by Kay Marie
“Go get some rest. We’re having Church first thing in the morning,” Prez tells me when I walk inside.
“You got it.” I head straight to my room, thankful no one is around to try to talk to me right now. In my room, I take my cut off and lay on my bed. My head is reeling with thoughts of where Marley could be. I pull my pen out of my pocket and take a long draw off it. I set my alarm so I can get up on time for Church.
There’s an ache in my chest that’s hard to ignore. It’s been there since Minx came to the table without Marley. I finally find a woman I want to be with exclusively, make her my Ol’ Lady, only to have her ripped away from me. At some point, I fall asleep, imagining Marley sleeping next to me. It’s short lived as I’m jolted awake after a bloody and bruised image of Marley pops into my head.
“I will find you, Princess,” I whisper into the world. “If it’s the last thing I do, I’ll find you.”
I turn the TV on for some background noise. I don’t pay attention to what’s on, taking another hit of my pen. I lay with my eyes closed for some time, not able to fall asleep. Before long, my alarm goes off.
I head out to the main room for coffee, not bothering to change my clothes. There are a few brothers scattered throughout the main room. I ignore each and every one of them as I walk into the kitchen and make a cup of coffee. I don’t bother adding any creamer or sugar in it, drinking it black. The thought of eating turns my stomach, so I walk out of the kitchen with nothing but my coffee.
“Rascal, come to my office,” Prez calls out. I walk straight into his office and sit on the couch.
“How ya holdin’ up,” he asks.
“Not fuckin’ good.”
“Minx told me you claimed Marley as your Ol’ Lady.” It’s not a question, but a statement.
“Yes, sir.”
“You know even if you hadn’t, we would still be doing everything we can to find her, right?”
“I know. I asked her about bein’ my Ol’ Lady the night before last, not knowin’ yesterday would play out like it did,” I explain to him.
He nods his head. “We’ll get her back.”
“I know we will.”
“Let’s go get Church started. Figure out how to get your lady back.”
We walk out of his office and into Church. I take my seat while Prez moves to the head of the table. He sits and waits for the rest of the brothers to file in and take their places. Once everyone is here and the door is shut, he begins.
“The Cartel wants war, we’ll give them war,” he declares.
31
Rascal
“Rascal, why don’t you explain to everyone what’s happened with Marley since she’s talked to you,” Prez suggests.
“I want to start by sayin’ Marley is my Ol’ Lady. I officially claimed her while we were at the safe house,” I announce to everyone.
“It’s about time, asshole.” Saint laughs.
I flip him off. “Anyway, two years ago, Marley was kidnapped by the Torres Cartel, in California. Her mom died the day before she was kidnapped. I’ve gone over it in my head hundreds of times, wondering if the Cartel had anything to do with her death.”
At that moment, Niko barges into the room with Knuckles on his heels.
“Sorry, Prez. I tried to stop him,” Knuckles says quickly.
Prez nods his head letting him know it’s alright. Knuckles walks back out, closing the door behind him.
“What the Hell is going on?” Niko roars. “Why didn’t anyone tell me my daughter was kidnapped?”
“Woah, wait. Has it been proven she’s your daughter?” I’m not going to let this asshole claim her as his daughter if it’s not true. She wouldn’t want that.
“We used a cup she left in her room to test her DNA,” Prez tells me. “She’s his daughter.”
Niko completely ignores me. “The Orlov Bratva will back the Savage Menaces MC one hundred percent. We will do whatever we need to get my daughter back safely.”
“Tech, do you have any information for us?” Prez directs his attention to Tech.
“Torres has a Lieutenant out in Cali. His name is Rodrigo Sanchez,” Tech announces.
I glance to Niko. His face is as white as a ghost.
“Something you wanna share with us, Niko?” I growl out.
“Rodrigo Sanchez, I knew him once upon a time,” Niko says.
“Explain.” Prez demands.
