“Well, it would seem that while I’ve been away, you’ve been having your fun. Do you think my guys don’t report back to me? Evidently, they neglected to tell me the extent of your entertainment. Besides, they have his kid too. You can have at him and her after I get Raiven. Hell, go down there and kill them all as soon as I get what I want. I don’t care. But you better not have ruined my bargaining chip. If I’d known they’d be so willing to trade, I may have done it in the beginning. Then again, I get so much enjoyment out of persuasion techniques.” He chuckled.
There was no way my brothers would let him get to Presley, so I contained my rage. I prayed that it was some kind of trick and that they’d never let Raiven within a hundred feet of any of these pieces of shit. They better have a fucking foolproof plan, because the thought of Stefano having her again made me ill.
“Get him down and chain him to the chair. Hose him down to clean him up. We need to leave with him soon, and I don’t want to smell him.” The demands were followed immediately by Igor and Baldy.
They needn’t have bothered chaining me, I was too weak and sore to fight them. However, when the cold blast of the water hit me, I was almost grateful for the chains. I’d have probably fallen out of the chair otherwise.
It took my breath away, and the force pushed me to the side. When they stopped, there was nothing but the sound of my ragged breathing and dripping water echoing through the old building. I couldn’t lift a finger, let alone my head. I was physically and mentally exhausted.
When they unchained me and told me to stand, I fell to the floor. Everything was blurry and tipping before it went black.
By the time I woke again, it took a minute for my vision to clear enough to see I was in an old barn. The wooden complete-with-hayloft kind. It smelled of musty hay and disuse. Gaps between the wall slats let in muted sunlight, and dust motes danced in the beams of light as my head lolled around, trying to see if I was alone.
I could barely hold my eyes open.
“Good morning, sunshine.” I moaned at Igor’s chipper comment.
Great, good ol’ Igor was there. Fun times. Thankfully, I didn’t see Viper anywhere at that moment.
“You should be happy, your people should be here shortly.”
“My people?” My voice sounded rusty and creaky. Clearing my throat didn’t help.
That was when I heard a vehicle pull up behind me. The old doors groaned as they opened.
“They’re on their way,” Stefano announced. He rattled off orders to the men with him. The ones I could see were armed to the teeth. I couldn’t see how many there were in total because most were out of my line of sight.
One went up into the questionable hayloft, and I wondered if he’d fall through. The rest dispersed, leaving Igor, Baldy, and Stefano.
Time ticked by as I sat chained to the same fucking chair from the slaughterhouse. Off and on, I dozed, no matter how hard I tried to keep my eyes open.
The doors in front of me were rolled open by Igor and Baldy, and I watched as a black SUV drove up.
The vehicle sat there as the dust settled. No one got out, and I could feel the tension of the men in the barn.
Finally, the passenger door opened, then the other doors. I recognized Styx, Smoke, Check, and Hacker. The last person to climb out set my heart racing, and I wanted to shout at them not to let her come in there.
I wasn’t prepared for her. My memories of her hadn’t done her justice. Even dressed casually in snug-fitting skinny jeans, Chucks, and a red T-shirt, she was beautiful. Her blue-black hair glinted in the sun, and I almost smiled at her signature pinup-style curls. Ink flashing, she stepped forward with Styx holding her colorful arm as he jerked her forward.
My eyes narrowed at his treatment of her.
She stumbled, and he yanked her upright. My fists clenched.
They stopped a good ten feet from where I sat. Her gasp filled the old space.
Though I tried not to look at her face, I couldn’t help it. The tears streaking her cheeks sent a stabbing pain through my chest that rivaled all of the abuse they’d subjected me to. Her lower lip trembled as she trailed her gaze from my head to my bare feet. I hated to think of what she was seeing.
Not only was it embarrassing knowing I looked like shit, but I could tell by her eyes that it upset her. I hated that.
“Raiven. My darling Raiven. It’s been far too long,” Stefano crooned from behind me. Fuck, I hated hearing that almost more than I hated seeing her upset.
