Grim, p.1
Grim, page 1
Contents
Letter to my readers
Character Guide
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
Chapter 23
Acknowledgments
A look at what’s to come…
Chapter 24
About the Author
Suggested Reading Order
GRIM
HAVOC OF SINS
Copyright 2024 © J.L. Drake
All rights reserved
The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is a crime punishable by law. No part of this book may be scanned, uploaded to, or downloaded from file sharing sites or distributed in any other way via the internet or any other means, electronic or print, without the publisher’s permission. Criminal copyright infringement, including infringement without monetary gain, is investigated by the FBI and is punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a fine of $250,000.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to locales, events, business establishments, or actual persons— living or dead—is entirely coincidental.
All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the U.S. Copyright Act of 1976. 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), without the prior permission of J.L. Drake.
Cover Design by TRC Designs
Editing by Lori Whitwam
Formatting by RedDoor Author Services
Dedication
Again, to my dark side that’s been begging to be let back out.
Run free, little spawn.
Letter to my readers
Here we are again, in the middle of a tangled web. Oh, how I love to spin! *Rubs hands together * I have provided you with a character guide with old and new characters just to help when I toss you into this whole new world. I suggest you grab a notebook and pen to jot down names as you go, but I’ll leave that up to you.
This book is heavily laced with characters from the Devil’s Reach motorcycle club and as we dive further into the series, you may find it a better read if you were familiar with my Dark Water Series and Quiet Mafia Series. Of course, you can read this story as is, but holy shhh you just might miss some fun easter eggs that will answer some of those things you caught from books ago and even some things to come.
As my faithful readers know, I don’t write light storylines, so find a quiet room, grab your favorite drink, and meet me between the pages for another adventure.
Happy reading friends.
Jx
Character Guide
Gates Family
Jim Gates: Grim’s father and owner of Indulge Hotel
Laurel Gates: Grim’s mother
Grim Gates: Owner of Secrets and oldest of the brothers
Leo Gates: Middle of the three brothers
Knox Gates: Youngest of the three brothers
Leal and Zhar: Grim’s Doberman Pinschers
Darcy: Dog walker
Extras to the Gates Family
Jesse: Grim’s right-hand man
Cartwright: Grim’s main driver
Louis: Grim trusts him to ride his bike
Janelle: In love with Grim
Deborah: Real estate advisor
Tayla Canos: Cartel daughter (Dark Water Series)
Jerry and Elva Canos: Tayla’s parents (Grim lived with them for 10 years when in Mexico)
Tame Family
Cameron Tame: Kenna’s father, Lawyer to Jim Gates
Claudine Tame: Kenna’s mother, travels the world for work
Kenna Tame: Goes by Lodge to keep her job separate from her family
Calli Tame: Kenna’s younger sister, doesn’t get along with Kenna
Extras to the Tame Family
Simon Gable: Private Investigator, works for Cameron
Zara: Cameron’s secretary
Extras
Jayden Wallace: Manager to super hosts
Mr. Salazar: Client of Kenna’s
Yen Hong: Client of Kenna’s
Elio Capri: Head of the Capri mafia family in Italy (Quiet Wealth Series) and friend of Grim
Vinni and Niccola Capri: Elio’s cousins
Martin Castillo: Head of Cartel (Dark Water Series)
Hannah: Kenna’s old friend
Gavin: Elevator operator at Indulge Hotel
Shore: Kenna’s favorite driver at Indulge Hotel
Devil’s Reach Motorcycle Club
Location of official clubhouse: Santa Monica, California
Trigger: President, married to Tess
Brick: Vice President, Minnie’s longtime boyfriend
Tess: Married to Trigger, best friend to Brick and Minnie and owner of Dirty Deeds Club
Minnie: Kenna’s best friend and owner of a sex house and Dirty Demons strip club.
Rail: Good friend of Kenna’s and dates whoever he can
Morgan: Good friend of Kenna’s. Holds the rank of Sergeant of Arms
Stripe Backs Motorcycle Club
Rival club to Devil’s Reach
Location of official clubhouse: Venice, California.
Club weak and scattered as many members were killed over the years. Power struggle within the membership as they try to rebuild.
Grim Gates
Flashes of green lit up as I gained on the bike ahead. I pulled a knife from my boot and swerved right then immediately went low and leaned left, and my knife flashed as it sliced through the tendons on the Stripe Back’s calf like butter. His body jerked at the pain, and I steadied my bike and kicked at him to send him off the road. I glanced over my shoulder to see him bounce and run headfirst into a cactus.
Bang! Bang! Shots came from somewhere. I pulled ahead and got between two trucks for protection. When one of the drivers started to use his radio, I pulled my gun and pointed it at him. He raised his hand, and his shoulders went high as he put his radio down and kept the truck steady. It took me a moment to settle my bike in the airflow between the trucks.
