“What about her?” the one holding me asks.
“Until we sort this out, we bring her with. Don’t need her running to the police.”
They load us into a van, tie me up, and put tape over my mouth. They do the same to Reno. At some point, about ten minutes into the trip, he comes to. He struggles, but someone puts a boot to his neck, pinning him to the van floor.
“You stay still, or you’ll get another knock to the head. Understand?”
Reno’s eyes meet mine. I’m not sure what I read in them. I know he’s pissed I returned and am now in danger—danger he’s tried to warn me about. His outlaw life is touching mine exactly like he swore it would, proving his reasons for me to return to my safe life.
I shake my head, tears forming in my eyes. I don’t want any of that to be true. I don’t want him to be right to warn me. I don’t want this to be his life. I’m in love, and I want to fight for us to be together, no matter what the danger is. Maybe I’m young and naïve, but I don’t want to lose us.
I’m afraid for him more than myself. I don’t think they want to hurt me. I think they aren’t sure who I am. Perhaps the corvette outside, the one with the vanity plate that reads, JUSTICE gives them pause. Perhaps they wonder if I have some value.
I close my eyes, wondering if I’m about to become hostage to another MC.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Kara—
The van stops, and the side door opens. We’re pulled out of the vehicle, and I see a large, white clapboard house. There are MC logos, and I assume this is their clubhouse. They herd us inside.
The place is dimly lit. There’s a bar, a pool table, and an assortment of cast-off couches and tables. We’re hustled down a hallway and a flight of stairs into a large basement with a cement floor. A couple of bare bulbs are the only light.
They shove Reno onto a chair and chain him to it.
I pull against the grasp of the man holding me, screaming behind the duct tape across my mouth.
Boots thud down the steps, and two more men join us. A blond man seems to take charge, stepping into the circle of men. His eyes barely give me a glance, his focus on Reno.
The man standing behind Reno, says, “Hammer was right. Tailed ‘em to a motel in Anniston. They’ve been comin’ and goin’ the last few hours.”
“Well, well. Seems you DKs are too stupid to understand this is our state.”
Reno stares at the man.
The blond jerks his chin. “Let him talk.”
Another man steps forward and rips the tape from Reno’s mouth. He winces, but immediately starts talking. “Let her go. She’s got nothin’ to do with this, Shades.”
The man he called Shades twists to look back at me. “Who is she?”
Reno stays quiet.
“Well, let’s ask her,” Shades says, jerking his chin at the man holding me. “Take off the tape, Ghost.” My skin explodes with fire as they rip the tap from my lips, and I cry out.
“Sorry, sweetie,” my tormentor says.
I’m terrified for Reno, and immediately start begging for his life. “Please don’t hurt him. He’s done nothing.”
“Shut up, little girl,” Shades growls. “You talk when I ask you a question. Or that tape goes back on, understand?”
I nod. Last thing I want to do is piss him off when he holds our lives in his hands. “Yes, sir.”
He grins. “That’s more like it. Now, who are you, darlin’?”
I glance to Reno. Does he want me to talk? He nods.
Shades doesn’t miss our exchange. He grins again. “Ah, it’s like that, is it?”
I don’t confirm. “I’m Kara Harbinger.”
“You attend University of Alabama, Kara Harbinger?”
I frown. How does he know? “Y-yes.”
His eyes sweep over me. “Your father a Devil King?”
“What? No. Why?”
He turns back to Reno. “So this isn’t the girl you were supposed to be here checkin’ on?”
Reno looks at me but doesn’t reply.
Shades’ brows rise. “You don’t want to talk, I get it. I’ll get all the information I need from cute little Kara, here.” His voice has a threatening edge to it, and he moves toward me. He grabs my arm, my hands still restrained behind my back. He tugs me toward a door to a smaller room.
“Wait. Stop,” Reno growls at him.
Shades grins, pausing with me and turning to Reno. “Thought you’d be reasonable about this.”
