Dice's Destruction: Demon Dawgs MC Las Vegas - Book Three, page 1
Contents
Title Page
Copyright
Dedication
Author's Note
Chapter One: Dice
Chapter Two: Avery
Chapter Three: Dice
Chapter Four: Avery
Chapter Five: Dice
Chapter Six: Avery
Chapter Seven: Dice
Chapter Eight: Avery
Chapter Nine: Dice
Chapter Ten: Avery
Chapter Eleven: Dice
Chapter Twelve: Avery
Chapter Thirteen: Dice
Chapter Fourteen: Avery
Chapter Fifteen: Dice
Chapter Sixteen: Avery
Chapter Seventeen: Dice
Chapter Eighteen: Avery
Chapter Nineteen: Dice
Chapter Twenty: Avery
Chapter Twenty-One: Dice
Chapter Twenty-Two: Avery
Chapter Twenty-Three: Dice
Chapter Twenty-Four: Avery
Chapter Twenty-Five: Dice
Chapter Twenty-Six: Avery
Chapter Twenty-Seven: Dice
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Avery
Chapter Twenty-Nine: Dice
Chapter Thirty: Avery
Chapter Thirty-One: Dice
Chapter Thirty-Two: Avery
Chapter Thirty-Three: Dice
Chapter Thirty-Four: Avery
Chapter Thirty-Five: Dice
Chapter Thirty-Six: Avery
Chapter Thirty-Seven: Dice
Chapter Thirty-Eight: Avery
Chapter Thirty-Nine: Dice
Epilogue: Avery
Author's Thank You
Chapter One: Hex
Chapter One: Viper
Dice’s Destruction
K.L. Barstow
Copyright © 2023 K.L, Barstow
All rights reserved.
To all the single mothers and fathers who work without a safety net
as they struggle to give their kids their best lives.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
EACH BOOK COVERS the developing relationship between its protagonists. Each book has a HEA, but the ending of each book has a lead-in for the next book.
These books contain sex and violence, along with elements of domestic discipline and BDSM. The stories may also contain triggers. If you don’t like stories with these elements, please don’t read.
Recommended Reading Order
DDMC - San Diego - Book #1 - Dante’s Demons
DDMC - San Diego - Book #2 - Chaos’s Crime
DDMC - San Diego - Book #3 - Scar’s Secret
DDMC - San Diego - Book #4 - Grimm’s Guilt
DDMC - San Diego - Book #5 - Reaper’s Rage
DDMC - Las Vegas - Book #1- Puma’s Pride
DDMC - San Diego - Book #6 - Flame’s Fight
DDMC - Las Vegas - Book #2 - Chill’s Chance
DDMC - San Diego - Book #7 - Ghost’s Grief
DDMC - Las Vegas - Book #3 - Dice’s Destruction
DDMC - New Orleans - Book #1 - Hex’s Hell (Coming Soon)
DDMC - San Diego - Book #8 - Shield’s Suspicion (Coming Soon)
DDMC - Las Vegas - Book #4 - Viper’s Vendetta (Coming Soon)
CHAPTER ONE: DICE
When my phone pings, I frown at the display. Jessica. Who the hell is Jessica?
“Yo.” I answer.
“Dice? This is Jessica from Sin City Diner. You asked me to call you if I heard something at work,” she says, her voice low. I can hear the unmistakable sounds of a restaurant in the background and I immediately remember the pretty blonde who works at the diner where the loan shark, Stone, regularly eats lunch.
“Hey, Jessica. You got something for me?” I ask her. She promised to eavesdrop on Stone whenever he was in the diner and to relate anything of interest back to me in exchange for an invitation to our club parties. Small price to pay for information on the bastard who wants to kidnap Hunter’s son, Slade. We also believe Stone ordered the death of Hunter’s wife, Nicole. Most times, loan sharks want their victims alive so they can pay off their debt. But in Stone’s case, he seems more interested in collecting Slade as his payment, and that will not happen. Not on our watch.