The other driver on the right caught my attention and indicated that there were two bikers in front of him.
I waited for the right time and jumped ahead of the trucks behind the bikers. I drilled a bullet into one guy’s head, and the other fired a shot at me. It just missed my shoulder.
I popped a couple in his direction, and he suddenly let go of the gas, and his bike was sucked under the truck’s massive wheels.
I spotted the exit up ahead and threw back my head and laughed. Exhilaration filled me. God, I loved this.
“They’ve turned off,” Trigger called through the speaker in my helmet, and I waved as he pulled onto a side road. I grinned and flexed my fingers on the throttle to drop my speed a little, and the trucker was suddenly on my tail. I cut him off as I swerved across in front of him and down another side road.
“There’s two ahead of you, Trig.” Brick’s voice filled my helmet. “Looks like you’re clear for now, Grim.”
“Any idea who has it?” I shouted.
“Not yet,” Brick answered.
The sun was setting, and it would be completely black soon. The desert had no mercy for those foolish enough not to pay attention to it. That was exactly why we’d lured them from the 15 freeway down onto a narrow road.
“I’m three miles ahead of you.” Morgan’s husky voice filled the radio. He’d been our decoy up ahead in a van. “I’ve got four following me, but they’re keepin’ their distance. My guess, they don’t have it.”
“Head home, Morgan,” Trigger ordered. “They’d never think you’d leave us alone out here.”
“Will do.”
Pfft! A bullet whisked past my ear.
“Shit, where’d he come from?” Brick cursed over the radio.
I ducked as he closed on my bike and whirled around in one fluid motion to whip my knife into the side of his throat that showed under his helmet. He went down in a puff of white. I laughed as the white powder filled the air.
“There it is,” I called into my mic as I shortened the distance between me and Trigger. He held up a fist as I moved to ride next to him.
“Brick and Rail are in position.” Trigger’s voice was thick with excitement. We started up the steep hill and our engines roared, filling the desert air with fumes and the stench of revenge.
Once at the top, we cleared the bend and could see the last of them. Four fuckers left. They were about to pay the ultimate price. No one stole from me.
My adrenaline ran high, and I grinned as the rush went through my body.
“My turn to play,” I called into my mic and sped up. I could hear Trigger’s dark laugh. He understood the need to get a fix. He had his own demons that fucking wanted to come out to play. I knew he needed to ease the darkness inside. We both had our reasons, and I was happy he respected mine.
One of the Stripe Backs took aim, but I shot his hand and made him swerve . He dropped his gun but gained control of his bike again.
Good.
His bike had nothing on mine. I straddled an MTT 420-RR which topped out at two hundred seventy-three miles per hour, making her the world’s fastest bike. She was slick, black and red in color, with a Rolls Royce Allison turbine engine and aerodynamic carbon-fiber fairings. They only made five of these bikes a year, and I had the very first one that hit the market this year.
I moved into position and hit the gas then swung my leg out to kick the side of his bike and sent him spiraling into the bushes. I breathed in the rush that came with the knowledge he’d feel his bones break before he came to a stop.
I slowed, dropped my foot, and swung my bike around. I headed back as Trigger and the others sped by. I cut the engine and leaned the bike on her stand, then angled it so the headlight lit him up. He moaned as I made my way toward him. My boots crunched against the packed dirt, and the sounds of scorpions as they scurried away made me briefly wonder if I should use one of them instead of my fists. Not a chance.
“Please,” he held up a hand as I pulled out my gun. “No, please,” he begged, and I noted his leg was bent to the side, obviously broken.
“This?” I held it up. “It’s too kind.” I tossed it on the ground and peered down at him. “I think it’s time we had a chat.” He flinched as I bent down to shine my phone on his leather cut. “Mm, seems I got myself a washed-up VP.” I took note his patch had been removed, but the evidence was still there. I raised my eyebrows at him. Though I’d known these guys from an earlier time, I’d been gone far too long to keep up with who was who anymore. Not that it mattered. They were all the same—stupid, reckless, and a pain in our fucking asses as they often crossed over territory lines and messed with other people’s business. I knew there’d been some changes in their ranks, and they’d gotten a new president, but until they sorted out their shit, I was going to deal with them my way.
“Fuck you!” he spat as his demeanor went from fear to fierce. “You wear the cut,” he glared at the Devil’s Reach cut I wore, “but it doesn’t mean shit if you can’t back it up.”
“This is true.” I rubbed my chin to savor the moment. “One busted leg, you can survive,” I shifted my weight, “but two?” I wrapped my arm around his good leg and lifted it as if I was about to twist the knee. “What the fuck were you doing at Dirty Deed and stealing my shit?” It was bad enough they’d stolen from me, but now my product was wasted, smeared all over the pavement mixed in blood and guts. The ultimate insult was they’d stolen it from Minnie’s club.