“Yeah,” Reno confirms. “She’s the girl we came for, but she’s not the daughter of a DK member. That was all bullshit.”
“So, who is she?”
I yank my arm free. “I’m Judge Harbinger’s daughter. He presides over court for the Northern District of Georgia.”
Shades stares at Reno and slowly lifts his chin. “Ah, I’m assuming this has to do with your president’s legal troubles.”
Reno’s jaw tightens, and he nods once.
“So, she was leverage. That didn’t turn out too well, did it? Heard Growler got thirty years.”
Reno stays stone cold silent, his jaw granite.
Shades turns back on me. “They take you hostage?”
I glance to Reno, but Shades grips my chin and yanks my face to his. “Don’t look at him. Answer the question.”
Reno answers for me. “Yeah. We took her.”
I can’t let that be all he says. “They treated me well. He was under orders, but he wanted nothing to do with that job. You have to believe me. I love him. I wasn’t at that motel against my will, I swear.”
Shades lets me go. “They hurt you?”
“No.”
He turns back to Reno. “Well, that’s not your usual M.O. is it, asshole?”
“Please—” I don’t get another word out before Shades whirls on me.
“Enough!” He jerks his chin to the man holding me. “Get her out of here. Put her in a room. Call Skylar to come deal with her.”
They pull me toward the stairs. I look at Reno. What are they going to do with him? “Please, you have to listen to me. He didn’t hurt me. He saved me! Please don’t hurt him! If you kill him, I’ll involve the club. I’ll tell my father.”
“He has no jurisdiction in this state,” one of the men sneers.
Reno meets my eyes. “Kara, do as you’re told. Everything’s gonna be okay.”
They drag me up the stairs. I hear Shades chuckle as I stumble up the steps. “I wouldn’t make promises on that, least in your case.”
The man holding my arm tight in his hand stops at a door and opens it. He shoves me inside. There’s an iron bed and not much more, but there’s a window, and if he locks me in here, I already know I’m climbing out of it.
He stops and pulls out a knife. My eyes widen.
“Don’t worry, sweetheart. Just gonna get the tape off you,” he says softly, and I recognize I may have a chance to talk some sense into him.
“Please, mister. You have to listen to me.”
“Ghost.”
I frown. “What?”
“Name’s Ghost.”
“Ghost. Are they going to hurt him?”
“Depends.” He pulls me toward the bed. I notice there’s a set of handcuffs dangling from the iron frame. He pulls my hand toward it and tightens it around my wrist.
I pull back. “No! Please don’t restrain me. Please!”
“Sorry, honey. Can’t have you wanderin’ around until we know what to do with you.”
“Do with me? Please, just let us go. We’ve done nothing.”
“That may be true of you, but the dude downstairs has done plenty.”
“What? What has he done against you?”
“He ain’t even supposed to be in this state, except for what he had permission for. I ain’t sayin’ more cause this is club business.”
“Please, you can’t keep me here.”
“Won’t be long. One of the girls will be in to tend to you.” He moves to the door but turns with a
final warning. “You make a sound, scream for help, I’ll spread eagle you to the bed and tape your mouth up, understand?”
I nod, terrified by his words.
He slams the door behind him.
I pull on the cuff and try to drag the bed across the room. Maybe if I can get to the window I can call for help. The bed doesn’t move. Then I realize it’s bolted to the floor.
***
Reno—
I watch Kara go. She begged for my life, daring to stand up for me. It fills me with a kind of warmth to know she’s capable of such loyalty to me. It also makes me proud as hell what a little tiger she was, standing up to these guys. I only hope she doesn’t do anything stupid that will put her in more danger.
If I can’t talk my way out of this, maybe I can at least get them to release her. Damn it, Kara, you should have stayed put at your father’s house. You were safe. I tried to warn you the violence of my life would bleed all over you if you didn’t stay away. Now it may be too late for both of us.