“I overheard him talking on the phone. He told whoever was on the other end that while they didn’t have all the merchandise, they had enough. He told them to get ready, and he’d be there at two.”
“Fuck. Ok. Good job, Jessica. I appreciate the call and I won’t forget my promise. I’ll shoot you the address for the club and the date of our next party. You’re more than welcome to attend and bring a friend or two.”
I end the call and hunt down Avery. She isn’t hard to find because I’m always aware of her. Her laugh, her scent, her mere presence is like gravity pulling me in. I find her finishing breakfast with her grandmother, Claudia. Claudia has only been here for a couple of days, but already she’s become a fixture. We’re going to be sorry to see her leave, especially Mad Max. He seems devoted to the older woman. I smirk when the man in question steps up to the table with a coffee pot, ready to refill her mug. I think he’s vying to take Avery’s spot as Claudia’s favorite grandchild. Even though, technically, Avery is her only grandchild.
“Want to go on a mission?” I ask Avery.
“You got a lead?” she asks me and I nod.
“Jessica from the diner called. Said that Stone has plans to meet with someone regarding the merchandise. Might be kids. Could be the opportunity we’ve been looking for. What do you say?”
“Let me grab my stuff,” she says, jumping up and heading toward the bedrooms.
I follow her so I can let Chill know the plan. I knock on her door and find her inside with Hunter and his son Slade. They look like a contented, normal family, something that I should find incongruous considering Chill is not the contented or normal type. She’s more cold and impatient. When Hunter arrived at our doorstep asking for help, I never thought this would be the result. Hunter betrayed her and left her vulnerable when they were both on active duty with the Marines. They’ve made their peace and are now building a family. I enjoy seeing her like this. She’s one of my closest friends and deserves happiness. But if Hunter hurts her again, I’ll help her kill him and dispose of the body.
After giving her the summary of my phone call with Jessica, I get her agreement to follow the asshole. Returning to the common room, I find Avery waiting for me. Fuck, she reminds me of G.I. Jane. Cargo pants, military boots, a black tank top and her long, dark hair pulled back into a ponytail, all topped off by a baseball cap. She’s a fucking badass. My dick wants to stand at attention and salute her.
“Ready?” I ask her.
“Fuck, yeah,” she responds. “I hope we get something to take this asshole down.”
I have to adjust myself as I follow her outside. I’m a sucker for strong women. Avery is a strong woman. She almost makes Chill look like a soft touch. Almost.
We take one of the club SUVs. It has tinted windows and blends better than her tricked out Jeep. Once we park across from the diner and spot Stone, I turn to Avery. “How is Claudia doing? Is she ready to leave the clubhouse?”
Avery smirks. “You may not get her to leave. I’ve never seen her so happy. She loves it there.”
I grin. “Good, we enjoy having her there. The kids love her and I think Mad Max is ready to fight you for the honor of being her grandchild.”
Avery chuckles. “She adores Max. She said he seems sad, lost. What’s his story?”
I shrug. “I know little about him. He won’t talk about his past. Just said he lost his mother and younger sister when he was young and his dad is an asshole.”
“Grams is an expert at making up for the shortcomings of a parent. My childhood had its share of challenges because of mine. I don’t know what my life would be like if she hadn’t taken me in.”
“No one can mess us up more than a parent.” I agree. I don’t want to continue this conversation because the last thing I want to think about is my fucked up childhood.
“So, how did you get the name, Dice?” Avery asks.
Well, so much for moving the discussion away from my childhood. But I can answer without delving into that nightmare. I pull out a pair of well-worn dice from my pocket. “I use them when I’m struggling with a decision.”
“Seriously?” she asks with a chuckle as she takes the dice from my hand. “How does that work?”
“If it’s a yes or no choice, then anything six and under is a no. If there are multiple choices, then I select ranges. Just something I saw someone do once.” I shrug as I take the dice back from her. “Chill saw me doing it when I was a prospect, so that’s the name the club gave me when they patched me in.” I add, because I need to move away from the real reason I carry around this pair of dice.