“Do it!” he rasped. His face was red and sweaty as he dared me to show my hand.
“Happy to oblige.” In a flash, I lifted and twisted his knee and popped it out of its socket. As he screamed, I stood with one foot on the knee and pressed down as I yanked his leg upward and heard the snap of the ligaments. He cursed and flailed about while I fed off his pain. “Answer my question.”
“That all you got?” he managed to spit out, his mouth dripping with saliva.
“Oh, fuck no, there’s two hundred and six bones to play with, and the night’s still young.” I used the heel of my boot to crunch down on two of his fingers.
“Ahh!” he cried out.
“Shall we count as we go?” I rolled his ankle and snapped the bone, and the sound mixed with his screams. “All you have to do is answer one question and all of this can be over.”
“Bones heal,” he hissed and tried to find his breath. I spotted something with my phone light, and inspiration struck.
“Wait here.” I picked up my gun as I headed back to my bike then removed a plastic bottle from my bag. I used my knife to cut it in half.
“Fuck you, Grim Gates!” he managed to yell through the pain. I knew shock was already beginning to set in. I didn’t like that idea; it could end things too fast. I hurried back over.
“You know,” I looked around as I squatted next to him, the bottom half of the bottle in my palm, “Trigger told me this story once where he tied a man’s feet to one end of his bike and his arms to another bike and they drove off in different directions.” I kept my voice conversation-like. “The guy’s body just ripped in two.” I made the motion with my hands. “I’ve done a lot of things,” I pulled out a joint and lit the tip, “but I haven’t done that yet.” I let out a relaxed breath and sent white smoke into the air. “Or maybe I should just utilize mother nature.” I reached over and scooped the half bottle through a fire ant hill. Thousands of pissed off ants poured out of the top. Quickly, I opened the man’s pants and tossed the lot on his junk.
“Holy shit!” Panic broke over his face as his brain tuned in to the fact that he was being stung in his most protected area. “Ah! Ah! Ahh!” His mouth opened wide as the angry ants had their way with him. The pain from his broken bones had nothing on what he now experienced. The desert was as ruthless as I was; perhaps that’s why we got along so well.
I snapped my lighter and held the flame out as an offering if he’d just tell me the truth.
“It was just a distraction,” he screamed.
“From what?” I ignored his distress.
“From, from, ah-ah-ah…” He tried to speak as he rolled around like a whale out of water. “He wanted us to find out what she knew…” His screams took over again as the ants did their thing.
“What who knew?” I puffed on my joint and felt it line my lungs with sweet relaxation.
“The girl.”
“You already said that, asshole. Who? Minnie?”
“No.” His eyes rolled back as he passed out. I slapped his face, and he came to again, but only for a second.
“Who sent you and what girl? Fuck.” I pulled out my phone, but before I could press in any numbers, Trigger and the guys pulled up.
“We got jack shit from the others.” Rail hopped off his bike and removed his helmet.
“Well, a bullet in the mouth’ll do that.” Brick rolled his eyes as he admired the man at my feet. “Are those fire ants?” He stepped back quickly, and Rail covered his crotch with a curse.
“Morgan’s got a few snakes behind him. They took the bait.” Trigger was the last to get off his bike. “Anything?”
“Why do you look like that?” Brick’s finger made a circle at my expression.
“Because they only took the drugs as a distraction.” I stood. “He said they wanted to know what the girl knew.”
“Who? Minnie?” His eyes darkened.
“No, someone else.” The tension in Brick’s shoulders lifted. “He mentioned they wanted to know what she knew.”
“Who?” Trigger flipped his mohawk out of his face. “One of the girls they messed up?”
I shook my head. “I don’t know, but they sent enough snakes to make me think she’s important.”
“I’d ask Minnie if any of her girls have been acting weird or off in any way.” I could tell that comment hit too close for Brick’s liking. He’d hate anyone to mess with his girl. He and Minnie were joined at the hip.
“Didn’t give up anythin’ else?” Trigger chin pointed at the guy on the ground.
“Nah, the ants got enthusiastic at that point.” I sucked back the last of the joint and dropped it on the fucker’s face then used my boot to snuff it out. Then I checked my watch and noted the time.
“Cooper’s scraping up what’s left of the shit on the road. He’s covered in coke.” Brick spat. “We’ll dump him at the Stripe Backs’ club, so they know we got ’em.”
“Good.” I nodded and wished I had a little longer with my guy.
“We got one left,” Trigger huffed and pointed over his shoulder, “strapped to my bike. Got time for one more?”
I smirked and sent a text to my driver.
