by E. C. Land
“Fuck, it’s about to be a blood bath,” Chains growls loud enough I can hear him from the other side of Tyres.
“It’s not gonna be a blood bath, Fuse is goin’ to lose his shit, but he’ll wait until he’s got this fucker away from so many eyes. You know our brother is smart enough not to kill this fucker with so many people around,” Tyres mutters.
Oh shit.
The match begins and Leonard’s man starts at Fuse; however, my man is, as Tyres said, smart enough not to let him get the hit he wants. Instead, Fuse begins to pummel him with all his might. The guy does get a lick or two in before Fuse is done. All of this lasts less than two minutes before Fuse sends his fist into the side of Leonard’s man’s face sending him staggering to the mat. He doesn’t get up and I let out a heavy breath.
Only when the man who’d announced them came out and did as he did in the match before them does Fuse finally bring his attention to me. Climbing out of the ring, he stalks in my direction. When he’s close enough, I move into him, not worried about the fact his body is sweaty. He’s the one who makes me feel the safest.
“They won’t get you again, ma douce,” he growls, holding me to him.
And it’s then I could take a wild guess as to what was said in the ring.
“I believe you,” I say into his chest.
Which I do believe him. I saw the fire that flickered in his eyes briefly while in the ring. I get why he blocked his mind out from everything but the fight at the time. He didn’t want the guy to have the advantage over him. I also believe this because the moment he finished, he came straight to me to make sure I’m good as well as reassure me I’d be safe.
Relaxing into him, I allow him to guide me from the room and out to the hallway that leads to the exit.
In the hallway, I hear Chains order several of his brothers to wait for Leonard’s man and anyone else that he could be with. He wanted them picked up and taken to somewhere I didn’t pay attention to where. I didn’t want to know. I just wanted to know it was over with.
“You still good with going to see Noé?” Fuse asks.
Am I?
As he says, I’m safe with him and I need to start living again. If anything standing there watching the fights happen, I felt the adrenaline right along with them. It’s intense and something I’ve never seen before.
So I look up to Fuse and give him a small smile. “Yeah, I’m good.”
Grinning, he leans down and presses his mouth to mine.
Oh boy, that is something I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to get used to.
Chapter Eleven
Fuse
Fury doesn’t even begin to explain the emotions filling me when that motherfucker spoke about him having his fill of my woman. He’d made sure I knew he’d fucked her. How he’d done it and he looked forward to doing it again.
Said his leader was missing his toy and wanted her back.
That shit isn’t about to happen. No fuckin’ way I’m gonna give my woman over to an asshole who thinks he can have her.
Lyrica is my woman and I’ll be damned if I let something else happen to her. I’d seen the fear fill Ly’s eyes from where I was and felt it in my gut that she’d been in the same room with one of the motherfucker’s who hurt her. Shit she could have been in there with all of them without any of us knowing. I’d wanted to gut him right then and there and I might have if she’d not been there. However, I didn’t want her to see that part of me. I knocked his ass out and knew my brothers wouldn’t let him leave this building of his own free will.
I’d been correct when Chains told several of my brothers to stay behind. Taking Lyrica to my truck, I lift her up into the passenger seat, close the door, and storm around to the other side. I take my shirt, keys, wallet, and shit from Pitch Black before climbing in behind the steering wheel. It didn’t matter to me. I’d been shirtless as I walked out of the warehouse since my only thought had been getting my woman out of there away from someone who’d hurt her.
I’d seen the fear in her gaze and knew she’d shared this with Tyres. I also had confirmation when he’d given a quick jerk of his chin, letting me know they had her.
Pulling out of the parking lot, Chains and Tyres in front with Pitch Black and Breaker, the rest fall in behind me. My brothers knew where I intended to go after the fight and headed in that direction.
When I’d told Breaker about my plan about taking Lyrica for a tattoo after the match, my brother thought it was a good idea. Even though I could sense he felt like an ass for shooting his ol’ lady down without thinking it over first. He just didn’t want to put Ly and me through more if we didn’t have to which I understand more than anything. We look after our own.
