A price to pay : RED HORSEMEN MC 3 Read online

  Table of Contents

  TITLE PAGE

  LUTHER

  ONE

  TWO

  THREE

  FOUR

  FIVE

  SIX

  SEVEN

  EIGHT

  NINE

  TEN

  ELEVEN

  TWELVE

  THIRTEEN

  FOURTEEN

  FIFTEEN

  SIXTEEN

  SEVENTEEN

  EIGHTEEN

  NINETEEN

  TWENTY

  TWENTY-ONE

  TWENTY-TWO

  TWENTY-THREE

  TWENTY-FOUR

  TWENTY-FIVE

  TWENTY-SIX

  THE END

  EPILOGUE

  CAS

  ABOUT RAVEN

  ALSO BY RAVEN

  ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

  A Price To Pay

  First Edition published in 2021.

  Text Copyright ©Raven Amor

  All rights reserved.

  The moral right of the author has been asserted.

  Editing by Imogen Wells

  Cover Design by TRC designs.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in, or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means; electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, nor be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover, other than that in which it is published, without the prior written permission of the author.

  Any person who does any unauthorized act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages. All characters in this publication are fictitious, and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

  WARNING:

  Adult content. Explicit sexual content and violence, and sensitive scenes.

  This is a dark romance, so don’t expect a fairy tale. You have been warned.

  This is multi POV and doesn’t cover one certain couple, but all the characters you’ve already met in Captured & Claimed.

  Enjoy this wild ride...

  LUTHER

  Who are the Red Horsemen? We are one-percenters with a bond that goes all the way to the fucking soul.

  Fathers, sons, and most of all, brothers.

  How many of you can say you have the backing of a hundred men?

  That those men will jump in front of a bullet for you.

  Give their lives for yours.

  We bleed red for our club, for each other.

  As Ann Bishop said, “Everything has a price. It’s just what you’re willing to pay for it.”

  The day I slid that leather over my shoulders, became patched, was the day I became Luther.

  Best day of my life.

  I’ve done things I’m not proud of, things that will haunt me until my dying breath, but I don’t regret them. I did them for this club, for these brothers.

  Now, I’m gonna do something that breaks that bond.

  Brings my club to its knees.

  ONE

  SIENNA

  I can’t help the gasp that drops from my lips as Rae looks up when I enter their room. She’s wearing a mermaid-style gown that fits every single curve as if it’s custom made for her body. Hollywood waves fall down her back with a diamond comb holding the right side around a little more. Her makeup is done artfully, like one of her tattoos, bringing out every feature with trademark red lips that complete the look.

  Holding blood red and black roses, almost like an omen. I clench my jaw as Red fusses over her.

  Rae shouldn’t have seen this day.

  If the plans had gone the way they were meant to, she wouldn’t be standing here ready to marry the man she loves. Instead, Rae would be lying back in that basement with her throat slit, left for all eternity in a river of crimson. The Horsemen would never have found her, and the twins would have been lost to the Mendez family forever.

  The thought crawls over my skin like ants at knowing how close she came to dying. Much closer than even she knows; than anyone knows.

  How Rae almost breathed her last breath and not at the hands of Carlo.

  “What do you think?” She twirls towards me, her lips curving.

  Rae thinks we’re cut from the same cloth. We went through hell together and became survivors of the Mendez’ dark touch. Not many people caught by them lived to tell the same tale. She is wrong, so wrong.

  She has no idea how dark my demons are, how twisted I am. If she did, she’d never let me near her babies.

  That place wasn’t my hell, but Rae became my savior. She gave me a glimpse of family. Of loyalty. Saved me from a life I never knew I needed to escape. A life I have no choice but to return to. They’ll never relent. They’ll hunt me down. I’m too important to them. They saw a way to hold me, and I fell for the bait. Now I’m locked in…

  “Beautiful,” Red sighs as I take a step back, my chain of thought broken as a feeling I don’t recognize melts my insides. My emotions have been flatlined for so many years. It’s all I know. It’s a strange sense to feel anything but detachment. I’m not sure I can identify the warm feeling in my stomach.

