Ransom. When he walked into the clubhouse, we knew the shit was either going to or had hit the fan.

You arrest Luna again? Hero asked, trying to cut the tension.

Ransom shook his head. I wish I was here because of that.

Not another one, King growled.

Ransom moved to the head of the table by King. He dropped a photograph on the table and stepped back. Macy Booth. Twenty-one years old and a waitress at Sultry Knights. Ransom put his hands in his pockets. Found in a ditch three miles out of town. Dead.

How the hell did she get out? Snapper asked. This place is locked down.

That’s a good fucking question. Rigid glared back at Snapper. Weren’t you on watch last night?

Snapper held up his hands. Hey, I was watching the front door and no one came or went.

I already walked around back, Ransom said. One of the screens looks like it was popped out, and they didn’t put it back in right.

I’m ready to put fucking bars on all of the windows and doors, King grunted. I didn’t know keeping a bunch of women safe was going to be so damn hard.

They’re women, Demon laughed. We should know for all the years we’ve been married that we’re just along for the ride.

Amen to that, Rigid muttered.

Ransom cleared his throat.

And you’re sure it was Macy? I asked.

I knew Macy. She always flirted with me whenever I was at the club. Hell, she flirted with everyone. Helped her get bigger tips.

King held up the photo. Half of her hair was matted to her head with blood and dirt, and her cheek was cut open. Her clothes were ripped and tattered, smeared with mud, and plastered to her body. It was her, and she appeared very dead.

I whistled low. Damn. That was a picture I could have done without seeing.

King laid the photo on the table. Yeah, damn is right. That’s number four. Four girls who work at Sultry Knights are now dead, and we still have no fucking clue who is doing it. Like the rest of us, King was frustrated as hell trying to figure out who and why they were doing this.

The only connection these girls have is that they work at Sultry Knights. We’re doing everything we can to keep all of the girls safe, but we can only keep them at the clubhouse for so long before a mutiny breaks out. Zag sighed heavily. How did the psycho get Macy?

Security footage outside of Ping’s gas station shows her entering the gas station around seven last night. Ransom grabbed a chair by the wall and pulled it next to King. Doesn’t look like she was there against her will.

What time did she leave? Frost asked.

Ransom shook his head. That’s the fucking thing. We don’t know what time she left because as soon as she stepped foot in the gas station, the fucking cameras stopped working.

That’s a fucking coincidence, King growled. What are the odds the person behind the counter at the gas station knows anything?

Gambler chuckled. There are probably hundreds of people in and out of Ping’s every day. Slim odds that the clerk remembers Macy.

Well, I guess we’re lucky because the clerk does remember Macy. She said Macy walked in, bought an energy drink and a Snickers, and then walked back out the door. Not so lucky when it comes to the cameras, though. She noticed that the cameras stopped working, but she said that happens all of the time. They came back on about five minutes later. Whoever killed Macy was damn lucky to have the cameras stop working when they did. Ransom tapped his fingers on the table. The gas station is the last place we can figure that she was seen by anyone.

Damn, Zig sighed. And now she’s dead.

This shit was getting crazy. In-fucking-sane. Four dead girls all connected back to the Sultry Knights. Do you think maybe there is some other connection between the four girls? Did they all date the same guy or something?

Macy was gay.

Out! King boomed at Luna, who had her head stuck in the room.

Luna rolled her eyes and slipped into the room. She closed the door behind her and smiled wide. I’m not going anywhere. If I’m not in here, you guys are going to try to pin Macy to some guy when she was into girls. Luna reached for the picture King had tossed on the table. She was so pretty. She shouldn’t be remembered by what this animal did to her.

Ransom grabbed her wrist before she could snatch up the photo. This has nothing to do with you, Luna, he growled.

You wanna take your hands off of me before I headbutt your face into next year? she hissed. And if that doesn’t work, I can plant my foot in your ass if that’s something you are into, she snapped.

Ransom leaned toward her. So ladylike.

Luna curled her lip. Because you’re such a gentleman, right?

How about you both back up five feet and chill the fuck out, yeah? I called. I totally understood Ransom’s disdain for Luna—she was my sister, after all—but he needed to lay off being such a dick. She was my sister after all.

Your brother to the rescue, huh? Ransom sneered.

Luna stuck her middle finger in his face.