Gray's Shadow (Kings of Hell MC 4)

Chapter 1

An insistent, high-pitched voice called for Gray over and over, but he refused to answer, his flesh and bones so heavy he could barely lift a finger. His mind was a swamp that kept dragging him beneath the surface, away from the monotone voice and the world where he’d have to pry his eyes open. His lids and mouth weighed tons, so he stayed under, floating in and out of awareness until the call became so loud he could no longer stand it.

When he first opened his eyes, the world appeared in a green-gray blur, but he kept blinking until the mist cleared. He spotted something round, with several legs extending from it in a circle. It stayed still, like a huge white spider about to jump down onto his face. He wasn’t exactly afraid, just confused by the constant sound coming from so close. He couldn’t move at first, as if there were harpoons lodged in his muscles, but as moments passed, he finally forced his head to roll over the pillow, and faced the machine that called out for Gray in the rhythm of his own heartbeat.

Everything fell into place, and the objects he couldn’t quite recognize before gained meaning and purpose. The fan above his bed was still, as it wasn’t too hot yet.

How long had he been here?

Memories flooded him in waves, always drifting away before he could make sense of them. He looked to his side only to be struck by what he already knew was his reality.

He’d lost an arm.

A part of the sigil that had been burned into his skin was visible from under the bandage as if to remind him that he’d made a pact with the demon who resided in their clubhouse. But what had the creature wanted in return for Jake’s life?

One thing he was sure of—it involved the next new moon. He was to do something then, just like Knight had since making a pact of his own.

But what was it that Baal wanted from Gray? He’d been delirious with pain when the demon appeared before him, spilling out of a small mirror on the wall of the ambulance like animated tar. His shape had filled the whole space, surrounding Gray with opaque blackness. He could still hear the screech of the monster’s horns against metal, but what had he agreed to that night? He couldn’t remember.

The heart rate monitor beeped faster, and its panicked pitch finally pushed Gray into action. Dragging his upper body off the bed, he grabbed the side rail and reached out for the button, but instead of his other arm, a bandaged stump came into view, and he recoiled, breathing faster when the heart monitor changed its tune accordingly, as if in warning. Nausea grabbed at Gray’s throat, but he leaned out of the bed as far as he could and tapped the red button, switching off the sound. Only then did he roll back and let himself rest in the dark room lit only by the greenish glow of the monitor and a distant streetlamp outside his window.

At least his body did, because the beacons in his mind flared up with anxiety. Mr. Magpie had suggested Gray was the only one to be trusted with the important job of stealing the Pigeon Heart, a ruby that supposedly held the key to the safety of their world. Instead, Gray had entered an agreement with the very being the world needed saving from. What had he done?

Gray had been picked because of his agility, stealth, and ability to work under pressure, but how was he to deal with the difficulties of a heist so high-profile if he was newly missing an important tool of the trade—his left arm? Had Magpie given up on him and offered the job to someone else? If one of his biker brothers was asked, was he fine?

Frantic, Gray looked around to find his phone, but it was nowhere to be seen, and his anxiety was growing by the second.

He couldn’t wait until morning to find out. What if the new moon was tonight, and he only had hours left to complete his task?

Gray dragged himself up again, but had to take a few seconds to fight the dizziness rolling through his skull like water stirred in a pot. At least he was alive. At least he’d managed to save Jake. But how much worth would he have to the club now, when he’d always been the man going where no one else dared and dealing with threats that required peak physical fitness?

Gray stared at his knees, breathing hard to gather his thoughts, but the place where he should have an arm loomed in the corner of his eye. He repeatedly glanced its way hoping it was only a trick of light, but the limb was stubbornly missing.