Her gaze left me and shot to him. The fear and revulsion that battled on her face fed my rage. I wished for a way to get free. I wished for that useless scalpel I’d never been able to use. I wished for anything to protect her and keep her away from the piece of fucking shit talking to her.
“You said he was good.” Smoke growled as he spoke to Stefano.
“He’s alive. If you remember, I did say we couldn’t meet in public due to his, uh… appearance. Gino, bring her to me.” Ahh, Igor’s name was Gino.
“Not so fast.” Styx shoved her behind him as Smoke demanded, “Unchain him.”
Gino glanced at Stefano for guidance.
“Do it,” Stefano said softly. Gino unchained me, and it left me feeling like I’d float away.
Styx handed Raiven off to Hacker as he stepped toward me.
“Don’t move!” Stefano’s men raised their guns, and everyone but Styx whipped out a gun too.
“You were supposed to be unarmed,” Stefano hissed.
“Yeah, so were you. I guess we all lied, huh?” Smoke’s response was snarky and sounded like something I would’ve said. I almost laughed.
“I’m only coming to help him up. I’m not armed.” Styx held his arms out.
“He’s not,” said Smoke.
“Check him,” Stefano instructed someone.
The guy patted him down, and Styx grinned. “That’s my dick, asshole. Want another feel?”
After rolling his eyes, the guy nodded, and Stefano agreed to Styx helping me.
“You.” He pointed at Hacker. “Drop your weapon to the ground. Then bring her to me as your friend here gets your man.”
Legs shaking like a newborn colt, I stood with Styx’s aid. “Jesus, bro. I’ve got you.” He crouched slightly to allow him to put one of my arms over his shoulder.
I winced at the pain in my shoulder from the movement. Each step forward was agony, and as I passed Raiven I paused. I wanted to reach for her. Touch her. Save her.
But Styx urged me forward until we stood next to the rest of my brothers.
I waited for the moment when all hell broke loose and the plan they’d hatched came to fruition, but nothing happened. Hacker simply handed her off and backed away.
“We’re done then.” Stefano grinned evilly as he slid a hand up, brushing Raiven’s hair off her shoulder. Her shudder sent waves of disbelief and fury coursing through my veins.
“No!” I shouted in my creaky voice.
“Stop. Not now,” Styx said quietly in my ear. We all began backing out toward the SUV, and I tried to fight the hold Styx had on me. All I could think was we couldn’t leave her with him.
Besides my promise to Pops, she was mine!
“Get in the SUV. We’re going to have to move fast.” Smoke spoke low, and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing.
Though I wanted to, I was in no condition to fight as they essentially forced me into the SUV. Still waiting for something to happen, I yelled at them as they shut the doors and we whipped around to leave. “What are you doing? You can’t leave her there!”
“It had to be this way. I need to get you somewhere to check you out,” Styx said, and I wanted to knock his teeth out.
I couldn’t believe what had happened.
It was like my nightmare had no end.
“The Kill”—Thirty Seconds To Mars
“I’ve missed you, my little bird.” Stefano fingered my hair, and nausea welled to the base of my throat.
“Funny, I’
ve missed you too.” A voice I didn’t recognize came from behind me, and Stefano jerked me in front of him.
“Gabriel! What are you doing here?” He tried to sound normal but I could not only sense the tension in his body behind me, but hear the slight waver in his voice.
The man who’d joined us was tall with dark hair, dressed immaculately, and flanked by several burly suited men with hard eyes. Much like Stefano.
The difference between them was the newcomer had a suit that had obviously been tailored to fit him like a second skin. It was pure money and power.
It was then that I knew I was looking at Gabriel De Luca. The few pics anyone had ever captured of him didn’t do him justice.
My heart rattled and my inhale was shaky as I waited to see what would happen.
“The better question is, what are you doing here? This doesn’t look like a sick aunt.” His brows rose and he motioned toward me.
“I….” Stefano stepped up next to me. He was speechless and intimidated for the first time since I’d met him.
“You what? That’s what you told me, right? You had to leave town because your aunt was ill. Your only living relative. Surely you remember what you said. So you lied to me?” It was unmistakably a rhetorical question. He turned his head toward the massive man next to him without taking his eyes from Stefano. “Go get her.”