“When I first met Jenny, Marley’s mother, Rodrigo was hanging around her all the time. He had been trying to date Jenny for months. Then I swoop in and she goes out with me the first time I ask her. We dated and fooled around for six months or so until I had to go back to Russia. I left with us being on bad terms and I’ve regretted it ever since,” he explains.
“Rodrigo must have kept tabs on her after you left,” I say. “Do you think he had anything to do with her death?”
“Without a doubt. I think her death and kidnapping Marley is him trying to get my attention. For what? I do not know, but he’s got it. He’s going to wish he didn’t,” Niko states.
“We have one problem,” Tech adds.
“What’s that,” Prez asks.
“I found Rodrigo’s house in California and broke into the security feed,” he tells us. “He hasn’t been there in two days. Multiple vehicles left at the same time he did and I was able to grab a couple license plates. I’m currently trying to track them down.”
“Keep diggin’ and let us know when you find anything. Until then, everyone stay aware of your surroundings. We’ll be on lock down, so get your families here ASAP,” Prez announces. “Niko, call Andrei and set up a meeting. Ranger and I can go to him or he can come here.”
“Yes, sir.” Niko walks out of the room.
“Thor.” Prez turns to face him.
“Yes, sir?”
“I need you to reach out to some of our contacts on the West Coast, maybe even Southwest, and see if anyone has any information on Rodrigo Sanchez. We need to do what we can to get as much information on him as possible,” Prez explains.
“You got it,” Thor replies.
“Buster, you reach out to the Riders in Phoenix and see if they’ve heard anything,” Prez adds.
“On it,” Buster says.
“This is lookin’ more like a Cartel vs Bratva issue and we’re caught in the middle,” Prez says. “Prepare yourselves for the worse.”
With that, he dismisses us from Church. I walk out to the main room and drop onto one of the couches. Saint walks over and sits across from me.
“Stupid question, but how are you holdin’ up,” he asks.
“I never thought a woman would ever have this much of a hold on me. It blows my fuckin’ mind, bro.”
“I don’t think any of us ever thought you’d claim an Ol’ Lady.” He chuckles.
“Marley is somethin’ else. She’s it for me. I just got her, only to have her ripped away from me. What am I supposed to do?” I lean forward, resting my elbows on my knees.
“You’re doin’ it. You’re lettin’ your brothers help you get her back. And we will get her back,” he assures me.
“I sure as fuck hope so. I don’t know what I’ll do if we don’t.” In all honesty, I’ll either get her back, or die trying. I’ve only had her in my life a short time, but she’s made a huge impact on my life. It’s terrifying how quickly someone can become so important to you. Marley is the first woman I’ve let myself get so close to. Nothing would be the same without her.
A couple hours later, the clubhouse is full. Everyone is here except my girl. Cali is even here with Caden. All the women are surrounding them, gushing over the baby. Wren manages to be the first one to hold him. She’s pregnant. Her shirt is too loose to show off her tiny baby bump, but Sketch says it’s there. He’s out of his mind excited to be a dad.
“Your time will come.” Buster sits on the couch, next to me.
“What?”
“To have kids. We’ll save her and y’all will have your chan
ce,” he explains.
“I never really thought I wanted kids. I’ll have hundreds as long as it’s with Marley.” I shock myself with those words. Does she even want kids? Would she want them with me?
“Everything is gonna be alright, Ras.” Buster slaps me on the back and stands. “Come hold my son. You haven’t spent much time with him, yet.”
“Alright, alright.” I get up and walk with him to Wren and Cali.
“Wren, can Rascal hold him for a few,” Buster asks her.
“How dare you ask me to hand over this bundle of cuteness!” She teases. “Caden, your Uncle Ras wants to hold you. He might look big and scary, but you’ll turn him into a giant ball of mush just like the rest.”
I chuckle as she hands him to me.
“Good God, he looks teeny tiny in your arms,” Cali says. Buster laughs and I shake my head.
“Hey, little man. I’m your Uncle Ras.” He stares at me, giving me a big, toothless smile. “You have the world’s best family right here in this clubhouse, kid.”