“He’s moving,” Avery says, and I glance over to the diner to see Stone dropping some bills on the table before making his way to the door. His truck, a loaded GMC in black, sits right outside the diner. I’d love to put a tracker on it, but he always parks it so he can see it. I start the SUV and put it in drive, ready to follow him.
We’re heading south when I notice two bikes trailing behind us. I recognize Hawk and assume Viper is on the other one. I shake my head at Chill’s overprotective instincts, but I know she’s just doing her job. Protecting the club and its members.
We leave the busy tourist areas and wind our way past warehouses and industrial strip malls. When Stone turns into a parking lot, we shoot on past and circle the block. I connect with Viper and Hawk on bluetooth.
“Stone just pulled into a parking lot. Hang back and make sure he doesn’t come back out again. I’m circling around to see if there’s another entrance. If not, then I’ll follow him in,” I tell them.
“You spotted us then?” Viper asks, the dismay in her tone apparent. “Need to work on that. Ok, we got you covered.”
I chuckle as I drive around the block and find another entrance. “Any sign of him?” I ask Avery.
She nods and points to the warehouse on the right. Sure enough, parked near the side entrance is Stone’s truck. There’s no sign of him, but it’s a safe bet he went inside that building. It fits his standard MO of parking so he doesn’t have far to walk.
We park nearer to the warehouse next door. I find a perfect spot that offers some camouflage before contacting Viper and Hawk again. “We’re parked and going in. If you come into the lot, stay away from the warehouse on the south side. That’s where we think Stone went. There’s a spot on the other side of the club SUV that should offer you some cover.”
“On our way,” Viper responds, and I sign off.
We take a wide berth before heading toward the warehouse, coming up on the side without windows. Once we’re close, we crouch down as we slide around the corner and make our way to the closest window. I slip across so that we can both look inside. The first room looks to be an empty office. We move on to the next window and find a storage room that’s full of boxes, but empty of people.
When we reach the next window, I know we’ve hit pay dirt. I can hear voices as I move under the window and get into position. Lifting my head, I glance inside and see a large room. Five men stand against the walls, one with his back to the window. There are four more men sitting in chairs, all facing away from us. I see Stone standing near the door, his attention outside the room. He turns back and says something to those inside the room, but I can’t make out the words. While we watch, I see a police officer enter, share a few words with Stone before moving to the far corner. Bingo. I’m pretty sure this is the same cop who harassed Hunter’s son and took part in the murder of his wife. I pull out my phone to call Chill.
“Arms up, stand slowly and turn this way,” says a voice behind me. I slide my phone into my kutte as I rise to my feet and turn to face the last man I expect to see here.
Snarling, I look the man up and down, letting my disdain for him show. “Fucking should have known you’d betray us.”
“Shut up and move,” he snarls back, waving his gun toward the side entrance. I keep my arms up as we move through the side door. I figure he’s taking us to Stone.
“Who are you?” Avery asks him.
“Shut up, puta. Just keep moving,” he says, giving her a push. She stumbles into the wall and turns to glare at our captor. This gives me an opportunity.
CHAPTER TWO: AVERY
“I’m getting too old for this.” I grumble as I struggle to shift my body into a more comfortable position. Being a bounty hunter, I’ve slept in some pretty awkward places, but I don’t remember ever falling asleep in a cement mixer while it was running.
Opening my eyes, I realize I would have been better off inside a cement mixer. I’m in a cage, one that was not built for someone my size. The top is only a few inches above my head and I’m sitting down. This is not good. I feel something warm against my back just as I hear a moan. Looking over my shoulder, I see Dice. His back is to mine and since I can’t move my hands or arms, I hazard a guess that we’re tied together. I have my feet stretched out before me, my feet touching the bars. Our prison is square-shaped, so I doubt we have enough room to lie out straight.
“Where the fuck are we?” grumbles Dice as I try moving my fingers and arms.