“Gabriel. She’s my girlfriend. We had a disagreement. I was only coming down to get her. Bring her to heel and back to Chicago. I only made up the story about an aunt because I didn’t want you thinking I was pussy-whipped.” His hold on my arm tightened before the other man reached us and pulled me free. He motioned for me to go toward the door by Gabriel.
The deep chuckle that left Gabriel De Luca held little humor. “Is that so? In the middle of Nowhere, Texas? In an abandoned barn? Oh, and the obvious trade I witnessed? What was that, Stefano? Do tell.”
“It’s not what you think. She was hiding out with them. I-I was just getting her back,” Stefano stammered. I’d never seen his composure crack like it was in front of Gabriel. It was interesting to find out the situation with me and Lock had gone on behind Gabriel’s back.
“You had dealings with a motorcycle club that weren’t sanctioned by me!” he roared. Then quieter, “And they weren’t the first ones, were they?”
Stefano didn’t answer, he only stood there wide-eyed. Once we were with the rest of his crew, the burly guy stopped me.
Gabriel made a valiant effort to rein in his emotions, but I could see the fury storming through his dark brown eyes. The muscle that jumped in his jaw ticked twice. The burly guy moved me behind himself and Gabriel.
“Get out here! All of you, or I’ll hunt you and your families down!” he called, and I jumped. Men I hadn’t known were hiding came out of the woodwork. One climbed down a rickety ladder.
They all stood, uncertain and wary. Six men including Stefano, to Gabriel’s four.
“Toss the weapons to the side.” They obeyed the commanding man without hesitation.
No one said a word.
Finally, Gabriel spoke with a calm that was carefully cultivated. “Stefano. You betrayed the family. You think I don’t know what you did? You think I’m stupid? That my men are stupid?”
“She’s just a girl. She’s nobody. You can have her if you want, then this is done,” Stefano bargained, and I gasped as my eyes nearly popped out of my head. I looked at Gabriel. Sure, I could appreciate he was a beautiful man, but Jesus. I wasn’t property to be traded or handed off like a secondhand shirt!
“Hmm, then this is done?” Gabriel sounded curious.
“Sure. You know I wouldn’t cause trouble. She’s not worth that much hassle. She’s yours. My gift.” Like that was supposed to appease the second-in-command of the most powerful fucking mafia family in Chicago.
“Ah, Stefano. You know what I was talking about, and it wasn’t this girl or your obsession with her. It wasn’t even your not-so-secret drug dealings with the Demon Runners. No. You killed Giacomo and believed you’d get away with it.” Gabriel’s tone was flat, emotionless.
Stefano’s face went white as a sheet.
There was only the slightest movement as Gabriel reached in his jacket. He withdrew a pistol with something long on the end. It looked like the one Stefano had used the night he killed that man in the restaurant. Suddenly, it all made sense.
The man he’d killed wasn’t some random guy, he was connected. Holy shit.
Every movement was fluid as Gabriel raised his arm and pointed it at Stefano. He looked like a dark avenging angel, and it sent a chill through me.
“No one betrays me. No one betrays the family.” His chin tipped up.
With only the slightest sound, a hole appeared in Stefano’s head, and he dropped like a stone. One by one, all the men with Stefano fell. Blood, dark and shiny, spread from their lifeless bodies before sinking into the dirt.
In shock, I could only stand there and shake.
Gabriel turned to me, and I nearly hyperventilated. The guys had said I would be safe, but this guy didn’t look like he was my friend.
“Please don’t kill me, I didn’t know. I swear. I won’t say anything.” Pleading, I fought the tears and nausea. It was like déjà vu. The night Stefano had killed that man came back like a nightmare.
“I know you won’t say anything. You haven’t said anything yet, though I wish you’d contacted me.” He returned his gun to the inside of his jacket, then brushed a speck of the dust from the barn off his dark sleeve.
“I didn’t know. He always said he was a businessman. I foolishly never questioned. I… I don’t know what else to say,” I choked out.