32
Marley
My eyes flutter open but the bright light has me squeezing them shut again. I groan, grabbing my head. My head is pounding worse than it ever has before. I try opening my eyes again, slowly and glance around. I’m laying in the back seat of a moving van. I sit up, groaning again.
“Wh-what happened?” I stutter. There’s a bitter taste in my mouth.
A woman in the passenger seat turns to face me. A sinister smirk crosses her face. “Ah, she’s awake.”
Evil eyes I’m all too familiar with lock onto mine through the rear view mirror. Eduardo. He’s one of Rodrigo’s goons.
“Oh, shit.” My stomach turns as a wave of nausea washes over me. I lay down, closing my eyes. “What did you do to me?”
“A special concoction.” The woman laughs but it’s void of humor.
“We’ll get you something to eat soon and you’ll be fine,” Eduardo says. He lets out a maniacal chuckle. “We want you nice and healthy when we deliver you back to Rodrigo.”
Bile threatens to creep up my throat at the mere mention of his name. I have an idea of what’s in store for me when I’m back with Rodrigo and it won’t be pretty. I managed to escape him once, he won’t let that happen again. The only difference this time is I’ll have someone looking for me. I never told Rascal much about my past, but hopefully what I did tell him will help him find me.
There’s an ache in my heart at the thought of Rascal. Things were finally looking up for me and I was starting to see a future with him and the Savage Menaces. I got too comfortable and let my guard down, now I’m paying for it. As terrified as I am to being going back to Rodrigo, I need to stay strong. I can’t let him break me. I won’t let him.
“He’s gonna be so happy to see you again, Preciosa.” Eduardo calls me Rodrigo’s pet name and gives me the chills. Not the good kind either. “He was not a happy man when you ran away.”
“I don’t know what’s so fuckin’ special about her,” the woman spits out.
“Cállate, Paula. El Jefe said she’s the key. If he says she’s important, she’s important.” His voice is hushed as if he doesn’t want me to hear what he’s saying. Dumbass needs to speak quieter than that if he doesn’t want me to hear.
I keep my eyes closed, trying to will myself to go back to sleep. The movement of the van does nothing to ease my nauseousness. I can only hope to sleep it off. I finally doze off only to be woken up shortly after by Paula, letting me know we were stopping for food.
“If you try to run, I’ll break your fuckin’ legs,” she threatens. I roll my eyes, following Eduardo into the diner.
“If you need to go pee, go now,” Eduardo says. “You’ll get one more chance before we get back on the road, but we won’t be stopping again for a while.”
I take the chance and go to the bathroom now with Paula on my heels. I quickly pee and wash my hands, not wanting to spend much time alone with her. Once she’s done, we head back to Eduardo. Sitting at the table, I pick up a menu and try to find something that sounds appetizing. Whatever they gave me to knock me out has me feeling sick to my stomach.
“The waitress came by to get our drink order. I got us all water,” he tells us. He and Paula talk to each other in Spanish and I’m thankful for two reasons. The first being, they don’t expect me to listen and respond to anything. Second, I can ignore them easier, knowing they don’t expect me to respond.
When the waitress comes back with our waters, she takes our food order. I end up ordering a cheeseburger and fries. I figure if there’s a chance I’m going to throw up, I might as well enjoy what I eat. I will pray to whatever god there is that I don’t actually throw up.
“How long was I asleep for?” I don’t know why I ask, but it just came out.
“Almost twenty-four hours.” Eduardo shrugs like it was a cat nap and not a whole, fucking, day. The two of them continue their conversation while I gaze out the window.
Once we get our food, neither of them talk until they’re finished eating. Surprisingly, eating makes me feel better instead of worse. We all go to the bathroom again before leaving the diner. Then we load up in the van and get back on the road.
“Are you taking me back to California,” I ask. Again, I don’t know why I’m asking.
“Lucky for you, no. Rodrigo is having us take you to his safe house in New Mexico,” he tells me. “There will be no escaping that house. It’s built like a fuckin’ fortress.”