  “You two look stunning,” Rae gushes as she looks over at Red and me in our black satin dresses, just skimming the floor, with slits up to our thighs.

  There’s a knock on the door. It opens slowly, revealing Bolt covered in road dust. He told her that he couldn’t make it down. Now Pres of his father’s old chapter, they’d been dealing with some things that kept Bolt close to home in Ohio.

  “Did you think I’d miss your wedding?” His mouth curls into a smirk, transforming his whole face. I’ve seen the way the club girls look at him, chase him with their eyes, devouring him.

  Then, as if he didn’t notice before, his eyes take her in, his jaw going tight.

  “Fuck, you look beautiful. Pops would be so proud.”

  I watch as a tear falls from the corner of Rae’s eye as Bolt fights his own.

  “Will you walk me down the aisle?” The hesitation in her voice makes me frown. How can’t she see the love these guys have for her, especially Bolt.

  He crosses the room, placing a kiss against her forehead. “It will be my honor.” His own words tight, covering up his emotions.

  “Ready.” Rae says, smoothing down her dress and grabbing the flowers back from Red.

  We walk down the stairs; the clubhouse seems strange, so empty. The lack of noise makes it feel eerie, deserted. You can still feel the place’s threat, the deadly traces as if it’s been left there by the brothers to watch. A spidery sensation snakes over my arms, which I shake away, as I take in everything.

  Ruby roses stand in high black vases dotted around ready for tonight with jet-black drapes representing the Horsemen colors. Red has done a brilliant job transforming a biker bar into something romantically gothic. She’s spent the last year planning today as her present to Rae and Ice.

  Suki meets us by the back door with the twins. Maia looks beautiful in her white flower girl’s dress with a black bow. A tiny headband in her hair matches with red and black ribbon roses. Blaze is in a pair of dark jeans with a black shirt and makes us all laugh as he twists around, just like his sister.

  Suki gasps when she spots Rae. “Oh god, wait until that man sees you.”

  Red and I share a look, a smirk curling our lips, knowing what Rae’s hiding will make Ice lose his mind. I didn’t get all this property talk. If anyone tried to stamp a claim on me, make me their property, I’d cut off their balls, but Rae is marrying the intense asshole and is positive she wants to show the world that she’s his. Red told her she could put her property cut on once the ceremony is over.
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  Suki slips out the door as music starts up. Daughtry’s ‘Start of Something Good’ begins to echo from the empty bar.

  “Ready,” I ask, looking towards the twins.

  They both nod in unison as I hold the door open for them to walk through. I wink at Rae before slipping through myself with Red behind me.

  My eyes widen at the place. It looks stunning. Black chairs sit on either side of the aisle— with candles in tall glass lanterns at the entrance to each row. Ruby petals lead us down the aisle, and at the end, a massive flower arch is filled with red roses and black drapes. It is breathtaking.

  I turn to Red, who grins proudly. “Still teaching?” I ask, making her laugh. She was meant to have gone last year. The Horsemen held a leaving party for her, but it was the night Rae’s secrets came out, and everything that followed held her here for another year.

  “Daddy,” Maia yells, pointing at him, making everyone chuckle as she runs the rest of the way, Blaze hot on her heels as always.

  I watch as Ice bends at the knee with arms open wide, ready to catch his children. The grin on his face and the look in his eyes is like nothing I’ve ever seen, and that’s when I see it, everything Rae sees.

  This man is draped in darkness to his very soul with demons snapping to be let free. Rae sees past the flaws, the intensity, to the man that I understand for the first time.

  He’s not the monster that he shows the world. His heart is still blood-red.

  They’re his life, his everything.