Evidently, when he’d taken her to his room and fucked her, he found out not only was she pregnant with their second kid, but she’d finally told him she was scared he didn’t want her anymore. That she wasn’t enough. How the woman got that in her head is beyond me. Breaker can’t seem to shut up about his ol’ lady.
Maybe my brother just needs to take her away for a bit, just the two of them. It might actually do the two of them some good.
I’m not into the whole bitch talking like my cock is turning into a pussy, but rather I’m thinking of stuff I’d do for Lyrica in a way to fix us. Like I’m doing now.
While waiting for my match to start, I’d sent Jasper a text telling him he and the guys needed to stay open tonight. I’d have Jasper work on me as Noé did his work. Robby would most likely end up working with one of the other guys.
I’d had Jasper draw something up a while back and I waited to get it done as I wanted it to be done when I knew for a fact my woman would agree to be mine.
It doesn’t take us long to get to the tattoo shop and I park the truck right in front. Turning the key to shut the engine down, I twist in my seat and take in the sight of Ly. When I’d asked her if she’d been ready to go see Noé, she’d agreed and something in her eyes flickered. It had been as if life came swarming back into her.
I couldn’t be more thrilled about this and I intend to make sure that light stays in her eyes.
I open the door on my side, hop out, and round the front to move toward her door. Ly already has her door open when I get to her and is turned for me to lift her out of the seat.
Giving Lyrica a grin, I set her on her feet and wrap my arm around her shoulders, keeping her tucked in close to me. Once inside the shop, Ly is nearly yanked out of my arms by the men she worked with here.
“Swear to fuckin’ God, woman, you do that shit to us again and we’re burning shit to the ground until we see your ass again.” This coming from Robby.
“You’re not allowed to close us out of your life,” Jasper mutters.
“You’re like our fuckin’ sister and from now on, if your ass isn’t here in your chair when it’s supposed to be, I’m coming after you myself,” Noé snaps. Out of all three of them, I didn’t think it would be him to make that threat. I figured it’d be his partner, Jasper, who did it.
Those two are comical on a good day but seeing them bicker and yell at each other is something I’ve missed. They’re hilarious when it comes to their arguments. Now with the two of them and Robby, they’re all facing off together with Ly, expressing their dislike for her not allowing them to come visit her.
“Um,” Ly starts.
“Don’t you um us, missy,” Robby grumbles and pulls her further into the shop. “Now you’re gonna tell us what the fuck is going on with you? Then you’ll tell me what you want pierced. I know you mentioned a couple things you wanted, and we’ve already done two of them.”
There’s my answer to who pierced her clit. I don’t know whether to be pissed about this or grateful, considering it’s now mine to enjoy playing with when I eat her pussy.
Fuck, just the thought of doing that causes my cock to stiffen.
“Um,” Ly murmurs again.
“Robby, she’ll get to that in a bit. Fuse here is getting a tat and so is
Ly,” Lynch says, speaking up.
“What? You’re finally getting a tat?” Robby asks.
Lyrica looks from me, then back to him and nods. “I don’t know what I want, though,” she whispers.
“I do,” I mutter and pull out the drawing I’d snagged before leaving the house of the fairy and phoenix embracing in the fire. I see Lyrica’s eyes widen at the sight of the drawing when I show it to Noé.
“That’s some sick shit,” Noé says, taking the drawing from me. “Ly, you did good on this.”
“Um, thank you,” she murmurs softly.
“Come on, let’s go get you started. I wanna freehand this shit. You good with that?” he asks, taking Lyrica’s hand.
“Of course I am. I trust you to not screw something up when it comes to free handing.” That’s my woman making it known she wasn’t scared.
“Here, man, we’ll get you started as well since I know what you’re getting,” Jasper mutters.
“Appreciated.” I knew my tat would take him a while to do.
“Well, shit, who am I gonna be working on?” Robby grumbles.