I stare at Shades. Evil Dead have got no love for the Devil Kings. I can’t and won’t expect any mercy. If they don’t outright kill me, they’ll probably use me in some kind of power play.
I wonder briefly if Rusty made it safely away and is putting our plan in motion or if the damn Evil Dead have someone waiting at the motel for more DKs to show up.
I’m not concerned about my own situation; right now my main worry is for Kara.
“Think we need to worry about her?” the guy behind me asks.
Shades shrugs. “Her father has friends, and he’s capable of turning the attention of the ATF on us.”
“So, did we just fuck ourselves and take on all this fucker’s dirty deeds, including kidnap and rape of a judge’s daughter? Christ. Now we’re all involved.”
“It wasn’t rape,” I snap.
Shades snorts. “Think anyone will believe that? Hell, I don’t even believe that, and I just saw her beg for your miserable life.”
“It’s true.”
“Feds won’t care. She’ll be just another pawn in the government’s war with all of us. They’ll be determined to put you, your club, and maybe us away along with you.”
Shades moves to stand over me. I tighten my jaw, determined not to give them any more information. I’ve already said more than I should have.
“You’re gonna tell us everything,” he says.
I look away.
“Hammer, get him in the mood to talk.”
A big, muscular guy moves to stand in front of me, and I look up. I know when his fist meets my face, it’s gonna fucking hurt.
Shades leans against a support post and the beating begins. I’m glad they took Kara out of the room. I know she’d break down in tears, and I don’t want her to see any more of the violence of this MC life I live.
I can hear the men talking as Hammer beats me.
“Aren’t you glad you didn’t leave with Undertaker yesterday, Blood? Look at all the fun you’d be missing.”
“Yeah, loads of fun.”
“Why the fuck does this bother you, Blood?”
“’Cause I’ve been there. I’ve been the guy who does the shit jobs. I’ve also been the guy chained up in the hands of my enemies.”
After a few more punches I hear the man called Blood say, “He could be valuable, Shades. I wouldn’t let Hammer kill him.”
“We got no business with this, VP,” another one says. “DKs are draggin’ us in a shit ton of bullshit.”
“Happened in our state. It’s all in our business, now,” Shades replies.
“Hell yeah, it is,” another agrees.
“This situation is fucked,” someone says.
“Agreed, Griz, but we can’t ignore it.”
“This is dragging us into it.”
“We’re already into it. And that little schoolgirl is threatening to put us deeper,” Shades snaps.
“Maybe she needs to disappear,” someone says.
“You don’t fucking hurt her,” I roar, my words slurred by the blood in my mouth.
“Enough, Hammer,” Shades orders, and the pounding stops.
My head hangs limply, blood and spit drooling down from my mouth.
“We don’t hurt women. That’s a line I don’t cross,” Shades tells the room.
“She’s barely out of high school. How is she causing us so much trouble?”
“Ship her to the DKs.”
“That’s a certain death sentence,” I say, pulling my head up, my breathing raspy. I muster all my strength and yank on the bonds. I want to kill them all.
“I don’t think he likes that idea. Guess she’s his Achilles heel now. My how the tables have turned.”
“Maybe we can use that,” Shades says.
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
Kara—
I’m left in this room all night with nothing to do but worry over what they’re doing to Reno. I’m scared to death for him. I’ve tried to think of a million ways to get us out of here, but they all entail talking my way out, and since I’m alone, cuffed to the bed, I can’t put any of that in motion.
I lie on my side, staring out the window at the moonlight. I can’t loosen my knotted nerves enough to sleep. I clasp Reno’s medallion that hangs around my neck and say a prayer.
This is the first night Reno and I have slept apart in all the time I’ve been held hostage. I know it’s strange, but I long for the physical nearness of his body. I need him desperately. He’s the only anchor I have in this tumultuous sea.