“In a cage,” I tell him. “That’s as much as I’ve deduced. What the hell happened?”
“Josef Gutierrez,” Dice spits out. “He’s what happened. That mother-fucker betrayed us. When I get my hands on him…”
“We have to get out of here first,” I interrupt him. “Can you move you hands?”
Whoever tied us up not only bound our wrists but fastened us together.
“Well, fuck,” Dice says. “This won’t be easy.” I feel him shifting around behind me before he speaks again. “We can’t stand up. Let’s lie down.”
“Are you going back to sleep?” I ask him incredulously.
He snorts. “No, smart ass. I need to bend my legs so I can reach my boots.”
Instead of asking why, I bite my tongue and lean with him until we’re both lying on our sides. He kicks my leg as he twists himself, mumbling an apology as he continues to gyrate. After a few cuss words from him and several hisses of pain from me, I put a stop to it.
“Ok, wait. What are you trying to do? Besides adding more bruises to my legs?” I ask him.
“I have a knife in boot,” he grinds out. “If I can reach it…” He shifts again and this time he not only kicks me, but almost yanks my arms out of their sockets.
“Stop!” I shout at him. “Which boot? Let me see if I can reach it. You’re not as flexible as you think. Which does not bode well for our sex life,” I grumble.
He chuckles. “Let’s see how flexible you are, then. It’s in my right boot, on the inside.”
We shift our bodies so my finger tips can just reach him. After a few more stretches and curse words, I feel the hardened hilt of the knife. Using two fingers, I slide it out of his boot. “Ok, I got it.”
“See if you can reach the ropes without slicing our wrists,” he suggests.
I maneuver the knife around, but I can’t get enough leverage to slice the bindings. He moves his fingers until he, too, has a hold of the knife and between the two of us, we cut through the ropes with only a few nicks. Finally, the rope snaps. I rub the feeling back into my extremities as we note our surroundings.
“Where the fuck are we?” Dice asks, and I shrug.
“No idea. I guess we could still be in the warehouse,” I suggest.
He shakes his head. “Not likely. My club would have found us. He must have moved us.”
“He who?” I ask him. “Stone or your friend Josef?”
“Shit. Who knows? If it’s Josef, we could be in one of his family’s warehouses. I think we’re below ground.”
“Who is Josef?” I ask him.
“Besides a dead man?” he snarls. “He’s the son Salvador Gutierrez of the Gutierrez Cartel.”
“I knew they dealt drugs, but I didn’t know they were into human trafficking,” I muse as I crawl over to the door of our cage and examine the lock. Dice crawls over to join me.
“I didn’t either, but I’m not surprised. Sal’s youngest son killed Alisa’s first husband, Elina’s father. It shouldn’t surprise me to discover his second son is just as evil.”
He trails off as I pull off my shirt. “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I’m not in the mood to have sex.”
I snort at him as I remove my bra. “Wasn’t offering,” I assure him as I tear off a piece of fabric from my bra so I can pull out the under wire. Once I have it, I work on picking the lock. I give a small whoop when I hear the click and the door opens. Before I can shrug my shirt back on, Dice grabs my arms and kisses me.
“That was fucking impressive!”
I chuckle as I put my shirt back on and crawl out after Dice. We both moan as we stand to stretch out our cramped muscles. He checks his pockets as do I, but we both come up empty. No phones, and except for his knife, no other weapons.
A small amount of light shines in from a window high on the wall. It’s enough to help us search the room, but there is not much to find. There are three other cages besides the one we escaped from. At first, we think they’re all empty, but then I spot a pile of clothes in the darkest corner of one. I call out when I examine the mound and discover two slight forms.
“Dice!” I call out. His head snaps in my direction and he rushes over to me, grasping my arm in one hand while wrapping his other around my shoulders. He’s comforting me, and I need it. “Are they dead?” I ask him, even as I place my finger against the neck of the little boy. Dice checks the pulse of the little girl.