Grinning, I shake my head. He’s a piece of work. Between him and Noé, I sometimes don’t know who’s worse. Robby’s partner must have a lot of patience to put up with him.
When Lynch hired the three of them, they didn’t have a problem with telling him their preference. His response is the same as all of ours. Be who the fuck you wanna be, long as you’re fuckin’ good with the tattoo gun, which they are, he didn’t give a shit.
Heading to Jasper’s area, I throw myself into the chair and remove my shirt. Where he’s putting this particular piece is going straight over my heart and up to touch the side of my neck.
I already have the massive piece on my back that Ly’s told me more than once, before she’d been taken, how much she loved it.
As the buzzing of the tattoo gun begins to buzz, I tilt my head to keep an eye on my woman and Noé at the same time letting Jasper get to work doing his thing.
Chapter Twelve
Tyres
Leaving the tattoo shop, I head to the boathouse where Throttle had texted me that they’d taken the men that they’d gotten hold of at the warehouse where the fights had taken place. My mind wanders to what Lyrica has told me she endured at the hands of these men. I know my brother will demand he get his time with them and he will; however, I’m in the mood to play.
With my daughter at Chains and Tiny’s under the watchful eye of that woman, I’m able to focus without worry. There’re only a few people who have managed to get under my skin and make me care for them. I’m not the one who usually can put up with this shit. No, I’m an asshole who doesn’t give two fucks about a damn thing unless it has to do with my family.
Now, after Lyrica had to see one of the men who hurt her again, I’m thinking it’s gonna be a night of knife. Ly’s come to be somewhat like a sister to me and several of the other members of the club. I know she’s struggling with getting close with the women again. I get why too. I don’t even think Fuse gets the full reason she’s yet to let them get close to her again. She’s afraid that if something were to happen, such as when she’d been kidnapped along with my daughter that she’d have to endure more pain and that’s something she couldn’t do again. Ly even admitted to this that if it came down to it, she’d break when they’d need her most. So for her, she’s been staying distant. Maybe after this, she’ll be able to finally let them in.
Who knows?
I make my way to the boathouse at the far edge of the club property. Part of the building is for storing the airboats when we’re not using them. The other is for torturing those we deem need this attention. It’s been a while since we’d done this.
Last time I thought there was a possibility of us using it but that had been several months ago before we finally got Lyrica back. Storm, a member of the Wings of Diablo MC, showed up at our clubhouse asking the club to help him with his bike due to it needing to be fixed quickly. But that’s because I’d been in a foul mood already that day and finding out he’d left his club for his blood brother, some of this I could understand; however, you don’t go against your club. So finding out this shit, I’d been ready to let Bart have him.
Unfortunately, Chains had been thinking sensibly about the situation and did what he had to do. Prez had agreed to help him since he has respect for the president of the Wings of Diablo MC and Storm had been on the run with a member of the Juric family. This bit of information became known to us when Leo De Luca, who’d just entered our lives when we found out Tiny was his cousin, informed us of who the woman was with Storm. The man knew who the woman with Storm had been. Meaning he saved the fucker from getting his ass handed to him and Bart getting a piece of him.
Stepping into the boathouse, I scan the room to find it filled with six different men. One of them being the one who Fuse fought earlier. The other five seem to be of a variety of builds, but there’s one who stands out the most—this one with his shaved head and scar running down his face. I know immediately who he is.
The head of this fucked up group. The very same motherfucker who took great pleasure in fuckin’ tormenting Lyrica for months on end. But I give Ly props on the scar she left on his face.
“So, you must be Leonard,” I sneer the fucker’s name letting my brothers know this is the man who’d been the one who bought Lyrica from that asswipe who we all thought to be Tiny’s biological father but turned out to not be. Instead, that whole shit had been one clusterfuck.