  After kissing the twins, he hands them over. Cage and Cas step forward to grab them like they’ve done a million times. Maia has them wrapped around her little finger, and they don’t even know it.

  I start walking down the aisle; judgmental looks only make my head rise and back straighten. I’m not family, nor friend. I’m the enemy in their eyes. Kept as a prisoner for the last fifteen months because they don’t know what to do with me. I’m alive because I saved Rae, and she won’t let them touch me. The truth is, I’m here because I need to be. If I choose to leave, there is nothing the Horsemen could do to stop me. They have no idea of the viper in their midst, hiding in plain sight.

  My eyes automatically find him. Those ambers are already on mine, full of wild anger. There’s something about the hate in Cas that makes me want him. I want all his fury and rage.

  Beg him to punish my body with his, unleash it all. Burn in the fiery inferno. I keep my eyes fixed on his, showing I can take it. I’ll handle anything he throws at me and still ask for more. I wink, knowing it drives him crazy, smirking as he snarls, before taking my place.

  “You’re driving him insane.” Red grins.

  The doors open, and Rae walks out with Bolt. Everyone turns, and the whole place goes quiet at the sight of her. I glance to Ice, shaking his head like he can’t believe it and accept she is truly his. The affection in his eyes both surprises and floors me. He doesn’t even blink while watching her every move towards him.

  As soon as she’s in reach, it’s like he comes back to his senses and pulls her towards him.

  “Kitten,” Ice speaks the word, each letter filled with feelings no one knew he was capable of. He leans into her neck, and his head shoots back moving her hair. Both mine and Red’s mouth’s curve at our secret.

  “What the hell is this?” he growls, pushing her hair aside for a better look, spotting the word ‘Logan’ just at her hairline. “You make me feel everything,” he says against her mouth before capturing her lips.

  “Isn’t that meant to be at the end?” Cage smirks, making everyone laugh.

  Ice pulls himself together, and Cas hands something over, making Ice look to Red and grin when we all see Rae’s cut. She turns to let him put it on, showing off the masterpiece on her shoulder. The words ‘Property of Ice’ are inked on her skin. Ice’s name is highlighted in light and dark blues; it looks incredible. Sketch did a fantastic job.

  He also has a secret; no one watches Rae like he does and just thinks of her as a sister.

  “Fuck, Kitten,” Ice chokes out, tracing his fingers over the ink.

  Now, it’s Red who’s grinning like she knew what her brother would do. Ice spins Rae before grabbing her face and kissing her as if he’ll never get a chance again. When they break the kiss, Ice turns and picks up something behind the drapes. Two small boxes appear in his hands.

  “Firecracker.” He grins. Cas puts Maia down as Ice kneels. She races to him, stopping dead as he holds up a cut. “I live for you.” He smiles at her, placing a kiss on her forehead, before turning it and showing her the back— ‘Firecracker’ in diamonds and bright pink writing. Maia eyes it with awe as she slides it on, her fingers going over the leather just like when Rae got hers.

  “Daddy,” she whispers before mirroring her mother’s smile.

  When he pulls out one for Blaze, who’s quietly watching with anticipation, he walks toward Ice chewing his lip.

  “Boy, one day your brothers will give you your road name.” Blaze nods as if he understands, turning so Ice can slip it on his shoulders. Spinning back around, they look at each other. “I live for you,” Ice whispers, grabbing Blaze and kissing his forehead.

  We all watch as Maia turns to the guys showing off her cut, making them smirk. I’m grinning with Red when a shiver licks up my spin. The hairs on my arms stand on end. I turn, my eyes scanning the area.

  “Something’s not right,” I speak to the air, stepping forward.

  “You feel it too.” I spin to see Storm coming towards me, confusing everyone. It’s not a question, but I nod, wordless. I watch the area as unease prickles over my skin. Show yourself.

  “Storm?” Ice snarls, making Storm shake his head.

  “Got a feeling brother, give me five, okay?” A fierce look appears on Ice’s face, but after a beat, he lifts his chin.