“We’ll be on the road all day if that’s what you’re wondering,” Paula adds. “We still have about seven hours until we get there so get cozy.”
I do as she says and get cozy. As cozy as I can get anyway. While I’m not nauseous anymore, my head is still pounding. I close my eyes, letting sleep take me away.
I wake up in my bed at the clubhouse. My bed is filled with Rascal’s cologne. I take a deep breath, inhaling the comforting scent. My bathroom door opens and out walks Rascal. I smile. Something about him even being in the same room as me makes me feel safe. But I’m not safe, I frown.
“What’s wrong, Princess?”
“Something isn’t right,” I tell him. He sits on the bed next to me.
“Whatever it is, you’re safe with us. We’ll always protect you.”
He kisses my forehead. I trust Rascal and the rest of the Savage Menaces MC, but what if they can’t protect me?
I wake up with a sudden jolt. We’re stopping at a gas station now. Glancing at the clock, I notice I was asleep for about three hours. Dreaming of Rascal did nothing to comfort me. I should have kept a better eye on my surroundings. I never should have let my guard down, specially somewhere I wasn’t familiar with. I can’t go back and change anything, so I can’t stress about it. What’s done is done.
Four hours later, we’re pulling up to a fortress of a house, just like Eduardo said it was. When I climb out of the car, he grabs my arm, rushing me inside. We walk through the front door and he practically drags me into the living room.
“It’s about time you made it back to me.” His accent is thick, but I’d recognize that man’s voice anywhere. Rodrigo Sanchez, the man who kept me prisoner two years ago. To this day his voice still makes my skin crawl.
33
Marley
“Eduardo, Paula, leave the room,” Rodrigo demands. His eyes are on me, even when he talks to them. “Did you enjoy your time with those dirty bikers?”
His words hit me in my gut. I shouldn’t be surprised by him knowing where I was.
“Surely you didn’t think I wouldn’t keep tabs on you?” He laughs. “Killing that prospect was simply a means to get you away from that clubhouse. You don’t belong with them. You belong here with me, to me.”
“I don’t belong to anyone,” I grit out under my breath.
“¿Qué dijo? What did you say? Do you forget who you’re talking to?” He moves so he’s standing directly in front of me. I hold his stare, but inside I’m shaking to my core.
I won’t let him see my fear.
“You’re the fucking Devil.”
He laughs maniacally. A bone chilling laugh.
“No, Preciosa, I’m not. But he is a close friend.” He grabs my hair, yanking my head back. Licking up my neck, he takes a deep breath, inhaling my scent.
“I let you get away once. Trust me when I tell you, it will not happen again.” He shoves me to the floor and turns to walk away. “Maria!”
An older woman walks into the room.
“Take her to her room. Make sure you lock the door.” Rodrigo walks out of the room.
“Come, niña.” She lightly grabs my arm, guiding me upstairs and into a bedroom. “I will be back in the morning. Buenas noches.”
She closes the door and the lock clicks into place. I glance around the room. There’s a queen size bed, an end table and a dresser. It’s clean, but plain. There’s a second door adjacent to the first. I open it, expecting a closet but instead finding a bathroom. It’s a full bathroom with a shower, no bathtub.
Closing the door, I move to the dresser. I find a t-shirt and some sweats. Both are about two sizes too big, but I change into them anyway. They’ll be more comfy to sleep in than my jeans. Plus, I can pretend they’re Rascal’s, even though his clothes would be even bigger.
Thinking about him makes my heart ache and brings tears to my eyes. I choke back the tears as I climb into bed. It’s surprisingly comfy, but too lonely. I close my eyes and imagine I’m laying next to Rascal. His arms wrapped around me, keeping me safe and warm. I fall asleep, only to dream of him.
I’m sitting in the living room with Maria when Rodrigo storms into the room, grabs my arm and drags me out to the garage. I gasp when we walk out and sitting in a chair in the middle of the garage is Rascal. His hands are tied behind him, his feet tied to the chair and his head is hanging down. He’s unconscious.