Only those who hold rank know exactly what Lyrica endured even before she’d been taken. But everyone knows it had been these men who hurt our girl. I say our girl because Ly might be Fuse’s woman and had been unofficially from the time she got here, making her off-limits, doesn’t mean any of the members of the club didn’t grow fond of her. Each of the men in here did, which makes this situation hilarious.
“Fuck you, you’re all fuckin’ dead when we get out of here,” Leonard yells.
“Good luck with getting out. You’re in ICMC domain and that means you’re in the gator’s domain. You’ll be chewed up and spit out before getting out of here. Besides, we don’t intend to allow you to get free—you’re dead, same as the men with you. None of you’ll be leaving this room. I’ll be fuckin’ sure of it,” I growl right before letting my fist slam into Leonard’s face. It’s with this movement, I let loose and start beating the hell out of him, forgetting about playing with the knife.
They hurt someone I care about and it’s time for them to feel the pain. I just have to make sure I hold back a bit. Fuse will want these men to feel his wrath as well and I look forward to being front row for the show.
Chapter Thirteen
Lyrica
“Ma douce, you gotta leave it alone,” Fuse says, coming up behind me in the bathroom. It’s been three weeks since the night of the fights and our night of getting tattoos. I know I’m not supposed to scratch at the spot I’d gotten the tattoo, but dammit, it itches. If it weren’t for the fact, I absolutely love the tattoo, I would be all over getting a scratcher or whatever to ease the itch.
No wonder Robby complained about itching when he’d gotten his back piece done. I thought he’d have driven Nicholas, his partner, mad with his complaining.
Looking over my shoulder at the tattoo, I think about the meaning behind it and fall for Fuse that much more. He hadn’t touched me anymore since that day either. I don’t know why, and I wish I did; however, I don’t have the courage to ask him to touch me.
I’ve also slowly started to spend more time with the ol’ ladies. Not much but enough that it seems to make them happy. The day after the fight, Tiny came over, holding Ian in her arms. I’d asked her where River and Brook were to find out they were with their dad.
Go figure.
Chains loves those kids. I’m sure he’d be the same way with Ian too, but that day she’d come over right after his nap.
We’d talked about a lot of things and she tol
d me how much guilt she carried at her being the reason I’d been kidnapped. Tiny thought it was due to this reason I didn’t come near her or the others.
I’d eased her mind though I know it hurts as it did me to talk about my reasons why I haven’t been near them much. I’m sure some of the ol’ ladies would think my reasons were ridiculous, but in my mind, they’re not. I allowed my body to be abused and degraded beyond belief to protect Wren. If I were to be kidnapped again, which I pray never happens, I couldn’t do it again. I couldn’t put myself in front of the others to keep them safe. Leonard and his men saw to this when they hurt me repeatedly. They would taunt me by putting images in my head of them hurting other women. Women like Tiny or Faith. I’ve had these thoughts in my head and each time, I felt it were me taking the abuse for them.
Tiny understood and the rest of the day, she’d stayed with me. The two of us talked, she told me her entire story about what happened growing up to her nearly dying up at the Devil’s Riot MC’s clubhouse when they’d been ambushed, to coming here to have a psycho bitch kidnap her and nearly losing Chains that day to a gunshot to his chest.
Over takeout from the local diner in town, Fuse sent a prospect to get us food, we talked and cried. I found it soothing in a way I didn’t think it would be.
Now weeks later, I’ve started talking with each of the ol’ ladies one at a time. The last two being Faith and Angelina. They were the two I hurt the most by blocking them from my life these past months.
To say they fussed about it is an understatement, but in the end, they understood. I knew they would. This also meant I started spending time with all of their kids.
I still refuse to be alone with any of the children out of fear of something happening that I can’t control.
Also, because over the months I’d been taken, Leonard kept trying to get me pregnant. As he and his men claimed, I was supposed to breed the next leader to their group. I prayed every night it wouldn’t happen. And thankfully, it never happened. I knew it wasn’t because I couldn’t have any kids because I’d had testing done a while back to confirm this was still a thing. It could make sense since I have such a rare blood disease.