After an eternity, I fall into an exhausted sleep as the sky starts to lighten at dawn. I can’t have slept long because the sun is still low on the horizon when the door opens. I startle out of a nightmare where I’m stuck on a rocky cliff side and can’t reach Reno’s hand.
I rub my eyes and sit up, scooting toward the headboard.
Two women stand by the bed. They’re older than me, but not by much. One’s a stunning woman with long dark hair and blue eyes. The other is pretty, too, with brown hair and cat eyes done up with heavy eyeliner.
“Kara?” the blue-eyed one asks quietly.
I nod.
“I’m Skylar. This is Jessie.”
I eye them with suspicion. Shades said they would ‘deal with me,’ and I don’t know what that means.
“I’m sorry about all this. I understand your father is a judge?” she asks.
“Yes.” I look between them.
Skylar sits on the bed beside me. “They said you were found with a DK, and that you’d been kidnapped. Did they hurt you? Do you need a doctor?”
She’s speaking to me softly, like I’m a rape victim. I can’t let them think that about Reno. “I’m fine. Is he okay?”
“Who? The DK?”
“Yes, he saved me.”
They exchange a look with each other, before Jessie turns back to me. “Saved you?”
“Yes, yes, please, you have to understand. He didn’t want anything to do with kidnapping me, but his club gave the order. He was good to me, kind.”
“How exactly did he save you?”
“When the order came for him to kill me, he wouldn’t do it. He moved me from the place they were keeping me, so I would be safe until he could figure out how to handle his club.”
“Handle his club?”
“Reno said—”
“Wait, did you say Reno?” Skylar asked.
I nod.
She pulls her head back and shakes it. “Reno is not a good guy. Trust me.”
“You don’t know him then,” I snap.
“Kara, I do. The DKs took me hostage years ago. They thought I had murdered one of their members—a guy I used to date. But I didn’t. I could never have hurt Rusty and—“
“Rusty? I know Rusty.”
“You do?”
I nod. “It was Reno and Rusty who were given the job of holding me hostage. Their club was trying to get my father to make sure their president did no prison time for some crimes he was convicted of.
”
Jessie looks at Skylar. “Small fucking world.”
“Is Rusty here, too?” Skylar asks me, ignoring her friend. “I thought they only had one man.”
“I don’t know. I was only with Reno when they took us. Rusty wasn’t around.”
“So, Kara, are you sure you don’t need to see a doctor?”
“I told you, he didn’t rape me. He was good to me. We’re… we’re in love.”
“Love? How long have they had you?” Jessie asks with a quirked brow.
“A few weeks.”
The two women look at each other again.
“Stockholm Syndrome?” Jessie asks Skylar.
I shake my head. “No, you have to listen to me. It’s not like that. I got to know Reno. We spent a lot of time together. I know it sounds crazy, but I fell in love with him, and he fell in love with me. He told me so.”
“He did?” Skylar asks.
“Yes.”
“Do you even understand what this life is about?” Jessie asks.
“Not really. I only had my first ride on a motorcycle last night.”
“Oh, wow,” she replies.
“What did you think?” Skylar asks.
“I loved it.”
Jessie looks at Skylar. “She’s hooked.”
Skylar bites her lip. “Still, she needs to know what she’s getting into.”
“I do,” I insist.
“Uh uh. You have no clue,” Jessie says, shaking her head.
Skylar moves to the bed and sits next to me, covering my free hand with hers. “Honey, I know this life. You see, Shades, the VP of this chapter, is my ol’ man. I’m not saying that men in an MC can’t love and love well. They absolutely can, and I’m not just talking about sex. But their commitment to the MC is huge.”
“What are you saying? Reno can’t love me like he loves his club?”
“No, actually I’m saying that kind of commitment is proof that a relationship filled with respect, loyalty, honor, love, and selflessness is cherished and desired by them.”
“So you’re saying these men hold the bonds of brotherhood on a level equal to marriage?”
“It’s true of the guys in this club, but the DKs? I don’t know about them.”
Dirty Deeds Page 18