  My eyes turn in every direction—the clubhouse. I move forward as if my feet are carrying me with Storm hot on my heels. The door closes behind us as we enter. Storm grabs his piece and raises it as we walk into the main room.

  It’s here. The feeling built into every one of us when danger is just on the horizon breaks free. Most of us disregard it, but when you’ve been trained, as I have, you know not to overlook the awareness deep in your gut but to trail it. Find its source. Follow and destroy it.

  Every step, a new sensation wakes, goosebumps cover my skin, the fine hairs on the back of my neck rise, the deep twist in my stomach. I’m close. When the roses catch my attention, I walk over, picking one up off the large base. Lifting the bottom, it takes between one breath to the next to understand what I see as red numbers count down from twelve. I turn to count eight bases.

  “Bombs,” I yell at Storm, and we race for the back where the wedding is, barreling through the door.

  “Run. Bomb. Fucking run!” Storm roars to wide eyes. A single blink before the back of the clubhouse turns into complete chaos.

  When the first boom hits, I’m knocked off my feet, my breath stolen from my lungs. I blink to see Cas on top of me, with a sneer twisting his lips.

  “If anyone is killing you, it’s me,” he snarls, making me smirk.

  “Admit it, you’ll miss me.” I hear a cry, looking over to see Suki knocked to the ground. “Help her.” I shove him off. Cas glances once more at me before racing over and scooping Suki up just as another boom hits the air, closer and louder than the first.

  I push up on my elbows, trying to clear my head. The explosions distorted my hearing, nothing but white noise as everything seems to slow down. Silvery swirls of smoke cover the area as shrapnel spews from the clubhouse. Boom after boom strikes the air while I watch as bodies fall as if in slow motion. Blood covers the ground, and screams continue to fill the air.

  I see someone standing in the middle of the war zone, and my blood turns cold as I force myself up and run.

  TWO

  CAS

  I look around the grounds as my mind tries to catch up with everything that’s happene
d. How can we go from Ice and Rae nearly getting married to ending in a bloody slaughter? My body is wired as I take in the scene. Smoke drapes heavy in the air, the clubhouse crumbling in front of our eyes, brothers walking around looking as lost and stunned as I feel. Women are crying and searching or trying to help.

  Storm and Rev race over. “Fuck, man, what the hell is happening?” Storm’s voice snaps, running a hand over his head.

  I spot Rev’s top, a bright scarlet mark leaking through the white fabric. “Your cut. Do you need anything?”

  He shakes his head as we stride through the destruction when a sight stops me dead. There’s a lifeless body mingled in with some of the wreckage that’s fallen, but it’s the eagle tattoo that sends a cold shiver flying down my spine.

  “Brother,” I roar, racing toward my mark and skidding on the ground. I jump back up and start to remove the debris as more hands join me when a low groan comes from Cage. I let out a relieved breath as I see the only visible injury is a cut to his head. He snorts once more before holding his hand out.

  “Don’t just stand there and stare. I know I’m a good-looking fucker.”

  I smirk, reaching for him. A roar stops my next words.

  “Kitten!” Ice breaks through the smoke with Blaze in his arms. “Have you seen my girls?” Eyes wide, frantically scanning the destruction. “Kitten,” he shouts as Blaze fights to get down.

  “My, my,” Blaze cries, calling for his sister, kicking his legs. Ice puts him down, and he’s off as soon as his feet touch the ground, dodging everyone.

  We all race behind him to see Rae stumbling towards us, holding her head, blood dripping through her fingers and down her face. Her wedding dress is covered in black scorch marks, blood-stained, and torn in places. She lets out a sob when she sees Blaze.

  “Kitten, where’s Firecracker?” Rae’s head snaps up at Ice’s voice, and her eyes widen as she looks around.

  “Suki grabbed her,” she replies, causing me to suck in a breath.