Page 36 of Rattlin' Bones

And there it was. Luis Diego sought help as soon as he was released from prison. He’d hooked up with old friends and made alliances with new ones. Ratchet didn’t pass up the opportunity to make a buck or hurt the RBMC.

“There’s something else.”

“What?” I asked, hoping this didn’t have anything to do with Lacey.

Something stirred inside me—a feeling of rage that wasn’t my own. I felt my body temperature rise and the presence of an entity. He moved within shadows, forming in my mind.

No skin formed, but I saw a skeletal face. Red glowing eyes.

And I heard a deep, scratchy voice.

We must protect Lacey.

The thought wasn’t my own.

I startled, focusing on the prisoner on the table. “Tell me.”

“Luis Diego will be at The Naked Slipper tonight.”

I hated that name. We needed to rename the strip club asap.

This was the information I needed. Finally, I could take down that asshole. He shouldn’t have survived after what he did to Lacey.

Touch our woman and die.

Power flowed through my blood. I felt the creature in my veins. He slithered through every part of me. Instead of feeling creeped out, I felt the power inside me intensify.

“Check it out,” Maddog ordered. I wasn’t sure how long he’d been there. “Bring Creature and Manic.”

The shadows swirled inside me. I felt their presence burst from my skin and hover around my body. I turned to the guy on the table, hating he was a rat.

“Boo, motherfucker,” I growled, feeling my shadows pulse with amusement as the prisoner pissed himself.

Maybe bonding with a demonic being had its privileges.

Skel.Lacey’s voice popped into my head. Shit. She needed me.

WE WALKED TO THE STRIPclub instead of riding our bikes. It wasn’t far, and we owned most of this street. Time to make our presence known and kick some ass.

I had a plan and discussed it with my brothers before we entered The Naked Slipper. It probably would have gone down the right way if I hadn’t walked inside and found my girl on the center stage. She strutted as she made her way to the pole, swishing her ass with every step.

Lacey wore a schoolgirl uniform, and the striptease had every fucker in this place hot for her. Pieces of her costume flung outward as she tossed them in all directions. The way she moved her body to the music had me throbbing with need. When she got down to her panties and a lacey bra in virginal white, I nearly stomped onstage.

But something inside me prevented me from moving.

“Hey,” I whispered to the shadows.

Watch.

Lacey’s hands wrapped around the pole as she reached it, and she kicked up her legs, swinging around as her ass and those long, sexy, smooth legs sent her through the air in a sensual spin. She worked that pole like she’d been born to it. I never saw a woman at ease quite like it, thrusting her satin-clad pussy toward the metal as she gyrated.

Fuck. Me.

We need to buy her one.

Hell yeah, we did.

Blonde hair and sensual curves had me engrossed. The whole place could have burned down, and I wouldn’t have noticed. She had my complete and undivided attention. When she noticed I was there, staring at her, she licked her lips and smiled.