He studied me in silence. It was unnerving the way he appeared to be reading my mind. “Don’t worry, I believe you. Your friends, they are friends of my family. They brought Stefano’s betrayal to our attention. For that, I owed them. I don’t like owing people. I believe if I return you to them, we’ll be even. Don’t you think?” The corner of his mouth raised imperceptibly.
Heart hammering in disbelief, I could only nod.
“Good. Tony and Joseph will return you to your friends and family. Then everyone is satisfied.” Without another word to me, he turned to one of the men.
“Get this taken care of.” He waved dismissively at the bodies on the floor.
Like what had happened was no big deal, he walked out of the barn followed by one of his men. The other two motioned for me to leave.
One last glance at Stefano, and I puked all over the grass as soon as I cleared the doorway.
Gasping, I looked to the man closest me. “I’m so sorry.”
I was terrified I’d gotten it on him. He simply shrugged. “It happens.”
It happens. Fucking A, what the hell kind of dream am I stuck in?
As we pulled onto the main road, four bikes pulled in behind us. The two men seemed completely unconcerned. As I glanced back, I recognized the Demented Sons cuts. Relief flooded me.
The drive back to the Demented Sons clubhouse took about two and a half hours. Two and a half hours of silence from the suits in the SUV we traveled in. They did stop once for me to get a drink, to wash out my mouth, and to pee. For that I was grateful.
The four guys who’d been following us were Reaper, Hollywood, Gunny, and a guy I didn’t recognize by name, only his face. Reaper, Hollywood, and Gunny all hugged me. The other guy gave me a nod.
“Damn, doll, I was worried for a bit there. Lock didn’t want to leave you, and I thought he was gonna fuck everything up.” Gunny grinned, and I burst into tears. The images of the man Stefano had killed and then Stefano and his men bleeding into the dirt kept flashing through my head on a repeating cycle.
“Aww hell, babe, I’m sorry.” He held me until I gained a semblance of control and then we loaded back up and finished the last leg of the trip.
We arrived not long after Lock and the guys had returned. Everyone was still in the common area of the clubhouse, except Lock.
Gabriel’s two suits went into Smoke’s office with him briefly, then they left.
“Where’s Lock? And where’s Presley?” I questioned Styx.
“He’s taking a shower. He wanted to get cleaned up before he saw her. Smoke’s daughter took Presley down to the park with a couple of prospects to give him time. She doesn’t know he’s here yet. You may want to check on him. He’s weak as fuck, but refused to let anyone help him,” Styx replied.
Gunny appeared worried.
Without answering him, I rushed down the hallway to the room I’d called home for over a month. The water wasn’t running, and I tentatively knocked on the door to the bathroom. It wasn’t latched, and at my touch, it swung open a bit.
Crystal-blue eyes met mine in the mirror, and I hesitantly stepped in the room. He held clippers in his hand as he shaved one side of his head. Dark blond hair was scattered around him and on the floor.
“Um, do you want help?”
He shut the power off. “I’d like to say no, but I can barely hold my arm up anymore.” Defeat reigned on his features, and I ached for the man I’d known so briefly before. He gestured for me to take them.
Slowly, I took the warm, shiny clippers and flicked them on. The vibrations shot through my hand as I raised them to his head. I started to follow the separation from where his hair was longer on top and where it had grown out on the sides.
“Cut it all off.”
“What?” I was sure I’d heard wrong.
“All of it. Cut it off.”
“But….”
“But what?” His eyes were tired.
“I kind of like it longer on top.” I spoke softly. I wasn’t even sure if he heard me above the soft buzz of the clipper.
“Cut it off.” His voice was broken but firm.
Lips pulled between my teeth, I fought begging him not to do it. I’d wanted to run my fingers through it so bad. I’d dreamed of it wrapped around my fingers as I pulled him into my heat. The thought of getting rid of it all made it hard for me to swallow.
Hands trembling slightly, I took a deep breath to steady them. The first swipe of his long locks left them slowly drifting to the floor. Row after row, the dark golden lengths fell. Some of it was clumped and matted, causing me to have to work slowly to get the clippers through it.
Lock and Load: A Demented Sons MC Texas Novel Page 14